Spruce Canadian Sanders Blue ( Picea glauca Sanders Blue) - has a dwarf size and a conical shape, thanks to which they have earned considerable popularity among landscape designers. The beautiful conical shape of the crown, together with the delicate blue coloring of the crown, perfectly emphasizes almost any composition. Such a rather original appearance allows you to make these plants for the garden quite versatile. This spruce grows relatively slowly, 5-7 cm per year. At 10 years old, the height is within 0.7-0.8 m. The maximum size is 2-3 m in height and up to 2 m in width. The crown has a conical shape with shoots that fit snugly against the pole. Unlike other varieties of dwarf decorative firs, this one is the least susceptible to spring burns, which reduces the amount of maintenance required.

Sanders Blue Gray Spruce will grow best in full sun with some shade. It is susceptible to soil moisture and does not like stagnant moisture and grows best in fertile soils with good drainage. During the dry period, the tree should be watered, in evening time, on the crown. At proper care, this species spruce is wonderful decorative ornament with dense needles beautiful color. Such trees are used both in single and group compositions.

Planting and caring for Canadian Sanders Blue spruce

Soil compaction and moisture stagnation should not be allowed. The landing site should be away from ground water. It is imperative to make a drainage layer, in the form of sand or broken brick 15-20 cm thick. If fir trees are planted in groups, then the distance for tall fir trees should be from 2 to 3 m. The depth of the planting pit is 50-70 cm.

It is important that the root neck is at ground level. You can prepare a special soil mixture: sheet and sod land, peat, and sand in a ratio of 2:2:1:1. Immediately after planting, the tree must be watered abundantly with 40 - 50 liters of water. It is advisable to apply fertilizer (100-150 g of nitroammophoska, root 10 g per 10 l, etc.).

Spruces do not like dry hot weather, so during the hot season they need to be watered once a week, about 10-12 liters per tree. Carry out shallow loosening (5 cm). For the winter, sprinkle peat around the trunk with a thickness of 5-6 cm; after winter, the peat is simply mixed with the ground, not removed. Spruces can be planted in winter.

Approximately 2 times a season, fertilizer can be applied for coniferous plants.

Usually spruces do not need pruning, but if they form hedge pruning is allowed. As a rule, diseased and dry branches are removed. It is best to prune in late May - early June, when the period of active sap flow ends.

Canadian spruces have long been loved by fans of coniferous plants. They are highly resistant to low temperatures, compact crown, unpretentiousness and resistance to urban gas pollution. And also - an unusual, light blue color of the needles, for which they are often called "gray spruces." Among the many varieties of Canadian spruce, Sanders Blue (Picea glauca Sander's Blue) is gaining popularity.

A bit of history

Our heroine appeared in one of the kennels in France in 1986. And although she is reputed a separate variety, strictly speaking, this is a mutation of a long-known, now classic, variety. Konika, which appeared in Europe already at the beginning of the last century, turned out to be a fertile breeding material. Through careful selection of mutated specimens, about a dozen new cultivars have been created on its basis, which have established themselves as independent commercial names.

Sanders Blue is one of these mutations that French specialists managed to fix. In Europe, the cultivar has been known for a long time, but on the territory of the former Soviet Union, it began to spread relatively recently. The more interesting it will be acquaintance!

Appearance Features

The main thing that distinguishes this variety from the "progenitor" is a significantly reduced size and a more narrowed, conical shape of the crown. And the color of the needles of this "inch" is even lighter; young shoots are especially distinguished by a bluish-gray tint. With age, the needles gradually turn green. The needles themselves are thin, short, soft, densely planted. The tree during the period of active growth looks elegant, light blue.

Having touched on the issue of growth, it is appropriate to mention that spruce grows extremely slowly in size, and this is famous for it. Reference books indicate that its annual growth barely reaches 2-3 cm, and by the age of ten the average size is 70-80 cm. It takes a long time for Sanders Blue to grow to the level of an adult's chest! And the very first copies, which will soon be 40 years old, barely reached 3 meters.

