How to Grow Blue Spruce: An Overview of Growing from Seed and Cuttings. Growing spruce: stylish, beautiful, good for health. How to grow a spruce in a summer cottage: basic rules for planting and care Is it possible to grow a Christmas tree

Not every amateur gardener wants to grow on his own. personal plot decorative fir. Since this business cannot be called simple, since a coniferous tree requires special care. And it will take a very long time to wait until they become large and can decorate the garden with their beauty. Spruce can be a great find for those gardeners who live in northern latitudes. All its species are not subject to severe frosts and dark, cloudy days. You can try to grow such a tree with seeds, seedlings or cuttings.

Which variety to choose for cultivation

If you create competent growing conditions for spruce, then it will be a beauty on your site. We will discuss these options below. But it is worth remembering that the success of this business depends on the choice of variety. There are currently more different varieties spruces that can be grown in almost any climate zone. Being engaged in the choice of one or another type, one should focus on its decorative properties and maximum dimensions tree. In the event that you have a very small personal plot, then tall varieties should not be grown, since spruce, after it grows, will occupy the entire plot. For growing ornamental varieties, low small spruce trees are best suited. And there are a lot of them. Now we present to your attention the most suitable types of spruces that will be suitable for private cultivation on a personal plot:

Norway spruce (European). With proper care, a spruce tree can reach up to 30 meters in length. The diameter of the needles is 5 meters. There are varieties that are significantly smaller in size (up to eight meters), and dwarf (no more than one meter). Representatives of this species are best suited for creating hedges. They are able to easily bring in severe frosts and lack of sunlight. Beautiful in appearance decorative varieties spruces of this variety - Columnaris, Inversa, Compacta, Elegance, nana, Gregoriana, Clan-brassiliana, Echinaformis.

Prickly spruce (blue). It is a fairly popular species for landscaping personal plots. Spruce has the shape of a pyramid, and sharp needles, 2-3 cm long. It can reach 25 meters in height. Representatives of this species prefer light, are not subject to severe frosts. You should pay attention to such varieties of prickly spruce - Hoopsii, Glauca, Iseli Fastigiata.

Spruce Serbian (Balkan). Trees with a low growing crown. They can grow up to 30 meters in length. They grow well in the shade and tolerate drought well. As its branches grow, the shoots of the new growth begin to hang down in the form of a beautiful fringe. Due to this, the spruce looks quite original. The most famous varieties are, Gnom, Karel, Pendula Bruns.

Canadian spruce (gray, white). It is the most winter-hardy, early-growing variety. Not picky about the soil. In the wild, it can reach a height of up to 30 meters. At present, many undersized ornamental varieties have already been bred - Albertiana, Pendula, Conica, Alberta Globe.

Siberian spruce. This type of spruce can perfectly adapt to the northern harsh conditions. The crown of the tree is cone-shaped. A bright dark green needles can decorate any garden. The most popular of all existing ornamental varieties is Glauca.

Tien Shan spruce. This type of spruce has a narrow crown. It comes from China. The ends of the branches are drooping. Needles reach a length of up to 4 cm. Spruce prefers high humidity and lots of sunshine. In our country, the decorative spruce variety Globosa is popular.

Where to plant a spruce

After reading this article, you can learn how to grow spruce in the country. The choice of landing site is very important in such a case. If possible, you can allocate an illuminated area for growing this species of spruce. It can take root well in the shade, but it reaches intensive growth only in the light - in these conditions, the crown of a small tree will develop a crown correct form. A highly decorative miniature varieties spruces cannot do without the sun at all. You should first make sure that the soil on the plot is well aerated and drained, as from excess moisture young tree might just die. Spruce, like all other gymnosperms, love alkaline soils (pH 4.5-6.0), where various fungi multiply very actively. If there is increased acidity in the soil, then various bacteria will form there, which will adversely affect the future development of a coniferous tree. The soil must be rich in various trace elements. Then the plant will be able to take root even in scarce areas.

Growing spruce from seed

Trying to grow spruce from seeds is very difficult. This growing method is not very popular among amateur gardeners. But if they can provide landings necessary care, then the plant will be able to sprout and grow well on the site. The planting material you can easily buy it in any specialized store. But in this case, there are risks to buy not very high-quality seeds that simply will not sprout. For this reason, if you have free time, take care of collecting cones yourself and prepare the seeds for sowing.

Spruce seeds.

Seed collection should be done in late October, early November. It is necessary to dry the collected cones at home and get the seeds out of them. Next, do the following:
The collected seeds should be treated with a solution of potassium permanganate and put in a container with calcined sand, to a depth of about 1.5-2 cm.
The pot must be placed in the refrigerator. Thus, you can create optimal conditions for the seeds to germinate.

