Spruce Canadian care. Canadian spruce (44 photos): northern beauty in temperate gardens. Canadian Spruce Daisy White

They are very popular with gardeners: it is beautiful, neat and, of course, useful. Most representatives of the evergreen flora are of considerable size, which does not allow growing all of their species, therefore, landscape designers and gardeners are increasingly giving preference to dwarf coniferous specimens, which include Canadian spruce.

Her characteristic features that favorably distinguish a fluffy slow-growing Christmas tree against the background of other plants is beautifully colored needles and a low-lying compact crown with decorative outlines. It is these qualities that make the Canadian spruce a desirable inhabitant of any site.

Canadian spruce. Description

Canadian spruce belongs to the category of low-growing trees: the average plant height is mainly about one meter, with favorable conditions can reach three meters. The crown of the plant is dense and cone-shaped, the needles are short, thin and soft, it has a bluish-green color. The root system is mostly located near the surface and has a weak tap root.

Canadian spruce belongs to the category of slow-growing plants. Average growth in young age is 3-4 centimeters per year, after 15 years - 2-3 centimeters. At the age of 5 years, the height of the Christmas tree reaches about 20 centimeters, it is during this period that the decorativeness of the plant is visible, which favorably distinguishes it from a number of even-aged seedlings of common spruce.

By the age of 10, Canadian spruce reaches a height of 80 cm, and by the age of 20 it can reach 1.5 meters, while the crown girth is approximately 1 meter. Under favorable conditions, the plant is able to please more than one generation with its appearance, because it can live 300 or even 500 years. The most popular variety of Canadian spruce is called Konika.

Ease of care is the main quality of Canadian spruce

The advantage of coniferous beauty is the minimum care: for natural normal growth quite enough natural rainfall and soil fertility, which, of course, can be increased by various top dressings. AT summer period it is recommended to apply 5 kg of rotted organic fertilizer mixed with the ground into the root zone of the tree. In October, it will be useful to mulch the soil with a layer of peat compost about 5 cm thick, which will facilitate wintering for the plant.

In early spring, the mulch needs to be embedded in the soil, and to protect against burning in the sun (spring browning), the trees should be wrapped with burlap or other material that will protect from the rays and preserve natural ventilation. Moreover, the possible browning of the needles is not considered a disease, it is only a reaction of the plant to spring activity sun on the background of frozen soil. That is, the vegetation begins at the tree, and the unmelted soil is not yet able to provide the roots with the required nutrition, which causes an external change in the needles. With the beginning of the movement of juice and the required nutrition, the color of the plant is quickly restored.

Seat selection

The Christmas tree should be planted in partial shade, not on a hill and in a place protected from the winds. The tree does not need pruning, pleasing the eye with its natural forms. In the dry period, it is recommended to irrigate through the crown. Also, sometimes loosen the soil around the tree in order to saturate it with oxygen.

Canadian spruce, the care of which is quite simple and does not require the use of supernatural efforts, can be transplanted throughout the growing season, preferably in cloudy weather. The plant tolerates transplantation most easily at a young age. Within two weeks after planting, the Christmas tree needs protection from direct sunlight, and an optimally comfortable moisture level should also be maintained in the soil.

Canadian spruce as decoration

Canadian spruce is very popular in landscape design. It harmoniously looks both in a single performance and in a group of plants. When a certain height is reached, the plant effectively looks like component mixborders and various compositions. Canadian spruce at home is often found in a container on the roof (as a "green roof"), near houses, on terraces and in gardens. The decorative shape of the tree fits optimally into large rock gardens, harmoniously combines with other undersized coniferous representatives, looks great on background various flower arrangements. A beautiful green tree stands out as a bright spot against the background of an evenly trimmed lawn.

Canadian spruce in a pot: care

You can consider the coniferous beauty as houseplant, but only in the winter and with a "balcony" content. Canadian spruce in a pot looks very elegant; on Christmas holidays, she can be made the queen of the celebration by decorating with toys and folding gifts for relatives and friends under her.

When the plant is kept in a heated room, the crown must be sprayed. You should also increase the humidity around the tree itself, for this you can place containers with water around the pot. In the summer, a pot or container with a plant is recommended to be placed on the street, under trees and shrubs. Annually, it is recommended to transplant the Christmas tree into a container. bigger size.

Transfer

Potted Canadian Spruce, which is easy to care for, can be grown in a number of ways. The easiest: buy a ready-made tree in the store and transplant it to another land. It's quite expensive, but fast and hassle-free. It is a little more difficult, but more pleasant (because your own labor is invested) to grow a magnificent beauty yourself from seeds or from a seedling obtained by cuttings. The cuttings, which are part-time matured lower branches of the mother Christmas tree (always with a “stump” in the lower part), should be treated with growth and root stimulants before planting. For this, drugs such as Epin and Kornevin are suitable.

