Aronia as an ornamental shrub

In the flora of our planet there are several species of chokeberry, which grow in wild conditions on the North American continent along the banks of rivers and lakes.They belong to deciduous shrubs of the Rosaceae family. The most common species is chokeberry Aronia melanocarpa with small black berries.

Other varieties: aronia strawberry (otherwise chokeberry arbutus or arbutolium), aronia red with red fruits that are not edible, so the plant is mainly used as a decorative. Hydronium aronia is a natural hybrid of Aronian and Earthen-leaved.

And the usual chokeberry, which we grow in summer cottages, is not at all natural. This is a hybrid that Russian scientist I.V. Michurin, calling her aroniya Michurin (A. mitschurínii). Its difference - large edible sweet-sour fruits. By the way, in the wild it is extremely rare - mainly the reproduction of the shrub happens by chance, at the expense of migratory birds. Scientists have recorded such cases in the pine forests of Moscow and Vladimir regions.

Aronia Michurin was artificially created by a scientist at the end of the XIX century. Michurin crossed the seeds of chokeberry Aronia (A. melanocarpa) with distantly related plants and Sorbus aucuparia. In turn, the mountain ash has little in common with the black chokeberry. "Chernoplodka" has larger and tasty fruits than the ordinary mountain ash, and another set of chromosomes. The scientist himself recommended planting a new crop in forest belts, using in areas with a harsh climate where there is not enough fruit. After all, even low temperatures will not kill such a culture to - 30-40 degrees Celsius.

The bush has a height of up to 2 meters and a dense crown. This type of chokeberry blossoms in May - June for 2 weeks. The flowers are white and fragrant, gathered in corymbose inflorescences of about 20 pieces. The fruits of the black chokeberry are spherical, apple-like, slightly flattened from above and have a black and bluish tinge. As for taste, it is tart and sour-sweet. Aronia grows quickly and bears fruit. It is distinguished by later flowering, and the berries ripen to the first frost, while not crumbling. Up to 10 kg of chokeberry can be collected from one bush.

Aronia - an unpretentious plant in the care, it is resistant to diseases and insect pests. Since it blooms in late spring, it is not afraid of frost. In addition, this culture is self-pollinating, this process takes place with the help of wind and insects, so the chokeberry harvest is usually quite high.

Aronia is propagated by seeds and vegetatively. Sowing seeds in the garden is best at the end of October, so that the seeds undergo a natural stratification in natural conditions. They are deepened into the ground by 2 cm, and the seedlings will begin to bear fruit in the third - fourth year. Vegetatively, the plant can be propagated by dividing the bush, layering, grafting or grafting - one or two-year-old seedlings are used for this. For grafting usually take stock of mountain ash. If the culture is propagated by root suckers, by the autumn they grow up to 40 cm and have a developed root system.

For planting Aronia saplings, choose lighted areas where there is no wind, while having the bushes two meters from each other so that the plants are not shaded. The optimum soil type is sandy loam and light loam with abundant irrigation. Throw the fertile layer of soil in one direction, and the lower layer in another.

First fill the pits 50x50x50 cm first with fertilizers: usually humus, superphosphate and potassium sulphide are used. With this mixture the pit is filled, after which the seedling is placed. The root neck deepen a couple of centimeters. After planting, pour on a seedling near a bucket of water. Ground the ground with humus, sawdust and dry earth. And to get the maximum growth, cut up to 4 healthy kidneys from the bottom at a distance of up to 20 cm from the soil surface.

When planting in a shady place, the harvest of chokeberry will drop significantly.If the soil is too fertile, the growth of shoots will occur at the expense of budding and, accordingly, the yield will decrease.

Aronia requires regular pruning, as this shrub is characterized by rapid growth and the formation of shoots. The base of the bush expands, and fruiting is reduced. To prevent this, it will be necessary to form the crown of the plant.

After planting, the plant is cut at a height of 20 cm above the ground. The following spring, 5 sturdy and well-located branches are selected from the root from the root and shortened so that the tops are at the same level. This will be the skeleton of the crown, and the remaining twigs should be cut at the base at ground level. The following season, the crown is “replenished” with 5 more branches, in a year - with 5 more branches. As a result, a full-fledged crown will be formed in 3-4 years, because the number of stems in aronia bush should be 15–20.

Aronia is valued not only as a fruit crop, but is also known for its decorative properties. The plant looks spectacular at any time of the year. Aronia is white in spring, green in summer or purple in autumn. Aronia is ideal for both single and group planting. Partners for this shrub may be crops that bloom in summer or autumn — for example, panicle hydrangea, perennial asters, Korean chrysanthemums or Japanese anemones.

From chokeberry can make a hedge. It is enough to plant the plants at a distance of 1 m from each other. But it is also planted for landscaping streets and parks. Particularly impressive shrub looks in the fall, when it acquires a bright scarlet color with burgundy, purple, red and orange hues. As well as this shrub is used as a marginal culture in the shelter belt.

Since chokeberry is a moisture-loving plant, foresters often use this feature to cultivate wetlands or wetlands, where moisture is trapped during the rainy season. Another “consumer” of chokeberry is green construction. We have already talked about changing the dress of a plant several times a year.

Such fruit and berry culture, as chokeberry, became useful for people as a nutritious and therapeutic raw materials. It is used as a vitamin means to strengthen the immune system, as well as for the prevention and treatment of many diseases: for example, with elevated blood sugar, impaired metabolism, neurological problems or high blood pressure.

In addition, aronia is a decorative decoration of any suburban area or local area, changing the color of the leaves during the year, or serves as a hedge. Therefore, it is often used in landscape design. And as aronia is a very gas-resistant shrub, it is planted for landscaping parks.

In the next video you will learn more useful information about planting and caring for chokeberry.