The sloe with its impressive blossoms and the autumnal fruit decoration is an ornament in the house garden. Due to the sprawling root sprouts, the pretty thorn bush can develop into a problem in some locations.

The sloe loves dry soil

Sloes prefer a sunny spot in the garden. Drought is far better tolerated by the shrub than too much moisture. The wild fruit bushes prefer loose soil that should be nutrient-rich, permeable and calcareous. The undemanding sloe can even cope well with stony ground. The ideal soil pH is between 6 and 8.5.

Plant blackthorn correctly

  • Dig out the planting hole large enough to accommodate the spread roots
  • Carefully remove diseased root shoots
  • Mix the plant substrate with a suitable fertilizer
  • Tamp down the soil to close any air holes at the roots
  • Water the shrub after planting

You can plant sloes all year round. The best planting time for container plants is spring and autumn, root crops should always be planted in autumn. If you are planning a sloe hedge as a property boundary, you must plan two sloes per meter.

Set limits to the root sprouts

Since sloes can grow to a height of three meters, they are not suitable for planting under other trees. When planting, note that the thorny shrub spreads through root suckers. Garden owners often complain that they have a lot of trouble with the root system of the blackthorn, as these can form offshoots of up to ten meters in length.

So that you don't have to laboriously dig up the roots or even remove the bush after a few years, it is advisable to keep the sprawling growth within the desired limits with a root barrier. Concrete manhole rings with a depth of fifty centimeters that are placed in the ground are recommended for this purpose.

Evergreen shrubs keep the sloe small

Due to the extensive root system, the sloe is ideal if you want to stabilize a slope. If, for garden design reasons, it is not possible to limit the roots in the ground, you can also keep the blackthorn small with competing plants and regular pruning. Evergreen and fast-growing deciduous shrubs such as yew or cherry laurel are best suited for this.

tips and tricks

Concrete manhole rings are prefabricated concrete parts that are mainly used to build sewage pipes. You can get these in any well-stocked hardware store.

Category:

Vegetable garden