Konik spruce - planting and care at home, soil selection, watering, fertilizing and pruning. Spruce Glauka Konika: all about the dwarf plant

Thanks to right kind crown and neutral green color, conifers tend to fit harmoniously into any landscape.

For example, Konik spruce looks great in both simple traditional front gardens and artsy newfangled styles. modern garden. How to plant it on the site, how to ensure proper care, can be found in the article.

Appropriate photos, a description of the conifer, as well as information about the height of an adult tree are also attached here.

History and description of the plant, its maximum height

At the beginning of the last century, an interesting dwarf spruce was discovered in Canada. After some research, scientists came to the conclusion that this plant appeared as a result of a natural mutation of the Canadian spruce (Picea glauca).

The conic spruce looks like this:

• The crown of the tree is very dense, has the shape of a cone.
• Light green needles (up to 1 cm in length) densely cover the branches.
• The average crown diameter at the bottom of the plant is 80 cm.
• The roots are not long, located closer to the surface.

Horse grows very slowly. Young trees add 6-8 cm per year. By 10-12 years, the height of the plant reaches about 1 m. After that, the growth rate slows down and grows only 2-3 cm per year.

At home, in Canada, the maximum height of the conic reaches 3-4 m. In Russian latitudes, this figure is even less - 1.5-2 m. Such a small growth is due to a decrease in the distance between internodes, combined with increased branching. This circumstance "flattened" the tree from top to bottom.

The progenitor of the conic, Canadian spruce, has the same number of internodes and branches, but its height, due to greater distance between them, 25-35 m. Thanks to its beautiful conical crown, this tree is used in the USA as the main decoration for Christmas in the most significant places in the country.

Acquisition of a seedling and planting it on the site

Konik spruce, like all its relatives, does not tolerate even the slightest drying of the roots. Therefore, you need to buy small tree in a container where a clod of earth is constantly moistened.

Advice. It is best to purchase conic seedlings in trusted garden centers. Buying spruce in the market from an unknown seller, you can lose time and money.

Landing is considered a very important moment. The further growth and development of the tree depends entirely on this manipulation. When landing, it is advisable to adhere to the following rules:

1. It is necessary to plant a horse in the garden either at the end of April or at the end of August. Just at this time, the roots of the plant grow intensively, which contributes to good survival.
2. The place should be chosen sunny. In the shade, the correct crown of the plant may change, and the spruce will become less decorative.
3. Considering small size horses, it can be safely planted near the house.
4. The landing pit should be prepared in advance. The bottom must be strewn with a layer of rubble or broken bricks.
5. It is also advisable to prepare the soil mixture in advance. For spruce, a composition of garden soil, sand, peat and humus (2:1:1:1, respectively). From mineral fertilizers you can add nitroammophoska.

The landing itself should be carried out as follows:

• Soil is poured over the drainage layer in such a way that a clod of earth from the container fits into the pit. Well watered.
• Carefully remove the plant from the container and lower it into the hole.

Attention! It is impossible to allow the destruction of an earthen coma during landing. If this happens, then over the next 15-20 minutes, you need to cover the roots with moist soil and lightly tamp the ground.

• The trunk of the plant is leveled on all sides.
• The free space is filled with soil mixture.
• Well watered planting. This requires at least 10 liters of water.
• At the end, a shallow hole is created near the stem for further watering and covered with a 5-centimeter layer of mulch.

Caring for dwarf spruce

Conic care can be called minimal. It does not require pruning or any other maintenance of the crown. The fertilizer that was planted during planting is enough for her for several years. If the summer is not hot and not very dry, the supply of moisture to the plant occurs due to natural precipitation.

Despite these qualities, proper care can further increase the decorative effect of spruce. For example, during hot periods, you should regularly water the tree while irrigating the crown. The first couple of months after planting, soil moisture is required weekly. In case of formation of a crust on the soil around the trunk, be sure to loosen the top layer.

Attention! The roots of the Konik spruce are almost on the surface of the earth. Therefore, the plant does not tolerate trampling and significant soil compaction at a distance of 1 m around the crown.

Although the conic spruce is winter-hardy, in order to avoid freezing, it is recommended to mulch the soil in the region of the near-stem circle well for the winter for the first 2-3 years after planting. Too small seedlings can be completely covered with spruce branches before frost.

Dwarf spruce in landscape design

Despite the fact that the horse loves sunny places, in the spring the plant can get significant sunburn. This is manifested by browning of the needles. Experienced gardeners recommend wrapping in spring period crown with gauze, burlap, etc. The main thing is that the material does not interfere with the passage of air and is able to scatter the bright rays of the sun.

The place of horses in the garden, as well as diseases that can affect the plant

• at the entrance to the house;
• near the gazebo;
• on playground.

A dwarf spruce is good both in single and in group plantings with fellow tribesmen or with conifers of other species. Such groups especially decorate the site in the off-season. At the foot of the conic, the calm looks wonderful green lawn or contrasting antennaria, survivors.

Spruce is especially beautiful during the formation of new shoots - it turns into an emerald green, fabulously beautiful cone. AT middle lane this time falls on May.

Carry out preventive treatment of spruce

Konik spruce can be affected by various fungal infections, the timely detection and immediate treatment of which will help save the plant.

