Content
- 1 Breeding history
- 2 Description of berry culture
- 3 Scope of berries
- 4 Disease and pest resistance
- 5 Advantages and disadvantages
- 6 Comparison of varieties of sea buckthorn Altai sweet and Altai
- 7 Landing rules
- 8 Culture care
- 9 Collection, processing, storage of crops
- 10 Diseases and pests, methods of control and prevention
- 11 Conclusion
- 12 Testimonials
Altai sea buckthorn is a shrub plant that can be grown almost anywhere in the country. The variety is distinguished by its excellent berry taste, high yield and unpretentious care.
Breeding history
The Altai sea buckthorn variety was bred in 1981 by crossing two crops at the Lisavenko Research Institute.
Fruit and berry crops became the progenitors of the bush - this is the form of the Katunsky ecotype and the sea buckthorn variety Shcherbinka-1. In 1997, the sea buckthorn hybrid passed state tests and received a certificate giving the right to use it in agriculture. Now the variety is included in the State Register of Fruit and Berry Crops.
Description of berry culture
A shrub of sea buckthorn with a plastic crown, which is easy to give the desired shape and volume. This quality allows the plant to be used as a landscape decoration and site decor.
General understanding of the variety
The shrub of the variety grows up to 3-4 meters in height, and the smooth and elastic branches of the Altai sea buckthorn form a lush crown. Young shoots of this variety are silver-gray in color, which darken and turn brown over the years. The leaf plate of the sea buckthorn bush is small and narrow, up to 6 centimeters long. On the outside, it is gray-green, and on the inside, it is covered with small scales that have a silvery hue. The flowers are small and white, with a delicate aroma, in spring they appear on the sea buckthorn bush before the foliage.
Berries
Sea buckthorn berries sit firmly on the branch, forming a cluster of bright orange. The fruit is oval, weighing from 0.8 to 0.9 grams. The flesh of sea buckthorn berries is fleshy and sweet in taste, and according to expert tasting estimates, this is the only variety that received 5 out of 5 points.
Characteristic
It will be useful for a novice gardener to know the detailed characteristics of the Altai sea buckthorn variety and its advantages over other representatives.
Main advantages
The main advantages of the Altai shrub variety:
- the height of the sea buckthorn bush is easily adjusted by cutting;
- the fruits of the variety are sweet;
- frost-resistant culture - up to -45 0FROM;
- the bark of mature branches does not crack and remains flexible for many years;
- large-fruited representative among other varieties of sea buckthorn;
- high yield of berries - up to 15 kilograms per bush;
- the variety is practically not susceptible to disease;
- unpretentiousness to soil and care;
- easily transported provided that the root system is treated with care.
Altai sea buckthorn belongs to the female variety, therefore, pollination occurs by transferring pollen from male shrubs. For this purpose, the recommended varieties are Alei, Ural and Adam.
Flowering period and ripening time
The beginning of flowering of sea buckthorn depends on the climate where the shrub grows. In the middle zone of the country, it blooms in mid-May and continues to bloom for two weeks. Full ripening of Altai sea buckthorn berries occurs in the second half of August - early September.
Yield indicators, fruiting dates
Altai sea buckthorn belongs to high-yielding varieties and in one season is able to give its owner from 15 to 16 kilograms of juicy berries from a bush.
Berries appear on the plant in the fourth year of life, however, sea buckthorn becomes a full-fledged fruit bearing at the age of six. By this time, the bush is already finally formed and directs forces to ripen berries and a rich harvest.
Scope of berries
Berries have a versatile property in the food field. They are used for almost any purpose: jam and freezing, preparation of drinks, fresh and dried consumption. Sea buckthorn fruits are used in medicine, for decoctions, ointments and creams, in cosmetology. Thanks to the berry, human skin fights inflammation and aging.
Disease and pest resistance
The shrub of the variety is resistant to bacterial and fungal diseases, which other representatives cannot boast of. The plant is practically not affected by pests. And this factor becomes decisive when choosing the Altai sea buckthorn.
Advantages and disadvantages
Before buying a variety, it is worth examining the pros and cons of sea buckthorn.
Dignity | disadvantages |
Frost resistance up to -45 0С. Plastic, compact bush crown. The absence of thorns on the shoots. High yield rate. Early fruiting. High appreciation of the taste of berries. Does not crumble when ripe. A wide range of fruit applications. Disease and pest resistance. Bush decorativeness | A moisture-loving plant that needs frequent watering. The need for pollination. Freezing during a period of sharp alternation of thaw and frost |
Comparison of varieties of sea buckthorn Altai sweet and Altai
Options | Altai | Altai sweet |
Berry weight | 0.8-0.9 g | 0.7 g |
Taste | Sweet | Sweet |
Ripening terms | Mid August - early September. Early autumn variety | Mid to late September. Mid-autumn variety |
Yield | Up to 15-16 kg | Up to 7-8 kg |
Landing rules
Planting and caring for Altai sea buckthorn will not be difficult, since the plant easily adapts to environmental conditions and biological influences.
