A tree with a weeping crown. Goat willow: planting and care

Botanical name: Goat willow or Bredina (Selix carrea), a species of the Willow genus, Willow family.

Homeland of goat willow: Europe.

Lighting: light-loving, shade-tolerant.

The soil: sandy, marshy, fertile, gravelly.

Watering: moderate.

Maximum tree height: 10 m.

Average lifespan of a tree: 150 years.

Landing: seeds, grafting, cuttings.

Description of the goat willow tree

Goat willow is small, the height of which reaches up to 10 m. The trunk diameter is up to 75 cm.

The branches are thick, spreading, young ones are grayish, pubescent, in older trees they are yellow-brown and gray-green, in older trees they are gray or dark, brittle.

The bark is smooth, has a gray-green color, becomes brown with age, and cracks appear at the bottom of the trunk. The wood is smooth and turns red in the air.

The buds are bare, large, up to 5 mm long, up to 3 mm wide. Flower buds are ovoid, reddish, large, up to 15 mm long, 3-6 mm wide, not flattened.

The leaves are elliptical, long, up to 11-18 cm long and 5-8 cm wide, dark green above, grayish below. The edge of the leaf is unevenly jagged.

Earrings are thick, large, 30-40 mm in length. Men's earrings are wide, oval or oblong, up to 6 cm. Women's are cylindrical, dense, multi-flowered, up to 10 cm long.

The fruit is a capsule, 7-8 cm, on a fluffy petiole. Each box contains up to 18 seeds. The seeds are equipped with fluffy flakes, so they are easily transported by the wind over long distances and quickly lose their germination.

Goat willow blooms in April, before the leaves bloom. Flowering duration is 10-13 days. Fruits in May. Frost-resistant, not demanding on soil. Goat willow photo.

Planting goat willow and caring for the tree

Goat willow is not picky about soil, so planting can be done in any substrate. Prefers light, fresh loams. High lime content should be avoided. The root system of the tree is superficial, tolerates planting near the trunk, but is sensitive to soil moisture. The tree is frost-resistant, but young individuals may suffer from the first frost. Since the plant is light-loving, it should be planted in well-lit places protected from the wind. Caring for goat willow involves timely removal of wild growth that forms under the grafting site. Ornamental trees regularly pruned to a height of 30-60 cm.

Goat willow is planted in early spring. In order for the plant to take root faster, the branches are placed in a container of water. Ready cuttings are planted in open ground. Before planting, you need to dig a shallow hole. Mix the excavated soil with compost. Place the seedling in a hole and compact the soil. Water the planting site generously with water. Watering young seedlings should be done 2-3 times a week. Adults in regular watering dont need.

Goat willow on a trunk: height and pruning for shape

Goat willow on a trunk consists of a smooth, bare trunk (trunk), the size of which is determined by design solution and grafted cuttings. The willow on the trunk serves for decorative design garden plot. It does not take up much space and is easy to care for. In order for a standard tree to retain its shape and height for a long time, constant and correct pruning branches.

The most common variety of goat willow used for the trunk is “Pendula”. The result is a beautiful small tree with vertically hanging branches.

To get an oval spherical crown They use the goat willow variety "Mas".

The rootstock is:

Red willow

Hairy willow

creeping willow

Willow whole leaf

Standard willow looks good in a single planting, on alpine slide, in the garden and on the shore of the pond.

Goat willow grows in deciduous, broad-leaved, mixed and coniferous forests, on the edges, along roads, around reservoirs. Distributed in Europe, the Caucasus, Western and Central Asia.

Tree pests: willow fly, flower fly.

Diseases: powdery mildew, black spot.

Goat willow Pendula

Goat willow Pendula - deciduous tree. The crown shape is weeping, tent-shaped, 2-3 m wide, 2-3 m high. Average life expectancy is up to 30 years. The leaves are oblong-elliptical, dark green, 8-10 cm long. Yellow in autumn. The flowers are golden yellow, flat earrings. Goat willow Pendula blooms from April to May. Flowering lasts up to 15 days. The fruits are capsules. The tree is light-loving and shade-tolerant. Grows in any soil moisture.

