A tree with large leaves and long pods. Macaroni tree - exotic honey plant and medicinal plant

The catalpa tree fell in love with gardeners because of its large leaves and original flowering. Its decorative effect has been known in Russia since the 19th century. Some representatives of this species came to Russia from America, and some from Asian countries. Today, the tree is very popular in Japan, China, India and throughout Russian Federation... Throughout history, ten species diversity, however, in our country only two types are widespread: bignoniform and magnificent.

Features of an exotic alien

The Maya Indians gave it the name "tree of happiness", surrounding it with an aura of secrets and legends. They considered it sacred. Our people nicknamed him "the tree that has elephant ears." For a long time, a southern plant from North America was able to adapt to various climatic conditions, including cold winters, calmly tolerating temperatures of -25.

Nowadays, it can be found in squares and pairs, in the decoration of various estates. Catalpa is very exotic, but it does not bear fruit, and no useful properties have been identified, so its fame is achieved only by its decorative qualities, which are especially amazing during flowering. This plant reaches maximum height- 30 meters and pleases itself from the beginning of spring until autumn.
The tree has fragrant flowers of an openwork shape, which can often be found with specks. The petals are quite beautiful, with a white or cream color, which are collected in inflorescences large in diameter, they are very similar to chestnut ones, they have a length of 20 cm.However, you should know that it blooms only five years after planting in open ground, but it will last quite a long time.

Catalpa is a tree with fruits in the form of long icicles. But these green pods contain a lot of seeds, which, to some extent, can be compared with dandelions, as they fly into different sides after opening. The pods are long, reaching a length of 35 cm to 50 cm, their width is about 1.5 cm. If the terrain is not windy, then such icicles can sag all winter.

Species diversity of the plant

Several types of tree are often used in landscaping gardens. In order to navigate the views and imagine how they look, as well as know their nuances, consider the types:

The catalpa is beautiful - the crown of this tree is thin-lamellar, the height can reach as much as 45 m.The wonderful catalpa is distinguished by the fact that the color of its trunk is gray, the leaves are also quite large - 40 cm in length and 20 cm in width, the top is smooth, light green, and the bottom is white and lowered. Its flowers are white-cream in color with small purple dots inside, which are dissected by yellow lines. The inflorescences emit an intoxicating aroma that will blow throughout the entire flowering, which lasts up to 25 - 30 days. However, it will begin to bloom only after reaching 10 years. Its fruits are in the form of boxes, inside of which the seeds are stored, they can be seen already in the middle of summer. Reproduction takes place different ways: by seed, cuttings or by layering. Grows in moist, mineral and fertile soils... Tree transplant does not provide side effects, the plant tolerates it well, and planting needs to be done in early spring... This species is more frost-hardy than others. It is used both as a separate tree and in the design of group plantings of squares and alleys.

Read also: Beneficial features and the features of growing red glee

Spherical - has spreading branches, thanks to which the crown has a rounded shape, grows up to 20 meters. The thin-lamellar bark of light brown color has large leaves, the length of which does not exceed 25 cm, and the width is 20 cm. The light green top is smooth, the white bottom is lowered. If you rub them, you can smell the characteristic aroma. The flowers of this plant are snow-white and fragrant, while their length is not small - up to 6 - 7 cm, there are dark brown spots inside. They can be contemplated for 30 days, that is how much they bloom. Fruits in the form of pod-shaped capsules with seeds. Leaves begin to fall off with the onset of a decrease in air temperature. Their color does not change in autumn. The tree does not grow quickly, but it is frost-resistant. Especially demanding on soil moisture. Spherical catalpa ennoble garden plots.

Bignonium is a medium-sized plant that grows up to 10 meters. This species is distinguished by the asymmetry of the crown and shoots, which are located in a funnel. Large, heart-shaped leaves, up to 25 cm wide, have a shade of pale yellow. And by the beginning of flowering, they become green. The flowers are relatively large - 35 cm, yellow or white with crimson dots. Fruits in the form of pods can be up to 45 centimeters in length, which gradually turn brown in the last month of summer, and stay on the tree until frost. Its natural habitat is the southeast of America, in woodlands and along rivers. Prefers fertile, moist and moderately acidic soils. The root system of this species is deep compared to the rest, but it is just as sensitive to damage, besides it is unbranched. Used by landscape designers as an exotic tree to decorate city parks.

Nana is a short tree that can only reach a maximum height of 6 meters. But its crown has a high density, spherical, dense. The leaves are light green, heart-shaped. However, flowers do not bloom on it. Loves sunny places that are protected from the wind. Whimsical to the soil - it must be fertilized and fertile. Growth is slow. Young plants are not yet as resistant to frost as adults, therefore, they can be damaged with the onset of the first frost. This species does not tolerate the dry season quite well, that is, summer is the most terrible time, so you should take care that the soil is not overdried, for this you need to provide abundant and frequent watering. Crohn is quite sensitive to any kind of damage. When digging, replanting, or even just when loosening - try not to hurt her. The type of this tree is often used to decorate city parks.

