Cytisus

Family. Legumes.

Origin. Canary Islands, America, Asia.

Description. Cytisus is a perennial evergreen shrub.

The leaves are green, compound - consist of 3 oblong-oval leaflets with a pronounced central vein. Young leaves have a delicate fluff on the surface.

During the flowering period, the stems are densely covered with countless yellow, white, orange or pink flowers, typical of legumes.

After flowering, the period of formation of peas begins, collected in pods up to 4 cm long.

Height. In its natural environment it reaches a height of 2 - 3 m. When kept indoors it reaches 1 m and grows slowly.  

Planting and care

Keeping in open ground

To grow cytisus in open ground, select a well-lit area of ​​land where there is no surface groundwater.

The growing area should be lit by the sun in the morning and evening, but during the daytime it is better to protect the bushes from direct rays. The flower does not like strong gusts of wind - plant it near a blank fence or building, structure.

Bushes aged 2-3 years and about 50-60 cm high are suitable for planting in open ground. Sowing dates are April - May, depending on the weather conditions of the region.

The soil on the site is loosened, weeds are removed.

For planting, planting holes are prepared, the depth and width of which exceeds the size of the root ball by approximately 2 times. The distance between planting holes is maintained depending on the varietal characteristics of the plants and the method of using the shrubs in landscape design. To create dense growth or a hedge, the distance between plants can be kept within 30 - 40 cm.

If the soil on the site is too heavy or clayey, then a sufficient amount of river sand is mixed into it. The soil, poor in nutrients, is enriched with organic matter - humus or well-rotted manure. You can also add some mineral fertilizers to the soil - for example superphosphate.

A drainage layer in the form of crushed stone or river pebbles is placed at the bottom of the planting holes, then sprinkled with river sand. Depending on the soil characteristics, the thickness of the drainage layer can be 10-20 cm. 

A small layer of prepared soil is poured onto the drainage.

The plants are thoroughly watered so that the substrate can more easily move away from the walls of the shipping container. The flowers are taken out of the pots and placed in planting holes along with a lump of earth - they are transferred.

It is better to plant in the morning or evening, or in cloudy weather. The bushes are sprinkled with soil and compacted well to remove air pockets.

When planting, the root collar should be level with the surface of the earth.

After planting, the bushes are watered with plenty of water and the bases are mulched with mown grass, straw or rotted sawdust. Mulch will retard the development of weeds and prevent the evaporation of moisture from the soil surface. The mulch thickness can be 3 - 6 cm. 

Further care of the planted plants will consist of timely watering, fertilizing, weeding and loosening the substrate.

Loosening is carried out to a depth of no more than 10 cm, since the roots lying close to the surface of the earth can be damaged.

Nitrogen-containing mixtures can be used as fertilizers at the beginning of the growing season to form lush green mass, and subsequently fertilizers with a high content of elements such as phosphorus and potassium are used. Cytisus responds well to the addition of wood ash. In one season, 2-3 feedings are carried out. 

Watering is carried out as the top layer of soil dries - in the morning or evening hours. Young seedlings should be watered more often - this way they will take root faster in a new place. Over time, cytisus will be able to withstand short periods of drought more easily. Watering should be abundant.

The first wintering for planted bushes will be quite difficult, so in the first few years after planting, the flowers should be covered with non-woven material.

In mid-autumn, with the onset of the first night frosts, the cytisus root system is additionally hilled up and sprinkled with a thick layer of mulch. Young shoots are removed from the bush, as they will still be damaged by frost. The branches of the plant are collected into a bunch and tied with a rope. A cap is built over the bush - a shelter made of 2 layers of non-woven material.

If you can bend the branches of the bush to the soil surface, then you can use pre-prepared spruce branches or dry fallen leaves as cover. In the spring, as soon as the snow melts on the site, the cover can be removed.

When the bush opens its first leaves, it will become clear which shoots were damaged by frost - such branches are cut off during spring pruning.

Reproduction - growing from seeds 

The plant reproduces well with the help of seeds - when grown in open ground under favorable conditions, self-seeding can often be found under the bushes.  For sowing, it is quite possible to use seeds from your own collection. Fully ripened peas are suitable for propagation (ripening occurs in early autumn).

1. Seeds are stratified in a cool place for 1 month. For stratification, you can place planting material in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator.
2. Before sowing, peas are soaked in warm water for a day. Growth hormones can be added to the soaking water. Both methods of seed preparation allow the outer hard shell of the seed to soften, which will help increase germination.
3. Sowing is carried out in the spring in separate cups or small pots filled with soil.
4. The substrate for sowing is made up of equal parts of peat and river sand.
5. The soil is thoroughly moistened with a spray bottle and the seeds are laid out on its surface.
6. The planting material is sprinkled with a layer of soil about 5 mm thick on top.
7. Crops should be covered with a lid or transparent glass to create a greenhouse effect and maintain high air humidity.
8. The seedlings are placed in a warm, well-lit place, but not exposed to direct sunlight. The air temperature in the room should be 19 - 21° C. 
9. Every day the cover is removed and the seedlings are ventilated, at the same time removing condensation from the cover. Gradually, the ventilation time is increased and from the moment the first shoots appear, the shelter can already be completely removed.

