The Tompa spruce variety was obtained in 1987 in the Netherlands. This crop has a wide conical crown and is often used in landscape design. Due to its slow growth, the tree is easy to care for and practically does not require formative pruning. Therefore, the culture is often used to decorate rock gardens and rockeries. It can also be combined with juniper and flowering plants.
Description of the variety
The Tompa variety is a dwarf variety of Norway spruce. This crop has a compact cone-shaped crown.The variety is characterized by slow development and by the age of 10 reaches 40 centimeters in height and about the same in width. The growth rate is slightly more than 2.5 centimeters per year. The maximum height of the crop is 1.5-2 meters. Moreover, the diameter of its crown does not exceed 1.5 meters.
Spruce of this variety is considered long-lived. When planted in optimal conditions, the crop is guaranteed to live for more than 50 years. Tompa spruce is characterized by bright green needles. This color lasts throughout the year.
The culture is perfect for growing in the middle zone. In general, the plant is considered very unpretentious and grows well in any soil. It can withstand both increased soil dryness and short-term flooding. However, the best option is considered to be evenly moistened soil without excessive dryness or prolonged stagnation of moisture.
Due to its slow growth rate and compact shape, this spruce variety does not require pruning. If such a need nevertheless arises, it is permissible to remove only a small annual growth. This is recommended to be done at the end of May or beginning of June. The variety is considered very tolerant of air pollution and develops well even in difficult urban conditions.
Distribution area
In its natural environment, this culture is found in the north and center of Europe. In Russia, the plant is usually planted in the middle zone. The fact is that in the southern regions, spruce suffers more from excess moisture and extreme heat.
How to plant
To keep your Tompa spruce healthy and beautiful, you need to adhere to the basic rules of planting and caring for it. To do this, it is recommended to do the following:
- Prepare the seedling. It is recommended to buy planting material from trusted sellers.It is best to give preference to seedlings with closed roots, which are sold in containers. It is important to ensure that there is no noticeable damage to the branches and trunk.
- Make a hole for planting. Its size should be twice the size of a lump of soil. Drainage should be placed at the bottom of the hole.
- Prepare the soil. You can buy a ready-made substrate, but if possible you should make it yourself. To do this, you need to combine 2 parts of turf and leaf soil and 1 part of sand and peat.
- Plant a plant. To do this, the seedling must be carefully removed from the container and placed in the center of the hole so that the root collar is flush with the ground surface. The remaining free space should be covered with soil.
- Water the plant. Immediately after planting, it is recommended to water the tree with 30 liters of water. After the soil has settled, it is worth repeating the moistening. In this case, you should use 10-20 liters of water.
- Mulch the tree trunk circle. In this case, you need to pour the remaining soil mixture around the trunk. It is recommended to do this after the soil has settled.
How to care
Spruce of this variety does not require any special care. At the same time, to preserve the decorative nature of the culture, it is still necessary to carry out certain measures:
- Watering - with normal humidity levels and high-quality mulching, the crop has enough natural moisture. At the same time, it does not require additional watering. However, in dry weather, the spruce needs to be moistened at least once a week. In this case, you need to pour 10 liters of water under the barrel. Irrigation of the crown is of no small importance.
- Feeding – adding nutrients is recommended only from the age of 5 years. To do this, you can use a balanced complex of fertilizers, which is intended for conifers. It is worth feeding the crop no more than 2 times a year.
- Loosening - the procedure is carried out as the soil compacts. To reduce the need for this manipulation, you can resort to mulching the soil.
- Pruning – spruce has weak annual growth, so there is no need to form a crown. In early spring, it is enough to carry out sanitary pruning. It involves removing dry and damaged branches.
- Wintering - Tompa spruce has excellent resistance to frost. It can withstand temperatures down to -40 degrees. Therefore, adult plants do not require insulation. In this case, it is recommended to cover young seedlings with spruce branches.
Reproduction
Tompa spruce seedlings are recommended to be planted in spring or autumn. Before preparing planting material, it must be grown from seeds or obtained by cuttings. Both methods are quite acceptable to use for crop propagation. However, cuttings are considered a more preferable option, since it helps preserve the varietal characteristics of the plant. It is recommended to consider the following:
- Planting material should be harvested from plants that are 5-10 years old.
- It is recommended not to cut the branch, but to tear it off. The heel should remain on it.
- For propagation, a shoot measuring 6-10 centimeters and no older than 1 year is suitable. However, there must be a formed area of the bark on it.
- Cuttings should be immediately planted in a container with prepared substrate.
Threats to the tree
Spruce Tompa may suffer from infections or pest attacks in the following cases:
- violation of care rules;
- infection from other plants;
- excessive soil moisture;
- wrong choice of location;
- incorrectly selected fertilizer complex.
Common diseases that Tompa spruce often encounters include:
- Gray rot - in this case, the shoots change color, becoming gray or black. When such signs appear, the affected fragments must be removed and burned. In this case, the tree must be treated with copper sulfate or fungicides.
- Schutte - this disease is accompanied by the coloring of the needles in a brown tint. In this case, it is necessary to remove the affected shoots and treat the crop with copper-containing preparations.
- Fusarium - with this pathology, the needles become gray and then acquire a brown color. Usually the disease spreads quite quickly, so when signs appear, the plant needs to be dug up and burned.
Among the pests, the crop can suffer from the following insects:
- pine beetle – infects a tree trunk, forming craters;
- mealybug - forms lumps on the tree that look like cotton wool;
- spider mite - entangles shoots with white cobwebs.
Preparations should be selected depending on the type of pest. Most often, insecticides, substances based on colloidal sulfur, or special traps are used to kill parasites.
Importance in landscape design
The culture is perfect for creating coniferous compositions. It can be used to decorate rock gardens or rocky gardens. Plants in containers can be placed around the house or along the edges of paths.
Tompa spruce is an attractive ornamental plant that perfectly complements a variety of compositions. In order for a culture to grow and develop normally, it needs to be properly cared for.