Goat willow Pendula is used in single plantings and decorative groups. It is not picky about soil, but needs abundant watering and care. In order to prevent root rotting, a thick layer of drainage is laid in the soil when planting. Despite the high frost resistance of the tree winter period it is necessary to cover the trunk.

The most difficult thing in caring for the Pendula willow is its pruning. If the plant is not formed correctly in the first years, its branches will very quickly fall to the ground. All shoots are cut off from young seedlings, leaving 15 cm with one bud at the end, looking up or to the side, but not inside the crown. Thus, a crown is formed that looks like an umbrella of short branches.

Mature trees are pruned after flowering. The shoots are shortened by 2/3 of their length. Thanks to this pruning, goat willow begins to branch densely. Behind summer period new shoots have time to fully form and become strong enough to flower.

In landscape design, goat willow Pendula is used in single and group compositions. Looks harmonious near ponds and in rock gardens. Combines with moisture-loving plants, perennials, ground covers, and dwarf coniferous trees. Pendula goat willow is propagated by grafting onto a standard.

Weeping goat willow

A very impressive tree with flexible, twig-like, weeping shoots, which are located at the top of a small trunk - a trunk. In good light, it forms a narrow tent-shaped crown with shoots that fall to the ground. In spring, the shoots are densely covered with fluffy flowers. Weeping goat willow almost does not grow upward. It exceeds the height of its trunk by only 30-40 cm. It looks beautiful against the background of plants with a different shade of foliage. Used in group plantings, planted at the turns of garden paths.

Goat's globular willow: photo and description

Tree of low dwarf form. The decorative value of the plant lies in its spherical crown with unusual shoots hanging down.

Leaves are lanceolate and leathery. The underside of the leaves is gray-tomentose, the upper side is dark green. Goat willow blooms before the leaves appear. Flowering lasts up to 20 days. The flowers are fluffy, yellow catkins. Willow of this form grows very quickly.

Planted in parks, squares and garden plots. Used as a hedge. Photo of goat willow

Goat willow Kilmarnock

Goat willow form Kilmarnock is a miniature, standard tree up to 1.5 m high. The branches are long, deeply drooping, stretching all the way to the ground. The crown shape is weeping, umbrella-shaped. Blooms in April. The flowers are silvery, numerous, yellow catkins, with a pleasant aroma.

The leaves are slightly wrinkled, oblong - elliptical, green. They turn yellow in autumn. The root system is superficial and sensitive to flooding.

Goat willow Kilmarnock is light-loving, frost-resistant, and wind-resistant. It is not picky about the soil. Grows on loamy and light substrates with low lime content, sensitive to moisture. If there is excessive soil moisture, the roots located in surface layer may rot. Grow the tree in a well-lit area.

Uses of goat willow

Goat willow bark contains tannins used in tanning. Thin leather intended for making gloves, as well as morocco, is tanned using the tanning extract of the bark of this tree. The bark is also valued folk medicine. It is an astringent, antipyretic, wound-healing, choleretic and sedative. A decoction of the bark is used for colds and rheumatism, diseases of the spleen and gall bladder.

In addition, goat willow bark contains biologically active compounds: flavones, tannins, glycosides, vitamins, and minerals. Fresh willow leaves are applied to calluses to soften them. For tuberculosis of the joints, take baths with an infusion of willow leaves. Male inflorescences in the form of an alcoholic infusion or a water decoction help with neuroses and disorders of the cardiovascular system.

For stomatitis and gum disease, a decoction of the bark is used to rinse the mouth. Goat willow is also effective means with increased sweating. To normalize the functioning of the sweat glands, a decoction of the bark is taken orally.

Goat willow wood is used as a construction, ornamental and material for making furniture and household items. It also serves as fuel. The branches are a material for creating fences. The leafy branches are used to feed livestock, especially goats and sheep. Bredina leaves are used as a tea substitute. In the Caucasus, an intoxicating drink is made from the male earrings of this tree.

