Silver spruce: description and popular varieties, planting and care rules

Silver spruce has outstanding decorative qualities. This culture is considered undemanding to growing conditions. It perfectly withstands severe temperature drops and air pollution. In addition, the culture is characterized by resistance to snow drifts. The plant can be used to decorate the site - as a tapeworm or to create beautiful compositions.

Appearance description

Silver spruce is characterized by a symmetrical crown of a pyramidal or conical shape. Its diameter is 6-8 meters. Flat branches on the tree are arranged quite densely, forming horizontal tiers. As a rule, they are lowered low.

A characteristic feature of the culture is the gray-blue color of the needles. The most beautiful are plants with a maximum silver content in shades of needles. It is noteworthy that after the growth of the shoots stops, the gray-blue hue becomes less intense. In this case, the needles become green.

Young needles have a pale green tint and are covered with a slight white coating. They reach a length of 3 centimeters and have 4 faces at the base. The trunk of a silver spruce is covered with brown-gray bark, which resembles a straight column. Its diameter is 1 meter. The older the tree, the thicker the bark it has. The thickness of this layer reaches 3 centimeters.

Silver spruce is characterized by beautiful buds. At first they are green in color, but when ripe they become chestnut brown. Along the edges of the cones are covered with jagged scales. For a year, a spruce grows by 12-15 centimeters.

Popular varieties

The most popular representative of silver fir trees is the prickly blue variety. It reaches a height of 10 meters and has a beautiful conical crown. This tree is characterized by rather stiff needles of different shades - from blue-green to silver. As the culture matures, it becomes blue. It is most often planted as a tapeworm. The plant is considered undemanding to the composition of the soil and moisture.

Another common variety with silver-blue needles is Koster. This plant has a conical crown. It reaches 7 meters in height.

The lightest color of the needles is characteristic of the Hoopsii variety. To give its crown a beautiful crown, in the first years a young tree must be tied up.

Distribution area

North America is considered the birthplace of this plant.The silver spruce is the symbol of the states of Utah and Colorado. Today, this crop is grown everywhere. It is often used for landscaping industrial enterprises. At the same time, the plant acquires its maximum decorative effect at the age of 30-40 - it is at this age that its color becomes most intense.

Proper tree planting

The tree is best grown in partial shade. At the same time, the culture is considered not too demanding on the composition of the soil, however, in fertile soil it forms a deeper root system. When transplanting a plant, it is important to ensure that its roots do not dry out. Like all spruces, the crop does not tolerate compaction and trampling of the soil.

The plant is considered unstable to high groundwater. Therefore, in this case, it is worth providing a drainage layer. For this purpose, it is recommended to use crushed stone and geotextiles. When planting a silver spruce, it is important to ensure that its root neck is placed flush with the ground.

Culture is considered not particularly demanding on the composition of the soil. However, it is best to plant it in sandy soil and loam. Suitable acidity parameters are at the level of 4-5.5. When preparing the planting recess, it is required to make a nutrient substrate. To do this, it is recommended to mix sod land, sand and peat. This is done in a ratio of 2:1:1. Also, when planting a crop, it is worth using 100 grams of nitroammofoska.

Aftercare

Young plants aged 1 year need to be watered 5-7 times a day in small portions. Older plants are recommended to be moistened 1-2 times a day. Adult spruces need to be watered once a week. In this case, it is worth using 10 liters of water.

It is recommended to moisten the soil in the early morning or late evening. The water must be warm. Young trees also require crown sprinkling. This procedure helps to wash away dust and dirt. It should be done every other day.

Silver spruce does not tolerate organic and nitrogen supplements. Also, an excess of any fertilizer can be detrimental to a plant. When making nutrient formulations, it is important to observe the measure. At the same time, experts advise using special preparations for coniferous crops.

It is recommended to start feeding spruce immediately after the snow melts on the site. At the same time, it is recommended to scatter the dry product in the near-stem circle and a little rake into the soil. Ate older than 5 years, you can not feed.

Despite the beautiful symmetrical crown, the tree needs to be pruned periodically. In this case, it is worth removing dried or diseased branches. If there is a need for crown formation, capital pruning is carried out in the summer - with the growth of young shoots. In autumn, such a procedure is contraindicated.

Mature plants easily tolerate frost. At the same time, young cultures require additional warming. Branches are recommended to be pressed against the trunk and fixed in this form with a rope. This will help prevent them from breaking under the weight of the snow.

Winter sun can damage needles. This causes it to turn yellow and crumble. To prevent problems, it is worth covering the plant with a cotton cloth or using agrofibre. Mature spruces do not require this.

Application

Spruces are often used in landscape design. They are suitable for use as tapeworms and in small groups. Such plants can be a great accent. They also often form hedges.

Silver spruce is considered a popular ornamental crop that fits perfectly into a variety of compositions. To make this plant look attractive, it is important to properly care for it.

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