Spruce with purple cones: description, planting and tree care, application

A variety of decorative crops are used to design summer cottages. One of the most spectacular is the Korean fir, which is an evergreen tree belonging to the Pine family. The culture is distinguished by decorative dark green needles and purple-purple cones. They give the tree a special charm. Growing a purple-coned spruce is easy, but there are still some rules to follow.

What is the name of this variety

In botany, this culture is called Abies koreana. In the people, it is often called Korean fir, Korean spruce or even pine.Sometimes the plant is also called Chinese or Karelian. For the right choice of culture, you need to know that only two are the correct names - Abies koreana and Korean fir. These phrases are considered synonymous and are used to refer to the same culture.

Detailed description of the appearance of the tree

The birthplace of culture is the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and the adjacent island of Jeju. Under natural conditions, the tree is found on mountain slopes. It can be seen at an altitude of 1-1.8 kilometers. The plant dominates in mixed forests, adjacent to stone birch and small-seeded spruce.

This culture is characterized by the following features:

1. Dimensions - in natural conditions, a tree can reach 15 meters. At the same time, the width of the crown is 3 meters, and the diameter of the trunk is 50-80 centimeters. An ornamental tree usually does not exceed 4 meters. At the same time, the culture is characterized by slow growth.
2. Crown shape - the tree has a regular conical shape.
3. Bark - Young trees are covered with light gray bark with a reddish tinge. It has a smooth structure. As it ages, the bark becomes brownish and deeply furrowed.
4. Shoots - at the beginning the culture is characterized by yellow branches, but as it develops, they turn red.
5. Kidneys - have a rounded shape and are covered with a thin layer of resin.
6. Needles - this plant is characterized by small shiny needles. At first they have a prickly structure, but subsequently become softer. The needles have a dark green color. There are light stripes on the bottom of the needles. As for the shape of the needles, they are bent in the form of an arc.
7. Cones - young plants have bright purple fruits covered with a dense layer of resin. Cones are characterized by a cylindrical shape and a length of up to 7 centimeters. They are arranged vertically, which makes the tree look like a Christmas tree decorated with candles.As they mature, the cones do not fall off, but open directly on the tree.
8. Seeds - have a wedge shape and a brown tint with a reddish tint.
9. Root system - Korean fir is characterized by fairly deep and powerful roots that are fairly well branched.

Today there are many varieties of Korean fir. They differ in size and appearance. The novelties include dwarf trees, which can be grown even in small areas. If desired, such plants can be planted in tubs or containers.

The most popular varieties of this type of fir include:

• Adelba;
• Aurea;
• Blue Cons or Blue Buds;
• Bonsai Blue;
• Blue Standard or Blue Standard.

Where applicable

Korean fir is characterized by fairly compact size. Because it is often used in landscape design. The plant is perfect even for small areas. The tree can be used as a tapeworm or can be used to form a beautiful composition.

When choosing a plant for decorating a site, it is important to consider that it does not perceive polluted air well. Therefore, growing a crop in a city is not recommended. It can be used to decorate suburban areas with relatively clean air.

How and where to plant spruce

Korean fir is considered an undemanding crop that thrives well in all conditions. However, following the rules of planting will help preserve the decorative effect of the tree. In an uncomfortable environment, the plant will stop growing and lose its attractiveness.

When carrying out planting operations, the following points must be considered:

1. Location of the site. Fir requires a sunny location without strong winds and drafts.
2. The composition of the soil. It is best to give preference to soil that contains a lot of sand and organic fertilizers. Do not plant fir in the lowlands, because after rain a lot of moisture will accumulate there, which will negatively affect the development of the tree.
3. Time for landing operations. Fir seedlings should be planted outdoors in early spring.
4. Age of the seedling. Plants that have reached 4 years of age are best adapted to new conditions. At an earlier age, the probability of death of the culture is high. It is also not recommended to transplant trees older than 10 years. At this age, plants have an already formed root system, so they can hardly tolerate transplanting to a new site.

Planting is easy.To do this, you need to dig a hole according to the size of the root system, after which you need to fill it with peat and fertilizer. Then the fir should be placed in a recess, carefully straighten the root system, sprinkle with soil and tamp the ground a little. After planting, the tree needs to be well watered.

When planting several trees, the distance between them should be approximately 5 meters. If this recommendation is violated, lush crowns will not form in fir trees. When using low-growing varieties for the formation of hedges, a spacing of about 2 meters is required.

How to grow

Korean fir is considered an unpretentious culture, which is easy to care for. The tree needs to be regularly watered, loosened and fertilized. Young plants need the most moisture. They need to be watered up to 3 times a month. Mature trees will need a few waterings over the summer. In drought, the number of soil moisture should be increased. To keep the soil moist for a long time, mulching is carried out.To do this, the trunk circle needs to be covered with sawdust or needles.

Only young trees need to be prepared for winter. To do this, it is recommended to wrap their trunks in paper or in a special material. Korean fir does not need crown formation. When growing this crop, it is enough to remove dry branches and cones. For top dressing, it is worth using special preparations for conifers.

Pest control

If the rules of agricultural technology are violated, Korean fir may suffer from such parasites:

1. Hermes - in this case, a white bloom appears on the needles. To destroy parasites, the affected shoots should be removed, and the tree itself should be sprayed with an insecticidal solution.
2. False shield - these pests infect the trunk and shoots, absorbing their juices. In this case, there is a massive drying of the branches. Insecticides help get rid of parasites.
3. Spider mite - in this case, the tree is covered with white cobwebs. After some time, the needles turn yellow and fall off. Acaricides help to cope with ticks. For prevention, it is worth spraying the shoots with cool water.

Korean fir is a highly ornamental plant that has unusual purple buds. This allows you to actively use wood in landscape design. In order for a culture to grow and develop normally, it needs to be properly looked after.

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