Dogwood flower color. Dogwood: description of varieties, cultivation and care, medicinal properties. The nuances of seed cultivation of dogwood

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The beneficial properties and contraindications of dogwood have been known since ancient Greece. During excavations in Switzerland, the seeds of this berry were found, their age is 5 thousand years.. Despite the fact that the plant is heat-loving, through the efforts of breeders it is becoming increasingly popular in temperate climate zones.

The plant in the form of a small tree or shrub up to 7 meters high belongs to the dogwood family. Is dogwood a fruit or a berry? There are four types of dogwood in total. The berries of the plant are small, weighing 3-6 grams, can be oval, pear-shaped or round in shape.. Their color varies from light red to black. The pulp is covered with a smooth skin. Inside there is an oblong bone, inedible. Fruits with a sweet-sour, tart taste. Berries can be consumed either fresh or pickled, boiled or dried.


In addition to its widely known beneficial properties, dogwood is a wonderful decoration for any garden. In early spring, the bush of the plant blooms before the first leaves appear.. At the end of summer, its branches are abundantly hung with bright berries.

Beneficial properties of the plant for the body of men and women

The fruits of the plant are a real storehouse of vitamins and have healing properties for men and women. Dogwood berries are twice as rich in vitamin C as oranges. The presence of beta-carotene and nicotinic acid was also noted. Low sugar content and moderate calorie content are considered a very valuable property., which allows patients with endocrine imbalance, in particular diabetics, to eat berries.

There are only 40.4 kcal per 100g of dogwood.

Beta-carotene, which gives the fruits their red color, is an indispensable aid for vision and a beautiful, healthy skin tone.


Dogwood berries help with many of the most common diseases

Dogwood contains many microelements that actively participate in the body's metabolic processes. Potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, sodium are actively involved in hematopoiesis, tissue trophism and the construction of the bone skeleton. Pectin contained in fruits removes toxins and improves intestinal function.. They also contain tannins, which are characterized by choleretic, anti-inflammatory and diuretic effects; bioflavonoids responsible for strengthening the vascular wall. The berries are known for their bactericidal effect. Fresh berries are used as a mild laxative, acting gently and delicately on the intestinal mucosa.

Traditional healers use all parts of the plant. The latter, in addition to all the vitamins mentioned in the berries, also contain essential oils.

Dogwood berries are known for their ability to treat hypertension, lower glucose levels, and have a tonic effect on the body.

In this way, the main healing qualities can be identified. These include:

  • strengthening the vascular wall;
  • prevention of sclerotic changes;
  • normalization of exchange;
  • diuretic effect;
  • choleretic agent;
  • anti-inflammatory effect.

The rich mineral composition of the fruit provides them with good tonic properties. They are widely used for skin diseases, arthritis, anemia, gout, hemorrhoids and a number of other diseases..

Use in folk medicine

Use of berries for diarrhea

In case of stool upset, it is recommended to use a decoction of fresh or dried berries. Prepare it from 1 liter of water and a tablespoon of fruit. Bringing to a boil, leave the broth for about 30 minutes and drink it throughout the day. Instead of berries, you can use dried leaves of the plant.


For diarrhea in children, jelly gives a good effect, brewed from fresh or dried berries. This jelly is also useful for adults with symptoms of gastroenterocolitis.

The effect against diarrhea is due to the presence of tannin in the plant, which can protect the body from fluid loss, suppress pathogenic intestinal flora and have a tanning effect.

Dogwood in the fight against hemorrhoids

Traditional medicine recommends using berry seeds for hemorrhoids. I grind them, put them in a thermos and pour boiling water over them. After 12 hours, the infusion is ready. It is used externally: a tampon is moistened with this infusion and inserted into the anal area overnight. Simultaneously with this treatment, you need to eat 5 pieces of fresh fruits with seeds 3 times a day.

This option helps with bleeding.

Dogwood jam is also a good help in the fight against hemorrhoids. If jam is made with seeds, they must be collected separately and then eaten without chewing.

Bones are indispensable for obesity and diabetes. An infusion of them can be used to rinse your hair for seborrhea.

Dogwood as a tonic

To increase vitality in the morning, as an alternative to a cup of coffee, you can use an infusion of 1-2 tablespoons of berries. It will only take 6 hours to infuse such a drink. Thanks to its rich mineral composition, this drink perfectly tones and restores strength.

Prevention of liver diseases


Good effect for the prevention of liver diseases. Bactericidal effect reduces inflammatory processes in the liver, and pectins help remove toxic substances from the body.

