Description of culture
Privet is a plant that is an evergreen or falling shrub, which is characterized by excellent decorative properties. After all, you can use it to create hedges and form various shapes. That is why it is so widely used in landscape design.
The leaves of the plant are small with a glossy surface and oval shape. Their length is on average 6 cm. Depending on the variety, the bush is able to shed its leaves when cold weather sets in or remain permanently green. There are also species in which the leaves partially fall off.
The flowers have a white tint. They emit a pleasant smell, but quite strong, so the plant always attracts attention. Externally, a flowering bush looks very beautiful. White flowers like snow cover the privet to the very top.
During the ripening period, fruits form in place of flowers. They are bluish-black in color, round in shape, and do not fall off even when winter comes. People call these berries “wolf berries.”
The height of the crop can reach 3 meters. It depends on the plant variety. There are dwarf species that do not even grow to one meter.
Leaves
Flowers
Berries
Description of the privet bush
Privet, or Ligustrum, is a tree or shrub from the Olive family. It can be either deciduous or evergreen depending on the species. The leaves of the plant are usually simple opposite, leathery in structure, dark green on top and lighter in the lower part, pointed in shape.
In June and July, ornamental privet trees and shrubs bloom with white fragrant buds, collected in panicle inflorescences. By autumn, ligustrum bears fruit - round shiny berries of a dark burgundy or bluish-black hue. It grows in Europe, Asia and Australia, North Africa, and is very widespread in Japan, China and the Himalayas.
Ligustrum flowers emit a pleasant sweetish aroma
Privet height
The height of the shrub depends on the variety. On average, ligustrum grows up to 3-5 m. Woody forms can rise up to 15 m above the ground.
Is privet poisonous or not?
Privet berries are popularly called “wolf berries”; they are poisonous and not suitable for food consumption. Even a small amount of fruit leads to severe intoxication, which is accompanied by dizziness, nausea, dry mouth and loss of consciousness. Privet poisoning can be fatal in both humans and animals.
Decorative properties of privet
The privet shrub is actively used in landscape design because it has an attractive appearance, especially during the flowering period. But the main decorative property of this culture is that it can be used to create the most unusual masterpieces.
By pruning the plant, you can form various shapes, be it a ball, a pyramid, a cone, etc. At the same time, it is almost impossible to spoil the bush; it grows quickly, so defects are quickly masked.
Poisonous properties
Privet has poisonous properties. To be more specific, harmful substances are found in leaves and fruits. They can poison both animals and people. These parts of the plant contain tetroid glycosides, which poison the body when consumed in large dosages.
This is important to remember for those who have small children. Such decoration of the yard is very dangerous for their lives. Therefore, it is better to refuse cultivation if you have a child.
Despite its toxicity, the culture is used in folk medicine to treat pathologies. But it is important to strictly follow the recommended dosages so that the therapy does not develop into poisoning.
Intoxication causes abdominal pain, general weakness, and loose stools. Convulsions, loss of coordination of movements, and, in worst cases, death are also possible.
Varieties
Privet comes in different varieties. The most common types are:
Ordinary
This is the most frost-resistant variety, perfectly tolerating low temperatures. Therefore, it is often found in mid-latitudes. The plant also tolerates the lack of sunlight well.
It can reach a height of up to 5 m. It sheds its foliage when winter approaches. The flowers are very fragrant, collected in panicles.
Brilliant
Small tree. Its leaves are glossy and no more than 15 cm long. The inflorescences grow up to 18 cm. The flowering process lasts three summer months.
This variety is characterized by good resistance to frost down to -15 degrees. At lower temperatures it requires protection, as it may not survive the winter.
Japanese
This variety reaches 4 m in length, but can sometimes grow up to 8 m. The peculiarity of Japanese privet is that it grows slowly. But it has a lush crown, which allows you to give it any shape. The leaves of the plant are dark green in color.
The flowers of this variety emit a not very pleasant smell.
