Growing evergreen common privet in open ground is the most suitable option for creating perennial garden landscape compositions. This article is all about the varieties and varieties, correct landing, proper care, methods of propagation of ligustrum. Magnificent photos of the bush will help you get acquainted with the variety of varieties of this plant.
Common privet, its varieties and varieties
The Olive family includes a wide range of evergreen plants. This also includes evergreen shrub common privet (ligustrum).
In nature, the culture grows in the southern regions of Russia and East Asia, on the Australian continent and North Africa, as well as in Australia, Japan, and China.
The shrub has small, hard, leathery, glossy leaves. Ligustrum blooms with panicles of small white flowers that have a pleasant aroma. After flowering, bluish-black fruits are set, which can overwinter on the bushes.
Privet fruits
Common privet bushes reach a height of 3 meters, the width of the bush can be more than 1 meter.
There are three varieties of common privet:
- Deciduous - sheds leaves in cold climates.
- Evergreen cultivars - overwinter with non-falling leaves.
- Mixed - leaves partially fall off the bush.
The plant is widely used in landscape design for creating hedges, it is characterized by rather slow growth. During flowering and fruiting, privet bushes acquire additional decorative value.
Privet is great for creating hedges
Landscape decorative forms (ball, cone) are easily formed from ligustrum, but the plant does not develop quickly; it takes considerable time to create an ideal compositional form. The photo of privet bushes formed in the shape of a ball attracts attention - the plant looks very decorative.
The following common ones are popular:
- "Aureum" - reaches a height of up to 1.5 m, leaf blades are green with a golden edge. For the full development of decorative coloring, a sunny location is required; when growing this variety in the shade, the leaves will lose their yellow border. The variety is quite winter-hardy and requires shelter only in very harsh winters.
- “Glaucum” - the variety does not grow higher than 1 m. The crown of the bush is spreading, the leaves are narrower than those of other varieties, have a bluish coating and a white border.
Variety Glaucum
- "Atrovirens" is distinguished by its significant size and dark coloration of leaves without spots or borders with other colors.
Variety Atrovirens
Planting privet according to all the rules
It should be noted right away that privet is unpretentious. The culture grows and develops well even under unfavorable conditions: ligustrum can tolerate a shady location, but does not tolerate acidic soil.
Advice! When preparing places for planting privet, a small amount of lime must be added to the soil.
The soil for planting shrubs should consist of humus and leaf soil, peat, and coarse sand. It is necessary to immediately select a site for planting without excessive moisture, ensuring reliable drainage. Otherwise, the roots of the bush will get wet, which will affect the overall development of the plant.
Planting privet bushes
In summer, ligustrum requires fairly frequent watering, but without excessive overflow. By autumn, the volume of irrigation water is metered, and the frequency of watering is reduced.
Attention! Privet tolerates underwatering more easily than overwatering.
Straight sunlight necessary for Ligustrum varieties with variegated leaves, so the area for planting the crop should be well lit. It is not advisable to plant shrubs under mature trees that have formed a thick and wide crown.
Separate holes are prepared for planting the bush, the depth of which depends on the development of the root system of the seedlings, but should not be less than 50 cm.
When planting shrubs, it is necessary to provide long-acting fertilizers at the bottom. landing pit.
Caring for common privet
Privet needs simple care:
- timely watering;
- weed removal;
- shelter in cold winters;
- application of necessary fertilizers.
Take care of covering privet for the winter
The soil under the bush requires mulching (to protect it from drying out) and periodic loosening (to improve aeration). When mulching trunk circle Not only will moisture in the soil be retained, but the germination of weeds will also be reduced. In addition, mulch protects plant roots from overheating during the particularly hot summer months.
During the winter cold, some plant varieties may freeze, so care should be taken to cover the privet in advance. Sometimes covering the bushes with snow is enough, but in particularly harsh winters, spruce branches are laid on top of the snow.
Privet in a landscape composition
It is worth mentioning separately the pruning of ligustrum bushes when forming three-dimensional forms. Although the crop does not grow very quickly, periodic pruning helps to form a spreading, dense crown of the bush. The first pruning of privet is drastic - the branches of the bush are shortened almost to the ground. The following prunings maintain the shape of the bush; they are carried out up to 3-4 times per season.