In case of poisoning

It is due to the presence of pectins that dogwood is used for poisoning with heavy metal salts. Berries are known to be good antioxidants, which allows them to be used to improve metabolic processes and for weight loss in case of excess body weight.

For kidney diseases

Due to diuretic properties Dogwood has a positive effect on kidney disease and high blood pressure.

Antiviral and anti-inflammatory effect

Due to the high content of vitamin C. Just a few berries can provide the daily requirement. of this vitamin in the body.

Is it possible to eat dogwood berries during pregnancy?

Dogwood is superior in vitamins and microelements to currants and citrus fruits. Due to the fact that dogwood berries help the absorption of iron, during pregnancy this factor reduces the risk of anemia in the fetus and the expectant mother. It is important to observe moderation and not eat berries in large quantities.. It is also undesirable for pregnant women to consume dogwood at night and in the presence of stomach diseases accompanied by increased secretory function. You should not eat the fruit if you are constipated.


During breastfeeding, dogwood should be introduced into the mother's diet with caution so as not to provoke allergic manifestations. If necessary, a nursing mother can consume 5-10 raw berries per day.

The use of dogwood in baby food

The property of dogwood to strengthen the immune system and promote the growth of bone tissue and muscle skeleton makes the use of dogwood in baby food indispensable. In addition to the basic properties, dogwood affects the secretory function of the stomach. This is especially important for children with poor appetite. Pectins contained in fruits normalize the intestinal flora in children.

In baby food, it is important to observe hygienic rules, and it is worth remembering the norm. So Children under one year old are recommended no more than 30 grams of pureed berries provided that there are no allergic manifestations. Children under 3 years old can increase the norm to 100 g, A children 6 years old up to 150-200 g fresh berries. Of course, children are given berries without seeds.

Dogwood for the elderly: benefits and harms

According to observations, by improving blood circulation, dogwood berries are involved in the prevention of age-related changes in cerebral vessels. All recommendations for use are the same as usual. The presence of chronic gastrointestinal diseases and kidney stones should be taken into account. In such cases, dogwood can cause harm instead of benefit.


For older people, it is important to use dogwood as an antirheumatic agent. Also the use of infusions helps reduce blood pressure.

Contraindications for taking dogwood

  • High content of vitamin C may have a negative effect on kidney disease, in which the presence of oxalates in the urine is noted. It is better not to consume dogwood fruits for such people.
  • Dogwood cannot be used for diseases of the stomach with hypersecretion.
  • You can't eat berries with a tendency to constipation, insomnia(use at night is especially not recommended).

Recipes with dogwood fruits

Infusion

2 tablespoons of fresh or 1 dried berries pour boiling water, cover warmly and leave for 6 hours. An adult can drink the infusion throughout the day.

Decoction

The proportions are the same, but the berries are boiled for several minutes, and then The broth is left in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Compote


Using dogwood berries to prepare compote: take a glass of dogwood berries for 3 liters of water. Boil for 5-6 minutes. Compote can be consumed instead of tea during the day.

Dogwood is a healthy berry and a beautiful shrub. The fruits of the plant, rich in vitamins and microelements, can restore energy balance and have a tonic effect. According to their characteristics, the fruits are a real pharmacy that can come to the rescue in a variety of cases. To take advantage of these natural gifts, you can plant dogwood on your site. So in the summer he will delight you with fresh healing berries, and in the winter with prepared raw materials that will ensure good health all year round.

Greetings to all readers!

Dogwood: description of planting, care, reproduction, types and varieties - all in today's article. Male dogwood, also known as dogwood, also known as dogwood, grows wild in the southern regions from Central Europe to the Caucasus. In its original homeland it can grow up to 9 m in height; in other places its dimensions are much more modest, up to 3 m.

Dogwood grows in the form of a shrub or small tree; they belong to the genus Dogwood and the Dogwood family. He is a recognized long-liver. It begins to bear fruit in the second decade and even at the age of 100 years the tree produces a good harvest of berries.

Growing dogwood

The current year's dogwood shoots are greenish-yellow; by the end of the season, the bark hardens, cracks and turns gray. Subsequently, the bark turns red-brown.

The leaves are entire, elongated-elliptical, with pointed ends. The outer surface is green, shiny, the underside is lighter.

Flowering of the tree begins at the end of March. Umbrellas of inflorescences appear on the bush before the leaves and bloom from two weeks to two months, it depends on weather conditions. Towards the end of flowering, leaves bloom on the branches. Pollinated flowers produce oblong berries of various shapes from ellipsoid to pear-shaped.