The culture tolerates frost well, so it takes root in many Russian areas.
Common privet
Privet shiny
Japanese privet
Oval-leaved
This variety is distinguished by its ability to only partially shed its leaves when cold weather sets in. The shrub has a dense crown shaped like a cone. The leaves are lime-colored and have a yellow stripe along the edges.
The culture grows up to a meter in height. It does not grow too fast - about 20 cm per year.
Ibota
It is distinguished by a powerful and lush crown, from which a wide variety of shapes can be formed. The flowering process continues for a long time, becoming covered with completely white flowers.
The variety loves sunlight and warmth. For this reason, before the onset of winter, it is necessary to provide the bush with shelter.
Iezskaya
This variety is distinguished by truly iron qualities. After all, it is unpretentious in care, tolerates low temperatures well in winter and takes root well in places where there is little sunlight.
The tree reaches 1.5 m in height.
Privet oval-leaved
Privet andbota
Privet Iezskaya
Types and varieties of privet
Ligustrum is represented by many species and varieties. The shrubs have similar features, but differ in size and leaf color.
Golden privet
Golden or yellow-leaved privet (Ligustrum vulgare Aureum) is a beautiful ornamental shrub that hardly sheds any leaves in the winter. It has glossy oval leaves with a green center and bright yellow edges. Flowering privet bears tiny creamy white buds in panicles up to 10cm long. The black spherical berries of the bush remain on the branches until mid-winter.
Golden ligustrum reaches an average of 1 m above ground level
Privet shiny
Shiny privet (Ligustrum lucidum) is an evergreen shrub with dark green large leaves up to 15 cm long. The paniculate inflorescences of the plant can reach 18 cm; the decorative period begins in early summer and lasts until autumn. Evergreen privet has good frost resistance and tolerates cold temperatures down to -15 ° C, and with good shelter it can survive even more severe winters.
The brilliant ligustrum grows naturally in Korea, China and Japan.
Privet variegated
Variegated privet (Ligustrum variegata) is a garden plant with unusual leaf colors. The central part of the plates is greenish-olive in color, and the edges are milky beige. The shrub is highly spreading and has numerous straight stems.
Variegated ligustrum is often planted against a background of dense greenery to create contrast.
Japanese privet
Japanese privet (Ligustrum japonicum) grows to an average height of 4 m. It has dark green small leaves and a compact crown. Characterized by slow growth, privet usually blooms over the course of a month from June to July. It can grow both in illuminated areas and in light shade, and tolerates frost well.
Japanese ligustrum does not shed its leaves for the winter
Privet Aurea (Aureum)
Privet Aurea (Ligustrum Aureum) is an ornamental variety that grows up to 2 m above ground level. It has straight vertical shoots with brown-brown bark; the leaves of the shrub are greenish-yellow. In autumn, the Aurea variety acquires a rich golden-orange color and looks very bright in the garden.
Ligustrum Aurea does not bloom and is popular only for its decorative leaves.
Privet Sinensa
Ligustrum sinense is a deciduous shrub widely distributed in China, Vietnam and Taiwan. It can reach 7 m above ground level, has small green leaves up to 7 cm in length on short petioles. The shrub is often used to create hedges and for growing privet bonsai.
Privet sinensa, or Chinese ligustrum, is often grown as a houseplant.
Privet Atrovirens
Privet Atrovirens (Ligustrum Atrovirens) is a beautiful plant up to 4 m tall with dense shoots and rich green shiny leaves. In the winter it falls only partially; at a young age it develops very slowly, but gradually increases its pace up to 25 cm per year. The photo of the privet plant shows that the Atrovirens variety produces very abundant creamy white or cream flowers. The decorative period begins in early June.
Ligustrum Atrovirens grows well in lighted areas
Privet Young
Privet Molodushka is a deciduous plant with a spherical crown. It can reach 5 m in height, blooms later than other species, towards the end of summer. Prefers light, loose soil and sunny places, tolerates partial shading and lack of moisture.
