title: Like the hawthorn, the hawthorn can function wonderfully as a hedge plant. But you get even more out of its attractive character if you cultivate it as a standard. With its spherical crown and attractive flowers, it has the highest ornamental value as a house tree.
If you want to raise a hawthorn as a standard, you have to start training early
Why the hawthorn is an ideal house tree candidate
Plots of land are tending to become smaller and smaller and the space available for ornamental greenery around the house is becoming smaller and smaller. A mighty chestnut or a mature linden tree are more suitable for very few gardens and front gardens. You still don't want to miss out on some homely tree flair in your private oasis? Then a small tree is needed. If you also want an attractive flower pile, the hawthorn can be just the thing for you.
The hawthorn has everything on offer for small garden purposes:
- Moderate overall size
- Moderate growth rate
- High decorative value
- Good cutting tolerance
- Tolerant to frost and urban climates
The key data of the hawthorn
The cultivar 'Paul's Scarlet' of the two-pronged hawthorn Crataegus laevigata is regarded as a real hawthorn. It grows as a large shrub or small tree and is about 4-6 m high and 1.50 to 2.50 m wide. Its small, dark green and multi-lobed foliage and its knotty, thorny appearance typical of hawthorn appear very delicate and at the same time rustic. Its flowers are filled like small roses and stand out attractively in carmine red against the green of the leaves. They appear in pleasing profusion in May and June.
This is how you train the hawthorn to become a standard
Normally, if it is not pruned, the hawthorn grows sprawling and slightly bulky as a large shrub. If you would like to integrate it into a small front garden or set up a romantic seating area under it, you can easily train it to become a standard tree.
The best thing to do is to get an early specimen from the nursery. The most important cutting work has to be done in the first two years. The procedure is roughly the same as with fruit trees.
how to cut
Make the cut every year at the end of winter or early spring. The lower, lateral shoots in particular are radically shortened. Cut back the central shoot by about a third every year.
crown shaping
Crown shaping is all about your personal taste. If you want a simple ball crown, you have it relatively easy. In that case, you can simply cut back all the crown branches to a spherical silhouette. As a rule, this also looks the most natural.
If you want to achieve a more elaborate pyramid shape, you may need to use drawstrings or spacers, which can be tedious with the thorny branches. It is ideal if you have 4 leading branches that protrude from the trunk at an angle of about 45°. Then you get a wide crown base. After about 7 to 8 years, the training cut is usually complete and you only have to sharpen the silhouette you have gained every year.
Important when cutting: Always wear gauntlets to protect against the sharp thorns!