Argenteo variegata Care

This plant likes to be kept in moist conditions but not waterlogged. You should water when a few inches (5cm) of the top of the soil has dried. Don’t let the soil dry out completely because this might affect the root system of the plant, and leaves will start to fall if you do this repeatedly. If you keep it in a container, water gradually, letting the soil absorb water, and stop the waterflow when you see that water is no longer absorbed in the soil. If kept outside, normal rainfall should be enough to keep your plant watered, but look out for it in hotter days of summer, so the soil does not stay dry for too many days.

Pruning is key to having a healthy, non-invasive shrub in your garden. You should prune it to ensure good airflow so the plant does not attract disease and to control its spread, as it can get quite chaotic in growth without pruning. Cut any dead or diseased canes first, then focus on the old canes, especially the ones that started to get a bit all over the place. Cut those to the ground so you encourage new growth. Always aim for a single sharp cut so you reduce the danger of spreading disease and affecting the remaining healthy branches.

This is not a plant that requires you to go hard on fertilization. Fertilize once a year in spring or late fall with a fertilizer rich in nitrogen to encourage leaf growth. However, do not exaggerate with this nitrogen fertilization, as this can lead to too much leaf growth and almost no flowers.

In order to help your Italian buckthorn shrub flower, you need to keep it in full sun. It does well in partial shade as well, but there will be less flowering and less fruits later in summer. Try to give your plant at least 6 hours of sun daily to see it thrive.

Use a soil mix that has the ability to retain water to some extent, as the Italian buckthorn prefers to stay in moist conditions. Clay or loamy soil is good for it as well, or you can use normal gardening soil, which you add natural compost to, to keep the soil rich in nutrients.

The easiest way to go about propagating the Italian buckthorn is by cuttings off new growth at the beginning of summer. Simply cut a diagonal cut in the new growth and let the new cut air dry for two to three days. Then, you can optionally add growth hormone to the new cuttings and place them in new soil. You can also go by the ground layering method if you have a mature plant that can support the new plant in establishing itself.

Italian buckthorn does well in most temperatures, and it is frost resistant to some extent, at about 5 °F (-15 °C). It is bчвіеetter to bring them inside during winter, so the shrub saves the energy for spring instead of using it to keep the plant alive to negative degrees.

Although most of the time, Italian buckthorn is identified as a plant, which grows directly in soil, you can also keep it small and nicely looking in a container. Choose a container that is big and heavy enough to support the Italian buckthorn growth and root system. Choose one with drainage holes.

Italian buckthorn is a little firefighter. Although no plant is completely resistant to fire, there are some species that will help keep a fire under control if kept around, as they don’t burn as fast as other plants do. Although it is considered invasive, Italian buckthorn is often used in landscaping in territories prone to wildfires.