At the beginning of March, you can briefly take out a container with seeds and put it in a lighted, warm place. For these purposes, a window sill will be a great place. In a warm place, spruce seeds should give the first shoots no later than a month later. Throughout this period, it is necessary to water the soil abundantly. After the first shoots appear, it will be possible to reduce the watering regimen for young spruce. To ensure protection, you need to protect the plant from various diseases and pests. Before you decide to plant the plant in open ground, the area can be treated with insecticides and fertilized.

A sprouted sprout of spruce.

Move the young spruce to permanent place you can already grow it in early May, when warm weather sets in on the street. It is necessary to prepare a hole in advance for planting a Christmas tree. The depth of this hole will depend on how many centimeters the sprout is stretched in length. At the bottom of the hole should be poured various mineral fertilizers and compost. Next, you should place a seedling in the prepared hole and sprinkle lightly with earth. In order for the tree to take root faster in new conditions for it, cover the seedling with polyethylene or a plastic bottle. Every laziness should open this mini-greenhouse. After one week, you need to remove it altogether.

Growing spruce seedlings

Trying to grow a spruce from a seedling is much easier. But you should be prepared for high financial costs - in specialized nurseries, planting material of good quality is very expensive. They are usually sold in pots. It is best to plant them on a plot with a lump of native soil. The main indicators of a healthy seedling:

The needles on spruce should be shiny and smooth.
The soil in the container is slightly moist.
The roots should not protrude beyond the boundaries of the container.

Plant a seedling in May - and with the onset of winter, he will be able to get used to the new conditions for himself. It is necessary to prepare a hole, up to 60 cm deep. drainage should be laid on its bottom (pebbles or broken brick), and a layer of nutrient substrate (peat, turf and leaf soil, sand). The substrate will take up approximately 2/3 of the hole. In the event that you have purchased several seedlings at once, then you should place them at a distance of 2.5 m from each other, since after a couple, three years the Christmas tree will grow. The only exception can be dwarf varieties ate - you can plant them no more than one meter apart. The plant should be deeply deepened into the hole so that the root bud remains at the level of the soil. After landing, you should sprinkle the trunk with peat and water the soil.

Growing spruce cuttings

Spruce can be grown in two ways. But anyway it should be competent landing V open field And good care. In addition to growing spruce from seeds, it can be grown from cuttings. Spruce cuttings are the most popular propagation method among gardeners. The cost of planting material is not very expensive. And you can pick a branch in the nearest park or forest from you. Lignified shoots that are one or two years old can perfectly take root. You should pay attention to the fact that there must be an apical bud on the handle. Unfortunately, without it, a small tree will not grow in heights. The shoot length is 7-10 cm.

Spruce cuttings.

Landing should be done immediately after the cut. cuttings - autumn or in the spring. All needles should be cut from the bottom and placed in a special solution for good strengthening. After a day, you can plant the stalk in a nutrient substrate that is covered with perlite, sand and peat. The cutting must be deepened into the ground by 4-5 cm at an angle of 30 degrees. Next, the branch can be watered a little for two weeks to create greenhouse conditions for it by covering it with polyethylene or plastic bottle. After two or three years, from a slightly grown tree, you can cut cuttings and increase the area of \u200b\u200bspruce plantations.

Growing spruce: care rules

Young plantings will require proper care from you, since even well-rooted seedlings in the absence necessary conditions content may simply die. The basics for growing young firs and caring for them are as follows:

Watering. Spruce can tolerate dry weather well and live without soil moisture for several weeks. But the WTO as regards highly decorative varieties of trees, they will not tolerate such an attitude towards themselves. They need 10-12 liters of water every week. When watering seedlings, try to avoid getting moisture on the needles. To be able to provide sufficient moisture and avoid rotting of the root system, it is better to mulch the near-stem circles of young Christmas trees. As mulch, you can use bark or coniferous sawdust.

Mulching tree trunks with stones.

Top dressing. If you provide the necessary care for spruce, it will be able to develop perfectly without fertilizers. You can feed highly decorative varieties once a season with various complex fertilizers. Newly planted seedlings must be constantly watered with growth stimulants.

Pruning. It is necessary to form a crown. This procedure can positively affect not only the appearance of the Christmas tree, but also its health. In autumn and spring, it is necessary to remove diseased branches from the tree. Carrying out this procedure, you should not get carried away too much - excessive pruning can simply destroy a young spruce.

Transfer. The tree will not always grow in the place allotted to it - occasionally, Christmas trees should be transplanted to another part of the garden. Given the fact that as it grows, the Christmas tree forms a fungus root in the soil (the bark system of the tree connects with fungi), transplantation should be done together with a clod of soil. The most important thing is not to damage this very fragile system during transplantation. You will not need to prepare a very deep hole for planting, as the roots will develop in breadth. On the new site of the Christmas tree, special care will be required - constant watering of the soil and shading. A large number of fir is not afraid of very severe frosts. But still, decorative varieties will need to be protected in winter - branches can bend under heavy snow and ice. And young seedlings of the Christmas tree will require mandatory shelter. Trunk circles needs to be well mulled late autumn, so that the root system is completely covered. You can cover the crown of a tree nonwoven fabric or kraft paper.