Transplanting a young rooted tree into a container should be carried out very carefully, making sure that the root neck of the Christmas tree is located at ground level. The root system must not be allowed to dry out.

The most suitable soil composition for all types of Christmas trees, in parts:

• leaf ground - 2;
• sod land - 2;
• peat - 1;
• sand - 1.

Previously, drainage (coarse sand, expanded clay, gravel) must be laid on the bottom of the container with a 10-centimeter layer.

Diseases and pests

Canadian spruce may be susceptible to some diseases:

Canadian spruce is highly popular due to its decorative and neat appearance, small size, That's why wonderful plant can be found in many parts of the world.

Moreover, breeders bred a large number of varieties characterized by the color of the needles (from light green to bluish-blue) and the shape of the crown: conical, spherical, cushion-shaped.

Canadian spruce is ornamental plant. Today it is actively used in landscape design. Spruce has become widespread among gardeners. This is used for decoration. This plant grows well in mid-latitudes.

Let's take a closer look at what Canadian spruce is, home care, and also talk about the features of the plant.

Characteristics of culture

Varieties Konika, Laurin, Alberta and Echiniformis are widely used. Let's take a closer look at the first class.

Konica is resistant to frost and can grow in any conditions familiar to spruces. Since it has small dimensions, it can be planted even on small areas. In height, spruce of this variety usually does not grow above 95 cm. However, under favorable conditions, the plant can stretch up to 2.5 m. Dwarf spruce has a dense crown in the shape of a cone. The needles of the plant have a bluish-green color. The root system is represented by a small weakly expressed tap root. Most roots are located close to the soil surface. When caring for a plant excavation should be done with great care.

Spruce grows quite slowly. On average, it adds only 30-40 mm in growth every year. There are specimens that grow in a year and by 100 mm. As a rule, these are five-year-old seedlings. The plant retains good growth until the age of 11-13 years. Then a year the tree adds only 20-23 mm. At the age of 20, the Canadian Konik spruce reaches an average height of 1.5 meters. The diameter of the crown at the base can reach 1 meter.

Home care

How does the Canadian spruce Konik grow at home? The plant requires minimal care. Crown pruning is not carried out for this variety. In order for a tree to grow normally, it is enough for it fertile soil and precipitation. However, in order to improve decorative characteristics tree, there are a few things you need to know about Canadian spruce care.

1. AT hot weather spruce crown must be irrigated with water. After that, after two days, it is recommended to slightly loosen the soil under the tree. It is also useful to feed spruce with organic fertilizers.
2. Before winter, it is advisable to prepare a mixture soil and peat compost and lay it out in a layer of 40-45 mm on the surface. In the spring, this mulch should be poured closer to the base of the tree.
3. To prevent Canadian spruce from burning in the bright sun, it can be wrapped in a material that does not violate natural ventilation. For this purpose, burlap is perfect.

If in the spring the tree turned brown in parts, this is not yet a sign of plant disease. Are the needles starting to lose color? This may be a reaction to sunny color. Even before the earth warms up, spruce begins the seasonal growing season. Due to the cold soil, the plant cannot get enough nutrients, and therefore acquires a brownish tint. When the soil warms up and the sap flow is restored, the normal color of the plant will return.

How to plant a Canadian spruce?

During the entire growth period, the plant in question can be transplanted. In doing so, a number of important requirements, namely:

1. Trees are best transplanted at a young age. In autumn and spring, the process is carried out with open roots. In the warm season, spruce is recommended to be replanted along with the adjacent land. This procedure is best done in rainy cloudy weather.
2. During the first weeks after transplantation, the plant needs optimal watering. It is also better to protect the tree from the sun.
3. It should be borne in mind that decorative coniferous trees do not tolerate waterlogging. This is also true for prolonged drought. In too wet soil, the roots of the plant may begin to die off. Any coniferous trees feel good in low-lying soils. ground water.
4. Canadian spruce at home should be provided with quality drainage system. Better conditions for growing Koniki - high humidity and occasional rainfall. It is advisable to plant a spruce near garden plants. This will help improve the color of the needles, as well as reduce the likelihood of fading in the sun.
5. The soil for growing conifers should be sufficiently loose and moisture-intensive. In this case, excessive fertility will be more of a disadvantage than a virtue. Seedlings in such soil ripen worse and stretch more.

reproduction

Canada spruce can reproduce in several ways. For this purpose, as a rule, cuttings, seedlings or seeds are used. It is clear that from seeds the tree will grow longer. Most in a complicated way can be called growing from cuttings. For this purpose, a mature branch 100-110 mm long is usually taken. From below, the stalk must be treated with growth stimulants. They are planted in the ground to a depth of 20-30 mm. Normal soil is suitable for growing seedlings. Plants need to be watered immediately after planting.