Goat willow is considered an excellent honey plant, valuable for beekeeping. From the tree, bees take nectar, pollen, honeydew, and sticky bud secretions, which the bees turn into propolis.

During the flowering period, the branches of the willow serve as decoration for the room, and where there is no real willow, they are used in Easter rituals.

The bark is collected before the willow flowers, during sap flow. The bark removed from the tree is dried in the sun and dried in the oven. The finished raw material should not bend, become hard and brittle. Store the dried bark in a box. Shelf life: 4 years.

Baskets of different shapes and purposes are woven from the twigs of this tree. A thin willow rod combines flexibility and elasticity. Craftsmen use cleaned twigs to make small items convenient for picking berries and baskets. big size, with whom you can go mushroom picking. Neither do they wrinkle. For harvesting potatoes, special baskets made of willow twigs are used, which are called “potato” baskets. There are wicker products for storing papers, and there are also flower baskets, they decorate the festive table.

Bread bins, candy bowls, crackers and other items are woven from the vine kitchen utensils. A beautifully woven vase will decorate any table, both formal and everyday. One-year and two-year-old willow shoots, long and thin, are suitable for weaving baskets.

The month of April in our climatic zone most favorable for grafting fruit trees. Many amateur gardeners know how to graft trees, but, as a rule, they do not use their skills to grow several seedlings for their garden. This path is too long. Usually the seed rootstock is grown for two years, then it is grafted and, only at the end of the third season, annual grafted seedlings are obtained. When using dwarf rootstocks, the technology becomes more complicated, and the full cycle of growing seedlings may be somewhat longer. Therefore, it is easier and much faster to buy ready-made seedlings. But there are situations when the ability to graft is simply necessary. For example, when you need to re-graft a tree growing on your site that doesn’t suit you. It could be a wild one that grew up instead of a dead cultivated variety, or it could be a variety that for some reason doesn’t suit you. You can get a harvest from a regrafted healthy tree much faster than uprooting it and planting a new seedling in its place. Sometimes a gardener wants to have a variety he likes in his garden, but he no longer has the space to plant new seedlings. In this case, you can graft as many new varieties as you like into the crown of existing trees. Grafted branches can bear fruit as early as the next year after grafting.

If it is necessary to regraft a wild bird 1.5 - 2 meters high, then by making 5 - 10 grafts 20 cm from the base of the skeletal branches and the central conductor, you can completely regraft it at one time. In this case you will receive fruit tree on a skeletonizer. The undeniable advantage of such trees is that less winter-hardy varieties, but with more high quality fruits The fact is that the least winter-hardy places in apple and pear trees are the trunk at the level of the snow cover and the base of the skeletal branches, and the belonging of these weak points to a more winter-hardy skeleton-forming material will make it easier for the entire tree to be tolerated winter frosts. Larger trees are completely regrafted in two to three years, since severe pruning of the crown in one year will significantly weaken the leaf apparatus that feeds root system, and the tree may die. And one more explanation. Gardeners often make the mistake of taking cuttings from a dwarf apple tree and grafting them wild, hoping to get a dwarf apple tree. It will turn out dwarf only if it is grafted onto a dwarf rootstock, and not onto a wild one, or, as was done before, an insert of a dwarf rootstock was grafted between the wild one and a cultivated variety. And from which tree the cuttings for grafting are taken - from a vigorous one or from a dwarf one - will not have any effect on the height of the tree in the future. The dwarf rootstock itself is, as a rule, not used as a skeleton-former. But, if you have a winter-hardy tree on a dwarf rootstock, for example, Ural Bulk, then by regrafting several branches with other varieties you will get a dwarf apple tree, on which, in addition to the “yellow ranetki”, fruits of various varieties will flaunt.

