The common spruce, known to all, belongs to an extensive family of conifers, namely pine. In translation from the Old Slavic language "fir" means "resin". Among the plants, the main place is occupied by spruce, which includes about 50 species. The culture is widespread throughout the planet and grows from Central Asia to South Africa and North America. It is important to consider in more detail the description of an ordinary spruce.
Description of culture
Spruce is an evergreen crop, has an upright slender trunk and a dense crown in the shape of a cone. The trunk of the culture is quite difficult to discern as it is hidden under the branches.
Fir trees of different ages are covered with a large number of branches that grow to the very base. The bark of young crops is colored gray-brown or brown, rather smooth to the touch. Old spruce trunks are rough to the touch, the bark is severely cracked in some places, you can distinguish resin stains. The needles of the common spruce are needle-like and continue to survive on the plant for ten years. Under the conditions of growth in the city, the life of the spruce is no more than five years, and the deterioration of the ecology further shortens the life of the plant.
The needles of a coniferous culture in the section of a tetrahedral type are located singly along the perimeter of the entire spiral of the branch.
Cones are distinguished by high density, have an elongated and cylindrical shape. Cones hang from the branches, and in autumn they ripen and form seeds for further dispersion.
The seeds form special seed scales with special cup-shaped wings. Wings are needed to carry seeds through the wind. Experts have found that one seed can cover a distance of up to 200 meters.
The most common subspecies of spruce on the territory of our country are:
- Acrona;
- Cupressina;
- Cruista;
- Barryi;
- Echiniformis.
Distinctive features
Common spruce is considered the most unpretentious crop on earth. It does not require a fertile substrate for itself and can grow well in loams and clay soils poor in organic components, as well as on sandy hills.
Also, the culture is not afraid of shaded slopes or places with stagnant moisture. The tree is resistant to low temperatures, not afraid of northern and continental climates. The plant grows mainly in the taiga, tundra, as well as beyond the Arctic Circle.
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Spruce has a negative attitude to poor ecology in the place of growth and polluted air. Despite this, the culture is actively planted for landscaping cities, parks, it looks good both with a single planting and when creating whole compositions. The culture is often used for planting snow strips. Dwarf or undersized varieties of the decorative type are well suited for creating alpine slides, personal plots, or improving the landscape. No rock garden will look whole without a dwarf spruce, it looks good when planted together with thuja, as well as wild stones.
Features of ordinary spruce
Common spruce grows mainly in Central Europe and in the European regions of Russia; it is the main coniferous crop that forms the taiga.
In the European part of Russia and in the North of Siberia, over time, ordinary spruce is replaced by Siberian. There are no particular differences between these species. Also, pines are not very different from larch and pine. But when growing, spruce is particularly unpretentious, while larch likes to grow in the shade and is difficult to take root in open places.At the shoot stage, pine is damaged by low spring temperatures or sunburn.
It is important to remember without fail that crops are not protected from forest fires that occur through human fault or due to seasonal arson.
Spruce needles are actively used in medicine, as they include a large number of useful components, minerals and other substances:
- essential oils;
- tannins;
- phytoncides;
- resin;
- vitamins K, C, E and PP;
- copper, iron, chromium and manganese;
- bioregulators of natural origin;
- carotenoids.
With the help of tinctures of spruce needles, you can fight a large number of diseases and ailments. The broth helps well with:
- bronchial asthma;
- atherosclerosis and hypertension;
- kidney disease;
- viral lesions of the upper respiratory passages;
- lesions of the epidermis by various fungi;
- plexitis, nervous disorders and sciatica.
Pests
Blue spruce is a rather patient and hardy plant, but, like all other representatives of the green world, it has enemies that you need to fight in time. Pests can adversely affect the beauty and growth of the tree.
If there is a noticeable thickening on the shoots, inside which the larvae of aphid hermes are hidden, then it is urgent to clean the tree of infected shoots and process the plant using karbofos or fufanon.
If holes with resin or voids with a diameter of about 5 mm are visible in the bark of a tree, then this is an "attack" of stem pests. In this case, it is recommended to treat the spruce with systemic insecticides. This procedure should be carried out every spring after the snow has melted.
Other notable species
Today, flower growers distinguish about 45 species of plants that actively grow in nature and reach a height of up to fifty meters. All cultures differ in their structure, the color of the needles and the shape of the crown. Among the vast number of species of this plant, the more popular are:
- European spruce. The description of this culture is presented most clearly. An evergreen plant with a height of 30 meters. But there are also separate rocks, reaching up to fifty meters in height. The crown of the tree is cone-shaped, whorled branches of a drooping or spread type, the bark is dark, over time it begins to exfoliate in small plates. The needles are of a tetrahedral type, located on the branches along the perimeter of the spiral. The culture forms large tracts in northeastern Europe; it can also be found in the Carpathians, the Alps, North America and central Russia.
