Features of caring for rowan in autumn and preparing for winter

Caring for chokeberries primarily involves properly preparing them for cold weather. This will help ensure a good harvest next year. Although chokeberries can produce fruit without care, they become small over time. Pests and diseases can also appear. This is why proper preparation for winter—caring for chokeberries in the fall—is so important.

What manipulations are carried out?

Chokeberries grow best in sunny areas. They can thrive in shaded areas, but the quality and yield will suffer. They thrive in lowlands where the groundwater level is no more than 2 meters deep. This is because the bush's roots are shallow—usually up to 60 cm deep—and its taproots rarely reach 2 meters. Before winter, it's important to thoroughly prepare the plant. This directly affects fruiting and the appearance of the bush. The berries are primarily harvested in the fall.

Caring for rowan in autumn consists of the following procedures:

• watering;
• feeding;
• circumcision;
• mulching;
• shelters.

If the autumn is dry, rowan trees should be watered regularly. Add 2-3 buckets of water, depending on the size of the bush. The liquid is poured into a furrow dug around the root perimeter. Watering should be done only when the soil above is completely dry. Fertilizing rowan trees is not always necessary. When using complex mineral or organic fertilizers during planting, no additional feeding is needed for a couple of years. Then, apply phosphorus and potassium fertilizers every 3-4 years. If the plant's roots lack moisture, fruiting and frost resistance will decrease.

In the fall, pruning is considered one of the most important steps. To maintain the bush's appearance and ensure a good harvest, chokeberries are pruned once or twice a year. The bush grows very quickly, so without proper care, it can reach a height of 3 meters. Pruning not only helps control growth but also promotes fruit set.

Dry leaves and spruce branches are used for mulching. Young bushes are covered with a 10-cm layer. This will help protect the roots from frost and retain moisture in the soil. Chokeberry is a frost-hardy plant that grows even in northern regions. Even without cover, it can survive the winter well at temperatures as low as -35°C.

What is special about this fertilizer?

After fruiting, chokeberries need to replenish their strength and rest. Fertilizing in the fall can influence next year's harvest. After harvesting the berries, a fertilizing application of 200 g of superphosphate and 500 g of wood ash is beneficial. A 7% urea solution can be applied directly to the roots. In the fall, a nitrogen solution can be sprayed on the branches. Avoid applying large amounts of nitrogen fertilizer to the soil in the fall. In the late summer months, such fertilizing will stimulate the growth of the aboveground parts. The shoots will become thick and the bark will not mature. Mulching with humus or peat will help support the roots.

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What is fall pruning?

Chokeberry is a shrub, which is why it produces numerous shoots each year. As they spread, they cover a large area, creating a broad base. Mature branches grow upward. At the same time, younger shoots develop, creating a dense crown. If left untreated, the bush will produce fewer fruits after a while. Only the outer branches, which receive the necessary amount of light, will bloom and produce fruit. However, the berries will not be juicy or large, as the nutrients are consumed by the large green part of the bush. Problems with chokeberry yields are common in old and neglected bushes. Regular and timely care of the chokeberry tree helps maintain its health.

Branch pruning solves many problems at once. These include limiting growth, maintaining the bush's decorative appearance, providing optimal lighting for even berry distribution, good ventilation, and maintaining the overall health of the plant. In regions with short summers, pruning is done in the fall, after the leaves have fallen and the harvest has been completed.

Shrubs should be pruned before the sap starts to flow. This is usually in the spring, March/April. However, it's not always possible to do maintenance at this time. Another option is to prune in the fall. Removing undergrowth from the base of the shrub is done throughout the fall.

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Trimming diagram

After planting young chokeberries, whether grown or transplanted from seed, there's no need to prune the new growth. During the first year, the plant's energy will be spent on acclimation and root development. Then, new branches will emerge, and then the bush can be trained.

The procedure is as follows:

1. Three to four of the strongest branches are retained. Other shoots, including those that will grow in the summer, are removed at ground level.
2. The procedure is repeated over the next four years. Each time, 3-5 young shoots are left. As a result, by the sixth year, the base will have approximately 10-12 branches of varying ages.
3. In subsequent years, sanitary pruning is performed. This involves removing broken, weakened, and frost-damaged branches. Root shoots are trimmed, and the crown density is monitored.
4. Around the 7th to 8th year, the plant is rejuvenated. Branches older than 8 years are completely removed. Not even stumps are left, as they may be susceptible to disease and pests in the future. To replace the removed branches, an equal amount of healthy growth is left.

