Spruce of the Gold Drift variety is an amazingly beautiful plant that has an unusual yellow color. At the same time, the young growth is distinguished by a bright shade of lime. Another original feature of the culture is the weeping shape of its crown. If you tie up the central conductor, you will be able to get a tall weeping tree. The crop is also grown as a ground cover crop. This allows it to be used for landscaping.
Wood appearance
According to the description, Gold Drift spruce is a very unusual weeping variety that has a small trunk and drooping branches.Depending on the care, this crop is capable of lowering its branches all the way to the ground.
The name of the spruce is translated as “golden drift” and fully corresponds to the appearance of the culture. The branches descend from the top of the trunk like a golden stream. At 10 years old, the spruce reaches a height of 1.5 meters. When growing a crop for decorative purposes at this height, its growth can be stopped.
If you lead the crown vertically, you will be able to grow the trunk up to 3 meters in height. The diameter of the crown is 2 meters. The needles are yellow in color and reach a length of 2 centimeters. It is located on descending shoots that can cover the trunk to the ground and even spread a little over the surface of the earth.
The main advantages of this culture include the following:
- high decorative characteristics;
- low maintenance requirements;
- belonging to the third group of winter hardiness - this means that the crop is able to withstand temperatures down to -4 degrees;
- no need for pruning;
- high degree of drought resistance - this crop can survive for a long time without watering.
The only disadvantage of Gold Drift spruce is the need for spring and autumn preventive treatment with preparations containing copper.
Application in landscape design
This variety is grown as a ground cover plant or placed on a trunk. The unusual golden needles make the tree especially decorative. As a culture develops, it becomes more weepy.
Since Gold Drift spruce is compact in size, it is well suited for decorating small areas, alpine gardens and park areas. The crop contrasts beautifully with the green of the lawn grass and gravel.
How to plant correctly
Norway spruce Gold Drift can be planted in early spring or mid-autumn. For this, it is recommended to use nutrient soil. Loam would be a suitable option. Experts advise carrying out planting work in the spring. This will give the spruce the opportunity to adapt to the new environment and take root before the onset of cold weather. At the same time, autumn planting helps to avoid the summer heat and continue its development in the spring.
Spruce of the Gold Drift variety can also be planted in a spacious container. This makes it possible to periodically change her place of residence on the site.
To plant a crop, you need to prepare a hole in advance and select a seedling. The planting hole should be larger than the spruce root system. This will help place the plant in the recess and not injure its root system. A drainage layer must be placed at the bottom of the hole. For this, it is permissible to use vermiculite or small pebbles. This will allow excess moisture to be removed.
When buying a seedling, you definitely need to pay attention to its root system. Germinating spruce in overly fertile soil makes the roots too thick. Subsequently, this provokes deterioration of moisture removal and rotting of the roots.
To plant a spruce of this variety, you need to perform the following steps:
- Remove park grass and weeds from the planting site.
- Make a planting hole. Its diameter should be 60-80 centimeters, and its depth should be 80.
- Place drainage at the bottom. Its thickness should be at least 15 centimeters.
- Sprinkle the drainage with a third of the soil from the container. It is also permissible to use ordinary garden substrate for this purpose.
- Place the seedling in the hole. It is recommended to do this strictly vertically. The top of the plant needs to be sprinkled with a mixture of soil from the container and garden substrate. In this case, the soil level should be several centimeters above the root collar.
- Gently compact the soil and pour 10 liters of water under the plant.
Care requirements
In order for the spruce to develop normally and maintain its decorative appearance, it needs to be provided with high-quality care. The Gold Drift variety requires moderate but regular watering. It is usually recommended to pour 10 liters of cool water under the root every other day. At the same time, it is worth carrying out drip irrigation of the needles every 2-3 days.
After heavy rainfall, it is not recommended to rush with watering. It is important that the soil dries out by 1-2 centimeters. Only after this should you begin to further moisten the soil.
It is necessary to prune the crop for sanitary purposes or when the crown is very thick. It is recommended to do this with a sharp knife or pruning shears. The procedure is carried out in early spring or late autumn.
It is not recommended to feed spruce. The addition of nutrients will accelerate the uneven development of the crop in height and width. This will lead to a deterioration in decorative properties, thickening of the crown, and thickening of the trunk.
Preparing the crop for winter is of no small importance. Since spruce of this variety is distinguished by flowing branches, it will not be possible to tie the shoots to the trunk for the winter. In this case, it is quite acceptable to cover the tree with a cover made of cotton material and tie it with ropes in 2-3 tiers. This method is used for several years after planting. Subsequently, the spruce becomes stronger and can cope with the cold on its own.
Spruce Gold Drift is a very decorative and low-maintenance variety. Therefore, anyone can grow it. Compositions from such trees will be an excellent decoration for any garden or park. In order for the spruce to retain its decorative properties for as long as possible, it needs to be properly cared for.
