Would you like to be at the feast of admiring a flowering tree? An idle question… Only the Japanese could have thought of this before - a people who have retained unity with nature and therefore the most romantic in the world. For them, sakura is a dream tree, a tree of life, and therefore they worship it in the full sense of the word. Sakura blooms for a very short time, from several hours to several days, and therefore its image "penetrates" in Japanese poetry as a sign of the transience of time.
It is hardly necessary to explain to anyone what sakura looks like. The tree is so popular that even people who have never seen it with their own eyes can easily imagine these branches plastered with a thick pink color. At home - in Japan, in the countries of Southeast Asia - it can reach 6-10 meters in height. Sakura has about 150 varieties, most of which are fruit trees. Japanese cherries are smaller than regular cherries and taste sour. It is used mainly in pickled form, as an ingredient in sauces and seasonings. There are also purely decorative varieties, but they are in no way inferior to fruit varieties in theirpopularity.
In the 30s of the last century, an overseas miracle - sakura - was brought to the southern nurseries of Russia. The tree took root in a foreign land not immediately. Breeders have made a lot of efforts to regionalize and adapt it to new conditions. Today, sakura can be seen in almost all botanical gardens in regions with a subtropical climate. There is experience of its cultivation in some districts of the North Caucasus. In Europe, the tree can be found in countries with a mild climate - in the south of Ukraine, in the Czech Republic, in Spain. However, it must be admitted that sakura does not reach such sizes as in Japan anywhere else. Mostly decorative, rather miniature varieties of it are grown in Russia.
And yet I would like to see a sakura tree grow in the garden near the house! The price doesn't matter! Or maybe really try? Having made up your mind, you need to buy a seedling in a nursery, and not in the market or along the road. This should be done in the fall, when the tree ends falling leaves. The best specimens are grafted, with a formed crown and a lignified trunk, up to 80-100 cm high. In its area, the tree should be carefully dug in an inclined position, protected from frost and rodents for the winter. In early spring, before the growing season begins, sakura should be planted. The tree is planted in a predetermined, well-lit area. It will not endure transfer from place to place. Ideal if the site has mounds, hillocks or natural slopes - Japanese cherry requires perfect drainage for the root system. The soil should be non-acidic, bestneutral. This can be helped by preliminary liming of the hole - not immediately before planting, but six months, even a year. Watering is required only during the driest time.
And what if there is nowhere to plant a favorite tree? Sakura (photo above) will live in your heart, or you can imprint her image on your body forever. But that's another story.
Throw a rock at me!
Cherry blossom branch
I'm broken now.
These lines are from Japanese haiku, and they are about a reverent attitude towards everything living and beautiful.