The process of branch replacement is repeated in this manner. As a result, the bush is constantly rejuvenated without losing its yield. When shaping, it's important to monitor the crown. Excessive branching will inevitably lead to dense growth, and a lack of light will lead to yield loss. Inward-spreading and unnecessary shoots should be removed. They provide no benefit, as the nutrients are simply wasted.

How to cover a bush for the winter

Insulating a plant is a preparatory procedure for chokeberries, but it's not always necessary. Young seedlings or bushes transplanted in the fall and not yet fully established should be covered. To prevent shoots from freezing in regions where winter temperatures drop below -35°C, even mature bushes are covered. Transplanted and young bushes are hilled with dry soil, creating a mound 15-20 cm deep. Next, the area around the trunk is covered with a 10-centimeter layer of spruce branches or leaves. Only the upper part of the plant is not insulated. When winters are extremely cold, for example, in the subtaiga of Siberia and the low mountains of Altai, mature bushes are bent over and lightly covered with soil. Covering is done in September-October, when it's still warm outside. If you cover later, the frozen branches will not be able to bend properly and will break. After the soil has thawed, it is removed. You shouldn't delay opening it, as it may start to rot.

What types of errors are there?

Although caring for rowan trees is not difficult, it can be done incorrectly. To avoid this, consider a few things. First, excessive fertilization is sometimes overused. Excessive amounts of nutrients stimulate rapid foliar growth, which reduces yield. Second, pruning leaves small shoots. These small shoots are fragile and soon develop into full-fledged branches. This makes the bush appear denser. When there are more than five such shoots, the following year the plant will look like a completely empty bush.

What diseases and pests are encountered?

Chokeberry can be damaged by certain diseases:

• Septoria leaf spot is the appearance of oval, light-brown spots on leaves. They are bordered by a dark stripe. As the disease progresses, the leaf tissue dries, cracks, and falls off. To prevent the disease, in addition to pruning and treating with Bordeaux mixture, collect and burn fallen leaves.
• Peripheral rot is caused by honey mushrooms. Severely affected bushes are destroyed. They are dug up by the roots and burned.
• Tamarisk (comb-shaped) appears on weak roots of the rootstock. It appears as whitish or grayish-brown plates. Branches affected by tamarisk are cut off and burned.
• Fruit rot (moniliosis) causes the berries to become pale and soft. Light-brown spore-bearing pads appear on them. If these berries are not removed from the bush, they can linger throughout the cold season and infect young flowers and ovaries in the spring.

The methods for combating any fungal infection are the same. First, treat the bushes twice with 1% Bordeaux mixture as a preventative measure. This should be done before the leaves open and after the flowers have fallen. Remove any remaining infected branches by pruning. If infection is detected, water the soil around the plant with copper-containing solutions. If protection from the fungus fails, treat the chokeberry with ferrous sulfate. Systemic fungicides are sometimes used. Collect diseased leaves, stems, and berries. Burn any dead bushes.

Chokeberry can also be affected by pests:

• Mites. These are small insects that cause significant damage to fruit crops. Their larvae emerge after the chokeberry blossoms bloom. They feed on the sap of the leaves and pierce them. After three weeks, they emerge as adults, which then lay more larvae. Several generations can develop within a season.
• The hawthorn moth is a butterfly whose caterpillars eat buds as they open. They then damage flowers and leaves. The hawthorn moth lays up to fifty eggs;
• Apple green aphids, a small insect, can also attack. They often attack young bushes. In addition to feeding on plant sap, aphids carry incurable viruses.
• The cherry sawfly is a black insect with transparent wings and a shiny abdomen. It settles on the bush in July and causes significant damage to the plant over the summer. The female lives no more than 7 days, but lays up to 75 eggs. They are found on the underside of the leaf. The larvae consume the green part of the bush, leaving only a network of veins.

You can protect chokeberries from pests by following certain procedures. First, when the buds swell and flowering ends, treat the branches with special preparations, such as Fufanon or Karbofos. Second, burn fallen berries and leaves. Third, if pest infestations are severe, repeat the treatment. A pause is always necessary during fruit harvesting.

Even a novice gardener who cares for their plants can grow beautiful chokeberries in their garden. Cultivation will be successful if the chokeberries are properly prepared for winter, pruned, and regularly treated against pests and diseases. Then, you can enjoy delicious and healthy berries for many years.