Growing Christmas trees for sale

Today, Christmas trees are often grown for sale. This business option can bring a fairly large additional income for gardeners. However, Canadian spruce is not suitable for this purpose. Breeding this variety is considered unprofitable. It takes a long time to grow. It is also worth remembering that young plants need constant care: watering, fertilizing, loosening. The Christmas tree will be ready for sale only after 3-5 years.

Choosing seedlings

The first thing to look for when choosing a Canadian spruce cutting is its shape. It must match the class. Also pay attention to the color of the needles. It should be uniform and sufficiently saturated. Often, Canadian spruce is sold already in pots with soil. Usually these seedlings have many roots. They should not form a tight lump. In addition, the earth in the container should not be too dry. Usually, the roots of a crop such as Canadian Konica spruce are wrapped in a net or moistened cloth. Transplantation must be done very carefully. It depends on how the tree will develop in the future.

Pests and diseases

conifers exposed various diseases and the impact of pests. A very common disease for Canadian spruce is tracheomycosis. This fungus infects the roots of the tree, causing them to lose their ability to transport nutrients. The disease usually affects young plants. The first symptoms are redness and shedding of needles. Trees affected by this disease cannot be cured. To prevent the spread of infection, diseased trees must be dug up with the ground and burned. Then the place where they grew is treated with a solution blue vitriol. Coniferous plants often suffer from the so-called rust. On the tree, as a result of this disease, outgrowths of orange and yellow color. The needles can also fall off.

As for pests, here the number one enemy for the Canadian spruce is the bark beetle. These small insects can gnaw through a whole system of moves under the bark of a tree. They lay their eggs in them. A tree affected by this pest can no longer be saved.

Growing conditions

On the territory of private households, the Canadian Konik spruce is often found. Home care for this plant can not be called too complicated. One of essential conditions proper development of the tree is optimal choice landing sites. Trees are best planted in partial shade, protected from the wind. The tree does not need pruning, it already has an optimal shape. During a drought, it is necessary to irrigate the tree through the crown. What other procedures does Canadian spruce require? home care in without fail provides for regular loosening of the soil. This procedure ensures the saturation of the soil with oxygen. Caring for Canadian spruce is quite simple, it does not require any serious effort. It is enough just to protect it from the sun and maintain a comfortable level of humidity.

Appearance

Many gardeners today grow a plant such as Canadian spruce on their plots. Home care for this tree is quite simple. She looks nice and neat. Usually, representatives of the green flora are quite large, which does not allow them to be grown in a private economy. It is for this reason that gardeners and landscape designers prefer dwarf varieties. Canadian spruce is one of them. Photos of this plant can often be found on the covers of popular home economics magazines. Distinctive features of this variety is a compact low-growing crown and beautiful coloring needles. It is thanks to these characteristics that compact spruce is popular among owners of private houses and garden plots.

Spruce Konika: advantages

The main advantage of Canadian spruce is ease of care. In order for the coniferous beauty to grow well, the natural fertility of the soil and natural precipitation are sufficient. You can additionally feed the plant. In summer, it is recommended to wear to the root zone mixed with the ground organic fertilizer. To make the plant easier to endure the winter, it will be useful to mulch using compost and peat. In the spring, the mulch is embedded in the soil. Best of all, the plant tolerates transplantation at a young age. For the first time after processing, the tree must be protected from sun people.

Konika is widely used in landscape design today. It can be used both in a group with other plants, and in a single version. Home-grown Canadian spruce is often seen on rooftops, terraces, and near homes. Due to its decorative form, the tree fits perfectly into large plant compositions. It will look good in combination with undersized evergreens. Also, a beautiful coniferous tree will look great against the backdrop of a lawn.

Conclusion

Canadian spruce Konika is very popular today among gardeners and landscape designers. This is due to its aesthetic appearance and compact size. Such beautiful plant decorate any area. Breeders managed to bring out great amount varieties characterized by the color of the needles: from bluish to light green. The advantage of Canadian spruce is that it can also be used as a houseplant. Such a plant will look elegant in a pot as christmas tree. In this case, it is necessary to periodically spray spruce. In summer, a container or pot of spruce can be put outside next to other bushes and trees. In order for the Christmas tree to grow better, it is recommended to transplant it into a larger tub every year.

As it turned out, caring for Canadian spruce at home is not difficult at all. The most important thing is to give the plant proper care and then your yard will always look beautiful and original at any time of the year.

On the eve of the New Year, decorative miniature Canadian spruces planted in individual pots are very popular on sale. Any coniferous tree can be a symbol of the New Year's celebration, so such miniature trees they are willingly buying up in order to decorate them with bright beads in the future and take them with them as a present. Such a symbolic gift proper care will delight you and your family with coniferous aroma throughout new year holidays.