Advice! Ligustrum bushes should be pruned during the growing season, before autumn.
Ligustrum fertilizer
To reduce the acidity of the soil under privet bushes, it is useful to add chalk, lime, dolomite flour. Soil deoxidation is carried out with the onset of autumn by incorporating lime into the soil. At the same time, it is useful to apply potassium and phosphorus fertilizers, as well as organic matter.
The plant needs feeding 2 times a year
In summer complex fertilizers applied 2 times per season: foliar feeding mineral fertilizers pass along the leaves. Take a look at the photo - timely fertilized privet bushes look very decorative and give good growth.
Reproduction of ligustrum - methods and methods
Ornamental shrubs can be propagated by all known methods:
Diseases and pests of ligustrum
Ligustrum is resistant to diseases and pest attacks. The crop can occasionally be damaged by scale insects or false scale insects. To prevent diseases, the crown of the bush is often sprayed with water in the summer months. A preventative shower will also save the plant from spider mite attacks.
Regularly inspect your crop for pests.
The plant may suffer from fungal diseases developing from improper care. So, in acidic soil, the leaves become covered with pale green spots. Compliance with all the rules for growing ligustrum will prevent the development of fungal infections. If fungal infections occur, treating the bush with foundationazole will help remove the infection.
In general, the common burberry is a very hardy plant that perfectly complements the landscape of gardens and parks.
Trimming privet bushes: video
Privet in landscape design: photo
The privet bush is flowering plant Biryuchinov family. It contains about fifty species of erect, deciduous or evergreen shrubs, sometimes forming small or medium-sized trees. The privet shrub is used for hedges in personal plots as an excellent landscape decoration. The natural habitat of the flower is Europe, North Africa, Asia and Australia. Privet was originally the name for the European evergreen shrub Privet vulgaris and later for the more reliable evergreen Privet ovarifolium, widely used to create hedges of closely planted trees and shrubs. Now the name applies to all members of the clan. The generic name was first applied by Pliny the Elder to the common Privet.
Description of privet and its photo
Some types of privet shrubs can grow up to five meters in height and have a stem diameter of 2-2.5 centimeters. The plant's bark is white with a hint of gray and has a smooth texture. Winter buds are ovoid with two outer scales. Apical buds are present. We invite you to read more detailed description privet bush with photos of it in various variations.
The leaves are elliptical, as opposed to the buds, and are arranged on thin branches, which, in truth, can sometimes be thick and leathery. Flowers can be either male or female with a white corolla. The calyxes are small, four-toothed. Each flower has petals that grow together into a tube just below the four individual lobes. Look at the photo of privet in various options its uses: 
Privet bears flowers on small panicles along the main axis and on short lateral branches. Flowering time is June-July. The fruit is a drupe containing one to four seeds. The fruit usually ripens in September or October and persists through the winter. A mature privet can produce up to one hundred fruits. Most of them are eaten by birds. The plant is used as food for larvae. 
Privet care
Caring for burlap should begin with the selection the right soil- in our case it will be fertile, but with slight salinity and good drainage. IN ready soil you can add a little lime.
It is recommended to grow the flower in full sun, but it will grow just as well in partial shade. Privet also tolerates both drought and slight waterlogging (but only in small quantities). It withstands winter frosts, but severe frosts and severe winter cold can destroy the bush. 
You will need less effort in the process of caring for privet if you loosen the soil in time and remove weeds from the area where the privet grows. By the way, you can reduce the number of weeds (and at the same time protect from overheating) using mulching procedures - it is recommended to do this no earlier than spring, when the soil has already warmed up sufficiently.
Without regular watering in the process of caring for privet, especially in the hot summer, the soil begins to crack and the plant slowly fades. Therefore, we recommend that you do not forget about this procedure and constantly water and additionally moisten the privet bush, especially in the summer and during the growing season. It is better to water the flower less often, but in large volumes - you need to wet the soil surface by 50 centimeters. During growth and development, the amount of moisture is 30-40 liters, and the number of repetitions is 3 or 4. 
