Common rowan

Common or red rowan (Sórbus aucupáaria) – a species of woody deciduous plants of the genus Sorbus of the Rosaceae family (Rosaceae). Distributed throughout Europe, Western Asia, in the Caucasus, and reaching the far North. In mountains it rises to the vegetation limit, where it grows as a shrub. Introduced worldwide within the temperate climate zone. Grows singly, not forming thickets, in the understorey, in the second tier of coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests, on edges and forest glades, and among shrubs.

It is a medium-height tree, less often a shrub, with an open rounded crown. It reaches 5-10 (12) m in height, 4-6 m in width. Lifespan 100-150 years. Bark yellow-gray or light gray-brown, smooth, glossy. Young shoots are gray-red and pubescent. Buds are woolly-hairy.

Leaves alternate, up to 20 cm long, imparipinnate, consisting of 7-15 leaflets, lanceolate or elongated in shape, acute or toothed at the margin, entire near the base and serrate toward the tip. Leaflets are green and matte above, paler and pubescent below. In autumn the leaves turn golden and red.

Flowers numerous, five-parted, gathered in dense corymb-like inflorescences up to 10 cm in diameter, growing at the ends of shortened shoots. The receptacle has a cup-like form and consists of 5 ciliate broadly triangular sepals. The corolla is small, 0.8-1.5 cm in diameter, white; petals 5, many stamens, pistil 1, styles 3, ovary inferior. When in bloom it emits an unpleasant smell. Blooms in May-June.

Fruits – small juicy spherical pomes of orange-red color, up to 1 cm in diameter; seeds small, rounded, located at the periphery. They ripen in late August – September and remain on the tree until winter. Begins to fruit at 5-7 years, fruits annually and abundantly. Most productive at 35-40 years, when yield reaches 100 kg of fruit per tree.

Varieties: divided into 2 cultivar groups: Nevezhinsk and Moravian. Moravian varieties originate from Central Europe; Nevezhinsk from Eastern Europe. Moravian: 'Beissneri', 'Моравская', 'Rosina', 'Konzentra', 'Edulis'. Nevezhinsk: 'Красная', 'Жёлтая', 'Невежинская', 'Кубовая', 'Сахарная'

Hardiness zone: 3

Position: light-loving, but can also grow in partial shade. Likes warmth and is tolerant of high temperatures. Does not tolerate urban conditions well; resistant to wind. Grows on almost all soils, from relatively dry to moist, prefers well-drained, relatively fertile substrates. Sensitive to salinization and prolonged severe drought. Does not tolerate alkaline soils. Optimal soil pH – 6-6.5. Groundwater should be no closer than 2 m deep.

Planting: planting can be carried out in spring until the end of April and in autumn – late September to early October. Best survival occurs with spring planting. Planting hole size: 60x60x60 cm. Seedlings should not be planted deeper than they were. The soil mixture consists of topsoil, 5 kg of peat compost or humus, a href=" fertilizer (100 g) and superphosphate (200 g). Acid soils should be limed. Optimal planting period: autumn – from mid-September to early October or early spring. Distance between vigorous trees should be at least 3-4 m, for weak-growing ones – 1.5-2 m.

Care: In drought it is recommended to water at the beginning of the growing season, 15-20 days before harvest and 2-3 weeks after fruit collection. Water by pouring into furrows or shallow trenches around the trunk, 2-3 buckets per plant. To obtain an abundant crop, in spring apply 5-8 kg of compost or humus and 50 g of ammonium nitrate under each tree. At the beginning of summer it is recommended to apply 10 L of cow manure diluted with water at a ratio of 1:5 or poultry manure 1:10. Soil under the trees should be kept loose and free of weeds. In autumn it is necessary to loosen the trunk circle to a depth of 10-15 cm, avoiding damage to the roots.

Pruning: to increase crown strength it is recommended to set the main branches at obtuse angles. Pruning is carried out in early spring before bud swelling. On young trees shoots are slightly shortened to an outer bud and broken or excess branches are removed. On fruiting rowans it is recommended to remove suckers and to perform sanitary pruning. Shaping of fruiting plants depends on the character of fruiting. For cultivars that fruit on last year’s growth, branches are recommended to be slightly shortened and thinned. With weak growth the tree needs rejuvenation pruning to 2-5 year old wood. For rowans that fruit on various types of formations, the semi-skeletal branches are shortened, and the fruiting spurs are thinned and rejuvenated. Shoots grow quickly and ripen well by winter.

Diseases and pests: is little affected by diseases and pests. One of the main pests is the cherry slug sawfly. Because rowan leafs out one of the first in the garden, it often becomes the target of aphid outbreaks, which then spread throughout the garden. To prevent this, it is recommended to spray rowan with the product «Aktara». During the growing season use the product «Fitoverm».

Propagation: by seeds, grafting, cuttings, layering, and root suckers. Cultivar plants are propagated by grafting. For seed propagation it is necessary to collect fruits at the beginning of browning, mash through a sieve, wash with water and dry. Seeds are stored moist until autumn. Before the ground freezes, sow them in small furrows placed 15-18 cm apart, to a depth of 1-1.5 cm and cover with compost. For spring sowing seeds require stratification for 6-7 months at 0-1°C. In spring seeds are sown as early as possible in a sunny place with fertile soil. Layering is used when the plant has a bushy or low-stem form. In spring or autumn branches are bent to the ground, fixed with hooks, while the tip is brought up and fixed in a vertical position. The fixed part of the shoot at the ground should be ringed. By autumn, above the ringed place adventitious roots will appear. It is recommended to dig up by the end of the second year. All grafting methods are available. Grafting technique is the same as for apple.

Uses: Belongs to low-valued fruit plants. Fruits can be consumed fresh, used for making jam, kissels, jams, pastilles, tinctures, jelly, marmalade, as well as in brined and pickled form. Fresh fruits have a bitterish taste, but after the first frosts the bitterness disappears. Powder from dried fruits can be used as a pie filling. Fruits are widely used in folk medicine. Used in garden landscaping because it is decorative throughout the year, especially during flowering and autumn coloration. It is a good nectar source. Harvesting is carried out in September-October after full ripening or after the first frosts, when the fruits have lost their bitter taste. Collection is done by hand, picking together with the pedicels. Fruits collected with pedicels and leaves keep longer. Fresh rowan spread in a layer 10-15 cm thick can be well stored until spring at 0 to +1°C without loss of beneficial properties. Also stores well frozen, but thawing must be avoided.