Catalpa is magnificent - a tree with a dense, wide-pyramidal crown, proclaiming to a height of 30 m. Its bark is gray and thin-lamellar. The leaves are similar in size to other species - 40 cm long and 20 cm wide.The flowers are quite large in size, fragrant, they are painted in white-cream color, inside which there are two yellow stripes and purple-brown dots, petals along the edges wavy. Blooms for about a month. The fruit is a capsule, inside of which the seeds look like a pod. Seeds should be stored in plastic bags or paper envelopes, while it is important to store them in a dry room, without direct light rays. The seeds are suitable for up to two years. Sowing is carried out in the last days autumn or the first days of spring. If the seeds are sown in the spring, then before that they must be soaked in water for two days. When choosing a site, make sure that the area where the seeds will be sown is well lit and protected from the wind. Young trees grow quickly, so about one meter grows annually. The tree is frost-hardy, drought-resistant, but still, during prolonged drought, abundant and frequent watering is necessary. Flowering is observed in the 12th year of life and lasts from the last days of July to the end of July.

Read also: All methods of propagation of hawthorn by cuttings

Hybrid - a plant with a height of 25 meters, while the branches are long, due to this, spreading and give the crown a wide-round shape. Leaves 30 cm long and 20 cm wide, light green in color and lowered to the bottom. Erect and loose flowers white, which have yellow stripes and reddish-brown specks inside. It blooms, like all other species - 25 days, but the hybrid species blooms annually and abundantly. The fruits are narrow boxes. Planting is best done in lighted places that will be protected from winds and drafts. It is good if the soil is saturated with organic fertilizing in the form of fertilizers, and the acidity does not exceed the norm.

Catalpa vulgaris - has an abundant number of leaves, but reaches a maximum height of only 8 meters. Flowering lasts from the onset of June to the end of July. In July, you can observe pod-shaped fruits, capsules, inside which seeds are stored. Fruits can be harvested both in autumn and spring. The most optimal time is from October to November. Catalpa grows preferably on fertile and cultivated soils. Dry and compacted soil will only give very slow growth. The plant is drought tolerant, although it needs abundant watering during periods of strong temperature rise. In favorable conditions, catalpa develops well and grows faster. In winter, it is better to protect the plant and cover it with insulating material. Planting should take place before the buds open, if it is autumn planting- before frost. Before planting, the ground from the harvested hole must be mixed with humus. During planting, make sure that the root collar is 2 measures above the soil. Caring for seedlings is that every month it is necessary to loosen and mulch the soil, as well as cut off the affected branches in a timely manner.

Correct fit and care

The best place to plant a tree is in a well-lit area, but it also grows in slightly shaded areas. These trees are beautiful to decorate garden paths, reservoirs and lawns of parks. To plant a tree better fit annual seedling.

A seedling purchased from a specialized store will be the best option, since it is already as acclimatized as possible for the area in which you live.

This culture is not very demanding on the soil, but it is good if it is well moistened (very important!), Its acidity will not exceed the norm, it will be rich in organic matter and well drained. The best time early spring is considered for planting. To do this, you need to dig a hole a meter deep (for group plantings, it is important to observe the required distance from each other, it is 3 meters).

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In order to plant a tree, you will need to prepare a planting substrate from leafy earth, river sand, humus and peat (2: 2: 3: 1). And add phosphorite flour to the prepared hole, and with it wood ash. Place the seedling in a mixture that has been prepared in advance, bury it and pour it with plenty of water, and then mulch the soil surface with peat. The neck of the root of the tree should be level with the ground.

Keep in mind that strong gusts of wind can break both leaves and branches. Therefore, when planting catalpa, it is worth giving preference to places protected from winds, especially winter ones, which can have a detrimental effect on the plant.

Necessary care

The tree will grow hassle-free when planted in fertile and well-drained soil and will show significant gains in height and crown. Catalpa care consists:

In watering carried out on time.
In pruning branches.
In the introduction of organic and mineral dressings.
In the shelter of young plants during cold weather.

It is recommended to water the catalpa weekly and quite abundantly, about 2 buckets. If the summer is not dry, then watering can be reduced and the soil moistened two to three times a month. In addition, three to four times a season you need to loosen the soil near the trunk and remove weeds as they appear.

How culture reproduces

Catalpa can reproduce in all known ways: by seeds, cuttings or layering.

Reproduction by cuttings takes place in the summer, in the second half of it. Cuttings are cut about 10 cm each and planted in a substrate, which consists of river sand and peat, this will provide high survival rate and stimulate growth.

The seed method is also the most common. It consists in the fact that the seed must be soaked for 3 - 4 hours in water room temperature or warm, then sow them in a container with soil, under a film, sowing no deeper than one and a half centimeters. Planting can be carried out both in spring and autumn.

