Japanese Scarlet

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Japanese scarlet (lat. Cercidiphyllum japonicum) - a shrub or tree belonging to the genus Bagryanik of the Bagryanikov family. Natural habitats are dense mixed and deciduous forests of Japan and China. Today it is widely cultivated in Central and East Asia, Europe and North America. In Russia, Japanese scarlet is not widespread, it is grown mainly in personal backyard / summer cottages.

Characteristics of culture

Japanese scarlet is a shrub or tree up to 30 m high with a powerful wide pyramidal crown and several trunks forming at the very base. The bark of the trunks at maturity is dark gray, fissured. Young shoots are brown, glabrous; over time, they acquire a grayish-brown color. The root system is powerful, pivotal, numerous roots are located at the soil surface.

The leaves are cordate, small in size, usually up to 5-10 cm in length, on the outside they are dark green with a bluish tint, on the inside they are gray or with a whitish undertone. At the beginning of the growing season, the leaves have a beautiful purple-pinkish color, often with a satin sheen, due to this, the trees look very impressive against the background of other ornamental crops. In autumn, the foliage takes on a golden yellow or crimson color, and its sweetish aroma of vanilla and gingerbread flies throughout the area.

In some countries, Japanese scarlet is popularly called the "gingerbread tree", this is due precisely to the smell that appears during the yellowing of the leaves. The flowers are inconspicuous, collected for reduction racemose inflorescences, do not have a perianth. The fruit is a pod-shaped capsule containing a huge amount of winged seeds.

The culture is fast-growing and winter-hardy, but in severe snowless winters it is prone to freezing. Japanese scarlet begins to bear fruit at the age of 15-16. Flowering is short (up to 6-7 days), usually in April-May. The fruits ripen in September-October, but this largely depends on climatic conditions.

Growing conditions

The scarlet can not be called a demanding crop, but some of the nuances when planting and growing should still be taken into account. So, the most suitable for plants are well-lit areas, protected from squally winds. Light shading will not bring harm to Japanese purple. Young plants need shading for the first 2-3 years, otherwise burns of the bark of trunks and shoots cannot be avoided.

Soils are preferable moist, fertile, loose, light. Soil acidity does not play a special role; it can be both alkaline and strongly acidic. Acidity is reflected only in the color of the foliage in the summer and autumn periods. It is undesirable to grow Japanese scarlet on waterlogged, heavy and swampy soils. The groundwater level should be more than 2-2, 5 m. Trees do not accept lowlands with stagnant cold air and water.

Subtleties of reproduction

The scarlet plant is easily propagated by seeds and cuttings. Cutting technology practically does not differ from technology for other ornamental shrubs and trees. Cuttings are cut with a length of 12-15 cm, each should have two internodes. The procedure is carried out in the summer - in June-July. It is recommended to root cuttings in small greenhouses; you can do it yourself by putting together four wide boards and attaching a film shelter to it. It is important to provide the cuttings with high humidity and a temperature of at least 22C. If all the conditions are met, up to 60-65% of the cuttings are rooted, these are pretty good results.

The seed method also gives good results, but sowing must be carried out in the winter. Spring sowing is not prohibited, in this case the seeds are subjected to cold stratification. Seeds are sown in open ground or seedling containers filled with sod and leafy soil, sand and peat, taken in a ratio of 1: 1: 1: 1. Rotten compost can be used instead of peat. A thin layer of coarse sand is applied on top of the soil mixture, and then sowing is carried out.

Do not plant seeds too deeply. The crops are covered with foil or glass, and with the emergence of shoots, they are placed on the windowsills. The dive is carried out in the phase of 2-3 true leaves. In open ground, scarlet seedlings are planted the next year, weak specimens are grown in greenhouses. The Japanese scarlet tree has a negative attitude towards transplantation, since it has a tap root system. Saplings are planted together with an earthen clod immediately to a permanent place.

Care

One of the main procedures for caring for Japanese scarlet is the introduction of mineral and organic fertilizers. They affect the active growth of trees and the rich color of foliage. Top dressing is carried out as needed, but at least 2 dressings per gardening season. For top dressing, you can use both complex mineral fertilizers (such as "Kemira-Universal"), and nitrogen, phosphorus and potash fertilizers separately. Japanese scarlet is sensitive to drought, watering is mandatory, especially for young trees and shrubs. Shallow loosening of the near-trunk circle and removal of weeds is encouraged. Plant pruning is well tolerated, it is done in early spring (before the onset of sap flow).

Application

In Russian gardens, scarlet is very rarely cultivated, perhaps this is due to the fact that gardeners are little aware of the intricacies of growing such an interesting culture in ornamental gardening. Planting material can be purchased only in nurseries, they are imported from Germany, Holland and Poland, less often from Asian countries.

Plants are ideal for hedges, curbs, and plant-free areas. They look harmonious in combination with other ornamental shrubs and trees and tall flower crops. Japanese scarlet wood is notable for its fine-grained structure and brown-red core; it is often used to make furniture, materials for interior decoration and various crafts.