Konik spruce canadian dwarf care. How to plant a Canadian spruce "Konica"? Recommendations and care. Selecting a landing site

Coniferous trees are in demand and popular plants with which landscape designers create amazing and unusual green compositions. A special place among the firs is occupied by "Konika". This variety is not only unpretentious and disease resistant, but also has a beautiful conical shape. It is this plant that needs to be paid attention to by beginner gardeners who want to create coniferous plantations on their site that can delight their owners not only in the warm season, but also during the New Year holidays, because it is Konika that can replace the Christmas tree.

Description

Canadian spruce (glauca) "Konika" is an ornamental coniferous plant that belongs to the gray family and has the second name glauconica. Canada is the birthplace of dwarf glauconics. In 1900, biologists became interested in it, and they began the process of popularizing it. Due to its unpretentiousness and high decorative performance, spruce has become in demand and popular in all countries of the world. The maximum life expectancy of spruce reaches 300 years. The annual growth of a young tree does not exceed 10 cm, and an adult - 3 cm.

Distinctive features of the plant are small size, conical shape and a bluish coating on the needles. To give the plant the shape of a cone, there is no need to trim the spruce, it will acquire this shape itself.

The maximum height of spruce in favorable climatic conditions can reach 4 meters, but more often you can see trees about 2 meters in size. Thanks to this size, Konika can be grown not only in open ground, but also in special portable containers.

The diameter of the lush and voluminous crown is in the range from 1.5 to 2 meters. The needles have a rich bluish-green hue, its length does not exceed 10 mm. Cones have an oblong shape, and their size does not exceed 6 cm. Coniferous fruits are very rare on this breed of spruce.

When transplanting and caring for spruce, it is necessary to take into account the fact that this species has a superficial root system with horizontal roots located in the upper soil layers, careless handling of which can lead to their deformation.

Variety varieties

Long and painstaking work of breeders allowed to obtain several varietal varieties of this blue spruce.

"Elegance Compacta"- a variety that was bred by Czechoslovak specialists in 1950. Despite the fact that this species has external similarities with the base variety, it also has a number of distinctive features.

The annual growth of a strong and hardy tree, regardless of its age, is 5 cm.

The most striking features are the light brown shade of the buds, the pale green color of the shoots, and the bright green color scheme of the needles. The maximum height of the tree is no more than 2.5 meters, the length of the cones is about 1 cm.

"Alberta Globe"- a variety that was obtained as a result of natural selection. This species is native to the Netherlands.

The appearance of the plant resembles a shrub, and its height does not exceed 1 meter. The shape of the decorative variety resembles a ball and has a dense crown.

A distinctive feature is the radial arrangement of the shoots. The average annual growth can exceed 10 cm. The diameter of spruce, whose age reaches 10 years, is 50 cm. Soft and tender needles can grow up to 1 cm. The shade of old needles has a yellowish tint, but young shoots are painted green. Sometimes small brown cones can be seen at the ends of the branches.

"Dwarf"- a small variety, the height of which does not exceed 1.5 meters. On a narrow crown, the shape of which resembles a cone, there are lush branches. The maximum needle size is 7 mm.

"Laurin"- a very rare species that has a low annual growth rate. The height of a young spruce can increase annually by no more than 5 cm, but the growth of an adult tree stops significantly and the annual growth does not exceed 2 cm. The root system has the shape of a sharp cone.

"Maygold"- a hybrid of the classic "Konica", which has golden needles and a compact conical shape. The plant has very delicate needles, the length of which does not exceed 8 cm. Young trees are covered with yellow-gold needles, but by winter their color changes to darker.

"December"- an improved hybrid that has an annual growth of about 15 cm and a denser crown. The color of the needles is light green. This species can be planted on both acidic and alkaline soils. "December" is a subspecies of "Koniki" beloved by landscape designers, who decorate rocky and alpine hills, as well as terraces and summer areas.

Landing Rules

Despite their decorative effect, all subspecies of "Koniki" are distinguished by their unpretentiousness, resistance not only to frost, but also to temperature fluctuations. Due to the undemanding nature of the soil and growing conditions, spruce can be planted in various regions and climatic zones. A compact and beautiful plant can be grown both outdoors and in pots.

As planting material, you can use both self-grown plants and purchased ones.

It is better to buy seedlings in large nurseries that are responsible for the goods sold.

Plants with a closed root system and a voluminous earthy clod are more likely to be accepted than cuttings without soil, which must be planted immediately after purchase. If there is a need for transportation, then the root system must be wrapped with a damp cloth, which will not only prevent it from drying out, but also protect the roots from damage. Experts recommend refusing to buy diseased, dry and damaged plants.

The selected site must be protected from strong cold wind currents, and groundwater must not lie in the surface layers.

Standing water and constant dampness can cause root rot and subsequently death of the plant.

The selected site should not be overloaded with a large number of other bushes and trees, which will significantly slow down the growth of already slow-growing needles. The shade from large trees will lead to a change in the color of the needles, as well as to the appearance of fading, as a result, the plant will lose its decorative characteristics.

The selected site should have fertile soil with a moderate level of acidity. To increase the nutritional value of the soil, it is better to enrich it with organic and mineral fertilizers a year before planting.

Before planting, the entire area must be dug up and leveled.

Stages of landing work:

formation of a landing pit of the required size;
creation of a drainage layer with a thickness of at least 5 cm;
preparation of a nutrient mixture, which should consist of peat, hardwood, turf, sand and a small amount of organic fertilizers;
placing a seedling in a hole with simultaneous spreading of the root system;
filling all voids with nutrient soil;
accurate compaction of the earth;
abundant watering, which involves the introduction of about 12 liters of water into one hole;
mulching the near-stem area with peat, sawdust and crushed bark.

