Dwarf spruce conic. Konik spruce: caring for a fluffy beauty from Canada. Rules for planting Canadian Konika in open ground

For the last New Year, I decided to get a room tree. I already had experience in growing coniferous crops in the garden, so the choice fell immediately on the gray Konik spruce, which was advised by experienced specialists.

Conica spruce is an ornamental variety of the classic gray spruce, discovered in 1904 in the vicinity of Lake Liggan in Canada. Initially small size the trees were caused by a mutation, but later, with the help of selection, this species trait was preserved.

Canadian spruce Konika is distinguished by a narrow cone-shaped crown, dense foliage. At home, the plant can grow up to 30 cm, but this method of growing is not recommended, since all conifers require low temperatures for the resting stage.

In the garden, spruce can reach a height of up to 1-1.5 m. The average crown diameter is 80 cm. The needles are very soft, have a bluish-green color. Needles grow up to 10 mm in length. The root system is poorly developed, most of the appendages are located on the surface layer of the soil.

The plant is characterized by a slow growth rate, for a year the growth is no more than 2 cm in height, even with high-quality care in comfortable climatic conditions. Stable growth persists up to 15 years of life, then practically stops.

Landing

On sale, Konik spruce is usually found in small pots, but due to the impossibility of compliance temperature conditions the plant is not recommended to be grown in an apartment, balcony.

Transplantation of young horses in open ground it is desirable to carry out in the spring, when the tree is still in hibernation, but the procedure can be carried out in September, until the onset of the first frost.

Location selection

The gray spruce of this species prefers well-drained acidic soil, for which loam with a high content of humus is suitable. You can not plant a plant in the lowlands or near a reservoir, as the horse does not like high humidity.

For planting, it is advisable to choose a well-lit area with sufficient penumbra during the day, which avoids needle burns due to exposure to open sun rays.

Landing technology

It is desirable to plant a plant in the morning or in the evening, since during this period there is a temperature comfortable for spruce, optimal diffused light. step by step algorithm works:

Dig a planting hole a little deeper than the container in which the spruce was located. Lay broken brick or expanded clay on the bottom as drainage.
2 hours before planting, carefully remove the spruce from the container, immerse in warm water. Then release the roots from the remnants of the substrate, straighten the thin roots.
Plant the spruce in the prepared hole, sprinkle with a layer of light and fertile soil. Moderately pour water at ambient temperature.

After planting, it is necessary to mulch the area of \u200b\u200bthe near-stem circle, and with strong exposure to the sun, it is advisable to build a canopy for shading for 2 weeks or cover the tree with burlap during the day.

If you plant a conic spruce in the spring, then it is impossible to clean the roots of soil residues so as not to disrupt the vegetation process.

Care

Unlike many other varieties of gray spruce, Konik needs minimal care. She does not need pruning, because due to the slow rate of development, natural formation occurs. Basic care requirements:

Water the plant very carefully. Watering is recommended only if dry weather persists for more than two weeks. Water is best applied by irrigation or spraying needles with a spray bottle;
top dressing is carried out twice - in spring and autumn. After the end of winter, 5 kg of rotted humus should be added under the tree, mixed with top layer soil. In autumn, you can simply mulch the soil with peat or compost;
in cold regions, it is advisable to cover the plant with agrofiber for the winter or completely wrap it in burlap;
throughout the summer, you should monitor the moderate moisture content of the soil, periodically update the layer of mulch.

In the spring, brown spots may appear on the needles, which is not a disease. As a rule, this is a typical reaction to increased solar activity. It is at this moment that it is desirable to shelter the tree from direct exposure to light.

