Description of the special featureshabitual wild-weeping relative, but belongs to the same family. It is a low perennial shrub with branches directed upwards. Many designers prefer this variety because of its relative simplicity and the ability to form an unusual crown on the tree. In addition, the leaves of willow Hakuro Nishiki are painted not only in green, but also in other colors and shades. Hakuro Nishiki comes from Japan, but can grow in temperate climates.
Description and characteristics of the variety
Shrubs have a rounded shape. An adult plant can reach 2-3 meters in height and the same in diameter. For comparison, the weeping willow grows up to 25 m. The branches are vertical, but as the willow grows, they disintegrate in the form of a fan or fountain, forming a ball.
Hakuro Nishiki's bark of a whole-leaf willow is colored gray-green, and over time it turns gray. Shoots are brown, with a red tint. The leaves are oblong, painted in pale pink color. Over time, they acquire a light green tint, fall yellow and fall in the fall.
Rules for planting and care
Even a novice gardener can handle the planting and care of Hakuro Nishiki willow. This is a rather unpretentious variety that can be transplanted in adulthood. The main thing is to choose the right place for planting young bushes, and they will feel good and grow quickly. In addition, it is necessary to prune the willow of Hakuro Nishiki in order to form a regular round crown.
For cultivation at home, you can buy ready-made bushes.
Preparing seedlings and planting them in open ground
Willow is from Japan, but it perfectly adapted to the temperate climate with temperature changes in winter and summer. Like other species of willow, this variety prefers moist soil. The optimal place for planting seedlings is the coast of natural or artificial reservoirs. Otherwise, you must constantly monitor the level of soil moisture and prevent the bushes from drying out.
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Willow of Hakuro Nishiki reproduces in two ways:
- cuttings - they are harvested in early spring, after which they can be planted immediately in open ground;
- grafting on other trees - the main technology of creating willow Hakuro Nishiki on a trunk.
The main way of willow breeding at home is cutting. The cuttings are segments of branches that are taken from adult bushes in early spring. The most important thing is to have time to get them before the beginning of the growing season, so as not to harm the mother plant. Cuttings do not need preliminary preparation: just dry the cut place slightly and lower it into the soil. During the warm period, the seedling will take root and begin to grow. The bushes begin to bloom around the third year of life.
Some experts maintain cuttings in hot water for several hours - so they grow faster, and in the first year they can add up to 90 cm.
Planting of whole-leaf willow Hakuro Nishiki and caring for her is possible at home. Another way to get unusual trees is stamping. A tree is called a stem with a solid, even trunk, onto the top of which a Japanese willow is grafted. Most often for these purposes is used goat willow, which has a tree-like straight trunk.
Tree care
Planting and caring for Japanese willow Hakuro Nishiki does not take long. It grows well without additional fertilizers and daily watering, if you choose the right place for planting bushes. There are some rules by which a willow grows tall and healthy:
- plant tolerates stagnant moisture better than drying out of the soil, so it should be watered constantly;
- for planting is better to choose a place with a high level of groundwater;
- for fertilizing, you can use organic fertilizers - compost or humus;
- for the prevention of fungal diseases leaves are sprayed with fungicidal agents:
- is better to take saplings from the bushes in the region in which they are planned to be planted - so they adapt more quickly to climatic conditions.
Read also: Landscape design with spherical willow
The willow variety Hakuro Nishiki, like other members of the willow family, prefer well-lit areas. It can also grow in partially darkened places if bright sunlight hits them during the day. In the dark, it grows slowly, and its leaves seem weak. To the type of soil willow unpretentious. However, if you plant it on clayey soil, you should add sand or peat to it for better moisture conductivity.
Japanese willow is resistant to temperature changes and quietly tolerates winter frosts. If the frost is strong, some shoots may freeze slightly, but this does not harm the whole bush. Such branches just need to be cut during the first spring cut.
Only standard trees are sensitive to frost, namely the place of vaccination of Hakuro Nishiki for another variety. This site for the winter is wrapped with special materials - agrofibre or lutarsil.
Pruning of the crown
Since this willow variety is a shrub with long, even branches, their growth can be adjusted. With proper and timely pruning the plant looks thick and lush. This process also has its own characteristics:
- The first formative pruning is carried out in the spring, before the beginning of the growing season;
- should not be afraid to cut off excess shoots - the bush quickly recovers form due to the growth of new ones;In the first year,
- leaves no more than 4–6 buds, each year adding 1 bud to this length;
- at the end of autumn spend the last haircut, for which dry or diseased branches are cut.
As a result, competent work with the shape of the crown willow becomes like a ball. If it grows on a trunk, the tree resembles a huge dandelion. On the stem of the stem tree is also necessary to cut off the extra shoots.
Japanese willow in landscape design
Photo willow by Hakuro Nishiki in landscape design is neat low plants with a rounded crown. These bushes are bred specifically for decorative purposes, planted in the courtyard of the house, as well as in parks and recreation areas. They can be planted both independently and in combination with other plants. Great demand are standard Japanese willows.
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There are several options for the decorative use of Hakuro Nishiki:
- several bushes planted in a row, form an unusual hedge;
- single bushes or standard trees are better planted against the background of green mass, so they will stand out favorably;
- willow looks good and grows quickly around small artificial ponds;
- is often planted with another member of the willow family, willow Matsudana.
As this plant immediately catches the eye because of its unusual shade, it will look harmonious in any garden. In addition, even in winter, it will be different red shoots. The main rule is to choose well-refreshed areas as a landing site. Next to tall trees with a wide crown, Japanese willow will not grow healthy, as they will block it from the sun's rays.
In the photo, Hakuro Nishiki willow looks like a spherical bush of different shades of pink, green and gray. The main purpose of her breeding is landscape design, decoration of gardens, parks and recreation areas. She is quite unpretentious - despite the fact that Japan is her homeland, she is adapted to live in a temperate climate and tolerates frost well. Especially quickly it will increase in growth, if the soil under it will constantly be wet. Even an aspiring gardener will cope with growing this variety of willow - it is very easy to care for her and form the crown.
Formation of the crown of Hakuro Nishiki - video