When ripe, the fruits can be light red or almost black. Inside the sweet and sour juicy pulp hides an inedible bone. Ripe fruits have a sweet and sour taste and a characteristic aroma. They can be used raw, processed into drinks, confectionery, and jams. In Transcaucasia, soups, sauces and flatbreads are prepared from the fruits.

The roots of the male tree are located at a depth of 20 to 80 cm. At this depth, within a radius of up to 3 m, there is a dense lobe of roots. The central, strongly curved root penetrates the soil to the same depth. After 7 years of growth, the root system extends beyond the projection of the crown.

The powerful and shallow root system allows the use of even the slightest precipitation. Svidina will tolerate drought more easily than stagnant water or excess moisture.

Dogwood is not a self-fertile plant. To obtain a decent harvest, it is necessary to plant several different dogwood varieties nearby. In industrial gardens, different varieties are planted in alternating rows.

The use of dogwood is very wide. It can be used as a fruit, ornamental, medicinal, technical, ornamental plant; flowering dogwood is a good honey plant.

Male dogwood grows and bears fruit in the warm climate of the southern foothills, but is also found in the mountains at an altitude of up to 1500m. It is undemanding to soil; it can grow on loams, rocky screes, and in crevices. In such conditions, dogwood has the appearance of a short tree, green among the rocks.

To obtain large and juicy fruits on varietal trees, seedlings are planted on fertile, light, moderately moist soils. The most abundant harvests are harvested from trees planted in flood-free lowlands, along the banks of irrigation canals and rivers.

Planting dogwood, choosing a location, preparing the soil

Light shading is not an obstacle to the growth and development of dogwood. With a large lack of sun, tree growth slows down, flowering and fruiting weaken. At the same time, constant sunshine does not accelerate the growth of pork and deteriorates the size and taste of the fruit.

Even such a lover of the mild southern climate as dogwood can grow and bear fruit in more northern regions. Grows well in the Moscow region and the middle zone. You just need to choose the right variety and prepare the right soil. The soil should be rich in lime. Derain can grow in acidic soils, but flowering and harvest may not be expected. Groundwater should flow below 1.5 m from the ground surface.

The best time to plant a seedling is autumn. A sign for planting poplar is the beginning of the fall of poplar leaves. Another convenient time for planting seedlings is April, before the start of the growing season.

It is better to prepare the soil for planting dogwood in advance. As soon as the soil dries, it is dug up, the surface is leveled and harrowed to retain moisture.

Planting scheme on treated and cultivated soils is 8 by 6 m or 6 by 6 m. On less fertile soils, 4 by 5 m. If the feeding area is insufficient on well-fertilized soils, then after two decades the crowns of overgrown trees close, the lighting inside deteriorates, and the ripening of fruits is prolonged.

A proper two-year-old seedling should have a height of about 1.5 m, the trunk should be thicker than 2 cm, the standard should be about 50 cm, and at least 3 skeletal branches should be formed. After planting the tree, the shoots are cut off by a third each.

The open root system of the seedling requires especially careful handling, since individual roots are easily torn off. A seedling with a preserved clod of soil will take root more easily.

In open root systems, diseased, dried and broken roots are cut off before planting. After pruning, the root system is placed in a container of water for six to twelve (no more) hours. Before planting, the roots can be covered with damp burlap or polyethylene.

The size of the planting hole should be at least 60 cm; the optimal diameter is twice the size of the root ball, with a depth of at least 70 cm. The soil at the bottom of the hole is loosened. Lime, humus and mineral fertilizers are added to the soil removed from the pit. A support stake is driven into the bottom of the planting hole, which will keep the seedling from swaying in the wind.

Having placed the seedling in a hole, its roots are straightened and covered with the resulting soil mixture. The planting depth should be slightly deeper than in the nursery. The soil around the seedling is compacted, the seedling is slightly pulled out to the level as in the nursery. This is necessary for the roots to straighten out.

Water the planted tree and wait until the water is absorbed and the soil settles. You may need to top up the soil to the desired level. At the end of planting, a watering circle is formed, the surface of which is mulched with humus. The seedling is tied to a support stake.

Dogwood care

Dogwood does not require special care. Watering, weeding, loosening, fertilizing, timely pruning and treatment against pests and diseases. In the first year of life, loosening no deeper than 10 cm and watering are necessary. In the future, it will be important to promptly remove thickening shoots and excess growth.

In the first years after planting, it is necessary to add nitrogen to accelerate the growth of branches and leaves. It is better to add humus in the spring, and manure in the fall.

