Spruce hedge: how to make a fence from a plant with your own hands, instructions

Hedges are increasingly created in home gardens. They can be a great alternative to an artificial fence as they offer many benefits. Creating a hedge from spruce is considered a fairly popular solution in landscape design. This is due to the fact that it retains an attractive appearance throughout the whole year. In addition, such planting protects the yard from the wind and prying eyes.

Should I make a spruce fence

Spruce fence has an attractive appearance and protects the yard from strangers. In addition, a fence made of ordinary spruce has many other advantages:

1. The planting stays green all year long. It provides reliable protection and dense shade. In addition, these trees saturate the air with phytoncides.
2. Dense spruce wall protects the site from dust, wind, snow.
3. Many types of spruces are adapted to the harsh climate. This makes it possible to grow them in northern areas with long frosts.
4. Young spruces are characterized by slow growth. Therefore, at first they do not need to be constantly formed. The plant is considered to be long-lived, therefore, planting will need to be renewed only after 35-40 years.
5. To create a hedge, it is permissible to use wild and bred varieties. This makes it possible to obtain a design of the desired shape and height.

The slow development of crops is considered to be the downside of this type of planting. For the full formation of a hedge, you will need to be patient. At the same time, one should not expect a quick effect.In addition, a spruce fence needs to be constantly formed. This can be difficult for busy people.

Which varieties to use

To create a natural decorative fence, it is permissible to use far from every variety of plants. The most common and popular varieties of spruces include the following:

1. Prickly - stands out among other varieties with an unusual color of needles. It may have a greenish-gray or bluish tint. Such spruces can reach a height of 25-30 meters, but there are also dwarf varieties. Young trees are conical, while older trees become cylindrical.
2. Eastern - this plant is characterized by small needles no larger than 1 centimeter. This culture hardly tolerates severe frosts. At the same time, it is recommended to plant it in shady areas that have sufficiently moist soil.The plant has a slow growth. At the same time, its life expectancy reaches 400-500 years. Under natural conditions, oriental spruce reaches a height of 65 meters.
3. Sizaya - grows in height up to 15-20 meters. At the same time, its needles have a size of 1-2 centimeters. In the upper part of the tree, the crown has a blue-green color, and below it is blue-white. A prominent representative of this variety is the dwarf variety Alberta Globe, which has a spherical shape. The rest of the varieties resemble a cone. This species is resistant to frost and unpretentious.
4. Siberian - grows in the forest regions of Siberia, China, Kazakhstan. This species is also found in Northern Europe. This type of spruce is characterized by a pyramidal crown. At the same time, mature trees reach a height of 30 meters. Siberian spruce does not develop well in sandy and swampy soil. At the same time, it easily withstands even the most severe frosts.
5. Purple - This spruce comes from the highland forests of China.The name of the culture is due to the fact that its cones have a purple color. The tree has a cone-shaped crown. The plant reaches a height of 15-20 meters. It loves sunlight, but thrives well in the shade. The tree needs a neutral soil. In addition, it perfectly perceives the influence of low temperatures.
6. Ordinary - has become widespread in central Russia. The height of the plant can reach 30-50 meters. European spruce is distinguished by rather long needles that reach 2.5 centimeters. The tree is recommended to be planted in sandy or loamy soil. The annual growth is 50 centimeters. The plant is resistant to the influence of low temperatures in winter, but may suffer from spring frosts.

When choosing a variety, you should ask about its suitability for growing in group planting and resistance to frost. Tree height is important. The best solution would be decorative varieties with a height of no more than 2-3 meters.Larger crops will make an impenetrable thicket.

Boarding Requirements

For the construction of a hedge, it is important to choose the right material for planting. The easiest way is to use ready-made seedlings for this.

Seedling selection

To grow a spruce with your own hands, you should buy seedlings aged 4 years. Their height should be 1.5-2 meters. The younger the spruce, the faster it takes root. Seedlings are usually grown in containers. To make sure that the plant has not been transplanted there, you need to slightly raise it. In a quality seedling, the root system is a single whole with the soil.

If there is no earthen ball on the roots, they should have a pinkish-white color. Do not dig up seedlings in the forest on your own. This is considered sabotage and is fraught with heavy fines.