Cuttings of the desired varieties for grafting are usually prepared in the fall, but if you have not done this, you can cut them and in early spring. If the winter was warm, then most cuttings can be good quality, otherwise you need to look for healthy cuttings that are green on the cut, and not Brown color, on the lower branches of the mother tree, which overwintered under the snow, or in the very top part of the crown. Only one-year-old branches are used for grafting. Store cuttings until grafting; if you do not graft immediately, in plastic bag in refrigerators or in the snow. If the cuttings have dried out a little, then before grafting they are immersed in water for several hours.

To produce grafts you will need pruning shears, a grafting knife, a garden hacksaw, tying tape and garden pitch. The knife must be sharpened very sharply on a small whetstone.
Attention! Be very careful when handling sharp tools. You can cut yourself even while peeling potatoes in your kitchen. Here the wood is much stronger and in order to make any cut on it, it is necessary to apply quite a lot of force. In this case, if the knife accidentally breaks, you can cause yourself a very serious injury, which can forever discourage a novice gardener from grafting plants. It is very difficult to explain all the intricacies of safety precautions. The main recommendation is that if you make a cut, pointing the knife towards the other hand, then the thumbs must be in contact with each other. Experienced gardeners They are almost never pruned.

So, let's start vaccinating. Let's look at how you can regraft a tree in one of the simplest ways - into a split. Using pruning shears or a hacksaw, we cut off the branch that we want to regraft and clean the cut with a knife. We make wood splits in the center of the branch with a depth of 4–6 cm; if we graft a side branch, then we make the split vertically. Then we take the scion cutting in our hands and cut it into the shape of a shoulder blade. It is advisable to make each cut in one pass of the knife, rather than planing the handle like a pencil, although at first this is unlikely to work. You cannot touch the cut with your hands - some sterility must be maintained. Then we cut the cuttings with pruning shears, leaving 2 - 3 buds. After this, we insert it into the split, aligning the bark. It would be more correct to say that we combine layers of cambium, this is a very thin layer of cells between the bark and wood. Cambium cells are capable of rapidly dividing, resulting in the fusion of components. If the thickness of the bark of the rootstock and scion is approximately the same, then we will conventionally assume that we are combining the bark. In the case when the diameter of the cutting and the grafted branch are the same, the bark is aligned on both sides. If the diameter of the grafted branch is larger than the diameter of the cutting, then we move the cutting to the upper side and combine the bark on only one side. After this, we tightly tie the grafting site. For this I use strips of plastic film 2.5 cm wide and 30 cm long. Then the tip of the cutting and the end of the grafted branch, if it large diameter and we couldn't close it plastic film, carefully lubricate with garden varnish.

Gardener Dolbnya F.I., (2007)

Candidate of Biological Sciences M. Aleksandrova

In every garden there is a place for an elegant tree with a weeping crown. But don’t give in to the mood and don’t buy a seedling just because you like the way it looks. Choose a plant that would be suitable for your garden both in terms of living conditions and in size, which sooner or later it will reach.

HOW TO GROW A TREE

Caragana tree, or yellow acacia "Weeping".

Science and life // Illustrations

Science and life // Illustrations

Trees and shrubs with a weeping crown can be propagated using grafting. In Fig. 1 - simple copulation, 2 - wedge, 3 - split.

The best way grafting to produce a weeping tree - improved copulation.

Yellow acacia "Lorbergi" blooms.

Preparing the rootstock for grafting.

A grafted plant consists of a rootstock (root and trunk) and a scion (crown).

Formative pruning of grafted forms. In the first years after grafting, shoots may appear on the trunk from dormant buds - they are immediately removed. The shoots of the rootstock emerging from the roots are also dug up.

Candelabra-shaped method of pruning.

Science and life // Illustrations

Goat willow "Weeping": 1 - in early spring, 2 - in summer.

Rough elm "Weeping".

Science and life // Illustrations

Common mountain ash "Weeping": 1 - in winter, 2 - in summer.

