Montgomery spruce was developed in 1934 in the USA. Its author is the breeder Montgomery, in whose honor the culture received its name. The culture is distinguished by its excellent decorative properties. It looks very impressive in rocky gardens, lawns or lawns. Since spruce grows quite slowly and has an attractive needle color, it can be used to decorate any courtyards or front gardens.
Description of the tree
Montgomery prickly spruce is a winter-hardy dwarf species of the Glauca group. A distinctive feature of the plant is its slow development.Over the course of a year, the tree grows a maximum of 6-7 centimeters. Mature plants reach a height of 1.5 meters and a width of 1.8.
The culture is distinguished by a squat, rounded crown. In this case, the branches of the plant are characterized by a uniform arrangement. They are quite densely covered with needles. The needles are sharp and slightly crescent-shaped. They reach 3 centimeters in length and have a silver-blue color.
The tree is considered quite light-loving. It can also develop in shady places, but in this case the color darkens a little. The culture needs loose and nutritious soil. It should be sufficiently moist and at the same time have good drainage. Montgomery spruce does not tolerate excess moisture, drought, or soil compaction. In hot weather, the crop requires sprinkling of the crown.
Montgomery spruce has the following advantages:
- attractive color of needles;
- compact dimensions;
- no need for frequent watering;
- frost resistance;
- possibility of growing in different climates;
- good adaptation to urban conditions;
- resistance to strong winds.
Application
According to the description, Montgomery spruce is used in landscape design. When planting crops along the paths, you will be able to get a beautiful coniferous hedge. This crop is also perfect for decorating alpine slides.
Due to its compact size, spruce can be used as a New Year's tree. To do this, it needs to be planted in the most visible place in the yard. The culture is often combined with other plants - it looks best with deciduous shrubs.
Landing
In order for Montgomery spruce to develop well and maintain its decorative properties, it is important to plant it correctly.
Selection and preparation of a site
When choosing a place to plant a Montgomery spruce, there are a number of features to consider.First of all, it is important to consider the direction of the wind. The spruce itself tolerates gusts well. At the same time, it can obscure varieties that are more susceptible to drafts.
Preparation of the landing site is of no small importance. First you need to get rid of the weeds. Then you need to dig up the soil. If there are doubts about the drainage properties of the soil, you need to make a depression 35 centimeters in size, fill it with water and let it drain. Then you need to pour water again. In a well-drained substrate it will go away in 2 hours.
Step-by-step instruction
To plant a spruce you need to do the following:
- Prepare a hole for planting. It should be twice the size of a lump of soil.
- Remove the spruce from the container. To do this, carefully lift the barrel.
- Place the root system with a ball of soil in the hole in the same way as the tree was placed in the nursery.
- Fill the hole with substrate.
- Water the seedling generously. It is permissible to add a root growth stimulator to the water. This will speed up the rooting process.
- Cover the tree trunk circle with a mulch layer. To do this, you should use sawdust or pine needles.
How to properly care
In the first year after planting, the tree requires systematic watering. This is due to the fact that underdeveloped roots are not able to absorb much moisture. Subsequently, it is permissible to water the spruce less often. In dry weather it should be moistened 2 times a week.
Mature trees do not need to be fed.However, young plants should be provided with nutrients. This will help speed up their growth. To do this, in spring and autumn it is worth adding nitroammophoska to the soil. In October, it is recommended to use preparations based on potassium and phosphorus.
Montgomery spruce has a very decorative crown. Therefore, formative pruning is not required. However, this crop definitely requires sanitary pruning. In this case, it is worth removing dry and pathologically affected shoots.
The culture is resistant to frost, so it can withstand almost any climatic conditions. The plant can tolerate temperatures down to -40 degrees. In winter, it is enough to shake off the snow from the spruce branches. This will help prevent them from being damaged.
How to protect yourself from diseases
Montgomery spruce is characterized by fairly strong immunity. However, sometimes she suffers from the following pathologies:
- Schutte needles - accompanied by a change in the color of the needles. At first they become covered with black dots, and then acquire a red or brown color. To prevent the development of pathology, it is important to avoid high humidity and not place plants very close. For treatment it is worth using “Falcon” or “Quadris”.
- Fusarium - this pathology provokes withering of shoots. In this case, the crown acquires a red-red hue. To cope with the disease, it is important to normalize watering and remove infected shoots. It is also worth using copper fungicides "Fundazol" or "Strobe".
- Apical diplodia - appears in early spring. At the same time, the tips of the shoots bifurcate, and resin begins to be released from them. Initially, the pathology affects the lower branches. However, then it spreads. Will help cope with pathology drug "Quadris".
Montgomery spruce is an attractive crop that is actively used to decorate summer cottages and parks. In order for the plant to retain its decorative properties, it is important to choose the right place for planting and provide the tree with proper care.