Exhaust gases and road dust will negatively affect the growth and appearance of the plant, therefore, for decorating areas near highways, it is better not to use Konika, but to opt for other coniferous plants.

If there is a desire to plant a spruce in a pot, then it must be placed only on the street. In an apartment, the plant feels bad and after a while begins to dry out. Some owners take the green beauty into the house for the period of the New Year holidays and dress it up. In this case, you need to choose for her the coldest room away from the heating system.

How to care?

Despite its unpretentiousness, Konika needs timely care and attention, which will allow the plant to show its decorative properties to the maximum.

To prevent the soil from drying out, experts recommend watering it twice a week. At least 10 liters of clean and settled water must be poured into one planting pit. Daily spraying also has a beneficial effect on it, especially during periods of elevated temperatures. But one should also not get carried away with excessive watering, which can provoke the development of putrefactive processes of the root system.

Regular loosening of the surface earth layer will help to enrich the root system with oxygen and prevent the appearance of weeds.

Beginning gardeners try to weed the root zone as deeply as possible, which is absolutely impossible to do due to the risk of damaging the root system, which is located close to the soil.

Mulching will help improve the condition of the soil and prevent it from drying out. In connection with the course of natural processes of decay, the mulch must be constantly topped up, and difficult-to-decompose components must be replaced with new ones.

At the end of autumn, it is better to build a shelter around young spruce trees that will protect the plant not only from severe frosts, but also from the burning winter sun. During the summer sun, it is better to shade the plant with burlap or cardboard.

To obtain a beautiful and healthy plant, experts recommend regular feeding, which should consist of both organic and mineral fertilizers. If nutrients were used during planting, then their subsequent introduction is permissible only after 4 months.

Further top dressing is carried out every 60 days in spring, summer and autumn.

This type of spruce does not need a corrective haircut, and it acquires a conical shape on its own. But sanitary pruning of dry, diseased and deformed branches should be carried out regularly. To perform this type of work, professional gardeners recommend purchasing special tools.

It is very difficult to grow Konika at home, but if you follow all the necessary care requirements, cut it in time and properly feed it, then in December the plant will become the main attribute of New Year's celebrations.

reproduction

In order to get young plants, you can use the following methods:

seminal;
cuttings.

The grafting method is more popular among gardeners, but only the most experienced and patient gardeners grow young plants from seeds.

If there is a desire to propagate "Konika" by seed, then you need to know that only a few seeds from a cone have all the genetic characteristics of the mother bush, the rest of the planting material may not give the desired result.

For planting the selected seeds, it is necessary to prepare the planting soil in advance, which should consist of peat, soddy soil, river sand and deciduous soil. All components must be mixed in equal proportions.

The planting depth should not exceed 10 mm. All work is best done in autumn or winter, and ready-made containers must be kept in a cool place until spring. If this technology is observed, the seed material planted in the spring can please with healthy and strong seedlings. This species has almost 100% germination result.

The annual growth of shoots can reach about 20 cm. Only after a few years, when the plant forms a strong root system, it can be transplanted into open ground or into a large flower pot.

In order to get a new plant with all the genetic characteristics of the mother bush, biologists recommend using cuttings for propagation. This method is also slow, and young plants only after 4 years become suitable for transplanting to a permanent place of growth.

The most favorable time for this type of work is the middle of summer. The first two months after the separation of the cuttings from the mother bush, the cut is overgrown, and only after that the roots begin to form.

In comfortable conditions, the plant will be able to fully form the root system, which will help it easily overwinter.

To obtain a positive result, it is necessary to follow the stages of cuttings:

separation of cuttings from the mother bush, along with a small part of the bark;
placing planting material in a special solution that accelerates the formation of the root system;
preparation of nutrient substrate;
deepening of the cuttings, followed by watering with a root system growth accelerator;
creation of a greenhouse shelter with a high level of humidity and temperature conditions.

Diseases and pests

Due to its genetic resistance to various types of diseases, Konika is very rarely exposed to diseases. But despite the high level of immunity, she may have the following diseases.

Tracheomycosis- a dangerous disease that cannot be cured. At the first signs of this disease, the spruce must be dug up, removing all the roots from the ground, and burned away from the plot. Signs - the appearance of red spots on the crown and massive shedding of needles.

Rust- a common disease, the first signs of which are the appearance of orange growths on the crown. After a short period of time, the needles on the spruce begin to dry, turn yellow and fall off. To prevent the death of the plant when the first signs of the disease appear, it is necessary to spray it with special chemicals.

Schutte's disease- an infectious disease that is treated with copper sulfate.

The first signs are white bloom on the needles.

If the treatment of the disease is not started in time, after a while all the spruce needles will turn black and crumble, and the plant will die.

Not only infectious and fungal diseases, but also dangerous pests can lead to the death of "Konica". Biologists recommend paying attention to the following insects.

bark beetle- a dangerous pest that infects weakened spruces. To prevent it from getting on a tree, it is necessary to carry out regular treatments of the trunk with insecticides, since it is almost impossible to destroy it. If the insect begins to destroy the wood, then in order to prevent infection of other plantings, it is better to dig up the spruce and burn it.

Use in landscape design

Canadian spruce of the Konika variety is an indispensable plant for landscape design, which can be found not only in the garden, but also in city parks, alleys and near administrative offices. Due to its beautiful shape and small size, spruces can be planted one at a time or several at once.

Most often, "Konika" is planted near the entrance to the house, near summer arbors and near playgrounds.

With the help of group plantings, you can create hedges and unusual green compositions.

Designers identify several of the most spectacular group plantings of fir trees.

solitary- single plantings, which can be carried out both in open ground and in pots. If the plant is planted in a special flower container, then its location can be changed depending on the mood of the owner and in accordance with new design trends.

hedge- long plantations that can be formed near the fence or instead of it. When planting spruce strictly in one line, it is necessary to take into account the fact that the diameter of the crown of an adult tree can reach 2 meters. Names This value should be the base value when calculating the distance between trees. An indisputable plus is the absence of the need to cut the hedge and give it the necessary shape.