Pests

Catalpa plant steadily tolerates the effects of various diseases and pest infestations. But in rare cases, a tree may still be attacked by a Spanny fly. If this happens, the tree should be treated with special fertilizers. In addition, improper soil care threatens with fungal diseases, and can lead to the death of the plant.

Want to surprise your friends and acquaintances? Plant a tree called catalpa (if the climate allows, of course - more on that below).

Catalpa is useful as a decoration for a summer residence, a plot - there is no "fruit" benefit from it, and useful qualities and the properties of the catalpa are also not noted.

But its decorative qualities are at their best. Catalpa grows very quickly, resistant to a variety of unfavorable conditions, requires a minimum of maintenance. It will look good both in the foreground as a single planting and as a component in alley plantings.

Large catalpa flowers are beautiful and delicate, from a distance they are very similar to foxglove flower, and inflorescences in which they are collected practically do not differ from chestnut (meaning flowering horse chestnut).

Thanks to large leaves the heart-shaped catalpa is called the "tree with elephant ears."

Biological features of the tree

Catalpa (lat. Catalpa) is a plant that belongs to the bignonium family. There are 10 types of catalpas in total. Of these, only 4 are grown on the territory of our country in the southern regions.

All representatives of this genus are very beautiful and, as a rule, deciduous (rarely evergreen - much depends on climatic conditions) plants. The crown of almost everyone is round, very shady because of the large leaves.

The decorativeness of the catalpa also lies in the fact that its leaves do not turn yellow in the fall, but stand green almost until the very frost.

Catalpa flowers are white or creamy. Collected in large inflorescences. The fruit is also amazing - a green pod resembling an icicle and containing a large number of seeds flying after opening, vaguely resembling dandelion seeds. Catalpa fruits containing seeds can sag all winter.

Common types of catalpa

In yards, dachas and plots, you can most often find magnificent catalpa (Catalpa speciosa) and bignoniform catalpa (Catalpa bignonioides).

Both are imported from North America, their homeland. I must say that there they can reach heights of up to 30 meters! In our conditions, it is rare to find a catalpa tree which exceeds 10-12 meters.

The trunk of the gorgeous catalpa is almost always slender, covered with gray bark with thick plates. The crown is pyramidal, wide, very dense.

The leaves of the gorgeous catalpa bloom earlier than other species. Catalpa vleikolechnaya grows very quickly - growth can reach one meter per year.

This species is relatively light-loving and drought-resistant, therefore it does not tolerate nearby groundwater, as well as any flooding, including spring. So if your site is located in a flood zone, it is not recommended to plant catalpa.

"Catalpa bignoniform"- the species is characterized by its spreading branches and a wide round crown. The bark, in contrast to the magnificent catalpa in the bignoniform light brown shade, is also lamellar, however, the plates are thinner. The leaves are very large and wide, pubescent below and bare above.

Growth to. Bignoniform is slower. In contrast to its predecessor, it makes higher demands on humidity. Also tolerates frost to a large extent.

The most famous varieties of beautiful catalpa "Pulverolenta", "Aurea" (better known as a shrub up to 2 meters high grown in parks), "Koehnei" and "Nana" (dwarf form of catalpa, spherical, characterized by increased winter hardiness in the South of Russia, with success grown by gardeners even in middle lane, Moscow region).

In landscaping gardens and plots, the other two types of catalpa are most often used - this is the Chinese " catalpa ovoid"(Catalpa ovata) and hybrid catalpa(Catalpa hybrida) which is nothing more than a hybrid of bignoniform catalpa and ovoid catalpa.

Flowering catalpa

Catalps begin to grow actively in the middle and second half of May and stop active growth at the end of August.

Most catalp species fall off while retaining the green color of the leaves.

The flowers of the catalps are very beautiful and fragrant, often pure white, but there are also cream shades.

The flowers are large (5-7 centimeters), often covered with speckled dots. The panicles in which the flowers are collected can even reach 20 centimeters in length, if the care of the catalpa is correct.

Catalpa most often (depending on the region, of course) begins to bloom in the 5th year after planting in late June or early July, which plays into the hands of gardeners, because during these periods other trees no longer bloom.

The pods (because of which the plant was nicknamed the "macaroni tree) with catalpa seeds can grow almost up to half a meter in length, usually 35-40 centimeters. If there are no strong winds, then almost all of them hang on the tree all winter.

Photo 2: From left to right: Flowers of bignonium catalpa, leaves of magnificent catalpa, pods with seeds of hybrid catalpa

Catalpa - how to grow, care

Choose a place for planting catalpa sunny, protected from cold winds - drafts, especially frosty ones - the main enemy of not only young catalpa seedlings, but even a fully mature tree.

The seedling is planted in a hole to a depth of 70 to 120 centimeters. For planting catalpa, a garden mixture of peat, sand, humus and leafy soil (ratio 1-2-3-2) is well suited.