When cultivating the soil, you need to remember that the bulk of the roots lie at a depth of 25-30 cm, which means loosening should be done no deeper than 10-15 cm between rows and up to 5 cm in tree trunk circles.

Plantings of young, up to 10 years old, dogwoods must be weeded regularly; only at an older age the weeds do not survive under the crown of the tree. The row spacing of young plantings can be planted with legumes, green manure or vegetables.

The stem of a dogwood tree is left up to 70 cm, with 5 to 7 skeletal branches left above. Seedlings grown from seeds are formed into a bush. There is no special pruning; only the branches growing on the trunk are removed.

For fruit-bearing trees, only sanitary pruning is performed, removing diseased, broken, small or thickening branches, and thinning out the crown. From standard dogwoods, shoots are removed, and from bushes, shoots that are not used in crown restoration are removed. All dogwoods can withstand pruning, but it must be done before sap flow begins, otherwise the plant may begin to “cry.”

The turf is rejuvenated after 20 years of growth by cutting off four-year-old shoots.

Dogwood propagation

Can be propagated

  1. seeds,
  2. green cuttings,
  3. layering.

When propagated by seeds They are taken from green fruits in the summer and immediately sown in the ground. Monitor soil moisture. Shoots appear the following spring. This method is for the patient, as plants from seeds begin to bear fruit 8-10 years after planting.

For growing new bushes from green cuttings they are cut from the middle of a one-year-old branch and kept for several hours in Kornevin. Then they are planted in a bed under a film tunnel. The garden bed is made in the shade on loose, nutritious soil. Well watered. By autumn the bushes should take root; in the spring they are planted in a permanent place.

By layering- the easiest way to get new plants. In summer, young one- and two-year-old shoots are dug in. You need to pin them to the ground and sprinkle a layer of earth on top. In dry summers, you need to water. By autumn, independent roots appear on the branches. In the spring they are separated from the mother bush and planted in a permanent place.

Video about planting dogwood

Briefly about planting, propagation, beneficial properties of dogwood (watch the first 3 minutes)

Diseases and pests

Both in the wild and in artificial plantings, dogwoods are affected by the same pests and diseases.

The most common disease that affects tree leaves is powdery mildew. It occurs on both young and mature plants. Leaves are damaged by various spots - white, bordered, brown. There is also a viral mosaic, which is identified by angular light green spots.

During storage, the fruits deteriorate from gray rot. The fruits are spoiled by the microcodling moth. In some areas there are multicolor butterflies, dogwood sawfly, dogwood moth, and American white butterfly. It has been noticed that pests and diseases affect dogwood in wild plantings. Trees that are regularly looked after almost never get sick and are not damaged by pests.

More than 50 varieties of dogwood have been found in the wild. Most of them are ornamental plants that are used in landscape design. Some of these species are used in medicine.

White dogwood. The shrub grows up to one and a half meters. It blooms with white flowers, hence the name, collected in clusters. The fruit is a sweet and sour, yellow, oblong drupe. Found in the mountains and deciduous forests of the Caucasus. You can also meet it in the Far East. Frost-resistant, unpretentious. In autumn the leaves turn bright red and then purple.

Dogwood wild. Distributed in Moldova, Crimea, Transcarpathia and the Caucasus. In early spring it is covered with bright yellow flowers. After 6 months the fruits ripen.

The amber-yellow, small berries are so transparent that the seed is visible through the pulp. The weight of the fruit is about 3.5 g. Unripe berries are sweet and sour, fully ripe ones are very sweet. They ripen in September and fall off quickly.

Jamaican Dogwood. Distributed in Central America and parts of India.

Many varieties of dogwood have been bred. They all differ in the color and shape of the berries, taste, and ripening time; you can choose a variety for any growing area.

The most interesting varieties for growing:


Useful properties and contraindications

All parts of the dogwood tree are used for medicinal purposes - fruits, leaves, flowers, seeds, bark and roots.

“Kyzyl” or “kizil” in translation from the languages ​​of the Turkic peoples means red. The rich red dogwood berries contain many P-active substances, beta-carotene, anthocyanins, and rutin in their pulp.

