Birchwood Fortune: peculiarities of planting and care

Most gardeners, in order to decorate their plot and make it original, grow ornamental plants. Care for them can be quite difficult, but the beauty they create is worth it. Such plants can include an evergreen shrub that creeps on the ground and trees, the birchletus forchuna.

This shrub is decorated with flowers in the summer and earrings in the fall. To enjoy the beauty of the shrub, you need to know some secrets on care, as well as planting the plant. It is also equally important to know how to propagate the flower correctly.

Table of contents

Features of the species

Birchletus fortunei (or euonymus fortunei) is native to China. This climbing shrub can reach up to half a meter in height and 3 meters in length. The branches form a knotty plexus which grows into the ground. In this way, the shrub stalks the surface and trees. Because the leaves, most often bicolor, grow close together, a very dense and thick crown is created.

The leaf shape is slightly oblong, 2-6 cm long. The color of the inflorescences is unsightly, pale green. Exotic plant has fruits in the form of four separate capsules, but you can not take them in food, as you can be poisoned. It is these fruits that attract attention.

They are greenish at the beginning of their development, but as they mature, they change color from soft pink to bright purple. This usually occurs in the fall, when most of the other flowers have already bloomed.

Due to the fact that numerous shoots are covered with snow, the shrub easily survives serious frosts of -25 degrees Celsius.

Flower varieties.

It should be noted that about 20 varieties of evergreen plant are known.

The following are considered the most popular:

Emerald Gold has oblong leaves, colored internally in green, with golden edging on the edges, which turn purple in the fall. It is a slow and compact shrub so don’t expect it to be more than 30cm tall. But the width of the branches can grow to 2 meters, and therefore this shrub is used for vertical braiding.
Emerald Gaeti. The shrub is no more than 20 cm tall and 2 m long. The ovate leaves are greenish in color with a white border around the edge. The plant belongs to the very frost-resistant.
Malyutka is the smallest variety, sprawling in the form of a pillow. Reaches 5 cm in height. On the dark green leaf you can see white veins.
Silver Queen looks very impressive due to the creamy border on the dark green leaf. Grows to half a meter in length and 20 cm in height. A frost-resistant variety.
Harlequin attracts with its foliage. The leaf has white spots and stripes that stand out beautifully against the dark green background. Under the influence of sunlight, they can completely burn out and become white, after which the plant dries out.
Sheridan Gold – The young shrub has light lettuce leaves that darken over time. Both tall and long, it grows up to 30 cm. It grows slowly.
Vegetas is one of the taller varieties. The shrub reaches 60 cm in height. It grows very fast. White veins can be seen on the green leaf.

Planting and care

Before proceeding to planting a shrub, it is worth immediately to decide on the place. The fact is that the plant needs sunlight (due to this occurs photosynthesis), but because of the long stay under the staring rays can lead to the yellowing of the leaves. Therefore, the ideal place will be a site where the sun illuminates the flowers in the first half of the day, and after – comes the penumbra.

It is recommended to initially plant a three-year-old seedling, which can be purchased in a store or nursery. It is necessary to carefully inspect the roots so that they are without microcracks, excrescences, and even more so traces of decay. The period from late April to early May is ideal for planting a seedling. You can immediately buy ready-made substrate for the plant in the store, but if you want it is easy to make it yourself. To do this, you will need to mix leaf soil, some sod soil, humus, and sand.

The planting process is as follows:

Dig a hole, which will be at least twice the root system of the seedling.
The bottom should be well compacted, so that no air layers remain, and then fill the hole with ¼ of the drainage.
Plant the shrub should be carefully so that the roots are not damaged, but also stacked tightly together. It is necessary to shake the seedling a little while pouring the substrate. It is important that the root to stem transition line remains just above the soil. This will reduce the likelihood of rotting of the shrub.
Consolidate the soil around the shrub and create a hole for watering. After planting, it is also recommended to moisten the soil well so that the plant will take over better.
In order to reduce the evaporation of moisture from the root zone, it should be mulched with sawdust or fallen leaves.

The following recommendations should be taken into account when caring for the shrub:

Watering. Despite the fact that the Fortune birch is a drought-tolerant plant, it should be watered frequently when it is young. This will help it to quickly take root and take root. In summer, moisten the soil twice a week. For an adult plant, once is enough, but in the spring it is still worth watering more often, so that the shrub gains strength after awakening.
After loosening the soil and removing weeds, it is recommended to mulch the soil to retain moisture in the soil longer.
Feed the plant not as often as other flowers. It is enough to make complex mineral fertilizers in the soil and compost in the spring. This will help to strengthen the shrub and gain strength. In the fall, however, it is worth using phosphorus or potassium fertilizers.
Spring pruning is recommended to make the climbing shrub look attractive. It is necessary to remove dry or broken branches, as well as those that are knocked out of the overall picture (long).
Preparation for wintering the plant does not require. Is the young shrub, which can be covered with fallen leaves or burlap.

Propagation of the birchlet

There are several methods by which gardeners breed Birchwood Fortune:

Cuttings. To obtain good planting material, shoots from a five-year-old shrub are used. Cutting cuttings is best done in June-July. It is necessary to cut a branch with a length of 8-10 cm, with two nodes. The upper cut is made above the first bud (perpendicularly), and the lower – below the bud (at a slope.) The cut is recommended to lubricate the drug “Kornevin”. After that, cuttings are planted in a box with peat and sand, covering the top with foil. On average, in 45 days the planting material will give roots. During this time, it is necessary to moderately moisten the soil.
Sprouts. Under a shoot that grows quite low, form a groove, and then fix a part of the branch in it and cover it with earth. After a while, the plant in this place will put down roots. The main thing is to water regularly and abundantly. After the emergence of roots, the offshoot is transplanted to another place.
By seeds. In the fall, when the fruits are ripe, they are harvested. After removing the preseeder, the seeds are immediately planted. For spring planting, it will be necessary to place the seeds in a plastic container on a damp cloth and put it in the refrigerator.
Shrub division is another method of propagation. Due to the fact that the shrub has a new rootstock every year and not deep, the breeding process is greatly simplified. Simply cut off the young branch and shorten it by 2/3. Usually, the division of the bush is carried out in the spring or already in the fall.

Birchlet Forchuna can be propagated by any of the above methods, but still you should be guided by climatic conditions. For example, if the shrub did not have time to root before the onset of cold weather, it may grow and develop more slowly in the future.

Disease control

The shrub as well as other plants are susceptible to various diseases. In addition, pests breed on it. Therefore, experienced gardeners recommend preventive measures to minimize the risk of infection. To do this, it is necessary to apply fungicides in the spring. To exclude the appearance of fungus, the plant should be planted in a sunny area and not overwatering.

The most common disease is powdery mildew, which is manifested by white spots on the leaves. Later they begin to fall off and the plant dies. For treatment, the damaged branches and leaves are cut off, and the entire shrub is treated with Bordeaux liquid or a special preparation from a flower store.

Of pests, spider mite and aphids are more common. The sign of the mite is a silvery plaque and spider web on the inside of the leaf. To combat it, you will need a preparation of acaricide. To control aphids, a soapy solution is used, as well as special potent drugs.