There is no person on Earth who has not seen a spruce at least once in his life. For many, the first meeting with this wonderfully beautiful tree took place on New Year's Eve, for some - on Christmas Day. The forest beauty did not leave anyone indifferent, but not everyone would dare to plant it in their garden.
If you still want a blue spruce to settle in the courtyard of a country house or in a summer cottage, you need to approach this issue very carefully and according to all the rules of planting. They were developed as a result of many years of gardening.
Description of blue spruce
Blue spruce, or prickly spruce, is the most beautiful slender tree with a regular cone shape. For thirty years it grows up to fifteen meters. The branches are at right angles to the trunk. It seems as if nature itself has worked to create such an amazing shape of this tree.
Blue spruce blooms from May to the end of June. Coniferous branches, painted in a rich blue-green color, turn it into an ornamental plant, making a treegarden decoration. As they grow, the branches become silvery blue. New Year and Christmas are not complete without this beauty. Blue spruce will be a wonderful attribute of fun. She will be able to create an atmosphere of magic and a festive mood. Even a novice gardener can buy a seedling to grow a spruce on his site. The tree is not demanding on moisture and soil. It is quite cold hardy. Air pollution is not dangerous for him. In many cities of our country, blue spruce grows to the delight of the owners.
How to choose the right seedling?
First you need to purchase a seedling. Many shopping centers and nurseries are at your service. It is better to buy small blue spruce seedlings (60 cm high). The survival rate of tall plants is much lower, and their cost is higher.
Don't try to find a small tree with a perfect shape by culling with a slightly twisted trunk. A young spruce seedling is sometimes compared to an ugly duckling, which, as it grows, turns into a handsome swan. What you need to pay attention to is the "calling card" of the tree - the structure and color of the needles.
What soil do you need to plant?
For planting a seedling, you need to choose the right soil. Nutritious soil is suitable for a large variety. A low-growing blue spruce, when planted in soil that is overly saturated with nutrients, will form a crown incorrectly. It will turn into a tall tree. If the soil is calcareous at the site, it must be acidified with chloride before planting the seedling.ammonium, ammonium nitrate or ammonium sulfate. For normal plant growth, slightly acidic soil is required, so acidification should be done in moderation.
It is possible to bring the soil taken from the pine forest in advance to the place where the blue spruce is planned to be planted. This will give positive results when growing a prickly beauty. Forest soil has the right acidity. In addition, it is inhabited by fungi, which help the tree to absorb nutrients from the soil. To prevent root rot, you will need good drainage from broken bricks or rubble. Its thickness must be at least 20 cm. Drying out of the soil is also unacceptable.
How to plant a spruce?
Blue spruce to be planted must have a closed root system. That is, the plant must be in a container. The distance between the trees of 2-3 meters can be considered the most suitable. Blue spruce seedlings, according to experts, should be planted in holes 55–65 cm deep. During planting, the earth in the planting holes should be loosened by 10 cm. The root neck of the coniferous plant should be at ground level. You can't bury it underground. After planting, the spruce seedling needs to be watered using 10–20 liters of water for this. The next day, the trunk circle must be mulched with peat, sawdust or compost with a layer of about 7 cm. This is especially necessary when planting spruce in the autumn. Every three to four years, the root system of the tree is fed.
Place for planting blue spruce seedlings
The place where the seedling is planted is of great importance for further growthplants. It is necessary to choose the best option. How to plant a spruce, where is the best place to do it - such questions are anxiously asked by farmers at the beginning of spring and at the end of winter. Their anxiety is explained by the fact that at this time the ground under the tree freezes to a great depth. And the root system does not contribute to the flow of moisture to the needles, besides, the sun ruthlessly dries it.
So, you need to plant blue spruce seedlings in open places. Young plants in the first three years after planting must be protected from sunlight to avoid burns.
Spruce seedlings: price
Before you buy a blue spruce, you need to get expert advice about all the features of the tree. Many ornamental plants are very demanding on lighting, climatic factors. Their price depends on this. Usually the cost ranges from 150 to 200 rubles per piece. The purchased spruce seedling will feel great in urban conditions, in areas with constant winds and variable temperatures. For any site, it will be the best decoration. Shoots can be trimmed to give the tree the shape of an even cone. Planting spruce seedlings in a row is a wonderful decoration of the alley. And a single plant will become the center of a decorative composition.
Blue spruce lovers need to know that its cost is high. The price also depends on the seller. Therefore, before buying a seedling, you should find out about its cost in several nurseries and choose the most suitable option for yourself.