Despite the dwarf size (up to 2 m in height), the Konik spruce is intended for growing in open ground, and not at home. This variety of Canadian spruce reacts very poorly to direct sunlight in winter. Therefore, it needs to be planted in partial shade near the house and sheltered from the sun in winter, although it has good frost resistance. When wintering a plant in an apartment, it is necessary to carry out regular watering and spruce spraying.

Spruce Konika is one of the varieties of gray spruce (Glauka, lat. Picea glauca, canadensis, alba). In another way, this spruce is called Canadian or white. The original wild species grows in the forests of North America and reaches a height of 35 m. According to the description, Canadian spruce is a very unpretentious, winter-hardy coniferous plant, but often burns in the spring in the sun. The tree can grow on sandy soils and peat bogs and tolerates drought well. More than 40 varieties of ornamental trees have been bred from this type of spruce, most of which are dwarf. The Konika variety is derived from the Albertiana variety, which grows in the northwest of the spruce range.

Konica was bred in Canada in 1904. The plant inherited the best traits for unpretentiousness and resistance to adverse environmental conditions from the wild species of spruce, while the height of the plant does not exceed 2 m at the age of 30. At the age of 7, spruce grows up to 1 m. The crown diameter of adult specimens is up to 1.2 m, the shape is regular pyramidal, very dense and even. The needles of the tree are long, small, thin, but rigid, directed radially along the shortened shoots. The needles are bright green, but more bluish than that of the common spruce. The bark is ash gray. Shoots are woody, slightly curved and pubescent.

The internodes on the branches are very close, so the crown is dense. The proportions of a tree are maintained throughout its life, making young plants look like mature spruce trees. Konika grows very slowly, adding no more than 7 cm in height per year (on average 4-5 cm). The original shape of the crown can be preserved, or you can cut it in the form of tiers or cascades. To do this, as the shoots grow, they are pinched, leaving 1/3 of the length.

It is used as a single ornamental tree and in group plantings. Konika can be grown in containers, in the country house near the house and used for landscaping rocky gardens.

Transplanting potted plants

Since conifers are sensitive to overdrying of the root system, it is most reliable to buy a container (potted) plant. After acquiring a seedling, it is recommended to transplant it into a larger pot, since in small containers the soil dries out very quickly, and this is detrimental to spruce. The soil mixture in which the plants are transported to flower and gardening shops has a big drawback - having dried out once, in the future it ceases to absorb moisture. With subsequent watering, the water passes through the peat soil and does not linger in the pot.

Transplanting spruce to another pot is also required if:

the plant is completely covered with roots of a clod of earth (this can be seen from the roots sticking out of the drainage holes);
the earth in the pot turned sour;
spruce begins to wither.

Gift copies of Christmas trees are sold in sizes of 15-35 cm in height, some of them are sprayed with a special spray that creates the effect of snow on a bonsai. If you need to save such a plant for planting in the country, the spray is washed under running warm water.

Transplanting a plant from a pot is carried out in the following order:

Water the plant in an old container.
Make holes in the bottom of the new pot. They must be large in diameter, as small holes quickly become clogged and do not allow water to pass through.
A layer of expanded clay 3-5 cm is laid on the bottom of the pot so that moisture does not stagnate.
Konika loves acidified soil. As a soil for its transplantation, you can use ready-made soil mixture for coniferous crops, or the one that is used for growing violets and gloxinia. The mixture is poured into a pot of larger diameter, but it is not completely filled.
Cut off the roots protruding from the drainage holes of the store pot with scissors.
Press the pot with the plant to make it easier to remove it without damaging the root system.
They put a spruce together with a clod of earth in the center of a larger pot, pour it along the edges of the earth.
After transplanting, the plant is watered abundantly.
As a top dressing for Konik spruce, you can use an infusion of onion peel, which is watered immediately after planting the plant. It is also recommended to use long-acting fertilizers for indoor plants (Agricola in tablet form, Ava in granules).

If, after transplantation, Konika begins to drop needles, then it was dried out in the store or during transportation. With a preserved root system, the plant will gradually recover. Further care consists in timely watering and repeated spraying.

Landing in open ground

In central Russia, Konik spruce is planted in open ground in April - May or from late August to mid-September. Spruce should be planted under the cover of the walls of the house or fence, under the canopy of tall trees or in those places where there is shade in the hottest time of the day - around noon. In diffused light, Konica grows better than in bright light. It is necessary to take into account the depth of standing groundwater - spruce does not develop well on soil with their high occurrence.

The planting of the Konik spruce is performed in the following sequence:

For a purchased seedling with an open root system, it is wrapped in wet burlap to preserve it during transportation.
The potted plant is watered abundantly, knocked out of the pot and placed in a basin of water.
A planting hole is being prepared - 15-20 cm wider and 30-40 cm deeper than the root ball of the seedling.
The lower part of the pit is loosened to a depth of 8-10 cm and a drainage layer is poured from clay shards, broken bricks, stone, crushed stone or expanded clay. The layer thickness is 5-7 cm. In areas with high standing groundwater, the planting hole is dug deeper and the drainage layer is made thicker.
The excavated soil is mixed with rotted compost (manure) and peat in a ratio of 1:1:1, 100-150 g of Nitroammophoska or other complex fertilizer are added. A layer of fertile earth is poured into the bottom of the pit.
If the plant grew in a peaty substrate, shake it off.
The roots are evenly distributed at the bottom of the planting hole.
The seedling is set in the center and the earth is sprinkled, gradually tamping it down.
The root neck of spruce should remain at ground level, as conifers cannot stand deep planting. If necessary, more earth is poured to the bottom of the pit.
The plant is watered abundantly and a small dike is made around the trunk so that moisture remains near the tree.
The soil surface is mulched with a layer of sawdust, wood chips, pine bark, crushed cones, or covered with a piece of lutrasil to reduce water evaporation.