For the first time, cytisus obtained from seeds blooms at the age of 2 - 3 years.

You can plant them in a common container, keeping a distance of about 5-6 cm between the seeds, but in this case, picking will be required, which is carried out when 2-3 leaves appear on each seedling.

Cytisus also reproduces well by cuttings.  Cuttings should be taken from young, slightly lignified shoots.

1. Immediately after flowering, you can take stem cuttings 7 - 10 cm long with 2 - 3 internodes.
2. To reduce moisture loss, leaf blades are cut to half their length. 
3. For rooting, take a plastic container with a lid and drainage holes in the bottom.
4. Place a small drainage layer of expanded clay at the bottom of the container and fill the container with nutritious and loose peat-based soil.
5. Moisten the soil surface with water at room temperature.
6. Place the seedlings under a glass or plastic cover to maintain uniform humidity.
7. The cuttings are placed in a room with a temperature of about 20 ° C, shaded from direct sunlight. 
8. From time to time, the shelter is removed, the condensation is removed from it, and the cuttings are sprayed with warm water.

Successful rooting can be judged by the new leaves that appear - they usually appear after 1 - 1.5 months. As needed - when the pots become too small for the bushes, they are transplanted into larger containers. 

Air layering - lateral shoots located near the soil surface - take root well. Layers are formed in spring and summer.

1. The stems are bent to the ground, pinned to its surface or placed in previously prepared grooves and sprinkled with earth.
2. The upper part of the layer should be above the surface of the substrate.
3. The soil above the layer is kept evenly moist throughout the rooting period.

Over time, new, young shoots will appear from underground, and roots will form in the buried leaf nodes along the entire length of the layer.

The advantage of this method of propagation is that from one layer you can get several young bushes at once, and the mother plant will not suffer at all.

It is worth completely separating the cuttings from the mother plant next year. 

When it blooms 

From mid-spring to July, depending on the species and weather conditions.

Flowering is very abundant and quite long - each bush can bloom for a month. 

Diseases and pests 

• Leaves turn yellow and fall off during prolonged drought.
• If overmoistened, cytisus can rot.
• Fungal diseases such as powdery mildew or black spot can appear if the content is too cool and humid, with high air humidity and insufficient air movement.
• Flowering will be less abundant when grown in the shade - the bushes will become loose and elongated.

Of the harmful insects, bushes can be attacked by moths, moths, moths, aphids, and spider mites. 

Care, pruning 

The plant is unpretentious and forgives many mistakes in care, so this shrub can be recommended to beginning gardeners.

Cytisus needs regular pruning, which is carried out after flowering. Young shoots are pruned; old, lignified branches are not touched during pruning.

Remove faded, old and diseased shoots in a timely manner. Pinch the tops of young stems to encourage lateral branches to appear. Perform pruning only with a sharp and sterile instrument.

Transplant 

The cytisus is replanted before flowering or immediately after it - in early autumn. The root system does not like frequent transplants, so carry them out as needed, preferably by transshipment.

The need for replanting may be due to the fact that the substrate has already been completely depleted and cannot nourish the plant, in addition, the pot may become too small for the bushes. The need to change the pot to a larger container will be indicated by the tips of the roots that appear in the drainage holes.

Tub specimens have impressive dimensions, their transplantation becomes difficult - instead of transplantation, the top layer of soil 5-7 cm thick is replaced with fresh soil every spring.

To grow cytisus, select pots with large drainage holes. 

Before transplanting, place a drainage layer on the bottom of the pot. As drainage, you can use fragments of brick, expanded clay, and crushed foam.

1. A small layer of substrate is poured onto the drainage.
2. Cytisus can be replanted or transferred along with a lump of earth. When transplanted, the flower quickly adapts to the new soil and begins to sprout young branches. grow. The need for transplantation with a complete replacement of the soil may arise if there are signs of disease - for example, root rot. If necessary, inspect the roots of the plants and remove diseased areas with a sterile sharp knife or pruning shears.
3. When planting, the bushes are placed at the same depth at which they were in the previous container and sprinkled with soil.
4. The soil is slightly compacted. The surface of the substrate should be 2-3 cm below the walls of the pot.
5. The flower is watered and placed in a place protected from direct sunlight for 7-10 days to adapt to the new location.

2 - 3 weeks after transplantation, you can feed the flowers with mineral or organic fertilizers.

Soil 

Well-drained soils with high organic matter content.

