Horticulture in Poland

Thamk you fr your opinion.

I think that the other fact that is worth mentioning is that Poland has a very little raifall which also affects horticulture. At average it is 600 mm per year but in most of the lowland part of the country it is at 500 mm and in neiberhoods of Poznan and Warsaw even lower. Only in the north-west the rainfall is about 700 m, and in the moutains it reaches 1000 mm.

I have seen that a part of the discussion was also about Polish forests.
Poland is unfortunately third less afforestated country in EU after Ireland and GB. Forests cover about 27% of the country, an as you recogniosed they are rather plantations of scots pine of the same age than real forests.

Originally the kind of forests that are potential vegatation in the most of the country (excluding moutains and north-wesern lakelands) on the fertile clay soils are broadleaf oak-hornbeam forests. In the north-east spruce is also a presernt in those forests. But from the early middle ages they were mostly cut down to create fields (even name Polska kame from the word "pole"=filed). Only very small pathes of these forests survived, biggest in Bialowieża forest on the eastern border (about 70 km from Białystok). Scots pine forests and mixed oak-pine forests were also natural forest types on poor acid sandy soils and thus only those areas were not turned into fields this type of forests dominate nowdays.
In the north-west lakelands in more humid climate bleech forests dominate and near the coast there are some forests that are more atlantic-like so oak-birch but wihout such plants as holly.
In the moutains also bleech forests dominate (in Carpathians are and in Sudety they should but they were replaced by Germans with spruce plantations that are now dying out) and they are mostly mixed stands with fir (which has in Poland northern limit so you can find it only in the south). Onl in very high moutains (above 1 200 m above sea level) we have natural spruce forests.
In Poland you can find also small areas of steppe-like termophilous oak forests, alder forests, willow and poplar forests by the rivers bogs and marches.

It was a briefly written characteristic but I hope it was useful.

Lukasz

Lukasz, Thank you for your insight It seems to be lots of blueberries would do good there

Again, loads of interesting stuff from Lukasz K.


Do you get bluebells (Hycacinthoides sp.) in the remnants of these forests? If so, I'm going to have to visit in the spring when they're all out - they can look fantastic.


The problem with planting trees is that they are planted when there is demand for the wood. By the time they're ready for felling, the demand may have gone and something completely different is required.

As I know we do not have native bluebells (they are popular in gardens).
In April in broadleaf forests you can find for sure blossoming (I put latin names becouse I don't know all English) Anemone sp. (two species - white and yellow), Gagea sp., Hepatica sp, Viola sp., Corydalis sp. so the bottom of the forest is rather colorfull (white anemones dominate but it depends on a place).

And with blueberries - yes we have quite a lot espcially in the nortern lakelands. Schrubs are not as big and vital as I saw in Scandinavia but the fruit are tasty.

Lukasz

Lukasz this is great - thank you! I was wondering if you know where we could get hold of some old varieties of fruit trees? We have some land down in the Bieszczady and are thinking of planting an orchard (plums, apples, pears, mulberry??) and it would be good to do something to preserve biodiversity. Do you know of any nurseries specialising in supplying traditional varieties?

The only downside of Bluebells is that for much of the year, there's not much to look at, but when they are in full flower, they are a beautiful sight.


I don't know the English names of a lot of plants - they do tend to be a bit colloquial.
I've tried to find a few of the names on the web:

Anemone nemorosa (The white one) - Wood Anemone / Zawilec gajowy
Anemone perennis (Yellowy green flowers) - Dog's Mercury / Szczyr trwały
Gagea spp. - Star of Bethlehem / Złoć
Hepatica - Liverleaf? / Przylaszczka
Viola spp. - Violet / Fiołek (shared IE root to these plant names - the colour is named after the flowers)
Corydalis claviculata - Climbing Corydalis
Corydalis spp. - Kokorycz

Vaccinium spp. - Blueberry is the most common name now, but European spp. include:
V. myrtillus - Bilberry / Borówka czarna
V. vitis-idaea - Cowberry, Lingonberry / Borówka brusznica
V. oxycoccos - Cranberry (yes, that Cranberry) / Żurawina
V. uliginosum - Bog Bilberry / Borówka bagienna


I recommend Medlar (Mespilus germanicus). I have mentioned them on the forum before. They fall in and out of fashion, but they've never been really popular.

Still, at least talk of fruit trees is bringing us back on-topic - I should have started a seperate thread for the wildlife.

Does ginseng grow in Poland? And Lukasz You are invited to my forest anytime. You would enjot he hardwoods where I am from

To inkrakow:

It depends where you have your land. In moutains mostly on elevation, but for sure you can grow there apples, pears, sweet cherries and plums.

The easiest way to get old varietes is to walk around old abandoned willages (there is a lot of them in Bieszczady). Sometimes only fruit trees and an old cementery in the forest show that there was a village some time ago. Cut some shoots from the trees that fruits you find nice and try grafting them on trees from nursery. It demands some agricultural knowlege but is not as hard.

As I know in Arboretum Bolestraszyce that is near Przemysl the have a collection of old apple varietes from this region and it is possible that they sell them also.

bolestraszyce.com/guidebook.html

There you can find some information about this arboretum in English.

And another (I think) useful link (but in Polish).

arboretum.sggw.pl/kolekcje_botaniczne.html

Under the letters you will find alphabetical latin list of trees and schrubs plants growing in Rogow Arboretum that is one of the biggest just in the middle of the country so if you want to check if some cultivar of tree or schrub can grow in Poland you can check there.

Of course in much milder climate of the coast and west you can grow much more (from "my interest" for example Sequoiadendron, Cedrus atlantica, Cupressus arizonica and probably much more broadldeaf species that I am not good in...)

