Spruce Konik: description and size of the tree, planting and care at home

Konica is an ornamental plant that is small in size. When growing at home, its height does not exceed 30 centimeters, and in the garden the tree reaches 2 meters. Konika was bred at the beginning of the last century in North America. There, this plant reaches a height of 3-4 meters. Despite the unpretentiousness of Konik spruce, when growing it, it is still necessary to ensure proper care. This will help to avoid the development of diseases and pest attacks.

Description

The Canadian Konik spruce is also often referred to as white, gray or glauka. It is a derivative of the dwarf form of the beautiful Canadian gray spruce. The following features are characteristic of decorative culture:

1. Size and age. Adult spruce Konik reaches a height of 3-4 meters. The diameter of the crown is 2 meters.
2. Yearly growth. In good conditions, spruce grows a maximum of 6-10 centimeters during the year. Slow development is considered a key plus of a coniferous plant.
3. Crown shape. Spruce has an ideal conical shape and practically does not require correction. At the same time, the crown is so dense that it completely hides the trunk. This feature makes spruce very attractive in terms of landscape design.
4. Needles and flowering. The tree is characterized by needles of medium hardness, which have a dark green tint. The length of the needles is no more than 9-10 millimeters. The most attractive tree looks in May - during bud break. Young needles have a soft structure and a light green tint. By the end of summer, the needles become stiffer and darker in color.

Konica rarely bears fruit. When this happens, small bright brown buds cover the branches tightly from the center of the tree to the top. However, they are an additional decoration. The life span of the plant is 30-50 years.

Popular varieties

Glauka Konica has a number of varieties. The most common varieties include:

1. Alberta Globe. This culture was discovered in the Netherlands in 1967. It is a dwarf plant that has a spherical crown. By the age of 10, the culture has a diameter of no more than 30 centimeters. In adult crops, the crown reaches 90 centimeters in height and 120 in width. It has a green color.
2. Blue Wonder. This plant was discovered in Germany in 1984. This culture is distinguished from the original variety by a more compact size.At 10 years old, the height of the tree does not exceed 70 centimeters. Older trees can grow up to 2 meters. In this case, the crown in diameter is 75 centimeters. However, the main feature is the color of the needles. It is characterized by a bluish tint.
3. Deisis White. This variety was obtained in Belgium in 1979. It has a pyramidal crown. By the age of 10, the tree grows a maximum of 80 centimeters. The key advantage of spruce is the color of young shoots. At first they are yellow, then turn white, and after that they turn green.
4. Gnome. This plant grows very slowly. Annual growth does not exceed 3-5 centimeters. At the same time, the needles are characterized by a gray-green color.
5. Laurin. This variety was bred in Germany in 1950. The plant is a dwarf variety characterized by very slow growth. For 1 year, the tree grows literally by 1.5-2.5 centimeters. It is characterized by an open crown and green needles.

Distribution

In its natural habitat, the plant is found in the forest regions of Canada. That's where it was discovered. It happened in 1904 on the shores of Lake Lagan. Quite a part of the Koniku spruce is grown in nurseries. This plant is often used to decorate plots and decorate the interior of residential premises.

Fit features

In order for the plant to grow normally and retain its decorative properties, it is important to carry out planting work correctly.

Best time to land

Choosing the time for planting a plant in open ground is required depending on the climatic conditions of the region. In central Russia, this should be done from late April to early May. Over the summer, the tree will have time to take root and grow stronger.

Also, planting work can be carried out in the fall. This should be done in early September, so that the culture has time to take root before frost. This process is especially favorably influenced by rainy autumn. In this case, the root system accumulates a lot of moisture.

When buying seedlings with closed roots, it is permissible to plant them at any time of the year. However, experienced gardeners note that the crop takes root best in cool soil.

How to choose a seat

Don't plant Koniku spruce in an open area. The plant needs protection from sunlight and strong winds. Otherwise, the tree will get burned. Thus, it is recommended to plant the crop in partial shade.

The level of groundwater occurrence is of no small importance when choosing a site. They should be deep enough. However, it is important to consider that Konika requires moist, well-drained soil. Loamy soil is ideal.

Seedling selection

Grey Canadian Spruce Konica is mostly sold in containers. When buying such a plant, you need to pay attention to the flowerpot. For high-quality planting material, the diameter of the pot should match the size of the crown circumference.This is due to the powerful root system, which takes up a lot of space. A small pot constrains the roots. As a result, the suction fragments die off, making rooting difficult.

Also, when buying a seedling, you need to pay attention to the appearance of the needles. It should have a juicy hue and not contain damaged fragments.