One of the methods of caring for privet shrubs is pruning, which is necessary for the plant to maintain its shape and prevent further dissemination. During the growing season, it is necessary to carry out this procedure at least once and as close to ground level as possible. Subsequent cuttings just help control the process of spread and growth of the flower, but do not eradicate it. For the first three years, approximately 1/3 of the trunk will need to be removed - after that you will only need to maintain the shape and size of the privet hedge.
Reproduction and planting of privet
Most varieties of privet are propagated by cuttings and seeds. The plant grows very quickly and, as a rule, adds 60 centimeters per year.
Seeds for planting privet are obtained from fruits that ripen at the end of October. Basically, this method of propagating privet is used for mass, industrial production. Seed germination is 60 percent, so they are used very, very rarely in private gardens and apartments. The bush matures within five to six years.
Cuttings for propagating jujube can be woody or summer. We advise you to use a more effective option for planting privet, which guarantees almost 100 percent germination. The cutting should be selected only after flowering - it should be a young and developed shoot. It is necessary to remove under the internode. You can grow it in any way - there are a huge number of options on the Internet now. We offer you an old and proven method - place the shoots under a plastic bottle, cut off its neck and do not forget to make 10-115 small holes that will allow air to penetrate inside. Planting privet for rooting is under the shade big trees In order for the plant to be in partial shade, the light must enter only through the prism of the tree leaves. After a couple of months, the bottle can be removed and the newly grown bushes can be left until next spring.
Privet varieties for hedges
Mainly cultivated varieties are those that have high decorative properties and do not require special care during the growing process. As a rule, privet varieties for hedges are selected taking into account their technical characteristics, such as the leafiness of the bush, the height of the trunk and decorativeness throughout the growing season. We are offering to you brief descriptions some varieties of privet for hedges on your site. 
Common privet and its photo
Common privet is also sometimes called wild privet, common privet, or European privet. The species is native to central and southern Europe, northern Africa and southwestern Asia, from Ireland to southwestern Sweden to southern Morocco, eastern Poland to northwestern Iran. These are semi-evergreen or deciduous shrubs up to three meters in height. The stems are tough, erect, with gray-brown spotted bark and small brown lenticels.
The leaves are arranged in cross-shaped pairs - shiny, oval-shaped, up to 6 centimeters long and 1.5 centimeters wide. Look at the photo of common privet: 
Flowers appear in mid-summer in the form of panicles 3-6 centimeters long - each flower is creamy white in color with a tubular base and a four-lobed corolla up to 6 mm in diameter. The flowers produce a strong, pungent aroma that many find unpleasant. The fruit is in the form of a small black glossy berry with a diameter of 6-8 mm with 1-4 seeds in each of them. The berries are very poisonous to humans, but are readily eaten by thrushes. Which disperse the seeds. 
Plants from warmer habitats are more likely to remain evergreen. Sometimes they are even considered as a separate species. In the British Isles it is the only privet variety common for use in hedges and woodlands in southern England and Wales, especially in chalk areas. Less common in Scotland, northern England and northern Ireland.
Privet oval-leaved
Privet ovalifolia is also known as California privet. This species is native to Korea and Japan, so it is often called Japanese privet (but confused with Japanese privet). Oval-leaved privet is often used for tall hedges. 
It is a fast-growing, dense deciduous shrub. Grows up to 3-4.5 meters in height and width.
Oval privet has thick, fleshy leaves that are green on top and green-yellowish below. It blooms in mid-summer with profuse white flowers that produce a unique tart aroma that is unpleasant to some. The flower has four curly petals and two tall stamens with yellow and red dust particles, between which a low pistil appears. The petals and stamens fall off after the flower is fertilized, leaving the pistil in the calyx tube. Flowering begins after a year of cultivation.
All parts of the plant are poisonous to humans - be careful when caring for privet.
Japanese privet
Privet is used not only to create hedges, but also in the ancient Japanese art of bonsai. Of all the varieties of plants, Japanese privet is most suitable for this.
It is a large shrub or tree that usually reaches four meters in height, but can reach larger sizes - six or more meters. The attractive evergreen leaves have an unusual pear shape with a sharp tip. They have six to eight veins. In spring, white flowers form panicle-shaped clusters up to 20 centimeters in length. The plant produces an odor that not everyone will find pleasant. And a huge amount of pollen will simply bother people. 