1. Rust - orange growths appear on the branches, the needles turn yellow and crumble. As a treatment, the treatment of the crown and trunk with special preparations is used for a whole month with an interval of 1 time per week.
2. Coniferous Schutte disease - caused by a fungus. When affected, the needles darken, then covered with a white coating and fall off. With timely detection of the disease, plants can be saved. In advanced cases, it remains only to dig up and destroy the spruce.

The small growth of the once mutated Christmas tree turned out to be a significant advantage for her. Such a plant will decorate any site, and anyone can plant and care for it.

Canadian Spruce Konik: video

Source: https://dachadizain.ru/derevya/el-konika-opisanie-posadka-uxod.html

El Konika: planting and care in the open field

• 1 Location
• 2 Landing
• 3 Care
• 4 Pests and diseases

Spruce Konica is a miniature coniferous tree, which is a dwarf variety of Canadian spruce.

Due to its compact size and decorative effect, this mini-Christmas tree is successfully used in landscape design for coniferous landscaping of small areas, the area of ​​​​which does not allow large trees to be placed.

Outwardly, the tree looks extremely attractive - the lush crown has the shape of a cone, the length of soft bluish-green needles is from 6 to 10 mm. Growing in diameter up to 75–80 cm, Konika grows very slowly in height, adding about 6–8 cm per year.

As a rule, active growth is observed in the first 10 years of a tree's life, growth slows down over time, and the height of an adult plant rarely exceeds 180–250 cm. The root system of the Christmas tree is located in the upper soil layer, which greatly facilitates its transplantation. In addition, the baby is undemanding in care and has a high frost resistance.

To ensure a comfortable stay of the tree on garden plot, suitable conditions must be created for it.

Location

For planting Koniki, fertile loamy soils are suitable that retain moisture well, and the acidity of the soil in this case does not matter, but the tree reacts extremely painfully to excessive alkalization.

As a "place of residence" for a miniature beauty, a shady place protected from the wind should be determined, while avoiding hills and swampy lowlands. Does not build to plant Konika in places close to the surface ground water.

Dwarf spruce looks great both in a single planting and in a group. Thuja, juniper and other conifers are suitable as neighboring species for Konika.

In combination with them, miniature Christmas trees are used to create "dense" coniferous corners on the site. Geometric group plantings of mini-spruces look very impressive in the design of a trimmed lawn.

A single baby Christmas tree will decorate the front lawn, and during the winter holidays it will perfectly cope with the role of a Christmas tree.

Landing

Christmas trees that have reached the age of 3-4 years are subject to transplantation into the ground, all this time they are kept in pots to form the root system. However, Konik should not be grown as a home potted plant; with age, it is difficult to tolerate room conditions.

It is recommended to plant a mini-Christmas tree in cloudy cool weather. Planting dates are determined depending on the form in which the seedling was purchased - a closed root system allows planting from early spring to late autumn, including the summer months, and a plant with open roots can be planted in the ground only in autumn and spring.

Before planting, the soil must be well moistened. In order for the baby to recover faster after transplantation, half a bucket of rotted organic matter can be added to the soil or the seedling can be fed with complex fertilizer for coniferous crops. For several days, the newly planted tree should be sheltered from direct sunlight.

Care

Due to the unpretentiousness of Konika, serious care is not required for her; for her well-being, it is enough to take the following measures:

• Watering- the soil under the baby Christmas trees should always be well moistened, its drying out is highly undesirable, since Konika does not tolerate a lack of moisture. In dry periods, it is recommended to water the tree through the crown, especially such a shower is shown to young Christmas trees. 2–3 days after the procedure, the soil of the near-stem circle should be loosened, preventing the formation of a dried crust on the surface of the soil, blocking the access of air to the roots.
• top dressing- in the first days of spring, it is recommended to feed the plant with a complex fertilizer suitable for conifers ("Epin", "Zircon") or sprinkle the trunk circle with rotted peat compost. It should be remembered that the roots of the mini-Christmas tree are located in the upper layer of soil, therefore, in no case should you tamp the soil of the near-stem circle.
• Shelter for the winter- despite the excellent winter hardiness of Koniki, the most dangerous period for her is the end of winter and early spring. It was at this time that the first hot rays of the sun, reflected from the snowy surface, strongly burn the soft needles of the fir trees. To avoid the unpleasant consequences of exposure to the sun, it is customary to cover Konik for the winter, using burlap, lutrasil, wooden and cardboard shields for this purpose. It should be ensured that the covering material does not cover the spruce too tightly, since the inside of the structure must remain natural circulation air. The surface of the near-stem circle of Koniki is mulched with peat for the winter (layer thickness is about 5 cm). In the spring, the mulch is buried in the ground, providing the tree with additional nutrition.

Important! beautiful pyramidal shape the plant saves on its own, so no additional work cutting and shaping is not required.

Pests and diseases

• If Koniki is affected by tracheomycosis, it will not be possible to cure it, at this moment all actions should be aimed at saving neighboring plants from infection. The diseased tree is dug up by the roots and burned.
• Schutte's disease fungal infection, striking the needles. Treatment is carried out with the help of copper-containing preparations.
• Rust - in this case, pathogenic myceliums, similar to orange growths, settle on spruce branches. To save the ephedra, fungicidal sprays are used.