How to plant correctly

To facilitate the adaptation of the plant in a new place, it is important to carry out planting work correctly. In this case, you need to do the following:

1. Dig a hole for planting 50-70 centimeters in size. At the bottom, pour a drainage layer measuring 15-20 centimeters. It may consist of sand, expanded clay or crushed stone. You also need to prepare the substrate. To do this, mix leafy soil, turf, sand and peat in a ratio of 2:2:1:1.
2. When planting several trees, keep a distance of 2-3 meters.
3. Pour a part of the prepared earth on the bottom, and place a seedling on top. The root system of the crop needs to be carefully spread and sprinkled with the remaining soil. In this case, the root neck should be located at ground level.
4. Cover the trunk circle with a mulch layer. To do this, use peat, wood bark, chips. This helps retain moisture.
5. Immediately after planting, water the plant. For a seedling, it is worth using 10-12 liters, for an older plant - 40-50.

If a plant with a closed root system was used for planting, additional top dressing during planting can be omitted. In other cases, it is worth using a solution to strengthen the root system.

Care Requirements

In order for a plant to grow and develop normally, it needs to be properly looked after. It is important to follow a number of rules:

1. Timely water the crop. Koniki is characterized by a superficial root system, therefore, in the heat, spruce needs frequent and plentiful watering. Moisten the soil once a week. In this case, a young plant needs 10 liters of moisture.Equally important is the spraying of the crown. After watering, the soil must be carefully loosened. This is done to a maximum depth of 5-6 centimeters. In autumn, water-charging irrigation is required.
2. Feed the plant. It is recommended to do this 2 times during the season, using combined preparations for conifers. Usually fertilize the soil in spring and autumn. At the stage of preparation for winter, it is worth using potassium-phosphorus substances. In the spring, it is recommended to spray the crown with "Epin" or "Zircon". This is especially true when signs of burns appear.
3. Trim the plant in time. Culture does not need to form a crown. However, periodic sanitary pruning is required. In this case, dry and diseased branches must be removed. It is best to carry out the procedure in the period from late spring to early summer. If it is necessary to correct the shape of the plant, it is required to pinch the shoots. This will help them become thicker and more branchy.
4. Prepare the plant for winter. The main purpose of this procedure is not to warm the plant, but to protect it from sunburn. To do this, you need to install a frame around the tree and cover it with a non-woven fabric.

Reproduction

When growing a plant outdoors, propagation should be carried out by cuttings. However, this is a rather complicated process. Rooting cuttings are recommended to be taken in early spring. This should be done from the end of March to the beginning of April. It is required to tear off the shoots with a heel - a fragment of the trunk bark. It is best to harvest planting material in cloudy weather. The optimal length of the handle is 7-10 centimeters.

Harvested shoots need to be soaked for a day in the root formation stimulator "Heteroauxin". After that, they need to be planted in light fertile soil, placing at an angle of 30 degrees. The cuttings should be deepened by 2-3 centimeters. They need to be placed in separate pots, and then covered with a jar or bag. It is recommended to ventilate once a day of planting.

Plant cuttings take root for a long time - 6-12 months.All this time they need to be watered on time. Every 2 weeks it is worth using a solution of "Heteroauxin" for irrigation. After rooting, the seedlings are transferred to the ground. This must be done at the end of April. Initially, the plants are placed in a school - a secluded place in the shade. There they will need to spend another 1 year. Only after this, the plants can be moved to a permanent site.

Dangers for spruce

When growing a plant at home or in the open field, it may suffer from the development of diseases or pest attacks. The most common pathologies include the following:

1. Tracheomycosis - is a soil fungus that can lead to damage to the root system of conifers. When the plant is damaged, redness and fall of the needles are observed. Treatment of the affected tree will not work. To save the rest of the crops, the infected spruce must be dug up with its roots and burned.
2. Schütte - the development of the disease is associated with infection with coniferous fungi.With their defeat, the needles acquire a dark color. After that, a white coating accumulates on them. In this case, Konik should be treated with a solution of copper sulphate with a concentration of 3%. Then the culture should be sprinkled with Trichodermin or Alirin-B. In case of severe damage, the tree must be burned.
3. Rust - is a fungal infection of branches. At the same time, orange growths form on them. Then the needles turn yellow and fall off. For the treatment of pathology, it is worth using "Gliocladin". Processing is recommended once a week for a month.

Sometimes the plant suffers from pest attacks. To a greater extent, Konika is susceptible to attacks by such parasites:

1. Spruce false shield - affects plants in late spring. At the same time, the female can lay up to 1.5 thousand larvae. In appearance, they resemble small brown balls. Infection of the plant with parasites leads to the fall of the needles. The BI-58 tool helps to cope with them.
2. Bark beetle - causes damage to the bark. If the tree is affected by these parasites, it will have to be destroyed.

Application in landscape design

Spruce Konik has a compact size, so it is often used in landscape design. The following options are possible:

1. Single landing. In this case, the plant can be planted in the ground or placed in the garden in a container.
2. Garden compositions. A neat spruce will perfectly complement a rock garden or rockery. It goes well with cereals, flowers and hostas.

Konica spruce is a fairly common plant that has excellent decorative properties. In order for a culture to develop normally, it needs to be properly planted and provided with competent care.

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