Blue spruce: description of varieties and species, sizes and shapes, where they grow and how they look

Blue spruce is an evergreen coniferous plant that retains its decorative properties all year round. This culture is very popular among gardeners and landscape designers because it looks very unusual. It is important to choose the right variety for cultivation and provide the culture with quality care. This will help to get a strong tree that has excellent decorative properties.

Description of the tree

Blue spruce has different types - prickly Hermann Naue, Nimetz, Glauka Prostrata. All of them differ in appearance. However, some common features can be identified.

Appearance

According to the description, blue spruce in nature reaches 30 meters, but sometimes there are trees even higher. The trunk reaches a height of 1.5 meters. The bark of blue spruce is thin and scaly. The crown changes shape over time. In young trees, it is cone-shaped, and in older plants it is cylindrical.

The crown has a blue color with a bluish, greenish or silvery tint. The needles have 4 edges that are clearly visible. In length, they reach 1.5-3 centimeters. The needles retain their unchanged appearance for about 4 years.

Features of cones

Different types of blue spruce are characterized by red-violet cones, which change color and become pale brown as they dry. The fruits reach 6-11 centimeters in length, and 2-4 in width. The seeds of the cones are black in color. Each grain is 3-4 mm in size and has light brown wings 10-15 mm long.

Spruce varieties

Today, many varieties of blue spruce are known, which differ in appearance. The most popular varieties include the following:

1. Glauka - grown by many gardeners. This variety is valued for its attractive symmetrical crown, which has a conical shape. Mature trees grow up to 20 meters in height. The width of the crown is 6-8 meters.
2. Blue Diamond is a relatively young variety that was bred in 1990. This plant is characterized by a beautiful blue color of needles. Mature trees reach a height of 5-7 meters. They are characterized by a dense and dense crown of a conical shape. An important advantage of the plant is resistance to diseases and the influence of climatic factors.
3. Edith - This culture is characterized by slow growth. It is characterized by a silver-blue color of the needles, which remains unchanged throughout the year.By the age of 10, the tree reaches 2-3 meters, and by the age of 30 - 7-10. The variety is resistant to frost. At the same time, it is very demanding on the ground.
4. Hupsi - is one of the most beautiful blue spruces, the crown of which has the shape of a regular cone. The plant reaches a height of 15 meters. In this case, the width of the crown is 4.5 meters. Young spruces are characterized by light blue-white needles. With age, they acquire a beautiful silver hue. The culture is characterized by resistance to drought. It does not tolerate high soil moisture. In the heat, the plant needs to be watered.
5. Oldenburg - this plant has a wide-conical crown shape with pronounced tiers and long silver-blue needles. The culture is slow growing. By the age of 10, the tree grows up to 2-3 meters. The maximum height is 12-15 meters. This variety of spruce is considered to be very photophilous. It is characterized by high sensitivity to excessive moisture.Wood is great for cities as it can easily withstand drought and air pollution.
6. Fat Albert - this culture is characterized by an attractive lush crown of a neat conical shape. It has beautiful silver-blue needles. Fat Albert is frost resistant. It feels good in winter and at the same time is able to withstand air pollution. The variety is considered very photophilous. However, it can also grow in the shade. In this case, the needles darken.
7. Kaibab - distinguished by a columnar crown, which has a rich silver color. Mature trees reach a height of 5-7 meters. At the same time, every year the needles become more silver-turquoise. Young trees are asymmetrical and have greenish needles. But as they grow, these shortcomings are eliminated. Adult fir trees are characterized by a lush crown measuring 3 meters wide. This variety is considered quite photophilous.At the same time, it is characterized by resistance to frost.
8. Waldbrun - this variety belongs to dwarf plants. It has a loose crown, which becomes cone-shaped with age. The tree is slow growing. It reaches a height of 80 centimeters. In this case, the width of the plant is 1 meter. Immediately after planting, spruces of this variety are distinguished by bright silver-blue needles. However, it fades with age. The variety is resistant to frost and is very photophilous. However, it also develops well in partial shade.
9. Bialobok is a compact tree that is slow growing. In height, it reaches a maximum of 2-3 meters. In this case, the width of the crown is approximately 1 meter. A distinctive feature of the culture is silver-blue needles. In early spring, it becomes two-colored. Straw or light yellow needles appear on new growths. The crown is quite dense and has an irregular shape.This is especially true for young firs. The variety is considered resistant to frost and sun-loving. It is undemanding to growing conditions and is suitable for planting in the city.

