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03.04.2020

One of the most beautiful representatives of coniferous trees can safely be called blue spruce. It has high decorative qualities, and therefore is often used in landscape design. For extraordinarily beautiful view She also fell in love with gardeners. Today we want to talk about how to propagate blue spruce, as well as the rules for growing and caring for it.

Description

The height of the tree may vary depending on the species, the highest ones grow up to 30 m (up to 1.5 m in diameter), there are medium-sized plants (up to 4 m) and undersized (dwarf) ones that creep along the ground. This spruce has a conical or cylindrical crown. It differs from other conifers in an unusual color. A feature of the plant is the color of the needles: depending on the temperature regime, the needles can change color from grayish green to bright blue. A pronounced silvery coating gives the needles a special appeal and sophistication. In the natural environment, blue spruce can grow for 600-800 years, and when planting and propagating blue spruce in gardens, life expectancy is reduced to 100 years.

Where to begin

Before you start planting a blue spruce, you need to choose a place for planting. You can not plant trees in the area where they grew vegetable crops susceptible to fungal diseases. This can lead to infection of trees through the soil with pathogenic fungi belonging to the Fusarium genus. When planting, you should add to the ground the ground that was taken from under coniferous trees.

Often gardeners ask themselves the question: what planting method is better to choose and is it possible to propagate spruce cuttings? For planting, it is customary to use three methods: cuttings, twigs and seeds. Let's take a closer look at each of these methods.

Reproduction by seeds

best time February is considered to receive seeds from cones. They are placed in a cloth bag and cleaned in a warm place, after 2 weeks, the cones should be taken out and the seeds taken out of them. separated from the wing. For removing essential oils seeds are washed running water and dry up. Store them in a glass container with a lid in the refrigerator. It is in such conditions that they are kept until sowing.

Seeds are subject to mandatory stratification. To do this, they are placed in a fabric bag, a snowdrift is formed from snow and seeds are placed in it. Top should be covered with something or covered with a thick layer of sawdust. Seeds are stored like this until sowing.

Land preparation

The best option for this type of tree there will be the soil where it grew lawn grass. It can be mixed with soil with coniferous residues. Fertilizer, which includes peat, should be added to the already prepared soil. Blue Spruce seeds can be sown directly in open ground. Or you can - in containers to first grow seedlings.

Sowing

planting material should be sown in well-drained soil. When sowing in a container, the seeds are deepened by 1.5 cm, then covered with glass or film.

In open ground, planting technology is different. The soil is compacted, planting material is laid on it, leaving a distance between the seeds of about 5 cm. Sprinkle with peat or sawdust on top. The first seedlings usually appear after two weeks.

How to propagate blue spruce branches

More often than other methods, when growing spruce, cuttings are used. But if you want to try growing a tree from a twig, this task can be easily done, you just need to follow a few tricks. First of all, you need to find a healthy young spruce, whose age does not exceed 8 years. Please note that the branch must be cut from the top, always one-year-old. From the middle of the tree, a branch can also take root, but there is a high probability that the tree will have a crooked crown. We bring to your attention some of the subtleties of how to propagate a blue spruce with a twig:

Most often, such a seedling takes root in the second year. To speed up the process, planting material is prepared in early spring.
Lignified cuttings that were cut in autumn or winter should be stored all winter in a cool, dark place.
The length of the branch can vary from 10 to 25 cm.
After cutting, they should remove all the needles from below (3-6 cm) and release them into a solution of potassium permanganate.
In order for the seedling to take root well and quickly give roots, it is recommended to make a small greenhouse for it.
When planting at the bottom of the hole, it is necessary to put drainage, this will help to avoid stagnant moisture. It may consist of broken bricks, stones, large gravel. Soil is poured on top, then sand (better cleaned). It is recommended to collect soil in a spruce forest or buy it in a store.
We cover the top with a film so that the distance between the sand and the covering material is no more than 30 cm.
At first, the landing must be shaded by throwing a piece of burlap over the film.
Plant a branch exactly as deep as it is cleared of needles.
At first, watering should be carried out abundantly and daily, if there are hot days, it is necessary to water up to 4 times a day. It is equally important to loosen the soil. After the appearance of the first roots, 4 times should not be watered.
For the winter, be sure to cover the seedlings with foliage or sawdust.

How to propagate blue spruce from cuttings

At home, one of the ways to independently propagate spruce is cuttings. Let's say right away that this method is considered more convenient, because it allows you to fully preserve all the best maternal signs of blue spruce. They start the process in early May, it is at this time that active sap flow begins. Cuttings should be prepared from young side shoots. The age limit for spruce should be 40 years. If the cuttings are taken from young plants, then in 80% of cases they will take root, from old ones - in 50%. Planting material is prepared as follows: you need to pluck it only with your hands so that part of the wood, the so-called heel, remains on them. Thanks to her, coniferous resin will not be able to clog the cells of a young seedling and will not limit the flow of the required amount of moisture. The size of the workpiece must be at least 10 cm. The best time for harvesting cuttings is early morning. After collection, planting material should be placed for several hours in a growth stimulator solution, and then immediately planted in the ground.

