Blue spruce is a fairly popular ornamental plant that originates from North America. This culture is distinguished by a beautiful coating of needles. Due to this, the tree appears gray-green or bright blue. Due to this, the plant is often used in landscape design. At the same time, sometimes the needles change their color. However, not everyone knows why blue spruce turns green.
What determines the color of wood
The blue color of the needles is associated with the presence of a waxy coating on its surface. To protect against moisture loss and ultraviolet radiation, conifers produce special substances.These include phenolic elements, ascorbic acid, and pigments. Such components not only have protective functions, but also give the tree a blue color.
In autumn, the need for such protection decreases. Therefore, the process of formation of the protective layer slows down. At this time, the blue color becomes less pronounced and the plants acquire a greenish tint. In spring, the formation of a protective layer is activated, and the trees receive a more intense blue color.
Why does he change
Sometimes you may notice that blue spruce has turned green. There may be several reasons for such changes.
Seasonal changes
Natural features are considered one of the main reasons for color changes. So, the shade of the needles depends on the time of year. In summer, spruce trees are blue in color, and by spring they turn green.
Different shades of needles, associated with the age of the shoots, lead to a very unusual appearance of the tree itself. An example is the Bialobok spruce. At certain times of the year its needles have 3 different shades. Immediately after appearance, the needles are white-yellow in color, after a few weeks they become greenish, and subsequently blue. That is why at certain periods of time the Bialobok spruce acquires a three-color color.
Thus, a change in the color of needles does not always indicate problems with the development of culture. In order not to worry about its condition, when purchasing a seedling, you should definitely clarify the features of the development of the crop.
Incorrect feeding
Sometimes the reason for the change in the color of conifers is considered to be violations of the rules of care - in particular, improper application of fertilizers. Spruce trees lose their blue color due to magnesium deficiency. If such a problem occurs, it is recommended to feed the spruce with magnesium sulfate. In this case, 20 grams of the substance should be mixed with 1 bucket of water. It is recommended to water the tree with the resulting solution. This needs to be done at the root. The needles themselves should be sprayed with the growth stimulator “Zircon”. To prepare a useful solution, it is recommended to take 1 gram of the drug per 10 liters of water.
Many fertilizers for conifers include magnesium salts and sulfur. With the help of magnesium, it is possible to avoid changes in the color of the needles, and sulfur has an acidifying effect on the soil. This feature must be taken into account. If the soil on the site is already acidic, then preparations containing sulfur can acidify it too much.
Bad landing site
It is important to consider that the intensity of the bluish tint depends on the location of the crop growing on the site. Almost all conifers with decorative colors prefer well-lit areas. Of course, they will grow in the shade, but gradually the blue color will turn into standard green.
If the wrong choice of planting site has caused the tree to change color, you can transplant it to a more suitable site. The root system of the tree develops in breadth, so you should not dig up the crop along the perimeter of the crown, but retreat another 50 centimeters from it.
It is recommended to carry out the procedure with a pitchfork rather than a shovel. This will help avoid damage to the root system. Thanks to the use of a fork, it will be possible to pull out the spruce with a lump of soil and move it to a new recess for planting.When replanting, it is important to monitor the location of the branches. Southern shoots should again be directed to the south, and northern shoots to the north.
Diseases
Blue spruce trees suffer from a number of diseases. However, they are most often susceptible to fungal infections. The most common pathologies are caused by the fungi Rhizosphaera kalkhoffii and Kabatina.
In addition, blue spruce suffers from the following pathologies:
- Ulcerative cancer - in this case, ulcerative defects and swellings form on the shoots and bark. They interfere with the access of oxygen from the needles.
- Necrosis - in this case, red growths form on the trunk and shoots. Over time, they provoke the complete death of the tree.
- Schutte is a rather dangerous fungal disease. At the same time, brown chute is distinguished in early spring, ordinary, which occurs at the end of spring, and snowy, which develops in autumn.
- Tracheomycosis - provokes damage to the roots of spruce.
To avoid the development of dangerous pathologies, you must adhere to the following rules:
- spray and water the plant with fungicides;
- use medications containing copper;
- remove affected branches;
- destroy diseased plants;
- sprinkle the tree trunk circle with ash.
How to stop it
In order for spruce needles to maintain their attractive appearance, the tree needs to be properly cared for. To do this you should do the following:
- Make sure the spruce is located in a well-lit area with good drainage.
- Use enough water to maintain optimal soil moisture. In this case, the tree trunk circle should be covered with mulch. This will help retain moisture longer.
- Apply magnesium-based products under the tree. Magnesium sulfate can be used for feeding.To do this, 20 grams of the substance must be mixed with 1 bucket of water and watered at the root of the plant.
Blue spruce is a fairly common ornamental crop that is often used to decorate garden plots. In order for the tree to maintain the attractive color of its needles, it is important to strictly follow all agrotechnical recommendations.
