Magonia holly on a summer cottage

Mahonia aquifolium is a fairly popular evergreen shrub of the genus Magonia (Mahonia) from the family Barberry (Berberidaceae). With the correct selection of the variety and the observance of agricultural technology, the cultivation of padonbear magonia can be carried out almost everywhere. North America is considered to be the motherland of padubbolic mahonia.

Botanical Description

The magic of a padubolist is now widespread not only in Ukraine, but also in Russia, including the Moscow Region, due to its unpretentious care, as well as the ease of propagation of this evergreen shrub. An adult plant, according to the description, does not exceed a meter in height and is able to form thickets due to the active growth of root offspring. The bark on new young shoots has a pink-gray color, and the surface of adult shoots has a brownish-gray hue with the presence of relatively pronounced longitudinal stripes.

The upper flower buds are egg-shaped, covered with a membranous type of scales with a strong sharpening. The lateral kidneys are characterized by an ovoid shape and the presence of weakly pointed scales. Complex leaves are pinnate. Their length is about 16-20 cm. Petioles with a reddish tint.

Mahonia aquifolium flower with a diameter of about 7-9 mm, light yellow color, with a bright lemon tint. Flowers are collected in brushes or panicles of a multifloral type. Active flowering occurs in April-May. Full berry ripening, depending on varietal characteristics, occurs in August or September. The berries are oblong elliptical in shape, not more than 1 cm long and 0.8 cm wide. Ripe fruits have a bluish-black surface and are characterized by a plentiful bluish plaque and gun. Sour-sweet pulp contains several oblong seeds. The fruits of Mahonia aquifolium are used in the confectionery industry, as well as for tinting wine materials.

The most popular varieties of ornamental shrubs are as follows:

• "Versicolor";
• "Atropurpurea";
• "Orange Flame";
• Compactum
• "Apollo";
• Donnewell
• "Moseri";
• Forescate
• "Smaragd".

In the warm autumn period, a decorative-berry plant can bloom even in October, which should be taken into account when planting and cultivating holly magonia.

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Holly Magonia: cultivation

Landing rules

To make the correct landing of Mahonia aquifolium, The following simple, but very important recommendations of specialists and experienced gardeners should be followed:

• the shrub for proper growth and development needs shade, and when planting in an open area, it often gets sunburns;
• it is best to allocate windless areas located in partial shade for growing magonia;
• Mahonia aquifolium belongs to the category of unpretentious plants and easily adapts to almost any type of soil, including heavy clay soils;
• tight planting implies a distance of one meter between planted plants, and with a sparse planting, it should be increased to two meters;
• 40 x 50 cm planting pits must be prepared in advance, preferably a couple of months before planting;
• when planting Mahonia aquifolium it is very important to observe the depth of immersion of the seedling, placing the root neck on the same level with the ground;
• immediately after planting, it is necessary to slightly compact the soil and carry out abundant watering.

Mahonia aquifolium very easily tolerates transplantation, which can be carried out at any age of the plant. The best time for planting and replanting is the early spring.

Propagation Features

Holly paddy can be propagated by both seed material and root offspring, layering and cuttings. Seed propagation is carried out in the spring. Most often, in the conditions of home gardening, propagation of decorative berry culture by cuttings is carried out:

• green shoots with leaves are used for cutting cuttings with Mahonia aquifolium;
• when cutting cuttings for propagation, the upper cut should be straight, and the lower should be made oblique;
• to accelerate the development of cuttings, the lower cut is treated with root growth stimulants;
• prepared cuttings are buried in fertile, previously prepared soil to the first lower kidney;
• Planted cuttings should be abundantly watered, and then covered for faster rooting.

Equally popular is the spring propagation of Mahonia aquifolium layers, which is very easy to perform in home gardening using the following instructions:

• the most powerful shoots need to be bent to the soil and sprinkled with soil so that the top rises from the soil;
• in the area reserved for the formation of the root system, it is necessary to make a wire constriction;
• throughout the whole period of rooting, it is necessary to carry out abundant watering, and, if necessary, to add soil;
• in the autumn, layering with formed roots must be separated from the parent bush and transplanted to a permanent place.

The shrub grows best on soils rich in humus and well retaining moisture. Caring for planted plants includes activities such as weeding tree trunks, irrigation, top dressing, as well as loosening the soil and preventive treatment of the aerial parts.

Care Tips

Growing an unpretentious Mahonia aquifolium is not difficult even for beginner amateur gardeners:

• fertilizers are applied a couple of times per season;
• the first feeding with nitroammophos at the rate of 0.1 kg per square meter is carried out immediately after snow melts;
• the second feeding is carried out immediately before the flowering of the shrub, in May, using nitroammophos in the same volume as the first;
• it is necessary to control the soil moisture indicators and, in particularly hot, dry seasons, water the mahogany at the rate of a bucket of water per plant a couple of times a week;
• after watering and rains, it is recommended that the soil be loosened in near-trunk circles;
• in the autumn period, it is necessary to close the plants with spruce spruce branches or dry foliage;
• the plant is formed by pruning after flowering or in the autumn;
• in order not to reduce the decorativeness of mahonia, pruning should be performed as sparingly as possible, shortening the shoots by ½ of the total length.

Of no small importance is the preventive spraying of the decorative berry shrub, which allows the plant to be most effectively protected from damage by the most common diseases and parasites. Against spotting, spring processing of the plant is carried out with copper-containing preparations. Spraying with a mixture based on 20 g of copper sulfate and 180-200 g of green soap diluted in 10 l of water shows good efficiency.

To protect the plant from powdery mildew, experienced gardeners recommend using Fundazolesprayed twice a month. The use of colloidal sulfur is also allowed. Damage to the decorative shrub can be caused by rust damage, against which sulfur-containing preparations are used or the crown is treated in early spring with the preparation Tsineb.

Combination with other plants

Mahonia aquifolium is widely used in landscape design. The shrub stands out against the background of many crops by the presence of brilliant scalloped leaves, bright spring flowering and attractive blue fruits. Inflorescences, represented by multi-flowered panicles, which are actively formed in the leaf sinuses, give the plant a special decorative effect. In the conditions of modern landscape design, the shrub can be used as follows:

• architectural ornamental plant;
• landing on the slopes of steep hills;
• imitation of a decorative forest belt;
• single cultivation on lawns;
• group compositions with other decorative trees and bushes;
• compositions with stones and alpine hills;
• low hedges or border design;
• lower level of composition with tall ornamental trees, large trees or ferns;
• original background for various bulbous flowering plants;
• decorative combinations with flowering plants such as roses, magnolias and camellias.

Holly Magonia: variety description

Holly magonia refers to moisture-loving, frost-resistant crops and is practically not damaged by diseases or pests, which makes the culture in demand in household plots.