Diseases and pests

When grown in adverse conditions and non-compliance with the basic rules of care, there is a risk of conic infection with diseases and pests. The main ones are:

Tracheomycosis. fungal disease roots of coniferous plants. It affects young trees in the first 2 years of growth. You can determine the infection by the reddening of the needles, its subsequent fall. effective treatment no, but so that the fungus is not transmitted to the rest of the plant, the infected tree must be dug up and burned;
Schutte's disease. A whole group of dangerous fungal infections of coniferous trees. Typical signs of the disease are darkening of the needles, the appearance of white plaque and fall. If the infection occurred in the first 3 years of life, then it will not be possible to save the spruce, adult plants are treated with a 3% solution blue vitriol or Bordeaux liquid;
Hedgehog false shield. Usually found in warm regions, as the insect does not tolerate severe frosts. The peak of infection occurs at the beginning of spring, when the female lays thousands of small larvae. They are very difficult to notice on a tree; outwardly, the appearance of a pest resembles a small ball of a dark shade. As a result, the spruce begins to weaken, the needles turn yellow and fall off. For treatment, complex insecticides are used, the treatment is carried out twice with an interval of 10-12 days.

For adult plants, the bark beetle is also dangerous. The insect appears on the trunk, bites into the wood, which leads to the spruce drying out. It is almost impossible to get rid of this pest; it is advisable to burn the infected tree.

Application in landscape design

IN last years Canadian Spruce Konica has become very popular in landscape design. The tree can be used as a tapeworm on the lawn or next to the building, as part of a multi-species mixborder.

In addition, spruce, due to its small size, can also be grown in large rock gardens, as well as as a backdrop for various flower arrangements. Spruce looks especially decorative with garden succulents, other coniferous shrubs and when planted on a flat mowed lawn.

Canadian spruce conic will become a real decoration of the site; it is not recommended to grow this plant at home, as it is difficult to achieve a comfortable temperature regime.

The plant requires minimal care, it is enough just to shade the needles from direct sunlight and avoid waterlogging the soil. But you should prepare for the fact that even in favorable conditions, spruce develops very slowly.

Type: coniferous
Flowering period: Aug. Sept
Height: 15-40m
Color: green with a dark red tint
perennial
hibernates
Shade-loving
drought tolerant

On the eve of the New Year holidays, each family thinks over where to get and how to decorate the main character of the celebration - the Christmas tree. But if ten years ago, many owners switched to artificial beauties, today everything real is returning to fashion. Moreover, it is considered special chic to acquire your own homemade Christmas tree, which will please the eye. all year round rather than a couple of days. That's why potted green prickly beauties appear in many shopping malls in December. They are bought both as a gift for friends, and for themselves in the interior. But there is one problem: the plant needs competent care, otherwise the needles in the heat can turn yellow and crumble. Let's consider how the home planting of Konik spruce and caring for it is carried out correctly (this particular variety is the leader in New Year's sales!).

The main suppliers of coniferous potted plants are Denmark, Holland, Poland. These are countries in which the flower business is on stream and they can grow even the most complex crops in a pot.

Coniferous plants are considered almost unsuitable for growing indoors, as they need a long dormant period and low temperatures during this time. And all the Christmas trees that are sold in pots are grown only for temporary use. Konika is no exception, but just a dwarf hybrid of the usual gray spruce, formed as a result of a mutation.

For two Christmas weeks, the Christmas trees will be kept warm - and then 90% of the plant dies. But there is still a 10% chance to keep the horse until spring, in order to then land it on the street, and in exceptional cases, tame it to the home climate. If you were given a prickly dwarf beauty for the New Year, get ready to fight for her life. This is not a houseplant and its life cycle should be in tune with the temperatures and humidity in which spruce grows in natural conditions.

Miniature spruce glauca conica attracts buyers with a compact cone-shaped crown, which was formed as a result of a mutation, without human intervention

Features of caring for a potted plant

So, the horse tree has appeared in your apartment, and you need to do everything so that it survives at home.

Choosing a place in the house

First, find the coldest place in the house. This can be a window sill on the north side, a place inside double window frames, a glazed loggia or veranda. The ideal temperature is 3-5 degrees. The higher the temperature, the less likely the tree is to survive, since conifers have dormant time in winter. And it can only be provided with low temperatures.

You can decorate the horse with beads and tinsel, but bring it into a warm room only during the holiday, for a couple of hours. In a short time, the spruce will not have time to enter a stressful state due to temperature changes.

If you want to decorate a purchased plant, do not use floral sprays, as the crown will not be able to breathe normally and will die

If the loggia freezes during severe frosts, wrap the pot with a woolen cloth (an old sweater, scarf, etc.) to prevent moisture from freezing on the roots. Krona is not afraid of sub-zero temperatures.

