Mountain pine is one of the most popular types of conifers, valued by many gardeners and landscape designers. This is due to the compact size of the crop and high decorative properties. The plant retains its rich green color throughout the year and has a pleasant aroma. For a crop to remain decorative, it needs to be properly cared for.
Detailed description
This type of pine is more common in the north and south of Europe. The culture is characterized by a spherical shape. Under natural conditions, the plant is presented in the form of a tree, while in garden plots it is usually grown as a shrub. The height of the crop can reach 8 meters, while the size of the bush usually does not exceed 4.5 meters.
The plant is characterized by beautiful green needles, forming small bunches. Their lifespan is approximately 5 years. The culture is distinguished by branched and superficial roots. Mature plants are covered with small cones. They are characterized by a brown color and reach a length of 4-5 centimeters.
Despite the fact that there are many types of mountain pines with certain characteristics, it is worth highlighting their universal characteristics:
- resistance to frost and drought;
- resistance to gusts of wind;
- undemanding to soil composition;
- high strength of branches;
- significant life expectancy - it can reach up to 1000 years;
- resistance to parasite attacks;
- resistance to air pollution;
- pruning tolerance.
The plant has excellent decorative properties. Due to this, it is often used in landscape design. The culture can be used to decorate alpine slides and rockeries. It is used as a tapeworm or combined with other plants.
Popular varieties
Today there are many types of mountain pines, each of which has certain characteristics.
Varella
This variety has an unusual spherical crown. It is characterized by very slow growth. By the age of 10, the size of the tree is no more than 70 centimeters in height and 50 centimeters in diameter. Mature plants do not exceed 1.5 meters in height.Moreover, their diameter can be 1.2 meters.
This variety is characterized by dark green needles. Another feature is considered to be high resistance to frost. Pine can tolerate temperatures down to -35 degrees.
Pinus mugo gnome
This variety is medium in size. It reaches 2.5 meters in height, and 1.5-2 in diameter. A young crop usually grows first in width, after which it begins to stretch in height. It is characterized by dark green needles and slow development. The culture can withstand temperatures down to -40 degrees.
Winter gold
This variety is considered dwarf. It grows in the form of a spherical shrub. A distinctive feature of the plant is the change in color of the needles depending on the time of year. In spring and summer, the needles have a green tint, and in the fall they turn yellow-brown. The bush reaches a height of approximately 50 centimeters, and its diameter is 1 meter.
Pinus Columnaris
This variety of mountain pine is often used in landscape design. It goes well with rocks and stones. The height of the plant can reach 2 meters, and the diameter - 2.5. The needles are distinguished by pointed tips and dark green color.
Pinus mugo Compact
This species is characterized by slow growth. In addition, its crown has a cushion shape. Throughout the year, the needles are characterized by a rich green color.
Pinus mugo mughus
This plant is found in the Eastern Alps. It also grows on the Balkan Peninsula. The culture is a massive shrub that can reach a height of 5 meters. The plant initially has yellow-brown cones. But as they ripen, they acquire a brown color.
Pinus mops
This dwarf variety does not exceed 1.5 meters in height.The culture is characterized by short branches with small needles, the length of which is 4.5 centimeters. The needles are dark green in color and develop slowly. The plant has good resistance to frost and can withstand temperatures down to -45 degrees.
Pinus mugo pumilio
This small plant is decorated with very thick needles. The needles are distinguished by a rich green tint and high rigidity. The culture is small in size and does not exceed 1.5 meters in height. It is characterized by wide cone-shaped cones that appear on the branches 7 years after planting. The plant can hardly tolerate very wet and dense soil. At the same time, it can be safely grown in urban conditions.
Pinus ophir
This decorative variety is decorated with rich green needles. At the same time, in winter it acquires a brown-yellow color. The crown has a rounded shape and high density. The tree is compact in size and does not exceed 2 meters in height. The culture is considered to be quite light-loving and is resistant to drought.
Litomysl
This dwarf variety has a relatively tall trunk. Moreover, the height of its crown does not exceed 50 centimeters. The plant is often grown at home. In 1 year it increases by a maximum of 30 millimeters. The crop can hardly withstand stagnation of moisture in the roots.
