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Cotoneaster refers to the valuable oldornamental shrubs, which are widely used in the arrangement of gardens and parks. The hedge from the cotoneaster brilliant has received the most widespread, thanks to the unpretentiousness of the variety, the slow growth rate and thick green crown, well amenable to cutting. In spring and summer, the plant pleases the eye with its lush and dense foliage of a dark green shade, which falls to winter. Autumn paints cotoneaster the brightest colors - yellow and orange, red and burgundy. Such a hedge always looks spectacular and unusual!
Kizilnik brilliant - the characteristic and the description of a grade of
Kizilnik belongs to shrubby plants of the Rosaceae family. Its native geography is quite large - it is North China, Central Asia, Eastern Siberia and Altai. Therefore, it is unpretentious, shade-tolerant and frost-resistant, not afraid of polluted urban air and dust. The shrub grows straight, but slowly, in height can reach 1.7-2 meters.
Kizilka is a long-liver; in one place a bush can grow over 50 years.
Description variety Kizilnik brilliant:
- Foliage. The leaf is simple, small, dense, smooth, dark green in color, its shape is oval and elongated. In autumn, the foliage falls, but there are also evergreen varieties.
- Flowers. Shrub blossoms from late May to late June, inflorescences are small in size, delicate pink in color, have a pleasant smell. Against the background of lush green foliage, flowers look elegant and beautiful.
- Fruits. The bush bears fruit from the fourth year of life, the fruits ripen in the month of September. Cotoneaster bears fruits with glossy berries of spherical shape and black color without special taste, some people use them for medicinal purposes.
When deciding to create a hedge on a site, the cotoneaster shining here cannot be ignored. Its dense foliage looks like a solid wall, suitable for any landscape and attractive at any time of the year.
The advantages and disadvantages of cotoneaster for hedges
Photos of hedge from cotoneaster brilliant interesting and original, they attract views. Kizilnik zoned gardens and garden plots, framed flowerbeds and lawns, make out multi-level landscape compositions. It is planted along the garden paths and borders, allowed on the fences and fences. 
The cotoneaster hedge looks beautiful, harmonious, bright and neat! On a solid green background any high and low tree will successfully settle down, a flower bed, a reservoir, rock arias or an alpine slide will look spectacular.
Dignity of cotoneaster brilliant in the format of hedge:
- Appearance. The beauty and richness of the hedge from the cotoneaster brilliant is the main advantage that gardeners of all countries have appreciated.
- Growing Conditions. Cotoneaster survives on any soil, is not afraid of drought and excess moisture, resistant to frost and wind, easily tolerates urban living conditions.
- Requirements. The shrub is well adapted to the harsh climatic conditions, is not afraid of shade, grows on stony and scanty soils, while maintaining high decorative qualities.
- Features care. The plant adapts well to any terrain, the cotoneaster is not picky about maintenance, watering and feeding. The only caveat is the need for regular decorative trimming of the branches. Only under the condition of a systematic hairstyle, a hedge will delight with its ideal shape and grooming.
- Diseases and pests. In the early spring, with the preventive purpose, cotoneaster is treated with insecticides. The plant is susceptible to fungal diseases, the necessary measures are the treatment of shrubs and soil with fungicides, urgent pruning and burning of affected branches.
With the help of scissors, the cotoneaster bushes can be given any shape and contour, but the trapeze, the rectangle and the ball are considered the most popular. A group of bushes can be combined together and create an unusual green shape from them.
Planting and caring for the cotoneaster as a hedge
The planting time for a hedge depends on seedlings. With open rhizomes, spring or autumn will be optimal - March and April, or September and November. If plants with a closed root system are used, then the time of their planting is not limited - from early spring to late autumn, so that in winter the bushes had time to settle down and grow stronger.
How to plant a cotoneaster for a hedge:
- is tall and thin hedge requires a single row planting of at least three seedlings per running meter of land, the average height of the shrub is 1-1.5 meters;
- landing plan of a cotoneaster for low-rise hedge is 4-5 bushes per linear meter, planted in two rows in a staggered manner, alternating 40 or 50 cm, three rows are not recommended.
Caring for a hedge from a cotoneaster will not be difficult. Additional watering is required only in hot and dry weather. Weeding and loosening are necessary for plants to improve root respiration, as an alternative - mulching the soil around the trunk. If the winter period is characterized by severe frosts, then for the first wintering a cotoneaster fence is recommended to be covered with dry foliage, hodgepodge or burlap.
Planting a cotoneaster for a hedge - stages:
- Planting pits under the root are dug out by about 2 bayonet spade - from 50 to 70 cm deep and of the same width.
- The bottom of the pit under the root is filled with gravel or expanded clay for quality soil drainage.
- The shrub successfully grows on different soils, but the ideal composition for it is 2 parts of soddy soil and sand, 1 part of peat.
- If desired, compost can be added to the ground, fertilizer can be dispensed.
- The seedlings are planted according to the chosen scheme, the first time they need sufficient watering.
Forming a hedge from a shiny cotoneaster
The growth rate and quality of foliage, density and density of the bright cotoneaster branches allow you to experiment on it with different shapes, outlines and variations. Do not be afraid to try your hand at the role of a gardener - it is interesting, easy and fun!
Rules for hedge trimming from a cotoneaster:
- work on the formation of a hedge produced by a brush cutter or trellis scissors;
- crown molding starts when the bush reaches a height of 50-60 cm, which is approximately two years of plant life;
- should be thoroughly pruned in early spring before bud break;
- first cut the bush from the top, it gives impetus for better growth of lateral shoots;
- young branches are not cut more than 1/3 of their length;
- autumn seedlings for the winter are not pruned;
- optimal cutting frequency - from 2 to 3 times per year;
- annually raise the height of the bushes by 5-8 cm until the hedge reaches the desired height;
- complex contour is cut by stretched ropes or using a template made of wooden bars.
Kizilnik brilliant as a hedge is traditionally planted in a public urban area - near administrative buildings, cultural and social institutions. It is successfully used for planting on slopes and slopes, its strong root system does not allow the collapse and shedding of the soil. It is often used in the stepwise design of the landscape and as a decoration of flower beds. Variety of options and solutions, and the plant is one - the famous and affordable cotoneaster!
