Content
Mountain Pug pine is an ornamental plant created specifically for decorating land plots. The unusual shape, ease of care, and pleasant aroma combine perfectly in a small shrub. There are certain requirements for soil and care, taking into account which everyone can use Pug pine for landscape design.
Description of mountain pine Pug
Externally, the plant resembles a slightly flattened ball. Its distinctive feature is that the tree grows almost equally in width and height. It lends itself well to pruning and shaping. The dwarf shrub of the Pug subspecies grows slowly - over the year the size of the pine tree increases by only 2 - 4 cm. Its main advantages:
- resistance to frost and wind;
- does not require a lot of moisture;
- tolerates polluted air well;
- has low requirements for soil, conditions, and care.
The full Latin name is Pinus mugo Mops. The plant reaches a height of 1.5 meters, including small shoots. The color of the needles varies - from green with blue to deep emerald. Needles are replaced every 3-5 years.
The cones of the Pug variety are brown, egg-shaped, from 2 to 7 cm long. The buds are resinous and grow densely.The roots of the mountain shrub form a large branched network closer to the soil surface. Thanks to this, Pug pine holds up well on inclined surfaces and alpine slides.
Planting and caring for mountain pine Pug
Choosing the right place to plant is key. The area should be well lit. In the shade, the mountain shrub grows slowly, the color of the needles is dull, barely green. In such conditions, the likelihood of illness is high.
The soil for Pug pine should be light, well-permeable to air and moisture. The acidity can be any, although a slightly acidic environment is tolerated better by the plant. If the soil on the site is heavy and dense, it is necessary to create an additional drainage layer - a mixture of small stones and sand is poured on top of the soil (layer thickness is at least 20 cm).
Pug pine tolerates polluted air well, so it is often used for urban landscape design. The shrub easily adapts to temperature changes, snow, heat, heavy rain and wind. In hot, dry weather, additional watering is necessary. This unpretentiousness allows you to grow the plant in central Russia, Moscow, and the Moscow region.
Preparing seedlings and planting area
The optimal time for planting young mountain shrubs is the second half of spring and early autumn. In order for Pug pine seedlings to take root in the new soil and temperature conditions, they must be prepared in advance.
You can buy ready-made seedlings in regular stores or specialized stores. The second option is better - in such places, the conditions of keeping and growing are, as a rule, close to ideal. Mountain varieties from nurseries suffer less disease and grow stronger and more resilient.
Before purchasing, choose one of the possible root systems:
- open – the plant is either placed in a temporary store area, or the roots are covered with film;
- closed – each bush is grown in a separate pot.
A plant from a pot tolerates being planted in a new place better, takes root and adapts faster. Young trees are chosen - the age of the seedling should be less than five years. Carefully inspect the roots and needles - there should be no rot or damage on them.
Landing rules
Mountain Pug pine needs to be planted following a specific pattern. The plant requires the right soil, the procedure is strictly defined:
- dig a hole, the width of which is 10 - 12 cm larger than the root ball of the seedling, the depth is from 0.7 to 1 m;
- a drainage mixture (gravel, sand, ground brick) is placed on the bottom, the layer height is 20 cm;
- then pour the prepared soil, which contains turf, sand or clay in a ratio of 2:1, respectively; it is permissible to use ready-made mixtures;
- the Pug pine seedling is placed in a hole, but the root system cannot be destroyed;
- sprinkle with soil mixture, compact;
- the last stage is watering: there should be more water than usual.
Additionally, fertilizers are added: prepared manure, compost, nitrogen or complex. The distance between bushes is from 1.5 to 4 meters.
Watering and fertilizing
The first month is the most difficult for a seedling. Water it carefully, along the perimeter of the hole, once every 3-4 days (depending on the weather and general climate). You cannot pour water near a tree.
It is necessary to feed mountain shrubs. Use one of the compositions recommended by gardeners:
- nitrogen (for example, 40 g of Nitroammofoski); applied during planting along with the main soil;
- mineral all-rounder or special (for example, Kemira - 30 - 40 g); add the drug to a circle near the pine trunk for the first two years.
