The sea buckthorn berries are delicious and full of vitamins. No wonder more and more gardeners are bringing the plant into the garden. But be careful: there are a few things to consider when planting.
Sea buckthorn, also known as Hippophae rhamnoides, is hardy, easy to care for and resistant to many diseases. It has become very popular over the last few years, as the shrub is not only a pretty ornament in the garden, but the berries are also absolutely he althy.
In order to get a full harvest of the vitamin-rich fruits, however, you must observe a few important rules when planting.
Profile sea buckthorn
| Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) | |
|---|---|
| Growth Speed: | 25 - 45 cm per year |
| Growth: | 200 - 500 cm |
| Growth: | 150 - 300 cm |
| Root system: | Deep Roots |
| Location: | Sun to partial shade |
| Floor: | undemanding, also likes sandy soil |
Female and male sea buckthorn
The sea buckthorn is a dioecious plant. This means: you need at least one female, fruit-bearing sea buckthorn and one male sea buckthorn as a pollen donor. A combination of one male and three or four female sea buckthorns is ideal. Make sure the wind in the garden is blowing from the male plant to the female sea buckthorn to ensure smooth pollination.
Planting distance between sea buckthorns
Sea buckthorns are characterized by sparse, laterally spreading growth. Depending on the variety, the shrubs can grow up to five meters high and grow up to three meters wide. Therefore, do not plant your sea buckthorns too densely, otherwise the adult plants will hinder each other's growth later and block each other's sunlight.
Soil for sea buckthorn
The sea buckthorn likes well-drained and calcareous soil with a high proportion of sand or gravel. Heavy loam or clay soil can be improved by adding coarse sand. Furthermore, the floor should be verybe profound. Sea buckthorn roots reach down 150 to 300 centimeters into the ground.
Root barrier for sea buckthorn
The roots of the sea buckthorn are not only deep, but also very wide and can reach a diameter of up to twelve metres. If you don't have a lot of space in your garden, you should install a root barrier when planting. The barriers are placed in the ground like a ring around the rootstock. Seal the ends with an aluminum bar so the roots can't push through.
You can find such root or rhizome barriers made of hard plastic inexpensively in stores:
Care for sea buckthorn
Planting the sea buckthorn itself is very simple. Simply place the root ball in the planting hole, water vigorously and fill up with soil. In the first year you should fertilize with horn meal. Since the sea buckthorn enters into a symbiosis with ray fungi, which supply it with nitrogen, hardly any fertilization is required after the second year.
If you work mature compost into the soil around the shrub every two years, it will be well supplied with all the nutrients. When watering, you can proceed cautiously. Thanks to the deep root system, sea buckthorns also survive longer periods of superficial drought.