The activities discussed above are quite enough for the full development of the dwarf Christmas tree, however, their absence or untimely implementation can affect the health and appearance of Konika in the most negative way.

Source: http://OnWomen.ru/el-konika.html

Spruce horse, planting and care

Evergreen beauties have always been considered the best decoration garden, and their decorative forms are just perfect for landscaping and creating garden compositions.

The most popular conifer in recent times Canadian spruce and its undersized form of conic are considered. This tree will certainly become the highlight of your site, thanks to its amazingly regular crown shape and needle color.

Spruce horse amazing tree, which can grow well in open ground and in a pot, all year round pleasing you with its beauty.

In this article, we will take a closer look at the features of the Canadian Konik spruce, learn all the nuances of growing agricultural technology and describe everything in more detail. possible ways use of such a beautiful coniferous tree.

Konik spruce: features and description

Konik spruce is a decorative form of such a popular type of spruce as Canadian. This tree has several more names, which are also often found in the literature and in everyday life among experienced gardeners: gray-gray spruce, spruce, white horse, spruce, glauca horse. All these names very accurately characterize the appearance of spruce, which has needles with a bluish tint.

Canadian spruce conica is considered a miniature copy of the gray spruce and is great for landscape design. The first mention of this coniferous tree was recorded in 1904, when a similar spruce was found in the mountains of Canada.

After that, it quickly spread throughout the world. And not in vain.

After all, it is very difficult to plant a large coniferous tree in your yard, and in this situation a decorative Christmas tree comes to the rescue, which fits perfectly into any landscape design.

Description of Konik spruce:

• Konik spruce belongs to coniferous evergreen trees.
• It is an ornamental form of Canadian gray spruce. The decorative value of this tree is its height and the correct shape of the crown.
• In height, the conic spruce reaches 1 meter, which is ideal for home conditions. At favorable conditions cultivation can grow up to 3 meters.
• It can be up to 2 meters in diameter.
• It grows very slowly. In the first 10 years of life, it can grow by only 6-10 cm per year. After this period, the growth decreases significantly - up to 1.5-3 cm.
• Konika is a long-liver, in one place it can grow up to 300-500 years.
• The decorative form of the Canadian gray spruce has a unique regular crown shape, which in its appearance resembles a narrow cone. the peculiarity of spruce is that it practically does not need care for the crown, it takes shape in a natural way.
• The crown is very dense, consists of short needle needles, which are up to 1 cm long. The color of the needles is bluish-green. The needles do not prick at all, so the spruce is absolutely safe for children and animals.
• Cones on conic spruce appear very rarely and have an oblong conical shape, reaching a length of 6 cm.
• The root system is superficial, so you need to be careful when loosening the soil around the tree.
• Spruce glauka konik has several mutant varieties: Alberta Globe, Laurin, Elegance Compacta, Gnome.

Reproduction of spruce conic

Konik spruce is propagated by cuttings and with the help of seeds. Any of these methods are quite lengthy and it will take a long time before you get a young seedling.

This method is used very rarely and is very unreliable, since the conic spruce grown in this way practically loses all its decorative maternal features. From one cone, only a couple of seeds can inherit the characteristics of the mother tree. But still the right to exist this method It has.

• It is necessary to collect seeds from well-ripened cones. The optimal time for collection is autumn-winter.
• Next, you need to prepare nutrient soil with high level acidity. To do this, combine peat, leafy soil, soddy soil and sand in equal proportions.
• Seeds are sown to a depth of 1 cm.
• After sowing, the container is placed in a cool time that resembles natural growing conditions.
• Such optimal conditions the first shoots may appear in early spring.
• If properly cared for, the seedlings can reach approximately 20 cm in a year.
• Young spruce can be grown at home or planted in the ground after growing.
• The seed method of growing Konik spruce is always successful, as it has a very high level of similarity.

Propagation of spruce conic by cuttings

This method is used much more often and has quite good results. young plant will have all the maternal characteristics. Of course, this process is quite lengthy.

It must take more than one year to get a suitable one for landing in open ground seedling.

Breeding and cultivation of Konik spruce experts recommend outdoors - this will correspond as closely as possible to the actual growth conditions of the tree.

• Cuttings must be carried out in June, so that in a few months the cut on the cuttings has time to overgrow and after that the tree begins to actively take root.
• For cuttings, be sure to cut only the lowest branches.
• The length of the cuttings should be no more than 10-12 cm.
• The main thing is to correctly separate the cuttings from the mother tree: the cutting must necessarily be with a heel, i.e. the separation must be carried out together with a part of the bark of the tree. Otherwise, the seedling will die.
• Next, place the cuttings in a growth stimulant solution, for example, Kornevin solution. To do this, liquid is poured into the container and cuttings are placed there for at least 2 hours.
• Subsequently, the remaining solution can be diluted with water and used to water the cuttings.
• Prepare a fertile substrate. To do this, you can mix peat, leafy soil, soddy soil and sand.
• Cuttings are buried in the soil by a maximum of 2.5 cm.
• Further care consists in moderate watering and maintaining the necessary humidity.
• On the permanent place Konik spruce is planted in open ground only after 4-5 years.

