Glauka Spruce: description of species, planting and care, size and how fast they grow

Glauka is a beautiful coniferous plant that is grown by many summer residents. This culture is often used by designers for arranging alleys, parks, squares and gardens. It is characterized by undemanding care and develops well even in the adverse conditions of large cities. This plant is able to tolerate exposure to dust and polluted air. With proper care of the Glauka spruce, it can live for more than 500 years.

What is this

Glauka spruce is also called gray or Canadian. It belongs to the genus Elei and the Pine family. Another representative of this group is blue spruce. It is larger and has bright blue needles.

Canadian Fir Glauka is an evergreen coniferous plant that reaches an average height of 15-20 meters. However, sometimes it reaches a height of 40 meters. The trunks are no more than 1 meter in diameter and are covered with scaly bark.

Young trees have an elongated conical crown. Gradually it becomes cylindrical. The needles are diamond-shaped in cross section. Outside, the needles have a blue-green color, and from the inside - whitish. It reaches 12-20 millimeters in length.

The cones of this type of spruce are cylindrical in shape. In length, they reach 7 centimeters, and in diameter - 2.5. The fruits are green or reddish, but after drying they become brown. Black seeds 2-3 mm long have light brown wings. Their length is 8 millimeters.

Spruce species

Gray spruce has many varieties, each of which has certain characteristics.

Globoz

This bonsai was bred in the Netherlands in 1937. According to the description, the maximum height of this plant is 2 meters. At the same time, in young specimens, the crown has an almost spherical shape.

Yearly growth is relatively small. It is only 10 centimeters. As it develops, the crown becomes conical. Globoza spruce has beautiful silvery needles. It is characterized by a bright shade throughout the year. The spruce branches are densely covered with needles, making the tree look fluffy.

Konika

This tree has a compact size. The height of the culture is approximately 4 meters. Its shoots are covered with soft needles. The plant is considered shade-loving and is resistant to frost down to -29 degrees. This variety has become widespread. It is used to decorate shady and sunny beds.The culture is also grown on balconies and terraces. However, at home, the plant needs a constant supply of air. Otherwise, there is a risk of his death.

Compact

This is a compact coniferous plant that has a dense and very dense crown of a wide pyramidal shape. By the age of 10, the tree reaches a height of 1 meter. At the same time, the width of the crown has the same dimensions.

The branches grow horizontally from the trunk. The needles have a silver-blue color and a rigid structure. It has a spiral arrangement. This spruce responds well to crown formation. However, it requires sunny areas that have fertile and well-drained soil.

Procumbens

This ornamental bonsai has a very broad, flattened crown.A coniferous plant can easily be confused with a shrub. By the age of 10, the tree has a height of about 50 centimeters. At the same time, in diameter it can reach 1.2 meters. By the age of 30, the culture grows up to 3 meters. This plant is considered quite resistant to frost. It can withstand temperatures as low as -29 degrees.

Arizona

Seedlings of this species are often labeled "El Glauka Kaibab". An adult tree reaches a height of 2-3 meters. This variety has very dense branches. It has short needles that do not exceed 1.2 centimeters in length. Also, the plant is characterized by silver-blue needles. It is very thick and prickly. When grown in the shade, the needles turn dark green. The tree is considered light-loving. It is also drought tolerant.

Ducharm

This plant has a compact size and a spherical crown, which has densely spaced shoots. The needles are blue-gray in color. By the age of 10, the tree reaches a height of only 30 centimeters. For a year, the culture increases by less than 2.5 centimeters. A distinctive feature of the variety is the ease of cuttings. Cut branches root easily compared to other species.

Perfect

This variety has a regular symmetrical crown, which has a pronounced pointed crown. For 10 years, the plant reaches a height of 1 meter. The maximum height is 4 meters. For a year, spruce grows a maximum of 4 centimeters. Young needles usually have a light green tint, and then become darker. The branches of the plant are directed upwards at an acute angle.

Prickly spruce Lilu

This spruce is characterized by excellent decorative properties.Culture resembles a flowering bush in appearance. It has dense and shiny needles of a light green hue. At the end of summer, cones 10-15 centimeters in size appear on the plants. They have a raspberry red hue. This tree has an asymmetrical crown. The culture grows very slowly - a maximum of 10 centimeters per year. Therefore, a 10-year-old seedling has a height of no more than 1 meter.