Spruce diseases and pests

In order for the spruce to be beautiful, use proper care and competent cultivation in order to prevent diseases in plants. Even highly decorative varieties of spruce can be safely attributed to resistant plants. They are very rarely affected by diseases and attacked by various pests. But despite this, there is still a risk of damage coniferous trees, especially when illiterate care of them. Below we will tell you about the most dangerous fungal diseases:

Shutte. The needles of a tree affected by this fungus begin to turn brown and fall off. You will be able to identify this disease without any problems by the very dark color of the transverse stripes on the needles.

Gray mold. Most often it affects young plants of dwarf forms. This disease begins to manifest itself by the appearance of a gray-white bloom on the branches. If the necessary measures are not taken, the fungus will be able to completely cover the entire crown of the tree. As a rule, fungi begin to develop due to excess moisture. It is her that the spruce does not like. Do not allow excessive neglect of plantings and do not overwater young trees. In the event that you found traces of a lesion, it is necessary to treat the spruce crown with fungicides.

Among the pests, the most dangerous are:

Spruce mite. It is very difficult to see a bug in the lush needles, because it is very small. The tree begins to lose its appearance. Needles get Brown color. Mechanical methods struggle in this case will be powerless, since it is impossible to remove all the bugs and larvae on their own because of their small size. Here special preparations - acaricides can help you.

Hermes. This insect promotes the growth of needles into galls. Aphids begin to develop rapidly in these galls. You can fight Hermes by cutting off the formed galls and treating the plant with insecticides.

Spruce sawfly. Very dangerous pest. He is able to hit young Christmas trees. The needles turn brown, and a mud coating appears on the branches. In order to completely get rid of the sawfly, you will need to treat the affected spruce branches with insecticide at least three times.

bark beetle It is quite difficult to control these pests. Much easier to use in practice effective ways prevention. It is necessary to constantly monitor the health of your Christmas trees, as bugs begin to infect only weakened plants. With the onset of spring, it is imperative to treat the plantings with insecticides.

Spruce aphid. You can detect these insects with the naked eye. This pest is a small green bug. Aphids begin to feed on spruce needles, sucking all the juices out of it. As a result, the branches begin to become bare. It also shows itself well in practice in the fight against aphids, the use of insecticides.

Finally

Now you understand the technology of growing spruce. Try to take care of the planted Christmas tree, and then no pests and diseases can prevent it from growing and developing well!

An easy way to grow spruce from seeds

You can decorate the yard with a small coniferous tree if you grow spruce from seeds. It's cheaper than buying a seedling. Planting and care will not cause difficulties if they are followed according to the rules and take into account the characteristics of the plant.

Growing spruce at home from seeds

At first glance, planting a seedling is faster and more convenient. If you want to save money, dig a small tree in the forest and bury it on the site. But this operation is not entirely legal, forest spruces are protected by the state, and transplantation can be fatal for the plant.

Source: Depositphotos

It is easier to grow spruce from seeds collected from trees growing nearby

But no one bothers to take cones from the trees you like, even those listed in the Red Book.

Landing should be performed in the following sequence:

Gather planting material. In winter, take unopened cones from different, preferably not very young trees, put them in a dry, warm place and wait until they open and the seeds fall out.
Prepare the seeds. Remove the lionfish from them, rinse under running water and treat with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, then dry. Place in a sterile jar and refrigerate for 2 months. This procedure, stratification, will strengthen the immunity of the plant and stimulate germination. If the seeds were collected at the end of February, it can be skipped.
Prepare the soil. It can be collected where the cones were collected, calcined, sprinkled a little with a solution of potassium permanganate and mixed with peat, or you can buy ready-made soil for coniferous plants.
Soak the seeds. In March, fill the spruce nuts with warm water, if desired, add a root stimulator.
Plant the seeds. In a large pot, put a layer of drainage and cover the soil. Lay the grains on the surface, sprinkle with a thin layer of earth, pour from a spray bottle and cover with a film. Place on the windowsill next to the battery.

Germination time can range from 2 weeks to several months.

Caring for spruce grown from seeds

Spray the sprouted shoots with water so that the soil does not dry out, but is not wet either. The optimum temperature for them is about +15 °C. Tender plants don't like straight lines. sun rays and frost. When they stretch a little, thin them out, leaving the stronger ones.

With warming, take out seedlings to fresh air. Water regularly, mulch, fertilize 1-2 times a month. They grow slowly, gradually becoming stronger. Next spring, plant them in the ground at a distance of 20 cm, adding some needles to the holes.

For blue spruce, it is considered normal when half of the seedlings disappear in the third year.

Transplant three-year-old trees, increasing the distance between them to 1 m. Now it is enough to water them occasionally and feed them twice a year. In a few years, another transplant will be required - to a place where the spruce will grow constantly.

Seeds produce strong, hardened, frost-resistant trees. It will take time to grow them, but the resulting beauty will enliven the site, create comfort, and become a decoration for the New Year holiday.

