El Keibab: description of a prickly tree, planting and care, application in landscape design

Keybab spruce is an evergreen coniferous tree, which is distinguished by its bluish needles. Due to its decorative properties, the culture is actively used in landscape design. It is great for creating group compositions or using as an accent. In addition, the plant is characterized by pronounced beneficial properties. In order for the culture to retain its decorative effect, it must be properly looked after.

The appearance of the tree

According to the description, the Keibab prickly spruce is a long-lived plant. Its maximum age can reach 300 years.An adult plant grows up to 10-12 meters. At the same time, its crown in diameter is 3 meters. At a young age, spruce is distinguished by an asymmetric crown. But with age, it becomes columnar or wide-conical.

The plant has straight branches that are at right angles to the trunk. Also, the culture is distinguished by prickly needles, which have a length of about 9 millimeters. At a young age, the needles have a rich green color. With age, it becomes gray-blue. Thanks to this unusual color, the plant looks very attractive and is actively used in landscape design.

This spruce is characterized by a high degree of resistance to frost. It is able to withstand temperatures down to -40 degrees. In addition, the plant is considered very undemanding to growth conditions. It is able to withstand dry weather and air pollution. Therefore, spruce is often planted in large industrial cities and industrial sites.

Where applicable

Spruce Glauka Keibab is often used to decorate paths and create the effect of an alpine slide. The plant goes well with low trees and shrubs. This combination is perfect for decorating a road or creating a hedge. The use of trees in design performs not only aesthetic functions, but also represents a great place to relax. You can plant plants yourself or use the services of experienced gardeners.

How to plant correctly

Before planting blue spruce Keibab, you should choose a place. It is important to consider that the culture has a superficial root system, which grows in width and suppresses nearby plants. In addition, tree roots can damage the foundations of nearby buildings. Therefore, the plant should be placed at least 2.5 meters away from buildings.

Equally important is the good illumination of the area. If you plant a Keibab spruce in the shade, it will lose its blue color and turn green. April is the best time for planting.

To do this, you need to make a recess in the selected area. Its diameter should be 50 centimeters, and the depth - 60. It is recommended to pour a drainage layer of 20 centimeters in size on the bottom. It should consist of expanded clay or crushed brick. It is recommended to pour a layer of soil on top.

The preparation of a nutrient substrate for planting is of great importance. It should consist of fertile land, sand and peat. It is worth noting that peat can be replaced with nitroammophos. To prepare the mixture, you need to use 150 grams of this component. All ingredients of the composition must be thoroughly mixed.

Rules of care

Prickly spruce Keibab needs proper care. Thanks to the strict implementation of the recommendations of experts, it will be possible to preserve the decorative properties of the plant.

Water and fertilize

When planting a tree in the summer, it needs to be watered several times a week. For 1 plant, it is recommended to use 10-20 liters of water. To determine the need for watering, you need to pick up the soil at the roots and squeeze it into a lump. If the mass crumbles, the plant needs moisture.

When moistening the soil, it is important to pour water not under the root, but in a circle. This is recommended to be done 20-30 centimeters from the trunk. During the first few years, the plant needs to be fed with peat or sawdust. These substances must be laid on the surface of the earth with a layer of 6-10 centimeters.

Cutting

With the rapid development of culture, gardeners are trying to stop this process. Previously, the top was cut off for this. However, this method does not give the desired results. The fact is that it leads to the appearance at the top of neoplasms resembling new trees.This makes the spruce curve.

The most benign method is a regular haircut. It allows you to evenly remove branches. It is best to remove 1/3-2/3 of the size of the shoot. For 1 procedure, you should not remove more than a third of the branches.

It is recommended to trim the spruce and form its crown in early spring - before the first buds appear. It can also be done in August, when the culture slows down its growth. It is important that the cuts on the branches have time to heal before winter.

Pest control

Spruce of this variety is considered very unpretentious and resistant to diseases and parasites. However, if the rules of care are violated, the plant can get sick. Usually Keibab suffers from aphids. These pests settle on young shoots and absorb moisture from the plant. As a result, the needles acquire a yellow color and crumble. In this case, the tree loses its decorative effect.

When inspecting spruce and identifying pests, action should be taken immediately. With severe damage to the plant, diseased shoots must be cut off. In this case, the remaining branches must be treated with contact insecticides.

Besides this, Keibab spruce can suffer from spruce gall midge or hermes. These pests can be killed with insecticides. For this purpose, it is permissible to use such means as "Aktara" or "Confidor".

Sometimes the plant suffers from brown spotting and fusarium. To cope with these diseases, it is recommended to use fungicides - "Ordan" or "Topsin". They should treat plants 1 time in 10 days. If measures are not taken in time, there is a risk of damage not only to the crown, but also to the roots. This, in turn, entails the death of culture.

Kebab spruce is a showy ornamental plant often used in parks and gardens. In order for the culture to grow and develop normally, it needs to be properly looked after.

Recommended