Flowers in the initial stage have green color, but in the process of ripening they change their color. They remain on the plant for most of the year. The older and larger tree, the more open its shape becomes and the more attractive the limbs look, creating a bonsai-style tree.
Several colorful varieties of Japanese privet can always be found in some large supermarket. For example, the variety Rotundifolium - dwarf plant, which grows very slowly and usually does not grow above one and a half meters. It has large, rounded leaves and is often used to create a low hedge. 
Extremely tolerant of various types soil and is a strong, robust plant that requires special care (except pruning to maintain the desired shape and size).
Japanese privet will grow well in sun to partial shade. When planting in the shade, you need to allow air circulation, otherwise you will have problems with whitefly and sooty mold. This problem can still be solved with soap spray. One of the most important mistakes is planting bushes close to each other - the space between them should be at least one and a half meters.
Golden privet
Golden privet is a variation of the Japanese privet or oval-leaved privet with bright golden leaves. Semi- evergreen has the brightest leaf colors of any species, especially in winter. Fast-growing, they are most often used as an urban garden hedge, but also make an excellent shrub. If well trimmed and shaped, privet can be a very inexpensive and picturesque addition to your garden.
Golden privet will grow well in almost any soil except wet soil. It is tolerant of winds and pollution, but the plant should be located in a well-lit area. 
Glossy oval-shaped leaves up to 6 centimeters in length. The center is green and the edges are a bright golden yellow. The bark is grayish-brown with lentils. Tiny tubular, creamy white flowers form a panicle up to 10 centimeters long. Then clusters with black glossy berries appear, which are very poisonous to humans.
Privet shiny
Shiny privet is a species flowering plant Olive family. It is originally from the southern part of China, but has become native to different countries: Spain, Italy, Algeria, Canary Islands, New Zealand, Lesotho, South Africa, Japan, Korea, Australia, Norfolk Islands, Chiapas, Central America, Argentina and the southern USA (California, Arizona, Maryland and from Texas to North Carolina) .
The name shiny in this case refers to the glossy leaves. Shiny privet for hedges is the most best option under any climatic conditions. Look at the photo of shiny privet: 
It's small evergreen tree reaches 10 meters in height and width. The leaves are opposite, glossy, dark green, up to 17 centimeters long and up to 8 centimeters wide. The flowers are very similar to other types of privet and are white or almost white.
Privet variegated
Variegated privet is a species of Chinese privet. The flower has long and pointed leaves with golden margins. Fall produces creamy white flowers that form in clusters and are a very functional addition to this extraordinary tree. 
Privet roundifolia
Privet roundifolia is an evergreen shrub with colorful leaves that retain their color even in winter. The creamy white flowers bloom in midsummer and can produce honey. The plant takes root well in any soil, but does not tolerate frost at all, so it must be grown in a place that will be well protected and insulated. 
Privet "Sinense"
Privet "Sinense" is a small evergreen plant native to China, Taiwan and Vietnam (its other name is Chinese privet). The shrub with falling leaves reaches 7 meters in height and has dense hairy shoots. The leaves are opposite, up to seven centimeters long and three centimeters wide. 
Cultivated as an ornamental plant for hedges. Often used as bonsai. It is known that this variety occupies approximately one million hectares of land and is cultivated everywhere.
On your own personal plot you can grow a wide variety of plants, including quite rare and interesting ones. For successful cultivation of certain ornamental plants you just need to have information about the basics of gardening and some of the features of a particular crop. So it is considered a very interesting representative of the flora for placement on the site. It is a deciduous and densely branched shrub that can reach a height of up to five meters. Let's talk about how common privet is grown, what it is to plant and care for this plant, and whether it can be propagated by seeds.
Planting common privet
Privet is shade-tolerant; in addition, it is resistant to drought and is quite unpretentious in the choice of soil. It should not be placed only on acidic and dry sandy soil. In order for the shrub to achieve maximum decorative value, it is better to plant it in an open sunny area, at least seventy to one hundred centimeters from buildings. The optimal soil composition will be a mixture of three parts turf, two parts humus and one part sand.
It is best to plant privet in the spring, before the buds awaken. Before planting, it is worth digging up the soil to the depth of a spade bayonet. Form a hole approximately 70*70 cm in size, but going deeper should be thirty centimeters larger than the size of the plant’s root system.