Do not be lazy to add 5-7 kilograms of wood ash under the catalpa sapling when planting, you can add a little phosphorite flour - this will be more reliable, after all, the tree is finicky.

The best for catalpa is ph7. Catalpa easily tolerates a transplant, which is best done in the spring, and early. Reproduction of catalpa can be done by layering, cuttings and seeds, which she has in abundance.

Watering is not frequent and not plentiful - 15-18 liters under a tree, no more than once every seven days, if there is no prolonged drought.

Catalpa is very good at feeding (growth accelerates very significantly). Top dressing is applied one, two, maximum three times in one season. The same slurry is used as top dressing (approximately 5 liters per tree)

Catalpa pruning should be carried out annually, in the spring it is imperative to remove dry branches affected by frost.

After trimming, the catalpa restores the crown literally before our eyes, so grab the pruner to shape it without fear.

It is better to protect young catalps from frost with burlap, and to mulch the ground in the tree-trunk circles.

At severe frosts it is better to cover young seedlings completely, for example, just as you cover roses from frost, at worst, cover with the same burlap. The older the catalpa becomes, the less it will need antifreeze protection.

With small splashes inside. For them, the tree is also called summer.

Bignonioid (Catalpa bignonioides)

Catalpa bignonium came to us from the southeast of North America, where it grows on river plains and in deciduous forests. He loves the soil, but at the same time hot and moist. Has a deep root system, very sensitive to damage.

Grows up to 10 m in height. Shoots are arranged in the form of a funnel, forming an asymmetric crown. They are covered with huge, up to 20 cm heart-shaped leaves, which initially have a pale yellow color, and closer to flowering - green.
During flowering, it dissolves yellowish-white flowers up to 30 cm with specks inside. At the end of flowering, fruit pods up to 40 cm long appear on it, which by the end summer period acquire Brown color... Fall with the first.
In our latitudes, it has become widespread, for which it is also called ordinary catalpa.

Important! Most of the species common in our country can withstand frosts at -35 ° C or even lower, but the frost resistance of the tree must be formed gradually. For the first two years, a tree grown from southern seeds does not have time to grow dense wood and, in most cases, freezes out.

Nana (Catalpa bignonioides "Nana")

Catalpa "Nana" reaches a height of 6 m, forming a dense spherical crown of spreading branches covered with thin lamellar light brown bark and light green heart-shaped leaves. It does not bloom and grows very slowly. Loves fresh loams, cereal and fertilized.
This cultivar badly tolerates extreme heat and lack of water, so it is necessary abundantly and often. When growing catalpa, it must be borne in mind that the branches do not tolerate well, are sensitive to damage. The same applies to the root system, so loosen around it carefully and try not to transplant it unnecessarily. It is used in single plantings for landscaping parks, streets, as well as in group as in gardens.

Bungei (Catalpa bungei)

The species came to our latitudes from North China, therefore it received the second name "Manchurian catalpa".
It got its official name from the surname of the German botanist Alexander Bunge. In 1830-1831, he was the first of the Europeans to collect wood samples during an expedition to Asia.

Catalpa of this species, according to the description, has pyramidal crown... Triangular or oblong leaves have a wedge-shaped base, sometimes with sharp teeth on the sides. Bare leaves have a dark green hue, which brightens closer to the petioles. The petioles reach 8 cm in length, and the leaves themselves are 15 cm.
Inflorescences grow up to 3.5 cm in length, gather in 3-12 white corymbose flowers with purple spots. After their flowering, fruits appear up to 25 cm in length. This catalpa requires careful care, grows slowly, in northern latitudes it can freeze to the level of snow cover.

Did you know? Most of the catalpa species grows in the tropical forests of Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti. In cooler latitudes, six species grow wild, with four in China and two in the United States.

Magnificent (Catalpa speciosa)

The species has taken root perfectly in the middle lane, growing up to 10 m in height. An upright, straight trunk is crowned spherical crown with very large oval leaves up to 25 cm in size.
In mid-July, it is covered with abundant flowers of white or light cream color with yellow stripes and brown specks.

Flowers last from two weeks to a month, depending on the region of growth. At the end of flowering, fruits appear - long pods up to 40 cm. They remain on the tree until, but ripen by October.
Catalpa splendid has a variety with special, slightly pubescent leaves called pulverulenta.

Tibetan (Catalpa tibetica)

This species was described later than everyone else, in 1921, and looks a bit like an ovoid species. This is a small tree up to 5 m in height, but more often, which grows wild in mountain forests or bushes at an altitude of 2400-2700 m above sea level. Natural habitat - northwest of Yunnan province and southeast of Tibet.

Broad ovate leaves pubescent below, glabrous above have a dark green tint. The size is 22-25 cm in width and length. Inflorescences are not pubescent, rather large (25 cm), corymbose-paniculate. Flowers on them grow up to 5 cm in diameter, have a yellowish-white color and light purple specks. Appear in the first half of summer. At the end of flowering, cylindrical fruits appear up to 1 cm in diameter and 30 cm in length, striped and narrowed towards the end. They contain oval seeds up to 2.5 cm in size.