According to what scheme to plant

The size of the spruce variety affects the planting pattern. Usually trees are planted in 2 rows. This must be done in a checkerboard pattern. The following options are possible:

1. The border is 40-50 centimeters high. At the same time, it is necessary to maintain an interval of 30-40 centimeters between plants, and 40-50 between rows.
2. Fence 1.5-3 meters high. The distance between the fir trees is 1 meter, and between the rows - 2-3 meters.
3. The wall is over 3 meters high. In this case, the gaps between trees and rows are 3-4 meters.

Soil preparation

To plant a spruce with your own hands, you need to choose the right soil. Spruce can take root in almost any substrate, but loamy or sandy loamy acidic soil is considered the best solution. The optimal acid-base balance is achieved in a natural way - due to the decay of falling needles and bark particles.At the same time, clay or too dense soil with a high content of nutrients is not at all suitable for a tree.

Before planting plants, the soil must be prepared. In order for the trees to take root, mineral substances with a minimum nitrogen content should be applied. To keep spruces green for a whole year, it is forbidden to feed them with manure. Compost and biohumus help to achieve good growth.

At the bottom of the trench, a drainage layer should be placed, the thickness of which is 20 centimeters. Clay will help compact loose soil. To increase the breathability of dense soil, it is worth using sand.

Algorithm of actions

To plant spruce seedlings, do the following:

1. Mark the area with a cord. Thanks to this, the hedge will turn out even. Dig a trench 40-50 centimeters deep along the bed. In this case, the bottom needs to be well loosened. Then it is recommended to water the soil.
2. When the location of groundwater is high, pour a drainage layer on the bottom. Its thickness should be 5-7 centimeters. A layer of soil of the same thickness should be placed on top and water the ground a little.
3. Dip the roots of bare-rooted seedlings into a mixture of manure and clay. The composition must first be diluted with water and any biostimulant added there.
4. Plant spruce seedlings in such a way that the root neck is flush with the soil surface. Sprinkle the trench with a composition based on peat chips and humus. These components should be mixed in equal parts.

At the end, the soil around the trunk should be well compacted. After that, the plants must be watered abundantly. For 1 seedling it is required to use 15-20 liters of water. After it has been absorbed, the soil must be mulched with sawdust, pieces of bark and fallen leaves.

How to care for a hedge

In order for the spruce fence along the site to develop normally, it needs to be watered and fed in a timely manner. To make the hedge look decorative, it is recommended to trim and form the crown.

Irrigation

Blue and common spruces need timely moisture. Young plants are recommended to be moistened once a week. In this case, under each tree it is required to pour 1 bucket of water. If the hedge is large enough, it is worth organizing drip irrigation. To do this, it is recommended to use a hose with small holes through which water gradually flows out.

After watering, the soil needs to be loosened to retain maximum moisture and ensure air flow to the root system. Also, young seedlings need regular fertilization. During the first three years during the warm period, the plants need to be fed with minerals 4 times.

Cutting

To make a spruce hedge look attractive and dense, you need to trim and form a crown.It is best to carry out this procedure in the spring. During this period, the branches grow rapidly. At the same time, a lot of fresh greenery is formed at the places of cuts. If it was not possible to cut the spruce in the spring, the procedure can be postponed to the fall. However, it is important to do this on time - before the needles fall off. In addition, dry branches must be removed throughout the summer season.

It is better not to touch spruce seedlings during the year after planting. This period is required for plants to root. If necessary, only dry or diseased shoots should be removed. It is not recommended to cut the tops of trees until the hedge reaches the desired height. Then they need to be completely pinched off. Thanks to this, spruces will begin to actively grow in breadth. Side shoots should be shortened by 30-50%.

For pruning trees, it is recommended to use special garden shears that have an elongated blade. After about 15 years, spruces begin to grow actively.At the same time, they need to be cut 2 times a year. When the tree reaches the required width, it is recommended to pluck the central buds and shoots on the sides, but this should be done carefully.

Spruce cutting is required to be done in the form of a trapezoid. Thanks to this, the shoots of the upper and lower tiers will receive the same amount of sunlight. In this case, the needles will remain both above and below. At the same time, they will close the trunks of trees. If you give the plants a rectangular shape, the lower needles will experience a lack of light and crumble. As a result, the fence will lose its attractive appearance and lose its functionality.

Spruce hedge has excellent decorative properties. To get the desired result, it is important to choose the right seedling and strictly adhere to the rules for planting. Further care of plants is also of great importance. In order for a natural spruce fence to develop well, it needs to be watered and trimmed in time.Young seedlings also need to be fed for several years.

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