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Blue spruce, also called prickly spruce (Picea pungens), is one of the popular species belonging to the pine family. This is a very beautiful tree with graceful needles of a rare bluish-grayish hue. It can be grown in almost any region of Russia, and the plant does not need preparation for winter. The basic rules for planting and caring for spruce are described in detail in the article.
Description of blue spruce
Blue spruce is one of the most beautiful evergreen conifers. Its distinctive feature is the bluish color of the needles, often with shades of grayish and even rich bluish. Each needle reaches 1.5-3 cm in length, so the branches look lush. The cross section is rhombic.
Blue spruce cones are cylindrical in shape, reaching from 6 to 11 cm in length, and only 2 cm in width (when closed) and 4 cm (when open).The color of the cones is reddish, then becomes purple, and as they ripen - light brown. In autumn, black seeds ripen and reach 4 mm in length. The wing is light brown, length 10-13 mm.
The natural habitat of blue spruce is the western and southern states of the United States. The tree is distributed from Idaho to New Mexico and Arizona. Interestingly, this particular tree was chosen as a symbol by the states of Colorado and Utah. Spruce grows in the foothills at altitudes from 1700 to 3000 m above sea level. Trees are often found in damp places, near rivers and streams.
Size and appearance
Blue spruce reaches a height of 12 to 20 m, a width of 6-8 m. The trunk is massive and durable, reaching 1-1.5 m in diameter. The bark is thin, covered with numerous scales. The shape is symmetrical, beautiful, and in young trees it tapers upward in the form of a narrow cone. In older spruce trees, it levels out over the years and as a result resembles a cylinder.
Where do blue spruce trees grow in Russia?
All representatives of this species are well adapted to winter frosts, like many other conifers. Therefore, growing blue spruce is possible in almost every Russian region. For example, they can be found next to the Moscow Kremlin. Spruce also took root in Siberia, the Urals and the Far East.
Blue spruces can often be found in city parks and gardens
Varieties of blue spruce with photos and names
There are about 70 varieties of blue spruce. In general, they are similar to each other in shape and color of the needles. Although they can differ greatly in height, crown structure and other parameters. The most common types are:
- Misty Blue is an unpretentious variety that adapts to urban conditions. The needles are bluish, in mature trees they acquire silvery shades. It reaches a height of 15 m. The branches are quite strong, the trunk is smooth and massive. The cones are first pinkish, then chocolate-colored, appearing in the spring.
- Glauca Globosa is a dwarf blue spruce, reaches a height of only 1 m, but spreads up to 1.5 m wide. The shape is slightly flattened, original. Looks beautiful in compositions with various conifers and herbaceous plants, ideal for rock gardens.
- Glauca Pendula is a weeping form of blue spruce. It is distinguished by a bizarre silhouette, from a distance it resembles a beautiful hill with graceful, descending branches. It reaches a height of 8-10 m.
- Glauca Prostrata is a low-growing variety and is quite rare. It reaches a height of only 50 cm, while it spreads 2-3 m wide. The branches are spread out, grow almost horizontally, and spread along the ground.
- Kaibab is a tree for lovers of unusual shapes. The crown, unlike most other varieties, is uneven and asymmetrical. But it is very lush, has a bluish-green tint. Over the years, the asymmetry goes away, the crown becomes more beautiful. The needles acquire silver-turquoise shades. The plant reaches a height of 8-10 m.
When is the best time to plant blue spruce?
To grow a beautiful blue spruce, you need to decide on the place and timing of planting. It is best to start work in early spring, when the snow melts. In the middle zone this is already mid-March, while in the south it is the beginning of the month. In Siberia, the Urals and the Far East, time may be pushed back until the first ten days of April.
Sometimes blue spruce is planned to be planted in the fall. This is a completely acceptable option for the southern regions, for example, the North Caucasus, the Lower Volga region, and the Krasnodar Territory. But if possible, it is still better to postpone this procedure to spring, since in this case the spruce will better adapt to new conditions.
How to plant a blue spruce seedling correctly
It is better to purchase blue spruce seedlings from reliable suppliers, for example, from a nursery. In this case, the trunk may be slightly curved - this is quite normal for a young plant.
A very important requirement is a closed root system. A pot or other container reliably protects fragile roots from possible damage. Features of choosing a location and instructions for planting a tree are described below.
Where to plant blue spruce on the site
To properly grow a blue spruce seedling, you should choose a planting site and carefully prepare it. The main criteria are:
- The place should be open, without any shade, since the tree requires light. There is no need to be afraid of drafts - spruce trees are unpretentious and can easily tolerate even extreme climatic conditions.
- The soil can have any composition. Interestingly, it is better not to consider fertile chernozem soils, because in this case the tree will grow quickly and may lose its decorative value. If necessary, you can add a little clay to the fertile soil.