We provide humidity

High humidity is the second factor in the normal development of the plant. The needles are very sensitive to dry air, so it is necessary to put an air humidifier near the pot, which will constantly blow on the crown. In its absence, place bowls of water on both sides of the plant and spray the needles 5-6 times a day.

Watering, on the contrary, should not be plentiful, since the root system is also sleeping. It is enough to keep a clod of earth moist. To prevent drying out, cover the top of the soil with a sheet of paper or newspaper cut out in a circle. They will not retain air, but will not allow moisture to evaporate quickly. It is necessary to water and spray with water, which stood for several hours and warmed up to room temperature.

The problem may be that under all the window sills of the house there will be radiators, which from below will give too much heat and drain the earthen lump. In this case, the pot is not placed on the window sill itself, but is raised to an elevation, such as a home-made stand, an inverted pan, etc. The main thing is to remove it higher from the heat source.

We adjust the lighting

Conifers are very sensitive to direct sunlight. They cause needle burns. Therefore, the window sill must be chosen from the side where the sun is only in the afternoon (not the south side). Diffused light is ideal. At the same time, you need to turn the conic once a week so that each side of the Christmas tree receives light recharge. If this is neglected, the needles from the side of the room will begin to turn yellow, crumble, and the tree will become “one-sided”.

Light unevenly falling on the crown of the Christmas tree leads to the fact that some of the needles turn yellow, and then crumble, and the tree loses its beautiful appearance.

In the absence of shaded window sills, they arrange a homemade cover, placing between the plant and window frame a large sheet of white paper (above the height of the tree). This is especially important to do at the end of winter, when the February-March sun begins to get very hot, and the plant has not yet come out of hibernation and is therefore very sensitive to temperature changes.

Transplant rules

Usually potted plants are transplanted into fresh soil immediately after purchase, because they are sold in a substrate called "transport". Land cannot be transported across borders (this is a requirement of an international convention), therefore, trees intended for sale abroad sit in sterilized peat or coconut fiber. They don't provide ideal conditions to develop culture in the home environment.

While the seedlings are growing in nurseries, watering and fertilizing are carried out by airborne droplets, without affecting the soil. At home, no one will provide such conditions. Therefore, they try to immediately transplant the purchased plants into fertile soil.

Herringbone requires slightly acidified soil, which can be obtained from a coniferous forest and sterilized in a microwave oven for 10 minutes

Glauka spruce is very picky about transplants. The disturbed root system takes root for about 3 months, so the tree can be transplanted only in the spring. IN winter time the seedling is still in a dormant state, and if it is provided with cold, then it will calmly live in the transport substrate until March.

Another thing is a warm room. Peat dries instantly in heat, which means that your Christmas tree will not have a chance to survive in it. But if there is no cold room, the Christmas tree must still be transferred to a larger pot, filling the bottom and sides of the container with normal soil. There is no need to disturb the earthen ball with roots, leave this operation until spring.

If in winter you find a Christmas tree with many young shoots in the supermarket, refuse to buy it, as it is unlikely to survive in the house.

The only case when a transplant cannot be postponed is a strongly vegetative Christmas tree. Those. in the store during the sale, she managed to release a lot of young needles and acquired a very decorative look (by the way, there are a lot of such trees in supermarkets!). If the plant started to grow in winter, it means that it was not provided with rest conditions, woke up at the wrong time, and fresh shoots are a sign of “despair”. Konika tries to give as many “offspring” as possible before death - young shoots that can be recognized by their bright light green color.

The root system will give all its strength to the vegetation, and there will be no nutrition in the substrate. As a result - the death of the plant. Often, such Christmas trees have rotten roots, since at the base of the neck the substrate is lumped into a lump during transportation, and moisture does not evaporate from there. Oxygen does not enter, which means that all conditions for decay are created. Therefore, such conic Christmas trees are transplanted into ready-made soil for coniferous plants immediately after purchase. At the same time, they do not use the transshipment method, but completely shake off the substrate from the roots of the tree and plant it in fresh soil.