Fargesa (Catalpa fargesii)

One of the most large species catalpas. The tree grows up to 30 m in height in its natural habitat - in the southwest of China, in the provinces of Yunnan, Sichuan, right up to the provinces. It grows mainly in the mountains.
Plant leaves average size- 12 cm wide and 20 cm long. Traditionally, the species has a triangular-heart-shaped or ovoid shape. Depending on the subspecies, they can be practically naked with weak pubescence or leathery, thick with yellow pubescence underneath.
The flowers are medium to large in size, light pink or light purple in color with specks of a darker shade. Collected in a corymbose raceme of 7-15 flowers. Appear in the first half.
At the end of flowering, a long cylindrical box appears up to 80 cm in length and only 5-6 mm in width, which tapers towards the end. The middle contains small oblong oval seeds 9 mm long and 2.5 mm wide.

Did you know? European experts distinguish a subspecies of this species - Duclos. It has ovate-pointed leaves that do not have pubescence at a young age. The flowers are slightly larger and have red spots on the bottom. However, botanists from China prefer to refer it to the main species.

Ovate (Catalpa ovata)

About 2 thousand years ago, this species was brought to Japan from China, where it became an obligatory plant about Buddhist temples... In 1849 he came from Japan to Europe.
Catalpa ovate is a tree up to 15 m in height, which has a spherical crown. Bare branches are covered ovoid leaves up to 25 cm in length, they often have 3-5 pointed blades. The base of the leaf is cordate, while the end is pointed. Petioles grow up to 15 cm in length. The color of the leaves below is green with sparse pubescence along the veins, and above the color is dull green.
A characteristic feature is unusual, as for catalpa, small flowers. They grow up to 2 cm, have a yellowish color, orange stripes and dark purple blotches. They appear in July-August, after which fruit-pods up to 30 cm in length and 0.8 cm in width are formed in their place. But in our latitudes they may not be tied, and if they appear, they do not have time to mature. Therefore, this catalpa has only vegetative reproduction. Under favorable conditions, it can bloom even in the first year of life.
In the conditions of the middle lane, it is grown mainly as, less often, a tree up to 5 m in height, often freezes over. On the territory of the Far East, even when it freezes, it is capable of bearing fruit. The only area where the tree reaches its natural size is the Black Sea coast.

Important! When growing catalpa seedlings for open ground, it is undesirable to germinate seeds in. The local conditions are very different from those that are present in the open field, and the plant quickly adapts to the very conditions in which it grew "since childhood."

Hybrid (Catalpa x hybrida Spath)

The tree of this species will grow up to 20 m in height, forming a wide, rounded crown with spreading branches. They are covered with large leaves up to 15 cm wide and 20 cm long, which are green and slightly pubescent.

Plant catalpa (lat.Catalpa) belongs to the genus of the Bignoniaceae family, whose representatives grow in North America, the West Indies, Japan and China. The Indians used the bignoniform catalpa species as medicinal plant for the treatment of malaria and whooping cough, calling it "katoba", and the Italian physician and botanist Skopoli, who first described this genus, without malicious intent distorted its Indian name - "catalpa". According to various sources, the genus has from 10 to 38 species, some of them are grown as ornamental plants v different regions the world, including in Ukraine, Belarus and southern Russia.

Planting and caring for a catalpa (in short)

Bloom: from the fifth year of life for 3-3.5 weeks in mid-June or early July.
Landing: in spring (before the start of sap flow) or in October.
Lighting: bright sunlight.
The soil: to fill the pit, a mixture of humus, sand, leafy earth and peat is prepared in a ratio of 3: 2: 2: 1.
Watering: weekly, more frequent in dry weather. Water consumption is 2 buckets per adult plant. If the season is relatively cool and with rains, then watering can be reduced to 2-3 times a month.
Top dressing: twice a season, 5-6 liters of a solution of rotted manure (1:10) are added to the near-stem circle of each plant, in the spring they are fertilized with Nitroammophos, and in the fall - with potassium-phosphorus fertilizer.
Cropping: sanitary and formative pruning is best done in early spring, until the buds open.
Reproduction: summer cuttings and seeds.
Pests: spanish flies, horn-tails.
Diseases: verticillary wilting.

Catalpa tree - description

Decorative catalpa is a picturesque deciduous or evergreen tree up to 20 m high with a rounded crown. The leaves of many catalps are opposite, sometimes whorled, cordate, long-petiolate and very large - about 30x17 cm.The flowering of the catalpa will not leave anyone indifferent: fragrant funnel-shaped white or cream flowers up to 7 cm long with dark dots and spots in the throat are collected in paniculate pyramidal erect inflorescences ... Catalpa fruits - pod-shaped hanging capsules up to 40 cm long - are filled with numerous flying seeds. Catalpa bloom begins in mid-June or early July, and the original fruits of the plant remain on it all winter.