The bark on the branches is smooth, of a grayish tint, the shoots themselves are short, densely planted, tightly pressed against the trunk. Cones are not formed every year, they are small and almost oval.

Features of agricultural technology

In general, the care of this cultivar differs little from that required by all Koniks. However, there is one important advantage: “our” spruce is more photophilous, it can be planted in those open areas where other conifers get sunburn.

Frost resistance is also “on top”, adult specimens can withstand up to -40 °, although in the first few years it is still better to cover the tree for the winter, at least from the winds.

It is relatively undemanding to soils, as long as there is no stagnation of moisture. Tolerates both slightly acidic and slightly alkaline substrates, will grow on depleted soils. At the same time, it shows the best decorative qualities on fertile, well-aerated, slightly moist loams and sandy loams, which have a slightly acidic reaction.

In conditions of prolonged dry weather, it can be damaged by pine spider mites.

Use in landscape design

Sanders Blue - very universal plant, and this is another advantage. In the garden, it is often used to form a line of borders, as well as a low, beautiful fence. Perfectly harmonizes with many plants, both coniferous and deciduous, flowering, being a valuable "participant" of green compositions.

In tiny gardens small areas, can become an independent design element that focuses attention. In some countries, this spruce has become the most popular pot conifer, which is convenient to carry from place to place without hiding the tub for the winter.

In general, we see an unpretentious, compact, decorative coniferous tree with a wide range of possibilities, which, moreover, even an inexperienced gardener can care for.

It has a dwarf size and a conical shape, thanks to which it has earned considerable popularity among landscape designers.

The beautiful conical shape of the crown, together with the delicate blue coloring of the crown, perfectly emphasizes almost any composition. Such a rather original appearance allows you to make these plants for the garden quite versatile. This spruce grows relatively slowly, 5-7 cm per year. At 10 years old, the height is within 0.7-0.8 m. The maximum size is 2-3 m in height and up to 2 m in width. The crown has a conical shape with shoots that fit snugly against the pole.

Unlike other varieties of dwarf ornamental spruce, this one is less prone to spring burns, which reduces the amount of maintenance required.

Gray spruce Sanders Blue will grow best in a sunny location with some shade. It is susceptible to soil moisture and does not like stagnant moisture and grows best in fertile soils with good drainage. In the dry period, the tree should be watered, in the evening, on the crown.

With proper care, this type of spruce is a wonderful decorative ornament with dense needles of a beautiful color. Such trees are used both in single and group compositions.

Closed root system, container P9 - volume 0.5 l. The height of seedlings is 20-25 cm.

Planting and caring for Canadian Sanders Blue spruce

Soil compaction and moisture stagnation should not be allowed. The landing site should be away from groundwater. It is imperative to make a drainage layer in the form of sand or broken bricks 15-20 cm thick. If fir trees are planted in groups, then the distance for tall fir trees should be from 2 to 3 m. The depth of the planting pit is 50-70 cm.

It is important that the root neck is at ground level. You can prepare a special soil mixture: sheet and sod land, peat, and sand in a ratio of 2:2:1:1. Immediately after planting, the tree must be watered abundantly with 40 - 50 liters of water. It is advisable to apply fertilizer (100-150 g of nitroammophoska, root 10 g per 10 l, etc.).

Spruces do not like dry hot weather, so during the hot season they need to be watered once a week, about 10-12 liters per tree. Carry out shallow loosening (5 cm). For the winter, sprinkle peat around the trunk with a thickness of 5-6 cm; after winter, the peat is simply mixed with the ground, not removed. Spruces can be planted in winter.

Approximately 2 times a season, fertilizer for coniferous plants can be applied.

Spruces do not usually need pruning, but if they form a hedge, pruning is allowed. As a rule, diseased and dry branches are removed. It is best to prune in late May - early June, when the period of active sap flow ends.

To protect the decorative forms of spruce from autumn and winter frosts, they can be covered with spruce branches.