Be prepared that after transplanting, the tree will shed some of its needles, it will be dull for a long time, and the young tips of the branches will dry out. This is a normal reaction of a tree exhausted by moving and improper storage conditions, and you can only hope that it will withstand the stress. You can only help him by keeping the temperature around 10 degrees and normal humidity.

Too wet soil causes rotting of the root system and the inevitable death of the seedling, and it is no longer possible to restore the grayed crown

How and when to "feed" the plant?

During hibernation and immediately after transplantation, conifers are not fed. At this time, the roots do not need much nutrition, otherwise the growing season will begin too early on a fragile tree. In the spring, they begin to treat the needles with epin or other biological products, especially those branches that have dropped the needles. The growth stimulator will awaken dormant buds and help the plant restore its former decorative effect.

For irrigation use special fertilizers for conifers. They will maintain the desired level of soil acidity. "Feed" the plant once every 2 weeks from April to mid-summer. Next, they stop feeding so that the Christmas tree has time to go to sleep before winter.

How to choose the right tree for your home?

If you like European tradition decorate on New Year container trees, and you are ready for the complexities of care at home, then choose Konik spruce in the store according to the following criteria:

Do not buy a glauca decorated for the holiday with sparkles and artificial snow. These decorations are applied with aerosols and clog the pores of the needles. The tree will still die.
Gently move the stem. If he staggers in a pot, it means that the tree was recently transplanted here from another place. In this case, the roots are necessarily damaged, and the plant has little chance of survival.
If the volume of the pot is too small in relation to the crown, do not take this tree. To develop a good crown, the tree must have powerful roots. And most likely, when transplanting into a container, part of the root system was chopped off with a pruner, and the life of the crown was supported by stimulants.
Carefully open the soil from the side. If the tree grew in this land from the very beginning, then the roots will braid the entire space, forming a dense lump. This is a good seedling.
Stumps of roots that are not woven together indicate that the horse was grown specifically for the holiday, and in the future it will not survive.
A lot of young shoots at the ends of the Christmas tree in winter is a signal that the tree was untimely woken up. Soon it will start to hurt.
A healthy Christmas tree has dense, evenly colored needles, a bare bottom trunk and roots coming out of the drainage holes of the pot.

In general, not conic, but araucaria is considered the ideal pot culture for the New Year's interior. This is the only conifer intended for growing at home, so it will calmly survive both the winter transplant and the warm room regime.

If in a pot you see a lot of roots knocked into a tight ball, then the Christmas tree has been sitting in this soil for more than one year.

Soft needles of araucaria look no less interesting in New Year's tinsel, but you will be sure that the seedling will survive after the holidays

If you nevertheless chose a seedling unsuccessfully, and it begins to die, pluck all healthy branches 7-10 cm long from the Christmas tree and place them in a glass of water diluted with a root growth stimulator. Perhaps by spring some of them will take root, and you will have your own planting material.

Features of planting in open ground

Since glauca konik is not intended for growing at home, it can be saved by planting it in open ground. Plant a tree near your porch and decorate every winter instead of tormenting it in the heat of the room. True, glauca does not grow quickly, it adds 10-12 cm per year, so a meter-long copy will be obtained only after 10 years.

Container trees, as we wrote above, are best planted in the spring. But if you use the transshipment method, then it is possible until October (2 months before the onset of stable frosts).

Location Requirements

Konika loves moist, well-drained acidic soils. The ideal option is loam. Stagnation of moisture for its roots is certain death. If the site is located in a lowland place, when landing on the bottom of the pit, a layer of broken brick, expanded clay or coarse sand is covered. This will save the root system from stagnant water.

The landing site should not be sunny. It is advisable to find a shaded area so that the needles do not fry in the summer under the direct rays of the sun. Can be planted near fences, near the wall of the house, in an ensemble with taller conifers.

In the first years, conic seedlings grow upwards, therefore they are not particularly decorative, but it is at this time that they should be planted in open ground.

