Planting and Growing Sea Buckthorn: Tips for the Home Garden

Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) is a shrub whose berries have long been known as a source of vitamins and antioxidants. Advice for Latvian gardeners who want to grow it at home comes from Aija Smagare, owner of the plant nursery “Ēvele”.

Origin

The plant originally comes from Nepal, from where it spread to China, the Caucasus, Canada and Scandinavia. During the first Ice Age it reached Central Europe from Central Asia. Its Latin name can be translated as “shining horse”: for centuries sea buckthorn was regarded as a medicinal plant for animals and was used to groom horses.

Suitable site

The shrub needs a sunny, windy spot with permeable, sufficiently moist loamy-sand or sandy-loam soil. The optimal soil reaction is slightly acidic, pH 5.5–6.5. Heavy clay soil is unsuitable and must be improved with sand and gravel. In very sandy soils, compost is worked in at a 1:1 ratio.

Planting

Bare-root plants are set out only in early spring, because those planted in autumn establish less well. Container-grown plants can be planted throughout the season. The above-ground part of the seedling is shortened by a third so that all remaining shoots are of equal length. A very long root is not trimmed but folded into the planting hole. The plant goes in as deep as it grew before. Complex mineral fertiliser may be added to the hole, but it must not touch the roots. The recommended spacing is 2 metres between plants and 4 metres between rows. After planting, the bed is best mulched with wood chips, which keep soil moisture even and protect the roots from overheating.

Care

Sea buckthorn is usually considered a hardy, easy-care plant. Its lifespan averages 15 years, after which the shrubs are renewed or replaced.

Pruning is done in early spring, as early as February or March, starting with damaged and diseased branches. Young plants are cut back to roughly knee height in the first and second years after planting and gradually shaped into bushes; otherwise they can easily break under the weight of fruit later. Fruiting shrubs are pruned during harvest, leaving 30% of the green mass; cutting more can kill the shrub. Older, unshaped trees can be renewed by sawing them off about 20 cm above ground in spring.

In spring, apply complex mineral fertiliser with higher nitrogen content, about a handful per plant. Chlorine-containing fertiliser must not be used, and no feeding is needed in autumn.

Winter hardiness

The plant withstands frost down to –50 ºC, and its roots in the soil down to –20 ºC. It needs no winter cover. It reacts more sensitively to winter thaws. Flower frost resistance is high, though the flowers of male plants sometimes freeze because they bloom first.