Preparing before planting spruce konik

To get a healthy and beautiful evergreen coniferous tree, you must definitely prepare carefully. The first step will be the selection and purchase of quality seedlings or the preparation of self-grown ones. It will also be important to find right place for landing.

Selection of seedlings

Most often, seedlings of Konik spruce are purchased in specialized nurseries, less often they are grown on their own. When buying, it is important to follow some rules:

• It is best to purchase a seedling in a pot with a closed root system. Then you can plant it at any time from spring to autumn.
• If you purchased a seedling with an open root system, you will need to plant immediately.
• In doing so, pay attention to root system, it should be with earthy clod and covered with burlap. This will prevent damage to the roots.
• Carefully inspect the seedling. It should not have damaged branches or dried ones.
• It is best to buy seedlings in specialized nurseries, so you will be sure that you are purchasing.

Choosing a place for planting Konik spruce

• Konik spruce prefers to grow in open sunny places with little shading, as it can sometimes be susceptible to sunburn. If it is planted in the shade, then the coniferous tree will quickly lose its decorative properties and needle color.
• It is also important that the place is protected from the winds and there is no close occurrence of groundwater under it, because the conic spruce does not tolerate stagnant water.
• It is important to consider that they do not grow nearby big trees. Otherwise, there will be little space for spruce and it may lose its decorative properties.
• The choice of a place for planting Konik spruce will depend on the desired composition in the garden and landscape design.
• It is important to remember that it is not worth planting Konik spruce in the city - it does not tolerate air pollution and may die.

Selection and preparation of soil for planting

Konik spruce is not particularly picky and will grow almost anywhere. However, to preserve its decorative features and the bright color of the crown, you need to pick up fertile land. The soil should be loose and light, well pass air and moisture. Well, if the soil is enriched with organic matter. Also, before planting, the ground must be carefully dug up.

The process of planting spruce conica

It is possible to plant spruce Canadian horse in open ground in spring, autumn and summer. However, you should be aware of a few nuances, because landing in different periods varies slightly.

• In spring and autumn, seedlings should be planted with open roots. In summer, planting material must be with a clod of earth, as there is a risk of damage to the roots. The root system of the Konik spruce does not tolerate hot dry air.
• You need to start planting with soil preparation. Suitable for spruce soil mix, consisting of peat, leaf ground, sod land and sand in equal proportions. You can add some organics.
• Next, you should dig a planting hole, the size of which will depend on the size of the seedling and its root system.
• At the bottom of the pit, you can put a layer of drainage, which consists of broken bricks or rubble.
• Next, a part of the prepared soil is poured out, into which a little complex fertilizer can be added.
• A seedling is placed on this soil and sprinkled with the remaining earth.
• After planting, it is imperative to water the seedling, there should be 10-12 liters of water per tree.
• After that, be sure to mulch the near-trunk circle to preserve moisture. Peat can be used as mulch.

Features of caring for Konik spruce

Konik does not require further care for spruce special efforts and some complex actions. However, it is worth paying attention to the tree, so that in the future it will please you with its chic crown and bright color needles.

Watering

Konik spruce needs constant moderate watering. Especially in the hot season, it is imperative to water young trees 2 times a week, 10 liters of water for one seedling. Spruce also loves sprinkling, so using a hose or watering can, you can spray the needles 1-2 times a week. However, be careful not to flood the root system.

Loosening and mulching

Periodically, the trunk circle can be loosened, but you need to do this very carefully. After all, the root system of a tree is close to the surface, and you can damage it. After loosening, be sure to mulch the ground. Peat or compost can be used as mulch. This mulch will protect your tree from drying out and a large number weeds.

Shelter and protection of spruce konik

Young seedlings of Konik spruce need protection from sunlight, as they can get burned and die. Cardboard and burlap can be used as protection. It is necessary to cover in the fall for the entire period of frost, while leaving open lower part tree.

Konik spruce top dressing

If, when planting, you added organic matter to the soil and complex fertilizers, the first time the seedling does not need to be fed. Further in the summer, you can feed the spruce with organic fertilizers diluted in water.

pruning

Konik spruce has a regular conical crown shape, which practically does not need pruning. In autumn and spring, sanitary pruning can be carried out, during which damaged, broken and dried branches are removed.

Disease and pest control

Diseases of Konik ate:

• Tracheomycosis. This disease is very serious and cannot be treated. The first signs of this disease are the reddening of the needles and its fall. The only way to fight is to dig up the tree and burn it.
• Rust. Signs of this disease are considered orange growths on the branches, yellowing and falling of the needles. To combat the disease, you can use special drugs, such as Vectra.
• Shutte. Signs of the disease are blackening and white coating on the needles. For the fight, a solution of copper sulfate is used.

Conic spruce pests:

Konik spruce is very loved by landscape designers for its decorative features, so it can often be found on plots.

Ways to use Konik spruce in landscape design:

• This decorative spruce would look great as a small hedge. Due to its correct crown, it does not need to be looked after.
• Konika can be planted in various garden compositions such as rock gardens or rockeries.
• It will serve as an excellent background for flowering plants.
• Konik spruce can be planted in pots and containers. At the same time, in the cold season, they can be easily taken indoors. The advantage of such cultivation is the ability to use such a Christmas tree on New Year and Christmas.