The New Year holidays are coming to an end, and it is a pity to throw away their main symbol - a fragrant live Christmas tree. Flora lovers in many countries liked a successful alternative - a Christmas tree in a pot. It can be stored indoors until the onset of heat, followed by transplantation on a personal plot of land.

In order for the plant to take root, develop normally, you should study and adhere to the basic rules for its acquisition and care.

plant selection

When buying a variety of seedlings of a coniferous tree, one must take into account its adaptability to life in the cold conditions of our country. climate zone. Optimal fit:

ordinary spruce or pine;
dwarf spruce horse in a pot;
ate prickly, Serbian;
decorative blue spruces of Dutch, Danish, North American or Russian varieties;
fir growing in Siberia, Korea or in the Caucasian mountains;
columnar.

When choosing a seedling, you need to make sure that it was not transplanted into a pot or tub yesterday. To do this, it is enough to gently move the trunk, rake upper layer soil. If in doubt, ask the seller to carefully pull out the plant, inspect the root ball, the condition of the root system. It should be intact and densely branched.

Spruces love to be kept in acidified peat-based soil mixtures. If the tree was grown from the very beginning in one container, the roots of the plant will be evenly spaced throughout the pot. Its size should be proportional to the crown of a live Christmas tree in a pot. Miniature tubs, pots most often indicate the use of various growth stimulants and a low probability of a successful further transplantation of such coniferous plants on suburban area near the house.

Dense, single-colored needles, a strengthened root system indicates the health of the seedling, good prospects for its further growth.

Reliable places to buy spruce are nurseries and specialty horticultural stores. Now in big cities began to appear the most humane way the use of trees. After growing in special nurseries, they are offered to customers to rent for New Year's celebrations for a period of 17 days. After that, the tenant returns the plant to the nursery, where it is looked after by experienced specialists, and with the onset of heat, spruces are planted in forest parks, alleys, and other intended places.

In order not to damage the branches, the trunk of the tree, do not overload it with toys, decorations and garlands.

Christmas tree in a pot: how to care for an apartment

Ornamental conifers are capricious and sensitive to light, moisture, and maintenance at the optimum temperature.

After the purchase, you should not immediately install the tree in an honorable warm New Year's place. A few days in a cool room with sufficient air flow will allow him to better adapt to new conditions. For the holiday, put the Christmas tree away from batteries and other heating devices.

After the New Year and Christmas, it is better to immediately move the Christmas tree to the glazed balcony.

Spruce in a pot at home requires careful care. The soil for its maintenance must be regularly kept moist, avoiding drying out or waterlogging. Needles, twigs constantly (at least 5 times a day) should be treated with a water spray. low humidity can lead to dryness and death ornamental plant. In order for the tree to be evenly illuminated, it is recommended to periodically rotate it around its axis. This will ensure a uniform color of the needles, reduce the risk of disease. To avoid burns, keep the plant out of direct sunlight.

Spruces are especially susceptible to temperature extremes. It is necessary to ensure their constant maintenance at a temperature of 0 to 10 degrees Celsius, constant inflow fresh air. If it becomes very cold on the balcony, you can additionally wrap the tree with a warm blanket, straw, hay.

In winter, Christmas trees in a pot are at rest, so they should not be fertilized or fed.

Features of individual varieties

Serbian (Balkan) spruce among lovers of coniferous plants is considered the most slender.

Its decorative varieties Gnome (height in adulthood up to 1.5 meters) and Nana (up to 3 meters high) look great at the New Year's holiday.

Among the blue (spiny) spruces in a pot, decorative varieties are in great demand:

semi-dwarf Edith with harmonious forms and gray-blue needles;
Fat Albert with bright coloring and regular crown;
green with blue Glauka Globoza with a spherical crown.

Many Russian florists know how to care for the popular Canadian Christmas tree Konik in a pot. It grows very slowly, the annual growth is up to 5 centimeters. Even in adulthood, the height of the plant rarely reaches one meter. The nutrient soil for the plant is earthen turf with an admixture of leaves, a small amount of peat and sand. Konika is less capricious than other varieties of conifers. It can grow in a tub (pot) for several years.

An analogue of the variety is a decorative Canadian cone-shaped Christmas tree in a Sanders Blue pot. The spruce has soft, bluish-blue needles, annual growth up to 7 centimeters. At proper care grows 50 years, reaching a maximum height of 3 meters. Loves light, moist fertile soil. In open ground withstands frosts up to 40 degrees.

Miniature varieties of Korean fir fit well into the interior:

Caucasian and Danish varieties of fir are distinguished by a strict conical shape, soft fluffy green needles. On New Year golden, erect, dove-gray varieties of fir are also installed.

Danish farmers have successfully mastered the cultivation of the beautiful Nordmann fir in tubs, which is in great demand in capital cities on New Year's days.