Lukasz

Very interesting ,Good idea on the grafts I have often thought of grafting grapes

What are the really trendy plants to get this year in Poland?

Marijuana.

I don't think we have arleady in Poland such "trends" for plants ech year as in UK. There are some plants that are prefered but it is not as "eweryone has to have blue violas this spring".
The plants that are on top since few years are dwarf conifers, rhdodendrons also some Asian styles like Hosta, Miskantus, Acer palmatum etc..
There are also some one year fasions as this for Cortaderia selloana or grafted roses on high stem which trned out to be completely not hardy here... But of course people bough thousands of them beafore the winter came...

I am now attending a course at the University on some gadening basics and we are visiting some proffesional nurseries around Warsaw (those which are really doing well) and one is producing only magnolias (using in vitro methods), the other is specialised in Clematis forms (but also other climbers as Wisteria, Campis, Akindia, Lonicera, Aristolochia - clematis.com.pl) and the third is specialised in big trees (when some new construcion is build they want to have green sourounding immidiately and they buy a 20 year old tree) - grabczewscy.com and the last is producing everything but has a great collection of plants - szmit.com.pl

Good. People should just get what they like. However, I'm not thinking so much about yearly trends - thinks fall in and out of favour over a slightly longer time period than that. Gardeners are supposed to be patient people who can let their plants grow over many years.

Last year there seemed to be a big thing for palms such as Bismarckia nobilis. I imagine a lot of people spent a fair bit of money on these things, only for them to die.

But with the property business doing well, a lot of plants tend to get traded as well. Gardens have a load of new plants thrown in (usually cheap ones) to make a property look good for sale. Then once sold, the new occupants then change a load of plants for things they like. A little while after that, they have to replace a load of these plants with ones that can actually grow in the conditions they have for them.

Or is it that not everyone is as garden-obsessed as the British? A Polish colleague moved back to Poland last autumn with a load of Wisterias and Fuchsias and stuff. Now a Slovak I work with has caught the garden bug - mostly for Roses and Camellias.



Plants that date any British garden to the early 1980s.


Best of luck to you, sir. Good to see you have signed up to PF as a member now as well.

If u r truly interested in horticulture Osioł, I could put u in touch with the Horticultural Officer in Aberdeen. He has built his career around it and I know him personally as he is the dad of my best friends from Scotland. We used to drink together but horticulture didn't feature high on the agenda.

He's a member of Aberdeen City Council and is a judge in the annual Britain in Bloom competition. I contributed to the cause of Aberdeen in 1996 as a student who had a summer job cleaning up gardens.

DO the same species of weeds grow in Poland as in the US. such as lambs quarters, Jimson weed, Poke weed etc.

Sb needs to get out more ;)

Seanus, maintaining the gardens is an admirable way to get along during ones younger years. I worked my way through college working at a private golf course.

A few: yes. Most: no.

There are weeds with a wide-ranging distribution, some of these as a result of humans accidentally taking seeds or even plants with them. Other plants may not be weeds in their native habitats, but do become problem plants once transported to a new environment.

Lamb's Quarters / Komosa biała (Chenopodium album) - Grows all over the place in the Northern Hemisphere.
Jimson Weed / Bieluń dziędzierzawa (Datura stramonium) - you're asking me about psychedelic drugs aren't you?
Pokeweed / Szkarłatka (Phytolacca spp.) - probably not, but there are people who grow funny plants, although from Poland, Amsterdam is not a particularly long flight away. Then again, maybe pokeweed doesn't contain mind-altering substances, but is a perfectly innocent plant that only damages people when not cooked properly.

OSiol, I am only interested in salad and not anything more. As for my weed question. I am interested ecause of the cost od weed control here on my farm is thousands of US dollar . My question was aimed at dicusion on a common problem of control of weeds . Re-phrased. What do farmers do in Poland for weed control?

I was joking outintheyard. When I use this ;), it means I'm joking. I did my share of gardening work. I did it for 3 months and often for my parents.

Salad can be more interesting than mind-altering substances. Sorry about not answering the question.

The EU and national governments regulate pesticides. I don't know about the specific kinds of weeds for different crops or different substrates. In the ornamentals sector, we tend to use granular pre-emergence Ronstar 2G straight after planting, followed by a liquid spray of Flexidor every 4 to 6 months. For unplanted areas, stronger chemicals are used.


Not like my experience of over 10 years.

VEry much the same everywhere I presume. and the regulations appear to be fairly the same. Nothing beats the old hand weeding or of course watching someone else do it. That is the best with a cold glass of lemonade or good beer ! I have a rather nice big front porch for supervisory. Just in case any PF mebers would like to come by and do some weeding?

I can safely say that I didn't say those words, a bit esoteric for me

How did Osiol's words get your name on them? Any way Seanus, do you live in a place with gardens now?

I haven't the vaguest idea about horticulture, but Anne here seems to have developed quite a professional attitude...

Perhaps I am a ventriloquist as well as a horticulturist.


Now I know why some of my customers tell me their trees didn't survive after planting.


I do enjoy weeding by hand. No white suit, face-shield, Wellington boots or protective gloves. Just the sound of root and soil seperating. Not everyone thinks this way.

It is the feel of the soil in your bare hand. It doesn't seem to be right wearing gloves does it?

Osiol, My rototiller tried to eat me yesterday! It popped into reverse and pinned me against my table saw. I am ok though and got to work with it. Peas and potatoes are going in.

Useful and nicely put together. "Aktindia, Lonicera, Aristolochia - clematis)"
from your previous thread, Anyone know what species of aristolochia is grown in Poland?
Kev

I actually have a garden which many Poles don't have as they live in blocks. It's very beautiful too.