Photo of Konik spruce in landscape design

All the features of the use of Canadian Konik spruce in design garden plots can be seen in the following photos.

Spruce horse in a garden composition

Konik spruce as a low hedge

Konik spruce can be planted along the walls of the house, on both sides of windows or doors.

Great Canadian spruce conica looks in pots

Konik spruce is one of the most beloved evergreen coniferous trees, which is great for landscaping the site. Due to its compact stature and beautiful crown, it will become a real decoration and the whole year will be able to delight you with the bright color of the needles.

For such an exquisite tree as the Konik spruce, planting and care should be carried out according to special rules. This decorative person is ideal for landscaping small areas. It grows from 180 to 250 cm in height and up to about 75-80 cm in width. The herringbone of this species, like other coniferous plants, perfectly cleans the air. Konika is valued among gardeners not only for its diminutiveness, but also for its frost resistance, minimum requirements to care.

The dwarf Canadian spruce has fluffy and soft light green branches, a dense cone-shaped crown. The length of the needles is 6-10 mm. The root system of a miniature Christmas tree is located in upper layers soil, which greatly simplifies its transplantation. The first 10-15 years, the conifer actively grows, adding 6-8 cm per year. Later, the growth rate drops to 2-3 cm per year. The life span of such a person varies from 300 to 500 years. Not every plant can boast such longevity. It can serve as a good companion for her, in the fall he will create a particularly colorful background in the garden.

Spruce Konika

For the first 3-4 years, Konik spruce is grown at home for full growth before transplanting into open ground. Its further existence in such an environment is not comfortable. An ornamental tree grows no more than 30 cm in length, often gets sick. Needed to sustain life low temperatures(not higher than + 15 ° C) and periodic spraying of the crown with water. It is rarely grown as a houseplant.

The first years of growing seedlings at home

To grow a strong spruce, planting and care must be done competently and accurately. Canadian Christmas tree is recommended to be grown in 2 stages: at home (greenhouse) and in open ground. Before planting in open ground, it should get stronger in a greenhouse or at home for 3-4 years. On the windowsill, the tree is not always comfortable, since the plant does not tolerate positive temperatures above +10 ° C.

For the winter, experienced summer residents advise moving seedlings to a balcony or other cool place so that the temperature does not exceed -10 ° C. It is important to prevent the soil from drying out in the container. Watering is carried out as the top layer of the substrate dries up; in hot periods, it is necessary to additionally spray the crown with water. Special fertilizers for conifers will help grow and get stronger seedlings.

How to plant a spruce on the site?

After 3-4 years of growing in a pot, spruce is planted in the spring in open ground. The order of work should be as follows:

1. A place for planting is chosen shaded so that the needles do not burn in the sun.
2. The tree does not tolerate drafts, so you should take care of a calm place for planting.
3. The best soil for the Canadian fussy will be loamy; in wetlands with a high level of groundwater, such a tree cannot be planted.
4. A dwarf person grows equally well both alone and in a group. Thuja is suitable for the neighborhood.
5. The time for planting does not really matter, the main thing is that the weather is cool and cloudy, but there is no excess moisture in the soil. They ate enough 7 days in such conditions to take root in a new place. Some summer residents believe that landing from a container can be done at any time of the year. If you are familiar, then there will definitely be no problems with growing this tree.

How to plant a Canadian spruce so that it quickly takes root? It is necessary to carry out preliminary training soil before planting.

Spruce is planted in loose earth with this composition:

• 2 parts of leaf land;
• 2 hours of turf;
• 1 hour peat;
• 1 hour sand.

Add compost to clay or sandy soil. As a fertilizer, rotted manure or special preparations for conifers are suitable. How to plant a spruce? First of all, the seedling must be carefully removed from the pot. The roots are cleared from the ground if the soil is deprived nutrients. If the tree developed in fertile soil, it is dug up with a clod of earth. Since the main part of the roots is located close to the surface, when digging, you need to be careful not to damage them.

After planting for a while, it is worth covering the root circle with a protective material to reduce the evaporation of moisture.

For such coniferous plant like Canadian spruce, planting is one of the most milestones cultivation. Security comfortable conditions when planting in open ground - binding rule to provide active growth trees. If you have coped with the planting of green spaces, then you can proceed with the construction or gazebos with a patio.

The specifics of caring for a coniferous plant

When a Canadian spruce appears in the garden, care is carried out from the first days of its planting. The work plan should include:

• watering;
• top dressing;
• sun protection;
• protection from pests and diseases.

You need to water a young seedling once a week, 10 liters of water is enough for one plant. Excessive moisture and stagnant water in the soil can lead to the death of the tree. You can take care of this in advance - when planting, enclose the place from the runoff of precipitation. In dry periods, additionally irrigate the crown with water. 2 days after this procedure, it is necessary to slightly loosen the soil under the tree.

Other aspects of seasonal care:

The advantage of a mini-Christmas tree is that it does not need to trim the crown, its conical shape is formed independently. Even a novice gardener can easily handle the rest of the care steps.