Fill the prepared hole with water and wait until the soil absorbs it. Place ten to twenty centimeters of crushed stone at the bottom of the hole, then pour a mound of soil mixture compiled according to the above scheme. One hundred and thirty grams of nitroammophoska should be mixed into it. Place a privet seedling on the mound and carefully straighten its roots. The hole should be filled with the same soil mixture, but without adding fertilizer. Over the course of a month, make sure that the soil does not dry out. Next, mulch the area around the plant using peat. It needs to be folded in a layer of five to eight centimeters.
In order to get a hedge, plant seedlings at intervals of thirty to forty centimeters from each other.
What does common privet like, how to care for it?
This shrub does not require special care. It only needs to be watered periodically; you should also loosen the soil from time to time, weed the plants and trim them. Mulching will make it much easier for you to care for privet, but it is advisable to do it after the soil has warmed up a little.
Watering should be done from time to time, only during drought. It should be rare but plentiful. During the entire growing season, watering can be carried out three to four times; thirty to forty liters of water should be poured under one bush.
Fertilizing privet is carried out before the onset of heat using organic matter. Under each bush it is worth adding humus or compost in the amount of one bucket. If you are forming a hedge, then you need to scatter organic matter along it, and you can also distribute superphosphate granules on top of it. For one meter, use ten grams of granules. Work superphosphate shallowly into the top of the soil, then water the privet.
You need to prune the bush for the first time immediately after the seedlings have settled into the soil and started to grow. First, simply shorten the tops of the shoots, this way you will activate tillering. After the shoots grow ten to fifteen centimeters, repeat pruning. Repeat this manipulation for two years, then begin forming the crown.
Formative pruning is carried out in May and August, and sanitary pruning is carried out in early spring. The latter is aimed at removing broken, dried out, frozen and diseased branches. After sanitary pruning, it is advisable to lubricate the cut areas with garden varnish.
Privet rarely suffers from diseases, but sometimes it is affected fungal diseases. To prevent them, it is worth spraying with fungicidal preparations.
Common privet - propagation by seeds
In fact, growing privet from seeds is quite a labor-intensive process. The germination rate of planting material is approximately sixty-five percent, and the plants themselves begin to bear fruit only from the age of six.
If you decide to grow privet from seeds, get them from ripe fruits. Dip the seeds in a container of water and wait for a while. Some of them will float and should be thrown away. Drowned seeds should be subjected to a stratification process: in October it is necessary to sow them in winter open ground. For the cold planting material will undergo natural stratification, but seedlings will appear only after a year. If you postpone sowing until spring, place the seeds inside boxes filled with a mixture of peat and sand and keep them at zero temperature. The duration of such artificial stratification is five to six months.
At the time of germination, crops need to be watered systematically. To do this, it is advisable to use a watering can with a fine mesh.
By the end of the first year of cultivation, the seedlings need to be pruned with tap root pruning. Such plants will become marketable only at two to three years of age.
In order to grow privet of a certain variety or simplify the propagation process, it is better to give preference to cuttings.
Privet is an excellent plant for planting in your garden. It will not require special care from you, but will please the eye with attractive greenery.
The genus Privet (Ligustrum) includes several dozen species, mainly shrubs, growing in Asia, Africa and Europe.
Most types of culture can be found in the Himalayas, Japan and China. The bark of the crop has an astringent medicinal properties, hence the name of the genus - “ligare”, from the Latin verb “to bind”. Interestingly, in English-speaking countries the plant is known as Privet.
Good shade tolerance, low requirements for soil quality, tolerance to topiary haircuts and ease of care have made ornamental shrub Privet is one of the most versatile plants in landscape design.
Description of privet
The plant is a densely foliated, branched and very hardy shrub, which is one of the most popular in horticulture for creating hedges.
The leaves are small, leathery, evergreen or deciduous. The height, depending on the type, is approximately 1.5-3 meters, but growth is perfectly controlled by pruning, which helps to form a wide variety of planting shapes. The height of dwarf varieties is only 60 -100 cm.
The flowers are white and fragrant, collected in loose paniculate inflorescences at the tops of the shoots, reminiscent of lilac flowers. Flowering is long lasting, usually beginning in early June. In warm climates it may start earlier. After flowering, shiny black berries ripen and usually remain on the bushes all winter.