How to propagate blue spruce from cuttings that do not have a "heel", that is, accidentally broken off shoots? Such planting material must first be kept for about 2 weeks in the refrigerator. This happens as follows: broken blanks are soaked in water for one hour, and then placed in a plastic bag with wet sand so that part of the branch is 2 cm deep in the sand. After this procedure, the bag must be tightly tied. After 14 days, seedlings can be planted in the ground.

Landing

How to propagate blue spruce? Prepared cuttings should be planted in a greenhouse using sand. The thickness of this layer should not be less than 1.5 cm, it must be moistened before planting. In order for the cuttings to take root better, you can use special growth stimulants, gardeners very often use "Heteroauxin". Prepare the solution as follows: take 1 liter of water and 100 g of the drug. The planting material is placed in the solution for 3-6 hours, after which it is rinsed with running water and planted in the prepared substrate. During the first two to three weeks, the cuttings must be shaded and the air moistened. Before that, you should spray the walls and floors of the greenhouse with water, and loosen the soil.

Care

After planting the cuttings, they need to be properly cared for. Only in this case can you get a healthy beautiful plant. Blue spruce can grow well in the shade, but in order to get a more fluffy tree, you should choose a sunny warm place. The following points should be taken into account: the soil must be necessarily moist, strong winds should be absent.

Watering

Blue spruces are very sensitive to moisture, so drought should not be allowed, but at the same time, stagnant water should be avoided. Otherwise, it may happen that the roots begin to rot and the tree dies. After watering, the soil must be loosened: this will provide air and water access to the roots of the plant. It should be noted that an adult plant requires no more than 10 liters of water per week, it does not need frequent watering.

Transfer

If for some reason the place for planting the plant was chosen unsuccessfully, then the tree can be transplanted again. Blue spruce tolerates such an event quite well, but still this should often not be done. After choosing a place, you should prepare a landing hole, lay drainage in it, pour soil suitable for a coniferous plant, and pour sand on top. The root collar when planting blue spruce should be above the ground.

Reproduction in winter

The following question may also arise: how to propagate blue spruce cuttings in winter and how best to do this? In fact, there is nothing complicated in this method of growing. Prepared shoots must be cleaned of 5 cm needles and placed in a growth stimulator. Prepare paper napkins or towels and put wet moss on them, on it - cuttings with a part cleaned of needles. This composition is twisted neatly into a roll and tied with a thread. After that, we put the landing structure in a bag, tie it up and place it on the window.

By the beginning of May, roots should appear on these cuttings, then they can be planted in the ground - for growing. Please note: the air temperature must be at least 13 °C, and the soil - about 10 °C. In the event that the temperature is lower, greenhouse conditions must be created to preserve the cuttings. Pay attention to soil moisture. It must be remembered that stagnant moisture can be detrimental to seedlings. In addition, bright sunlight in young Christmas trees can cause a burn, so during the first 2 months the seedlings must be shaded.

Spruce horse

These evergreen beauties have always been considered one of the most best jewelry garden. decorative forms blue firs considered ideal option to create garden compositions and landscaping. More and more often in the gardens you can see Canadian spruce, or rather, its undersized form called conic. This spruce feels great both in open ground and when grown in pots.

Since the most popular and effective way propagation is cuttings, we bring to your attention information on how to propagate Konik spruce cuttings. With this method of reproduction, young spruces retain all maternal characteristics. However, it should be noted that this process is quite lengthy. Experts advise to carry out reproduction and cultivation in the open air, this will create the most natural conditions. Cuttings begin to be carried out in June so that in a few months the place of the cut on the cuttings has time to overgrow, and the tree begins to take root more actively.

For cuttings, only the lower leaves should be taken. Optimal size cuttings - 10-12 cm. It is necessary to correctly break off the stalk from the mother tree, it must be with a “heel” (part of the tree bark). If these conditions are not met, most often the stalk dies.

Seedlings should be placed for a couple of hours in a growth stimulator, such as Kornevin, later this solution can be diluted with water and used for irrigation. We prepare a nutrient substrate: we combine peat, soddy soil, leafy soil and sand. Cuttings should be buried in the ground by 2.5 cm. further care is to maintain required humidity. Spruce can be planted in a permanent place after 4-5 years.

In the top of favorite evergreens is spruce, which always endlessly pleases summer residents with the dense greenery of its needles and the amazing fragrance of resins. To be guaranteed to grow a slender beauty in a summer cottage, it will be more interesting to propagate it yourself, for example, by cuttings. You will succeed if you listen to our time-tested and experienced advice and recommendations.

Spruce can be propagated in the following ways: sow seeds (difficult and long), grow from cuttings (easier and faster), buy and plant ready-made seedlings (the easiest, but also more expensive).

Note! About, how to plant a finished spruce seedling in open ground and take care of it in the future, read

seed method of reproduction

Propagation of spruce cuttings

More in a simple way propagation of spruce is its cuttings at home, which, as a rule, is performed in early spring at the time of the beginning of sap flow.

