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In nature, Spruce Serbian grows in a limited area of about 60 hectares and was discovered only at the end of the 19th century. Due to its high plasticity and rapid growth, numerous varieties were created on its basis, which quickly gained popularity and spread throughout the world. Serbian Karel spruce (Picea omorika Karel) is a dwarf spruce derived from the “witch’s broom” mutation discovered in Belgium by Karel Boontinckx in 1991.
Description of spruce Karel
Serbian spruce Karel is a compact, bush-like tree with a dense, dense crown. The young plant does not look very presentable, and consists of several branches sticking out in different directions. Later they will become skeletal and overgrown with a large number of thin shoots, forming a lush cushion or hemisphere. The appearance of an adult Serbian Karel spruce depends on whether the crown is trimmed. It tolerates pruning well.
Karel spruce grows slowly, and by the age of 10 it reaches no more than 60 cm with a width of 70 cm. But more often these figures are much more modest: 30 and 50 cm, respectively.An adult tree without pruning will be squat, up to a maximum of 80 cm in height, with a crown diameter of about 120 cm. Every season, Karel spruce stretches upward by 3-5 cm, adding 5-7 cm in width.
After 10 years of age, the Serbian spruce Karel, the crown of which is not pruned, forms a depression at the top. If desired, it can be easily removed by cutting, but some owners leave the “nest” on purpose - it looks quite exotic and does not spoil the appearance.
The young needles of the Serbian Karelian spruce are green; by the end of the season they darken and acquire a steely hue. The needles are short, 1.2-1.5 cm long, with two wide white stripes on the bottom side and one dark green, shiny one on the top. The needles have a rounded edge with a sharp tip, which is why they are not as prickly as those of other types of picea.
The bark of the Serbian spruce is gray, with a red tint, covered with thin scales, the branches are densely pubescent. Cones are formed extremely rarely. The Karel variety is shade-tolerant and does not suffer from smoke or air pollution.
It is expected that this Serbian spruce, like all dwarf conifers, will live 50-60 years with good care. But since the Karel variety is quite young, this has not yet been tested in practice. Can grow without shelter in zone 4.
Serbian spruce Karel in landscape design
Domestic landscape designers love Serbian spruce trees. They are not only beautiful and can improve the health of the air in the area, but they are also much better adapted to Russian conditions than North American species. In addition, Serbian spruce not only tolerates air pollution well, it generally reacts little to it.
The Karel variety is dwarf, and by cutting it can be given the shape of a nest, pillow, ball or hemisphere. The plant looks great in a rock garden, rock garden, or in a flower bed with not too moisture-loving flowers that prefer acidic soil. Ideal neighbors for Serbian Karelian spruce in landscape design would be:
- other conifers;
- rhododendrons;
- heathers;
- in partial shade - ferns;
- hydrangeas, if you dig a border tape around the bush to prevent water from spreading;
- roses;
- peonies;
- magnolias.
The list goes on, selecting plants for flower beds depending on the climate of the region and the taste of the owners.
Serbian spruce Karel is not afraid of strong winds. The small size allows the tree to be placed in a container.
Planting and caring for Serbian spruce Karel
Serbian spruce Karel can grow in sun or partial shade. It tolerates wind and short-term drought. Caring for the Serbian Karel spruce is much easier than caring for varieties obtained from North American species, but the tree cannot be left without attention.
Preparing seedlings and planting area
Choosing a suitable position for the Karel spruce is not difficult - this beautiful dwarf tree is always planted in an open place where there is a lot of sunlight. But if necessary, the plant can be placed in partial shade.
Serbian spruce is undemanding in terms of soil composition, but only in comparison with other representatives of the genus. It will not grow in alkaline soils, and suffers if the reaction is neutral. Dense soils that are constantly waterlogged or waterlogged are not suitable. To get out of this situation, you can place the Karel spruce on the embankment, or make the drainage layer 1.5-2 times larger than recommended.
The preparation of the pit must be completed no later than 2 weeks before planting the plant. They dig it so that the depth is equal to the height of the earthen clod. Add 15-20 cm for drainage, 10-15 cm for adding soil. The width should be 1.5-2 times the diameter of the earthen ball.
