Akrokona spruce is a luxurious tree that has a unique appearance. This culture is characterized by slow growth. Sometimes it is called European. This plant was first noticed near the Swedish city of Uppsala in 1890. Today it has become widespread throughout the world. Akrokona is characterized by slow growth, so it can decorate the site for 50 years. For a crop to look attractive, it needs to be properly cared for.
What kind of variety is this
According to the description, this coniferous tree has a wide distribution area - from the Urals to western Europe.At a young age, this crop will be small in size and will not clutter up the area. As the plant develops, it reaches a length of 3-5 meters and 2-4 meters in diameter. This tree pleases its owners for 30-50 years. Over the course of a year, it grows a maximum of 10 centimeters in length and 8 centimeters in width.
Akrokona is characterized by a symmetrical structure. In appearance, spruce needles cannot be confused with other plants. At the ends of its branches there are red cones that appear even in the youngest crops. Male cones are reddish-yellow in spring, while female cones are bright purple. By autumn they acquire a brown tint.
With the onset of spring, Akrokona is abundantly covered with cones and bright green young shoots. In summer, the branches become much longer, and the cones acquire a brown color and an elongated shape. At this stage, the plant acquires a gray-green color.
Spruce has a straight trunk and thin bark. At first it has a brown color, and then becomes red-brown and covered with cracks. In order for the tree to please with its decorative properties, formation is required at the end of May and beginning of June. To do this, young shoots are pruned. If several tops are formed, it is better to leave one. It is recommended to choose the most beautiful one.
Landing Features
Akrokona spruce is recommended to be planted in early spring. This should be done after the snow melts. If necessary, planting work can be carried out in the fall. It is important to arrive before the first frost.
A sunny area is perfect for this plant, but some partial shade is also acceptable. In spring, young trees may suffer from sunburn. Therefore, during the first two years, spruce trees need to be shaded.
To plant the plant, you need to make a fairly deep hole - at least 50-60 centimeters. In this case, it is recommended to place the root collar at ground level.
It is recommended to place drainage made of sand and broken bricks at the bottom of the recess. You will also need to make a composition from ordinary soil, peat and sand. It also needs to be placed in the recess.
How to care for a spruce
When growing an ordinary plant or spruce on a trunk, the crop requires proper care. It should include the following:
- Watering. It is recommended to moisten the young tree abundantly within a week after planting. Subsequently, the procedure is carried out 1-2 times a week. It is important to consider that the crop cannot withstand stagnant moisture or dry soil. In hot weather, it is worth sprinkling the crown.
- Fertilizer application. After planting, the spruce needs to be fertilized. To do this, you need to use 100-150 grams of nitroammophoska. Then you need to use special fertilizers for the plant twice during the season.
- Mulching and loosening the soil. Akrokona spruce tolerates regular loosening of the soil well. If necessary, you should lightly loosen the soil to a depth of 5-6 centimeters to avoid damage to the roots. A small amount of peat should be added to young plants during the procedure. Young spruce trees should be insulated with spruce branches for the winter.
- Trimming. This procedure should be carried out at the beginning of summer. The rules for pruning depend on what kind of crown you want to get.In this case, the procedure should be performed at the beginning of summer - it is during this period that the active growth of branches stops.
- Preparing for winter. This variety of spruce does not need special shelters for the winter and can easily withstand even frosts of -35 degrees. Only young trees need to be insulated.
Reproduction methods
Spruce can be propagated in the following ways:
- generative - in this case seeds are used;
- vegetative - plant cuttings are used for this.
The most convenient and fastest way is vegetative. For this, woody shoots that are at least 1-2 years old are used. It is advisable to take such cuttings from the top of the tree. In this case, you should use only high-quality branches without signs of damage.
When selecting material, you need to ensure that it contains a dormant apical bud. This is of great importance for the future culture. Since the conifer family is distinguished by a monopodial type of branching, without an apical bud the tree will not be able to grow in height.
It is worth preparing cuttings in early spring - before the buds open. The ideal shoot size is 6-10 centimeters. The cut material must be planted in prepared soil. To increase the likelihood of survival, it is recommended to soak the heel of the cutting in a growth stimulator. For this purpose, you can use “Kornevin” or “Epin”.
Then the plant needs to provide suitable humidity parameters. They should be around 85%. When planting cuttings, they need to be sprinkled and covered tightly with film. Maintaining the optimal temperature at +20-25 degrees is of no small importance. In this case, it is recommended to make a hole in the film for ventilation.
Diseases and pests
Akrokona spruce has a fairly strong immune system. Therefore, it is considered very resistant to diseases and pests. A valuable property of spruce is its ability to exude phytoncides. They are natural antibiotics with antimicrobial properties.
However, sometimes Akrokona spruce still suffers from fungal pathologies. The most common diseases include the following:
- Schutte is a pathology in which the needles become brown and fall off.
- Gray mold - affects small trees and dwarf spruce trees. With this disease, the needles become yellow and covered with dark stripes.
Plants also suffer from fusarium, various types of rot, and bark necrosis. The risk of fungal infections increases with dense plantings and in conditions of high humidity. Such diseases are treated with fungicides. To do this, you should use “Skor”, “Ridomil”, “Fundazol”. The affected fragments must be removed, and the cut areas must be treated with a solution of copper sulfate.
Application
This plant is actively used in landscape design. It can be used to create a hedge that will help protect the area from gusts of wind and prying eyes. Sometimes a spruce is placed in the center of a flower bed. The tree looks very beautiful even in winter - against the background of white snow.
The culture is actively used to decorate Japanese and Chinese gardens. It perfectly complements rock gardens and rockeries. The plant also often decorates gravel gardens.
Akrokona spruce is a popular ornamental plant that can serve as a decoration for every summer cottage. In order for a tree to grow and develop normally, it is important to provide it with proper care. Protection of crops from diseases and pests is of great importance.