The first 2-3 weeks after planting Koniki, she needs abundant watering and spraying the crown.

Overwintering at home

Many people buy potted Konik spruce in the hope that it will grow at home and become a decoration for the New Year holidays. But in winter, she needs a lower temperature - 10-15 degrees, since at a higher temperature the shoots become weak and stretch too long, and the needles crumble. The best place to keep a tree in winter is a glazed loggia or veranda. If the tree has already begun to grow, that is, young soft, light green needles have appeared in the apical buds, then Konik should not be put in a cold place.

When the heaters in the apartment are turned on, the air becomes dry and the tree needs to be sprayed very often - at least 2-3 times a day. It is recommended to place containers with water next to the plant. During this period, Konika needs frequent watering, the ground should always be moist. The plant must be kept in diffused light. It is placed in the apartment on any window except the south one. Abroad, potted plants are usually thrown away after the Christmas holidays, as they are not meant to be grown indoors.

With the onset of spring, when the earth melts, Konik needs to be transplanted into open ground. The plant is planted in the shade to avoid sunburn. Container plants in hot weather require frequent watering - 2 times a day and spraying from a spray bottle.

Outdoor plant care

Timely and plentiful watering is one of the main conditions for the correct agricultural technology of Konik spruce. Adult plants in the summer season are watered at least 1 time per week at the rate of 10-12 liters per tree. The plant responds well to crown sprinkling. Spruce does not respond well to trampling and compaction of the soil around the trunk, which must be taken into account when choosing a place for planting it. Loosening is carried out shallowly, by 5-7 cm.

When wintering in the open field, Canadian spruces of the Konika variety are completely covered with several layers of spunbond or a board shelter is built to protect the plant in January-February from the burning rays of the sun. You can use burlap and shading nets. In winter, it is also recommended to spud young seedlings with snow. Potted plants can be planted until December if the ground is not completely frozen. Under natural conditions, they are well preserved until spring.

Before shelter, you need to inspect the plant and check the absence of pests on the plant. The main pests of Konik spruce are spider mites and mealybugs. To combat them, the plant must first be sprayed with insecticides, since if you cover the spruce without treatment, they will severely damage the tree.

For spruce in open ground, early thaws and an increase in air temperature at the end of winter are dangerous. In the spring in such years, the needles of spruce can turn brown and dry. This is due to the fact that when the needles are heated by the sun, active evaporation of moisture occurs, and the roots of the plant cannot absorb water from the ground, since it has not yet thawed. If you look closely at the damaged branches, you can see that they remain flexible and still alive. A damaged plant can be "reanimated".

To do this, in the spring you need to spray the needles with the Epin-extra biostimulant, which is an antidepressant for plants. 1 ml of the drug is diluted in 1 glass of water and spruce Konik is sprayed from a spray bottle. Processing should be done early in the morning or in the evening, preferably in cloudy, cool weather. It is not necessary to remove the old, dried needles, as it protects the spruce branches from burning out. Within a week, the process of regeneration of the needles will begin. With proper care, watering and fertilizing, the plant can give a second wave of vegetative growth by the end of summer. Closer to autumn, the spruce will restore its decorative appearance.

Crown pruning is carried out in several stages:

in late May - early June, young shoots are pinched;
at the end of March, the main pruning is done to give the crown the desired shape;
a new growth of shoots is trimmed in May-June.

If a radical change in the shape of the tree is required, then this operation is extended for several years so as not to injure the plant.

In spring, urea or ammonium nitrate is used as fertilizer for Konik spruce, and in summer, specialized complex fertilizers for conifers are used.

reproduction

Konika is propagated by seeds and cuttings. Propagation by seeds is a long and difficult process. Seeds are pre-stratified in the refrigerator for 3-4 months at a temperature not higher than +4 degrees or in natural conditions - they are placed in containers with light soil mixed with sawdust and placed on the street. In winter, the container is covered with a layer of snow. Stratification improves the germination of spruce seeds.

As a substrate for sowing seeds in spring, acidic soil is used from rotted compost and forest soddy land with remnants of coniferous litter. Seedlings grow very slowly, the first picking is carried out only after 2 years.

Spruce breeds faster by cuttings. In this case, all varietal properties of the plant are transferred, which can be lost during the seed method of reproduction. Cuttings cut in spring take root for 3-4 months, and autumn ones - within six months. It is best to harvest cuttings in the spring, before the start of sap flow (late February - early March). Lignified cuttings are cut from the bottom of the spruce, always with a “heel” - a piece of a branch of the mother plant. The cutting is treated with a root formation stimulator (Kornevin or another agent) and deepened into the ground by 2 cm. To maintain the required level of humidity, the plant is covered with a film or sprayed regularly.

They tend to fit harmoniously into any landscape. For example, Konik spruce looks great in both simple traditional front gardens and artsy newfangled modern garden styles. How to plant it on the site, how to ensure proper care, can be found in the article. Appropriate photos, a description, as well as information about the height of an adult tree are also attached here.

At the beginning of the last century, an interesting dwarf spruce was discovered in Canada. After some research, scientists came to the conclusion that this plant appeared as a result of a natural mutation of the Canadian spruce (Picea glauca).

The conic spruce looks like this:

The crown of the tree is very dense, has the shape of a cone.
Light green needles (up to 1 cm in length) densely cover the branches.
The average crown diameter at the bottom of the plant is 80 cm.
The roots are not long, located closer to the surface.

