Microbiota is an ideal coniferous shrub for landscaping

  • Aug 09, 2021
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Microbiota is a genus of coniferous shrubs that was discovered in 1921 by botanist Ivan Shishkin. This only endemic genus of gymnosperms in Russia has now become a popular species for use in landscape design as a cover vegetation for taller varieties. Cross-pair microbiota is especially widespread.

Microbiota. Illustration for the article is used from the site pervocvet-shop.ru
Microbiota. Illustration for the article is used from the site pervocvet-shop.ru
Microbiota. Illustration for the article is used from the site pervocvet-shop.ru

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Description of the plant

Microbiota has no popular names: before it was discovered by botanists, this shrub was of no interest to anyone. Now this plant is even included in the Red Book, but it is not threatened with extinction: a very beautiful shrub, changing the color of needles from green to red-brown, is in demand in landscaping and is widely used throughout Russia.

The plant itself is a dioecious shrub with creeping processes, having a crown up to 2 m in diameter and no more than 50 cm in height. It has scaly needles growing on a shell-like crown that falls to the ground.

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The macrobiota reproduces both by shoots and cones, which ripen 15-17 years after the plant is grown. The shrub propagates vegetatively by layering and cuttings of the previous or current year, having a length of at least 8-10 cm. At the same time, adult bushes do not tolerate transplanting without a root ball, so the place for planting must be chosen carefully.

The plant is frost-resistant in all climatic zones (it can survive even in the Far North), but whimsical in terms of soil: it does not tolerate marginal sands and does not survive the neighborhood with tall plants that intercept food. For planting, you need a mixture of sod land (1 part), peat or humus (2 parts) and coarse sand (1 part). Microbiota grows best on loams with a high humus content.

For the development of the plant, high illumination is required.

How to plant and care for a plant

Caring for young plants of microbiota is simple: just plant it and regularly weed from weeds and loosen the soil in the near-trunk circle. It is impossible to dig up the soil: there is a great risk of damage to the roots. Fertilizers are applied either in solution or with shallow incorporation into the trunk circle. It is better to feed it with any kind of rotted organic matter - from decomposed manure to vermicompost or compost. It is necessary to apply top dressing from the end of May to July 15 in an amount of no more than a bucket per bush.

It is best to plant microbiota on slopes, but first provide it with moisture. It is best to prepare a planting site by filling it with a moisture-absorbing substrate (for example, high-moor peat), and then forming a hole around the stem that does not allow moisture to creep along the ground.

Watering is necessary when the near-surface layer of the earth dries up. It is better to use sprinkling once a week than watering at the root.

Microbiota. Illustration for the article is used from the site stroy-podskazka.ru
Microbiota. Illustration for the article is used from the site stroy-podskazka.ru

Microbiota responds well to mulching with a layer of 6-8 cm from bark, leaves or needles.

Pruning due to slow growth is impractical. It is possible to form a crown only from the age of 10-12. But even there, it is better to limit yourself to sanitary pruning of diseased or broken branches. Excess or damaged branches are cut into a ring without leaving a hemp.

Using microbiota in landscape design

The low height and creeping nature of the shoots allows the grower to use the microbiota in any compositions where it will be in the foreground. This shrub is especially good in compositions, where it will take place in contrasting combinations of height and shape. In compositions of half a dozen participants, the microbiota will definitely take its place due to the fact that it goes well with any other conifers.

Microbiota looks best in compositions on an alpine theme: stones and rocks are its natural habitat. Even at the base of a large boulder, it will look like a piece of natural landscape. In addition, it goes well with alpine slides, rockeries, an artificial mountain slope - in a word, with anything that suits it in size.

The cross-pair microbiota also looks good in "industrial" landscapes: it goes well with concrete structures such as retaining posts, tiles, curbs, etc. Thanks to its bright needles, it goes well with white birch trees and looks great in any combination with tall trees.

Do you decorate the site with conifers?

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