Lycium anatolicum Care
Lycium anatolicum
A shrub native to Anatolia that loves full sun and is very tolerant of drought and poor soils. It is used in landscaping and for erosion control, and its fruits (buckthorn berries) are edible.
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.
- Pruning: The best time to shape it and remove dead and weak branches.
- General care: Root cuttings can be taken for propagation.
- Pests & diseases: Check the bark for overwintering pests.
- Pruning: Pruning can be completed by the end of the month.
- General care: For growing from seed, preparations for stratified sowing can be made.
- Watering: Not needed; rainfall is sufficient.
- Fertilizing: Slow-release balanced NPK (e.g. 15-15-15) or well-rotted manure, to the soil, 20-30 g/m², do not overdo it.
- Pruning: Prune just before the shoots break. Because flowers form on this year's new shoots, hard pruning increases flowering.
- General care: You can mulch the root zone.
- Pests & diseases: Watch for gall mites on the waking buds.
- Frost risk: Young plants may be affected by late frosts but are usually hardy.
- Watering: For young saplings, 5-10 L/week, only if the soil dries out.
- Plant protection: For aphids (Aphidoidea), soapy water made with Aleppo soap or neem oil, at the label dose.
- General care: Weed control.
- Pests & diseases: Check the new shoots for aphids.
- Watering: Not required; young plants are watered only during prolonged drought.
- Plant protection: For powdery mildew (Erysiphales), apply a sulfur-based fungicide at the label rate if you see a white powdery coating.
- General care: Flowering period.
- Pests & diseases: Watch for powdery mildew and aphids.
- Watering: In a long drought, water deeply once a month.
- General care: Fruit set begins.
- Pests & diseases: For spider mites (Tetranychidae), check the undersides of leaves in hot, dry weather.
- 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 ripen.
- 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: Fruit can be harvested; protection against birds may be needed.
- Pests & diseases: Watch for bird damage on ripening fruits.
- Watering: In a long drought, water deeply once a month.
- General care: Harvest continues; propagation by softwood cuttings can be tried.
- Pests & diseases: After harvest, check the plant in general.
- Pruning: Only light corrections for aesthetic purposes can be made.
- General care: Leaf fall begins; fallen leaves can be cleared.
- Pruning: Not needed. The plant enters dormancy.
- General care: Collect fallen leaves; many disease agents and pests overwinter under leaves.
- Pruning: Not needed. January can be used for pruning.
- General care: Complete dormancy period.
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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