How to propagate blue spruce: cuttings and planting with rooting at home

Blue spruce is an elite plant that has an amazing color and lush needles. That is why it is often used to decorate parks and squares. At the same time, many summer residents want to grow such a crop on their site, especially if there is sufficient territory. In this case, the question often arises of how to propagate blue spruce. This is most often done by cuttings.

Description of spruce

This plant has an unusual appearance. Its main characteristic feature is the special color of the needles - from blue to bluish-gray.The crown has a conical shape and is covered with oblong cones. The longest age in natural habitat reaches 700 years. However, under normal conditions, blue spruce live no more than a century.

The average height of trees reaches 30 meters. However, sometimes larger cultures are also found. Currently, breeders have already bred more than 70 species of such crops. These include both massive and stunted trees. Some varieties even grow as shrubs, the height of which does not exceed 50 centimeters. At the same time, their width reaches 2 meters.

Artificially bred varieties of blue spruce are resistant to frost. This is very unusual for plants that are obtained by breeding. There are cases when crops withstood temperatures as low as -35 degrees.

Methods of growing spruce at home

Blue spruce can be propagated by seed and cuttings.Seeds can be bought at a garden store or collected by yourself. To achieve the desired results, you will need a lot of grains, since they do not have very high germination. In addition, this breeding method does not allow you to save maternal qualities.

At the same time, cuttings are considered a popular method that can be used at home and large farms. Its essence lies in the use of fragments of spruce branches to obtain a full-fledged tree.

Propagation by cuttings

Cuttings of blue spruce should begin with the choice of mother culture. It is important that it be he althy, have well-developed shoots and pronounced varietal characteristics. Plants that are diseased or damaged by parasites are not recommended for rooting. It is also undesirable to collect material for planting with fir trees less than 4-5 years old.

Propagation of blue spruce with cuttings is not difficult. At the same time, it is still worth adhering to certain recommendations for harvesting planting material and planting it in the soil.

Preparation of cuttings

Branches with spruces aged 4-10 years are suitable for cuttings. It is the material from such trees that takes root best. To harvest planting material, you need to find branches with side shoots and carefully pick 2-3 cuttings 6-10 centimeters in size. It is required to tear in such a way that the so-called heel remains at the end of each cutting. It is a thickening - the remnant of older wood.

This element prevents the release of resin, which can clog the lower cells of the seedling and prevent access to the spruce structure. Therefore, when harvesting cuttings of conifers, they are not cut with a knife, but torn. The thickening at the end of the spruce cutting, which is called the heel, stimulates the process of root formation, since through it moisture freely enters the structure of the seedling.

Material preparation is carried out in cloudy weather or early in the morning.Pruned branches should be immediately packed in a bag so that they do not dry out. They need to be planted the same day. If, before planting, the cuttings are soaked for 2 hours in a root formation stimulator, then the spruce will grow roots in 1.5 months. Without the use of stimulants, this process will take 3 months or more.

Landing

To root branches, it is important to follow certain rules. To do this, do the following:

1. Prepare small pots.
2. Fill containers with river peat and river sand.
3. Water the substrate.
4. Treat the cut with growth stimulator.
5. Place cuttings in prepared soil.
6. Shade shkolka for 2 weeks. At the same time, the air needs to be humidified all the time.

How to take care of spruce during growing

To avoid rotting of young firs during cultivation, they need to be systematically ventilated and watered. If the top of the greenhouse is constantly covered with condensation, it is recommended to make ventilation holes in the lid.

Watering seedlings is only after drying the topsoil. The formation of the root system takes about 3-4 months. Before transplanting, seedlings need to be watered and moved to a new site along with a clod of soil. This must be done carefully so as not to damage the delicate roots.

Plant transplantation is recommended in spring or autumn. However, in the northern regions it is better to do this in the spring. When planting in the fall, plants may not have time to take root before frost arrives.

After planting cuttings in open soil, caring for them is almost the same as growing adult plants. To obtain a fluffy and slender culture, seedlings are recommended to be placed in open, well-lit areas. However, they must have sufficiently moist soil.

Propagation of blue spruce is best done by cuttings. In order for the culture to grow and develop normally, it is important to properly prepare planting material and follow the basic recommendations of experts.

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