- Siberian breed. It is distinguished by its height (about thirty meters) and a pyramidal crown. In girth, the diameter of the plant's trunk reaches eighty centimeters. The needles on the Siberian spruce are rather short, in contrast to the common spruce, but at the same time they are prickly. The Siberian breed grows in the northern part of Kazakhstan, Europe and China, in Mongolia, in the Urals, as well as in the Magadan region.
- Eastern spruce. The height of the culture can reach fifty meters, the crown is conical in shape, the branches are spreading and are quite densely located. There is a small amount of resin on the bark of the spruce, it is colored gray-brown and covered with scales. The needles give off a shine, tetrahedral type, flattened and with rounded ends. Eastern culture grows mainly in the wooded areas of the Caucasus, in the northern territories of Asia. In these places, the plant forms whole tracts and mixed forests.
- Korean breed. The plant is tall (30-40 meters), the bark on the trunk is painted in a grayish-brown shade, the trunk girth is up to 80 centimeters. The crown of the culture has a pyramidal shape, drooping branches, have slightly blunt needles with a bluish bloom.In nature, culture can grow in China, the Far East, North Korea and the Primorsky Territory.
- Ayan culture. In appearance, this plant is more similar to the European breed. The crown is pyramidal, painted in a bright green color, the needles are distinguished by a sharp end, do not have resin, the height of the culture trunk can reach up to 40 centimeters, in some cases - up to 50. The girth of the trunk reaches one meter, sometimes more. Spruce is widespread in Sakhalin, Japan, China, Kamchatka Territory and Amur Region.
- Serbian spruce. An evergreen crop with a height of about 35 meters, crops that grow up to forty meters are often found. The crown is pyramidal in shape, but narrowed, more like a column in shape. Flowers are small, sparsely arranged, directed upwards. Spruce needles are painted green, give off shine, with a bluish tint. This type of spruce is quite rare: in its natural environment, the culture grows in Eastern Bosnia and Western Siberia.
- Thorny (blue) spruce. This breed is especially popular with landscape designers and is often used as an ornamental plant. The culture reaches a height of 46 meters, although the average height is usually 25 meters. The crown of young trees is narrow-conical, grows with age and becomes cylindrical. The needles are up to three centimeters long and come in different colors - from grayish green to deep blue. The cones of the culture are up to eleven centimeters long, they can be colored purple and red, and when ripe, they change to light brown. Blue spruce is especially common in western North America, where it is used to growing on moist soils along the banks of streams and rivers (in mountainous areas).
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Spruce and Christmas tree: is there a difference
Christmas tree is a collective household term used by the people. It serves to designate a tree that appears in a dwelling on the eve of the New Year and Christmas (both artificial and alive, brought from the forest). Christmas trees are any decorated trees (including fir and pine), as well as New Year's holidays for children.
The spruce differs from the tree in that it is a full-fledged coniferous tree (the spruce family, the Pine family). There are more than 40 varieties, each with its own distinctive features. Adult specimens grow up to 50 m in height, but this does not happen often. On the eve of the New Year holidays, poachers cut down most of the young trees, which have reached 1-2 m.
Features of plant growth
European spruce is characterized by poor metabolism, therefore it develops very slowly in the first decade after planting. After that, the process of cultural development begins to accelerate and stops only after 120 years. The uneven growth of European spruce distinguishes it from Siberian.
Spruce is considered a long-liver, which can grow freely in one place for three centuries. The culture is best formed on sandstones and loams.
This soil mixture helps the culture to form branched rhizomes, which are anchored deep underground and help the plant to hold firmly on the surface. It is also important to remember that spruce especially loves to grow in damp areas. But in places where there is too much liquid in the soil, the culture develops small surface roots. In strong winds, such a root system may not support the plant.
Spruce can grow even in swampy places if the swamp is flowing. The root system of the culture is small in comparison with pine, this can explain the instability of the plant when exposed to strong winds and external factors. Another property of a plant is that its branches dry out, but do not die completely. Spruce forests are always characterized by special dampness and shade.
Despite its undemanding growing conditions, spruce continues to be a delicate plant. It is allowed to grow it almost anywhere. The culture grows well under gentle trees such as pine, ash and oak. Spruce continues to be more demanding in terms of growing conditions than pine. It is important to provide the culture with some amount of water, even if it is minimal. It is for these reasons that it is very rare to see spruce and pine growing close to each other.
Conifers: names and varieties
What soil should you plant blue spruce in?