Thick branches of a conic spruce

Horse grows very slowly. Young trees add 6-8 cm per year. By 10-12 years, the height of the plant reaches about 1 m. After that, the growth rate slows down and grows only 2-3 cm per year.

At home, in Canada, the maximum height of the conic reaches 3-4 m. In Russian latitudes, this figure is even less - 1.5-2 m. Such a small growth is due to a decrease in the distance between internodes, combined with increased branching. This circumstance "flattened" the tree from top to bottom.

The progenitor of the conic, Canadian spruce, has the same number of internodes and branches, but its height, due to the greater distance between them, is 25-35 m. Thanks to the beautiful conical crown, this tree is used in the USA as the main decoration for Christmas in the most significant places in the country .

Acquisition of a seedling and planting it on the site

Konik spruce, like all its relatives, does not tolerate even the slightest drying of the roots. Therefore, you need to purchase a small tree in a container, where a clod of earth is constantly moistened.

Advice. It is best to purchase conic seedlings in trusted garden centers. Buying spruce in the market from an unknown seller, you can lose time and money.

Landing is considered a very important moment. The further growth and development of the tree depends entirely on this manipulation. When landing, it is advisable to adhere to the following rules:

It is necessary to plant a horse in the garden either at the end of April or at the end of August. Just at this time, the roots of the plant grow intensively, which contributes to good survival.
The place should be chosen sunny. In the shade, the correct crown of the plant may change, and the spruce will become less decorative.
Given the small size of the conic, it can be safely planted near the house.
The landing pit should be prepared in advance. The bottom must be strewn with a layer of rubble or broken bricks.
It is also advisable to prepare the soil mixture in advance. For spruce, a composition of garden soil, sand, peat and humus (2: 1: 1: 1, respectively) is suitable. From mineral fertilizers, you can add nitroammophoska.

Konik spruce seedlings

The landing itself should be carried out as follows:

Soil is poured over the drainage layer in such a way that a clod of earth from the container fits into the pit. Well watered.
Carefully remove the plant from the container and lower it into the hole.

Attention! It is impossible to allow the destruction of an earthen coma during landing. If this happens, then over the next 15-20 minutes, you need to cover the roots with moist soil and lightly tamp the ground.

The trunk of the plant is leveled on all sides.
The free space is filled with soil mixture.
Well watered planting. This requires at least 10 liters of water.
At the end, a shallow hole is created near the stem for further watering and covered with a 5-centimeter layer of mulch.

Caring for dwarf spruce

Conic care can be called minimal. It does not require pruning or any other maintenance of the crown. The fertilizer that was planted during planting is enough for her for several years. If the summer is not hot and not very dry, the supply of moisture to the plant occurs due to natural precipitation.

Despite these qualities, proper care can further increase the decorative effect of spruce. For example, during hot periods, you should regularly water the tree while irrigating the crown. The first couple of months after planting, soil moisture is required weekly. In case of formation of a crust on the soil around the trunk, be sure to loosen the top layer.

Attention! The roots of the Konik spruce are almost on the surface of the earth. Therefore, the plant does not tolerate trampling and significant soil compaction at a distance of 1 m around the crown.

Although the conic spruce is winter-hardy, in order to avoid freezing, it is recommended to mulch the soil around the near-trunk circle well for the winter for the first 2-3 years after planting. Too small seedlings can be completely covered with spruce branches before frost.

Dwarf spruce in landscape design

Despite the fact that the horse loves sunny places, in the spring the plant can get significant sunburn. This is manifested by browning of the needles. Experienced gardeners recommend wrapping the crown with gauze, burlap, etc. in the spring. The main thing is that the material does not interfere with the passage of air and is able to scatter the bright rays of the sun.

The place of horses in the garden, as well as diseases that can affect the plant

at the entrance to the house;
near the gazebo;
on playground.

A dwarf spruce is good both in single and in group plantings. Such groups especially decorate the site in the off-season. At the foot of the conic, a calm green lawn or contrasting antennaria, survivors look great.

Spruce is especially beautiful during the formation of new shoots - it turns into an emerald green, fabulously beautiful cone. In the middle lane, this time falls in May.

Carry out preventive treatment of spruce

Konik spruce can be affected by various fungal infections, the timely detection and immediate treatment of which will help save the plant.

Rust - orange growths appear on the branches, the needles turn yellow and crumble. As a treatment, the treatment of the crown and trunk with special preparations is used for a whole month with an interval of 1 time per week.
Coniferous Schutte disease - caused by a fungus. When affected, the needles darken, then covered with a white coating and fall off. With timely detection of the disease, plants can be saved. In advanced cases, it remains only to dig up and destroy the spruce.

The small growth of the once mutated Christmas tree turned out to be a significant advantage for her. Such a plant will decorate any site, and anyone can plant and care for it.

Canadian Spruce Konik: video

Now there are more and more people who want to have a Canadian spruce Glauka Konik in their area, closer to home. Including many people who want to save a small spruce that they were given for the New Year in a pot.

However, in order for the plant to initially have everything necessary for proper growth and development, it is assumed that a number of features are observed in planting and caring for Konika in the open field.

Spruce Canadian Conica (Picea glauca Conica): description

Spruce Canadian Conica (Picea glauca Conica)- This is an ornamental dwarf coniferous plant with a regular conical (cone-shaped) crown shape.

Worth knowing! When you buy a very small young seedling, it does not have a conical shape and its needles are quite rare. Nose every year Konika will become denser and eventually acquire the necessary conical shape!

The main characteristics of the Canadian spruce Koniki:

A distinctive feature of Koniki is that she has a very dense crown, i.e. its short branches are so densely spaced between each other that there is virtually no gap between them (the trunk is not visible).