Paniculate inflorescences of Ligustrum Molodushka reach 20 cm in length
Privet Argentum white-edged
White-edged privet Argentum (Ligustrum Argentum) is an ornamental low-growing shrub no more than 1 m above ground level. Along the edges of the green leaf blades there are cream borders, giving rise to the name. The shrub blooms in June and July.
Privet Argentum tolerates pruning well and is highly unpretentious
Privet oval-leaved
Oval-leaved privet (Ligustrum ovalifolium) is a low shrub up to 1 m with rapid growth. It is a heat-loving variety and does not tolerate frost well even in the middle zone. In winter it can freeze severely, although it recovers in the spring. It blooms in early summer, the aroma of the buds is not very pleasant.
Oval-leaved ligustrum has irregular flowering and is valued mainly for its decorative leaves.
Privet Quihou
Quihoui privet (Ligustrum quihoui) occurs naturally in China and reaches 2 m in height. It has small, hard leaves and partially falls off in the winter. The plates in the lower part and young shoots of the bush are slightly pubescent; the length of flowering panicles can exceed 15 cm.
Ligustrum Qihou blooms in late summer
Landing
For successful planting, you need to know what soil to plant in, what place to choose and how exactly to plant the plant in its permanent habitat.
What kind of soil is needed
You can plant privet in any convenient place, as long as it has a lot of sunlight. Then the bushes will grow and develop better, becoming a real decoration of the garden or yard.
The plant takes root well in many types of soil. The main thing is that the soil allows moisture to pass through well. For planting, gardeners usually prepare a mixture of turf soil, river sand and humus. The crop grows best in this composition.
You should not choose soil for privet that is characterized by a high level of acidity and heaviness.
Immediately upon planting, the first fertilizer is applied to the soil. Nitroammophoska is used as it or the soil is mixed with manure or humus.
Landing
What time to plant
The crop is planted in spring or autumn. If you plan to create a hedge of privet, then plant it from the end of March to the beginning of summer. But bushes with a covered root system can be planted at any time.
Landing rules
For planting, make a hole, which should be larger in volume than the root system by at least 30 centimeters. Water is poured into the hole, wait until it is absorbed, after which the roots are placed there, filling the top with soil. Peat or compost is placed on top of the soil, which maintains the necessary moisture and prevents the appearance of weeds.
If you plan to plant a hedge, then plant it in a row. To do this, dig a trench 60 cm long and 80 cm deep. The distance between the bushes should be 50 cm if planted in the shade, and 80 cm if planted in a sunny place.
Hedge
Features of planting privet
How to plant privet in order to quickly form a living dense wall? Everyone chooses the method of planting and propagating bushes according to their circumstances.
Common privet is widely used to decorate parks
There are four ways to propagate this plant:
- cuttings;
- offspring;
- layering;
- seeds.
Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages.
To create a hedge, it is better to use ready-made seedlings or cuttings. When planted correctly, they can grow at a rate of 60 cm per year. Having reached an adult state, they quickly sprout root shoots, which allows them to form the width and required density of the hedge.
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If it is possible to take cuttings directly from an adult plant, then it is better to choose young but sufficiently developed branches. The optimal cutting length is 10-15 cm. The branch is separated from the mother plant by an oblique cut and then placed in the soil. To speed up the root formation process and protect against drying out, the cuttings are covered with a jar or plastic bottle. After the cuttings take root and produce their first leaves, the protection can be removed.
To trim privet, you can use regular garden pruners.
The seedlings are placed immediately according to the scheme described above. They need to be planted so that the roots are straight. Before planting in the hole, it is advisable to pour hot water with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. This will kill pathogens and enrich the soil with potassium and manganese.
Usually, seeds are not used when forming a privet hedge, since it will not be possible to see the results of your labors soon. If this particular planting material is chosen, then the seeds must first be checked for germination, and then planted in the same way as cuttings, but twice as thick. If the germination rate turns out to be high, then the excess seedlings can be planted in other areas.
