Amur Privet

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

Amur privet (lat. Ligustrum amurense) - ornamental shrub; a representative of the genus Privet of the Olive family. North China is considered to be the homeland. One of the most frost-resistant species, it can withstand frosts down to -35C.

Characteristics of culture

Amur Privet is a moisture-loving and light-loving deciduous shrub up to 3-3.5 m high (specimens up to 5 m high are found in nature) with a densely leafy dense pyramidal crown, erect thin branches and pubescent shoots. Leaves are bright green, saturated, glossy, shiny, pointed or short-pointed, whole-edged, oval, oval-oblong, oblong-elliptical or oblong, short-petiolate, pubescent along the midrib, up to 6, 5 cm long.

The flowers are small, numerous, collected in loose paniculate inflorescences up to 5 cm long, sit on long pubescent pedicels, equipped with a bare calyx and a tubular white corolla up to 1 cm long. The fruit is a round-ovoid drupe of black color with a waxy coating. Amur privet blooms in June - July, fruits ripen in September - October. Fruits do not always ripen, which largely depends on climatic conditions and care.

The species is demanding in terms of growing conditions, prefers loose, fertile and permeable soils. The location is no less important, it is best to plant shrubs in areas that are well lit by the sun and protected from strong winds. Despite the fact that Amur privet is frost-resistant, plants (especially young ones) need shelter. The most important crop care procedures are watering, feeding, loosening, pruning and pest control.

Particular attention should be paid to pest control. In general, Amur privet is resistant to both pests and diseases. However, if proper care is not followed and if climatic conditions are unfavorable, damage is possible. The most common pest of privet is the spider mite. It settles on the underside of the leaves, multiplies and feeds on sap, drying up the plant.

Aphids are recognized as no less dangerous. It destroys leaves and shoots, which, if untimely processing, begin to wilt strongly, and subsequently completely fall off. At high temperatures and low humidity, Amur privet is attacked by thrips. Forming colonies on the back of the foliage, they form many white dots. In the fight against the listed pests, the following preparations "Fitoverm", "Inta-Vir" and "Decis" are effective.

Seed propagation

Amur privet is propagated by seeds, root suckers, cuttings and layering. Most often, gardeners use the seed method and cuttings. The seeds are sown immediately after harvest. As you know, the fruits ripen in September - October, each contains 1-4 seeds. Seeds are taken from the fruit, thoroughly washed from the pulp and soaked in warm water. This procedure will eliminate empty seeds from the total mass, they will float to the surface.

If the sowing is planned to be transferred to the spring, then the seeds will need stratification; during the autumn sowing, such an operation is not required, sitting in the ground the seeds undergo natural stratification. Artificial stratification lasts six months. For this, the seeds are mixed with river sand, moistened and placed in a container, which is placed in a room with a temperature of 0-3C. In autumn, sowing is carried out in the ground, in spring - in seedling boxes, which are covered with foil immediately after sowing.

Crops contained in seedling boxes can be kept both indoors and in a heated greenhouse. The boxes are filled with a mixture of garden soil, humus, sand and peat in a ratio of 2: 2: 1: 1. The surface of the mixture is covered with fine-grained sand with a layer of 1 cm. The crops should be regularly moistened, this will accelerate the process of seed germination. Seedlings, on which 1-2 true leaves have appeared, dive in separate pots or into the ground. Seedlings are planted in a permanent place no earlier than 2 years later.