Landing instructions

The order of work is as follows:

When planting, the Christmas tree is carefully removed from the container, trying not to destroy the earthen ball, and immersed in water for 1-2 hours.
If planting in spring / summer, the roots are freed from the substrate, the roots are straightened in different directions and planted on fertile soil poured by a hill. You can buy 10 kg of ready-made or bring land from a coniferous forest.
When planting in the summer, a rainy week is chosen so that the seedling has time to get out of a stressful state before the heat begins. For the whole summer, the Christmas tree should be shaded by creating a kind of canopy over it from non-woven material.
At autumn planting the root system is not disturbed, but only the tips of the tangled roots are carefully straightened, leaving the lump intact. So the plant is less injured and has time to get stronger before winter.

And of course, after planting, the earth is covered with peat to maintain moisture, and in the fall - to warm the roots.

Glauka konica can be planted as a tapeworm or be the center of a small flower bed, but it grows very slowly and becomes spectacular after 10-15 years

What is glauca konik afraid of?

The most dangerous time for a Christmas tree is the end of winter. At this time, the sun and the snow reflecting the rays strongly burn the young needles, which makes it red, and then crumbles. Places of burns are restored poorly. Therefore, from the beginning of February, it is important to cover the seedlings with burlap or non-woven material, sewing a cone-shaped bag out of them or tightly tying it to the crown with a rope. Of course, the decorativeness of the site will suffer, but the plants will retain healthy needles.

And these conifers love high humidity, and if the summer is hot and dry, the crown can crumble from dehydration. Therefore, in the summer it is necessary to install a water hose with a sprinkler near the bunk and turn it on 5-6 times a day.

Growing conifers in an apartment is troublesome. A miniature artificial Christmas tree will decorate the New Year's table no worse than a real one and will withstand any decor. Consider whether it is worth tormenting the tree in the heat of the rooms if there is little chance of survival. Give the Christmas tree to friends or family who have their own plot. It will be a joy for them, a Christmas tree - for the benefit, and you do not have to watch the slow death of a coniferous beauty.

Glauka Konica Spruce is an evergreen conifer popular with landscapers. Natural hybrid (mutant) of Canadian spruce gray. The plant develops slowly. The crown is cone-shaped, the needles are soft, fragrant, bluish-green in color, do not require a haircut. With proper planting and minimal care, the culture looks decorative, lives up to the age of 300-500 years. Used alone or in group compositions.

plant description

Spruce Canadian, Glauka konik is an evergreen coniferous plant. It is considered a dwarf hybrid of gray spruce, which appeared as a result of a natural mutation. The first copy was found in Canada in 1904. Scientists carefully studied the find, and dwarf spruce began to be cultivated artificially.

Specialists gave a clear description of the hybrid. When grown in open ground, the height of an adult tree is up to 3-4 meters. It reaches these dimensions in 50-60 years. It develops very slowly. The first ten years, the annual growth is 3-4 cm per year, then 1.5-2 cm. Life expectancy is 300-500 years.

The crown is fluffy, dense with a diameter of 1-1.5 meters, has the shape of a regular cone, is formed independently, does not require pruning. The needles are bluish-green in color, not prickly, with a pleasant aroma of currant leaves. Cones are rarely formed, their size is about 6 cm. The root system is superficial.

At home

Glauka konika is often found in flower shops before the New Year holidays. It is bought as a replacement for the Christmas tree. At home, the plant most often dies. All conifers need low temperatures during the dormant period (winter), high humidity, diffused light. You can try to keep the spruce until spring and transplant it into open ground. The culture should be carefully looked after.

For a tree, houses create comfortable conditions as close as possible to the natural environment:

A store-bought plant needs to be transplanted. A special soil for conifers is suitable. During the rest period, the procedure is not carried out.
High humidity is important, otherwise the needles crumble. The plant is sprayed 5-6 times a day and placed next to containers with water.
Do not allow the soil in the pot to dry out.
Diffused light helps to avoid sunburn. The pot must be constantly turned.
In winter, during the dormant period, choose the coolest place (glazed loggia, space between window frames, veranda). The lower the temperature, the more likely it is to keep the specimen. The water temperature for irrigation should be equal to the air temperature.
It is impossible to allow freezing of an earthen coma and damage to the roots. The pot is wrapped in a warm cloth. The crown does not need shelter.

In the open ground

Dwarf conifers are often used to decorate home gardens. Konika is planted singly or used to create complex compositions: flower beds, rock gardens, rockeries. This species does not take root well in polluted areas; spruce can be planted only in the countryside.