Weeping crowns are found in many tree species: willow, rowan, elm, caragana, ash, aspen, alder, oak, euonymus, maple, linden. Unfortunately, this form of branches is not always inherited, so these trees and shrubs have to be propagated by grafting.

You can grow a rootstock for grafting from seeds or use a tiny seedling from the forest as it. The scion - pencil-thin cuttings - is cut for spring grafting in February-March. They are kept for 2-3 weeks in the refrigerator, wrapped in moss or damp paper, and the day before the “operation” they are placed in water, renewing the lower cut. The vaccination is done in May at a temperature of 23-25 ​​o C and high humidity air. You can also vaccinate in the summer - in July. Cuttings from freshly cut shoots with mature wood or a well-formed bud are grafted.

For grafting, you need pruning shears, a garden budding knife, garden varnish, tying film or compress paper; they are cut into strips 20-25 cm long and about 1 cm wide. Grafting methods: budding (bud grafting), simple and improved copulation (grafting with cuttings) , onto a wedge, into a split. After the rootstock and scion have grown together, the film that was tied around the grafting site is removed.

Water frequently for the first two weeks, pouring at least one bucket under each plant. This is usually done early in the morning or in the evening, 2-3 hours before sunset. After watering, the soil is loosened, and tree trunk circles mulch with peat, sand, pebbles or expanded clay in a layer of 8-12 cm. Mulch helps retain moisture in the soil and protects against weeds; the soil under it warms up less in summer and freezes less in winter.

Feed plants with complex mineral fertilizers, summer feeding is especially effective. Phosphorus and potassium fertilizers are applied once every 2-3 years. You should not get carried away with nitrogen fertilizers: their excess negatively affects the winter hardiness of plants and impairs their survival rate.

In the first years, in early spring, before the buds open, formative pruning is carried out. Young shoots that appear from dormant buds on the trunk are removed, as well as shoots of the rootstock that grow below the grafting site or directly from the roots. They are broken out or carefully cut out with pruning shears, leaving no stumps. If the grafted plant blooms in the year of grafting, the flowers are torn off.

To give the seedling a weeping shape, use the candelabra-shaped pruning method (see figure). Cuts on the shoots are made after a well-developed bud looking up - then the shoots begin to hang down. This method of pruning helps to create a wider crown. Large sections are covered with garden varnish. Wounds with a diameter of up to 1.5 cm are not covered, as they heal quickly on their own. When pruning, dry branches are also cut out.

On permanent place 3-5 year old seedlings are planted. They should have an even, straight trunk, a crown evenly developed in all directions, and a good root system.

Weeping trees and shrubs are spectacular on lawns, in rest areas near benches, in flower beds and near ponds, both in single plantings and in groups of at least three plants each. Decorative trunks are also used for growing in containers. Caragana, apple trees, and maples are best suited for this.

Most weeping forms are frost-resistant and light-loving. Shade-tolerant willow, hazel, elm; They are best grown in areas where groundwater are located no closer than 1.5 - 2 m from the soil surface.

Willow, pear, and caragana are not picky about soil.

Apple trees can grow on slightly acidic soils; hazel prefers calcareous soils. Elm and mountain ash need fertile soil.

Size landing pit: 1x1x0.5(0.7) m. Root collar plants should be located at soil level. In order not to damage the lower branches, a peg is driven in next to the seedling 5-7 cm below the crown.

Elm "Weeping" (Ulmus glabra "Pendula")

An original tree with a hemispherical crown, similar to an inverted bowl. Long branches with large dark green leaves create a dense shady canopy under which you can hide from the sun's rays.

It grows slowly. The height of an adult tree is no more than 5 m, the crown diameter is up to 10 m.

Shade-tolerant. Demanding on soil fertility. It is winter-hardy, but in very severe winters the ends of its annual shoots freeze.

The grafting is done on rough elm in a standard height from 1 to 2.5 m.

Weeping pear (Pyrus salicifolia "Pendula")

In spring, the thin drooping branches of this tree, its white flowers and long silver-white leaves, which turn gray-green in autumn, attract attention. From late summer until winter, small green, albeit inedible, fruits hang on the tree.

