Black hornbeam: features and cultivation

A beautiful oriental plant called the black hornbeam attracts absolutely everyone. It seems that it is impossible to grow such a miracle, but it is not. How to plant this tree and take care of it? Everything is described below.

Black hornbeam is an oriental ornamental tree native to Japan, China. It can reach a height of 9 meters, the trunk of a tree can be up to 20 centimeters wide, has a curved shape, as well as a ribbed texture. Hornbeam leaves have an oval shape up to 5 cm in length. During the flowering period, they acquire a dark green hue, and by autumn you can clearly see the manifestations of the characteristic yellowness in them. Multiple depressed veins can be traced on each leaflet. The crown from such foliage turns out to be lush and round.

During flowering (the period of which falls on the end of April and the beginning of May), light green pistillate catkins appear on the branches, reaching a length of 8 centimeters. When blooming, the foliage of the hornbeam acquires healing properties that are valued in folk medicine.

The fruitful period lasts the entire first half of the summer. During it, fruits are formed on the tree, which resemble an oval-shaped hairy nut with a ribbed surface.

The properties of black hornbeam wood are distinguished by their density and hardness. The wood itself resembles ebony and is distinguished by its aesthetics and good mechanical properties, as well as resistance to bending. The hornbeam bark has a silvery tint.

Hornbeam forests, called hornbeams, are a phytocenosis where hornbeam wood predominates over other woody plants. They exist to the greatest extent in North America, the lands of Europe, Southeast Asia. However, similar forests can be found in the Crimea. Their appearance, as a rule, occurs in the place of other plantations that have undergone clear cutting.

This tree is undemanding to the properties of the soil, but it needs abundant daylight for stable growth. It is characterized by soil-improving property, which allows them to successfully strengthen the mountain slopes. The black hornbeam is a perennial tree and can live from 100 to 120 years. In total, there are about 50 species of black hornbeam, which differ in the required climate, soil and morphology.

If a person has acquired a hornbeam sapling, then he must find a worthy place that contributes to its growth. Hornbeam, being a fairly hardy and unpretentious plant, still grows better in suitable conditions.

The black hornbeam is a thermophilic and shade-tolerant breed. He is able to support life under the crowns of tall trees or in the shade of landscape depressions. However, sufficient lighting is necessary for this tree to grow normally at a young age.

The black hornbeam is a mesophyte. He does not like excess moisture around him. It cannot be flooded, but a certain irrigation regime must be observed. Because of these features, it is often found in forests and on mountain slopes, however, it cannot be seen in river floodplains and swampy areas. The moisture index, which is optimal for the hornbeam and accompanies the entire range of its habitat, is 60-70%.

The hornbeam is unpretentious to the soil and its level of fertility. He can live quietly in dry or stony lands on the slopes of the mountains. However, in this case, one should not expect stable high growth.

Seeds should be sown in late autumn or early spring, when the temperature outside is at least above freezing. In order to plant a black hornbeam, it is necessary.

1. Dig a hole. It should be of such a size that the roots can easily fit in it.
2. Remove weeds that suck out the substances necessary for the sprout from the soil.
3. Moisten the planting site with five liters of water. To saturate the soil with moisture and its subsidence, you need to leave it in this state for a day.
4. Then, at the bottom of the pit, dry leaves are laid out for insulation, loosened in the ground and mixed with it.
5. After that, the seedling is placed in a hole, covered with earth and watered.
6. To preserve moisture, they resort to soil mulching.

If all your actions are correct, then you can observe the growth of the black hornbeam already several weeks after planting the tree. He does not need special care, he is unpretentious to the soil, if he has already begun.

Despite the high level of disease resistance, the leaves of the black hornbeam can be infected with mycosperella, which forms black spots on the leaves. The salvation from such a disease, as well as the effects of other fungal pathogens, will be the use of disinfectants and fungicides.

Despite the fact that the hornbeam is a wind-pollinated tree, its reproduction is also possible in a vegetative way. Reproduction using cuttings is not applied because it is not stable. For these purposes, cuttings and seeds are most often used.

Due to the frequent and abundant fertility of the hornbeam, its seed reproduction is the most effective, although it takes a long time. One hectare of hornbeam plantations can yield up to 50 million nuts. At the same time, the fruits of the hornbeam do not lose their germination, even after lying on a leaf litter under forest crowns for several years. However, before planting, you need to remember the need to stratify them.

Sometimes, to save time, the seeds are replaced at once with whole cuttings. They are made by cutting off shoots from 10 to 15 centimeters long. However, experts recommend carrying out a whole list of actions in order to protect the future tree from diseases. First, you need to leave the cut off shoot for a day in a solution of potassium permanganate, then soak a piece of cutting in clean water for several days. However, even after these actions, the sprout cannot be planted immediately in open ground. It must first develop in a container.

Most often, decorative forms of hornbeam are used, but the common hornbeam is not ignored. In total, there are several ways to use the hornbeam.

• Tapeworms. The specimen hornbeam looks great near a home or in an open area with a lawn. For a single planting of a hornbeam, use its usual shape, or a decorative appearance in the form of pyramidal, purple or weeping crowns.

• Hedge. The black hornbeam perfectly tolerates a haircut. That is why it can always be given the necessary shape, thanks to which it will create a stylish and modern hedge. Such a green fence will isolate the backyard area from flying dust, random debris, annoying noise and wind.This solution will bring to the site a pleasant atmosphere of unity with nature, as well as enrich it with oxygen, resin, which gives the effect of essential oil, and other microelements. The most successful solutions for a black hornbeam hedge will be its cut or columnar shape.

• Alleys. Another popular and successful solution used in landscape gardening for the improvement of the territory is the planting of living alleys. The basis of such decorative casing is the black hornbeam. Its crowns, with proper processing, can join together and create an arched roof. This alley is called "berso" and looks like a green tunnel, which is formed due to the closing of leaves and branches.

• Topiary. In topiary art, the use of an oriental hornbeam is also encouraged. It is very convenient to create geometric shapes of a wide variety of shapes and sizes from it, including animalistic figures of various animals and birds. Hornbeam, or rather its crowns, are an excellent material for this kind of living sculptures. Their final appearance will depend entirely on the skill of the gardener.