After two years, the Pug pine no longer needs complementary foods. For normal development and growth, nutrition from the plant litter is sufficient.
Mulching and loosening
Mature mountain shrubs do not require additional procedures. The soil around newly transplanted plants needs to be loosened and mulched.
Mulching is covering the soil around the trunk with various materials to protect the roots and improve the properties of the soil. Peat is used for mountain Pug pine. Pour a layer of 5 - 6 cm. Over time, the peat mixes with the lower layers and enriches the soil as a whole.
Frequent loosening around Pug pine is not recommended. The earth is loosened around the perimeter of the planting hole when removing weeds.
Trimming
Mountain Pug pine initially has a regular spherical shape. Almost no pruning is needed. If necessary, remove young branches (shoots), pinch off or cut off no more than a third of the crown volume. The procedure helps to slow down the overall growth of mountain shrubs, and to make the crown of the Pug variety denser and more clustered. In the spring, dried, dead branches are pruned.
Preparing for winter
Mature mountain pine Pug is frost-resistant and responds well to low temperatures, snow, and wind. Two years after transplantation, there is no need to cover the plant. Young shrubs of the Pug variety are covered with spruce branches. It is especially important to insulate mountain pine trees transplanted in the fall.
The plant is opened in the spring, after a stable above-zero temperature has established. It is recommended to additionally water the mountain Pug pine with warm melt water - this way the shrub will “wake up” faster and start the growing season.
Reproduction
There are three propagation options: grafting, seeds, cuttings. Growing from seeds is a simple way that allows you to preserve the decorative appearance of the mountain Pug pine, its health and endurance. Planting is carried out in separate containers or directly on open ground (in this case more shoots will sprout). They are planted in the spring, after stratification.
Cuttings are considered the least suitable and most labor-intensive method. Cuttings are taken from young annual plants with a “heel” (part of the bark). Then they are placed in water with a solution to accelerate root growth for 12 hours, then transferred to plain water for three days. Additionally, prepare the soil - mix peat, sand and soil in equal proportions. When planting, the lower part is treated with Epin or Zircon. Rooting occurs after six months (for autumn plantings - after a year).
Propagating mountain Pug pine through grafting is an even more labor-intensive process. Four-year-old shrubs are used. The grafted plant completely takes over the properties of the mother bush. It is quite difficult to graft pine trees on your own; this method is rarely used. The reproduction process is described in detail in the video:
Diseases and pests
Mountain Pug pine is resistant to most types of diseases or harmful insects. Often the cause is contaminated soil or vectors (birds, small animals). Weather and improper care have a negative impact on development.
In the spring, when the plant is weakened, the Schutte fungus may develop, and the plant's needles become dark brown with black spots. The branches dry out, a white coating appears (more like a small cobweb). The cause of infection may be a lack of moisture or excessive planting density. Because of the fungus, the needles fall off, the bush loses its shape and decorative appeal.
Solutions containing copper will help stop the development of fungus. Mountain pine is processed completely, after removing all damaged branches (they need to be burned). For prevention, the plant is sprayed with sulfur and rogor.
Scleroderriosis – a common disease of coniferous mountain trees. First the buds dry out, then the entire branch. The infected part of the mountain Pug pine is removed; no additional treatment is required.
Rust mushroom (seryanka) appears as a red coating on the needles. Affected branches of the bush are cut off and burned.
The main pests of the crop are some butterflies and aphids. To prevent and eliminate harmful insects, drugs with a chemical or biological composition (for example, Lepidocid) are used. Proper care, timely feeding and observation are the best ways to protect against pests and diseases.
Conclusion
Mountain Pug pine is an unpretentious ornamental plant. Frost resistance and hardiness allow it to be planted in different climatic conditions.The pleasant spherical shape of the shrub will fit into any style and is suitable for decorating gardens and ponds. It is better to propagate mountain pine through seeds. The main thing is time and patience.