The grafting is done on Ussuri pear in a standard height from 1.7 to 2.5 m.

Goat willow "Weeping" (Salix caprea "Pendula")

The weeping willow is especially good in early spring during flowering, against the backdrop of an emerald green lawn. At this time, the entire tree is covered with golden earrings, and its long branches hang almost to the ground, forming a transparent, light crown.

Grows quickly. Relatively shade-tolerant. Undemanding to soils. Frost-resistant.

The grafting is done on goat willow in a standard 2 to 3 m high.

Caragana arborescens "Lorbergii"

Looking at the plant, it is difficult to guess that this is one of the forms of ordinary yellow acacia. The skeletal branches extending from the trunk form something like a bowl. Along the periphery of the crown, the shoots gracefully hang down. They are covered with very narrow and long (up to 20 cm) light green leaves, similar to larch needles. The crown is openwork and provides virtually no shade. Thin shoots and thread-like leaves give caragana an exotic appearance, which is why it is sometimes called the northern palm. The shrub blooms in late May - early June with yellow fragrant flowers.

It grows quickly, grows up to 3 m, and is photophilous. Undemanding to soil, drought-resistant. Reacts well to pruning. Winter-hardy.

The grafting is done on Caragana arborescens in a standard 0.75-2.5 m high.

Caragana arborescens "Pendula"

It differs from the usual yellow acacia in the bizarre shape of its crown, formed by highly twisted skeletal and long, hanging down young branches. In May - early June they are covered with yellow flowers collected in bunches. The curved branches of weeping acacia look no less attractive in winter.

The plant is light-loving, but tolerates light shade. It is undemanding to soil fertility and tolerates soil compaction. Grows best in fresh sandy loam soils. Drought-resistant, does not tolerate wetlands. Winter-hardy. The grafting is done on caragana tree in a standard 2.5-3 m high.

Common hazel "Weeping" (Corylus avellana "Pendula")

Standard form with an umbrella-shaped crown and weeping branches. The height and diameter of the crown is 2-3 m. It grows quickly and is shade-tolerant. Prefers fertile soils. Does not tolerate excess water. Winter-hardy; in severe winters, the ends of annual shoots sometimes freeze.

Rowan "Weeping" (Sorbus aucuparia "Pendula")

In young plants, long thin branches hang almost to the ground, in adults they curl into an intricate ball. The height of the tree or shrub is 6 m, the diameter of the crown is 4-6 m. It blooms in late May or early June. The flowers are white, fragrant. Orange fruits ripen in September.

Grows quickly; light-loving, but tolerates partial shade. Undemanding to soil. Does not tolerate drought and excess moisture in the soil. Winter-hardy.

The grafting is done on the rowan tree in a standard from 2 to 4 m high.

Low apple tree "Weeping Red" (Malus pumila "Pendula Rubriflora")

One of the most spectacular plants with a weeping crown. The long dark burgundy branches of this apple tree hang down to the ground, sometimes growing up to 1.5 m per season. The tree has reddish foliage, purple flowers and small burgundy apples.

Grows up to 3-4 m; bears fruit. Winter-hardy, drought-resistant.

Propagated by grafting onto an apple tree into a standard 2 to 4 m high.

In every garden there is a place for an elegant tree with a weeping crown. But don’t give in to the mood and don’t buy a seedling just because you like the way it looks. Choose a plant that would be suitable for your garden both in terms of living conditions and in size, which sooner or later it will reach.

Caragana tree, or yellow acacia "Weeping".

Yellow acacia "Lorbergi" blooms.

The best grafting method to obtain a weeping tree is improved copulation. The rootstock and scion must have the same thickness. On the shoot of the rootstock and the cutting of the scion, even cuts 1-1.5 cm long are made at an angle to the longitudinal direction. The length of the cut on the cutting is 3-3.5 times greater than its diameter. On these sections, a shallow split is made parallel to the central axis. The planes of the cuts are connected - the resulting scion split must fit into the rootstock split. The grafting site is tied with film, and the upper cut of the scion cutting is covered with garden pitch.