Fir is unpretentious in care and durable. home care consists in regular watering (without waterlogging), sufficient soil drainage. When planted in open ground, they grow up to 30 centimeters annually and can live up to 100 years.

Compact mountain fir with flat needles, glossy silver overflow of needles is in great demand. Along with a proportional conical shape, unusual color shades made it the number one selling potted live spruce in many regions.

The brightest of the blue thorny firs, Hupsi is the leader of the New Year celebrations in Europe. Its main advantages are a strict crown cone, silver-blue needles. Loves light, frost-resistant, unpretentious in conditions of increased urban gas pollution and air pollution.

In a series of varieties of ordinary Christmas trees in a pot, German spruce Kupressina stands out. She has an original narrowed ovoid crown, emerald green color of needle needles. The variety showed good resistance to blizzards and snowfalls.

Spring transplant

With the onset of heat and sufficient thawing of the soil, you can transplant your winter beauty from a pot into open ground. It is advisable to do this before the start of sap flow in the plant. For planting, a free, well-lit place is best suited. We carry out the transplant in sequence:

When planting, fertilizer is used individually, taking into account the characteristics of the variety and the health of your Christmas tree.

Gradually, after each New Year, a new coniferous seedling will appear on the plot. Christmas tree alley more long time will delight your eyes and warm your soul.

How to care for a Christmas tree in an apartment - video

Publication date: 11/10/2015

Another question immediately arises: is it possible to grow a Christmas tree at home? Yes, you can, if you create the right conditions for it. But for this, one desire is not enough; correct and regular actions are also needed. However, the result will justify all your efforts: for the New Year you will have a real, lively, homely beauty.

The New Year is just around the corner. When we see that Christmas trees have appeared on sale, we buy. Most often, of course, you want a real one, live Christmas tree. Our idea of the New Year holiday is most connected with it. For many people, after celebrating the New Year, the Christmas tree stands until March, until it crumbles, it is so pitiful to part with the symbol of all the most pleasant and bright.

But this Christmas tree is without roots, it was cut down, therefore it crumbles. Or you can grow a real living one - at home. She will delight us and our children for several years in a row. Such a Christmas tree can be remembered by children for the rest of their lives. They will always remember what a beautiful Christmas tree was in their childhood.

Whoever decides to grow a Christmas tree at home, you can start by collecting seeds from spruce, common to our forests - spruce. There is also prickly spruce, there is blue spruce - from its seeds it is not necessary to grow blue spruce again, ordinary spruce can grow.

First, cones are harvested from November to the end of February. Cones can be collected in the forest and in the park. Let them dry in a warm place until they open. The cones of spruce will open, even if the seeds have ripened in them, although they have not. Therefore, not all seeds will be viable.

Based on this, it is necessary to sow several seeds (or even a lot), but so that later, when thinning, do not disturb the plant that we choose on further cultivation, that is, it is necessary to sow rarely, not in heaps.

Before planting, spruce seeds must first be stratified. Therefore, after treating the seeds with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, they are mixed with wet sand and kept in a closed container in the refrigerator for 2-3 months. For stratification, you can take the pots of seeds outside under the snow. In nature, spruce seeds germinate in early spring even when the snow hasn't melted everywhere yet. Therefore, if the seeds were in the refrigerator for stratification, they can be sown at the end of April.

The soil for sowing is prepared in advance. It should be slightly acidic. To do this, they either buy special soil for conifers, or you can prepare it yourself by mixing ordinary soil in equal parts with soil from a coniferous forest.

For sowing, nuts are soaked for a day in warm water. They are sown shallowly - by 1 - 0.5 cm, that is, they crush the earth. The earth must be well moistened and maintained, without over-moistening and without over-drying. You can temporarily cover with a film, so it is easier to maintain humidity.

For the entire period of seed germination, pots and boxes with sowing should be in a cool, ventilated place. Seedlings may appear in 20 - 30 days. But it happens that the seeds can hatch and sprout only next year.

As soon as shoots have appeared, all attention is paid to light, watering and temperature, that is, to caring for the Christmas tree.

Young seedlings should be kept in a well-lit place, but so that direct sunlight does not burn the plant. It is better when the light is diffused. If the lighting comes from one side, then you will have to turn the pot once a week so that the branches develop evenly.

Watering the Christmas tree should be regularly plentiful, but should not be watered excessively. The clod of earth must be constantly moistened. Overdrying is also harmful.

It is good and mandatory to regularly spray from a fine sprayer. For spraying, soft water is taken; conifers do not like lime. Water can be defended, boiled or used rainwater. In addition, it is necessary to do ventilation.

From autumn to winter, it is necessary to create conditions for the Christmas tree under which it will go through a dormant period. The tree should then be in a cool place. It is believed that the winter temperature for it can be kept +5 - + 10 degrees C. The Christmas tree easily withstands temperatures dropping to below zero, but the lump of earth should not freeze.

