Garden Care Guide

Crataegus rhipidophylla Care

Crataegus rhipidophylla

A thorny, deciduous, very hardy small tree that is also native to Turkey. It is ideal for forming impenetrable hedges; it has white flowers in spring and red fruit eaten by birds in autumn.

Hardy · -30 °C / -22 °F

Monthly care calendar

Timings are for a temperate Northern Hemisphere climate. In warmer areas tasks start earlier, in colder areas later; in the Southern Hemisphere shift them by six months.

January
  • Watering: Not required; winter precipitation is sufficient.
  • Pruning: Not needed. The best time for pruning is the end of the month.
  • Plant protection: Against overwintering pests, dormant oil and/or a copper-based preparation (Bordeaux mixture) can be applied at the end of the month.
  • General care: Red berries on branches are an important food source for birds throughout the winter.
  • Pests & diseases: Check the trunk and branches for canker or scale insects.
February
  • Watering: Not needed; rainfall is sufficient.
  • Pruning: While dormant, remove dry, broken, crossing and inward-growing branches so that air and light reach the inside of the crown.
  • Plant protection: After pruning, apply Bordeaux mixture as a protective treatment.
  • General care: Be sure to destroy pruning debris.
  • Pests & diseases: Disinfecting pruning tools prevents the spread of diseases such as fire blight.
March
  • Watering: Usually rainfall is sufficient. Only newly planted saplings need watering.
  • Fertilizing: At the start of the month, apply well-rotted farmyard manure or compost over the tree's crown projection.
  • Pruning: Pruning should be finished by the beginning of this month.
  • General care: New leaves begin to emerge.
  • Pests & diseases: Be alert for fire blight. Immediately cut out shoots that suddenly darken and look scorched, and destroy them.
April
  • Watering: If there is no rainfall, water young seedlings every 15 days.
  • Pruning: Not needed. Flowering begins.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Produces white flower spikes that attract bees.
  • Pests & diseases: Look for aphids (green or black clusters of small insects) on fresh shoot tips. If there are only a few, you can knock them off with a strong jet of water.
May
  • Watering: Not needed for mature plants. Water new seedlings every 15 days.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Flowering ends and fruit set begins.
  • Pests & diseases: Check fresh shoot tips for aphids (small clusters of green or black insects). If there are few, you can knock them off with a strong spray of water. If you see black spots with yellow rings on the leaves (black spot), collect the diseased leaves and remove them from the garden; the disease overwinters in fallen leaves.
June
  • Watering: In a long drought, water deeply once a month.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Green fruits begin to form and grow.
  • Pests & diseases: Check fresh shoot tips for aphids (small clusters of green or black insects). If there are few, you can knock them off with a strong spray of water. If you see black spots with yellow rings on the leaves (black spot), collect the diseased leaves and remove them from the garden; the disease overwinters in fallen leaves.
July
  • Watering: In midsummer, deep watering every 15-20 days is enough. Established plants (over 2 years old) do not need watering in most years. Water the area around the roots to a depth of 15-20 cm.
  • General care: The fruits continue to grow.
August
  • Watering: In midsummer, deep watering every 15-20 days is enough. Established plants (over 2 years old) do not need watering in most years. Water the area around the roots to a depth of 15-20 cm.
  • General care: The fruits begin to turn from green to red.
September
  • Watering: In a long drought, water deeply once a month.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Harvest begins at the end of the month. Fruits are picked when they color. It is the best time of the year to plant a new hawthorn sapling.
  • Pests & diseases: If you see black spots with yellow halos on the leaves (black spot), collect the diseased leaves and remove them from the garden; the disease overwinters in fallen leaves.
October
  • Watering: Not required; autumn precipitation is sufficient.
  • General care: Finish the harvest. The leaves begin to yellow and drop.
  • Pests & diseases: Prevent the spread of diseases by collecting the rotten fruit that has fallen to the ground.
November
  • Watering: Not needed; rainfall is sufficient.
  • General care: Collect fallen leaves; many disease agents and pests overwinter under leaves.
December
  • General care: The tree is in full dormancy.

The care advice on this page is general and for information only; it is not professional advice. Plant age, soil and your garden’s microclimate can change the outcome. Plant protection products are mentioned only as general information; they are regulated, and the choice, dose and timing must be decided by a qualified professional under local rules. Consult a landscape architect or agronomist before applying.

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