Cutting cuttings

As a starting material for cuttings, it is desirable to take spruce top. Next, you should make cuttings 18-25 centimeters long, and do not cut, namely cut off by hands so that a “heel” is formed at the end of the cutting with the growth of the previous year.

Then they need soak in water during the day. Remove all needles, clearing bottom by 5-7 centimeters. Further, cut off any excess side branches leaving only the main trunk.

Cuttings ready for planting spruce should look like this:

Preparation of planting capacity (greenhouses) and soil

Now you need to do mini greenhouse from a 5-liter bottle, cutting the bottle so that about 20 centimeters remain above the handle, that is, about 2/3. Then at the bottom of the bottle it is recommended to do drainage holes, and not in the very center, but around the circumference, somewhere 1 centimeter from the wall.

It is important to prepare the correct air and water permeable soil mixture for planting spruce cuttings. It is optimal to make it from coconut substrate and peat, mixing 1 to 1.

At the bottom of the landing tank, lay out a small drainage layer 3-4 centimeters from gravel and / or expanded clay.

Planting a cutting

Step-by-step instructions for planting a spruce cutting at home:

Caring for cuttings after planting and planting them in open ground

Rooting cuttings will take about 2.5-3 months.

If a top part bottles (greenhouse) will fog up, then the greenhouse should be ventilated without fail by opening the top cover. In the lid you can make additional ventilation holes In this case, you don't even have to unscrew it.

When the time comes for planting spruce cuttings in open ground, be sure to water the seedlings well beforehand. Only then can you easily get an earthen ball and plant small plants in your garden.

The next video shows the planting of spruce cuttings in autumn terms(October). However, many gardeners do not particularly complain about this period, since the percentage of rooting of cuttings is much lower than in spring, but still.

Video: growing blue spruce from cuttings at home

Video: the result of rooting blue spruce cuttings

Important! All information about choosing a place and planting spruce seedlings in open ground you'll find .

You really want to propagate spruce in your country house without any problems. You no longer need to restrain this desire. We set a vector of how to do this with the help of seeds, cuttings, ready-made seedlings. Now it's up to you!

In the presence of orange spots on the needles and swelling of the shoots, these preparations are also used, and in case of severe damage, the branches are cut off or the spruce itself is uprooted so as not to infect nearby trees.
In the event that young shoots were eaten on yours, as if burnt, then most likely it is a spruce sawfly. It is necessary to treat the branches with “fufanon” (composition of 20 grams per ten liters of water) when its caterpillars are found.
The needles turned yellow - most likely, a pest in the form of a “spruce-fir hermes” wound up on the branches of the spruce. Under the needles you can find its colonies in the form of white cotton wool. To destroy it, it is necessary to spray the tree in April with a solution of the Rogor or Antio preparation (20 grams per 10 liters of water).
The presence of stem pests. The appearance of holes in the bark with a diameter of five millimeters indicates the presence of pests. It is necessary to improve the conditions of detention and treat the tree with insecticides.
Due to insufficient sunlight or external adverse conditions, spruce branches on one side of the tree may dry.

A plant like blue spruce is a hardy and beautiful tree. blue spruce breeding and breeding in and around the country house serves not only to decorate and design a summer cottage, but also perfectly protects your garden or area from wind and sun.

Conifer growing experts recommend cuttings to propagate blue spruce. After all, it is this method with a 100% guarantee that allows you to preserve the natural blue shade of spruce. Do not be too lazy to find a suitable tree in your city and pick a few cuttings from it.

1

The natural habitat of blue spruce is North America. Today, this type of ornamental plant is gaining more and more popularity and is actively grown by gardeners around the world. In addition to being attractive, blue spruce is easy to care for and has a high resistance to winter frosts, which makes it possible to grow it even in the most severe conditions. Against the background of other conifers, it stands out with an unusual blue tint. The needles have a conical shape and are present on the branches a large number of cones.

Blue spruce on the site

Under natural conditions, blue spruce grows for a very long time, and its age can reach 600-800 years. But in the home garden, such a spruce will live no more than 100 years. If we talk about the height of the tree, it varies depending on the species. There are quite powerful trees with a height of 25-30 m or more, medium trees up to 4 m in height and undersized dwarf speciescreeping along the ground. At the moment, breeders have bred about 70 species of this coniferous plant. However, the last version of the blue spruce is still the most popular, the crown width of which can reach 2 m, and the height does not exceed 0.5 m. Moreover, such shrubs are more resistant to frost than their large counterparts, withstanding up to -35 ̊С.