Planting a catalpa

Planting and caring for a catalpa is carried out in accordance with general rules growing any decorative tree... One to two year old catalpa seedlings can be purchased at garden centers or directly from nurseries. Catalpa is planted in the spring, before the sap flow begins, or after leaf fall in sunny places protected from the wind, since large, but very delicate leaves of the tree can be damaged in drafts. It is desirable that in the area where the catalpa will grow, the groundwater lies at a great depth. Catalpa needs a lot of space: a distance of 4-5 m should be maintained between it and other plants.The composition of the soil with which you will fill a hole 1 m deep and 70 cm in diameter should be something like this: sand (2 parts), humus (3 parts) , peat (1 part) and leaf land (2 parts). To this potting mix, add 50 g of phosphate rock and 5 to 8 kg of wood ash. The acidity of the soil should be in the range of 6.5-7.5 pH.

At the bottom of the pit, you need to lay a fifteen-centimeter layer of drainage material, which may consist of broken brick or crushed stone, then the pit is filled almost to the top with a fertile soil mixture, then the roots of the seedling are lowered into it, the remaining space of the pit is filled with fertile soil, the surface is lightly tamped and watered abundantly. Try to position the seedling in the hole so that its root collar is slightly above ground level when planting, assuming that after watering the soil will settle and the collar will be at surface level. When the water is absorbed, cover the trunk circle with organic material, preferably peat.

Catalpa care

How to grow catalpa in the garden

Catalpa is hygrophilous, so it needs weekly watering, especially in hot and dry weather. If you make the plant thirsty, its leaves will lose their turgor and hang, which will damage the decorative effect of the catalpa. Approximate water consumption is 2 buckets per adult plant. In a cool or rainy summer, and also provided that the catalpa's trunk circle is mulched, you can water the tree 2-3 times a month. After watering or natural precipitation, it is easier to loosen the soil in trunk circle to a depth of 30 cm and get rid of weeds. In dry heat, the catalpa is moistened more often.

Growing catalpa involves regular feeding of the plant: twice a season, you need to add a solution (1:10) of rotted manure to the soil at the rate of 5-6 liters per mature tree... Catalpa responds well to spring feeding Nitroammophos and autumn feeding with potash and phosphorus fertilizers: The tree does not need nitrogen at this time of year.

Pruning catalpa

It is better to prune catalpa in the spring, until the buds begin to swell on the tree: remove frozen, damaged, diseased and dry branches. A plant is usually formed with a stem height of 1.2-2.0 m, above which the catalpa branches into a low spreading crown of 4-5 skeletal branches. In the future, the skeletal branches of the tree are shortened, if necessary, and the thickening branches and shoots are cut out.

Catalpa pests and diseases

Catalpa is resistant to both pests and diseases, but sometimes, if it is weakened, it can be troublesome with Spanish flies, from which the plant can be eliminated by double treatment with pyrethroids Decis or Fastak. Worse, if the stem pests of hornets settle on the catalpa - hymenoptera insects, the adults of which are similar to hornets. Females lay eggs in the wood of the catalpa, and the larvae that emerge from them make passages in it and clog them with drilling flour. Trees damaged by horntail larvae weaken and begin to dry out. As a rule, the catalps, in which the horn-tails live, cannot be saved. But you can save the tree with the help of prophylaxis: healthy and strong plants are not affected by stalk tails.

If in the second half of summer you noticed that on the lower part of the crown of the catalpa, the leaves began to droop, turn yellow and fall off, it is possible that it suffers from wilt - verticillary wilting. This is a severe fungal disease, as a result of which the plant sometimes loses foliage on only one side and from this looks one-sided. At an early stage of the disease, it can be cured by treating the tree with Topsin-M, Fundazol and pouring it under the root with Maxim or Rovral. For preventive purposes, catalpa is treated with the fungicides Previkur, Quadris or Falcon.

Catalpa in the suburbs

If you want to start growing catalpa in the middle lane, then you need to start with the choice of planting material: you need winter-hardy seedlings. The most frost-resistant species is the magnificent catalpa. Ovate and bignoniform catalps are also acclimatized in the middle lane. Of the varieties of catalpa bignonium, Aurea (variety with golden leaves), Picta (form with variegated, variegated foliage), catalpa Nana (non-flowering compact plant form) and Plena (variety with double flowers) grow well in the Moscow region.

For successful cultivation catalpas, certain conditions must be met: place seedlings on well-lit and moist neutral loams on the south side of buildings or thick coniferous plantings, provide them with protection from the wind and shelter for the winter at least the first 2-3 years. Further winter hardy varieties catalps can not be insulated for the winter, and if they freeze in some year, then in the next growing season they will easily recover.

Reproduction of catalpa

Catalpa reproduces well with seeds that do not require special processing and summer cuttings.