  • Traditional and scientific medicine confirm the positive effect of fresh and decoctions of frozen or dried berries in the treatment of diseases such as skin diseases, gastrointestinal disorders and diseases, arthritis, gout, hemorrhoids.
  • The vitamins contained in the berries, designated by all the letters of the alphabet, and numerous microelements are especially necessary in the off-season, when the immune system is under the greatest stress.
  • Dogwood berries have restorative, tonic and immunostimulating properties. A shock dose of vitamin C increases the body's resistance to viral diseases, phytoncides from berry pulp reduce inflammation and reduce the number of pathogenic bacteria.
  • Pectins, the content of which in berries and skins is very high, bind and remove heavy metal salts and waste from the body. In cases of poisoning with substances such as lead or mercury vapor, dogwood berry juice or decoction is used as an antidote.
  • Fresh and dried dogwood berries improve appetite, eliminate symptoms of indigestion, relieve heartburn, speed up metabolism, and tame diarrhea.
  • Substances contained in the fruits of the male tree are involved in the process of regulating fat metabolism and promote weight loss, acting as a good diuretic and choleretic agent.
  • Iron, which is part of the fruit pulp, increases the hemoglobin content of the blood. Berries are indispensable in the treatment of diseases of the cardiovascular system.
  • Rutin, contained in large quantities in dogwood juice, strengthens the walls of blood vessels.
  • Infusions, decoctions or extracts from dogwood fruits are used for gastrointestinal bleeding and as a rinse for diseases of the oral mucosa.

Contraindications

Despite all their undoubted advantages, dogwood berries can not be eaten by everyone. The disadvantages of berries are continuations of their advantages.

  • The berries improve digestion and contain acids, which means they should not be used by patients with high acidity or stomach ulcers.
  • The tonic effect prevents the consumption of this product by people with increased excitability, suffering from insomnia or in a state of emotional overexcitation.
  • Another useful property can be harmful - the fixing effect. Uncontrolled consumption of dogwood berries may cause constipation.

These are all the main contraindications to using dogwood berries for food. If you take into account all the characteristics of the body, then dogwood will only bring benefits.

Planting dogwood, the features of cultivation and care are no longer a secret to you. I wish you successful landings!

Sincerely, Sofya Guseva.

Other interesting articles.

Dogwood is not new to us, it has been known in our region for many centuries and does not lose its popularity. This berry is especially revered in the countries of Abkhazia and Crimea. In those regions, growing Dogwood at home is very popular, and there is also a lot of it as a wild plant.

Dogwood is a tree or shrub, grows quite large, the growth of an already mature tree reaches seven meters, the growth of a bush reaches five meters. In the wild, the largest amount of Dogwood grows in Crimea. It appeared in Europe about 5,000 years ago, which is approximately the age scientists gave to a dogwood seed found during excavations in Switzerland.

Dogwood is a deciduous plant. It begins to bloom very early; already in early March you can find a flowering Dogwood bush. It takes 6 months from flowering to fruit ripening, which is quite long for a fruit plant. The fruit size is 3-4 cm, most often oblong in shape, has a sweet taste with tart notes.

Varieties and types of dogwood

Nowadays, there are already more than 50 species of Dogwood. Let's get acquainted with the most popular types:

Coral red dogwood– an adult plant reaches 4 meters. Most often found in deciduous forests. It has a very well-developed crown and has purple and red shoots. With the onset of autumn, the leaves turn a rich red color. The fruits are black. The color of this variety is very small and the flowering period passes quickly, only 15-20 days.

White dogwood– an adult plant reaches a height of 3 meters. The crown has thin and flexible branches of a red-orange color, covered with a white coating. The flowers are small, white, collected in small inflorescences, covering almost the entire bush. Dogwood White color twice, in spring and early autumn. The foliage has a rich green color, turning purple-red in autumn. The fruits of this variety are white, spherical, ripening occurs by the second flowering of the plant, which makes it unusually beautiful in combination with the color of the fruit and makes it unusually elegant.

Blooming dogwood– the peculiarity of this species is that flowering begins before the foliage blooms. It has a beautiful thick crown. In autumn the foliage turns a bright and rich red color.

Cornelian dogwood– an adult tree reaches 2.5 meters. It is very rare in our regions. Grows in humid forests and along the edges of reservoirs. It differs from other species in that it produces a lot of offspring along the edges of the bush and grows very quickly. The leaves are bright green. The flowers are small, milky white, blooming in small inflorescences. The fruits are bluish-white.

Dogwood Kousa– a rather tall variety of Dogwood, an adult tree reaches 9 meters in height. It has beautiful pink flowers similar to those of Climatis. Very frost-hardy and survives well in northern regions.

Dogwood varieties are the most common for planting in our regions

Common Dogwood- the most popular variety in the regions of Russia and Ukraine. The plant grows up to 5 meters. The plant is frost-resistant and easily survives cold winters. Flowering begins from March to April; if frost occurs during flowering, the flowers of this plant shrink and remain in this state until the onset of heat, which protects them from frost and it does not affect the yield. Ripe fruits are red in color with an elongated shape.