It is very simple to calculate everything in advance: in a small Serbian spruce the root usually extends in the area of the crown projection. Knowing the growth rate of the Karel variety, it is easy to calculate the approximate volume of the earthen clod that nurseries leave when digging up plants. If you buy Serbian spruce in a container, everything is even easier. By looking at the websites of garden centers, they determine what age the tree is suitable for the site and the owner’s wallet. The volume of the container is also indicated there. In addition, approximate dimensions are needed; it makes no sense to calculate everything down to the centimeter.
When purchasing a seedling, you need to clearly understand the age of the plant. If it is a 4-5 year old small Serbian spruce, its crown simply cannot be dense. The Karel variety will have few branches, and they stick out in all directions, and the tree does not look very presentable. Over time, the spruce will grow side shoots and become beautiful.
An adult, unpruned tree looks like a pillow or hemisphere with imperfect symmetry. Clear contours or a ball-shaped crown indicate that the Serbian spruce has been pruned. The question that must arise here is: why? Perhaps to hide the tips of the shoots affected by some disease or pests.
If you have a choice, you should buy Serbian spruce grown in local nurseries - they are better suited to the conditions of the region. Imported plants should only be taken in a container. You can buy local ones with a burlap-lined earthen lump. Serbian spruce trees with an open root system cannot be taken.
Even the darkened tips of the needles are a sign of trouble. So the needles need to be examined carefully. It should be alive, fresh, bend, but not break.
Landing rules
Serbian spruce prefers loam, although it is not demanding on the composition of the soil, and if the site has loose acidic or slightly acidic soil, there is no need to specially improve it. When, for some reason, the land is not suitable for planting conifers, instead of completely changing it, you can only improve it as follows:
- acidic (high-moor) peat is added to neutral or alkaline soil;
- dense soil is made loose with the help of leaf humus, sand, turf soil;
- Clay is added to soil that is too light and contains a lot of sand.
It is useful to enrich the soil mixture with starting fertilizer. Usually this is performed by nitroammophoska, which for Serbian Karelian spruce is enough to take up to 100 g.
A drainage layer of 15-20 cm is placed at the bottom of the planting hole (more on soaking soils), covered 2/3 with prepared soil, and filled with water. After 2 weeks or later they begin planting:
- Use a shovel to remove some of the soil from the hole and set it aside.
- A Serbian spruce is installed in the center, and if the root was wrapped in burlap, there is no need to remove it. The material will not prevent root germination, but will decompose over time. The position of the root collar of the Karelian spruce should coincide with the edge of the planting hole or rise slightly.
- The prepared soil mixture is constantly compacted as it is poured into the hole. This should be done without fanaticism, but only to avoid the formation of voids.
- A roller of soil is formed around the trunk circle and the Serbian spruce is watered abundantly.
- When the water is absorbed, the soil is mulched with acidic peat or pine bark sold in garden centers.
Watering and fertilizing
After planting, Karel spruce is watered frequently so that the soil is constantly moist. But the water should not stagnate. When the tree takes root, watering is reduced, but it should remain regular. After all, this is a varietal Serbian spruce that requires constant care, and not a species tree that absorbs only the water that comes to it with rain.
It is important for a variety such as Karel to sprinkle the crown - this is the best prevention of the appearance of spider mites, increases humidity, washes away dust, and alleviates the condition of the tree in extreme heat. The operation should be carried out after the temperature rises to at least 6°C, but it is better to wait until 10-12°C.
Universal fertilizers for conifers should be used only as a last resort - they are not ideal for them. When planting varietal spruce trees, you need to remember that caring for them will also cost money. But today it is not necessary to spend a lot of money on specialized fertilizers - domestic manufacturers produce inexpensive, acceptable quality preparations.
Fertilizers for coniferous plants in the garden should be of two types:
- spring – with a high nitrogen content;
- autumn, where phosphorus and potassium predominate.
Foliar feeding is no less important for Serbian Karelian spruce. The fact is that microelements are poorly absorbed through the root, and it is better to give them by spraying pine needles.