Growing catalpa from seeds

Soaked for 8-12 hours in warm water Catalpa seeds are sown for seedlings in February or March. You can sow them in the fall, without presoaking. Sowing is carried out in the grooves, after which the seeds are sprinkled with soil and covered with film or glass. They contain crops at a temperature of 20-22 ºC, providing them with good lighting without direct sunlight, regular watering and ventilation. Catalpa grown over the winter from seeds is planted in open ground in the spring, after warm weather is established. As a rule, this happens in the second half of May.

Reproduction of catalpa by cuttings

Cuttings are harvested in the second half of summer. Catalpa cuttings about 8 cm long with several buds are cut from mature trees, planted in a substrate of peat and sand and covered with a transparent cap to create a greenhouse effect. Caring for rooting cuttings is the same as for crops of catalpa. As soon as you notice that new leaves have begun to appear on the cuttings, the rooting process can be considered successfully completed. Cuttings are planted in open ground, like catalpa seedlings, in the second half of May.

Types and varieties of catalpa

There are not many types of catalpa grown in culture, and we will present them to you now.

Or catalpa bignoniform grows in nature along the banks of rivers in North America. This tree is up to 20 cm high with a spreading wide-round crown and thin-lamellar light brown bark. Remarkable are the light green leaves of plants of this species, in shape resembling lilac leaves, but much larger: they reach 20 in length and 15 cm in width.Above the leaves are bare, from below they are pubescent along the veins, when rubbed, they emit bad smell... White fragrant flowers of the plant up to 5 cm long with red-brown specks and two yellow stripes in the throat are collected in loose pyramidal inflorescences up to 30 cm in length and up to 20 in width. Flowering lasts about three weeks. The fruits of the bignoniform catalpa are narrow pod-shaped capsules up to 40 cm long with small seeds. In culture, this species since 1726 has several decorative forms:

gold (aurea)- catalpa with bright yellow leaves;
Kene- a tree with yellow leaves in green veins and with dark spot in the middle of the sheet plate;
low (nana)- bush form with a spherical crown.

Or beautiful catalpa native to eastern North America, where it grows along the shores of lakes and rivers. It reaches a height of 30 m beautiful tree with a wide-pyramidal crown and a slender trunk covered with gray thin-lamellar bark. Shiny green leaves of this species, up to 30 cm long and up to 15 cm wide, smooth on the upper side of the plate, are located on long petioles and open earlier than the leaves of other types of catalpa. They are slightly pubescent on the underside. Fragrant creamy white catalpa flowers up to 7 cm long with a wavy edge, decorated with purple-brown dots and two yellow stripes on the inside, form wide panicles 15-20 cm long. The fruit is a capsule up to 56 cm long, cracking into 2 valves when ripe. In culture, the species has been since 1800. The most famous decorative form is an:

powdery, or powdered- the leaves of this plant are decorated with many cream or white spots.

Originating from Central China, it reaches a height of 10 m, but in culture it grows no higher than 3.5 m, and in the middle lane, due to frequent freezing, it does not exceed 1.5 m.The crown of this plant is tent-shaped, spreading, three-lobed leaves, dark green, 20-30 long and up to 15 cm wide.The flowers are fragrant, creamy white with a purple throat, collected in paniculate inflorescences up to 25 cm long.Fruits are pod-shaped capsules up to 45 cm long.This species is picky about soil fertility and moisture and photophilous.

Catalpa fargesii

Under natural conditions, it is found in the warm forests of Western China. It is a deciduous tree up to 20 m high with lilac-like leaves with entire opposite simple green leaves on petioles up to 10 cm long. The pubescence on the underside of the leaf plate is denser than on the upper one. Flowers up to 3.5 cm long of pink or pinkish-purple hue with dark purple spots on the inner side of the corolla are collected in 7-15 pieces in paniculate inflorescences. Flowering of this species begins a month earlier than that of other catalps. The species is highly decorative.

V winter time every summer resident is looking forward to spring and is happy to open the season with the first sowing of flower and vegetable crops for seedlings. But, unfortunately, the space on the windowsill is limited, and it is not always possible to place the required number of seedlings in cups in the apartment. In addition, some of the crops may simply not grow, something will die ... And for us, summer residents, no matter how much we plant, it is not enough! Therefore, almost every gardener buys at least some seedlings.

Growing annuals in the garden has at least two advantages over growing perennial flowers. First, most of the popular annual plants bloom profusely throughout the growing season. Secondly, many annuals sow freely and appear in the garden year after year with minimal participation from the grower. Which summer people can be planted only once, and then, following simple techniques, meet them in the garden every season?

You can make jellied meat and meat salad with onions from pork shank. The shank, especially the back, is a very tasty and affordable piece of pork carcass that can be fed to a small company. A 2-pound shank will make a bowl of meat salad and a large plate of jellied meat. There will still be meat broth, on which I advise you to cook cabbage soup or borscht. For this dish, we take the back shank weighing from 1.7 to 2 kilograms, I advise you to beg the fleshy from the butcher.

