Spruce Royal Blue: description, planting and care, application in landscape design

Perennial conifers are an excellent decoration for parks and country houses. Tall varieties with fluffy blue needles are considered especially popular. One of these crops is the Royal Blue spruce. It looks quite impressive and fits perfectly into a variety of compositions. In order for the plant to develop normally and retain its decorative effect, it must be adequately looked after.

Spruce appearance

Royal Blue Spruce is an evergreen conifer with a long life cycle.It is considered a tall culture that has powerful upright shoots. They form neat tiers. In addition, the culture has a regular cone-shaped crown.

The plant is characterized by dense and prickly needles and tap root system. An unusual feature of the culture is the blue shade of the needles, which includes silvery notes. The needles are fluffy and harsh. At the same time, it looks like a solid canvas.

The length of the needles is 2-3 centimeters. The variety is characterized by slow development. Annual growth does not exceed 8-15 centimeters. By the age of 10, a coniferous plant reaches 4.5-5 meters. The diameter of the crown is about 3 meters.

The benefits of this variety include the following:

1. Good adaptation to urban conditions. Spruce is not afraid of exhaust gases, smoke, dust and other factors.
2. Resistant to frost. The tree is able to withstand temperatures as low as -35 degrees.
3. Simple farming technique. Despite the impressive size of the culture, it is not difficult to care for it.
4. Dense needle texture. This prevents ugly gaps in the tree.
5. Resistant to sunlight. Under their influence, the color of the needles does not change.
6. Versatility. The plant can be used in many ways in landscape design.

The disadvantages of culture include the following:

• protracted drought intolerance;
• not strong enough immunity;
• high demands on the structure and quality characteristics of dressings.

It is important to consider that color saturation directly depends on the degree of illumination of the area where the crop grows.

What the bumps look like

According to the description, Royal Blue spruce is characterized by decorative cones 6-10 centimeters in size.They are distinguished by a neat ovoid shape and an attractive light brown tint. The formation of cones occurs at the tips of the branches. Thanks to this, it is possible to emphasize their correct location.

Popular varieties

Royal Blue spruce is not the only variety of blue spruce. The most popular cultures include the following:

1. Hermann Naue is an excellent ornamental plant that belongs to the dwarf varieties. This plant has become very popular due to the unusual shape of the cones. They appear even on young shoots. At first, the fruits have a red tint, but later become brown-cream. The tree has gray-blue needles. The size of the plant is 60 centimeters in length and 80 centimeters in width.
2. Nimetz - is a popular dwarf culture, the height of which is no more than 80 centimeters. Spruce of this species has a pronounced crown. This is due to the fact that the tips of the spruce are characterized by white growth. Thanks to this, the culture has an unusual appearance.
3. Glauka Prostrata is a rare variety. Thanks to its unusual shape, the tree becomes a real decoration of any garden. The plant is considered undersized. Mature plants do not exceed 1 meter in height. In this case, the diameter of the trunk is approximately 1 meter.
4. Prickly gray - different bluish-green needles and a symmetrical triangular crown. The plant reaches a considerable size - 10-15 meters in height. The diameter of the trunk is 7 meters. This variety is often used as a tapeworm or for planting arrays. It is also found along the streets and alleys.
5. Prickly silver - highly resistant to air pollution. An important advantage of spruce is decorative at any time of the year. An adult plant reaches an average of 20-25 meters, but there are also specimens up to 40 meters.
6. Erich Fram - is considered one of the most demanding and light-loving varieties. However, this culture perfectly adapts to places with polluted air.Some branches of culture are serpentine in shape and reach the very earth. An adult tree reaches a height of 10 meters.

Growth area

Spruce of this variety most often grows at an altitude of 1.8-3 thousand meters above sea level. It is predominantly found in the mountains and in foothill areas, near rivers or streams. Culture prefers moist soil. Blue spruce is native to North America. There she is most often found.

How to plant correctly

Royal Blue spruce is recommended to be planted in the warm season - from April to October. The tree prefers sunny and well ventilated areas. At the same time, it is important to ensure that there are no gusty winds.