Care
Caring for privet is not difficult, you just need to know the following rules.
Watering
Water the crop only if there is a long drought. If there is enough rain during the summer, then this is enough for the plant to live a full life. Despite the fact that watering is carried out rarely, it should be plentiful.
The soil must be moistened to a depth of at least 50 cm. Therefore, one bush requires 3-4 buckets of water. During the growing season, watering is carried out approximately 3-4 times and also abundantly.
Top dressing
In spring, privet is fed with organic fertilizers. Humus is added under each bush. If a hedge is grown, then the fertilizer is distributed along the plants, and superphosphate in granules is also placed on top.
Fertilizers need to be deepened at least a little, and then water the soil.
Trimming
Privet is pruned regularly in order to give it the required shape, since the plant is characterized by rapid growth. There is a definite advantage to this. If you make mistakes during circumcision, they will disappear in a short time.
The first procedure is carried out when planting the crop in open ground. As the seedling grows, the upper parts of the shoots are slightly shortened. Thanks to this, the bushes become more lush. This procedure is performed during the first 2 years.
Then the crop is pruned only to maintain the desired shape.
Trimming
Shrub propagation
Privet can reproduce in three ways, each of which has its own characteristics.
By cuttings
Cuttings are the most preferred way for gardeners to propagate privet. With its help, you can quickly grow luxurious bushes without much difficulty. Summer plants are chosen for planting because they take root better.
Cuttings are taken during the period when the flowering process is completed. Choose ripe, well-developed shoots. They are cut into 10 cm lengths. The branches are planted in turf soil, covered with a layer of river sand on top. Deepen into the soil about 5 cm.
For more successful rooting, maintain a temperature range of 20 to 25 degrees. Humidity is constantly monitored to prevent drought. A plastic bottle with the neck cut off and holes in the bottom is placed over the plant.
The first roots form after about 14 days, but the root system will become most developed only after 3 months. Then it will be possible to transplant them into a greenhouse or large box for growing for another 12 months. As soon as the height of the cutting reaches half a meter, it is planted in a permanent place.
By layering
For propagation by layering in the spring, select a strong branch that grows close to the surface of the earth, tilt it to the ground and fix it in this position. First, make a small cut in the part that is placed in the soil. Sphagnum is laid on top of the soil.
There is no need to cover the top part of the plant with soil. The moss used to cover the soil is always kept moist.
If rooting is successful, the cuttings will begin to grow. Subsequently, it is separated and transplanted to a new place. Usually this is done only next spring. Then the plant will be completely ready for separation and replanting.
You can propagate privet by layering using another method. To do this, take a regular sewing needle and use it to make a few scratches on the surface of the branch. Then the bag is filled with moist soil, after which it is tied to the plant so that part of the shoot with cuts is in contact with the soil. The bag is sealed with tape.
This option for obtaining layering helps to grow several young shoots at once. Over time, the bag is filled with roots, after which the necessary part for planting is sawed off and planted in a new place.
Seeds
The seed propagation method is not very preferred by gardeners because it is time-consuming and labor-intensive. In addition, the germination rate of seeds is only 60-65%. The first privet fruits with such planting appear after 6 years. Therefore, it is not worth growing a plant using this method; it is better to give preference to other faster options.
If you still want to plant seeds, then you need to know how to do it correctly. For sowing, material is selected from ripe berries. When extracting seeds, the largest ones are selected. Then they are placed in a container of water and wait for some of the material to rise to the surface.
What floats up is thrown away, the rest is stratified. For this purpose, they are planted in October, when the weather is already colder. In winter, the seeds will undergo natural stratification. Only a year later the first shoots appear.
If you plan to plant the plant in the spring, you will have to carry out stratification artificially. To do this, in the fall, the sowing material is mixed with sand and peat soil, placed in a box and placed in a refrigerator or other place with a temperature of 0 degrees. They are kept there until spring and only then planted.