Common spruce

This variety has an unusual appearance and resembles a fabulous tree. An adult culture has a height of 6-8 meters. The young plant develops rapidly. For a year it increases by 40 centimeters. The crown is distinguished by a cone-shaped crown, which consists of long drooping branches. The variety is considered very moisture-loving. He needs high humidity.

Range and distribution

Canada spruce is widespread in the cold regions of North America. It covers large areas from Alaska to northern Montana. Now cultivars have gained wide popularity in Europe. They are often found in gardens and parks.

Care Requirements

The optimal time for planting a plant is spring. However, it can be postponed to the end of August. It is required to plant plants at an interval of 2 meters, since Glauka spruce does not tolerate thickening of plantings. When choosing seedlings, it is important to ensure that they are not damaged.

The depth of the landing pits should be 60 centimeters. At the bottom it is required to place a drainage layer measuring 15 centimeters. For this, it is permissible to use crushed ceramics or gravel. The soil from the hole needs to be mixed with peat and humus.

When planting a plant, it is important to ensure that the root neck is flush with the ground. Mulch or sand must be poured around the trunk, since spruce does not like too compacted soil. After planting, the plants need to be watered. Each tree needs 20 liters of water.

Glauka spruce is considered undemanding to care for.Artificial watering is required for moisture-loving plants. The rest is enough and natural precipitation. Because dwarf trees are slow growing, they do not need to be fed frequently. When using fertile soil for planting, the first top dressing should be carried out only after 2-3 years. In this case, it is recommended to use complex mineral fertilizer, which is intended for coniferous crops.

Reproduction

Culture is best propagated by cuttings. Thanks to this, it will be possible to preserve the growth characteristics of the plant. However, this method can only be used by experienced gardeners. The result depends on the selected cutting. Its size should be 10 centimeters. At the same time, a piece of bark should remain at the edge of the cut. Harvesting of shoots should be carried out in the middle of spring or autumn.

After that, you need to do the following:

1. Place the cut fragments in a special solution that will activate the growth processes. After 2 days, the cuttings should be planted in the ground at an angle. It is recommended to make a nutrient substrate yourself. To do this, you need to combine sand with peat and perlite in equal parts. Drainage should definitely be put on the bottom.
2. Cover the cuttings with a film, moisten the soil and place the container in the shade.
3. One year after the appearance of the roots, plant the plants in the greenhouse. At the initial stage, they need a lot of light. In greenhouse conditions, spruce should grow for another 4 years. Only after that is she put on a permanent plot.

Pests and diseases

Glauka spruce is a plant that does not need frequent watering and processing. However, sometimes it suffers from pests. Most often, the culture is attacked by such parasites:

1. Stem pests - lead to the formation of small holes in the bark. If such parasites are detected, insecticide treatment is required.
2. Spider mites - most often affect dwarf crops. You can identify parasites by a thin layer of cobwebs and yellow spots on the needles. Complex acaricides help to cope with pests.
3. Aphids - most often affects the lower branches and bark of a tree. Soap solution will help to cope with parasites. Affected branches should be removed and burned.

Also, the plant may suffer from infection with Kabatina fungi. The infection leads to the gradual withering of the upper branches and the complete drying of the tree. Multiple treatments with systemic fungicides should be used to kill fungi.

Besides this, the fungus Rhizosphaera kalkhoffii represents the spruce fall. The first sign of the disease is the appearance of yellow needles at the end of August. After a while, they become burgundy or crumble. Systemic fungicides help to cope with the pathology.

Where applicable

Glauka spruce has a small height and excellent decorative properties, because it is often used to decorate summer cottages. In this case, you need to consider a number of rules.

Landscape design

This spruce is ideal for a medium-sized yard. Trees look great on the sides of the path that leads to the exit from the house or park. With the help of such plants it is possible to divide the space into zones. If you plant fir trees in a checkerboard pattern, you will be able to protect yourself from air pollution.

Glauka fits perfectly into group or single compositions. The plant looks good against a bright green lawn. When creating group compositions, the culture can be combined with various deciduous shrubs. It can also be combined with barberry, willow, oak, maple.

Glauka spruce is a fairly common coniferous plant, which has excellent decorative properties. This culture looks good in any area and is considered undemanding to care.

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