Content
The Canadian spruce Rainbow End was obtained from a random mutation of Konica by a selection method carried out by Don Housemvo at Isely Nursery (Borning, Oregon). In 1978, the work was completed, and the new variety was presented to the public. Rainbow End is similar to the parent form, but grows more slowly and differs in the color of its needles in spring and mid-summer.
Description of Canadian spruce Rainbow End
Canadian spruce Rainbow End at 10 years reaches a height of 90 to 180 cm with a crown diameter of 40-60 cm. Annual growth is 7-10 cm. It is assumed that the tree can live up to 50 years, its maximum size is 2.5 m, sometimes 3m.
The crown of the Canadian spruce Rainbow End is very dense due to short internodes, regular in shape, cone-shaped with a sharp crown. Over time, the contours become less clear than at a young age. The spruce branches are directed upward and densely covered with needles, the length of which varies between 1-1.5 cm.
Young growth is creamy and turns golden yellow by summer. Then the needles gradually change color to green. In partial shade, the color of the Canadian spruce needles Rainbow End is not too bright. If the tree receives very little sunlight, the yellow color appears weakly.
In the photo of the Canadian spruce Randbose End you can clearly see the beautiful color of the young needles.
At first the needles are soft, then they become prickly and tougher. If you rub the needles with your fingers, they emit a smell similar to blackcurrant.
The root system is located close to the soil surface. There are practically no bumps.
Use in landscape design
The Canadian spruce Rainbow End, thanks to its dwarf size, beautiful crown shape and original color, quickly gained popularity. It is often used in small areas where it is planted in flower beds, rockeries, ridges and rock gardens.
The same small growth does not allow using the Rainbow End spruce as a tapeworm (single focal plant). In addition, in a place exposed to the sun, the needles burn on the south side. This feature should be taken into account when placing the variety and planting the spruce under the cover of plants that can protect it at noon.
Rainbow End looks good in the foreground of landscape groups, in regular plantings along the perimeter of the ground lawn. It will decorate walking paths or the front entrance to the house, planted as a repeating element in long narrow flower beds.
Canadian spruce Rainbow End can be placed in containers. This is convenient, as they are easy to move from place to place, decorating the place of relaxation or receiving guests, or the entrance to the house as necessary. You just need to carefully care for the spruce planted in a pot, and do not let the earthen lump dry out.
Planting and caring for Rainbow End spruce
Actually, there is nothing special about caring for the Rainbow End Canadian spruce. It is important to carefully choose a place for the tree and plant it according to all the rules.
Preparing seedlings and planting area
Canadian spruce Rainbow End can grow in sun and partial shade. But if in the summer in the middle of the day direct rays fall on it, the needles will burn and may crumble. In spring and autumn, the sun is not so active as to damage the tree, but starting from February it is reflected and strengthened by snow, and the spruce needs to be covered with burlap or non-woven fabric.
In dense shade, the cream and yellow color of young needles fades. After 10 years, sunburn does not cause significant harm to the health of the tree, but reduces its decorative value. Canadian spruce Rainbow End is best planted in light partial shade, or covered on the south side by plants with an openwork crown or leaves. Then the yellow color of the young growth will appear, and the needles will not burn.
Drained, moist soil with an acidic or slightly acidic reaction is suitable for planting Canadian spruce. It is best if it is moderately fertile loam or sandy loam. Why is the composition of the soil so important if it is recommended to completely change the soil in the planting hole? The fact is that the root system of spruce is located in the upper layers of the soil and over time spreads far beyond the perimeter of the crown. But no one will dig a pit on the site to plant a tiny, slow-growing tree.
Canadian spruce Rainbow End tolerates short-term waterlogging in the spring or after prolonged rains. But with constant waterlogging or close groundwater, it will not be able to survive. Much worse than waterlogging, Canadian spruce tolerates dry soil.
A Rainbow End seedling from a foreign nursery must be purchased in a container. Even if the root is covered with burlap, there is no guarantee that during transportation someone took care of maintaining the water regime. You can buy Canadian spruce with an exposed root, lowered into a mash and wrapped in cling film, only if the tree was dug up in the presence of the future owner.
Landing rules
Canadian spruce trees grown in a container can be planted all season long, but in the south you should refrain from doing this during the hot summer months. But autumn is considered the best time. In warm regions, conifers are planted throughout the winter. In the North and the Urals, even the planting of spruce trees with exposed or burlap-covered roots can be postponed until spring.
The size of the hole for Rainbow End should be:
- diameter – not less than 60 cm;
- depth – minimum 70 cm.
The drainage layer is made about 20 cm, the planting mixture is made up of turf soil, leaf humus, acidic peat, sand and clay. Take 100-150 g of nitroammophoska as a starting fertilizer.
The planting hole is filled 2/3 with the prepared mixture and filled with water. After 2 weeks, you can start planting the Canadian spruce Rainbow End:
- So much soil is removed from the hole so that the root collar of the seedling installed in the center is flush with the ground surface.
- The soil is compacted during the process of filling the hole so that voids do not form.
- Check the position of the root collar.
- A roller is formed around the planting hole from the remaining soil.
- Water the Rainbow End Canadian spruce abundantly so that the trunk circle is filled with water.
- When the liquid is absorbed, the soil under the tree is mulched with acidic peat or pine bark.
