The cotoneaster is a popular plant in our gardens. You can transplant the plant both as a ground cover and as an evergreen shrub. The red berries are a welcome change of color, especially in the cold season. The cotoneaster requires little care and an annual cut, so you can use your time in the garden for beautiful things.
Undemanding periwinkle
The cotoneaster is an easy-care plant, which is particularly well suited for gardening beginners. Due to its robustness, the plant thrives in a wide variety of places, but feels most comfortable in the sun. The cotoneaster is also not picky about the soil and can also be planted in rock gardens or in loamy soil. The situation is a little different when it comes to watering, since the cotoneaster does not tolerate excessive moisture. The roots are sensitive to waterlogging and can rot. Therefore, the plant needs too little water rather than too much. You do not have to fertilize, but this will support the cotoneaster in its growth. By the way, the fruits of the plant are poisonous, so you should protect them from your children or pets.
Correct cutting made easy
At this point we give you a short guide to the correct pruning of the cotoneaster, which should be done annually. Regular pruning is a good element of care for the plant. In particular, you should cut back the ground cover radically, which refers to both the height and the width of the cotoneaster. Sprouting on side branches is a trait that can be curbed by pruning the plant. When this pruning should happen depends on the type of cotoneaster. Evergreen varieties are pruned in spring so that flowering and fruiting can then proceed optimally. You should prune the deciduous cotoneaster in winter and hedge-type varieties in August. They cut all dense and criss-crossing shoots out of the plant to give it room to grow again. If you want to prune your cotoneaster, which is recommended for ground covers, cut off the branches directly above the buds. The scissors are applied at an angle and the branch is severed in this way. Repeat this process until your cotoneaster has reached the desired size.