A grafted plant consists of a rootstock (root and trunk) and a scion (crown).

Candelabra-shaped method of pruning.

Goat willow "Weeping": 1 - in early spring, 2 - in summer.

Common mountain ash "Weeping": 1 - in winter, 2 - in summer.

How to grow a tree

Weeping crowns are found in many tree species: willow, rowan, elm, caragana, ash, aspen, alder, oak, euonymus, maple, linden. Unfortunately, this form of branches is not always inherited, so these trees and shrubs have to be propagated by grafting.

You can grow a rootstock for grafting from seeds or use a tiny seedling from the forest as it. The scion - pencil-thin cuttings - is cut for spring grafting in February-March. They are kept for 2-3 weeks in the refrigerator, wrapped in moss or damp paper, and the day before the “operation” they are placed in water, renewing the lower cut. The vaccination is done in May at a temperature of 23-25 ​​o C and high air humidity. You can also vaccinate in the summer - in July. Cuttings from freshly cut shoots with mature wood or a well-formed bud are grafted.

For grafting, you need pruning shears, a garden budding knife, garden varnish, tying film or compress paper; they are cut into strips 20-25 cm long and about 1 cm wide. Grafting methods: budding (bud grafting), simple and improved copulation (grafting with cuttings) , onto a wedge, into a split. After the rootstock and scion have grown together, the film that was tied around the grafting site is removed.

Water frequently for the first two weeks, pouring at least one bucket under each plant. This is usually done early in the morning or in the evening, 2-3 hours before sunset. After watering, the soil is loosened, and the tree trunk circles are mulched with peat, sand, pebbles or expanded clay in a layer of 8-12 cm. Mulch helps retain moisture in the soil and protects against weeds; the soil under it warms up less in summer and freezes less in winter.

Plants are fed with complex mineral fertilizers; summer feeding is especially effective. Phosphorus and potassium fertilizers are applied once every 2-3 years. You should not get carried away with nitrogen fertilizers: their excess negatively affects the winter hardiness of plants and impairs their survival rate.

In the first years, in early spring, before the buds open, formative pruning is carried out. Young shoots that appear from dormant buds on the trunk are removed, as well as shoots of the rootstock that grow below the grafting site or directly from the roots. They are broken out or carefully cut out with pruning shears, leaving no stumps. If the grafted plant blooms in the year of grafting, the flowers are torn off.

To give the seedling a weeping shape, use the candelabra-shaped pruning method (see figure). Cuts on the shoots are made after a well-developed bud looking up - then the shoots begin to hang down. This method of pruning helps to create a wider crown. Large sections are covered with garden varnish. Wounds with a diameter of up to 1.5 cm are not covered, as they heal quickly on their own. When pruning, dry branches are also cut out.

Standard forms in the garden

3-5 year old seedlings are planted in a permanent place. They should have an even, straight trunk, a crown evenly developed in all directions, and a good root system.

Weeping trees and shrubs are spectacular on lawns, in rest areas near benches, in flower beds and near ponds, both in single plantings and in groups of at least three plants each. Decorative trunks are also used for growing in containers. Caragana, apple trees, and maples are best suited for this.

Most weeping forms are frost-resistant and light-loving. Shade-tolerant willow, hazel, elm; They are best grown in areas where groundwater is no closer than 1.5 - 2 m from the soil surface.

Willow, pear, and caragana are not picky about soil.

Apple trees can grow on slightly acidic soils; hazel prefers calcareous soils. Elm and mountain ash need fertile soil.

Planting hole size: 1x1x0.5(0.7) m. The root collar of the plant should be located at soil level. In order not to damage the lower branches, a peg is driven in next to the seedling 5-7 cm below the crown.

