Canadian spruce is an ornamental plant. Today it is actively used in landscape design. Spruce is widespread among gardeners. This bonsai tree is used for decoration. This plant perfectly survives in mid-latitudes.
Let us consider in more detail what Canadian spruce is, home care, and also talk about the characteristics of the plant.
Culture characteristics
Varieties of Konika, Laurin, Alberta and Echiniformis were widely used. Let's consider the first grade in more detail.
Konika is resistant to frost and can grow in any conditions familiar to fir trees. Since it has small dimensions, it can be planted even in small areas. In height, the 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 core root. Most roots are located close to the surface of the soil. When caring for a plant, earthwork should be carried out with great care.
Spruce grows rather slowly. On average, every year she adds only 30-40 mm in growth. There are specimens that grow over a year and 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, Canadian spruce Konika on average reaches a height of 1.5 meters. The diameter of the crown in the base area can reach 1 meter.
Home Care
How does Canadian Konika spruce grow at home? Minimum plant care is required. Crown trimming for this grade is not carried out. For a tree to grow normally, it needs enough fertile soil and rainfall. However, to improve the decorative characteristics of wood, you need to know something about caring for Canadian spruce.
Key recommendations:
- In hot weather, the spruce crown should be irrigated with water. After this, two days later it is recommended to slightly loosen the soil under the tree. It is also useful to feed spruce with organic fertilizers.
- Before winter, it is advisable to prepare a mixture of soil and peat compost and spread it with a layer of 40-45 mm on the surface. In spring, this mulch must be poured closer to the base of the tree.
- So that Canadian spruce does not burn in the bright sun, it can be wrapped with material that does not interfere with natural ventilation. Burlap is perfect for this purpose.
If in spring the tree became brown in parts, this is not a sign of a plant disease. Needles began to lose color? This may be a reaction to sunlight. While the earth has not warmed up, a period of seasonal vegetation begins at the spruce. Due to the cold soil, the plant cannot receive a sufficient amount of nutrients, and therefore acquires a brownish tint. When the soil warms up and the movement of juice is restored, the normal color of the plant returns.
How to plant Canadian spruce?
During the entire growth time, the plant in question can be transplanted. In this case, it is necessary to observe a number of important requirements, namely:
- Trees are best replanted at a young age. In autumn and spring, the process is carried out with open roots. In the warmer months, spruce is recommended to be replanted with adjacent land. This procedure is best done in rainy cloudy weather.
- During the first weeks after transplantation, the plant needs optimal watering. It is also better to protect the tree from the sun.
- It is worth considering that decorative conifers do not tolerate waterlogging. This is true for prolonged drought. In too moist soil, the roots of the plant may begin to die. Any conifers of trees feel good in soils with a low occurrence of groundwater.
- Canadian spruce at home should be provided with a high-quality drainage system. The best conditions for growing Konika are high humidity and rare rainfall. It is advisable to plant a spruce nearby with garden plants. This will help improve the color of the needles, as well as reduce the likelihood of its burning out in the sun.
- The soil for growing conifers should be quite loose and moisture-intensive. In this case, excessive fertility will be a disadvantage rather than a virtue. Seedlings in such soil mature worse and are more elongated.
Breeding
Canadian spruce can breed in several ways. For this purpose, as a rule, cuttings, seedlings or seeds are used. It is clear that the tree will grow longer from the seeds. The most difficult way can be called growing from cuttings. For this purpose, a ripened branch with a length of 100-110 mm is usually taken. From below, the stalk needs to be treated with growth stimulants. They are planted in the ground to a depth of 20-30 mm. For growing seedlings, normal soil is suitable. Immediately after planting, plants need watering.
Growing Christmas trees for sale
Today, Christmas trees are often grown for sale. This option of doing business can bring quite a lot of extra income for gardeners. However, Canadian spruce is not suitable for this purpose. Breeding this variety is considered a disadvantageous business. It takes a lot of time to grow. It is also worth remembering that young plants need constant care: watering, top dressing, cultivation. For sale, the Christmas tree will be ready only after 3-5 years.
Choose seedlings
The first thing you should pay attention to when choosing a cane spruce shank is its shape. It must match the grade. Pay attention also to the color of the needles. It should be uniform and saturated enough. Often Canadian spruce is already sold in pots with soil. Usually such seedlings have many roots. They should not form a tight lump. In addition, the ground in the tank should not be too dry. Usually the roots of a culture such as Canadian spruce Konica are wrapped in a net or moistened tissue. The transplant must be done very carefully. It depends on how the tree will develop in the future.
Pests and diseases
Conifers are susceptible to various diseases and pests. A very common disease for Canadian spruce is tracheomycosis. This fungus infects the roots of the tree, as a result of which they may lose the ability to transport nutrients. The disease usually affects young plants. The first symptoms are redness and dropping needles. Trees affected by this disease cannot be cured. To prevent the spread of infection, diseased trees must be dug together with the ground and burned. Then the place on which they grew is treated with a solution of copper sulfate. Conifers often suffer from so-called rust. On the tree due to this ailment, growths of orange and yellow are formed. Needles can also fall.
As for pests, here the number one enemy for the Canadian spruce is the bark beetle. These small insects can gnaw a whole system of moves under the bark of a tree. They lay eggs in them. A tree affected by this pest cannot be saved.
Growing conditions
On the territory of private households, canadian spruce Konika is often found. Home care for this plant can not be called too complicated. One of the most important conditions for the proper development of a tree is the optimal choice of place for planting. Christmas trees are best planted in partial shade, in a place protected from the wind. The tree does not need to trim the crown; 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 without fail provides for regular loosening of the soil. This procedure provides oxygen saturation of the soil. Caring for Canadian spruce is quite simple, it does not require any serious effort. It is enough to protect it from the sun and maintain a comfortable level of humidity.
Appearance
Many gardeners today grow on their sites a plant such as Canadian spruce. Home care for this tree is quite simple. It looks beautiful and neat. Typically, representatives of the green flora are quite large, which does not allow them to grow in a private economy. For this reason, gardeners and landscape designers prefer dwarf varieties. Canadian spruce belongs to them. Photos of this plant can often be found on the covers of popular magazines on home economics. Distinctive features of this variety is a compact, low-growing crown and a beautiful color of needles. Thanks to these characteristics, 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. 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 carry organic fertilizer mixed with ground into the root zone. To make the plant easier to tolerate winter, it will be useful to mulch using compost and peat. In the spring, mulch is embedded in the soil. Best plant tolerates transplant at a young age. For the first time after processing, the Christmas tree must be protected from sunny people.
Konika today is widely used in landscape design. It can be used both in a group with other plants, and in a single performance. Often you can see Canadian spruce grown at home, on the roof, terraces and near houses. Due to its decorative form, the tree fits perfectly into large plant compositions. It will look good in combination with stunted evergreens. Also, a beautiful conifer will look great on the background of the 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 a beautiful plant will decorate any territory. Breeders managed to breed a huge number of varieties characterized by the color of needles: from bluish to light green. The advantage of Canadian spruce is that it can be used as a houseplant. Such a plant will look elegant in a pot as a New Year tree. In this case, it is necessary to periodically spray the spruce. In the summer, a container or a pot of spruce can be put outside next to other bushes and trees. To make the Christmas tree 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. The most important thing is to provide the plant with proper care and then your yard will always look beautiful and original at any time of the year.