2

The optimal time for collecting blue spruce cuttings for propagation is the beginning of May. It is during this period that the tree finally wakes up after hibernation, being saturated with nutrients and juice. It is advisable to pluck branches from young spruce trees up to 10 years old. This increases the likelihood of survival of the cuttings. When choosing branches, pay attention to their size. They should not be shorter than 7-12 cm and should have a "heel", a thickening of the old wood at the base. Due to the presence of a “heel”, coniferous resin will not clog the cells of a young seedling and limit the flow of the required amount of moisture. In order not to damage it, it is better to pluck the twig with your hands, and not cut it with a knife.

blue spruce stalk

Harvest planting material preferably in the morning or on a cloudy day. Immediately put the branches in a plastic bag so that they do not dry out, and transplant them into the ground on the same day. A root formation stimulator will help to speed up the process of growing a seedling and its survival rate, in which we leave the cuttings for 2 hours. This will allow you to get a developed root system, subject to all subsequent care rules in 1.5 months. But without the use of a stimulant this process may take up to 3 months or more.

3

If you did not have time to prepare the soil for planting in advance and have already plucked blue spruce branches, then germination in the refrigerator is suitable for you. To do this, we send the cuttings to the water for an hour, and then plant them in wet sand. Pour the required amount of sand into a plastic bag and drop branches into it to a depth of 2 cm, tie the bag and send it to the refrigerator for 14 days. We maintain seedlings at a temperature of +3 ̊С. After this time, we transplant the cuttings into a greenhouse or greenhouse. Roots will appear in about 2 months. However, for this method to work, do not treat the twigs with stimulants. This can adversely affect their survival.

Spruce cuttings for sprouting

Unusual and very convenient way landing in a self-rolling is considered. This method is a great space saver and is especially suitable for gardeners who do not have large window sills for growing. It is best used for winter cuttings. Self-rolling is a long ribbon folded in several layers. The first layer is a cotton towel or any soft substrate from under the laminate and similar materials. The main thing is that the material is thermally insulating. The length of such material can be unlimited, and the width is 10-15 cm.

The second layer is absorbent paper or napkin, moss is ideal for cuttings. We begin the process by preparing the branches. We remove the needles at the base and dip each end into Kornevin's powder. Next, roll out a cotton towel or other material, lay a layer of moss on top of it, moisten it well and place the bare part of the twigs on it. Roll everything up and tie with a rubber band. Stand the structure upright in a bag, tie it up and hang it in a window where it's warm but not so sunny. As the top layer of the roll dries, we moisten it with water. In the spring, the cuttings will take root, and they can be planted in a greenhouse.

4

So that the cuttings have time to take root well, do not rush to immediately plant them in open ground. It is better to leave them on the windowsill, planting them in a special substrate. Prepare a handy container, such as a homemade plastic bottle container or pot. Lay drainage, small pebbles or pebbles 4-5 cm high at the bottom. Next, fill in nutrient soil, preferably for conifers, but if there is none, it is better to use universal soil. The final top layer is sand. Its height is about 5 cm. Before planting the seedling in the substrate, treat the base of the cutting in a growth stimulator or a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Next, we deepen it by 3-5 cm at an angle of 30 degrees and moisten the soil with water.

Sprouting coniferous cuttings at home

As the top layer dries, we water, but we do everything moderately, without waterlogging. In this process, it is not so much watering the soil that is important, but spraying the cuttings themselves with water from a spray bottle, which should be regular. Also, do not place a container with cuttings on a sunny windowsill. Partial shade will be optimal for them. It is recommended to plant cuttings a year after the start of cuttings, but many do this much earlier. The best time to transplant cuttings to a permanent place of growth will be late autumn or winter. It is during this period that the lowest probability of developing root rot in blue spruce is created.

Depending on the color scheme of your spruce, we select the most favorable place for planting. The darker it is, the more comfortable it will grow in the shade.

We choose the landing pattern, focusing on the type. We put compost, mineral fertilizers into the prepared pit, and also lay drainage from broken bricks on the bottom. When planting a seedling in the ground, we leave the root neck at ground level, without greatly compacting the soil around the spruce. During the dry period of the year, weekly watering of blue spruce should be at least 12 liters. At the same time, we preheat the water in the sun, especially on cloudy days. Otherwise, the sharp contrast between warm soil and cold water can adversely affect the root system of young seedlings.

5

If you still decide to plant cuttings in a greenhouse, then you need to take care of all the conditions. First of all, this concerns the temperature regime, which should be at least 13 ̊С for air and 10 ̊С for soil. The ideal indicators in a greenhouse are considered to be 18-24 ̊С for air, and 21-27 ̊С for soil. Therefore, it is best to purchase soil heating. So that the root system does not rot, at the bottom of the hole for planting cuttings we make drainage from gravel or small pebbles (5 cm), sprinkle it with light nutrient soil (about 10 cm) and sand (5-7 cm). At the same time, we maintain a distance between the cuttings and the greenhouse film of 20 cm. As in the case of planting in a container, we deepen the branches of blue spruce into the ground by 3-5 cm at an angle of 30 degrees.

Growing blue spruce in a greenhouse

The second important indicator in the greenhouse is air humidity. We check it on the greenhouse film. We make sure that too large drops of moisture do not form on it, only light blotches. To do this, we carry out daily ventilation. And in order to limit the cuttings in the first months from the aggressive sun, we throw burlap or spunbond on top of the greenhouse. Also make sure the soil is not dry. Water it moderately. Fluff up the ground periodically. However, do it carefully, do not harm the cuttings and delicate roots.

