The pinnacle of plant evolution is a familiar, but no less amazing and incredibly diverse life form - trees. In many religions, a tree is a symbol of life, fertility or knowledge, and in folklore works it is far from the last place. Who does not remember the apple tree saving children from swan geese, or the epic willow mourning the dead Russian soldiers? Buttoday we will forget about fairy-tale characters and talk about the features of this unique life form, the formation of crowns, their types and density.
Krone types
Dendrologists have introduced a scale for distinguishing the size of trees. They highlight the trees that make up the upper tier - up to 20 meters. The size of the second tier is from 10 to 20 meters, the third - 5-10 meters.
When designing sites, landscape designers must take into account not only the size, but also the shape of the trunk and types of crown. The crown of a tree does not depend on its height at all, but it determines the shape. A 30-meter giant tree and a plant that does not even reach a meter in height can have the same shape.
The following forms of tree crowns are conditionally distinguished:
• pyramidal (poplar);
• elongated (juniper);
• columnar(columnar apple tree);
• umbrella (Italian pine);
• spherical, oval (Siberian apple, elm, chestnut, larch);
• weeping (weeping willow, birch);
• longline (pine);
• creeping (cedar elfin, creeping apple species).
Crown Density
An important factor in the arrangement of parks and gardens is the density of the crown. The most dense is the one in which the gaps are 25%. 25-50% of gaps create a medium dense crown. If they occupy more than half, the crown of the tree is light and delicate. Trees can be solid-compact or split-compact, where there are gaps between tiers.
Elongated shape
This crown shape is characterized by a spindle shape. In the center it is more voluminous, rather narrow at the base and elongated upwards. Poplar and Provencal cypress are bright representatives of this form. This is a win-win option for creating small gardens. Forming strict vertical lines, their crown sets off uneven terrain in the most advantageous way and increases the sense of height.
Trees of this shape perfectly enliven and designate a distant perspective. Rows of pyramidal poplars planted at the bottom of the hollows create a unique spectacle: the narrow silhouettes of trees emphasize the steep slopes, contrasting with them. In addition, the orderly planting of such trees creates an excellent windbreak.
Column shape
This form is close to elongated, but its representatives do not have a thickening inin the middle of the crown, and there is a fairly wide base, almost matching the size of the top of the tree, which generally gives the impression of a column. Very interesting parks with plantings of trees of a similar shape, giving them a slight southern flavor. Planted in a checkerboard pattern, the columnar trees provide effective wind protection.
Pyramid crown
The most interesting crown of the tree is pyramidal. Recently, it is customary to call all trees with a crown in the shape of a cone with a pronounced dense volume that creates a clear geometric silhouette. Similar crowns can be very different from each other. This difference is determined by the growth of the branches: upward-growing branches create an elongated thick frame volume, horizontal ones - a slight monumentality, falling ones give the plant a lush and romantic look.
Tier crown
Such a crown gives the impression that the tree consists of a series of tiers - horizontal layers, almost identical in volume. This original crown is found in Lebanese cedars, some shrubs: dogwood, dwarf conifers. Modern designers use tiered crowns in interesting landscape compositions with clear geometric lines.
Weeping Crown
Flexible thin branches falling to the ground, delicate well-groomed appearance. Weeping crown, admittedly, the most touching and romantic. This tree crown, photowhich is presented in the article, for all its entertainment, requires constant care and quality care. Such plants are especially effective near water or on a delimited drop.levels. For example, on uneven hills and valleys.
Spherical, oval crown
Spherical or oval crowns can be round, flattened, cylindrical, expanding, etc. The most striking representatives of trees of this shape are beeches, oaks, elms.
Creeping crown
This form is often used in the design of modern gardens. Creeping species, as a rule, are of Far Eastern origin. They are exotic and picturesque:the plant spreads along the ground, as in natural conditions on the coast or in highlands.
Umbrella crown
The most exotic crown of a tree is undoubtedly an umbrella. A completely smooth trunk ends with a magnificent umbrella. All trees of this type, from the classic umbrella pine to the exquisite magnolia - the virgin umbrella, have a monumental appearance. A crown of this shape can be obtained artificially, with special devices preventing the branches of some weeping species, such as Sophora, from falling down. The shape of umbrellas can be very diverse: domed, more or less pointed. It can have rather blurry outlines.
Formation of tree crowns
Almost all types of tree crowns growing in city parks or garden plots require proper formation. This is achieved by cutting. Of the several existing crown formation systems, the most versatile method is sparse-longline. This pruning method is applicable to all fruit trees and park crops.
The essence of this method is to timely prune the tree, leaving 10-12 lateral branches on the trunk, tiered from the trunk at different levels with an interval of 15-20 cm. One-two-year-old seedlings from the nursery are already on sale with a formed first tier of several side branches. Further formation of the crown is carried out as the plant grows. Given that the growth in the first year of the tree is small, the formative pruning of the crown of trees is carried out only in the spring of the third year. The trunk should be cut at about a m height from the beginning of the first tier, not forgetting to leave about 10 buds on it, from which new side branches and a continuation shoot will appear in the summer.
In the spring of the fourth year, from the sprouted new branches, a few of the strongest ones are left, arranged in a circle, removing the rest. This will be the second tier of the crown. Over the next two years, they also form the third tier of 1-2 branches. At a height of 4-4.5 m, the growth of the tree is stopped by truncating the trunk above the base of a strong upper branch. The formation of the crown of trees at this stage is considered complete. Proper pruning allows you to get a magnificent tree, the photo and look of which delivers a truly aesthetic pleasure.