Spruce is good decision for landscaping. Throughout the year, such a tree will decorate the garden or courtyard, making it bright and beautiful. evergreen beauty is a godsend for landscape designers. After all, it lends itself perfectly to crown formation, especially decorative forms. And this allows you to create real masterpieces of design art on the site. In this article, we will look at the most popular Canadian spruce, which occupies a special position in the entire family due to its decorative properties.

Features and description of Canadian spruce

Canadian spruce belongs to the pine family and is one of its most common species. This spruce has several other names. Often it is called Canadian gray spruce or white spruce, and the name is also known as glauca spruce. The homeland of spruce is considered North America namely Canada. That's where the name comes from coniferous tree. Spruce was brought to Europe in 1700, since then it has spread throughout the mainland, including being cultivated in Russia.

Landscape designers especially liked this type of coniferous trees, because Canadian spruce has many forms, including dwarf ones. And they are ideal option to decorate the area.

Description of Canadian spruce:

• This type of conifer is a tall tree, it can reach a height of 25-30 meters. However, there are dwarf varieties that do not exceed half a meter.
• Canadian spruce is distinguished by the regular conical shape of the crown, which is of decorative value.
• It grows especially fast at a young age, in the first 10 years. And then spruce growth slows down.
• In young spruce branches are raised and tightly adjacent to each other, in old ones they are slightly lowered down.
• The color of the needles canadian spruce green with a bluish tint. Another name is connected with these - gray spruce.
• The needles are very short and prickly.
• Canadian spruce bears fruit after 10 years of growth. Cones have an oblong shape, very decorative.
• Canadian spruce is a long-liver, its average age is 300-500 years.
• Winter-hardy and drought-resistant.
• Widely used in landscape design for landscaping, creating hedges and garden compositions.
• To date, 20 decorative types Canadian spruce.

Photo of Canadian spruce in landscape design

Canadian spruce is valued for its decorative effect and is a special decoration of any site. In the presented photos, one can note the features of the use of spruce in the design of the site.

Canadian spruce in landscape composition

Growing Canadian Spruce in Containers

Canadian spruce in rocky gardens

The main varieties of Canadian spruce

In landscape design, both the natural form of Canadian spruce is used, as well as many decorative species bred specifically for landscaping areas. There are 20 decorative forms of Canadian spruce, which differ in height, needle color and their individual characteristics.

Canadian Spruce Conica

Canadian Spruce Konica is the most common and popular spruce. Such love for this coniferous tree is caused by its size - this spruce belongs to dwarf forms and is ideal solution to decorate the area. It can reach a height of 1.5-2 meters, rarely grows up to 2.5 m. It is possible to plant Canadian Konik spruce in open ground in stone gardens or in containers.

The spruce has a dense cone-shaped crown, so the main care for the Canadian Konik spruce is to form the shape of the needles. It is her ideal shape of needles that is of particular value to landscape design. Such a spruce is planted in open sunny places or in partial shade. Due to its properties and frost resistance, it is perfect for growing in middle lane, but with the condition of shelter for the winter. It grows slowly, which is great for many gardeners.

Canadian Spruce Alberta Globe

Canadian Albert spruce is also a dwarf form ideal for landscaping. Is different spherical shape crowns. shoots given tree short with short needles on them. The needles are green. This variety of Canadian spruce grows slowly, with an annual growth of 2-4 cm. It is excellent for growing in containers or for planting in rock gardens. The variety was bred in the Netherlands.

Canadian spruce Blue Planet

Such a tree is indeed a very small tree. For 10 years, the diameter of the crown reaches only 20 cm. The crown has the shape of a ball, the needles are very short. Differs in silver-blue color. It is a good option for planting in containers, as well as for decoration alpine slides. Be sure to plant in sunny places, otherwise in the shade it may lose its bluish color.

Canadian Spruce Daisy White

Canadian spruce daisy white appearance it is very reminiscent of Konika, since it comes from this spruce variety. Her crown is cone-shaped. By the age of 10, it reaches a height of 80 cm. Canadian daisy spruce has its own peculiarity - the first shoots have a yellow-white color, which then fades in the sun. Already in the second year the branches become green.

