The mountain ash ordinary (red) is a type of a mountain ash, belonging to the family of pink, the height of this fruit tree is 5–12 meters, long green frosted leaves, consisting of 7–15 leaflets, grow up to 20 cm, white large inflorescences emit an unpleasant smell, and orange-red, juicy fruits, ripen in August-September, hang on the branches before winter. Known as a vigorous, durable, frost-and drought-resistant, popular medicinal (containing vitamins, microelements, carotene, organic acids), an ornamental plant, which is of little use to the conditions of growth. Let's figure out how to properly organize for mountain ash red planting and care at the dacha.
How to choose a healthy rowan seedlings when buying
Choosing rowan saplings, pay attention primarily to the roots, they must be powerful and healthy, have 2-3 main branches (at least 25-30 cm long). The surface of the roots should be fresh, wet. With chapped and dry roots, even if the seedling takes root, it will slowly grow.
Pear, cherry, apricot, hawthorn, almond, shadberry, loquat, plum, peach, strawberry and raspberry, as well as mountain ash, belong to the family of pink.
The shriveled bark of the trunk and the branches of the seedlings indicate that they were dug long ago and they have already managed to dry out. If, after pinching a little bark, you see not a green bottom, but a brown one, such a seedling is already dead and not suitable for planting. For transportation, place the seedling roots in a plastic bag, after wrapping them with a damp cloth.
Did you know? The Latin name of the mountain ash is aucuparia. It consists of two words: avis, denoting a bird, and icapere - to catch, attract. Given to the plant due to the attractiveness of its fruit for birds, they were used as bait for catching birds. This feature is very useful, as the birds help to protect the fruit and berry plantations in the area from pests.
Correct planting of red rowan saplings on the site
We will talk about how to plant rowan on the site so that it gives the best results.
Important! If you can not immediately plant purchased seedlings, then for a while (up to 3-4 weeks) prikopite them in a shaded place. Under a slope (to the south), make a shallow hole, place a seedling in it and cover the roots and shoots half the length with earth. Liberally pour. With strong drying plants, put them in water for a couple of days.
The best period for landing
Many are interested in the question: when can I plant rowan? The answer is not straightforward. Planting is possible in early spring, but only until May, since saplings go to growth early and bear fruit later. Proceed as soon as the ground allows.
But it is better to land in the fall, a couple of weeks before the ground freezes. The soil is warm and has not yet cooled down, which will help the plants to adapt more quickly, they will be able to take root during the winter, the soil around them will settle down well and thicken, and in the spring they will actively grow.
Choosing a landing site
If you are wondering where it is better to plant rowan, then pay attention to places at the edge of the plot. So you will provide the plant with a non-shaded area of growth (this will positively affect its livelihood, as it is more light-requiring), and its crown will not obscure other plants. Suitable as a beautiful background of grassy perennials. Spruce, fir, pine, deciduous trees are considered a suitable company for mountain ash. It is also combined with maple, barberry, honeysuckle. 
As for the choice of soil, the most common for mountain ash is suitable, but on neutral, drainage productivity will be higher, and on light, sandy, sandy loam - lower, growth is worse. It will not suffer from the close presence of groundwater. Before planting a mountain ash, it is advisable to give the chosen place for two years for the cultivation of vegetables and cereals.
Preparatory work on the site
Preparatory work begins with the arrangement of the pits at a distance of 3-6 meters. Depth, width of each - on average 60 × 60 cm (consider the size of the root system of the seedling). Lay a drainage layer on the bottom (broken brick, large crushed stone, expanded clay). Mix fertile soil, peat compost or humus (5 kg), superphosphate (150-200 g), potash fertilizer (100 g) and fill with a third of the planting pit with the resulting mixture. Next, fill the ground with half the usual ground and pour it abundantly.
Preparation of rowan seedlings
The preparation is very simple. Get rid of sick, cracked, dried roots. The same part of the manipulation and the aboveground part of the seedlings. Use a clay mash for the roots to avoid drying.
Important! If planting occurs in the spring, then the roots are previously kept in water for two days. And with the seedlings purchased during the autumn period, it is necessary to carefully remove the leaves without damaging the buds, in case of too late a purchase, stick a rowan tree for the winter.
The process of planting mountain ash seedlings
Wait until water is absorbed into the soil after watering and make a small depression in the center of the pit, place the seedling there and flatten its root system. Cover the plant with soil so that it turns out to be 2-3 cm deeper than it grew in the nursery. Tamp the soil a little and then pour it heavily. Mulch the soil with a layer of humus, peat or other organic matter (grass, hay, straw) 5-10 cm thick.
