2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Ash (lat. Fraxinus) - an ornamental plant; tree of the Olive family (Oleaceae). Ash is found naturally in North America, Central Europe, Japan and the Far East. Ash is a long-liver; some existing forms are 250-300 years old. Currently, there are 51 species.
Characteristics of culture
Ash is a deciduous tree 25-35 m high, some specimens reach 60 m. The trunk is up to 1 m in diameter, the crown is highly raised, elongated ovate or broadly rounded. Branches are sparse, thick, arcuate, directed upwards. The bark is smooth over the entire surface, in the lower part it is finely fissured, ash-gray in color. The root system is powerful, does not have a taproot.
The kidneys are large, black, with small specks. Leaves are unequally pinnate, opposite, reach 25-40 cm in length, consist of 7-15 leaflets. Leaves are sessile, lanceolate, 4-9 cm long, base is wedge-shaped and entire. On the outside, the leaves are dark green and bare, on the inside, with prominent whitish veins.
The flowers are small, wind-pollinated, collected in compressed bundle-shaped panicles, have no perianth, lack aroma, can be purple or dark brown, located on leafless branches. The fruit is a lionfish, lanceolate or oblong-elliptical, with a notch. The seeds ripen in autumn and remain on the branches until spring.
Growing conditions
Ash is a light-loving culture, it develops best in well-lit areas. Plants are demanding for soil conditions, prefers drained, moderately moist, organic and calcium-rich soils with a pH of 6-7. Negatively refers to saline soils with stagnant water. Ash is resistant to prolonged drought, smoke and pollution. Most varieties are frost-resistant.
Reproduction and planting
In nature, ash trees reproduce by self-sowing, in culture - by cuttings and layering. Among gardeners, the most common method of planting is seedlings purchased from specialized nurseries or grown in natural conditions. The planting hole is prepared in advance, its dimensions should be 1/3 larger than the earthen coma on the roots of the seedling.
Drainage is poured into the bottom of the pit in the form of crushed stone, small pebbles or coarse river sand, then a substrate consisting of leafy earth, humus and sand (1: 2: 1) is poured, a couple of buckets of water are poured in, the seedling is lowered and tamped with the remaining soil mixture. Important: the root collar of the seedling should be 10-12 cm above the ground level. After planting, young plants are watered, and the near-stem circles are mulched with peat.
Care
Ash is a moisture-loving plant, in dry periods it needs abundant, but not excessive watering. The culture responds positively to fertilizing with nitrogen-containing fertilizers. The first feeding is carried out in early spring, the second - in late autumn, but before the onset of stable frosts. Ash is required for systematic loosening and weeding of weeds near the trunks.
They are extremely negative about pruning ash; it is recommended to remove only dry, damaged, diseased and frostbitten branches. very often plants are affected by cancerous ulcers. It is quite simple to deal with them: they are cut out with a knife, and the places cleared of lesions are treated with an antiseptic and covered with garden varnish.
Application
Decorative forms of culture are used to create various landscape gardening compositions. Often, the plant is used as a spectacular background for low-growing flowering shrubs. Ash trees look great near ponds, walls of houses and outbuildings. The wood of the culture is used in the manufacture of sports equipment, furniture, interior items, musical instruments, etc. Fruits, leaves and bark of plants are used in folk medicine, and the juice extracted from the fruit is used in the food industry.
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