Kizil Vydubetsky– different, stable and abundant harvest every year, one adult plant can produce up to 60 kg of fruit. The fruits are red and pear-shaped with juicy pulp with a sweet and sour taste. Ripen in mid-September.

Kizil Vladimirsky– characterized by larger fruits weighing up to 7 grams. The fruits are dark red and very sweet. Productivity up to 50 kg. Ripens in early September. The fruits of this variety do not fall off even after overripe.

Dogwood Tender– is distinguished by yellow fruits with very delicate pulp and a bright aroma; hanging in the sun, the fruits are visible through as if amber. The weight of the berry is 4-5 grams. Fruiting is average, up to 40 kg.

Dogwood Elegant– a distinctive feature is early ripening; this variety pleases with fruits already in mid-August. The fruits are red and bottle-shaped. When overripe, the berries fall off. Productivity is approximately 50 kg.

Dogwood Firefly– distinguished by especially large fruits weighing up to 8 grams. The color of the fruit is red-burgundy. The variety most suitable for preservation. Ripens by the end of August, beginning of September.

Planting and caring for dogwood

Growing Dogwood is not difficult and is accessible even to a novice gardener.. Growing is available in two ways: growing from seed and growing from seedlings.

Growing from seed is a troublesome and time-consuming process.. To begin with, of course, you need Dogwood seeds. Which are best taken from well-ripened fruits or purchased at a specialty store. First, you need to soak the seeds in a solution that stimulates growth for a couple of hours; the solution should be slightly warm initially. Then sow the seeds in a container filled with a nutrient substrate for growing seedlings and cover it with film to create a greenhouse. When the first shoots appear, the film should be removed and the container should be placed in a sunny place, but not in direct sunlight. After the first leaves appear, you can begin to take the plants outside for a short time to harden off. When the sprout reaches a height of 20-30 cm, it can be planted in open ground. It is worth remembering that Dogwood grown from a seed will yield a harvest much later than one planted from a seedling; the first harvest will appear in approximately 7-10 years.

For planting as a seedling, it is best to choose a two-year-old seedling that has already reached 110-130 cm in height and already has at least 2 lateral shoots. Dogwood prefers sunny places and it is necessary to plant it in a sunny place accordingly; when planting, it is also worth considering that it grows 3-4 meters in width and it needs to be provided with enough space for growth. For planting, you need to prepare a hole 80-90 cm deep, into which you need to fill a bucket of humus and a little lime about a week before planting the plant. After planting, water thoroughly and pour at least 20 liters of water under the seedling.

Dogwood is not fussy in its care; it is enough to occasionally loosen the soil around the seedling and remove weeds. Watering in the first year should be done regularly, but not too often, it is very drought-resistant. Fertilizers are also not applied often; it is enough to add any organic fertilizer, humus or cow manure to the soil once a year in the spring. Dogwood does not need pruning; you can only remove what you yourself consider necessary. Once every 10 years, it is worth carrying out rejuvenation by pruning, to preserve the yield; in the year of rejuvenation, it may not bear fruit. During a drought, the leaves can curl up in a boat, don’t let this scare you, the plant is not sick with anything, this is how it protects itself from drought and its excessive evaporation from the plant; it will be enough to moisten the soil underneath and the leaves will return to their previous shape.

Very important! Dogwood has cross-pollination; you need to plant 2 plants at once!

Composition and beneficial properties of dogwood

Dogwood berry is juicy and tasty. But this is not the only reason why it is valuable; the beneficial properties of this plant, and not only the berries themselves, make us respect this plant. The berries are rich in protein and carbohydrates, making it a favorite berry for athletes. Also contains organic acids, ash and organic fibers. Rich in glucose and trace elements and minerals such as potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, iron. Vitamin C, PP and ascorbic, malic, succinic acids. It also contains Dogwood Mono and sugar disaccharides, which are a fairly rare component. The seed and the pulp of the berries themselves contain essential oils. As well as a large amount of tannins. The bark and leaves also have their own beneficial components, for example, the leaves are rich in vitamins C and E, and the bark contains a unique Glucoside Corin.