Features seasonal care for red rowan
Although mountain ash is red - unassuming plant but it also has some features of agricultural technology.
How to water
During dry periods, mountain ash must be watered. With a lack of moisture, shoots and ovaries will be difficult to grow. One plant will be enough for two or three buckets, but consider the age of the tree and the condition of the soil. So that the soil does not dry out, mulch it using sawdust, peat, etc. The soil around the trunk needs regular weeding. A superficial, shallow loosening is also necessary.
How and what to fertilize
In the third year of life, they start feeding the mountain ash. There is no need to close the fertilizer deep, just dig the soil slightly. In the spring, when the plant is not flowering yet, it is fertilized with a mixture of nitrogen, phosphorus and potash fertilizers in the proportion of 20 g / 25 g / 15 g / m2, in the summer the rowan ordinary is fed with the same mixture, only in the ratio of 15 g / 15 g / 10 g, and in the fall, when the harvest is gathered, 10 g of phosphate and potash fertilizers are applied per m2. Then plentiful watering is necessary. 
Did you know? Rowan was part of the pagan beliefs among the Celts, Scandinavians and Slavs. According to beliefs, she possessed magical powers, protected from the underworld, protected from divination, helped the soldiers. Rowan leaves were put in the shoes of the young at the wedding. And for protection from the evil eye, the crosses made of ashberry twigs were made, which should be tied up with red thread and sewn to clothes.
Treating mountain ash from pests and diseases
This plant quite resistant to pests and diseases but in its long age, and the life of mountain ash is 100 or even 150 years, in some years it can be affected by some pests and diseases.
If you want your mountain ash to always be healthy, familiarize yourself with ways to combat diseases and pests of mountain ash (red).
To fight the mountain ash moth, destroy garbage and fallen leaves, dig up the soil under the tree crown in late autumn, spray the roots and tree trunks with insecticides a week after flowering and repeat the procedure 10-12 days later. 
Rowan gall mite is fought with colloidal sulfur, which is treated with wood with foliage and up to flowering. Fallen leaves should be raked and burned.
Insecticides are used to get rid of green apple and rowan aphids. To destroy the red-winged (hawthorn) weevil, spray the mountain ash with insecticide before flowering, remove / burn fallen leaves, garbage, and dig deep in the fall.
Rust of mountain ash is eliminated by removing infected branches and 1% Bordeaux liquid, which is treated with wood 2-3 times every 20-25 days from the end of May.
I also use 1% Bordeaux liquid to combat leaf spots (in this case, you also need to collect, remove and destroy old fallen leaves) and monoliosis (you should also harvest in time). 
The best resistance to powdery mildew will be the treatment during the growing season with crushed sulfur with lime and the destruction of fallen leaves. As for anthracnose, just remove the affected fruit.
Cropping and crown formation
Since the crown of this plant has a pyramidal shape, and the branches with the trunk form an acute angle that does not contribute to strength, the rowan should be cut so that the main branches leave at a right or obtuse angle.
Pruned the tree before the buds swell in early spring. In young specimens, shorten the shoots to the outer bud, remove excess and growing at an acute angle. With a weak increase should be rejuvenating pruning for 2- or 5-year-old wood. You should also regularly get rid of root shoots.
Rowan pruning in the fall during the fruiting period is carried out for thinning with a decrease in height. Wounds more than 1 cm cover garden pitch. 
When to collect and how to store the fruits of mountain ash
Rowan berries ripen fully in September and October. During this period, it is necessary to carry out the harvest. The second option is to wait for the first frost, when the fruits become sweet. They should be removed from the tree together with the stalks. Collected berries can stay fresh for a long time. For storing mountain ash, you can use freezing, but do not allow thawing. And you can simply decompose the fruits of mountain ash with a layer of 10-15 cm and so store until spring at a temperature of 0-1 ° С.
Did you know? Rowan refers to the spring honey. Its fruits are used as medicinal raw materials, for the manufacture of soft drinks, in confectionery and alcoholic beverages, in preservation (for making candy, jelly, jam, jam, marmalade). Flour and fruit powders are made from dried berries. Wood is suitable for furniture, decoration, turning. Bark is used as tanning raw material.
Rowan - A great option for the suburban area. It is not only very picturesque, but also has a lot of useful properties. You just have to make sure of it on your own experience.