Ephedra requires well-drained and loose soil that allows enough moisture and air to pass through. It is important that the earth is not acidic.Suitable options include nutritious sandstone or sand and gravel substrate. The tree has difficulty developing in too dense soil.

Before planting, it is important to make a volumetric recess. A drainage layer measuring 15-20 centimeters should be placed on the bottom. It is also recommended to place a layer of soil mixed with fertilizer.

The sapling should be placed in such a way that its root system does not jam. After planting, the culture should be watered abundantly and covered with a mulch layer. When planting several plants, it is important to avoid thickening the beds. Therefore, it is recommended to maintain an interval of 3-4 meters between conifers.

Aftercare

Despite the significant size of the culture, the farming technique of Royal Blue spruce is simple. The plant is recommended to be watered, weeded and loosened in time. This improves root respiration. When growing a crop, it needs to be fed and trimmed in a timely manner.Of no small importance is the prevention of pathologies and preparation for winter.

Spruce well withstands pruning, which is required when dry, infected or injured shoots appear on the plant. They are recommended to be cut to the base. In this case, the stems are shortened to he althy tissues. It is recommended to engage in the prevention of the development of pathologies and insect attacks in May-June.

In March-April, the tree needs to be protected from the sun, which is dangerous for it. To do this, it is recommended to shade the plant with a light non-woven material.

Royal Blue spruce is considered a very moisture-loving crop. Therefore, the soil should be systematically moistened. Young trees are recommended to be watered at intervals of 7-10 days. Mature plants should be moistened as the earth dries up. It is recommended to increase the amount of irrigation in dry weather.

Many gardeners advise to combine watering with crown sprinkling. This procedure is of great benefit during a drought. Watering the plant is usually required from late June to September.

As top dressing, it is worth using special preparations that are intended for perennial conifers. Spruce is strictly forbidden to fertilize with nitrogen-based products. Also for this purpose it is forbidden to use manure and humus. It is worth feeding the plant 2 times during the season. It is recommended to do this in spring and autumn.

Perennial plant Royal Blue has a high degree of frost resistance. Therefore, it withstands harsh and protracted winters well. In order for the plant to better endure the cold, sanitary pruning is required at the end of autumn. Equally important is the mulching of the trunk circle. Also, in case of gusty winds or heavy snowfall, it is worth fixing the lower tiers of branches. This can be done with a rope or ribbon. Additionally, only young trees need to be insulated.

Pest control

Royal Blue Spruce has a strong immune system that protects the plant from many common infections.However, if agrotechnical recommendations are violated, spruce may suffer. Schutte is considered the most dangerous disease for culture. Of the parasites, the plant is often attacked by spider mites and hermes.

To avoid the development of pathologies and protect the crop from pests, it is recommended to carefully examine the tree. If necessary, affected areas should be removed. Fungicides are used to control diseases. Insecticides help to cope with pests.

Methods of reproduction

You can propagate blue spruce in many ways - by seeds, cuttings or seedlings. In the first case, it is recommended to collect the seeds from the cones, place them in wet sand and put them in the refrigerator until spring. With the onset of heat, the grains are recommended to be treated with potassium permanganate and planted in a substrate of peat and garden soil. Young trees are planted in a permanent place only in the third year.

For cuttings, it is recommended to use shoots from the top of the crown. They should be harvested in the spring. In this case, you need to do the following:

• clear the stalk of needles;
• soak in potassium permanganate solution;
• put a branch in a mixture of earth and sand;
• pour the stalk abundantly and cover with burlap.

The easiest way to propagate spruce is with ready-made seedlings. The use of this method helps to get a full-fledged plant in a short time.

Application

Culture looks great as an accent and in mixed compositions. Blue spruce is often planted along alleys and hedgerows. It is permissible to use it for the design of rockeries and rock gardens. The plant looks great with other conifers and deciduous crops.

Royal Blue Spruce is a popular crop that is perfect for decorating any yard. In order for the plant to retain its decorative effect, it is important to follow the rules of agricultural technology.

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