The berries are poisonous to both dogs and humans, and the leaves can be even more toxic in large quantities. Their toxicity is due to the presence of terpenoid glycosides, which cause poisoning of the body.
Types of ornamental privet shrubs
Common privet (Ligustrum vulgare). The hardiest deciduous species, which can most often be found in the garden as a hedge. It is characterized by good winter hardiness and shade tolerance.
Through the efforts of breeders, decorative varieties have been developed that are distinguished by their crown shape: pyramidal shape, weeping, evergreen, as well as foliage color: privet aurea, glaucous, variegated group with variegated foliage and yellow-fruited.
Shiny privet (Ligustrum lucidum). This is a fairly small evergreen tree or shrub with glossy, ovate, variegated leaves, green with beige-yellow spots or edges. The flowers are small, creamy, fragrant, collected in inflorescences up to 20 cm in length. Blooms from July to early autumn. Withstands frosts down to minus 15 °C.
Excelsum Superbum is a low evergreen or semi-evergreen tree with small, glossy green leaves edged with bright yellow.
Variety “Curly Wurly” - leaves unusual shape, as if twisted, painted beige-green.
Japanese privet (Ligustrum japonicum). In my own way appearance very similar to Ligustrum lucidum, but more winter-hardy when grown. The leaves are small, evergreen, leathery, glossy.
The flowers have an unpleasant smell, but this is fully compensated by the high decorativeness of the species, which includes a group of round-leaved privet and a group with variegated foliage. For example, "Sunshine" is a sterile variety with golden foliage or "Jack Frost" is golden-green leaves.
Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense). Semi-evergreen large shrub reaching 3 meters in height. It has small yellow-green variegated leaves. Adapts to various types soil In gardening, dwarf variegated varieties are popular, for example "Swift Creek" - a small spreading bush with creamy green leaves.
"Swift Creek" Oval-leaved privet (Ligustrum ovalifolium). A low and dense shrub with variegated, evergreen foliage. For the winter it needs shelter due to its sensitivity to frost.
Depending on the color it is divided into groups:
- variegated green-leaved group with a light, often white border along the edges of the leaf blade;
- silver group Argentum, the foliage of which is also bordered by a beige or light yellow stripe;
- Aureum group or golden privet is one of the most popular in landscape design. It is a dense, compact bush about a meter high with oval, lemon-yellow or lime-yellow leaves. Fabulous dwarf variety'Lemon and Lime' has golden leaves that contrast with the dark red or purple berries.
How to plant privet
Almost any place in the garden for planting privet is suitable, but in order for the shrub to reach the peak of its attractiveness, it is better to plant it in an open sunny place, especially variegated varieties and species. The crop grows well on many types of substrate with good water permeability, but you should not expect plantings to flourish on highly acidic, heavy clay and sandy soils.
The best soil composition for growing is considered to be a mixture of three parts turf garden soil, two parts humus and one part coarse sand for water permeability.
Planting of single shrubs is carried out in spring or autumn in September-October, and privet for hedges is recommended to be planted from late March to summer. Although bushes with a closed root system can be planted all season.
Fertilizer is applied immediately when planting privet in the ground. 130 g of nitroammophoska is good for feeding, or mix the soil from the planting hole with humus, compost or a small part of rotted manure.
The planting hole should be 30 cm larger than the root ball. Water is poured into it, and when it is absorbed, the roots of the plant are placed in the hole and covered with soil. At first, regular watering is necessary. Experts recommend mulching the soil around the plantings with compost or peat. Mulch will provide additional feeding throughout the season, maintain adequate soil moisture and control weed growth.
You can find out more about the types of mulch and the benefits of mulching in this
Bushes intended for creating a privet hedge are planted in one or two rows. The width of the dug trench is 60 cm, and its depth is 80 cm. If we want to have a single-row hedge, then we plant the bushes in a straight line with a distance of 50-60 cm between the bushes in partial shade. In a sunny place, keep a distance of 80 cm.
In the case of a two-row privet hedge, dig two trenches located at a distance of about half a meter from each other. Planting of seedlings is carried out in a checkerboard pattern.
