Norway spruce Frohburg is a very common crop that is often used in landscape design. This plant is used to decorate parks and squares. They also actively decorate garden plots. For the cultivation of a crop to be successful, it needs to be provided with complete and high-quality care. It should include timely moistening of the soil, application of fertilizers, and pruning.
Detailed description of the tree
Norway spruce Frohburg is an upright growing form of the European variety. This culture is characterized by the presence of a pronounced conductor trunk and weeping shoots. The plant has a uniformly developed narrow crown. By the age of 10, the tree grows up to 2 meters in height. Near the ground, the shoots form a small expansion of the crown from branches that almost lie on the ground. Thanks to this, the spruce looks very decorative.
This conifer variety is characterized by rather slow growth. Over the course of a year, the tree grows by a maximum of 10 centimeters. At the same time, the needles have a uniform green color. It is short and tough.
The cones are large and hang from the branches. They are characterized by a cylindrical elongated or ovoid shape. Young fruits are greenish-purple in color, but become brownish-brown as they ripen.
The shoots of the tree hang down and reach all the way to the ground, forming a beautiful trail. An undoubted advantage of the culture is shade tolerance. However, the plant develops much better in well-lit areas. The tree puts forward average requirements for the composition of the soil. The culture prefers fresh and well-drained substrate. It is best to give preference to loam and sandy loam soil.
The main advantages of Frohburg spruce include the following:
- high resistance to frost;
- decorative crown;
- undemanding to growing conditions;
- Possibility of use for landscaping.
Where is it used?
The weeping Frohburg spruce looks original and impressive.That’s why it is often used in landscape design. At the same time, experts in this field, as a rule, try to focus on the plant. That's why they use the tree as a tapeworm.
In this case, the main trunk of the tree should be tied to a support, and the growing long shoots should be left to spread along the ground. Thanks to this, an unusual green carpet is created around the tree, which looks quite impressive. This type of culture formation is called umbrella.
Sometimes Frohburg spruce is used to create group compositions. It can be used to decorate rock gardens, rock gardens, and heather gardens. The plant fits harmoniously into the Japanese sekitei. But in this case, Froburg needs to be used as the main accent of the composition.
In addition, there is another option for planting spruce of this variety. It involves the formation of a group of weeping crops. Among them, a coniferous plant always looks very impressive.
Thanks to the compact size of the Frohburg spruce, it can be used to decorate relatively small areas. Even if space is very limited, the tree will still be able to find a suitable place. To do this, the crop can not be planted in the ground, but left to develop in a container. This will make it possible to independently regulate the development of spruce.
Landing instructions
In order for the tree to develop normally and look decorative, it is important to carry out planting work correctly. It is recommended to pay attention to choosing a location and preparing a hole for the seedling.
Buying quality planting material is also of great importance. It is recommended to buy Frohburg spruce seedlings from a specialized nursery. It is advisable to do this close to your site. Thanks to this, the spruce will take root much faster.It is best to replant spruce when it is 3-4 years old. In this case, the adaptation of the seedling will be as simple and fast as possible.
When choosing a seedling, you need to pay attention to the appearance of the root system. Young shoots should be present on it. It is important that the roots have a white-pink color. The needles should be bright and juicy. The crown cannot have dry or damaged needles.
Selecting a location
Frohburg spruce is recommended to be planted only in certain places. This will ensure the full development of the culture and the preservation of its decorative properties. When choosing a place to plant a crop, you should consider the following criteria:
- Lighting should be bright enough and at the same time uniform. In partial shade, spruce trees develop too slowly and do not look very decorative. Uniform lighting is required for the growth of a symmetrical crown.
- Location – spruce should be planted in an open area, since its creeping shoots require free space. Wind protection is also of great importance. Its presence on the north side is especially important.
- The distance from other trees and buildings must be at least 3 meters. However, it is better to maintain a larger interval so that the lower branches can spread beautifully on the surface of the soil.
- Depth of groundwater - it is important that this parameter is at least 1 meter. Spruce trees cannot withstand stagnant moisture and swampy soil.
- Environmental friendliness - spruce of this variety develops with difficulty in conditions of gas or dust in the air. Therefore, this crop is not recommended to be planted in megacities. It is not planted near busy highways or industrial facilities. In such places it is recommended to place less demanding varieties.
Well preparation
Frohburg spruce is considered relatively undemanding in terms of soil composition. However, for full development and maximum decorativeness, the plant is not recommended to be planted in saline or waterlogged soil. When choosing a planting site, it is worth considering good drainage. Loamy or sandy loam soil is considered a suitable option for this crop.
For planting spruce of this variety, it is not recommended to use areas with dense and heavy alumina. In this case, the tree will not fully develop. When planting spruce in a poor and clayey substrate, it is worth introducing a special mixture into the planting hole, which is intended for coniferous crops. It is also possible to make the substrate yourself. To do this, it is recommended to combine the soil with sand, peat and mineral fertilizers.
A seedling purchased in a container can be planted at any time of the year, including winter. This is due to the fact that the root system of the crop is reliably protected by a lump of soil. In this case, it is necessary to place a drainage layer at the bottom of the recess. It can consist of crushed brick, expanded clay, gravel. The thickness of the drainage should be 15-20 centimeters.
How to plant correctly
To plant a crop correctly, you need to read the descriptions of specialists. It is important to do the following:
- Prepare a hole for planting and add a drainage layer to the bottom.It can consist of crushed stone, expanded clay, crushed brick.
