The snowberry impresses with its enchanting summer blossom, unique fruit decoration in autumn and good-natured undemanding. Young and old alike are as happy as snow kings when the white berries burst with a bang. The following answers to frequently asked questions show how easy it is to care for you.
How to care for a snowberry in the garden?
The snowberry is an undemanding ornamental tree with summer flowers and autumnal fruit decorations. It prefers sunny to partially shaded locations and normal garden soil. Care includes occasional watering, pruning when necessary and light winter protection during the planting year.
Planting snowberries correctly
If you choose the leafless period from November to March as the date for planting, this will create the best starting conditions for the snowberry. In a sunny to partially shaded location in normal garden soil, create a spacious planting pit with twice the volume of the root ball. To prevent the vital runners from conquering the garden later, we recommend installing a geotextile root barrier. If the snap pea functions as a decorative hedge, the planting distance is 100-110 cm. Ideally, enrich the excavation with mature compost or bark humus. The potted young plant is positioned in the middle of the planting hole and planted with the enriched substrate. The existing planting depth should be maintained as far as possible. Watering and mulching with leaves complete the uncomplicated planting.
Care tips
It is no coincidence that the snowberry is one of the favorites of hobby gardeners with limited time, because the care program is limited to the following points:
- Water the snap pea only when it is dry in summer
- Fertilizing is not necessary
- Prune only if necessary in early spring
- Uncomplicated propagation using cuttings, division, planting or saplings
- Light winter protection recommended in the year of planting
Prevention against unwanted spread should be included in the care program. Since vital runners up to 60 cm long thrive in the optimal location, a root barrier should put a stop to this growth. Alternatively, pluck out the numerous shoots as soon as possible if they are not suitable for propagation.
Which location is suitable?
If you are looking for an ornamental tree that won't let you down even in less favorable locations, the snap pea is there. As long as the lighting conditions are in the sunny to partially shaded range, the snowberry will do its best. When it comes to soil conditions, the decorative shrub is just as undemanding and happily stretches out its roots in any normal garden soil.
Cut snowberries correctly
By nature, the snap pea develops a harmonious silhouette that does not necessarily require an annual topiary. However, if the ornamental shrub takes on undesirable dimensions, pruning is tolerated without any problems. How to do it right:
- Cut snowberries in early spring from February to April
- Short branches that are too long by up to two thirds
- Make each cut just above an outward-facing eye
- In addition, thin out the wood thoroughly by cutting off all dead wood at the base
The branches of a snap pea strewn with white berries also decorate the living room as vase decorations. So that you can enjoy the autumn decoration for a long time, cut the shoots shortly before the fruits ripen.read more
Watering snowberries
The snowberry has a dense foliage and long-lasting flower decorations all summer long. Therefore, the ornamental tree evaporates a lot of moisture. Water the snap pea regularly in summer heat and drought to protect it from drought stress. This may be necessary even after a light downpour if the drops do not penetrate to the root disk. Under normal weather conditions, an additional water supply is not necessary.
Fertilize snowberries properly
The explicit application of fertilizer is not necessary as the snap pea supplies itself via its richly branched root and runner system. The snowberry is still happy about a mulch layer of leaves, grass clippings or compost and thanks it with a lavish flower and lush fruit decoration.
Wintering
The snowberry has a robust winter hardiness that does not require any special precautions. Of course, this resilience only builds up gradually. Light winter protection makes sense in the year of planting. Before the first frost, spread a thick layer of leaves and brushwood and cover the young branches with jute.
Propagate snowberries
The diversity of a snap pea continues seamlessly in terms of propagation. To breed additional specimens, choose from the following methods:
- Cutting cuttings in autumn
- Lowering during the summer
- Pick off shoots at the foothills in summer and plant them in the new location
- Dividing the root ball in spring or autumn
Sowing the seeds is also an option; Of course, it turns out to be quite complex. Seeds that come from the pulp of a berry are equipped by Mother Nature with a germination inhibitor. Breaking through this requires stratification and a long process of patience. You can only look forward to the first flowering with the following fruit after 2-3 years at the earliest.
Snowberry in a pot
As a magical feast for the eyes, the snowberry in the bucket attracts everyone's attention. To ensure that the ornamental tree thrives vitally and he althily, the following care is important:
- Use structurally stable pot plant soil as a substrate, filled over a drainage made of pottery shards
- Water regularly as soon as the soil has dried out
- Fertilize liquidly every 30 days from May to September
- If necessary, shorten shoots that are too long in spring
If winter is just around the corner, cover the bucket with bubble wrap and place it on a block of wood in front of the south wall of the house. In spring, always repot the snap pea when the previous pot is completely rooted.
Is snowberry poisonous?
Although the snap pea contains toxic saponins and alkaloids, this ornamental shrub poses no significant he alth risk. As practice has shown, the small fruits pass through the stomach and intestines without causing any damage. In fact, the toxicity is at such a low level that an adult would have to eat at least 70 pounds of snowberries to be harmed. However, explain to your children that the berries are there to pop and not to snack on.read more
Trivia
Stefan Raab and the band Truck Stop created a musical monument to the magnificent ornamental tree in 1999 with the song “Mesh-Draht-Fence”. Since then, it has become known to the general public outside of the hobby gardening community that the robust snap pea has the potential to stand up to a chain-link fence.
Beautiful varieties
- Hancock: Distinctive dwarf snapping pea for small gardens and as a dense ground cover; However, it tends to grow
- White Hedge: The compact variety conjures up wonderfully beautiful white hedges and acts as a pasture for bees and butterflies
- Amethyst: The ideal complement to the white snowberry thanks to pink berries in autumn
- Magic Berry: This snap pea impresses with its delicate pink blossom and magenta-red fruit decoration