Needles- soft, short (up to 9 mm), green.
Flowering and fruits- blooms in late spring, after which fruits are formed - cones, which become brown in color during the ripening period, their length is 3-6 cm.
annual growth in height- 4-10 cm, wide - 3-5 cm.

Note! If you decide to grow Konika at home, then you should know that it will give a maximum of 4-5 cm of annual growth.

Max Height- 3-4 meters with a crown diameter (width) of 2 meters.

Interesting! According to experimental data, at the age of 10 years, the Canadian Konik spruce reaches a height of 1 meter, at 35 years old, some specimens grow up to 3.6 meters, and at 60 years old - up to 4 meters.

Requirements for growing Canadian spruce Koniki:

Light- according to some sources (in different sources they are quite contradictory), it is photophilous, but easily tolerates penumbra. It grows well in sunny places, but is very prone to sunburn (it will burn on the sunny side without shelter or shading).

Worth considering! As a rule (according to numerous reviews), in diffused light or partial shade, Konika grows (behaves, or rather, feels) much better than in bright light.

Moisture- sensitive to drought.
The soil- does not tolerate compaction and waterlogging of the soil (moisture stagnation).
Care and protection- protection from strong winds and from winter-early spring sunlight is required (in other words, it should be covered).
Frost resistance- very frost-resistant (USDA zone 3 - up to -37.2..-39.9 degrees).

Spruce Konika in landscape design

As a rule, in landscape design, Konika is used both in single and group plantings, as well as in flower beds, mixborders and rock gardens.

It looks very impressive as a tapeworm (in single plantings) in the backfill or on the lawn.

If you decide to make a composition, then it is very beautiful to plant it with other miniature (dwarf) coniferous and deciduous plants.

Due to the fact that the plant is relatively slow growing, in principle, it can also be used for container growing.

It should be borne in mind that Canadian spruce Konika not adapted to the urban environment, especially to pollution, in other words, you can not plant it near the road.

When to plant (replant) Canadian spruce Konik in open ground: optimal timing

Planting Konika better in spring so that by winter the spruce is well rooted and strengthened, but planting can be done and autumn. For example, for the Middle Strip, the approximate planting dates for Konik spruce in the spring are the end of April-beginning of May, and in the fall - the end of August-beginning of September.

However, if your autumn is long and warm (you live in the South of Russia), and in the spring most often “from boots to sandals”, in other words, heat can quickly set in (and the spruce that has not yet taken root will burn in the sun), then it is better to plant Konik in the autumn.

Note! However, container plants can be planted all year round. Nevertheless, the period when young growths actively begin to form is considered not very successful.

If you were able to purchase a seedling only summer, then after disembarkation, you should regularly (once a week) carry out abundant watering of young spruce, pouring out at least 10 liters, and also carry out shallow loosening (by 5-6 cm).

It is also believed that it is very good to plant conifers in winter, because at this time of the year, the trees are completely at rest (sleeping), which means they will be less damaged and, accordingly, the adaptation process will be much easier.

Planting Canadian spruce Konik in open ground

Proper planting of Canadian spruce in open ground involves choosing a suitable place, the soil necessary for the ephedra and an appropriate planting hole.

Place to drop off

For planting spruce Konik required an area protected from direct sunlight (namely midday) and withering winds, especially on the south side (so that the conifer does not get burned in the spring). In other words, the plant should be placed in a semi-shady place your garden east or north side of the site).

A feature of Koniki is that the spring sun often simply burns the top of the plant, the needles crumble and very rarely recover.

If you have no choice, then Koniku, of course, can be planted in a sunny place(south or west side of the site), but it will need to be watered more often. Also be sure to cover the young seedling for the winter, and not for the purpose of warming, but for the purpose of protection from the spring sun.

Advice! Alternatively, you can cover (cover from the sun) spruce in January-February special material, through which the sun's rays (ultraviolet radiation) do not penetrate, for example, spunbond.

Spruce does not like soil compaction and stagnant moisture, which means close to the landing site e should not be nearby groundwater.

However, it should be borne in mind that Konika prefers moist, well-drained soil(optimally - loams).

Landing hole and soil

The dimensions of the landing pit can vary, and in the first place depends on container size from which you will transplant the Canadian spruce seedling. Naturally, herself the pit must be larger than the container both in width and depth somewhere in 1.5-2 times. As a rule, the depth of the landing pit is about 50-70 cm, as is the width.

If you plan to plant several seedlings (for example, in a row), then they should be placed at a distance of about 50-70 cm from each other.

At the bottom of the landing pit must be sprinkled drainage layer(15-20 cm). To do this, you can use sand, expanded clay, broken bricks and other similar materials.

Soil to fill the planting hole should either be purchased ready-made (for coniferous plants), or prepared independently, taking leafy soil, soddy soil, peat and sand in a ratio of 2: 2: 1: 1. It is best to use high-moor peat and coniferous litter, as well as sand or vermiculite.

Direct fit

Step-by-step instructions for planting Canadian spruce Konik in open ground:

It is very important that the root neck of the plant is at ground level. Under no circumstances should you go deep!

Pour abundantly with water.
Add soil if the soil settles and water again.
Mulch the near-stem circle with a 5-6 cm layer of peat (in summer - to preserve moisture, and in autumn - to warm the root system).

Video: how to plant a Canadian spruce

Features of transplanting Koniki spruce into open ground, bought or donated for the New Year

If you bought or gave you a Glauka Konik spruce in winter, and you were able to keep it in good condition, then with the onset of spring, when the snow melts, the conifer must be transplanted into open ground.

BUT! Where it is more correct to buy spruce seedlings in spring or autumn, and necessarily in specialized nurseries or garden centers, but not on the New Year's sale.

