At any time of the year, these evergreen beauties decorate your garden, and their decorative forms unusually successfully fit into the landscape of the site.
Recently, a variety of Canadian spruce, conic, is gaining popularity. This plant will become a highlight of the homestead, thanks to the needles with an unusual shade and the correct crown.
It is difficult to grow a large conifer in the yard, in this situation a decorative conic will help out, which will successfully complement any design.
Characteristics of spruce:
• Konika - a decorative variety of Canadian gray spruce spruce. It attracts people with a regular crown and small height;
• The growth of this spruce is about 1 meter, which is very convenient for home conditions. If all the conditions for the plant are ideal, its height will not exceed 3 meters;
• In diameter, the plant reaches 2 meters, which, considering its height, is very beautiful;
• Such a spruce develops very slowly, the plant in the first 10 years grows 6-10 cm annually. Then the annual growth does not exceed 1.5-3 cm per year;
• Konika plant, which grows very long, can grow without transplant 300-500 years;
• In its shape, this kind of decorative spruce resembles a regular cone. Its peculiarity is that the crown practically does not need leaving, it is formed in a natural way;
• The needles of the plant are very thick, it consists of needles about 1 cm long, they do not prick, for this reason it is safe for animals and children;
• There are almost very few cones on the spruce; they are oblong in shape, about 6 cm long;
• The root system of the plant is located near the surface, for this reason, the planting and care of conic spruce should be carried out carefully.
Spruce conic, planting seeds and cuttings
Such a spruce is propagated by seed method or by rooting of cuttings. Each method takes a lot of time, and it will not be possible to get a seedling ode soon.
Seed propagation
So rarely breed Konik, this method is unreliable, the plant obtained in this way loses many of its maternal decorative qualities. From the seeds obtained from 1 cone, only a couple of seeds can get maternal qualities. But in some cases, this method can be beneficial.
Spruce seeds are sown as follows:
• First you need to collect seeds from ripe cones, this is done in winter;
• After that make up an acid soil mixture. To do this, coarse-grained sand, soddy soil, leaf humus and peat are mixed in equal amounts;
• In a container filled with a mixture, seeds are sown to a depth of 1 cm;
• She is placed in a cool place and kept there all winter "
• In such conditions, you can get the first seedlings in early spring;
• With proper care for the year, seedlings can grow to a height of 20 cm;
The seed method will be successful when these conditions are met, the seeds of spruce conic sprout perfectly.
Propagation by cuttings
Using this method, spruce seedlings are obtained in most cases. The new plant takes over all the characteristics of the mother tree. Breeding by cuttings is best done outside the protective structures - so the rooting conditions will be the same as when propagating in nature.
• Rooting of cuttings is carried out in June, so in favorable conditions, the cut on the cut will overgrow, and roots will begin to form actively;
• Cuttings are harvested only from the lower branches of a tree;
• Cuttings cut 10-12 cm long;
• It is important to cut the cuttings correctly - it is imperative to leave the heel on the cuttings (cut them with a small amount of bark) otherwise it may die;
• After this, it is necessary to place the cuttings in a growth stimulator, for example, you can use the Kornevin solution;
• For planting cuttings mix a fertile substrate, you need to mix coarse sand, soddy soil, leaf humus and peat peat;
• Prepared cuttings are immersed in the soil no deeper than 2.5 cm;
• Subsequent care consists of regular watering.
A fir tree is transplanted to a permanent place at the age of 4-5 years.
Preparing seedlings before planting
To grow a beautiful and healthy evergreen tree, you need to purchase or grow high-quality planting material. In addition, it is important to choose a suitable place for him. In addition to planting their seedlings, they are bought in specialized nurseries.
When buying, you need to consider several points:
1. It is advisable to buy a seedling in a special container with closed roots. So you can plant it on the site at any warm time of the year;
2. A seedling bought with unprotected roots should be planted without delay;
3. The roots of the plant should be in an undamaged earthen coma, which during transportation is wrapped in burlap, this will protect the root system from damage;
4. Make sure that there are no dry or damaged branches on the seedling.
Choosing a place for spruce conic
This plant develops well in open areas with little shading from the sun, otherwise hot sun rays can burn young needles. In a strong shadow, the spruce will lose the color of the needles and will not be so beautiful. It is important to choose a site for landing, on which there is no high standing groundwater and was covered from strong winds.
Large trees cannot be located nearby, otherwise the spruce will lose attractiveness. Do not forget that there is no point in planting conic spruce in the city - it will not withstand high gas contamination.
Planting spruce
Konik can be planted at any warm time of the year, but landing at different times may differ:
1. In spring and autumn, it is better to plant spruce on the plot with open roots. In the summer period, it is imperative to save an earthen lump on the seedling, which protects the roots. At spruce conic, the roots suffer greatly from hot and dry air ;.
2. It is necessary to prepare a landing pit taking into account the dimensions of the root system and seedling;
3. At the bottom of the pit, it is advisable to prepare a drainage layer from crushed stone or brick fragments;
4. After this, a seedling is placed in the planting pit and covered with soil;
5. At the end of the planting of the spruce, it is necessary to water it, for each pit spend 1 bucket of water;
6. Then the trunk circle is mulched, peat is well suited for this.
Spruce care
After planting, caring for a plant is uncomplicated, you only need to regularly perform several operations.
Watering
The plant needs moderate but regular watering. This is especially true in the hot summer, young trees need to be watered every 4 days spending for each a bucket of water. In addition, the conic is great for sprinkling, you can simply spray the needles from the hose between the irrigations.
Loosening
From time to time it is advisable to loosen the soil around the trunk, but keep in mind that the roots of the plant are close to the surface. Mulch a loose near-stem circle; compost or peat is suitable for this. The mulching layer will protect the seedling from weeds and drying out the soil.
Plant shelter
Young seedlings require protection from the direct rays of the summer sun, for this use burlap or cardboard. It is necessary to cover the tree in winter, just leave the bottom of the tree open.
Top dressing
If fertilizers were added to the planting pit, then the first few seasons he had enough food. At the age of 3 years, the plant begins to feed with a solution of organics.