Sometimes novice gardeners begin to talk about the topic: “Who feeds the plants in the wild?” Firstly, as ornamental crops they use artificially bred varieties, and not species trees, and secondly, the conditions on the site and in the forest differ. And not in favor of gardens, no matter how carefully the plants are cared for.
Mulching and loosening
Immediately after planting Serbian spruce, the soil should be loosened regularly to ensure access to nutrients, air and water to the root system. To do this, adult plants will have to lift the lower branches. After a year or two, loosening is stopped so as not to damage the roots.
Mulching the soil under the Serbian Karel spruce is useful for several reasons:
- this prevents the lower branches from resting on the ground;
- retains moisture;
- prevents germination weed;
- prevents the leaching of useful substances;
- allows you to maintain the desired microclimate and acidity in the root area;
- protects the tree from pests in the soil;
- protects the roots of young Serbian spruce trees, whose branches have not yet reached the ground, from overheating;
- stimulates the development of beneficial microorganisms;
- Mulch looks better than bare soil.
Trimming
There is no need to trim the crown of the Serbian Karel spruce - it is already beautiful. But if necessary, in the spring or, depending on the region, at the end of summer or beginning of autumn, the tree can be pruned to give it the ideal shape. The species tolerates pruning well.
Crown cleaning
This procedure will be useful for Serbian spruce, but it is not vital, as for dwarf varieties of Canadian. Early in spring and late in autumn, the branches of Karel are carefully moved apart and all dry needles are cleaned off, and dead shoots are broken off. Then the debris is removed, and the tree and trunk circle are generously treated with a copper-containing fungicide.
Sun protection
Serbian Spruce does not burn as much as Canadian Spruce. But at the top of an unpruned mature tree, over time, a depression forms in which snow accumulates. Starting from mid-February, it needs to be removed, or the Karel spruce tree should be covered with non-woven fabric or burlap on a sunny day.
Otherwise, the accumulated snow, especially if it is icy or crusty, will serve as a kind of lens. The sun, which has become active, can burn the needles inside the crown in a week.
Preparing for winter
The Serbian Karel spruce winters without shelter in zone 4, that is, in those regions where the temperature has never dropped below -34° C during the time of weather observation. It needs to be protected only in the year of planting, in cold areas - preferably in the second season.
To do this, the tree is wrapped in white non-woven material and tied with twine. The soil is mulched with acidic peat. In the spring it is not removed, but embedded in the soil. In subsequent years, you can limit yourself to mulching only.
Reproduction
Serbian spruce Karel is propagated by grafting and cuttings. Only a specialist can pin conifers. Even an amateur can root shoots if he is patient and constantly pays attention to the cuttings.
The operation is carried out throughout the season, but without special premises and equipment, spring reproduction will give a greater percentage of survival.Cuttings from Serbian spruce trees are cut off by hand with a heel (a piece of bark from an older branch).
The lower needles are removed, treated with a stimulant and planted in perlite or washed coarse sand. A mixture of peat and sand can be used as a substrate. Keep at high humidity in a cool place, protected from direct sunlight.
Even short-term drying out or stagnation of water should not be allowed. There will be a lot of attacks, but some of the cuttings should take root. As they grow, they are transplanted into schools or small separate containers with drainage holes.
Growing cuttings before planting in the ground lasts 4-5 years. Any mistake or inattention during this time threatens the death of the young plant.
Diseases and pests
Serbian spruce is considered more resistant to pests and diseases in Russian conditions than other species. But preventive treatments and inspection of plants should be carried out regularly.
Serbian spruce Karel is damaged by pests:
- spider mite;
- mealybug;
- various types of aphids;
- butterflies Nuns;
- leaf roller;
- false caterpillars of the spruce sawfly;
- Hermes.
At the first signs of insect damage, the tree and trunk circle are treated with an appropriate insecticide.
Typical diseases of Serbian spruce:
- Schutte;
- rust;
- rot;
- wound cancer;
- necrosis of the cortex;
- Fusarium
Fungicides are used for treatment.
Reviews of Serbian spruce Karel
Conclusion
Serbian spruce Karel is a miniature decorative variety that can decorate any area. It tolerates Russian conditions well, and if you care for the tree regularly, it will not take much time or effort.