An assortment of the most decorative and winter-hardy plants for a small garden

Elm "Weeping" (Ulmus glabra "Pendula")

An original tree with a hemispherical crown, similar to an inverted bowl. Long branches with large dark green leaves create a dense shady canopy under which you can hide from the sun's rays.

It grows slowly. The height of an adult tree is no more than 5 m, the crown diameter is up to 10 m.

Shade-tolerant. Demanding on soil fertility. It is winter-hardy, but in very severe winters the ends of its annual shoots freeze.

The grafting is done on rough elm in a standard height from 1 to 2.5 m.

Weeping pear (Pyrus salicifolia "Pendula")

In spring, the thin drooping branches of this tree, its white flowers and long silver-white leaves, which turn gray-green in autumn, attract attention. From late summer until winter, small green, albeit inedible, fruits hang on the tree.

The grafting is done on Ussuri pear in a standard height from 1.7 to 2.5 m.

Goat willow "Weeping" (Salix caprea "Pendula")

The weeping willow is especially good in early spring during flowering, against the backdrop of an emerald green lawn. At this time, the entire tree is covered with golden earrings, and its long branches hang almost to the ground, forming a transparent, light crown.

Grows quickly. Relatively shade-tolerant. Undemanding to soils. Frost-resistant.

The grafting is done on goat willow in a standard 2 to 3 m high.

Caragana arborescens "Lorbergii"

Looking at the plant, it is difficult to guess that this is one of the forms of ordinary yellow acacia. The skeletal branches extending from the trunk form something like a bowl. Along the periphery of the crown, the shoots gracefully hang down. They are covered with very narrow and long (up to 20 cm) light green leaves, similar to larch needles. The crown is openwork and provides virtually no shade. Thin shoots and thread-like leaves give caragana an exotic appearance, which is why it is sometimes called the northern palm. The shrub blooms in late May - early June with yellow fragrant flowers.

It grows quickly, grows up to 3 m, and is photophilous. Undemanding to soil, drought-resistant. Reacts well to pruning. Winter-hardy.

The grafting is done on Caragana arborescens in a standard 0.75-2.5 m high.

Caragana arborescens "Pendula"

It differs from the usual yellow acacia in the bizarre shape of its crown, formed by highly twisted skeletal and long, hanging down young branches. In May - early June they are covered with yellow flowers collected in bunches. The curved branches of weeping acacia look no less attractive in winter.

The plant is light-loving, but tolerates light shade. It is undemanding to soil fertility and tolerates soil compaction. Grows best in fresh sandy loam soils. Drought-resistant, does not tolerate wetlands. Winter-hardy. The grafting is done on caragana tree in a standard 2.5-3 m high.

Common hazel "Weeping" (Corylus avellana "Pendula")

Standard form with an umbrella-shaped crown and weeping branches. The height and diameter of the crown is 2-3 m. It grows quickly and is shade-tolerant. Prefers fertile soils. Does not tolerate excess water. Winter-hardy; in severe winters, the ends of annual shoots sometimes freeze.

Rowan "Weeping" (Sorbus aucuparia "Pendula")

In young plants, long thin branches hang almost to the ground, in adults they curl into an intricate ball. The height of the tree or shrub is 6 m, the diameter of the crown is 4-6 m. It blooms in late May or early June. The flowers are white, fragrant. Orange fruits ripen in September.

Grows quickly; light-loving, but tolerates partial shade. Undemanding to soil. Does not tolerate drought and excess moisture in the soil. Winter-hardy.

The grafting is done on the rowan tree in a standard from 2 to 4 m high.

Low apple tree "Weeping Red" (Malus pumila "Pendula Rubriflora")

One of the most spectacular plants with a weeping crown. The long dark burgundy branches of this apple tree hang down to the ground, sometimes growing up to 1.5 m per season. The tree has reddish foliage, purple flowers and small burgundy apples.

Grows up to 3-4 m; bears fruit. Winter-hardy, drought-resistant.

Propagated by grafting onto an apple tree into a standard 2 to 4 m high.

Candidate of Biological Sciences M. Aleksandrova.