Eggplants require a sunny, but short day, medium-warm temperatures without sweltering heat, sufficient moisture, but without flooding the root system. It is rather difficult to provide such conditions in the open ground in most regions of Russia. Therefore, earlier eggplants were grown only in greenhouses. With the development of selection, it became possible to grow eggplants in the open field, not only in the southern regions, but also in the middle lane.

Among predatory plants, the sundew rightly claims to be the brightest and most expressive beauty. This plant attracts, first of all, with its unusual textures and play of colors. But the feeding mechanism of this swampy and quite hardy miracle is so exotic that it is very easy to forget about sundews as plants, primarily decorative ones. The sundews are quite demanding on humidity, but they are not so difficult to grow in ordinary living quarters.

Made from simple and affordable ingredients, a chocolate custard cake is so delicious that one slice is rarely limited to. The biscuit cakes are moist, they seem to be made of real dark chocolate, although the recipe contains only cocoa powder. Creamy custard is delicate and light, and goes well with chocolate biscuit. All this splendor of tastes is complemented by coconut flakes, the ingredient is simple, but in this recipe, like the cherry on the cake, it comes in handy.

Although the calendar spring begins in March, this month can hardly be called spring. But May is already a real long-awaited spring, filled with aromas and colors of awakened nature. Fresh young leaves on trees and bushes attract the eyes that yearn for greenery during the long months of winter. In May, the parade of primroses continues in the garden, ornamental shrubs, perennials are delighting with colorful foliage and flowering, conifers are renewed.

In the middle lane, the formation of grapes suggests the possibility of shelter for the winter, which means that the reference point should be to preserve the head of the bush at the soil level. Farther north, you cannot count on a large harvest, but even such areas have their own pruning principles. The article discusses the fan-shaped scheme of the formation of a grape bush, which is often used in the middle lane, and the cordon scheme, which has shown itself well in regions with a more severe climate.

Beef with eggplant with vegetable sauce in the oven is a simple dish, very tasty and not very high in calories, which is quite important in our time. Only vegetable sauce, no flour, sugar, milk or cream. The meat is fat-free, yet juicy and tender. Can be replaced with chicken or veal. Eggplants do not need to be pre-fried, just add a little salt to soften. I advise you to prepare a light yogurt sauce for the finished dish.

Indoor plants are much more dependent on feeding than garden plants. Thanks to top dressing, they get everything they need for growth and flowering. The substrate is depleted several months after transplanting. And if you do not replenish the reserves of nutrients, plants quickly begin to show signs of macro- and micronutrient deficiencies. Leaves are the first and most obvious signal to signal it. About the deficiency or surplus of which elements will the leaves "tell" indoor plants?

Duck with oranges in French - exquisite, juicy, with a golden skin. This baked duck will decorate any festive table, but it is easy to prepare, although, in comparison with the traditional fried chicken, it takes a little longer. Use a sleeve or baking bag to speed up the process and keep juices out. suitable size, remember that not every bag can fit a large duck! Serve the duck with the sauce and filling left after baking.

Purslane is a well-known weed, widespread throughout the world, with a number of qualities, for which all gardeners unanimously hate it. One of them is ineradicability. Purslane is so hardy that even one seed can be the beginning of the seizure of the site by this weed. To remove purslane from the garden and garden requires patience, knowledge and accuracy in the implementation of measures for its destruction. In this article, we will consider methods of dealing with purslane on the site.

The first half of spring is stingy with flowering plants... Yes, primroses are already delighting, but there is a very special plant, which it is impossible not to touch. This is a perennial evergreen Aubriet ground cover. I think those who saw the low pillows, or, as they say, the curtains of this plant during flowering, probably wanted to have it in their garden. And I hasten to please you, shaved is a very unpretentious and easy-care plant. Although, there are some peculiarities.

Delicious lamb cabbage soup, sweet peppers, tomatoes, potatoes and, of course, with cabbage! It takes a lot of time to prepare this dish, but this does not mean that you have to stomp in the kitchen all day. Prepare vegetables and meat - wash, chop, put in bowls. Then sauté vegetables, add lamb. When the soup boils, you can go about your business for about 1.5 hours, then add potatoes and cabbage and bring to readiness for another half hour.

If you have an apple tree growing in your garden, naturally, you want to get as many tasty fruits from it as possible. Often novice gardeners believe that the more luxuriant the tree, the more it will delight you with the harvest. But this is not the case. In order for the apple tree to give a rich high-quality harvest, so that the fruits are large and juicy, each of its branches must receive enough light and air. When the light falls on the branches to 30 percent, no fruit buds are formed on the trees.

Ferns are one of the most popular categories of indoor plants. Their luxurious leaves with unique ornaments and soothing mysterious shades of green look so elegant that the beauty of ferns is difficult to resist, even if they are not. suitable place... Along with unpretentious ferns, rare, original species are becoming more common. And among them is a bizarre epiphyte polypodium with unusual leaves and colors.