Black spruce Nana is considered a common dwarf variety, which is characterized by rather slow development. This decorative coniferous shrub has a flat, spherical crown and beautiful thin needles of a bluish-green hue. All these features make it possible to use wood to decorate garden plots. To make it look attractive for as long as possible, it is important to strictly adhere to the rules of agricultural technology.
Distinctive features of the tree
According to the botanical description, black spruce Nana belongs to the Pine family and is a common dwarf variety.The culture is characterized by an ideal spherical crown with bluish-green needles. It reaches 50 centimeters in height. In this case, the diameter of the bush does not exceed 1 meter.
The culture is characterized by slow growth and development. In 1 year it increases by a maximum of 5 centimeters. The plant is characterized by fairly dense needle-like needles, the length of which does not exceed 1 centimeter. Young shoots have a rich green color, which contrasts with old branches.
The cones reach a length of 2-3.5 centimeters and have a spherical shape. At the ripening stage, they are characterized by a purple-brown color. After this, the fruits turn brown.
Popular varieties
In addition to the Nana variety, gardeners grow many other varieties of black spruce. The most popular of them include:
- Baysneri is a low tree that has a wide-round shape. This culture is characterized by beautiful silver-blue needles. The variety is slow growing and is well suited for decorating large spaces.
- Kobold is a low-growing crop. By the age of 20, its height does not exceed 1 meter. Moreover, in 1 year the plant grows by a maximum of 5 centimeters. The plant is characterized by a dense spherical crown and dark green needles. The crop can be grown in the middle zone. It makes an excellent hedge.
- Doumeti is a low crop that reaches a maximum of 6 meters.It has a wide conical crown and dense branches. The plant has dense needles of a light blue hue. In this case, the cones are located directly on the trunk.
Distribution area
Black spruce is widespread on the borders of the tundra and taiga. It is found throughout almost all of North America. At the same time, spruce grows both in the north of the continent and in the southern regions.
Planting and proper cultivation
It is recommended to buy seedlings of this plant in specialized nurseries. It is important to ensure that the roots are intact and not damaged. Planting work should be carried out in early spring.
To plant a crop, do the following:
- Prepare a hole for planting. Its size should be 50-70 centimeters.
- Prepare the substrate. Black spruce can hardly tolerate too dense soil. Therefore, it is worth using a mixture of turf, leaf soil, sand and peat.
- Make drainage. It may include crushed stone or sand. The thickness of such a layer should be 20 centimeters.
- Prepare a pit with substrate. It should be placed in the hole a couple of weeks before planting.
- Treat the root system. To do this, it is worth using a root formation stimulator.
- Plant a spruce. The seedling must be placed in the center of the recess so that the root collar is flush with the ground surface.
- Form a tree-trunk roller. This will help retain moisture during watering.
- Water the seedling. It is recommended to use 2 buckets of water.
Caring for black spruce is easy. In summer, it is recommended to water it twice a week. It is important to take into account that wood is afraid of stagnant moisture. Dust should be washed off from the needles periodically.
In order for the spruce to have a lush crown, it needs to be fed. In spring it is recommended to use nitroammophoska. For 1 square meter it is worth using 40 grams of the substance. In October, the crop needs potassium-phosphorus preparations. At 2-3 years you can apply Fertika fertilizer.
To saturate the soil with air, it is important to regularly loosen the tree trunk circle. At the same time, you need to work on the soil carefully, since spruce has a shallow root system. After loosening is completed, it is recommended to cover the soil with a mulch layer. It may be composed of organic or inorganic materials. In the first case, it is worth using hay, bark, pine needles, in the second - sand, film or stones.
To give the spruce the required shape, regular pruning is required. In this case, it is recommended to cut off new shoots, removing 30-70% of their length.
Ways to propagate a tree
Black spruce can be propagated by cuttings. The seed method is also acceptable, but it is considered very labor-intensive and not very effective. In addition, this method does not allow preserving the varietal characteristics of the crop.
Pest Control
El Nana can suffer from the following parasites:
- Spruce-fir hermes. In this case, deformation of the needles is observed and their growth deteriorates. The drugs “Commander” and “Aktara” help to cope with pests.
- Spruce sawfly. When a crop is damaged, young needles on the lateral and apical shoots become reddish-brown and do not fall off for a long time. To avoid problems, the soil in the tree trunk circle should be dug up from time to time. If the tree is severely damaged, it is recommended to use insecticides.
How can you use spruce
Nana is considered a fairly popular variety, which is often used to decorate garden plots. It can be used as a tapeworm or in combination with other dwarf plants. Spruce looks great in a heather garden and in landscape installations in small spaces. Shrubs can also be grown in containers and used to decorate balconies and terraces.
Black spruce Nana is a fairly popular crop that has pronounced decorative properties. For its cultivation to be successful, it is important to strictly follow agrotechnical rules.