Mandatory actions that are performed when planting Konika, which you nursed at home, and then transplanted into open ground in the spring:

With the onset of spring, you should gradually begin to harden Konika, taking it out into the fresh air, and preferably not in an open place, but, for example, under a canopy. First for 5-10 minutes, then for half an hour, for several hours, and then for the whole day.
Spray the needles with "Epin" before and after planting.
Shed the root system of the plant with a solution of "Kornevin" or "Heteroauxin".
Mulch the trunk circle, and also cover (shade from the sun) with spruce spruce branches or white cotton cloth (for example, the same gauze) crown.
It is necessary to water and irrigate the crown very carefully (preferably with settled or rain water), and in the first days almost every day (morning or evening).

Attention! Even if you do everything right, it is not a fact that the plant will take root and take root in the open field (it is especially important that it can survive the winter), because it is already accustomed to room conditions.

Worth knowing! Potted horses sold in supermarkets are temporary decorative Christmas trees that are the subject of the New Year's commerce and are usually used as disposable plants.

But of course, there is always a chance to save the plant from death ...

How to care for Canadian Konik spruce outdoors

To make Konika a beautiful, lush and healthy plant, you should follow some simple rules of care.

Watering and loosening

The Canadian spruce Konik has a relatively superficial root system (the predominant part of the roots is located quite close to the soil surface), therefore, especially in hot weather, it needs frequent and abundant watering (once a week, water consumption of at least 10 liters per young seedling), as well as in spraying (sprinkling) crowns. Moreover, after irrigation, it is desirable to carry out shallow loosening of the soil (by 5-6 cm).

Advice! Every autumn should carry out a strong moisture irrigation.

top dressing

Konik should be fed 2 times per season, using complex fertilizers for conifers. As a rule, this is done in spring, and also in autumn to prepare the plant for winter (phosphorus-potassium fertilizer).

Advice! In the spring, it is highly recommended to alternately spray the needles with a solution of "Epin" and "Zircon", especially if you notice even the slightest burns.

Video: restoring Koniki spruce after winter (treatment of burns with Epin's solution)

Pruning (haircut and shaping)

As a general rule, Canadian spruces are not pruned (and not trimmed at all). But this does not mean that you should not carry out sanitary pruning, getting rid of dry and diseased branches (namely, branches, because if the needles are dry, then it does not follow that the branch is dry - it can be quite alive). It is optimal to prune spruce in late spring-early summer, when the period of active sap flow ends.

If you want to somehow correct the shape of Konika, then this can be done by pinching the shoots. So they will branch better and become more magnificent.

Advice! If you want Konika to have one top, then in the spring you should choose the strongest and most upright shoot, and pinch the side shoots (by 1/3 of the growth).

Diseases and pests

Conifers are very often affected various fungal diseases. In this case, it is necessary to treat spruce with copper-containing preparations (fungicides), for example, Oxyx, Hom or (1%).

Most often on the lower shoots you can find whitemycelium, which indicates the presence of such a fungal disease as snow shute.

If this rust, then it can be treated with the drug "Topaz", "Skor".

Note! All spruce treatments for diseases and pests should be carried out repeatedly(according to instructions).

Konika is very fond of various pests, for example, the same green aphid, spruce-larch shoot moth, spruce spider mite and sawfly (its caterpillars) that settle deep in the branches. If pests attacked your pet, then you need to treat it with insecticides (Aktara, Fitoverm, Konfidor, Iskra, Fufanon) from specific pests, which are difficult, but possible to determine.

Important! If you cover the spruce with pests, then under cover it will be more than comfortable and cozy for them to destroy your plant, so be sure to carry out eradication treatments against pests and diseases in the fall.

Preparing for winter (shelter)

The main task of preparing Konika for winter is her shelter for the winter. Moreover, the purpose of this event is not to insulate the plant (it is already very frost-resistant), but to protect it from sunburn.

Interesting! Many believe that it makes no sense to shelter Konika in the fall. It is better to do this at the end of winter-beginning of spring, because there is nothing to protect it from in winter, the plant can get burns only in February-March, which means that it is necessary to cover it at this time.

So, Konika, growing in a sunny place, i.e. on the south side of the site, you need to cover annually from burns.

By the way! Alternatively, you can shade the Konik spruce only on one side (south).

Important! Young conifers in the first 2-3 years after planting are very vulnerable to sunlight, so they should definitely be covered.

How can you cover Konika for the winter (protect from sunburn):

white non-woven fabric (spunbond);

In principle, gray burlap is also suitable.

special pritenochny grid;

To shelter coniferous plants (in particular, Canadian spruce) from a burn, it is better to choose a mesh with 50% -75% shading. A grid with a lower percentage of shading should be folded in several layers.

white cotton cloth (for example, the same white gauze);
put on a ready-made cover (sold in stores).

Important! The plant under cover must breathe (there must be an influx of air, its circulation), otherwise the conifer may begin to rot.

For example, in late winter-early spring (February-March), you can throw snow on the plant to the very top. Thus, the conifer will not only be sheltered from the sun, but when the snow begins to melt, it will gradually receive moisture.

Note! If you planted Konika on the east or north side of the site, then later (one year later) after landing in open ground) more there will be no need to cover it from burns. But on the condition that every autumn a thorough water-charging watering will be carried out, and in the spring there will be no sharp temperature drop (that is, at first there were frosts, and suddenly it became very warm).

Video: Canadian Spruce Konica - Basic Care and Preparation for Winter

Thus, planting and caring for the Canadian Konik spruce is not so difficult. You just need to know some rules for placing a seedling on the site and the requirements for caring for an ornamental coniferous plant. In other words, every gardener, even a beginner, can grow a fluffy beauty with a dense crown of Konik spruce!

Video: Canadian spruce Konika - planting and care

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Konik spruce (glauca) is a small coniferous tree that is only gaining popularity among Russian gardeners. The tree organically looks both on modern stylish sites and in simple traditional front gardens. Today you will learn about the features of this plant, how to plant it on your site and provide competent care.

