Watering rowan (mountain ash)

• Rowan origin
• Rowan care and location
• Pruning rowan
• Watering rowan
• Fertilizing rowan

Rowan origin

The deciduous rowan, or mountain ash (Sorbus aucuparia), is a member of the whitebeam family in the rose family. It reaches a height of about 10 to 15 m and usually lives up to 80 years. Birds have a preference for the red fruits of the rowan, which is where the name rowan comes from.

It has its origins in Europe, Asia and Western Siberia. The Germanic peoples worshipped the rowan tree as the tree of the thunder god Thor and its leaves, flowers and fruits were used in medicine. For the Celts it was a spiritual tree that grew in holy places and their druids used the wood to make their staffs.

From May onwards, the alternate leaves sprout, which usually consist of 15 toothed leaflets. Its leaves resemble those of the ash tree. In autumn they turn yellow-orange to strong red. After sprouting in May, the white flowers, around 1 cm in size, appear and are arranged in umbels up to 15 cm wide.

The fruits of the rowanberry are ripe from mid-August to October. The fresh fruits contain small amounts of parasorbic acid, which is slightly poisonous, and the seeds contain hydrogen cyanide. Parasorbic acid causes nausea in large quantities, but is neutralized when cooked. Jam, chutney, juice and liquor are made from rowanberries.

Rowan care and location

The rowan tree has few requirements in terms of location and soil. It can cope with all types of soil. A sunny or partially shaded location is ideal for planting a rowan tree. The soil should be loose, with a high humus and nutrient content and slightly acidic.

Pruning rowan

The rowan tree is an easy-care tree that does not require pruning. It is best to let it grow undisturbed.
Rowan trees are shallow-rooted and have many small roots close to the surface.

Watering rowan

The water requirements of a black alder depend on various factors, such as the age and size of the tree, the location, the soil and the climate. Global warming is leading to longer periods of drought and increased heat in our regions. This has an impact on the environment and especially on trees. In some cases, it may be necessary to water trees more frequently than before.
Freshly planted rowan trees still need to establish roots and require a lot of water, but even with fully grown trees, care should be taken to ensure that the soil remains evenly moist.
The water requirement of a rowan tree depends on several factors such as the length of the dry period and the condition of the tree. As a general rule, young trees require 75 to 100 liters and older trees 150 to 200 liters per watering.
If too much water lands on the tree at once, there is a risk that moisture will evaporate or run off before it can reach the roots. For this reason, you should tree bath watering bags water more efficiently and even save water.
Attaching and filling the water bags is easy and uncomplicated. The bag is placed around the tree trunk like a jacket and closed with a zip. In the next step, you fill the bag with enough water so that after further alignment there are no more wrinkles visible in the lower area and then let it fill up.
For trees with larger trunks, several bags can also be connected with the zipper.
Two small holes release water evenly into the soil over several hours as drip irrigation. This means that the water is absorbed into the surrounding soil and by the roots better than with conventional watering. The irrigation bag covers the surface of the soil and prevents water from evaporating.

Fertilizing rowan

Rowan berries thrive in a variety of soil types and it is usually not necessary to fertilize them. However, if the soil is very sandy or poor in nutrients, it can be helpful to water the plant occasionally. fertilizeto promote its growth and improve flowering and fruiting. In spring, a layer of compost or organic fertilizer can be applied around the trunk. Too much fertilizer can affect the health of the rowan and negatively affect its growth and fruiting. The rowan tree should only be fertilized occasionally and in moderate amounts.