Canadian spruce Echiniformis

This is a low-growing variety of spruce that grows very slowly. mature plant Canadian spruce echiniformis reaches only 50 cm in height, can grow up to 1 meter wide. It has a spherical shape of a bluish-green crown. Suitable for rock gardens or containers.

Canadian spruce Laurin

Refers to dwarf varieties of needles. It grows very slowly, grows only 2 cm per year. By the age of 10, the height is about 40 cm. It is distinguished by a narrow conical crown and bright green needles.

Sanders Blue Canadian Spruce

Spruce canadian sanders very similar to the most popular variety - conic. It has the same regular cone-shaped crown and is a dwarf variety. Distinctive feature This variety is considered a blue shade of needles. Looks great in small gardens.

The above varieties of Canadian spruce are only a part of species diversity which are used in landscaping.

Canadian Spruce Propagation Methods

There are two main ways to propagate Canadian spruce - propagation by seeds and cuttings. Any of these methods is a rather laborious and lengthy process, since it is very difficult to grow a Canadian spruce seedling. It takes a lot of time and requires constant attention and care.

Reproduction by seeds

This method is very difficult to apply at home, as the result will have to wait a very long time. First you need to prepare the seeds. You need to take fresh ones - they will take root better. Seeds are collected from unopened cones. Then the best ones are selected and stratified. To do this, planting material can be placed in a mixture of sand and peat and refrigerated for 4-6 weeks.

After cold hardening, the seed container is placed in a warm and bright place and watered abundantly. It is best to choose late winter or early spring for germination. When watering, make sure that the sprouts are not flooded, otherwise they may begin to rot. Canadian spruce is planted in open ground only in the second year.

Propagation by cuttings

Growing Canadian spruce from cuttings is also a long process, but more reliable and gives nice results. The best time to start rooting cuttings is June, as they have time to get stronger before winter. At this time, calluses appear on the cuttings, and the first roots appear from it only the next year.

• For cuttings, you need to choose the right branches. Usually matured branches are torn off from the mother tree at the very bottom. Their height should be approximately 10-12 cm.
• It is necessary to separate the cuttings correctly - make sure that the branch is always with a "heel", with part of the mother tree. Without her young plant will not take root.
• Next, you can process the planting material with growth stimulants, for example, Kornevin. To do this, the solution is poured into a jar and the cuttings are lowered there by 2 cm. You can hold them in the solution for 2 hours. After that, this solution can be diluted in water and used to water the cuttings.
• As a soil, you can use a mixture of peat and sand.
• The cuttings are buried in the prepared substrate by about 2-2.5 cm and covered with a film, having previously sprinkled with water. This must be done to maintain the required humidity.
• Be sure to monitor the soil moisture, it should not dry out.
• It may take 4-5 years to get a finished seedling.

Preparation before boarding

To get a beautiful and healthy coniferous tree in the future, it is imperative to carefully prepare before planting. Special attention pay attention to the choice of quality seedlings and the place where you want to plant them.

Selection of seedlings

Most often, Canadian spruce seedlings are purchased from special nurseries or from professional gardeners who breed. When buying Canadian spruce seedlings, follow some rules:

• The needles should be thick and shiny without dried needles.
• Pay attention to the soil in the container - it must be moist.
• The roots should not protrude from the pot and the container itself should be enough big size for the full growth of the seedling.
• If the seedling is dug out of the ground, pay attention to the roots. They must be whole and unharmed.
• If you grew seedlings yourself, carefully dig them up so as not to damage them. root system.

Location selection

All varieties of Canadian spruce prefer to grow in sunny and open places. However, partial shade is also perfect. Especially shading is necessary for young spruce trees, which can get burned. Needles planted in the shade may grow more slowly and lose their natural needle color. The choice of a place for planting directly depends on the chosen variety and your idea. Dwarf varieties perfect for decoration garden paths and for landing in containers. More tall trees will be a wonderful element of the design composition.