Reproduction methods
You can buy privet seedlings for hedges, but you can grow them yourself using seeds, layering or cuttings. The plant is unpretentious; special knowledge and skills are not required for its propagation.
Propagation by seeds
This method is the most difficult, requires patience, the effectiveness of seedlings is up to 60%. They are collected from bushes older than 5 years. After collection, the seeds are subjected to stratification - prolonged exposure to cold. Natural stratification is possible - sowing seeds in open ground in the fall.
Propagation of privet by seeds is usually practiced in nurseries. At home, it is difficult to meet all the conditions necessary to ensure the germination of the material.
Propagation by cuttings
Cuttings ensure almost 100% survival rate of planting material. You can root young, developed shoots with a length of 12 cm. Step-by-step instructions for rooting:
- the stalk is cut under the internode,
- the lower leaves are removed,
- the shoot is planted in a mini-greenhouse,
- The landing site is shaded.
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You can make a mini-greenhouse with your own hands from a 5-liter plastic bottle. Holes are made in its walls to ensure constant circulation of fresh air and prevent the cuttings from rotting. The soil at the rooting site of young shoots should be regularly moistened, but not flooded. Transplantation to a permanent place is possible a year after rooting the cutting, when the root system is formed.
Reproduction by layering
Privet cuttings are obtained according to the same principle as currant cuttings - the young shoot is pressed to the ground with a bracket, preferably wooden, and sprinkled with soil. This is done in late spring or early summer. By autumn, the dug branches will take root, but they can only be separated from the “mother” bush next spring. One such bush (uterine) can produce up to 15 new cuttings.
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Planting material obtained in this way is planted immediately in a permanent place, grows faster, develops better, forms a dense crown, and tolerates replanting well.
Pathologies and pests
The privet plant has good resistance to diseases and harmful insects. But if you plant it in soil with a high degree of acidity, then there is a risk of developing powdery mildew or spots on the leaves.
To prevent this, you need to monitor the acidity of the soil. If necessary, add limestone to the soil to make the soil less acidic.
Among the pests that can attack the bush are spider mites, aphids, scale insects, and scale insects. To get rid of pests, drugs are used, for example, “Aktellika”, “Fitoverma”. Repeated processing may be required.
To prevent the appearance of insects, the crop should be properly cared for. Then you are unlikely to have to face them.
Thus, privet is a beautiful ornamental plant, widely used in landscape design. Characterized by lush bushes and lovely white flowers. You can create a wide variety of shapes from it, which is why it is so popular among gardeners.
General requirements - soil, humidity, lighting
How quickly privet grows and develops depends on compliance with the requirements for composition, soil moisture, and the level of natural light in the area. Gardeners and landscape designers know that the plant is unpretentious; it is enough to provide it with good watering in the first weeks after planting, feed it during the formation of the crown, prune it and clear the bush of dead branches.
Soil composition
Privet is unpretentious, but in clayey, dense soil that is prone to forming a crust on the surface it will not develop well. Acidic soil with a high sand content is not suitable for this species. The best option is a slightly alkaline or neutral soil composition.
The composition of the soil in the area where privet will be planted can be optimized and improved by adding the missing substances, mineral and organic fertilizers, for example, lime, humus.
Lighting
Requirements for the intensity of natural light depend on the variety and type of privet. Some of them easily tolerate constant shading, while some simply need sunlight for the formation of a crown, a rich shade of foliage, and active flowering.
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In shaded areas, it is recommended to plant varieties with green leaves, without golden spots or borders along the edges. Those species that are characterized by variegated, yellow foliage or abundant inclusions are suitable for well-lit areas.
Site humidity
This type of plant needs the natural moisture contained in the soil. Regular watering is necessary only for young bushes or trees during the first month after planting. In addition, the trench with privet bushes is watered abundantly during feeding.
