Coniferous plants are a great decoration for any garden. Evergreens, they will delight even in the cold season, and their aroma will give a festive mood. To ennoble the site with these beautiful trees and shrubs, you should first find out what soil is needed for conifers and how much this or that species loves the sun and moisture.
Spruce
In nature, spruce is very high and not in every section it will be out of place. But thanks to a large selection of bred varieties with a height of 40 centimeters to 50 meters, anyone can choose the perfect option.
Before planting it, you need to consider on what soil spruce grows. When planting use the collection of sheet land, turf, sand and peat. It is allowed to buy ready-made soil for conifers. The depth of the landing pit should be 50-70 cm, and it is also necessary to make a drainage of at least 15 centimeters. When planting, you can not compact the soil so that the root system can grow freely.
The spruce does not need to be fed, but it will not be superfluous to fertilize it in early spring, until the shoots have begun to grow. Some varieties must be regularly watered, as they do not tolerate extreme heat.
Pine
Varieties of pine, there are about a hundred. Among them there are giants, 25 meters high, and dwarf varieties from 40 centimeters to several meters.
Pine is planted in the soil of any kind - clay, sand, even in marshy soil, but its growth in such a place will be slowed down. When landing in a pit up to 1 meter deep, add turf land with sand, peat and clay. If the soil is heavy, then drainage should be done to avoid rotting of the root system.
The first two years after planting, the pine needs to be fertilized periodically. Later, this is no longer necessary, since the layer of fallen needles will itself serve as a nutrient fertilizer. But most varieties do not need watering. They are drought-resistant, and the litter of fallen needles retains additional moisture.
Fir
A variety of varieties of fir, and there are about fifty of them, will allow you to choose the best option for anyone who wants to plant a coniferous plant on their site. Among them there are both bushes and trees, and the height varies from 50 centimeters to 8 meters. They grow best in shaded areas.
For planting, a hole is dug with a depth of about half a meter, if the soil is heavy, then a drainage layer of 20 centimeters is necessarily done. Add sheet soil or humus, sand with peat and clay to the pit, or ready soil for coniferous plants is poured from the bag.
Fertilize fir the first 2-3 years after planting is not necessary. Then you can use vermicompost to feed. What is it and how to use it, you can read below. Watering the fir is not necessary if the choice is not a moisture-loving variety, while others need to be watered 2-3 times per season.
Juniper
One of the lowest coniferous species with a height of 50 centimeters to 5 meters. Cutting the crown allows you to make them in different shapes, and due to the fact that they grow quite slowly, this will not have to be done very often. Juniper stands in an open area, so that the sun always illuminates it.
He loves the soil from peat, sand and turf. For planting, dig a hole with a depth of 50-70 cm and make a drainage layer of 15 centimeters, but no less.
Fir should be fertilized no more than 1 time per month with organic fertilizers, for example biohumus, but only if it grows more slowly than it should. It is watered in a dry summer about once a month. It is also advisable to spray fir needles once a week early in the morning or in the evening, when the activity of the sun is not very strong.
Larch
In nature, larch trees reach a height of 50 meters, which is few in which area it will look harmonious. However, the bred varieties with a height of 3-5 meters will look great on any personal plot. For larch, the best place is an open and well-lit area.
When planting, they use sheet soil, peat and sand, as well as prepared soil. Plant larch in a pit with a depth of 50-70 cm, and if the soil is heavy, you need to drain 15 inches.
Fertilize it in the spring at the very beginning of the growing season. Larch is a moisture-loving plant, so it is better to mulch the soil with peat, sawdust or needles, so that the soil is always moist, and in hot weather it should be shed further.
Landing pit preparation
After the type and variety of needles is selected, it is time to start planting. To begin with, it is worth deciding on the place where to plant the plant. In this case, the future size of the plant is necessarily taken into account so that it can grow calmly both in height and in width. The planting site must meet the necessary requirements of the selected variety and, of course, the soil for the coniferous plant must be prepared in advance.
First, a hole is dug of the necessary depth for a particular type of coniferous plant, about 2 times wider than an earthen coma. Part of the dug up land can be left if it is quite loose and fertile. At the bottom, if the selected plant requires it, a layer of drainage is laid out, you can use broken brick, sand or gravel for this.
Before planting, the roots of a seedling should be dipped in water with an earthen lump so that they are saturated with moisture after transportation. Then the plant must be lowered into the pit and be sure to make sure that it sits upright. Fill the hole should be pre-prepared substrate or purchased in a specialized store soil for conifers.
After landing, a small moat is dug around the pit, which is abundantly filled with water. As soon as all the moisture is absorbed, the ditch is covered with earth and mulched, but so that a small depression along the perimeter remains and does not allow the plant to flood. As mulch, you can use peat, freshly cut grass or humus.
Fertilizers for conifers
Biohumus is often used as fertilizer for conifers. What is it and how to use it, not all beginners in gardening know.
Biohumus is an organic fertilizer of natural origin, which arose due to the vital products of earthworms. It contains many useful substances and microelements, therefore, bright and fluffy needles of plants are supported.
This fertilizer can be purchased in the form of a concentrate or granules that are easy to use. Since vermicompost is a 100% natural product, it can be used without fear of overdose. The diluted fertilizer should be applied not only for root dressing, but also water the foliage and needles of plants with it. Thus, beneficial substances are absorbed faster, and a natural barrier against diseases forms on the surface.
Another advantage of biohumus is its maximum harmlessness to the environment and humans, which cannot be said about inorganic fertilizers.