During the dormant period, watering is reduced. At a temperature of +5 - + 10 degrees C, watering is allowed in 2 - 3 weeks 1 time. If the temperature is about 0 degrees C, it is watered up to 1 time per month. If the room is heated, then spraying does not stop.

For better growth you can feed the Christmas tree with universal fertilizers.

It happens that when growing Christmas trees, the needles begin to turn yellow and fall off. The branches are exposed, and new needles will never grow in place of the fallen needles. This means that these are errors in care: it may be that this is due to a sunburn, or improper watering, or somewhere broken temperature regime. Then you need to slightly change the growing conditions. You can spray with bio-regulators to increase the immunity of the plant. If the needles lose their luster and wrinkle, then not enough acid earth. You can remove the top layer of the earth without exposing the roots, and sprinkle the earth from under coniferous trees. The earth is poured so that the earth around the root collar remains at the same level as it was.

A Christmas tree at home can be grown for 2 - 3 - 4 years, but the time will come, it will grow such that you have to part with it. In nature, this is a large tree and it needs space. In order not to throw the Christmas tree into a landfill, you can try to transplant it near the house or in the country.

Spruce transplant is hard to bear. A clod of earth near a spruce must be well moistened. Try not to expose the roots, do not shake off the ground from them. Roots do not need to be cut or torn off. Transplanted in late spring. Well watered. When transplanting, it is necessary to place the tree so that the root collar remains at the same level of the ground as it was.

If you want to quickly have a home Christmas tree, you can buy it in a nursery. Of course it will be more expensive. In the nursery, you can choose dwarf coniferous spruce. Eat Canadian spruce Conica, the height of a 10-year-old plant is about 50 cm, there is a Nidiformis spruce - 30 cm. These spruces can fit in an apartment, but their appearance is somewhat different from what we are used to.

You can buy araucaria, it grows in nature in Chile, Argentina. Araucaria grows in the form of a small tree with a pyramidal crown, but does not tolerate dry air. Therefore, a pot with it is placed in a tray with moistened expanded clay or the ground is covered with moss and periodically moistened. The plant itself is often sprayed.

Good luck in choosing and growing Christmas trees!

The latest tips from the section "House and cottage":

How to grow a Christmas tree in a pot?

Spruce (Picea)

Family- pine (Pinaceae).

Origin - North America, Northern Europe, Northeast and Central Asia, Western and Central China.

Growing a Christmas tree at home is not at all easy, but today many people follow this path, trying to protect millions of young trees from a ruthless custom. Someone brings home a Christmas tree in a container, bought in the nearest greenhouse, someone tries to grow a spruce from seeds.

When growing spruce at home, it is most difficult to provide the tree with a period of winter dormancy. This requires a cold, bright and well-ventilated room, which is difficult to find in a heated apartment. In the heat, the Christmas tree cannot “sleep”, it is disturbed natural cycle, which leads to the appearance of uncharacteristic painful shoots or drying.

Also, do not forget that in nature, spruce is a large, powerful tree that cannot be permanently locked in a pot. A two-three-year-old tree must be transplanted into its natural habitat, no matter how sorry it is to part with a pet.

Types of firs

For those who decide to grow a Christmas tree at home, it is better to pay attention to such unpretentious and inexpensive types like Norway spruce or prickly spruce. The Serbian spruce is very hardy, the dark green needles of which are illuminated from below with silver.

Clicking on the image will enlarge it!

Norway spruce

Prickly spruce

Serbian spruce

There are dwarf types of spruce: Canadian spruce Conica (the height of a ten-year-old plant is about 50 cm) or common spruce Nidiformis (30 cm), which can fit in an apartment, but their appearance is somewhat different from the traditional one.

Spruce care at home

Lighting. Spruce prefers bright diffused light. Young trees should be grown in a well-lit area, protected from direct sunlight. Spring sunburns are especially dangerous.

Temperature regime. Moderate, requires coolness in winter. Optimum winter temperature is +6 -+10°С. Spruce can easily withstand a drop in temperature to negative levels (at night on the loggia), but at the same time you need to make sure that the lump of earth does not freeze. In summer, ventilation is necessary.

Watering. Regular abundant watering from spring to autumn. The clod of earth must be constantly evenly moistened. Drying out or waterlogging is unacceptable. During the dormant period, watering is reduced to once every 2-3 weeks (if the room temperature is +5 - +10 ° C). If the temperature is about 0 ° C, then watering is reduced to once a month.

Periodic spraying from a fine sprayer is necessary, especially in winter in a heated room.

fertilizers. Top dressing with universal fertilizers for growth.

Earthmixture. In order to grow spruce from seeds, acidic soil is needed. You can buy special soil for coniferous plants, or prepare it yourself by mixing in equal proportions the universal soil mixture and the soil from the coniferous forest.