Throughout the cutting period, pay attention to the appearance of young seedlings. If their coniferous needles turn red, this may indicate infection with fungal infections, and if they crumble, an excess of moisture. In this case, you can try to save the cuttings with antifungal drugs, but the risk of recovery is minimal. Upon reaching a positive result, after 2 months of intensive care, the cuttings should take root. We transplant seedlings in open ground. However, we do this as carefully as possible, since they break off quite easily.

Blue spruce is rightfully considered one of the most beautiful representatives of coniferous trees. Due to its high decorative qualities, spruce is very popular among gardeners and landscape designers. Moreover, growing and caring for it is absolutely not burdensome.

Blue spruce is a bright representative of elite plants. The height of the tree reaches thirty meters, and the diameter of the trunk is one and a half. The crown is conical or cylindrical shape. The attractiveness of the needles in its color. Needles, depending on the temperature regime, change color from grayish-green to bright blue. Moreover, a silvery coating is clearly distinguished on the needles, which gives the tree a special sophistication. In addition, in addition to decorative qualities, this plaque helps retain moisture and protects against the penetration of dirty air.

Noble spruces are planted in city parks, near public institutions and luxury buildings. It can often be found in the garden, as a tapeworm, which gives the estate a special charm, especially in winter period.

A chic beauty can be purchased as a seedling in specialized stores or grown on your own. To do this, consider in more detail how spruce breeds at home.

reproduction

Spruce reproduces in two ways:

seeds;
cuttings.

Planting material in the form of seeds can be purchased at the store or collected independently. For this, cones are collected from spruce in the first half of December. It is necessary to prepare a sufficient number of them, since the germination of seeds in blue spruces is not very high. Also, it is worth noting that seed propagation does not fully preserve the maternal qualities of future seedlings. Pigment loss is most common, and spruces grown from seeds are green or blue-green in color, with a blue tint with a silvery coating observed in only two out of ten seedlings. But if, nevertheless, it was decided to grow spruces from seeds, then you need to know how to properly collect cones:

it is best to take those that are located at the top of the tree;
they should be tight and closed.

After collecting, the cones must be placed in a warm place so that they reach the desired state and open. They need to be placed in a fairly warm place, near any heater. When the cones open from them, you need to carefully shake out the seeds on a piece of paper. This is the seed material that will be planted. The next stage of preparation is stratification (hardening of seeds). This manipulation allows you to increase the germination of planting material. What do we have to do? First of all, the seeds are disinfected in a solution of potassium permanganate for three hours. Then I dry them naturally on a paper towel. Then they are wrapped in cloth and placed in a glass container, which is put in the refrigerator until spring. After such hardening, with the onset of heat, the seeds "wake up". They are kept in a growth stimulant solution with foundationazole for about two days. Then they are planted in the ground. There are two ways to grow spruce from seeds:

in open ground;
in landing tanks.

Seeds are planted in open ground when the time for night frosts has passed. The place where the landing will be made needs to be prepared. It is dug up, and the earth is mixed with peat, sand and soil from under coniferous trees. You should also make a complex fertilizer. Then the soil is trampled down tightly and spruce seeds are laid out at a distance of four centimeters. From above, they are covered with a centimeter layer of peat mixed with spruce needles. Planting should be watered by spraying and covered with a film. In the future, the seeds should be properly cared for. Air daily and spray as needed. The first shoots will appear in three weeks. Then the film is removed, and care continues for the seedlings. If the seeds sprouted together, then they need to be thinned out. You should also monitor the soil moisture, you should not allow it to be excessively waterlogged, otherwise the seedlings will rot. In a permanent place, blue spruce seedlings can be planted next spring.

Propagation by seeds at room conditions preserves the general technology of their planting and germination. They are planted only not in open ground, but in pre-prepared containers with transparent lids. The soil is prepared as described above. The difference is that in the warm season, containers with seedlings are taken out into the street, and with the onset of cold weather, they are located in a room where the air temperature does not exceed fifteen degrees.

The second way by which you can independently propagate spruce is cuttings. It is most in demand, because it allows you to completely preserve the maternal characteristics of the blue spruce.

Propagation by cuttings begins in the spring, in early May. During this period, there is an active sap flow. Cuttings are prepared from young side shoots. They must be torn off with your hands, and so that part of the wood, the so-called "heel", remains on them. The length of the workpiece should be about ten centimeters. Planting material is collected in the early morning. Then the cuttings are placed for a couple of hours in a growth stimulator solution, after which they are planted in the ground. The technology for planting cuttings is the same as for seeds.

It is possible to grow spruce seedlings from cuttings without a “heel”, that is, from accidentally broken off shoots. Only they are initially kept in the refrigerator for two weeks. Do it in the following way. Broken branches are soaked in water for about an hour. Then they are placed in a plastic bag with wet sand, so that one part of the branch is two centimeters deep in the sand. The package is tightly tied. After fourteen days, the cuttings are planted in the ground and grown in the same way as described above.