Blue spruce seedlings tolerate transplants well and take root well in a new place, although there are still some features of planting a plant. The very first thing I would like to say is that it is absolutely impossible to plant a blue spruce in the place where garden crops were previously grown. Neglecting this rule can lead to root damage by fungal diseases.
It is recommended to plant the silvery beauty in a mixture of coniferous soil, sand, leafy earth and peat. To increase the acidity of the soil, you can add a little ammonium sulfate. Spruce will thrive in fertile, slightly acidic and well-moisturized soil. If the soil is too heavy, it is necessary to create a drainage layer consisting of pieces of broken brick or coarse sand.
Reproduction principle
Spruce is usually propagated using seeds that can be collected under any mother plant. To do this, you just need to cut off a few cones from the culture and place them in a warm place until they are completely dry. Trying to get the seeds or peeling the bud is not recommended, as the buds will open on their own and give the grower ready-made material for planting.
It is best to process the resulting seeds with a special solution of potassium permanganate. Calcined river sand will be the best substrate for planting seeds. This requires place one seed in a container with soil and deepen it a few centimeters... It is important to put the capacity in the refrigerator or in a cold place in the house (this will be a stratification). It is especially important to carry out this procedure, since in nature the grains of needles are exposed to low temperatures in winter.
Stratification helps speed up seed germination time. In a cold temperature, the seeds should be kept for three months, this time will help provide the culture with wintering. The planting material that has not undergone stratification can lie in the ground for a long time, but still not sprout. After some time, the container with the seeds inside is placed in a clarified place and wait for the first shoots.
For sowing, it is best to choose October or November, so that the seeds are in the ground just during the winter season. In March, a container with seeds, which was in the refrigerator or on the balcony, will be the best material for germinating seedlings.
Living indoor trees and growing ornamental plants
Tips for proper care
In the future, you need to provide proper care for the plant in order to achieve its transformation into a lush and beautiful spruce. The main rule is to take into account the preferences of the culture. In principle, the spruce is considered quite unpretentious to care for, so you don't have to take too much care of the plant.
Watering
It is very important to monitor soil moisture, especially immediately after planting a seedling. Drying out of the roots will lead to the death of the plant. Watering should be regular. In particular, in the hot season, you need to water the spruce at least once a week. Pour 10 liters of water under each seedling.
Advice! It is advisable to moisturize young seedlings gradually, that is, in small portions. To do this, 10 liters are not poured under the plant immediately, but gradually - in several approaches during the day.This will ensure better absorption of moisture by the plant.
You need not use ice water for irrigation, but warm water. Thanks to this, it is possible to clean the needles of the plant from contamination and contribute to the improvement of biological processes.
An adult spruce of most varieties can do without watering for two weeks. The exception is abnormal heat. Blue fir trees are the most drought tolerant.
Top dressing
Spruce does not need feeding. It is highly undesirable to overfeed the tree.
If there is a need to use fertilizer, then you need to give preference to special varieties developed for fertilizing conifers. It is imperative to dilute the fertilizer in accordance with the instructions, without violating the dosage.
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Some gardeners tend to use growth promoters. It is undesirable to do this. Their use can lead to irreversible consequences, for example, a real tall tree can be obtained from a dwarf plant.
Crown formation
Spruce is pruned once a year (for almost all varieties). The trimming time is selected depending on its purpose:
- Decorative. The best time is mid-June, that is, after the active growth phase. Pruning involves cutting off all branches that are knocked out of the crown. Occasionally, the apical shoot can also be cut, which will lead to the fact that the spruce will fluff up beautifully and not grow so quickly in height.
- Cleaning. In April, pruning should be carried out aimed at cleaning the crown. This time was chosen due to the fact that it is in the middle of spring that new shoots are formed on the spruce. Pruning involves the removal of damaged and broken branches, and the crown is also cleaned from those branches that obstruct the access of light to the branches of the lower tier.
Fresh wounds (after pruning) on spruce need to be treated. For this, a garden pitch is used. This is especially important for the lower branches to prevent infection.
Preparation for wintering
Young spruce seedlings do not tolerate low temperatures. That is why it is advisable to cover the newly planted spruce at the end of winter so that they do not disappear. For shelter, it is optimal to use spruce branches.
Adults do not need shelter for the wintering period. They can easily cope with low temperatures, continuing to delight even in the coldest season with a beautiful appearance.
If the tree has very thin branches, then such a plant needs strengthening. This eliminates the possibility of branches breaking under the weight of snow or gusts of wind. For strengthening, a wooden frame is used, which has a conical or other shape in accordance with the shape of the crown. The top of the plant is covered with either kraft paper or spruce branches. The construction of such a strange design is an opportunity for the spruce to survive the winter without any serious losses.