Transfer. The transplant is extremely difficult to tolerate spruce. It is necessary to maintain the integrity of the coma of the earth and prevent the roots from being exposed. Transplantation is carried out every two years in late spring.

reproduction. In order to successfully grow spruce from seeds, it is necessary to collect seeds from open cones collected between November and February. Seeds should be sown to a depth of no more than 0.5 cm. Before germination, the pot should be in a ventilated cool room (in nature, spruce sprouts in early spring under snow).

One-year-old seedlings usually reach a height of 15-25 cm, depending on the variety and growing conditions.

Possible problems when growing spruce at home

Needles turn yellow and fall off. Usually this is a consequence of care errors (temperature conditions, improper watering, sunburn). Affected branches are not restored. You can change the conditions of detention and spray with bio-regulators (drugs that increase plant immunity are sold in specialized stores).

The needles have lost their luster and wrinkled. Insufficiently oxidized earth mixture. It is necessary to add soil from under coniferous trees to the topsoil. You need to be very careful: firstly, do not expose the roots of the plant, and secondly, do not allow the ground level to change, that is, do not plant the tree deeper than it was before.

Irina Surdu specially for the site All about flowers

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How to grow a spruce from a branch: care tips, growing methods, varieties

There are many types of spruces, but almost all of them are propagated by cuttings. Therefore, if you are wondering how to grow a spruce from a branch, first find a young and healthy spruce, no older than 8 years, from which you can take a branch. Cut them off from the top of the tree. You need to take only one-year-olds. Twigs from the middle of the tree also have a chance to take root, but it is likely that the tree will grow with a crooked crown.

Tricks of growing spruce from a branch:

Usually the branch takes root only in the second year. But if you want the roots to go already in the year of planting, prepare cuttings in the middle of spring. Cut in autumn or winter, the so-called lignified cuttings are stored all winter in a cool, dark place. The length of the branch can vary from 10 to 25 cm. After the branch is cut, remove all the needles from the bottom by about 3-6 cm and put it in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. In order for the cutting to give roots and take root well, it is necessary to make a greenhouse. Well, if it is heated. You can easily make a homemade greenhouse without outside help. Drainage must be placed at the bottom to avoid stagnant moisture. Stones, broken bricks or large gravel can be used as drainage. After drainage comes soil and a layer of sand on top, better cleaned. Soil can be taken in a spruce forest or purchased at a store. We cover it with a film so that there is a distance of no more than 30 cm between the sand and the film. At first, a shadow is needed, so we put another dark coating on top of the film, maybe burlap. You need to plant a branch to the depth to which you cleared it of needles. They are planted at a slight angle with an interval of 2 m (if you are planning an alley). Remember that spruce can grow very large, so do not mess with seedlings.

At first, you need to water abundantly and every day, in the heat up to four times a day. Don't forget to loosen the soil as well. When the first roots appear, you do not need to water more than once a day. You can spray the seedlings with a mineral mixture. For the winter it is necessary to cover them with sawdust or foliage.

Growing spruce from seed

Growing a beautiful Christmas tree from seeds is more difficult than from a branch, but with certain recommendations, you can very well boast that you succeeded. It is not recommended to buy seeds in a store or order online, because you do not know the quality of these seeds, how much and under what conditions they were stored.

Tips for growing spruce from seeds:

useful material

At first, the seedling needs a greenhouse. To do this, cover it with a cut plastic bottle. Do not clean such a homemade greenhouse for at least a week. But at the same time, it would be wrong to completely deprive the spruce of air flow. Therefore, periodically remove the bottle to ventilate the seedling and remove the accumulated condensate. Do this during warm weather.

Over the summer, your spruce will not grow and get strong enough to survive the winter frosts. For the winter, it needs to be covered or made a greenhouse. The layer of snow should be sufficient so that the seedling does not freeze.

young spruce care

And now some spruce care rules that will allow you to grow a beautiful, healthy and tall tree on your site.

Spruces may well grow in the shade, as is often the case in natural conditions.

But if you want to get a fluffy tree, and not a long and stunted one, it is still better to choose a sunny place where it is warm enough, humid and not strong wind. Then the tree will grow straight and strong. An abundance of bright light is also not desirable.

Proper tree care:

Spruce loves moisture. It does not tolerate drought well, but it can rot from stagnant water. Therefore, the earth sometimes needs to be loosened, providing water and air access to the roots. It is not often necessary to water an adult spruce, once a week is enough, but at the same time it is necessary to pour at least 10 liters of water. It is this amount that is considered optimal in order to nourish the roots and prevent moisture stagnation. Requirements for air humidity are low. Humidity tolerates calmly, as well as more arid conditions. To wash the dust and dirt, you can periodically wash the spruce with a hose. Then the needles will become saturated green color. If for the first time you made a mistake with the place, the spruce can be transplanted. It will tolerate the transplant well in the absence of bright sun and all conditions are met. But often transplanting spruce is not recommended. To do this, dig a hole in advance in the desired part of the garden, repeat the whole procedure from the beginning: lay drainage, pour soil specially selected for conifers, sand on top. Please note that the basal neck should be above the ground. This important condition healthy tree growth. You do not need to often feed the tree with fertilizers. Spruce does not need this at all. If you wish, you can fertilize the soil near the trunk in the spring before the shoots appear. Spruce propagation is also carried out through seeds or cuttings. If you have a special type of ornamental spruce, prefer the type of propagation by cuttings, then you will be able to preserve all the decorative properties of the spruce. Spruce does not like dense soil, so you need to loosen near the trunk. Loosen with a chopper or hoe very carefully. No need to dig deep, you risk damaging the roots. Follow appearance ate. Remove dried branches in time, form a crown. If the tree begins to split in two, remove one top.