You can also cut spruce in winter. To do this, cut shoots of five centimeters are cleared of needles and placed in a growth stimulator. You will also need a paper towel or napkins, on which you need to put wet moss, and on top of it, spruce cuttings, bare. All this is twisted into a roll and tied with a thread. Then such a landing structure is placed in a bag, which is tied and placed on the window. By the beginning of May, the cuttings should sprout roots, then they can be planted in open ground for growing. But to save the cuttings, they need to provide greenhouse conditions. At which the air temperature should be at least thirteen degrees, and the soil about ten. You also need to monitor soil moisture, stagnant moisture is detrimental to seedlings. Bright sunlight can cause a burn, so young spruces shade in the first months after planting.

Norway spruce is very popular in landscape design. Many modern designers come up with a lot of original ideas to create unique compositions with fir trees.

Spruce: competent reproduction

Reproduction of an ordinary spruce occurs by seeds or cuttings. Before propagating a coniferous green beauty, think about which method to choose, because each has its own characteristics. As practice shows, spruce cuttings are the most easy way, which is chosen by most gardeners.

Optimal
the period for grafting is spring, or rather April or May. You can also propagate the plant with cuttings in the autumn, but in that case it is worth covering the cuttings for the winter.

In order for the cuttings to take root well, they must be kept in a special solution for a day. This solution promotes rapid growth. As such an "assistant" are: indolylbutyric, succinic, indoleacetic, naphthylacetic acids.

You need to root cuttings in garden or indoor greenhouses. They must be filled with potting soil. leaf ground and sand (in equal quantities). To properly plant cuttings, you first need to know that this should be done obliquely at an angle of 30 degrees to the surface of the earth.

As for the duration of rooting, it varies, as a rule, from two to five months. Rooting is very easy to notice: shoots grow first, and only then roots.

cuttings are recommended to be cut in cloudy weather;
you can not propagate the plant in summer, since the high air temperature will adversely affect the growth and development of spruce;
cuttings are cut from a tree whose age is not less than 4 years and not more than 10;
cuttings should be cut in the early morning and it is better to do this from the north side of the plant;
the length of the handle should not be less than 6 and more than 10 centimeters;
do not forget to use a growth stimulant solution;
an ordinary polyethylene film will help to increase the humidity of the landing air;
it is possible to root cuttings both under a film cover and under a glass one;
you can quickly and safely cut the shoots with a sharp knife or secateurs;
be sure to spray the cuttings after planting;
propagation of spruce cuttings must be organized before the start of bud break.

Propagation of spruce cuttings has a fairly high efficiency. If you strictly adhere to the above tips, then Christmas tree propagation will not keep you waiting long, and you will be able to independently grow a lush, healthy and attractive evergreen beauty in your backyard.

You can ennoble your site, give it a respectable look and nobility with the help of blue spruces. They will become wonderful decoration, emphasize separate zones and turn the territory into a real fairy tale.

plant description

This beautiful coniferous plant came to us from the highlands of North America. It is for this reason that blue spruce calmly tolerates very low temperatures and gusty cold winds. In our country, this species is mainly used for decorative purposes, parks, squares, memorial zones, as well as recreation areas and summer cottages are decorated with blue beauties.

For its unpretentiousness and endurance, this plant has become very popular around the world. Blue spruce grows quite large, in wild nature there are specimens up to 10-15 meters in height. Depending on the variety and variety of tree, gardeners can choose any one they like, as breeders for last years brought out a large number of options. It can be a small compact tree or high grade with fairly spreading branches.

The needles of trees also differ in color and density, so if you decide to plant a blue spruce in your area, you should first make a choice, and then proceed to determine the location and planting.

Species and varieties

Among the wide variety, one can distinguish those varieties that are in special demand among designers and gardeners, since they have been grown in special nurseries for more than one year, and have proven themselves from the most positive side.

blue diamond- a tall spruce, which has a conical shape and can grow up to 7 meters, however, it does not grow quickly, and adds only 15 cm per year. So, this spruce is for long-term cultivation;

blue diamond

biolobok- the plant can only grow up to two meters, this is its maximum. The branches are short and very stiff. This is one of the most favorite fir trees among landscape designers, since in early youth, a golden hue predominates in the shoots;
walburn- frost-resistant, undersized planthaving a spherical crown. Perfect for rocky hills and gardens;
montgomery- also for a high grade, only two meters in height, but the peculiarity is the conical shape and light needles, but this is achieved only after a while, and spruce grows extremely slowly. It requires quite a lot of attention, and if it is not present, the decorative effect is lost and the most beautiful silvery shade disappears;
aurea- this spruce has golden needles and a very dense horizontal crown. This variety loves sunny areas and is very frost-resistant;
blue totem- the height of the tree is up to five meters. It is cone-shaped and the branches fit snugly against the trunk. It tolerates frost well, but loves the sun and moist areas;
blue wonder- This is a Canadian blue spruce, grows up to a maximum of two meters. It has a lush, soft and cone-shaped crown. It is necessary to shade in the first spring days, as it is very susceptible to sunburn;

blue wonder

Bismarck- This dwarf tree is shaped like a cone. It grows up to half a meter. Propagated by two species by seed and cuttings, frost-resistant, and tolerates drought well.