Rules for caring for privet
Caring for privet throughout the season consists of timely irrigation of the soil, annual pruning and weed removal. The plant can withstand long droughts, so watering is carried out only in dry summers as needed.
The optimal watering regime is 3-4 times per season, but generously, so that the ground is saturated with moisture to a depth of 40-50 cm, this is about 2-3 buckets per medium-height bush. For small plantings up to a meter, it is enough to water 10 liters at a time. Young shrubs require more frequent watering during drought, as their roots are not yet extensive enough.
Despite the shade tolerance, the shrub prefers sunny positions or light partial shade. With a lack of lighting, the density of the foliage decreases, and in variegated varieties the brightness of the color fades.
In July, the soil around the plantings is carefully loosened after watering to increase oxygen access to the roots. After loosening, add a layer of mulch again.
Fertilizing is carried out in the spring with organic fertilizers: compost or humus. Hedges are more demanding when it comes to feeding, so once in the spring and once in the summer, organic matter and granules of mineral multicomponent fertilizers are poured along the plantings at the rate of 10 g per 1 meter. After which the plants are watered.
Privet pruning
As mentioned above, caring for the ornamental privet shrub includes sanitary pruning and, if desired, shaping pruning.
The annual procedure stimulates tillering and promotes the formation of a compact bush with dense foliage. You can experiment with the culture in creating topiary figures, since due to the intensive growth of the plant you can quickly hide a bad haircut. The plant is ideal for creating.
To create a dense and dense crown of plantings or hedges, the shoots of privet seedlings are cut by 2/3 after planting. In summer, new young shoots are shortened by 10-20 cm. And so on for 2-3 years. During this time, the shrub intensively develops numerous side shoots. The larger the green mass, the easier it will be to subsequently make the necessary haircut or create.
Old bushes can be rejuvenated by cutting off all shoots to a height of 10-20 cm. A year before the planned rejuvenation, the plant requires regular watering and fertilizing so that the bush gains strength before radical pruning. Sanitary pruning of all plantings is carried out annually in the spring. Remove dry, old, broken branches.
Privet propagation
Methods of propagation of the ornamental privet shrub include: seed method, cuttings, young layering or root shoots.
Propagation of privet by seeds
Due to the low germination of seeds, this method is considered quite difficult, especially since the crop begins to bear fruit for the first time only at the 6th year of life. To germinate, seeds need to undergo cold stratification, so they are sown in open ground before winter. For spring sowing, the seeds must be kept all winter in a box with a sand-peat mixture at a temperature of 0-1 °C. The refrigerator is best for storage.
The seed method is usually used in nurseries, and in private gardening the simplest and most effective method of obtaining new seedlings is vegetative.
Propagation of privet by cuttings
Woody cuttings 15-25 cm long are cut in the summer after the bush has flowered. The lower leaves are torn off, and the sections are dipped in powder, which stimulates root formation. They are buried 5-7 cm in a mixture of peat and perlite.
After planting, water well with a watering can and place the pot in a transparent bag or cover plastic bottle. Location – partial shade. Under conditions of constant substrate and air humidity, the rooting process takes 14-20 days.
When signs of growth appear, the cover is removed and the cuttings are moved to a lighted place. The further process of development of the root system takes about a year. Therefore, cuttings are brought into the house in the fall and grown indoors, transplanting them into a larger pot in fertile soil as they grow.
It should be noted that seedlings need to be provided with cool conditions in winter, and fertilizing should begin in spring. By next summer we will receive full-fledged planting material.
Reproduction by layering and shoots
In the spring, a side shoot closer to the base is cut, cut down and secured in a pre-dug groove 1-2 cm deep. At the cut site, the layer is sprinkled with compost and sphagnum moss is laid out, which should always be moist. When signs of rooting appear (new leaves appear on the shoot), the layering is separated from mother plant. Some species form root shoots around the bush, which can be dug up with part of the root.
Diseases and pests
Excess moisture and poor air circulation can lead to the development of fungal diseases, which appear as a gray or whitish coating on the surface of the leaves. In this case, the plantings are processed fungicidal preparations. There is also a risk of attack by aphids, which can be gotten rid of using folk methods.
Foliage spotting is characterized by the appearance of brown spots. The disease is treated with Dithane NeoTec 75 WG or Topsin M 500 SC.