Spruce diseases

A coniferous plant of this species is most susceptible to such diseases:

1. Tracheomycosis is a soil fungus familiar to many that actively affects the roots. Signs of illness: the needles turn red and fall off. This disease is not treated, the affected tree is dug up and burned to prevent infection of neighboring plantings.
2. Rust is a disease that appears mainly on the branches in the form of an orange growth. The disease is treated with the drug "Glycodin". For recovery, it is enough to spray the branches once a week.
3. Schutte's disease is a common needle fungus, infection with which leads to blackening and death of the needles. The course of treatment: spraying with a 3% solution of copper sulphate, then with Trichodermin.

The use of Konik spruce in the garden landscape is not in vain a success. Dwarf Christmas tree looks aesthetically pleasing small areas, grows comfortably in a group or in the neighborhood with other conifers, unpretentious care. It goes well with rocky garden decorations, looks great on the lawn and among flowering shrubs.

For the New Year, my husband bought a Christmas tree in the hypermarket. In fact, it was a seedling of Canadian spruce (Picea glauca Conica). The label on the container did not contain (apart from the name) any useful information: how old is the seedling, how many and when were transplants.

My husband had an idea to put this mini-Christmas tree in the nursery and decorate it with tiny toys, they specially bought a set of Soviet times on the Hammer. I had to disappoint him, the temperature in the children's room is + 25-28 ° C, the spruce would have dried up there within a week or two. I felt sorry for the unfortunate plant grown in order to decorate the holiday and then die. I decided to save her!

To be honest, at first it didn’t present any particular difficulties: we don’t have radiators in the hallway, so the air temperature there in winter does not exceed 16-18 ° C., and sometimes even lower. There I have a table, they spend the winter on it houseplants who need such temperatures during the dormant period. All spruce care was reduced to preventing the substrate in which it grew from drying out and crown irrigation. For these purposes, I used exclusively rain and melt water. This photo was taken on February 21st. The spruce gave new shoots, the needles on the whole tree were fresh, green.

Oh, I almost forgot! When I decided to keep and plant the spruce at home, I immediately dug a hole, poured 5-7 cm of mulch on the bottom, made from last year's Christmas tree: needles, 2-3 cm branches cut with pruners, pieces of cones that the children brought from parks. Then she made drainage, mixed the excavated earth with sand and coniferous earth, bought in the same hypermarket. Slightly sprinkled with drainage, left the hole to “ripen” until spring and form a coniferous microflora.

This is where my quiet life ended. With the onset of heat, I began to gradually “harden” my spruce, take it out under a canopy, first for a few minutes, then for half an hour. As long as she was in the shade of the canopy, everything was fine. But, as soon as I took it out into partial shade, the spruce, which had been hardened for 2 weeks, behaved disgustingly - the young shoots dried up literally before our eyes!

Deciding that there was nothing to lose, I moved it into the open ground. We were lucky with her, she grew in this container for at least a year, the earthen ball was dense, well braided with roots, which, when planting, were sprayed by me with root formation stimulants. Not without growth and recovery stimulants for the crown. trunk circle was covered with homemade spruce mulch 3-4 cm thick. I watered it from a watering can so that the mulch would not be washed away, irrigated the crown every morning and evening - all this exclusively with rainwater. She did not react in any way, and continued to stand with sad, withered shoots. I already mentally said goodbye to her, when suddenly at the beginning of May I saw that she had new buds formed at the tips of the branches!

Let them be negligible, but it was a signal - the spruce survived! After waiting a couple more weeks, I made sure - new shoots are growing! Believe me, my joy knew no bounds, even now I still do not believe in my victory, but the result is obvious! My tree survived! Probably because I really wanted to save her, she did not dare to wither!

I am not a professional, but an amateur, for me every plant is a living being, which is completely dependent on me. And from the fact that I managed to save the life of a tiny Christmas tree, my heart is so warm! It may not look very good now, but a luxurious crown is a matter of time!

My deep conviction is that plants understand us, react to our attitude towards them. What do you think?

Among the 50 species of all coniferous trees growing on the globe, Canadian gray spruce is in a special position. The tree is loved by landscape designers and gardeners for the unusual color of the needles, for the neat fluffiness of the branches and for the perfect conical shape. It adorns city parks and squares, pleases the owners of country houses with its northern beauty. plots, and is often used for arranging hedges.

Popular varieties

Existing varieties of wood allow it to be used in various compositions, and as a separate decorative element landscape. Consider the most popular varieties of Canadian spruce.

• Spruce canadian horse ("Conica") is undisputed leader. It is actively used in compositions, in the stalls, grown in containers, decorated rocky gardens and terraces. The tree grows up to 4 meters, but reaches such dimensions only by the age of 60.

It has an impeccable pyramidal crown, in which the branches fit snugly together. This variety tolerates shading well and grows slowly, which suits many. Refers to the dwarf forms of Canadian spruce.

• Canadian spruce Echiniformis ("Echiniformis") - it is the slowest growing tree variety. By the age of 30, its height is only 50 centimeters, with an average growth of Canadian spruce 25-35 meters.

Very compact, with shoots of 2 cm and a crown of 1 meter, it is often used in rocky gardens, allowing you to create amazing compositions without unnecessary shading of other flora. Photophilous, prefers slightly acidic and moist soils.

