Gardeners who grow sea buckthorn claim that caring for the plant is not difficult. And if you follow the rules of agricultural technology in the autumn, a good harvest in the new season is guaranteed. But autumn care has its own nuances. Without knowing the subtleties, gardeners make wrong steps that affect the harvest and sometimes lead to unpleasant consequences for the plant.
Analysis of common mistakes and recommendations from experienced gardeners will help you avoid incorrect actions and not be disappointed in subsequent fruiting.
Trimming errors:
- Carrying out other forms of pruning other than sanitary pruning. Some gardeners believe that autumn pruning for sea buckthorn is necessary, but any type of pruning is possible. And that's wrong. For autumn shrubs, only sanitary treatment is suitable, which will prepare the bushes for winter frosts and prevent the appearance of diseases and pests. When carrying out another type of pruning, damage to the branches is possible, which will not have time to survive before winter, and the sea buckthorn will die.
- Branches can be broken off when pruning. This is a serious mistake when sanitizing shrubs. The wood must not be broken, otherwise the wounded bush will not survive the winter. The cuts should be smooth, without jagged edges.
- Leaving branches growing inside the bush. Wrong action. Such branches thicken the crown, which negatively affects light and humidity. This leads to a deterioration in sea buckthorn yield and an increased risk of fungal infections.
- Heavy pruning of side shoots. The error leads to a decrease in yield, since the reproductive buds, located in the upper part of the shoots, will go away with the cut branches.
- Leaving numerous wounds unattended. A serious mistake, because wounds take a long time to heal, which sometimes leads to the death of a sea buckthorn bush.
- Root damage that occurs when pruning root shoots. Yes, injuries are possible, since there are many long lateral roots. The misconception is that in the absence of pruning shears, branches are pulled out or broken off.
Sanitary pruning has a beneficial effect on yield. The shrub tolerates the winter season more easily and produces a good harvest for 10–15 years.
Mistakes when preparing for winter:
- Carrying out rough and deep loosening. Such a mistake will lead to damage to the root system and subsequently to the death of the bush. Sea buckthorn has roots located close to the soil surface. Therefore, loosening is carried out carefully and superficially so as not to damage the roots.
- Lack of response to temperature changes in autumn. Due to a blunder, the bush gets sick and dies, and even if it survives, the yield will drop. The gardener's response is to water the frozen soil and mulch.
- Failure to comply with the rules of autumn feeding. Errors arise from ignorance of the properties of the type of soil where sea buckthorn is planted. Different types of soil require certain fertilizers in the fall.
- Failure to carry out preventive measures in the absence of diseases and pests. This is a big mistake. Prevention will not harm even a healthy bush. It is known that it is better to prevent a disease than to treat it later.
Frequent mistakes in the autumn care of sea buckthorn bushes will not only affect the future harvest, but can also cause the death of the plant. Therefore, the strengths and weaknesses of the plant and the nuances of cultivation are studied. Advice from experienced gardeners and a list of possible mistakes when cultivating sea buckthorn will not hurt.