- Sprinkle a little prepared fertile substrate onto the drainage.
- Carefully remove the seedling from the container and place it in the hole.
- Add substrate to the sides of the earth clod and compact well.
- After planting is complete, water the tree thoroughly.
- After water has been absorbed, the tree trunk circle needs to be covered with peat. It is also permissible to use other organic materials.
Aftercare
Norway spruce Frohburg is considered a relatively unpretentious tree. Therefore, it is easy to care for her. Young seedlings are considered an exception. They need to be protected from frost and direct sunlight. To prevent the needles from turning yellow, it is recommended to shade young trees.
The main difficulties in growing plants are the risks of developing pathologies or pest attacks. Among the parasites, spruce suffers from aphids, moths, and moths. The crop is also often affected by leaf rollers, weevils, and sawflies. It is important to identify pests in time in order to carry out timely treatment with folk remedies or biological preparations.
The same rule can be applied to the main diseases of spruce. The crop often suffers from Fusarium, Schutte, and various types of rot. It is also susceptible to bark necrosis and rust. It is important to be able to detect pathology in time. When symptoms are detected, fungicidal preparations must be used.
The rest of the agricultural techniques for caring for the crop are very standard. It needs to be watered and fed in a timely manner. It is also recommended to periodically carry out sanitary pruning of the plant.
Watering and fertilizing
Under natural conditions, the crop grows in dense plantings. This means that water remains under its crown for a long time. At the same time, twilight ensures constant and very high air humidity.
Achieving such an effect on a summer cottage is not easy. At the same time, moisture deficiency leads to the fact that the spruce dries out and loses its decorative properties. To avoid such problems, it is recommended to water the crop in a timely manner. During dry periods, this procedure should be carried out at least once a week. In this case, 1-1.5 buckets of water are required for each plant. Systematic spraying of needles is of no small importance.
After watering, the soil always needs to be loosened. However, it is important to carry out this procedure carefully, since the spruce roots are located quite close to the surface. The optimal depth of exposure is 5-6 centimeters.
Mulching the soil is considered a very useful procedure. For this purpose, it is recommended to use pine bark or pine needles. In this case, it is even permissible to bring the substrate from the forest. If this is not possible, it is recommended to use sand or peat.
When mulching the soil, loosening should be carried out several times during the season. In this case, the mulch must be incorporated into the soil, and then the covering layer must be renewed. This will help saturate the soil with nutrients.
As for fertilizing, spruce does not require frequent feeding. When growing this variety, it is enough to apply a complex preparation for conifers 2 times per season. It can be bought in specialized stores.
The most effective means that can be used in such situations include “Brexil”, “Agronomist Profi”, “Clean Slate”. Vila, Biopon, Agrecol are considered effective drugs.
Organic fertilizing is not required. Such substances enter the soil during the gradual decay of the mulch.To speed up this process, it is permissible to add special stimulants to the soil - in particular, humic acids, or humates.
When choosing complex mineral fertilizers for conifers, it is worth considering some features. Such products should include a minimum of nitrogen. In addition, the presence of magnesium in a special form, which is easily absorbed by plants, is of great importance.
In addition to root fertilizers, coniferous crops must be fed by spraying. For this purpose, it is recommended to use special products - in particular, Helatin, Ferrylene, Fertis. “Lush needles” is considered an equally effective drug. Such substances usually contain iron chelate. Thanks to this component, spruce needles acquire a bright green color and attractive shine.
Tree pruning
Frohburg spruce does not require formative pruning. This variety in general does not take well to pruning. After such a procedure, he requires a long recovery period. Therefore, it is important to remove only dry and diseased branches. This procedure is called sanitary pruning.
For the event to be successful, it is important to strictly adhere to the recommended timing. Conifers should be trimmed in late spring or early summer. During this period, vegetation processes remain quite active, but the first spurt of development is already behind us.
Preparing for winter
Spruce of the Frohburg variety is characterized by a high degree of resistance to frost. The tree can withstand temperatures dropping to -35 degrees quite well. Therefore, it can be safely classified as climate zone 4. If the plant is planted correctly, it does not need additional protection for the winter.
At the same time, young seedlings often suffer from spring return frosts. They are dangerous because after the first warming, which caused the start of sap flow, the temperature began to drop sharply. The fact is that during the hibernation period, vegetative processes in plant tissues slow down significantly, and therefore even severe frosts do not harm the crop. After waking up, even a slight cold snap can cause frostbite.
To protect young spruce trees from return frosts, they need to be insulated. For this, it is recommended to use burlap or white agricultural fiber. Also for this purpose it is permissible to use any other material that allows air to pass through well. It is important to consider that the shelter should be light. Otherwise, the insulated bark will begin to rot under the sun's rays.
The tree trunk circle should be covered with spruce branches to protect it from frost. In spring, such material will provide additional protection against moisture evaporation. In addition, as the spruce branches rot, they will saturate the soil with useful organic matter, which will bring great benefits to the plant.
Frohburg spruce is a popular ornamental crop that has an unusual appearance. In order for this plant to develop normally and maintain its attractiveness, it is important to carry out planting work correctly and provide the tree with careful care. Of particular importance for the crop is timely moistening of the soil and sprinkling of the crown. It is also worth periodically loosening the soil and adding nutrients.
