Mountain pine Uncinata: variety description, planting and care rules, application
The mountain pine Uncinata is one of the most popular types of conifers that are grown in the garden for decorative purposes. The tree is resistant to cold climates and is considered undemanding to care for. It has a fairly fluffy crown that can be used to create various compositions. At the same time, to preserve the decorativeness of the plant, you still need to follow a number of rules.
Tree description
Uncinata pine is considered a tree crop. The plant reaches a height of 20 meters. The diameter of its crown is 8 meters. Based on these indicators, we can conclude that the plant has a very impressive size.
The culture of this variety is considered a real long-liver. It develops faster than some conifers. By the age of 10, the size of the plant can reach 4 meters, and by the age of 30 - 8. For 1 year, the culture increases by 20 centimeters.
Krone has a neat appearance and average splendor parameters. At first, the crown is characterized by an ovoid-conical shape, but over time it becomes more spreading.
Pine has a slender trunk covered with grey-brown bark. It consists of angular scales that split near the base. The ends of the shoots are directed upwards and are characterized by a uniform distribution.
Expert opinionZarechny Maxim ValerievichAgronomist with 12 years of experience. Our best gardening expert.Ask a QuestionThe slightly curved needles are medium in size and reach a length of 5-8 centimeters. In this case, the thickness of the needles is 1.5-2 millimeters. The needles grow quite rarely and form bunches of 2 pieces. It has a rich green color.Pine cones have a very interesting shape. They are characterized by hook-shaped curved ends. In this case, the length of the fruit is 2.5-6 centimeters. Immature buds are purple in color, while ripe buds are dark brown. They take 2 years to mature.
Benefits and features
According to the botanical description, the culture has a number of pluses and minuses. The main benefits of the plant include the following:
- spectacular appearance;
- saturation of the air with a useful aroma;
- attractive appearance;
- easy care;
- drought and moderate frost tolerance;
- undemanding to the composition of the soil;
- weather resistant.
The only disadvantage of pine is its impressive size. This feature must be taken into account when buying a seedling. Another disadvantage is the high cost of the plant.
Application
Mountain pine is suitable for decorating gardens and park areas. Most often it is combined with conifers or herbaceous crops. The plant fits perfectly into rock gardens, rockeries and rocky gardens.
Growing area
Unciata grows well in the mountains. The culture can grow at an altitude of 800-2300 meters above sea level. This tree is often called the Pyrenees because it is found in the Alps and the Pyrenees. When planting a crop, you need to choose a sunny place with light soil.
Boarding rules
Cuttings that are cut from a tree take root with difficulty. Therefore, it is best to buy ready-made seedlings or propagate them by grafting. Planting operations can be carried out from March to November. When planting several crops, the interval between them should be at least 4-5 meters.
To plant a crop, you need to do the following:
- Prepare a recess for planting. This should be done in 10-14 days. The diameter and depth of the hole should be twice the size of the root system of the seedling.
- Mix the soil from the recess with river sand and peat in a ratio of 3:1:1. You also need to add 25 grams of combined fertilizer for conifers to the composition.
- Place a drainage layer of 10-15 centimeters on the bottom. For this, it is permissible to use crushed brick, expanded clay and pebbles.
- Place the seedling in the hole. At the same time, it is important to ensure that the root collar is on the same level with the ground.
- Fill the hole with fertile soil and tamp it down with your hands to get rid of voids.
- Form a near-stem circle around a young plant, enclosing it with a 2-3 cm board.
- Water the plant generously. After absorbing moisture, cover the trunk circle with a layer of mulch.
Growing tips
Uncinata is considered an undemanding plant, so the gardener does not need to spend a lot of effort on tree care. After successful rooting, seedlings need enough moisture for active development. Mature plants need to be fed with nutrients from time to time.
Uncinata pine can withstand drought well, but for normal development, the young crop needs moderately moist soil. Therefore, in the hot summer during the drought, the tree needs watering.
Culture takes well the introduction of nutrients into the soil. However, an excessive amount of fertilizer is bad for the condition of the roots. Therefore, the culture needs to be fed correctly, adhering to the following rules:
- for rooting, the seedling needs to be watered with a solution of a root former - for example, "Kornevin" ;
- apply complex fertilizing every spring - for example, Kemiru-Universal;
- foliar top dressing in the summer - for this it is worth spraying the trees with Epin or Zircon.
To improve the flow of air to the roots, the near-stem circle should be systematically loosened to a depth of about 10 centimeters. This procedure should be supplemented by the removal of weeds. A layer of mulch made from pine bark, peat, or rotted compost will help maintain soil moisture. To do this, organic materials are laid out in a near-trunk circle, forming a layer 5-7 centimeters in size.
The mountain pine Unciata is a popular plant that is often used for ornamental purposes. The culture fits well into a variety of compositions, but requires compliance with certain agrotechnical rules.