• canadian spruce daisy very similar to Konika. The variety is frost-resistant, but requires obligatory shading from the March sun. By the age of 10, it can grow up to 80 cm. It is interesting in decorative terms in May-June, when it gives yellow-white growths.

Looks great as a tapeworm in a heather garden and goes well with a plant composition rock garden.

• Spruce canadian alberta attracts with its spherical shape. A small tree, with a height of up to 1 meter and the same crown diameter, fits organically into oriental compositions, is used in rocky gardens and heather thickets. Exudes an amazing aroma, has soft light green needles, with needles 6-9 mm.

• Spruce Pendula("Pendula") represents the weeping form of Canadian spruce varieties. It was discovered by A.Karrier in one of the parks of Versailles. Branchy, with blue needles, it is of interest in the design of artificial ponds and pools.

How to choose a tree

Obviously, it is better to buy seedlings in special nurseries. When purchasing Canadian spruce, pay attention to the root system of the tree and the condition of the crown. If you take a seedling in a container, touch the needles, they should be elastic and fragrant. In nurseries, there is a risk of infection of young shoots with a red spider, so carefully inspect the shoot for white growths on the woody part. It is they who indicate that the plant was attacked by a red spider. Avoid this seedling.

Advice! Match the shape of the seedling with the variety declared in the documents. Take a closer look at the intensity of the color of the needles: in a healthy plant, it is bright and lively.

Planting and reproduction

Despite the fact that the Canadian spruce tolerates the shade quite well, it is better to plant it on open areas. The tree loves fertile, moist soils, grows especially well on drained loams.

Planting a Canadian spruce. First of all, make sure that the root system of the seedling is not overdried. When planting, keep a distance of 2-3 meters between seedlings. The root neck of the plant should be at ground level. The depth of the pit is 50-70 cm. Please note that in the early years, Canadian spruce grows weakly and does not tolerate frequent transplants. It reacts poorly to compaction and trampling of the soil, does not like the close location of groundwater.

Advice! To obtain a guaranteed positive result, add 100-150 g of nitroammophoska to the soil.

Reproduction. The main material for propagation of Canadian spruce seeds. Before planting in the ground, it is necessary to carry out stratification (to withstand the seed at a certain temperature) for 2-3 months. This procedure will increase the germination of Canadian spruce seeds. If you do not want to waste time and want to plant a plant right away, soak the seeds for a day or buy ready-made seedlings. Garden forms of spruce are propagated by cuttings and very rarely graft the plant.

Advice! Young Christmas trees are best planted under the protection of older trees. Under their canopy they will calmly endure and spring frosts, and scorching rays sun.

Canadian spruce: care

The first thing to take care of is to protect the plant from spring-winter burns. A frost-resistant tree does not respond well to sunny days in February-March. At this time, the root system of the spruce is in the cold earth, and the branches are exposed to the hot rays of the sun. The roots do not absorb moisture, the needles get burned and the tree loses its color. Experts advise to cover the spruce crown with burlap or agrofabric for this period.

Advice! Slight shading, which can be provided by planting a tree against the wall of the house or next to more tall trees, will help you create the perfect light setting for your Canadian Spruce.

Watering. Conifers are not adherents of strong moisture, but they cannot do without water at all. Canadian spruce is planted in places with deep groundwater. In dry summers, the tree is watered once a week. The amount of water depends on the size of the plant: young shoots need 10-12 liters, older individuals will need to pour 15-20 liters under one tree.

To prevent the spring "burning" of the needles, it is customary to wrap the Koniki bushes with burlap or other material that scatters the sun's rays, but does not disturb ventilation. A decorative mini-arrangement in a concrete pot with a Canadian Christmas tree in the title role is an excellent decoration for your home

• Rust appears on the branches as orange growths. With a significant lesion, the needles turn yellow and crumble. For treatment, Gliocladin or Vectra is used, processing the branches once a week for a month.

One of the varieties of blue spruce (picea glauca), or Canadian, is the conic spruce. It was discovered quite by accident at the beginning of the 20th century on Lake Liggan in Canada. A little later, it was brought to Europe and has since been considered the oldest representative of this species. Konik spruce is used in landscape design, but it can also be grown at home. It fits perfectly into the interior of the room.

Brief description of the plant

Canadian spruce conica is an ornamental coniferous tree. Its decorative effect includes a miniature height, no more than one meter, and the correct shape of the crown. Under favorable conditions, it can grow up to three meters in height. The crown of the plant can grow up to two meters in diameter. . This species includes several hybrid varieties:

• Laurin;
• Albert Globe;
• Dwarf;
• elegans compact.

Glauka conica grows very slowly. If a young tree adds 8-10 cm annually, then mature plant- from 2 to 3 cm per year, but in one place a spruce can exist for about 500 years. One of the advantages of the plant is a cone-shaped crown, which practically does not need to be looked after.

Nature itself creates such a beautiful shape of the crown of an evergreen tree, which is formed by dense needles.

The needles are formed by small and soft needles of a bluish-green color. They absolutely do not prick, therefore they are safe for children and animals. Sometimes oblong cones appear on the tree, reaching up to 6 cm in length. The root system of Spruce Glauka Konik, like most coniferous species, is superficial. Therefore, it is necessary to loosen the soil near the tree very carefully.

