How to grow Prunus x cistena (purple-leaf sand cherry)? Growing methods and precautions
1. Light.
Prunus x cistena likes sunlight. If the light is insufficient, its leaves will turn greenish, so if you want the leaves to be a bright purple-red, you should plant it in a place with plenty of light.
2. Soil.
Prunus x cistena is not demanding about soil; it can grow in both acidic and alkaline soil, but it grows best in neutral and slightly acidic soil that is rich in nutrients and well drained.
3. Watering.
Prunus x cistena is drought tolerant. At the beginning of spring and at the end of autumn, water thoroughly for the green-up watering and the freeze-up watering. During normal care, as long as it is not especially dry, there is basically no need to water it specially.
For newly planted Prunus x cistena of the current year, after the leaves emerge, if it is windy and the air is dry, you can spray a mist of water on the leaves every morning and evening to help the leaves absorb water directly and increase the survival rate.
Summer has more rain, so be careful to drain standing water from the tree pit or pot in time to avoid damaging the roots and affecting growth.
4. Fertilizing.
Prunus x cistena needs fertilizer to provide nutrients during growth. When planting the sapling, apply base fertilizer, and during growth also apply appropriate topdressing. In spring and early summer, apply a nitrogen-potassium-phosphorus compound fertilizer once each, and at the end of autumn apply livestock manure or residue fertilizer once. If the sapling is not growing vigorously, you can spray liquid fertilizer on the leaves every ten days to half a month in the morning or evening when the temperature is suitable.
How to grow Prunus x cistena
Choosing a planting site for Prunus x cistena
Soil conditions
Prunus x cistena has very vigorous growth, so it is naturally not very picky about soil. Whether light clay, loam or plain sandy soil, it can grow normally, but for it to grow best, sandy soil or loam should be chosen.
Light conditions
Besides the soil conditions above, the planting site should also have good light conditions. Once the light is insufficient, the leaves of Prunus x cistena will appear greenish and lose the beauty they should have.
Terrain conditions
Prunus x cistena can grow very well in a moist environment, but it should not be too wet either. This requires that the terrain of the planting site not be low-lying, nor too raised, so planting it in a lawn is best of all.
Water and fertilizer management for Prunus x cistena
Prunus x cistena likes to be given plenty of fertilizer, though of course this "plenty" is a certain measured amount. If it is a newly planted sapling, besides applying fertilizer at planting time, appropriate topdressing should also be applied in early spring and early summer during the growing period. A lack of fertilizer will affect the growth of Prunus x cistena.
Overwintering management for Prunus x cistena
Prunus x cistena is not a fragile plant, so for overwintering, it is enough to whitewash the trunk. For seedlings, in the first year, overwintering management should be done by mounding soil around the roots plus wrapping the trunk with grass; by the second year, the trunk whitewashing method is enough.
Pest and disease control for Prunus x cistena
Prunus x cistena is easily harmed by various pests and diseases during cultivation, so each winter when whitewashing the trunk, clean up the eggs and cocoons thoroughly, and when early spring comes, spray some fungicide.
Shaping and pruning
Pruning mainly targets diseased and pest-damaged branches, dead branches, crossing branches, inner-canopy branches and overly dense branches. After pruning, ventilation and light penetration improve, which benefits the growth of Prunus x cistena.
How to grow Prunus x cistena, care methods for Prunus x cistena
Prunus x cistena has bright leaf color, remaining purple-red from bud break to leaf fall, and its pink flowers are extremely beautiful, so it is deeply loved by people. Many grow it as a potted plant, so how should Prunus x cistena be grown? In this article, the editor shares with you the care methods for Prunus x cistena. Let's take a look.
How to grow Prunus x cistena
Sunlight
Prunus x cistena is a light-loving tree species, but it is also cold tolerant and shade tolerant. Grown in a place with insufficient light, its leaf color will turn greenish, so it should be planted in a place with ample light.
Soil
Prunus x cistena is not strict about soil requirements, but it grows best in fertile, deep, well-drained neutral or slightly acidic sandy loam; light clay is also acceptable. For pot cultivation, the pot should be somewhat deep and large, and broken tiles or broken hard plastic foam blocks should be placed at the bottom of the pot to enhance the soil's air permeability and drainage capacity and to prevent root rot.
Water and fertilizer management
Prunus x cistena is drought tolerant. Each year in early spring and at the end of autumn, water thoroughly for the green-up watering and the freeze-up watering. At ordinary times, if it is not especially dry, it can basically grow relying on nature. In spring and autumn, when it is windy and dry, after the newly planted saplings unfold their leaves, carry out leaf misting once each in the morning and afternoon every day to supplement water, reduce pressure on the root system and increase the survival rate of the saplings. On rainy days in summer, standing water in the tree pit should also be drained in time to prevent the water temperature from rising after sunrise and scalding the roots.
Prunus x cistena likes fertilizer. For newly planted saplings, besides applying base fertilizer at planting time, apply appropriate topdressing during the growing period. Apply a nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium compound fertilizer once each in early spring and early summer, and apply manure or residue fertilizer once more at the end of autumn. For newly planted saplings and saplings that are short of fertilizer and growing poorly, foliar feeding can be carried out. Choose to spray in the early morning or evening; it is not suitable at midday when the light is strong, nor before or after rain. The number of sprays should preferably be 3, with an interval of 10~15 days.
Overwintering management
Prunus x cistena is cold tolerant, and for adult seedlings it is enough to take the measure of whitewashing the trunk. For newly planted seedlings, the method of mounding soil around the roots and wrapping the trunk with grass can be used, while young seedlings are treated by covering with film. After newly planted saplings are given trunk-wrapping treatment in the first year, taking the measure of whitewashing for overwintering in the second year is enough.
Shaping and pruning
Prunus x cistena has strong sprouting ability and luxuriant growth, and is relatively tolerant of pruning. Its pruning should be handled differently according to the different plant forms. The common plant forms of Prunus x cistena are the "broom type" and the "natural open-center type." The "broom type" is generally used for block planting or hedges, pruned each year in late spring and early autumn, with the pruning height generally 0.6~1.2m. Saplings of the "natural open-center type" are generally used for opposite planting and row planting. Prunus x cistena is a shrub grown mainly for foliage, so when pruning, only remove some downward-facing branches, crossing branches and competing branches, and retain 3~4 inner-canopy branches. For current-year branches, pinch out the tips when they are about 40cm, to promote lignification of the branches and produce more side branches. In short, through shaping and pruning, thin and weak branches, crossing branches and leggy branches are cut off, improving ventilation and light penetration conditions and maintaining a beautiful tree shape, thereby increasing the ornamental value of Prunus x cistena.
How to grow Prunus x cistena, care methods for Prunus x cistena: that is all the editor has to share with you. Prunus x cistena has strong adaptability, so friends who like it can go ahead and plant it.