Spruce care.

First time new year plant you need to acclimatize, for this it is advisable to put it in the brightest and coolest place in the house. It is not bad to place a spruce in a pot on a glazed loggia, where the air temperature at night will not fall below 10C. Conifers prefer diffused light and need frequent airing of the room. Watering should be regular, in no case should the soil dry out, and even more so its swamping, we can say that the soil should be evenly moistened. Canadian spruce reacts positively to high humidity. After the tree has come to its senses a little, it can be transferred for a while to the room where the celebration of the New Year is planned in the future, and it will be in the spotlight. To make the plant feel comfortable, it is advisable to return it to a cool windowsill or heated loggia at night.

In winter, a living growing tree is at rest, so until mid-February you will not notice any changes in its development, but as spring approaches, it will actively grow young branches lighter than its usual color throughout the crown. As soon as the spruce wakes up and starts to grow, you can begin to apply specialized top dressing designed specifically for evergreen trees. I want to draw your attention to the fact that when feeding coniferous plants You must strictly follow the dosage indicated in the instructions. Remember that a weak concentration of fertilizer will not allow the plant to develop properly, and too concentrated a solution can cause irreparable damage to the roots and branches of the plant. It is enough to water the spruce once with concentrated fertilizer, and after a while the plant may turn completely yellow and drop everything to a single needle, and then die.

Spruce transplant.

It is possible to transplant a spruce in a pot only in the spring with the first warming, and then - it suffers a transplant quite painfully. The point is that her root system very vulnerable, all useful material are absorbed from the soil by thin, non-woody roots, and if they are damaged during transplantation, they will die off and will no longer be restored. It is also important to know that loosening the soil around plants is strictly prohibited due to the fact that coniferous plants have a superficial capillary root system, so cultivation negatively affects the well-being of the plant. Spruce may first stop in development, then slowly begin to fade and soon, as it were, dry up from the inside and disappear. During transplant important point the speed of the process is considered, since the roots of the plant for the same reasons should never be overdried. It is very important that the root neck is at ground level. After the plant is planted, it is recommended to water it abundantly and provide especially meticulous care throughout the first season. For better survival of spruce, at first during irrigation, you can use a root formation stimulator, as well as carry out foliar top dressing.

You can transplant Canadian spruce in a little larger pot in a special soil for coniferous plants or land on suburban area, preferably in partial shade in a not very windy place. Soil for spruce can be prepared by yourself. The best option for planting coniferous plants - this is a mixture of soddy land, peat, humus, sand in a ratio of 2: 2: 2: 1. Like all conifers, such miniature spruces develop rather slowly. According to my observations, I can say that after transplanting to open ground, she took root for at least two years. The first years, until the Canadian spruce got stronger, we wrapped it up for the winter pine branches and a special greenhouse cloth, and trunk circle mulched with cones and spruce needles that had previously fallen off from adults coniferous trees.

Mostly trees 15-25 cm high go on sale, it is these spruce trees that adapt more easily than older plants. The older the transplanted plant, the more difficult it is for it to take root and start growing. The most common species is the Canadian spruce "Konica". It has bright green needles and is the easiest to transplant than all spruces, and also does not need pruning, because it is a slowly growing specimen, therefore long time retains its compactness and decorative appearance.

Problems in growing Canadian spruce.

If you notice that the needles turned yellow sharply and began to fall off, then you violated the temperature regime. Another reason could be improper watering. The cooler the room where the plant is located, the less often and less watering is required. Unfortunately, the branches that have crumbled will not recover, it is urgent to establish the cause of this state of the tree and change the conditions of detention as soon as possible, otherwise the Canadian spruce will die.

Canadian spruce is decorative form spruce, which has a very attractive appearance. That is why it has become so popular among gardeners. Today it bonsai serves as an ornament in many parts of the Earth. In our middle lane given plant also fits in pretty well. Next, we will tell you more about Canadian spruce, planting and caring for this crop.

Among the 50 species of all coniferous trees growing on the globe, Canadian gray spruce is in a special position. The tree is loved landscape designers and gardeners for unusual color 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 spruce canadian.

• Spruce canadian horse ("Conica") is the 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 dwarf forms 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 too much 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. Exudes an amazing aroma, has soft light green needles, with needles 6-9 mm.

• Spruce Pendula("Pendula") is weeping form varieties of Canadian spruce. 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 color intensity of the needles: healthy plant she is bright and alive.

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 get 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 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 spruces 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 the scorching rays of the 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 Sun rays, but not disturbing ventilationDecorative mini-arrangement in a concrete pot with a Canadian Christmas tree in leading role - great decoration your house

• 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.