Watering and fertilizing
For the first 2 weeks after planting the spruce, regular and abundant watering is needed - the soil should not dry out even for a short time. Then moistening is carried out less frequently. But in the summer heat, weekly watering may still be required. Systematic waterlogging of the soil can cause rot. Soaking of the root collar is especially dangerous.
Sprinkling the crown is no less important than watering for Canadian spruce trees. If the site has a fogger or an automatic irrigation system with retractable nozzles, this will be sufficient for a dwarf tree. Otherwise, you will have to pick up a hose and water the crown, daily in the heat. This should be done early in the morning or at 17-18 hours so that the branches dry before dark.
It is better to feed coniferous plants, including the Canadian spruce Rainbow End, not with ordinary fertilizers, but with specialized ones. Now there are effective, inexpensive domestic drugs on sale. When purchasing and using, you should pay attention to what season they are intended for: spring ones contain increased doses of nitrogen, autumn ones - phosphorus and potassium.
For Canadian spruce, foliar feeding is no less important than applying fertilizers to the soil. This is due to the fact that the microelements necessary for the culture are better absorbed through the needles. It is better to give them in chelated form, adding an ampoule of epin or zircon alternately. When the golden needles turn green, add a dose of magnesium sulfate to the bottle.
Mulching and loosening
It is necessary to loosen the soil under the Canadian Rainbow End spruce only in the first year or two after planting - the roots come close to the surface and it is better not to disturb them.Then the soil is mulched with acidic peat or pine bark treated with fungicides - it is sold in garden centers ready for use.
Trimming
Canadian spruce Rainbow End has a beautiful pyramidal crown that does not require formative pruning. It may be necessary to remove an occasional regular-sized shoot. If it is left on the tree even for a short time, the branch will quickly take a dominant position and spoil the varietal spruce.
It is impossible to carry out sanitary pruning of Rainbow End - a mass of short dry branches are hidden inside the dense crown. But this is not provided for in the comprehensive care of dwarf varieties of Canadian spruce - it is customary to clean their crown regularly.
Crown cleaning
The Canadian spruce Rainbow End has a very dense crown, into which the rays of the sun do not fall, and if you do not move the needles apart, then water does not fall during sprinkling or processing. The needles and twigs located close to the trunk dry out and, without access to moisture, become overgrown with dust and mites. Such a spruce can no longer purify the air, and itself becomes a threat to human health.
To improve the health of its crown, at least three cleanings are carried out per season. The gardener must put on gloves, glasses and a respirator, spread the branches, and pick off all the dry needles with his hands. The trunk and soil under the Canadian spruce are cleared of fallen needles and easily broken dead branches. Then the tree is treated with a fungicide (preferably containing copper), paying special attention to the inside of the crown and the surface of the soil under the plant.
Cleaning is done in calm weather, on dry needles:
- in the spring, before buds open, at intervals of 2 weeks;
- in the fall, immediately before pre-winter preventive treatment of spruce with a fungicide.
Preparing for winter
Canadian spruce Rainbow End overwinters without problems in frost resistance zone 4. There it is covered with spruce branches or non-woven material only in the year of planting, and subsequently limited to mulching the soil with acidic peat. In cooler regions with no snow in winter, the tree needs protection until it is 10 years old.
You can increase the resistance to frost of the Canadian Rainbow End spruce with proper care, autumn moisture replenishment and fertilization with phosphorus and potassium at the end of the season.
If return frosts are expected after the needles grow, the tree should be covered with burlap or non-woven material.
Sun protection
Dwarf Canadian spruce trees need to be protected from sunlight until the buds open from the beginning of February. At this time, the needles are actively evaporating moisture, and the roots located in the frozen ground cannot compensate for its deficiency.
In the summer, the Rainbow End Canadian spruce will burn on the south side. To prevent this from happening, you need to plant it in partial shade or under the cover of other plants. You can increase resistance to sunlight by regularly sprinkling the crown and spraying it with epin.
Reproduction
You won't be able to wait for any cones from the Canadian spruce, Rainbow End. But even if they appear, species plants will grow from the seeds, and of poor quality. The variety can only be propagated by cuttings or grafting. The last method can only be done by experienced specialists.You can try to root shoots taken with a piece of bark from an older branch (heel) yourself. The survival rate will be low, but a certain number of cuttings will survive with careful care.
The lower part of the shoots intended for rooting is freed from needles, treated with a stimulant, and planted to a depth of 2-3 cm in a cold greenhouse with a mixture of sand and turf soil. You can use containers with drainage holes filled with the same substrate, clean sand or perlite.
They are kept in a cool place out of the sun and watered regularly. Those cuttings that have taken root are transplanted into individual containers with a more nutritious substrate. They are transplanted to a permanent place at the age of 4-5 years, when lateral branches appear.
Diseases and pests
Most often, the Rainbow End Canadian spruce suffers from mites - they grow inside the crown due to dryness. Other pests include:
- caterpillars of the Nuns butterfly;
- spruce budworm;
- gall aphids;
- hermes;
- mealybug;
- spruce sawyer.
Common diseases:
- Schutte regular and snowy;
- spruce spinner;
- rust;
- rot;
- fusarium;
- necrosis;
- wound cancer.
In order not to miss the problem, the spruce should be inspected every week with a magnifying glass. Pests are eliminated with the help of insecticides; fungicides can help control diseases.
Reviews of Canadian spruce Rainbow End
Conclusion
Canadian spruce Rainbow End requires careful care, but can decorate any area. The time spent on it will pay off handsomely - the tree looks amazing, especially in spring and early summer.