Pinus mugo chaochao
This plant has dense and tough needles that grow on the branches in the form of bunches. It is often grown in garden plots because it synthesizes phytoncides. These substances suppress the activity of pathogenic bacteria. This variety is considered very unpretentious. However, for comfortable development of the crop, it must be planted in a well-lit area.
Correct fit
In order for pine to retain its bright shade and pine aroma all year round, it must be planted correctly. A well-lit and open area is suitable for this. The composition of the soil is of no small importance. It is advisable to give preference to well-drained sandy or sandy loam soil.
If the soil on the site is too heavy, it is worth laying high-quality drainage at the bottom. The thickness of this layer should be 20 centimeters. In order for a young seedling to adapt to new conditions, when planting it, you must adhere to the following rules:
- Choose a suitable place in the garden. Between several plants, a minimum distance of 4 meters is required.
- Make not very large depressions in the soil. Their dimensions should be 80x80 centimeters.
- It is good to loosen the bottom of the recess for planting.
- For quick adaptation and good development, place compost on the bottom. It is important to consider that the thickness of such a layer should not be more than 20 centimeters.
- Mix the fertilizer with regular soil.
- Place the seedling in the hole and fill the voids with the prepared substrate. It is important to ensure that the root collar is flush with the ground surface.
- Make a side out of soil. Thanks to this, moisture will remain in the tree trunk circle.
Care
In order for a plant to have normal size, fully develop and retain its decorative properties, it needs to be provided with high-quality care. It is important to adhere to these recommendations:
- Moisten the soil in a timely manner. In summer, this is done at intervals of 3 days, in winter - a maximum of 1 time.
- Apply fertilizers. Immediately after planting, it is worth feeding the mountain pine with a growth stimulant, which will help it form roots. Subsequently, it is permissible to use a complex drug.
- Loosen the soil and mulch the soil. Loosening cannot be considered a mandatory procedure, but many summer residents carry it out after winter.
- Trim the plant. Mountain pine tolerates shearing normally. However, it is permissible to cut no more than a third of the tree at a time. The procedure is carried out once a year.
Mountain spruces are resistant to frost. Therefore, specific preparation of crops for winter is not required. It is important to limit watering or avoid it altogether. It is allowed to replant pine in March - immediately after the snow melts. In this case, it is worth using the same substrate.
Pest Control
Mountain pine is resistant to parasites. However, sometimes the crop still suffers from attacks by pine scale insects. They most often attack Scots pine, but the mountain variety is also under threat. These are fairly small insects no larger than 2 millimeters in size. They usually settle on the underside of the needles. As a result, the affected needles become brown and fall off. The pine scale insect especially loves trees that are 3-5 years old.
Ways to propagate a tree
Plant propagation can be done in different ways - by seeds, cuttings or grafting. The specific method should be chosen depending on the variety. The easiest way to propagate the crop is by seeds. However, they can be planted in open soil or in a box. The use of a home greenhouse is also permitted. It is best to carry out planting work in the spring.It is important to consider that seeds can only be planted a couple of years after pollination.
When planting, it is recommended to maintain an interval of 5 centimeters between bushes. After which the container should be covered with film. The first shoots appear after 1 month. At this stage, it is necessary to remove the film and arrange systematic watering of the plant. After about 1-2 years, it is recommended to plant the plants in open soil.
Cuttings are considered not the most successful method for mountain pine. It takes a long time for a tree to develop roots. However, this does not always happen. If cuttings are still carried out, it is recommended to do the following:
- Take cuttings from young bushes. They need to be trimmed with part of the bark.
- Place the prepared cuttings in a container with water and leave for 3 days. It is also permissible to use a special solution to stimulate the development of the root system.
- Plant the cuttings in the prepared box at intervals of 10 centimeters.
- Use a greenhouse to develop roots.
Grafting is the most complex and labor-intensive method of spruce propagation. It is usually used by experienced gardeners or landscape designers. This method helps preserve the varietal qualities of the crop.
Mountain pine is a popular plant that fits well into a variety of landscape compositions and releases phytoncides into the air. Therefore, the crop is often grown in summer cottages or used to decorate public gardens and parks. In order for the plant to always retain its decorative properties, it is important to carry out planting work correctly and provide it with complete and high-quality care.