Landing in the ground is carried out in the spring. Choose a cool overcast day, early in the morning or in the evening.

Spruce seedling selection

You need to buy a tree only in special nurseries. The younger the tree, the more likely it is to take root. If you managed to save the seedling bought in the store, plant it for the new year:

1. The crown is bright, without yellowness and bald patches.
2. The root system is healthy, without damage and rot. Select specimens with closed roots (with an earthy clod). Such a spruce will take root easier. The roots should tightly entangle the soil.
3. The branches are elastic.

Site preparation

Choose a lighted place, protected from drafts and direct sunlight (near buildings and fences). The plant prefers well-drained loose, slightly acidic soil (loam is ideal). It is best to bring the soil from a coniferous forest, the acidity increases when peat is added. Flower shops offer ready-made soil mixtures for conifers.

Prepare a hole twice the size of an earthen clod. Drainage is poured at the bottom (expanded clay, gravel, brick chips). The root system does not tolerate stagnant moisture and the plant dies.

Soil is suitable from the ground of a coniferous forest and a special substrate purchased at a store.

Landing stages

Spruce does not tolerate frequent transplants. You need to carefully prepare the place and follow the landing rules:

The plant is taken out of the container.
Immerse the roots in water room temperature for 1-2 hours.
In the planting pit, a hill is made of soil and a seedling is placed on it. The earth near the roots is kept.
The pit is covered fertile soil, slightly tamped.
Abundantly moisturize.
If the soil is very settled, add more and water again.
Make a layer of mulch under the bush (coniferous needles, bark, small branches, sawdust, crushed cones). Everything you need can be collected in a coniferous forest.

The root collar remains above the surface.

Seedlings younger than 4 years do not require fertilizing with planting. The rest need nutrient mixtures.

In the first 2-3 months after planting, the needles may crumble. This is a reaction to stress. After rooting, young branches will begin to grow.

Coniferous plants are very sensitive to top dressing. They are suitable for special complexes corresponding to the type and age.

Care rules

Young seedlings look ugly, begin to grow upwards, but later the crown expands and acquires the correct shape (does not need pruning).

In the first year, the tree needs watering and shading from the bright sun and spraying the crown. It is advisable to make a spraying system and turn it on every 6 hours. In the spring, the needles are treated with the growth stimulator "Epin". In dry summers, adults also ate.

Starting from 3-, 4-year-old age, the tree is fed with special complexes (under the root) once a month - from early spring until the middle of summer. In the future, the plant prepares for a period of winter dormancy, watering is reduced, fertilizers are not used.

It is important to loosen the soil in a timely manner (shallow), remove weeds and old branches. In October, the root circle is sprinkled with a layer of 8-10 cm mulch to avoid freezing of the roots. In a winter with little snow, a snowdrift is additionally made of snow.

Krona Glauka Koniki does not need shelter.

Diseases and pests

Coniferous plants are not immune from disease. Processing needs to be done in a timely manner. A tree can get sick from non-compliance with the rules of planting and care:

A fashionable trend among modern gardeners is the cultivation of Canadian conic spruce or, as it is also called, glauca. This coniferous tree will fit perfectly into any landscape. In addition, they can decorate both the balcony and the terrace.

Canada is considered the birthplace of spruce glauca conica. It was opened at the beginning of the 20th century. According to scientists given plant is a mutation of the Canadian gray spruce.

Let us consider in more detail the description of the conic spruce. This evergreen tree can grow from 0.5 to 2 m, depending on the conditions of detention. The crown has a conical shape and a dense structure. The length of the needles reaches 1 cm. Their color is predominantly light green.

The plant is characterized by branching and fluffiness. The diameter of the crown in the widest part is approximately 0.8 m. The root system is located near the surface of the earth.

Canadian spruce grows slowly, on average by 6-8 cm per year. The height of a ten-year-old tree is usually about a meter. Further, the growth decreases to 2-3 cm annually. The lifetime of this conifer can range from 300 to 500 years.

Acquisition of spruce in a tub

Today, most people are of the opinion that it is necessary to take measures to preserve green spaces and prefer to buy live spruce in a pot for the New Year.