- The only important requirement for a blue spruce planting site is that it should not be located in a lowland.Otherwise, the root system will suffer from stagnation of water, which can result in rot and other diseases.
Trees grow well in sunny areas
As far as site preparation is concerned, no special effort is required. If the soil is very depleted, it is advisable to first add humus or compost to it in an amount of 5 kg per 1 m2. If the soil is too acidic, it is worth covering the same area with dolomite flour or wood ash in the amount of 200 g.
Rules for planting blue spruce
Planting a blue spruce is quite simple. After choosing a location and preparing the site, you need to decide on the size of the hole and the distance between neighboring trees. These parameters depend on the specific variety. If you focus on tall varieties, you should retreat at least 5 m between the holes, and for dwarf varieties, 1.5 m is quite enough.
The process of planting a seedling looks like this:
- In a few days, they form a hole of such depth and width that it is 2-3 times larger than the earthen ball.
- If the soil has not been fertilized in advance, add a mixture of humus, peat and sand in equal quantities.
- The day before planting, water the blue spruce seedling thoroughly.
- Then carefully remove it from the pot and place it in the center. The earthen ball should be preserved as much as possible: the roots of the blue spruce are very delicate and it is better not to touch them.
- Sprinkle with soil and compact it so that at first air does not penetrate to the root system (otherwise it will dry out).
- Water generously and after a few days mulch with sawdust, peat, straw or other materials.
How to care for blue spruce on your property
To grow a beautiful prickly blue spruce, you should know both planting and care rules. In general, we can say that the tree is unpretentious. But during the first year, it needs to create suitable conditions so that the root system quickly adapts to the new location. How to do this is described below.
Watering
Blue spruce is a moisture-loving plant. Young seedlings of the first year of life should be watered daily, preventing the soil from drying out. Water is given exactly at the root, avoiding getting on the needles. It is better to do watering in the evening; for this purpose only settled water is used.
Mature trees are watered less frequently. As usual, you can give 4-5 buckets 2-3 times a month. But if there is a drought, watering is done every week. It is important to ensure that the soil does not crack due to heat and dryness. In summer, it is useful to sprinkle the crown. Warm water is also used for this.
Young trees are watered several times a week
Fertilizer
If the soil was initially prepared or peat and compost or humus were added when planting the blue spruce, there is no need to provide additional fertilizing. Only from the second year after planting do they begin to apply complex mineral or organic fertilizers (for example, mullein infusion in a ratio of 1:10).
Then fertilizers are applied every spring for several more years. But starting from 5-6 years of life, blue spruce trees are no longer fed.Otherwise, they will grow greatly, the crown will no longer be compact and will lose its decorative appearance.
Trimming
Pruning is carried out twice a year:
- In early spring, sick, old and damaged branches are removed.
- In the summer, a decorative haircut is performed to outline the general contour of the crown. After the procedure, all damaged areas are lubricated with garden varnish.
Diseases and pests
Blue spruce is unpretentious and has good immunity. But it is susceptible to a number of infectious diseases, among which the most common are:
- Schutte;
- pine needle rust;
- tracheomycosis wilt;
- cone rust;
- necrosis of the cortex;
- ulcerative type cancer.
For prevention, it is recommended to follow the watering norm, avoiding excessive waterlogging of the soil. In addition, every spring blue spruce should be treated with special preparations, for example:
- "Bordeaux mixture";
- "Tattu";
- "Profit";
- "Abiga Peak".
No less dangerous are the pests that attack both the bark and the cones:
- leaf rollers;
- moths;
- bark beetles;
- seed eaters;
- moths and others.
It is impossible to completely insure against these diseases, but it is quite possible to prevent the invasion. To do this, every spring the crown is treated with insecticides:
- "Karbofos";
- "Inta-Vir";
- "Colorado";
- "Vertimek".
Photo of prickly spruce in landscape design
You can plant prickly spruce in open areas so that the tree is clearly visible from each side. Such plants are often used in single plantings, although it is quite possible to create an interesting composition.
Much depends on the variety. For example, low-growing varieties can be used in rockeries and rock gardens. Classic trees are planted in rows, framing a garden, flower bed, or separating one area of a site from another.
Several options for using blue spruce in garden design with photos and descriptions are presented below:
- A small tree in the composition.
- A blue Christmas tree in the background of a flower garden.
- Single planting in front of the house.
- Composition on rocky soil.
- Dwarf Christmas tree on the background of the lawn.
- Paired planting in an open area.
Conclusion
Blue spruce is great for decorating both small and fairly large areas. This beautiful tree retains its decorative qualities in winter and summer and can be used for the New Year and other holidays. Caring for spruce is not very difficult, but in the first years you need to try especially hard. Thanks to this, the tree will grow beautiful, with a compact crown and lush needles.