These are the most popular, but the list can be continued, since the varietal and species groups are represented by a huge variety. However, there is one thing in common - the splendor of appearance, unpretentiousness in care, as well as endurance, which any tree can envy.

Features of reproduction using cuttings

Since the seed method of propagating blue spruces is not effective, and often fails to transfer maternal qualities to the younger generation, it is believed that cuttings are the most successful method.

seeds

A rather long breeding period begins with the harvesting of planting material. It is taken from mother plants, which in their age can be from four to forty years old. The best specimens will be those that have reached 4-10 years old, cuttings from these fir trees take root by almost 80%. From older trees, which are 30 years old, the roots give only half of the cuttings.

The most capable cuttings for rooting are those taken from plants grown from seeds.

Sprigs for sprouting are taken from the tree by tearing. These are, as a rule, side shoots growing on branches of the second or third order. The best time for harvesting material is considered to be spring, when the scaly buds slightly move apart and abundant sap flow begins. From many years of practice, it can be seen that such cuttings are able to give roots in two and a half months, and after five months their roots already grow up to 20 cm long and acquire elasticity.

Summer harvesting of planting material may not have time to take root in a short time. And cuttings in the fall should be transferred to greenhouse conditions.

cutting

The cuttings themselves are planted in moist soil under cover or in seedling boxes in a greenhouse. Usually, amateurs cover the branches placed in the ground with cups, plastic wrap or other covering material at hand. The most favorable temperature for root growth:

in soil up to 5 cm deep - 15-20 degrees.
in the air during the day - 11-18 degrees.
at night - 2-4 degrees.

These indicators significantly speed up the process, therefore, if such a temperature cannot be provided in outdoor conditions, rooting should be carried out in a warmed place, a greenhouse, or even at home.

Landing

Before planting cuttings in the ground, you need to prepare it. This is done in the following way:

a drainage layer of fine gravel is laid at the bottom of the trench or box, with a layer of up to 5 cm.
then follows a sod layer of earth, at least 8-10 cm.
a peat layer with sand is laid on top, in a ratio of 1: 3.

Cuttings are planted only in cloudy weather or in the evening, if these are open conditions.

Moisten the soil with water and disinfect with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Before placing the cuttings in the soil, they should be treated with a root stimulator. Here you can apply the well-established heteroauxin by diluting 100 g of the drug in a liter of water. The holding time of the cuttings in the solution is 16 hours. If the material is not processed, then the formation of roots can be delayed for a rather long period, and the percentage will noticeably decrease.

planting material

Treated branches should be planted in prepared soil at an angle of 30 degrees. The depth of embedding into the soil is not more than 1 cm, and the distance between seedlings is 5x5 cm. The soil around is slightly compacted and moistened, covered with a layer of gauze or nonwoven fabric for shading.

Care

In this form, your cuttings require certain care until they are fully rooted, which consists in constant watering, ventilation, and making sure that the temperature regime in the soil and in the air meets the required norm. Humidity is also an important indicator, so it is best to purchase special devices, which can determine all indicators.

Storage

Of course, several dozen cuttings should be planted at once, since it is not always possible to provide the cuttings with the necessary conditions for rooting. On average, in summer, if the weather is warm, it comes out only by 40%, and in cold climates even less, by 20%.

For the winter, the boxes are cleaned in a cool room under glass or film.

If your pets managed to survive the winter period, in the spring all weak or fallen cuttings should be planted and shaded again. During the summer, they should regain their strength and grow even more roots. During this period, loosening and watering are the basis of care. By August, gradual hardening begins by removing the shelter.

In the second year, normal growth and rooting should be obtained, and only by the third year the cuttings form a strong root system. But the epic with the cultivation of young blue spruce does not end there. They should be in the greenhouse for almost five years. Be patient if you want to get strong and healthy young shoots.

Only by the age of 10, young Christmas trees will reach a height of just over a meter.

Disease and pest control

During the first two years, young Christmas trees may be susceptible to diseases and attack by harmful insects. Since the resistance of the seedling is still rather weak, the tree cannot fight on its own with various misfortunes. The diseases that Christmas trees can be susceptible to are conditionally divided into two types. These are infectious infections and painful lesions of non-infectious properties.

For example, if your blue spruce begins to wither, but no obvious damage is visible, this indicates that the tree is sick, so urgent action should be taken so as not to completely lose it.

Never plant blue spruces on soil where nightshades, potatoes, and tomatoes have grown. After them, microfungi often remain in the soil, capable of destroying many varieties of blue spruce. If the shoots wither and dry twigs appear, this is the first sign of a fungal infection.

Simultaneous damage to spruces and pests and diseases becomes a very frequent occurrence, therefore, complex care and processing of seedlings is very important. Among harmful insects, the most dangerous groups are also distinguished:

stem - sawflies.
leaf-eating - aphids.
sucking - scale insects, hermes.