Based on its description, Canadian conic spruce is an ideal version of the New Year's tree. Here are some recommendations:

Do not place a pot next to the battery.
The best place for a Christmas tree is partial shade or shade.
If you decide to put the plant in a heated room, then do not forget about regular spraying.
Place a container of water next to the spruce - it loves moist air.
After the New Year, put the tree in a cool place with a temperature not higher than 10 ° C (this can be a loggia or a balcony). Cover with a piece of burlap and some kind of insulation. Only in this way will it survive until spring.
Spruce can live in a pot for 3-4 years, after which it is better to plant it in open ground.

Subtleties regarding planting a seedling in open ground

Planting spruce Canadian horses in open ground and caring for it have their own nuances. Like all coniferous plants, it reacts negatively to the lack of moisture in the soil. Therefore, it is better to purchase seedlings sold in containers with moistened soil.

The optimal time for planting a tree is May. It is advisable to choose a cloudy day for the procedure. As for the place, the most suitable option there will be a sunny area. You should also take care of wind protection for him.

The preparation of the landing pit must be done in advance. Drainage is a must. In its role can be crushed stone or broken brick.

Speaking of soil mixture, you can prepare it yourself by mixing river sand, leaf soil, humus and peat in a ratio of 1:2:1:1. It is appropriate to add a little mineral-based top dressing.

How to care

Caring for the Canadian dwarf spruce conica requires a minimum investment of effort and time. She does not need pruning, annual transplantation, as well as crown formation measures.

It needs to be watered only in hot weather, otherwise natural precipitation is enough for the development of the tree. The exception is the first couple of months - at this time the plant needs regular watering and loosening.

Despite the fact that the horse is frost-resistant, it should be mulched for the first two years before the onset of cold weather.

In addition, in the spring, the seedling must be covered with material to avoid burns from the bright spring sun. That's the whole care of the Canadian dwarf spruce conic.

Best Places for Canadian Spruce

Konika is famous for its high decorativeness, so it is best to plant it:

in the recreation area;
in front of the facade of the main building;
on the playground for children.

Moreover, a tree can be both an independent composition and be part of a general ensemble.

Diseases

Konika is prone to the following diseases:

rust;
Schutte's disease.

For treatment, it is necessary to treat the tree with appropriate preparations in a timely manner. Delay can lead to the death of spruce.

If you are thinking about doing landscape design on your suburban area, then the Canadian spruce is definitely worth a closer look. It is difficult to find the same unpretentious and beautiful tree. Therefore, the conic is the ideal choice.

Photo of spruce Konik

Spruce Canadian Konika belongs to dwarf varieties, grows in North America, is distinguished by a spectacular cone-shaped crown, unpretentious care. Spruce is used in landscape design for decorating the entrance area in the garden, creating rock gardens, arranging footpaths, and also as single plantings.

Decorative spruce Konik belongs to evergreen cultures, it is distinguished by spectacular lush green needles with a blue tint, soft needles reach a length of 1 cm. The crown of coniferous culture is cone-shaped. Pruning is not often required for an adult tree. In late spring, cones ripen on the branches.

The garden is decorated with a Christmas tree; single bushes or group compositions are used in the design. Coniferous crops can be combined with other varieties of Christmas trees, the varieties differ in the shape of the crown and the shade of the needles. Dwarf varieties are used in rock gardens, can be used to decorate green roofs, create mixborders, decorate terraces, balconies and loggias. Coniferous varieties look original in combination with flowering shrubs and flower beds.

In winter, you can grow a plant at home, Konika looks spectacular in a pot in the living room, in winter gardens in country houses, on glazed balconies.

Planting spruce in the garden

For planting spruce in the adjoining and garden area, it is necessary to choose the right seedlings, a plot for growing and soil.

When selecting seedlings, consider the following:

Materials for planting should be bought in special horticultural nurseries, which offer quality products.
The crown of the plant should be lush, the needles should be fresh, without yellowed, dried needles.
It is recommended to choose seedlings with closed roots, this will maintain sufficient soil moisture and ensure good plant survival.
Seedlings with open roots should not have damaged roots.
The roots of the seedling are covered with a moistened cloth and immediately planted after delivery.

