Blue spruce is a very attractive ornamental plant that is often used in landscape design. This sympathetic culture looks great in different areas of the site - in the center, on the outskirts or near the entrance to the house. However, getting a truly beautiful tree is not so easy. Regular pruning of blue spruce will help with this.
Why prune a tree
The main purpose of pruning blue spruce is to change the shape of its crown. This is done in order to get lush branches.In addition, it is recommended to carry out sanitary pruning, which involves removing broken and dry branches.
If a person overdoes it in trying to make the spruce more luxuriant, he can remove the excess density by pruning. Thanks to this care, it will be possible to ensure that light enters the crown structure, preventing the development of fungal infections and parasite attacks.
Carrying out a decorative haircut will help make the plantings more interesting. This procedure will give the tree a complex spiral or spherical shape. Thanks to its slow growth, blue spruce can maintain the appearance of its crown for an extremely long time.
When to do it
Sanitary pruning can be carried out from time to time - this is done when the crown grows. However, the older the tree, the more often it has to be trimmed. Thus, a plant 2.5 meters high will grow by 50 centimeters in 1 year, while the growth of a four-meter spruce will be 70-100 centimeters.
It is best to trim the spruce at the end of summer. In autumn, pruning can also be carried out, but in this case it is important that the overgrowth of the cuttings lasts until the cold weather. The next sanitary pruning will be carried out in early spring - before the buds begin to develop. To form young trees up to 3-5 years old, they should not be pruned, but pinched. In this case, tender shoots must be removed during the entire development - until the beginning of June.
Pruning rules
To ensure a successful haircut, it is recommended to treat all tools with disinfectants. To do this, you can use alcohol, potassium permanganate or hydrogen peroxide. It is important to follow the step-by-step instructions. This will help avoid disruption of the crown structure and needle growth rates.
Topping
To get a more lush and dense tree crown, you need to pinch it.This procedure should be carried out at the beginning of summer, when the development of young shoots stops. If you trim the crown too late, new buds will not have time to appear before the onset of cold weather. Therefore, their formation will be carried out only in the spring.
To pinch a spruce you need to do the following:
- Break out the candles completely.
- Trim small shoots using pruning shears.
- Remove large shoots. This can be done with a hacksaw or garden saw.
Formation
It is recommended to form blue spruce in mid-summer. When carrying out work in winter or late autumn, the areas that remain after removing branches will suffer from frost. There is also a risk of crown growth stopping. Most often, formation is carried out when the top of the tree is damaged.
To carry out the procedure, you must do the following:
- Remove the top part to the developed side branch.
- Tie a tight strip to the trunk. With its help you can make the top part smoother. This will help her stay upright at all times.
What is sanitary pruning
In order for the crop to develop better, it is important to systematically perform sanitary pruning. It is recommended to inspect trees from time to time for weakened or damaged branches and remove them in a timely manner. If this is not done, there is a risk of spruce being damaged by fungi.
To perform sanitary pruning you need to do the following:
- Examine the tree carefully.
- If broken or damaged branches are identified, they must be carefully removed with a saw.
- The cut areas do not need to be treated, since coniferous crops secrete resin, which helps to achieve the desired degree of tightness.
How to care after pruning
After pruning your blue spruce, it is important to provide it with quality care.It affects the quality and speed of tree restoration. First of all, it is worth establishing the correct watering and fertilizing regime. It is also important to periodically apply growth stimulants.
Watering and fertilizing
After pruning blue spruce, sprinkling is required. This means that it is recommended to pour water not only into the tree trunk, but also onto the crown. The wood needs to be moistened evenly. Spruce cannot withstand drought or waterlogging. A minimum of 40 liters of water must be poured under each tree. This should be done at intervals of 3 weeks.
To speed up the process of crop restoration before frost, you should use strong growth stimulants. To do this, it is recommended to pour a mixture of 50 grams of “Epin” and 10 liters of water onto the crown, and apply a mixture of 30 grams of “Zircon” and 10 liters of water under the root.
The plant needs to be fed exclusively at the end of October. Thanks to this, it will be possible to increase the frost resistance of a weakened crop. To do this, you need to use a mixture of 100 grams of superphosphate and 10 liters of water.
Loosening
It is recommended to loosen the soil before each watering. Blue spruce is characterized by a fairly developed root system. Therefore, it is permissible to cultivate the soil to a depth of 10 centimeters. It is also recommended to remove weeds every week, which can disrupt the development of the root system and cause the development of pathologies and pest attacks.
To further protect the tree from frost, it is recommended to mulch the soil. To do this, you need to lay out a layer of sawdust, fallen leaves or straw. Its size should be 15 centimeters.
Blue spruce pruning is considered an important maintenance procedure that helps achieve excellent results.With the help of timely and regular pruning, it is possible to give the plant a beautiful shape and avoid the development of dangerous diseases and pest attacks. At the same time, it is important to carry out pruning according to the rules and provide the crop with careful care after completion of the procedure.
