If you bring hawthorn into your garden, you have to differentiate between outdoor and container plants when caring for them. There are a few things to consider here.
Hawthorn (Crataegus laevigata) is native to our latitudes as a dense, compact shrub or tree, but also occurs in North Africa. There we find the plant growing wild at the edge of the forest or in bushes. This suggests a relatively low need for water and nutrients. In order to be able to estimate the nutrient requirements, it is always helpful to consider the natural conditions of the plant. What you should consider when caring for plants is explained in more detail below.
How to water hawthorn correctly
❍ Hawthorn outdoors:
When planting hawthorn outdoors, you should not neglect watering in the first few years. After all, young plants do not yet have sufficiently developed roots to be able to obtain sufficient water and nutrients from the soil.
Older plants, on the other hand, do quite well without regular watering. The reason for this are the roots, which reach deep into the ground and ensure the absorption of water and nutrients. Therefore, watering in winter is not necessary. Nevertheless, it is advisable to support the hawthorn with watering from time to time, especially in hot summers and during longer dry periods, because the plants prefer a rather moist substrate. However, you should definitely avoid waterlogging.
What can you do to prevent waterlogging?
It is not always easy to water the hawthorn properly, because too much water can quickly lead to waterlogging and with it harm the plant. If the roots are wet for a long period of time, the plant begins to rot and often cannot be saved. However, this can be prevented by watering the plant moderately but regularly. The nature of the soil is also decisive as to whether there is a susceptibility to waterlogging. A loose and permeable soil can ensure that the water drains well instead of damming up.
Hint:
TheThe permeability of the soil can be improved by adding coarse gravel or sand.
❍ Hawthorn in bucket:
If the hawthorn is in the bucket, its demands automatically increase. The deep-rooter is constrained by the cramped vessel and cannot, as usual, extend its taproots more than half a meter into the earth to obtain water and nutrients. So you have to help out and always water potted plants sufficiently. Especially in summer. Then you should water the potted plants regularly. Even in winter, the soil must not dry out completely, since then the roots can no longer supply themselves with nutrients. The substrate should always feel slightly damp.
The danger of waterlogging increases in the bucket. Therefore, do not forget to create a drainage before planting. For this purpose, potsherds or pebbles are placed in the bottom of the pot. When choosing the planter, you must also make sure that there are enough holes in the bottom of the pot so that the water does not accumulate. If you place the plant in a saucer, you have to check it more often, because here, too, irrigation water can accumulate, which ultimately leads to root rot.
You should also keep an eye on potted plants in winter. They need winter protection or hibernate frost-free in the house. The soil must not dry out. Therefore, the hawthorn in the tub should be watered sparingly even in winter.
Water hawthorn as an outdoor and container plant: the advantages and disadvantages
❍ Hawthorn outdoors:
+ Outdoor plants require less water.
+ Older plants can get a good supply of nutrients via their taproots.
- In the event of prolonged drought, regular watering is required.
- Es there is a risk of waterlogging.
❍ Hawthorn in bucket:
+ The amount of water can be dosed well.
+ The soil is easy to control.
+ Waterlogging can be prevented with drainage.
- The risk of waterlogging is increased.
- There is a limited supply of water and nutrients in the bucket.
How to properly fertilize hawthorn
❍ Hawthorn outdoors:
Whether and how often you need fertilizer depends on the quality of the soil. If we look at the requirements of the plant, hawthorn can also cope with normal garden soil. In a rather barren location, it makes sense to upgrade the soil accordingly when planting. The addition of compost creates a substrate that is rich in nutrients and usually supplies the plant well in the first year.If you continue to give compost regularly in spring and autumn, the hawthorn does not need any additional fertilizer.
If the soil is already sufficiently supplied with nutrients, you should hold back on fertilizing. During the growth phase, however, you can give rose fertilizer in a weak concentration.
Tip:
Don't fertilize indiscriminately, but have the nutrient content of the substrate checked, because over-fertilized soil does not do the plants good. A balanced ratio between nitrogen and phosphorus is particularly important.
❍ Hawthorn in bucket:
The nutrient requirement of potted plants is usually high. You should therefore definitely use a nutrient-rich substrate. You play it safe if you use rose soil or special potting soil. You should mix garden soil with compost.
In spring and summer you can fertilize the hawthorn in the tub with rose fertilizer. This happens until the flowers form. If the substrate is low in nutrients, fertilizer can also be added after flowering.