Garden Care Guide

Crataegus x yosgatica Care

Crataegus x yosgatica

A very hardy hawthorn species endemic to Turkey and especially adapted to the continental climate of Central Anatolia. It prefers full sun and chalky, poor soil, and is very tolerant of drought and frost.

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
  • Pruning: This is the ideal time for shaping, thinning, and dead branch removal pruning.
  • General care: Planting can be carried out.
  • Pests & diseases: Check the branches for overwintering insect eggs.
  • Frost risk: It is very hardy; only the roots of very young, newly planted seedlings can be protected with mulch.
February
  • Pruning: While dormant, remove dry, broken, crossing and inward-growing branches so that air and light reach the inside of the crown.
  • Plant protection: Just before the buds wake up, a protective spray with Bordeaux mixture or an equivalent copper-based fungicide (especially against the risk of fire blight and black spot).
  • General care: Clean up the base of the plant.
  • Pests & diseases: Check for the presence of scale insects.
March
  • Watering: When the soil begins to dry, 10-15 L/week.
  • Fertilizing: To support growth, use a balanced NPK (15-15-15) or well-rotted farmyard manure (soil, 50-150 gr/plant; do not overfeed).
  • Pruning: Only frost-struck or broken branches are removed.
  • General care: Hoe the soil shallowly.
  • Pests & diseases: Check the shoots for aphids that are becoming active.
April
  • Watering: 15-20 L/week.
  • Fertilizing: Not necessary (if applied in March).
  • Pruning: Not done because it is flowering time.
  • 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: Clear weeds.
  • 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: 20-25 L/week.
  • 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: Monitor fruit set.
  • 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: Regular watering is important for the fruits to enlarge.
  • 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.
  • Plant protection: If the spider mite population increases, use a miticide with abamectin as the active ingredient.
  • General care: To prevent water stress during extreme heat, apply mulch if necessary.
  • Pests & diseases: Yellowing of the leaves can be a sign of water stress or nutrient deficiency.
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 color and ripen.
  • Pests & diseases: Netting or shiny strips can be hung to prevent birds from damaging the fruit.
September
  • Watering: In a long drought, water deeply once a month.
  • Fertilizing: After harvest is finished, a potassium-heavy fertilizer (such as potassium sulfate) can be given so the plant enters winter strong (on the soil, 50 g per plant; do not overdo it).
  • 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: The ripening fruits are harvested.
  • 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: If the rains have not started, 10-15 L/week, then stop.
  • Plant protection: After the leaves have fallen, a protective application of Bordeaux mixture can be made.
  • General care: This is one of the best months for planting. Gather and destroy fallen and diseased leaves.
  • Pests & diseases: Avoid overwatering to prevent root rot.
November
  • Fertilizing: This is the best time to spread well-rotted farmyard manure around the plant and mix it into the soil.
  • Pruning: Winter pruning can begin once the plant has fully gone dormant.
  • General care: Collect fallen leaves; many disease agents and pests overwinter under leaves.
  • Pests & diseases: Check for insects hiding under tree bark to overwinter.
  • Frost risk: It is very hardy; no special precautions are needed.
December
  • Pruning: This is the ideal period for winter pruning (shaping, thinning branches, removing diseased and dead wood).
  • General care: Cleaning and maintenance of garden tools.
  • Pests & diseases: Monitor the general condition of the plant in winter conditions.

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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