Due to its low calorie content, namely only 40 kcal per 100 grams of product, it is often used in diets; fresh dogwood berries have fat-burning properties. Eating fresh berries will speed up the body's metabolic processes, promote the processes of food absorption and rapid digestion and removal of waste products from the body, and also promote the removal of waste and toxins from the body. During the period of colds, dogwood jams and preserves help increase immunity and are used as an antipyretic, disinfectant and bactericide. The berries also have a diuretic and choleretic agent. Helps prevent the formation of kidney stones. Regular consumption of Dogwood normalizes cerebral circulation, strengthens the walls of blood vessels and prevents thrombosis, increases hemoglobin and normalizes hematopoiesis. During the period of exacerbation of gastritis, it relieves symptoms signaling an exacerbation. A decoction of the berries is used externally to treat eczema and dermatitis, and also as a lotion for skin injuries.

The beneficial composition and properties of Dogwood are worthy of being included in your diet and the diet of your children. But remember, if you have any chronic diseases, or experience any allergic reaction, you should consult your doctor. Dogwood has no contraindications or side effects, but there can always be individual intolerance to any component.

Having studied Dogwood more closely, convinced of the ease of its cultivation, excellent taste, as well as its wonderful composition and beneficial properties, everyone who has thought about planting this plant in their garden is convinced of the correctness of their decision to grow this wonderful berry on their plot. .

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The sweet and sour taste of dogwood jam is very difficult to confuse: it is familiar to many from childhood. Dogwood is widely popular among gardeners in our country due to its ease of care, easy cultivation and variety of varieties. Proper planting, propagation methods and varietal diversity of this crop will be discussed in this article. As usual, the text is complemented by bright photos.

The Legend of the Dogwood

According to legend, one day the dogwood fell in love with the shaitan because of its early flowering. “If a tree blooms early, then it will bear fruit first,” he thought. However, he miscalculated: other fruits were ripening, but his tree still bore green, hard fruits. Then the shaitan got angry and threw the dogwood out of his garden.

From one dogwood bush you can collect more than 50 kg of berries

In late autumn, while picking mushrooms in the forest, people saw a bush covered in bright red, sweet-tasting berries. We took the bush into our garden. And for a long time after that they made fun of the shaitan, and he decided to take revenge. The following year, the dogwood gave people a generous harvest, but in order for it to ripen, the sun spent all its strength. Therefore, the winter was harsh and frosty. Since then, the second name for dogwood is shaitan berry, and there is a popular saying: a rich harvest of dogwood promises a harsh winter.

Description of the crop and common varieties

The common dogwood is a low, spreading shrub or tree 2-5 m high. In the garden, dogwood usually grows as a bush to make harvesting easier. The shoots can be easily shaped, forming a regular rounded-pyramidal crown.

Dogwood blossom

The bush blooms early: in the middle zone, dogwood blooms from March 30 to April 20. Sudden cold snaps or returning spring frosts are not scary for dogwood flowers. In the cold, the flowers shrink and remain in this state until the weather warms up. Flowering in dogwood lasts 12-15 days, at the end of which the bush produces leaves.

Attention! When purchasing and planting dogwood seedlings, keep in mind that the crop is self-sterile, so to obtain a harvest you must have two or more shrubs planted nearby.

The shape and color of dogwood fruits depends on the variety: breeders have developed varieties with pear-shaped, oval-cylindrical, elliptical berries of red, maroon, yellow, pink or orange, sweet and sour in taste and with a specific aroma.

Of the most common dogwood varieties, the following can be noted:

  • Kizil Vladimirsky known for its large black and red fruits, dense pulp, sweet taste and high yield (55-60 kg of harvest is harvested from a 20-year-old bush). One berry can weigh more than 7 g. Fruiting occurs in early September. Overripe fruits do not fall off the branches;

Kizil Vladimirsky

  • Kizil Vydubetsky stable in fruiting. Every year, up to 60 kg of harvest is obtained from one bush. The fruits are dark red in color, weighing up to 6.5 g, expanded pear-shaped and sweet and sour dense pulp. The ripe harvest is harvested on the 15th of September;
  • Dogwood Tender. A distinctive feature of this variety is its yellow fruits with delicate, very sweet pulp and a strong aroma. The seed is usually visible through the skin of a ripe fruit. The berry weighs on average 4.5-5.5 g. Fruiting is annual, moderately abundant (from one adult bush the yield is no more than 40 kg);

Dogwood Tender

  • Dogwood Firefly the largest-fruited variety. The weight of its berries reaches 7.5 g. The color is also unique - red-black with dark burgundy sweet pulp. The bush is harvested at the end of August, fruiting is abundant (up to 60 kg) annually. Berries retain their taste perfectly when frozen or canned.
  • Dogwood Elegant The fruits are distinguished by a beautiful regular bottle shape, weighing 5 g and early ripening (early August). The ripe berry is cherry-black in color with dark red, sweet and tender pulp; it does not crumble when overripe. Productivity up to 50 kg from a 15-year-old tree.