When choosing a place for planting, it is necessary to take into account that the plant does not tolerate air pollution. It is forbidden to post ornamental trees near highways. The site for planting should be well lit, the soil should be slightly oxidized (with a pH of 6-6.5), the land should be fertile. Areas with infertile soil must be fertilized. Superphosphate (100 g) and potassium salts (100 g) are added to the soil per 1 tree. Coniferous crops can be planted from spring to autumn.

For rooting seedlings with an open root system, planting procedures are recommended to be performed in the spring. It is possible to place plants with roots in a clod of earth in open ground in summer time. After planting, the plant is closed from exposure to the sun. It is necessary to maintain a distance between seedlings of at least 1 m, tall varieties located at intervals of up to 2-3 m.

Konik spruce requires regular processing, planting and care (pictured) are carried out in compliance with the following steps:

Prepare a planting hole that is optimal for the root system. The average size of the pit is 50x50x50 cm.
A drainage layer up to 10 cm thick is laid on the base. Brick fragments, sand, expanded clay granules can be used as a filler.
Prepare a mixture of humus (compost), turf, peat, coarse sand.
The finished composition is placed in a pit, a plant is placed in it, the soil is compacted. It is not recommended to overfill the seedling with soil.
The plant is watered with warm water (10-12 l).
Crushed peat, wood chips, and tree bark are poured near the trunk circle.

tree care

Konik spruce care includes regular soil moistening, mulching, and regular fertilizing. It is recommended to prune, inspect the branches for pests. In hot weather, plants must be sheltered from sunlight.

Rules for watering a coniferous plant:

Trees should receive regular moderate watering, the bush does not withstand prolonged drought and excessive soil moisture.
Regular moistening of the soil is required for young seedlings. Mature plants are watered less often, but plentifully.
The frequency of watering is determined as the soil dries. The standard requirement is 1-2 buckets of water per tree.
Water should be settled, its temperature is about + 18 ... + 25 ° С, because. cool water can damage trees.
In summer, it is required to spray the needles of the bushes and clean the branches from dust.

The soil near the bush must be regularly loosened and mulched (the earth is sprinkled with crushed peat, chips and bark). Loosening is carried out after the soil has dried near the spruce trunk. The procedure is performed carefully, without damaging the roots.

Plant nutrition is carried out in compliance with the following requirements:

Pruning of the plant is carried out in the spring and autumn periods. It is necessary to remove damaged and dried branches with a sharp pruner. After pruning, damaged branches are burned.

The procedure for preparing trees for winter includes pre-winter watering (in the second half of October). It is necessary to pour 30-40 liters of water under the bush and additionally feed. On frosty winter days, the crown is covered, the areas near the trunk are sprinkled with snow.

Height of an adult Konik spruce tree

Among conifers, Konik spruce is considered to be low, the height of an adult tree is 2 m, in a warm climate the plant can reach a height of 4 m. The variety is universal, planting is carried out in the park, seedlings can be placed in tubs in the house and in containers on a spacious balcony.

The diameter of the crown of an average spruce reaches 2 m. First, the tree adds 10 cm annually, then the growth for 1 year decreases to 3 cm. In the future, the growth rate gradually decreases.

Photo of trees

The following types of coniferous culture Konik are used in the design of the site:

Spruce Konik in a pot at home

Spruce cultivation is carried out at home, subject to the following recommendations:

The bush should be in a lighted area; in summer, the tub is transferred to a balcony, terrace or garden plot.
In winter, the temperature in the room should be maintained at about + 10 ° C, fresh air must be supplied.
IN winter period watering is organized up to 1-2 times in 7-9 days. When maintaining a temperature of about 0 ° C, watering is carried out no more than 1 time per month.
Transfer houseplant performed in the spring, it is optimal to carry out this procedure 1 time in 2-3 years. The soil mix needs to be updated.

House care rules

When planning planting a plant in the garden and overexposure of the seedling in winter, it is necessary to maintain the temperature no higher than + 10 ... + 15 ° С. With more high temperature in the room, the branches begin to stretch and weaken. It is required to spray needles if there are heating devices in the room. In the spring, transplantation is carried out in open soil.