Hermes

Sawflies are the main enemy of conifers. They attack tender needles, their larvae are almost impossible to destroy. They gnaw both tree bark and young shoots. It is necessary to treat plants with special insecticide formulations in the spring during the activation of insects, as well as monitor the condition of the trees throughout the entire period.

Regular insect treatment and timely treatment can save young plantings from death.

Video

For a good example of growing blue spruce from cuttings, see the video

Conclusion

Blue spruce is good taste and refinement, combined with unpretentiousness and sophistication. By planting this long-lived tree in your suburban area, you can watch its growth and enjoy its beauty. The blue and silver needles of spruce will not leave anyone indifferent and will give true pleasure from how masterfully it fits into the landscape of your, albeit small, but personal residence.

There is such a thing as a male tree. What trees are male? and got the best answer

Answer from Yatyana Galygin[guru]
On male plants (poplar, willow,) there are staminate flowers in which pollen grains ripen, then they are carried by the wind to female plants (pistil), where pollination and fruit formation occur.

Answer from Andrew Bruce[guru]
Some species of trees and shrubs are bisexual. With male and female seeds. It bears fruit, respectively, only a female tree. For example Sea buckthorn.

Answer from ratibor[guru]
oak hornbeam baobab and if without laughter, then - There are tree species in which some specimens are male and others are female. On males, only staminate flowers are formed, and on females, exclusively pistillate. In short, there is a strict division of the sexes. Part of the trees of one sex, part of the other.
This is exactly the case with our ordinary aspen. It differs in this respect from many other tree species that we meet in the forest. The fact that the aspen has male and female trees, few people notice. And most likely because the division of the sexes is clearly visible only during flowering, when the trees are still completely bare, leafless. And at this time, few people see aspen. It blooms very early in spring, one of the very first. At this time, we rarely go to the forest.
During the flowering period, it is not difficult to recognize male aspen trees. There are still absolutely no leaves on them, and thick bright red finger-length earrings hang down from the branches. There are a lot of them, and from this the crown of the tree looks somewhat strange, unusual. Red aspen catkins can often be found on the ground. But they didn't fall out of the tree on their own. They were shot down by some birds that feed on this peculiar food. When the bird begins to peck at the earrings, some of them fall to the ground.
Picking up a dropped earring, you can understand why it is red. Numerous stamens of male flowers that make up the earring have a red color. The bright color of the earrings is preserved only a short time- until the pollen spills out. After that, the earrings fade, and then dry up and fall to the ground.
Female aspen trees look different. You can also see a lot of earrings hanging down on them. But these earrings are completely different - green. Each of them is a cluster of small pistillate flowers of a greenish color. Women's aspen earrings, unlike men's, are plain, ugly. They don't draw much attention.
After pollination occurs, the female aspen flower begins to grow in size and eventually turns into a fruit - a small oval box the size of a grain of wheat. The mature box cracks, and abundant “fluff” spills out of it - the smallest seeds equipped with hairs. The aspen seed is so small that it is hardly visible to the naked eye. The hairs covering it are very thin and long, directed in different directions. The fluff seed is almost weightless, able to fly in the air for a long time without falling to the ground. The wind can carry it very far from the mother tree. The ripening of aspen fruits occurs quite early - already at the end of spring. In this regard, the aspen is ahead of many other trees in the forest. However, it blooms one of the very first.
The fact that the aspen blooms in a leafless state has certain advantages. As long as there are no leaves in the crown of the tree, pollen is more easily carried by the wind from male to female specimens and encounters fewer obstacles in its path.
By the summer, the aspen is completely dressed in foliage and differs little in appearance from neighboring trees. But her foliage is very special, unusually mobile. It is worth blowing even a weak breeze, as all the leaves immediately begin to tremble. No wonder they say "trembling like an aspen leaf".
What is the reason for such mobility of aspen leaves? Why do they sway so easily in the wind? The point here is the special structure of the leaf petiole. See how unusual it is, not like other trees. First, it's very long. And secondly (and this is the most important thing), flat, flattened from the sides. It is thanks to this petiole that the leaves easily sway from side to side. In other trees, the leaf petiole is not flat, but more or less cylindrical, and therefore the leaves are not so mobile.
Aspen has a lot interesting features that other trees do not have. Even the taste of its branches is unusual. Try to lightly chew on an aspen twig - you will feel a strong bitterness. By this bitter taste, it is easy to recognize an aspen branch even in winter, when there are absolutely no leaves on it. tree bark t

Answer from Leka+[guru]
A lot of those!;)))
poplar, for example, has boys and girls (fluff flies from poplar girls)

Answer from Irina Sabelina[guru]
Male trees are those that produce only staminate flowers. Such bisexual plant species include poplar species (including aspen), sea buckthorn, sucker, all 200 species of willows. Yes, offhand. I don't remember anymore.

Answer from Have signed up....[guru]
Plants in which staminate (male) and pistillate (female) flowers are on different individuals are called dioecious. These include, in addition to those listed, sea buckthorn, figs, pistachio, hemp, etc.