Dogwood Elegant

Planting dogwood

Dogwood is not picky about soil conditions: it grows equally well on rocky or sandy soils, as well as on soils with good nutrition. Liming the soil around the tree helps speed up growth and fruiting. In nature, dogwood often grows in poor soils. In the garden, dogwoods are planted in open sunny places, sometimes along the border, creating a kind of hedge. When planting, keep in mind that the dogwood tree can grow up to 3-4 m wide.

Important! On rich soils, one plant needs an area of ​​6 x 5 m for nutrition, on poor soils without regular watering - 4 x 5 m. Lack of space contributes to thickening of the middle of the crown and the absence of abundant fruiting.

Suitable for planting are one- and two-year-old seedlings at least 120 cm in height, with at least three formed lateral shoots on the trunk. The planting pit is prepared in advance. Its minimum size is 80 x 100 cm and a depth of 70-80 cm. A week before planting the dogwood, organic and mineral fertilizers are placed in the hole:

  • humus 1-1.5 buckets;
  • 50-70 g ammonium nitrate;

A young plant must be shaped

  • 200 g superphosphate;
  • 250 g wood ash;
  • a small amount of lime.

Planted shrubs are watered very abundantly, at least 25-30 liters per bush.

Attention! For good cross-pollination, plant varieties of the same flowering period next to each other.

Since the dogwood root system has time to dry out during planting, the shoots are also shortened by one third of their length. An adult 5-12 year old tree can easily tolerate replanting if the dogwood is heavily pruned before digging. Fruiting begins again after a year.

Dogwood care and feeding

Caring for the plant is quite simple and usually comes down to loosening the tree trunk, removing weeds, sanitary pruning and watering in dry summers. The dogwood's shallow root system will require mulching the soil around the trunk with hay, sawdust, freshly cut grass, or straw. The crown of the bush does not require formative pruning. Thin out the bush only if it is thickened or if dry and intertwining branches are removed. Once every 10-15 years, dogwood needs rejuvenation.

Dogwood is a drought-resistant crop. The shallow location of the root system helps the shrub to use even extremely rare summer precipitation to its advantage. However, in dry summers it is still advisable to moisten the soil near it. During prolonged drought, dogwood leaves curl into a boat. Due to this, the evaporating surface is reduced and most of the moisture remains in the plant.

Dogwood needs mulching

Adult dogwood bushes are fertilized annually in two stages: at the beginning and at the end of summer.

The first feeding for each bush includes the application of 10 liters of infusions:

  • mullein diluted with water in a ratio of 1:5;
  • bird droppings diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10.

The second feeding includes:

  • 500 ml wood ash;
  • 100 g of superphosphate (applied after harvesting the fruits).

Reproduction of varietal dogwood

Varietal dogwood is propagated exclusively vegetatively: by spring or summer grafting, layering and green cuttings.

The most commonly used method of dogwood propagation is budding method. The eyes take root in 85-90%. The procedure is carried out from July 25 to September. The budding technique is not much different from other trees: a vegetative bud is taken from the scion and grafted onto the rootstock in a T-shaped cut or butt. The incision site is tied with garden adhesive tape. If the work is done successfully, after a month the kidney takes root and begins to develop.

Dogwood seedling

Biennial plants grown from dogwood seeds are an excellent rootstock for grafting. With optimal care, oculant seedlings in the first vegetative year reach a height of 120-150 cm and form 4-5 lateral shoots. Fruiting of seedlings occurs in 2-3 years.

In the spring, in March-April, the rootstock is grafted into a lateral incision: at the butt and with improved copulation.

Beginning gardeners often use the method propagation by layering. It consists of stimulating root formation on the stem of the mother bush before separation. The dogwood shoot is pressed and secured to the ground. The top of the shoot is sprinkled with a ten-centimeter layer of moist soil. After a year, the young rooted plant can be separated and replanted in a permanent place.

Reproduction of dogwood by layering gives good results

Nurseries and garden farms often use the method of rooting green and woody cuttings in fog-forming installations, in which air temperature and humidity are constantly regulated. However, at home, rooting in this way rarely occurs.

Diseases and pests of dogwood

Varietal dogwood is rarely affected by diseases or pests. Powdery mildew is rarely found on the leaves of young seedlings, which disappears after double treatment with any systemic fungicide. Pathogenic fungi can settle on dry branches that are cut at the wrong time, which subsequently spread to healthy shoots. For prevention, carry out sanitary pruning regularly.

How to plant dogwood: video