Tree propagation methods

The plant is propagated in two ways: seeds, cuttings. These are quite lengthy methods of growing glauconia spruce. Planting and care is best done using ready-made seedlings, which can be purchased at the nursery.

Growing from seed

This method can be applied only for the sake of experiment, if there is time to engage in this process. When grown from seeds, in most cases, there is a loss of maternal decorative features. As statistics show, only two seeds from a cone can retain the qualities of the mother tree.

Seeds are best collected in late autumn or winter. Soil for planting can be purchased at a specialized store, as it has all the necessary components for growing seedlings. You should first prepare the pots for planting and pour a drainage layer of expanded clay or small stones on the bottom. The soil is poured into containers and watered abundantly.

Seeds are planted to a depth of no more than one centimeter. Then the plantings are created conditions close to natural, that is, they are placed in a cool place. When sprouts appear, you can continue to grow a Christmas tree in a pot at home. The way to care for her and the procedures used in this case are slightly different from care in the open field.

The use of cuttings

This method is used most often and in most cases gives positive results. Cuttings completely transfer the properties of the mother tree to young seedlings. You can grow a plant at home, but experienced gardeners recommend doing it better in a natural setting . Cuttings begin at the beginning of summer so that the seedlings have time to take root.

To do this, cut blanks from the lower branches of a tree 10-12 cm long. They are placed for two hours in a growth stimulator solution, Kornevin is best suited. Next, the prepared soil for seedlings is poured into the container and the cuttings are planted, deepening them by 2.5 cm. After four years, the seedlings are planted in open ground, or you can leave the tree to grow at home.

Planting spruce in open ground

Before planting, they choose a place for spruce so that it fits into the landscape design of the garden plot as much as possible. The place should be bright, but without direct sunlight, and the presence of partial shade during the day is also allowed. In the shade, the tree may lose its decorative qualities. There should be no surface occurrence of groundwater, as spruce does not tolerate high humidity.

Trees can be planted along the facade of the building, walking paths, as well as for compiling decorative compositions with other plants. Having chosen a place, proceed to the preparation of the soil cover. Organic fertilizers must be applied to the planting sites. To do this, you can use rotted compost and humus. Planting seedlings in spring and autumn is carried out with open roots, and in summer - with a clod of earth on the root system. The roots of the plant do not tolerate hot and dry air.

Next, dig holes for each seedling, focusing on the size of the root system. Be sure to lay out a drainage layer of broken brick or rubble at the bottom of the pits. Part of the prepared soil is poured out, the seedling is carefully lowered and the hole is filled with the remaining soil. Then a bucket is poured under each landing warm water and sprinkle mulch around young trees.

Landing Care

Although it is believed that spruce horse unpretentious plant, but a minimum of maintenance work should be performed . For this, the following activities are carried out:

• watering;
• top dressing;
• pruning;
• winter preparation.

Young plantings need to be watered twice a week, while you can use a hose with a sprayer to irrigate the crown of the plant. After watering and rain, it is recommended to loosen the soil around the trees, but this must be done very carefully so as not to damage the root system. As for top dressing, for the first time the organic matter introduced during planting is quite enough for the normal development of a young tree.

The next fertilization can be carried out in the middle of summer. To do this, use a solution of organic fertilizers. Pruning the plant is carried out only for the purpose sanitization, since the decorativeness of the crown is formed naturally. Diseased and dried parts of the tree are removed. At first, young seedlings must be covered for the winter. To do this, you can use sheet cardboard and burlap.

Care at home

There is an opinion that in an apartment the horse tree does not take root well. Care at home is to create conditions close to the natural environment. In the apartment, she should find a place where the temperature range will be from -5 to + 5 ° C. Lower or high values lead to the death of the plant.

Such conditions can be created only until spring, and then you will have to plant spruce in open ground. It is necessary to monitor the humidity in the room. It should not be lower than 70%. To fulfill this condition, it will be necessary to purchase a humidifier and place it next to the plant.

In addition, you need to monitor the condition of the soil cover in the tank and prevent it from drying out. The spruce crown is very sensitive to sunlight, so it should create partial shade by covering the window with a piece of cardboard. In this case, the plant is recommended to turn to the light. different parts crowns so that it is illuminated evenly.

Diseases and pests of horses

With improper care and the creation of adverse conditions, spruce conica can be susceptible to a number of diseases. The most dangerous is tracheomycosis, since there are no methods of treatment for it. The main sign of the defeat of this disease is the appearance of a red coating on the needles and its fall. In this case, the tree is removed from the site and burned. If orange growths appear on the branches, and the needles turn yellow and fall off, these are symptoms of rust. For treatment, the plant is treated with Vectra.

Very often, spruce is affected by a characteristic disease of coniferous trees - schütte. Its signs are blackening and white coating on the needles. In this case, the plant is processed blue vitriol. Among the pests, it is worth noting the bark beetle and spruce false shield. There are no ways to get rid of the beetle, and the plant has to be dug up and burned. Against false shields, the drug BI-58 is used.

So, we can conclude that it is best to grow spruce horses on a garden plot, using it as a design design for the site. As well as the best way propagation of coniferous trees is a method of cuttings.