Spruce Montgomery: description of the prickly variety, rules for planting and caring for a tree

Montgomery spruce was bred in 1934 in the USA. Its author is the breeder Montgomery, after whom the culture got its name. Culture has excellent decorative properties. It looks very impressive in rocky gardens, on lawns or lawns. Since spruce grows rather slowly and has an attractive color of needles, it can be used to decorate any yard or front garden.

Description of the tree

The Montgomery Prickly Spruce is a winter-hardy dwarf variety of the Glauca group. A distinctive feature of the plant is considered to be slow development.During the year, the tree grows a maximum of 6-7 centimeters. Mature plants reach a height of 1.5 meters and a width of 1.8.

The culture is distinguished by a squat rounded crown. In this case, the branches of the plant are characterized by a uniform arrangement. They are quite densely covered with needles. The needles are sharp and slightly sickle-shaped. In length, they reach 3 centimeters and have a silver-blue color.

Tree is considered quite photophilous. It can also develop in shady places, but in this case the color darkens a little. Culture needs loose and nutritious soil. It should be sufficiently moist and at the same time have good drainage. Montgomery spruce cannot withstand excess moisture, drought, or soil compaction. In the heat, the crop requires sprinkling of the crown.

The Montgomery spruce has the following benefits:

• attractive needle color;
• compact size;
• no need for frequent watering;
• frost resistance;
• possibility of growing in different climates;
• good adaptation to urban conditions;
• high wind resistance.

Application

According to the description, Montgomery spruce is used in landscape design. When planting a crop along the paths, it will be possible to get a beautiful coniferous hedge. Also, this culture is perfect for decorating alpine slides.

Due to its compact size, spruce can be used as a Christmas tree. To do this, it needs to be planted in the most conspicuous place in the yard. The culture is often combined with other plants - it looks best with deciduous shrubs.

Landing

In order for the Montgomery spruce to develop well and retain its decorative effect, it is important to plant it correctly.

Selecting and preparing a site

When choosing a place to plant a Montgomery spruce, a number of features should be taken into account. First of all, it is important to consider the direction of the wind. Spruce itself tolerates gusts well. At the same time, it can obscure varieties more susceptible to drafts.

Equally important is the presence of bright sunlight. At the same time, blue spruce may well develop in partial shade. In addition, she herself can become a shadow for plants that need it. This feature must be taken into account when creating plant ensembles.

Equally important is the preparation of the landing site. First you need to get rid of weeds. Then it is worth digging up the soil. If there is any doubt about the drainage properties of the soil, it is required to make a depression measuring 35 centimeters, fill it with water and let it drain. Then you need to pour water again. In a well-drained substrate, it will go away in 2 hours.

Step by step instructions

To plant a spruce, you need to do the following:

1. Prepare a recess for planting. It should be twice as large as a lump of soil.
2. Take the tree out of the container. To do this, carefully lift the barrel.
3. Position the root system with a clod of soil in the recess in the same way as the tree was placed in the nursery.
4. Fill the hole with substrate.
5. Plentifully water the seedling. It is permissible to add a root growth stimulator to the water. This will speed up the rooting process.
6. Cover the trunk circle with a mulch layer. To do this, use sawdust or pine needles.

How to properly care

In the first year after planting, the tree needs regular watering. This is due to the fact that underdeveloped roots are not able to absorb much moisture. Subsequently, spruce can be watered less frequently. In dry weather, it should be moistened 2 times a week.

Mature trees do not need to be fed. However, young plants should be supplied with nutrients. This will help speed up their growth. To do this, in spring and autumn, nitroammophoska should be added to the soil. In October, it is recommended to use preparations based on potassium and phosphorus.

Montgomery spruce has a very decorative crown. Therefore, shaping pruning is not required. However, this culture necessarily requires sanitary pruning. At the same time, it is worth removing dry and pathological shoots.

Culture is resistant to frost, because it is able to withstand almost any climatic conditions. The plant can tolerate temperatures down to -40 degrees. In winter, it is enough to shake off the snow from the spruce branches. This will help prevent damage.

How to protect yourself from diseases

Spruce Montgomery is characterized by fairly strong immunity. However, sometimes she suffers from the following pathologies:

1. Shutte needles - accompanied by a change in the color of the needles. At first, they are covered with black dots, and then acquire a red or brown color. To prevent the development of pathology, it is important to avoid high humidity and not to have plants very close. For treatment, you should use Falcon or Quadris.
2. Fusariosis - this pathology provokes the withering of the shoots. In this case, the crown acquires a reddish-red hue. To cope with the disease, it is important to normalize watering and remove infected shoots. It is also worth using copper fungicides "Fundazol" or "Strobi".
3. Top diplodia - appears in early spring. At the same time, the tips of the shoots bifurcate, and resin begins to stand out from them. Initially, the pathology affects the lower branches. However, it then spreads. The drug "Kvadris" will help to cope with the pathology.

Montgomery spruce is an attractive crop that is actively used to decorate summer cottages and parks. In order for the plant to retain its decorative properties, it is important to choose the right place for planting and provide the tree with proper care.

Recommended