Area

Blue spruce usually grows at an altitude of 1800-3000 meters above sea level. Therefore, it is predominantly distributed in the mountains and foothill areas - not far from rivers and streams. The plant is native to North America. That is where it occurs most often. At the same time, the culture is considered very picky, because it is often grown in other areas.

How to grow

Growing blue spruce has certain characteristics. They should certainly be taken into account in order to get a quality plant.

Fit features

To grow a crop of the required height and decorativeness, it is important to carry out planting work correctly. It is recommended to do the following:

1. In mid-April, place the seeds in a ready-made growth stimulator and treat them with Fundazol. At the same time, it is recommended to take 20 grams of the product for 10 liters of water. Then it is recommended to dry the seed material and you can start preparing the soil for planting.
2. Plant the seeds in the composition of peat with fertilizers. For 1 bucket of peat, you should use 20 grams of ammophos and 35 grams of lime.
3. Pour prepared mixture into plastic pots with drainage holes. At the same time, it is recommended to place 15 centimeters of drainage on the bottom first.
4. Press down on the ground, put up to 5 seeds in each pot and sprinkle with 5 centimeters of peat. They must first be mixed with softwood sawdust.
5. After 25 days, sprouts will appear. Of these, it is recommended to leave the strongest, and delete the rest.

Seedlings are recommended to be sprayed daily for 2 weeks after planting.Then this needs to be done as needed - it all depends on the dryness of the soil. Transplanting into the ground should be done every spring. For transplantation, it is recommended to prepare a recess measuring 60x70 centimeters. It is worth putting a drainage layer at the bottom - for example, limestone 5-10 centimeters in size.

It is recommended to pour a composition of turf, leafy soil, peat and sand into the pit in equal proportions. It is worth making a recess in the ground, placing a spruce there and tamping the ground. Then sprinkle plantings with sawdust, mixing them with peat.

Care Requirements

Blue spruce requires top dressing for the first 5-7 years. Then it grows on its own. In the first years, mineral preparations are required.

This coniferous crop needs watering. Particular attention should be paid when growing crops to young trees. One-year-old spruces need to be moistened up to 6 times a day, but not very much. It is important to take into account the structure of the blue spruce roots.The roots are located superficially, because the evergreen culture cannot absorb a lot of water at once.

In the heat, adult spruce should be watered once a day. For 1 tree it is worth using 10 liters of water. Plantings need to be watered in the evening. It is recommended to use warm water. Blue spruce responds well to spraying and sprinkling. As a result, the needles get rid of dust, and the spruce becomes very beautiful.

To form a beautiful crown, the spruce must be cut. First, the gardener removes dry branches, after which he cuts off he althy shoots. The crown is formed within 8 years. Then the tree independently gives the crown the desired shape. For cutting, use a sharp tool. In this case, it is recommended to treat the sections with a healing composition.

Diseases and pests

Blue spruce often suffers from pest attacks and disease development. They can worsen the appearance of the plant and even provoke its death. To prevent pathologies and protect the culture from parasites, it is recommended to systematically inspect the spruce and, if necessary, process damaged fragments.

Application in design

Blue spruces are often used for decorative purposes. They are used to decorate a garden, garden or street. Depending on the form, the culture is used to decorate flower beds or large summer cottages. The plant looks great with stones and decorative figures.

Blue spruce is a common crop that fits perfectly into a variety of garden compositions. To grow a tree successfully, it needs to be carefully maintained.

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