Soil selection and preparation

Loamy soils and soils rich in humus will be excellent soil for planting Canadian spruce. Be sure to make sure that the ground is not too filled with lime. Canadian spruce prefers to grow in well-moistened soils, so soil is needed that will retain moisture. Drainage will help with this.

The process of planting Canadian spruce

Landing time depends on planting material. If you purchased a seedling in a container, then best time for transplanting from spring to autumn. When digging seedlings in the nursery from the ground - from mid-April to mid-May. The main thing is that a young tree in a new place has time to take root before the onset of cold weather.

Boarding process:

• Need to prepare landing pit. Usually, a recess is made one and a half times larger than an earthen clod.
• The root system must be watered abundantly.
• A special soil mix or you can buy it in a specialized store. For Canadian spruce, a mixture of fertile soil, compost and garden soil is suitable.
• At the bottom of the pit, be sure to place a layer of drainage from broken bricks or small stones.
• Next, a seedling is placed in the pit and gradually sprinkled with earth. You can pour part of the soil, compact it and water it. Then pour the earth again.
• When filling the soil into the planting hole, remember that the root neck should not be buried.
• The earth around the plant can not be compacted, since the root system of the Canadian spruce is close to the surface.
• After planting, spruce should be watered abundantly.
• Then trunk circle mulched with compost or peat.

Features of caring for Canadian spruce

With proper and constant care, you will be able to grow beautiful tree, which will decorate your site.

Watering

Canadian spruces are considered drought tolerant trees, however, this applies to mature plants with a strong root system. Young trees need infrequent but plentiful watering. Usually 10-12 liters of water should be used per tree. Particular attention should be paid to watering in autumn time, since it depends on this whether the tree will survive the winter. Most often, spruce dries up in winter not because of frost, but because of lack of moisture. Canadian spruce also loves to be watered from its crown.

Mulching

Mulching helps retain moisture and also helps to preserve certain temperature. In addition, the presence of mulch slows down the growth of weeds. Usually under a layer of mulch breed earthworms and they help loosen the soil. Therefore, do not neglect this stage of care. Bark, sawdust, wood chips or peat can be used as mulch. The layer of mulch should be 4-5 cm.

Top dressing of Canadian spruce

Canadian spruce does not require mandatory fertilization, however, if desired, you can feed. Fertilizers must be applied in the spring or not later than July. As top dressing, you can use compost or complex mineral fertilizers. However, make sure that fertilizers do not contain a large number of nitrogen. It is contraindicated for Canadian spruce.

Pruning spruce and shaping the crown

Most varieties of Canadian spruce are decorative forms, so they need pruning to form a crown. By itself, spruce has a dense and regular crown, but some correction is necessary. Such pruning is carried out once a season. Most often, sanitary pruning is carried out, during which dry and damaged branches are removed.

Canadian Spruce Diseases and pests

• Tracheomecosis. This is one of the most serious diseases of the Canadian spruce. It is a fungal disease that affects the root system. Because of this, the plant does not receive the necessary nutrients. Most often, young spruce trees are affected, when the needles turn red and fall off. The tree cannot be helped, it is dug up and burned.
• Disease Schutte. With such fungal disease the needles turn black and fall off. You can cure a tree with a solution of copper sulfate.
• Rust. With this disease, yellow growths appear on the branches and the needles crumble. Special preparations are used, which are used for a month.

Pests:

• bark beetle This pest feeds on wood and lives under the bark of a tree. In the same place, he lays his larvae, which later also feed on the tree. A tree damaged by it is rarely salvageable.

Canadian spruce dries with excess or lack of moisture, as well as with the wrong landing site. Especially when planted in a sunny spot with no shade. Therefore, it is important to properly care for the evergreen beauty in order to obtain a beautiful and healthy tree.

Canadian spruce is an ideal representative of conifers for landscaping the site. Due to the variety of forms and varieties, it can be grown both in open field in the form of a hedge or joint planting, and in containers for decorating terraces. With a little effort and patience, you will get a wonderful tree that will delight you all year round.

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