The substrate can be made up of peat, garden soil, leaf humus and turf soil are mixed into the substrate for loosening and additional nutrition.

To improve drainage, it is worth adding components such as coarse river sand, perlite or vermiculite to the soil.

Cytisus prefers substrates with a slightly acidic or neutral pH. 

Temperature

This species does not like too hot weather; adult specimens easily tolerate winter frosts.

During the growing season, maintain the temperature at about 18 - 24° C. Lower temperatures promote longer flowering.

The rest period should take place at a temperature of 8 - 10 ° C. If the rest period is not observed, the cytisus will become weak and sick. 

Lighting

The bush should receive at least 2-3 hours of direct sunlight daily - morning and evening. Shade only on hot summer days. When grown in partial shade, flowering will be less abundant.

When kept indoors, windows facing east or west are most suitable. When kept on the south side, pots are placed in the back of the room or protected from the sun with a light curtain. On north-facing windows, plants will look elongated and will stop blooming.

Feeding

Feed every two weeks during the growing season with water-soluble fertilizers. In autumn and winter, fertilizing is carried out monthly or stopped altogether.  Resume fertilizing in the spring when plants begin to show signs of new growth.

Cytisus responds positively to both mineral and organic fertilizers, so the best solution would be to alternate them. Well-rotted cow or horse manure, as well as humus, are added as organic matter.

Apply fertilizer only after watering, adding the nutrient solution to the moist substrate.

Spraying 

Humidity should be increased to 50-60%. Spray several times a week with room temperature water.

Spraying helps prevent pests such as red spider mites, which thrive in dry conditions. When spraying, make sure that drops of moisture do not fall on flowers and buds.

Instead of spraying during the flowering period, you can use special room humidifiers placed in close proximity to the flower.

Any vessels with water placed next to the pot humidify the air well.

You can also grow a bush on a tray with wet gravel, but in this case you need to ensure that the surface of the water does not directly touch the bottom of the pot.

Watering 

Water the cytisus generously in spring and summer, keeping the soil evenly moist but not soggy. Reduce the frequency of watering in autumn and winter, just protect the soil from drying out.

This species is not demanding about the quality of water used for irrigation, but does not like lime contained in untreated tap water.

After a few minutes, drain the excess moisture that appears in the tray after watering.

Purpose

Decorative flowering shrub. During the flowering period, which lasts about 3 - 4 weeks, the cytisus is covered with an abundance of bright flowers. 

In summer, the buds attract bees and other beneficial insects to the site - the plant is an excellent honey plant.

Note

All parts of the plant are toxic - keep it away from children and pets. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap after handling the flower.

Cytisus is sometimes grown as an annual, but with proper care it can live indoors for many years.

Varieties:

Cytisus nigricans

Compact deciduous shrub up to 1 m high with green, compound leaves consisting of 3 oblong-oval leaves. In the summer months, long racemes with yellow flowers characteristic of legumes appear at the tops of the shoots. The flowers open sequentially - from the base of the racemes to the tops. 

Cytisus decumbens

Low-growing shrubs with lodging shoots up to 30 cm high, often grown as ground cover plants. The leaves are compound, emerald green, consisting of 3 oblong segments. The leaf blades are slightly bent along the central vein and covered with silvery pubescence. The flowering period begins in May - June - at this time the plant profusely adorns itself with numerous yellow or orange flowers. 

Cytisus scoparius

Large deciduous multi-stemmed shrubs up to 2.5 m high with erect, thin, abundantly branching stems. The leaves are small, three-lobed, often tightly pressed to the branches of the plant, and arranged alternately. The flowers are fragrant, large, golden yellow, sometimes with a bright orange lip. 

Cytisus praecox

A small deciduous shrub with a lush rounded crown formed by thin, abundantly branching shoots. The leaves are green, small, pressed to the branches, complex - three-lobed. During the flowering period, at the end of spring, the plant abundantly produces golden-yellow or white flowers, which can completely hide the branches of the plants. 

Cytisus Boskoop Ruby

A small rounded multi-stemmed shrub with repeatedly branched thin shoots. The leaves are green, small, and can be simple or complex - consisting of 3 oval segments. The flowering period begins in late spring - early summer, when the branches of the bush are abundantly covered with bright crimson or burgundy flowers. 

Cytisus purpureus

Small multi-stemmed shrubs, often not exceeding 50 - 60 cm in height, with erect or creeping stems. The leaves are bright green in color, complex - consisting of 3 oblong-oval segments, slightly bent along the central vein. The flowers are soft pink or lilac, densely covering the thin stems of the plants. 

Cytisus  Allgold

A variety of early cytisus, which is a deciduous, lush, multi-stemmed shrub up to 1.5 m high with thin branching shoots and green, small, compound leaves. During the flowering period, each thin branch is abundantly covered with fragrant flowers in all shades of yellow - from lemon to golden.