Types and varieties of spruce

Spruce has many varieties: they differ not only in appearance, but also in the color of the needles. Consider the most common among them:

interesting decoration

beautiful composition

decorative spruce

purple hue

Application and benefits

It has long been known that the needles contain a huge amount of vitamins, minerals, essential oils. Therefore, winter needles are often used to make homemade cosmetics. It is in winter that it absorbs all the useful substances. Masks, lotions are made from it, coniferous baths are taken, which is very beneficial for the skin and blood circulation in general.

Spruce needles are crushed, poured with boiling water and then used to make face and hair masks, creams, lotions, tonics.

It is also useful to drink such an infusion. It has a diuretic effect, removes small stones from the kidneys and urinary tract. Almost any part of spruce (cones, buds, branches, needles) can be used in the treatment of rhinitis and colds. Inhalations with a decoction of pine needles destroy microbes, facilitate breathing, relieve inflammation. Healing spruce resin ointment will help get rid of boils. Resin and wax can also be inhaled. It is very useful in bronchial diseases. They are cleaned, sputum is removed, inflammation is removed.

An infusion of cones is very useful for external and domestic use. For this you need:

Select good cones, grind, pour water and boil for at least half an hour. Then let it brew under the lid. The infusion is dark brown, the taste is not very pleasant, astringent. It can be used for inhalation. If you add lemon during boiling, this decoction can be taken orally to strengthen the immune system. The broth is stored in a cool no more than 3 days.

You can also take spruce branches along with young buds, pour boiling water and let it brew. If you regularly take such an infusion, you can get rid of bronchitis, sciatica, speed up recovery from pneumonia.

It is not necessary to make infusions or decoctions, you can take a few needles, rinse with water and just chew.

In addition to the pleasant coniferous smell from the mouth, vivacity will appear, immunity will be strengthened, and working capacity will increase. Remember that with peptic ulcers of the digestive system, such home remedies are prohibited. Before use, it is recommended to consult a doctor.

More information can be found in the video.

How to grow a blue spruce from a twig or seeds at home

One of the most expensive and at the same time beautiful jewelry adjoining territory is the blue spruce. Thanks to unique color needles, lush crown and density of prickly cover, it has a very respectable appearance. And in almost all reputable institutions you can find this coniferous beauty. But buying a ready-made seedling is very expensive. How to grow a blue spruce from a twig or seeds at home?

Growing blue spruce from seeds is the most labor-intensive business. In the summer, be sure to look at a couple of blue beauties. Make sure they have bumps. Around November, you can go to harvest. Ideally, the buds should be picked directly from the tree. And those are the ones that haven't been revealed yet. But if it is difficult to climb a spruce, because the fruits are formed almost at the very top, then you can pick up those that have fallen to the ground. The more seeds you collect, the better. Because only about 40% of germinated seedlings will have the same color as mother plant. There is a high probability that you will receive ordinary green Christmas trees.

At home, the cones should be placed in a box and placed closer to a heat source. They must open up completely. After a few days, carefully remove the seeds from the opened cones. To do this, it is enough to lightly tap the nose of the cone on the surface of the table. harvested should be prepared for stratification at home.

To do this, dissolve 1 g of manganese in 100 ml of water and rinse the seeds for disinfection. Dry them on a towel. After pouring into a linen bag and close in glass jar. Put in the refrigerator where the temperature is the lowest, but not in the freezer. In open ground, seeds are planted in the spring, when there is no risk of sudden frosts. If you want to grow seedlings first, then you can get the seeds in March. For a day, place them in an aqueous solution with nutrients. And then carefully spread out in the prepared soil. In both cases, it is necessary to moisten the earth during the time, not to let it dry out, but also not to swamp. In about three weeks, the first shoots will appear.

Plants grown outdoors should be protected from direct sunlight in the summer heat. And take out the seedlings for the whole summer outside, placing the containers in the shade big trees. In autumn, the seedlings are cleaned in a cool room. Young growth can be planted only a year later, in the spring, as soon as the earth warms up well.

Propagation by cuttings allows you to completely preserve the signs of the mother plant. Cuttings should be torn off, and not cut with a knife, from trees that are more than 5 years old. On the handle, it is imperative to leave a "heel", that is, a piece of the old tree. Immediately after detaching, the twig is planted in prepared containers. And then they take care of it as well as the seeds.