Coniferous plants are the pride of any household plot, especially their beauty stands out clearly against the background of winter snow. Almost every gardener would like to have a green beauty on their territory that would delight those around with a neat decorative look. How to plant a spruce on a site so that it is successfully taken and delights everyone with its beauty for a long time? It is worth knowing several important rules for planting and growing, requiring a special approach; In any case, Christmas tree care, which can even be called elite, is always interesting and gives a lot of joy.
Proper seedling preparation
Spruce, the care of which has a number of specific features, has a core root growing inland for 10-15 years of life. Over time, it dies, causing an increased growth of lateral roots in width. Based on this principle, in order not to damage the root system when digging a tree, a young plant of small size should be selected for planting, which is easier to dig and easier to transport. How to plant spruce on the site? What you need to know the subtleties in caring for conifers?
It is worth remembering that a coniferous tree is dug up with a solid lump of earth, which can be wrapped in burlap. By the way, the preservation of an earthen coma on the roots of the plant is an important factor in its future development, because symbionts live on the roots, which contribute to the optimal absorption of useful trace elements from the soil by the tree. The roots of the spruce should be active, that is, have white tips. The bare ones can be compared with an open wound: the longer they remain open, the less chance the plant has for survival.
The subtleties of planting spruce
Blue spruce, the price of which is considerable (from 3,000 to 10,000 rubles - depending on the age of the tree), is sold in nurseries; when purchasing it, you should take into account the above tips, then the guarantee of survival of the tree will be quite high. You can, of course, try to grow coniferous beauty from seeds on your own, but this is so difficult and painstaking process, stretching for more than one year, it will be easier to use the fruits of other people's labor and buy a ready-made seedling.
It is recommended to plant spruce on the garden plot in late April - early May (the period when the buds are still in a state of sleep, the ground is warm, but still not too hot); this is exactly the moment when the tree receives the least stress, which for him is a transplant.
Landing pit preparation
How to plant spruce on the site? The landing pit should be prepared in advance, at least for a couple of weeks. For a large specimen, its size in diameter is usually 1 meter, and its depth is 60-70 cm. The soil from the site planned for this purpose will be optimal for planting, mixed in half with the soil from the place where the Christmas tree grew before the transplant. The pit should be filled with a mixture of humus and compost, here it is recommended to add bone meal and needles, put drainage on the bottom (15-cm layer of broken brick). Some well-intentioned gardeners also add mineral fertilizers, but they are better used in the spring, when it really becomes clear that the spruce has taken off and has grown stronger.
If several trees are planned to be planted, then the distance between them should not be less than 2-2.5 meters.
Planting process: description
A consistent description of how to plant a spruce on the site, correctly and in accordance with all its features:
- Coniferous seedling should be carefully placed on a slightly sagging mound of fertile soil, spreading the roots well. Deepen it at a constant place of growth should be 2-4 cm more than at the previous landing site. The earthen lump, in which the coniferous beauty is located, should freely fit in the landing pit.
- Spruce, slightly raised, should be covered with earth and well compacted. The place where the trunk goes to the roots (the root neck) should be located at the level of the soil surface.
- It is advisable to maintain when planting the previous position of the plant relative to the cardinal points. This can be done by marking the branches, for example, on the north side, and plant a tree on the site on this basis.
- Near the planted tree you need to dig a peg to which to tie a young spruce with twine.
- Around the seedling should make a roller from the ground to save water after irrigation and the formation of a space for applying mulch (from sawdust, wood chips and others) in the area of the near-stem circle in order to protect the top soil layer from drying out.
Watering Rules
Spruce in the country should be watered very well: the first time when planting, then with a frequency of 1-2 times a week. Watering is done under the root until the earth ceases to absorb moisture. After each moistening, it is recommended to loosen or mulch the soil of the trunks. Do not use sprinklers and sprinklers; their action can trigger the dumping of needles even in an adult, a long-rooted plant. In the winter-spring period, watering for planted spruce is not necessary, natural precipitation is quite enough for its growth. The first sign of a living seedling is the appearance of a young growth. For example, the annual growth of blue spruce is 10-30 cm.
The best survival of the plant will be due to its shading in the summer, which can be organized using the most basic canopy of gauze.
It is not recommended to plant trees near other plants, because the roots gradually growing to the sides will begin to take moisture from other representatives of the flora. Near the house, it is also not recommended to plant a fir tree, because it is characterized by poor resistance to winds and at one unfavorable moment can simply fall on a house.
Trimming and shaping the crown of a tree
Blue spruce, the price of which is relatively high in nurseries, requires quality care for the crown. In spring and autumn, the tree needs to be rid of diseased, dry and broken branches. When growing spruce for decorative purposes, you can engage in the formation of its crown, cutting branches by 10-15 cm. The first haircut is made in the year of planting the tree, the next with a break of 2-3 years.
Fir trees planted along roads or at the border of the site look very nice and neat. Closing the house from prying eyes, they revive the site with their needles. Many people try to grow spruce at home in a pot, but this is wrong: the plant needs natural conditions with winter frosts and a warm sun. The survival rate of spruce during planting is relatively low, but with a positive result, the conifer will deliver aesthetic pleasure to both its owners and their guests.