Description of a coniferous plant

An interesting dwarf Christmas tree was discovered in Canada at the beginning of the last century. After a series of studies, scientists came to the conclusion that this tree appeared from the fact that Picea glauca (Canadian gray spruce) mutated. In appearance, the Canadian spruce conica looks like this:

the crown has the shape of a cone, very dense and fluffy;
needles up to 1 cm in length of a light green shade densely cover the branches;
in the lower (widest) tier, the crown diameter is on average 80 cm;
the roots are not long, located close to the surface.

The growth of horses is very slow, young "individuals" add about 6-8 cm per year. At the age of 10-12 years, the height of the seedling is approximately 1 meter. After this peak, the intensity of growth noticeably decreases, and every year the height is added by only 2-3 cm. The Christmas tree can live for about 300-500 years.

Buying a seedling in a pot

Modern trends dictate the fashion for the preservation of natural green spaces, so you can decorate the room for the New Year by buying a potted fir tree. In order not to spoil the holiday, you should follow some rules.

When installing a conic as a Christmas tree, you should find a place that will be removed from all active heat sources.
The tree only occasionally needs to be turned towards the light.
If the room where the Canadian guest is standing is heated, it is necessary to spray the crown from time to time.
The tree requires increased humidity, so it is better to place a bowl of water near it.

At the end of the holidays, be sure to remove the spruce to the balcony or loggia, since in winter this plant requires a temperature of no more than +10 degrees, and at home this is extremely difficult to achieve. Top cover the crown with burlap to create an optimal moisture regime for the tree. Wrap the pot with insulation to avoid freezing of the soil.
Dwarf Canadian gray spruce Konik at home can grow for the first 3-4 years, so that it can finally get stronger. After that, the tree is ready for transplanting into the open ground of the site.

Planting a seedling on the site

Spruce glauka konik, like all members of its genus, cannot tolerate drying out of the roots, so when buying, pay attention to seedlings that are sold in a container with moist soil. Planting conic spruce is the most crucial moment on which the further growth and development of the tree depends. When landing, you must adhere to the following rules:

Landing horses in the garden should be carried out on a cloudy day at the end of spring.
Choose a sunny place without drafts. In the shade, the correct shape of the crown may be distorted, and the tree will not be so attractive.
A hole for planting must be prepared in advance. The bottom should be strewn with a layer of broken brick or rubble.
The soil mixture should also be prepared in advance. For this purpose, a mixture of sand, garden soil, humus and peat in proportions of 1/2/1/1 is suitable. It will not be superfluous to add some mineral fertilizers, for example: Zircon, Epin.

The landing process looks like this:

Soil is poured into the hole on top of the drainage in such an amount that the earth from the container then fits. Well watered.
The plant is carefully removed from the container, and immersed in the prepared hole.
The barrel is well aligned on all sides.
The free space is filled with the prepared soil mixture.
The filled hole is well watered, it will take about 10 liters of water.
At the end, a small hole is created near the trunk for further watering, and the trunk itself is covered with a 5-centimeter layer of mulch (pebbles, gravel and other covering materials).
It is better to cover the tree for the first time so that unaccustomed needles do not burn in the sun.

Caring for ornamental spruce

If you are wondering how to care for a conic spruce, then care can be described as minimal. Home horse does not require pruning, replanting or additional crown maintenance. Despite the unpretentiousness, a little proper care will additionally ensure the preservation of the beauty of the conica Christmas tree.

In not very hot and dry summers, moisture is provided by natural precipitation.
On hot days, water the plant regularly (as the top layer dries), while sprinkling the crown.
The first two months require weekly watering. If a crust forms on top of the soil, be sure to loosen the top layer.

Attention! The roots of a tree are close to the surface of the earth. Therefore, the plant is difficult to tolerate compaction of the soil or trampling down the ground in a plot with a diameter of 1 m around the crown.

Сonica is resistant to frost, but, nevertheless, for the first couple of years, the land near the trunk should be well mulched for the winter.

Important! Even though the tree can be grown outdoors, it can get significant sunburn in the spring. Burns are manifested by browning of the needles. Professional gardeners recommend wrapping the crown in spring with material so that it scatters the sun's rays and does not interfere with the passage of air.

Where is the best place to plant a Christmas tree?

Decorative spruce Konik in the open field looks most advantageous in the most prominent areas:

near the gazebo;
at the entrance to the house;
on playground.

The dwarf guest looks great, both in single compositions and in group plantings in combination with coniferous trees of other species. Trees are especially interesting in the off-season, when a green lawn is located at the foot, w or contrasting ones.

The plant looks beautiful during the appearance of new shoots, as the tree turns into a bright green cone of fabulous beauty. In the latitudes of Russia, this period falls on May.

Most Common Canadian Spruce Diseases

Decorative fir-tree can be affected by various infections, and only timely detection of sores and their immediate treatment can save it.

Rust - orange growths begin to appear on the branches, and the needles quickly turn yellow and fall off. The photo shows how badly a tree can suffer. As a treatment, treatment of the crown with special preparations such as Vectra and Gliocladin is suitable for a month with a frequency of once a week.

Schutte's disease is caused by a fungus. The needles darken, then covered with a whitish coating and fall off. Initially, you can save the tree by spraying with a solution of copper sulfate, then treatment with Trichodermin and Alirin-B, and in advanced situations, it remains only to dig and burn the seedling.

How much does a tree cost?

The price of an ornamental tree depends on its size and age.

A 3-year-old seedling 13-18 cm in height costs about 200 rubles;
you can buy a 6-year-old plant 65-75 cm in height for 1500 rubles;
the cost of a 13-year-old mature seedling 155 cm in height is about 6,000 rubles.