Recommended timing
Sea buckthorn can be planted in autumn and spring. Experienced gardeners prefer to carry out the planting procedure in the spring, since the time coincides with the beginning of the plant's growing season. In this case, the bush takes root faster, and also ripens more quickly and begins to bear fruit. In autumn, you can plant a berry, but the process is more laborious. After planting, the young bush must be fertilized with high quality, covered and in a winter with little snow, constantly dripped with snow.
Choosing the right place
The Altai variety is distinguished by its exactingness to the sun and moisture. To plant it, you need a spacious and open area of land. The ideal place will be where the groundwater flows.
Soil preparation
The plant is undemanding to the soil, but to increase its productivity they try to place it on loamy or sandy loam soil.
Selection and preparation of seedlings
When choosing a culture, special attention should be paid to the type of roots. They should be firm and uniform, free of tubercles and not injured. After choosing a seedling, the roots are carefully wrapped with a damp cloth, trying not to damage, and transported to the selected area.Before planting, remove the leaves from the sea buckthorn seedling and place it in water for 1-2 days to prevent it from drying out.
Advice! In order for the sea buckthorn to take root faster, its roots are dipped into a clay or earthen mixture before planting.
Step-by-step landing
Compliance with the planting rules is a guarantee of the harvest in the future:
- First, you need to prepare holes 40-50 centimeters deep and 50-60 centimeters wide.
- Organic and mineral fertilizers are added to the dug holes. This can be manure, compost and superphosphate granules.
- After preparing the pit, a seedling is lowered into it and the roots are carefully straightened.
- Cover the sea buckthorn with an earthen mixture.
- Produce abundant watering with 30-40 liters of water.
- Finally, mulch the soil of the bush.
Culture care
Altai sea buckthorn is unpretentious to environmental conditions. But observing the minimum requirements, you can double the yield of the plant.
Watering, feeding and mulching
During the active growing season, the plant requires abundant watering - 1-2 times a week from 30 to 80 liters, depending on the size of the bush. The rest of the time, small watering is carried out (20-30 liters). Sea buckthorn loves phosphate and potash fertilizers. They are brought in for active growth, preparation for fruiting and increasing yields. Also, the culture needs regular mulching with turf, this helps to retain moisture and protect sea buckthorn from pests.
Pruning
Altai sea buckthorn has a dense crown, which is regularly thinned out. Annual shoots are pruned by 20-30 centimeters, which in the future will stimulate the growth of skeletal branches. And every 8-15 years, the bush requires high-quality pruning of three-year-old shoots so that the yield of berries does not fall. Cutting damaged and dry branches is carried out as needed.
Preparing for winter
The sea buckthorn variety has a high frost resistance. Therefore, measures for warming culture for the winter are not carried out. The bark of the branches contains tannins that make it unsuitable for rodents and insects to eat. Due to this property, the plant does not need shelter for protection.
To increase future yields and strengthen the tree's immune system before wintering, in late autumn, you can fertilize the plant with sodium humate, which is purchased in a specialized store. No further care is required.
Collection, processing, storage of crops
Ripening of sea buckthorn berries ends by the end of summer - beginning of autumn. It is easier to harvest in late autumn after the first frost. The berry is already loosely adhered to the branches, which makes picking easier, and acquires a delicious pineapple aroma. You can save the harvest in several ways, depending on your needs. Sea buckthorn fruits are dried, boiled and frozen without pretreatment. The berries are stored unprocessed for a whole year, and the jam will not spoil for several years.
Diseases and pests, methods of control and prevention
| Disease | Description | Signs | Ways to fight | Prophylaxis |
| Verticillary wilting | Fungal disease | Early yellowing and falling leaves, the fruits wrinkle, and the bark is covered with swelling and cracks | There are no control measures, the infected plant is burned so as not to endanger healthy specimens | On the site of the affected bush, sea buckthorn cannot be planted for several years. |
| Endomycosis | Fungal disease | The appearance of light spots on the fruit, leading to wilting and weight loss | Treatment of the bush with 3% "Nitrafen" or 4% Bordeaux liquid | Liming and introducing wood ash into the soil, cleaning weed |
| Pests | Description | Signs | Ways to fight | Prophylaxis |
| Green sea buckthorn aphid | Green insect, 2-3 mm in size, which lives at the base of the buds | Leaves begin to turn yellow and curl | Spraying leaves with soapy water | Planting a bush in a sunny and ventilated area
|
| Sea buckthorn fly | White larvae on fruits and foliage | Damaged, eaten berries | Chlorophos solution treatment | Strengthening the root system with fertilizers |
| Sea buckthorn moth | Gray butterfly | Kidney collapse | Spraying with Bitoxibacillin solution | Root fertilization and weed removal |
Conclusion
Altai sea buckthorn will help not only to decorate the territory, but also provide a supply of tasty and healthy berries for the whole winter, from which jams, decoctions and other products important for health are prepared.
Cultivation of Altai sea buckthorn is not difficult. And care for fruit and berry crops is minimal.
