Mumps are a deciduous shrub or a low tree from the Sumakhov family. It grows in the temperate zone of Eurasia and North America. The plant can be found under the names "leather tree", "yolk", "smoky tree", "smoking shrub." It is a fairly decorative thicket with dark green or purple-red foliage and cloud-like inflorescences. In many countries, scumbia is grown on a large scale, not only for gardening, but also for dyes, which are used to stain tissues and skin.
Plant description
Mackerel is a shrub or tree with a spreading crown 1.5-3 m high and up to 1.5 m in diameter. Its life cycle is 45-100 years. The shoots of the plant branch from the ground and are covered with a reddish-green or gray bark, which peels off with thin plates as it ages. If damaged, milky juice is secreted.
Shirokooovalny dense crown consists of rounded or oval leaves on long petioles. They are growing again. A shiny sheet plate has solid or slightly serrated edges. The length of the foliage is 5-8 cm. It is painted in dark green color, which in the autumn changes to yellow, orange, crimson or purple.
In May-June, last year's branches bloom numerous inflorescences up to 30 cm long. They have paniculate shape and consist of very small greenish-yellow flowers. Corolla consists of short underdeveloped petals and a bunch of long thin stamens. Withering flowers are replaced by elongated fleecy pedicels, which continue to grow even after flowering is completed. As a result, the entire bush is covered with an airy pinkish cloud, which looks very decorative. In July-August, small fruits ripen - oblong drupes. They are covered with thin black skin and have almost no pulp.
Types of Skumpy
In total, 7 species are registered in the genus Skumpiya, but only 2 of them are used in culture. Breeders bred several decorative varieties that will not leave gardeners indifferent.
Leather mackerel (ordinary). A shrub branched from the ground itself 1.5-3 m high forms an oval dense crown. The shoots are covered with gray-brown scaly bark. One-year-old stems are colored green or red. On the surface of regular rounded leaves, a pattern of veins is visible. In May-June, inflorescences bloom with small bisexual flowers, painted in yellow or greenish color. After the flowers wither, the lush panicles are lengthened and acquire a pinkish tint. The fruits quickly ripen on them - small obovate drupes without pulp. Varieties:
- Young Lady - a shrub with bright green rounded leaves grows 1.5-4 m in height, its inflorescences turn green first, and then turn cream and pink;
- Royal Purple is a low, slowly growing shrub with a rounded crown and large leaves, which are already reddish-brown in summer, and by the fall become bluish, blooming red lush inflorescences;
- Rubifolius is a heat-loving variety 3-5 m high with lilac-purple oval leaves;
- Grace - sprawling fast-growing bushes 3-5 m high dissolve soft oval leaves, painted in the summer in purple and in autumn in red.
American mumps (obovate). A sprawling tree up to 5 m high is covered with bright green rounded leaves up to 12 cm long. In June-July it is covered with many less long, but very decorative inflorescences. The plant has a good resistance to frost.
Breeding
Mackerel propagated by seeds and vegetatively. Seeds must be prepared for sowing. To do this, they are first scarified by immersion in a solution of sulfuric acid for several minutes. Then, cold stratification is carried out for 2-3 months at a temperature of + 3 ... + 5 ° C. One can do with one stratification, but its duration increases to 6 months.
After processing, crops are produced in the spring immediately in open ground. To do this, prepare grooves with a depth of 1.5-2 cm. After a few weeks, seedlings appear, about 50% of the seeds germinate. Seedlings require more thorough care in the form of regular cultivation and moderate watering.
When vegetative propagation, green cuttings and layering are used. Cuttings with 2-3 leaves in May-July are cut and soaked for several hours in a solution of "Kornevin", and then planted in a container with loose garden soil and covered with a cap. Shelter is removed daily and condensate removed. Water the cuttings to rooting very carefully. The roots will appear in 2-3 weeks, but only from a part full shrubs will develop.
A much higher percentage of rooting gives layering. To do this, in the spring, the bark of the lower flexible shoots is slightly scratched and fixed to a branch near the ground. At the beginning of autumn, strong roots are formed, the branch can be cut and planted separately.
Almost every year, basal processes are formed at the base of an adult plant. In the spring or at the beginning of summer, they are carefully dug up and planted in a permanent place.
Landing and care
Mackerel is planted in open sunny areas without drafts and strong gusts of wind. Slight shading during the day is allowed. The soil should be loose and well-drained. The proximity of groundwater is undesirable. The plant prefers soils with a neutral or alkaline reaction, it grows well on loams and sandy soils. Slaked lime is added to acidic soils, while heavy ones are dug up with gravel.
The planting of scoopia is planned for mid-spring or autumn, so that plants can adapt before the frost. During the procedure, they try not to damage the earth. The root neck should remain on the surface. The recommended distance between the bushes in a group planting is from 1.5-2 m. Upon completion of all manipulations, the seedlings are abundantly watered.
Of course, skumpiya will not do without leaving, but the gardener will not deliver much trouble. Watering the bushes should be moderate and only in prolonged drought. They do not like too wet soil. With regular rainfall, additional irrigation is not required.
Moderately fertile soil is preferable for skumpia, so it does not need regular fertilizing. It is enough to mulch the earth with compost in early spring. On poor soils 1-2 times per season, the earth is watered with complex mineral fertilizer. It is necessary to periodically loosen the earth in order to break a dense crust on the surface. Immediately after planting, it is useful to mulch the trunk circle with peat.
To maintain decorativeness, bushes need regular pruning. In the spring, sanitary pruning is carried out and dry and frosty shoots are removed. Old bushes rejuvenate. To do this, cut the vegetation almost completely in the spring, leaving small stumps near the ground. Very soon, the young shoots form a beautiful hat.
Wintering in temperate climates is usually well tolerated. In anticipation of a harsh snowless winter, some preparation is needed. Young plants and heat-loving decorative varieties are covered with non-woven material, and the soil at the base of the trunk is covered with peat, foliage and spruce branches. In early spring, it is necessary to remove the shelter and scatter the snow.
Mumps boasts excellent immunity and resistance to pests. It is extremely rare that leaf beetle and sumpida leaf-bushes settle on it. They can be quickly destroyed by modern insecticides.
Using
Thanks to cloud-like inflorescences and decorative foliage, scoopia is a welcome guest in any garden. Large trees are used in single plantings in the middle of the garden or around the perimeter of the site. Low bushes are suitable for creating hedges. Sometimes they are planted in rockeries or in a mixborder. Inflorescences can be dried and used to make flower arrangements.
The plant contains a large amount of tannin, flavonoids, tannins, essential oils and organic acids. Leaves and shoots are brewed. Outwardly, a decoction in the form of lotions, compresses and baths is used to treat skin irritation, ulcers and ulcers. Rinsing the mouth reduces gum disease, bleeding, and periodontitis and gingivitis. Inside, a decoction is taken to alleviate the condition in pneumonia, gastrointestinal upset, and poisoning.
