Description of the Weymouth pine variety Blue Shag, its planting and care, application

Weymouth pine of the Blue Shag variety is a very decorative variety of mountain pines, which has a small crown and blue needles. This plant is considered undemanding in terms of growing conditions, but it can hardly withstand air pollution. Therefore, it is not worth planting the crop within the city limits. In order for the cultivation of a plant to be successful, certain rules of agricultural technology must be followed.

What kind of tree is this

According to the description, this coniferous crop is considered to come from North America.In those places it grows in mixed forests near oaks and maples. It can reach 30 centimeters or even more in height.

At a young age, the crown has a pyramidal shape. At an older age, the tree has a spherical crown. This plant first came to the European continent thanks to the English Lord Weymouth. This happened in the first half of the eighteenth century. The popularity of the plant is associated with its long and beautiful needles. The size of the needles can be 13 centimeters.

If the climate is unstable and the temperature is constantly changing, the seeds need to be stratified and, closer to spring, planted in boxes. Blue and grayish needles have a soft structure. Over the years, pine bark acquires a rough structure and becomes covered with reddish cracks.

Where is it used

This type of evergreen plant is often used in landscape design. Pinus strobus Blue Shag pine is often found in parks and alleys. It looks beautiful in combination with tall trees - beech, oak, spruce, fir and many others. This crop also goes well with cereal plants. It can be planted in rocky gardens and rockeries.

Small pine trees can be used to make hedges and give trees any shape and size. Pines of this type are also used to decorate Japanese-style plots. Trees are often shaped in bonsai style.

Small pine trees can be grown in containers. They can be placed anywhere on the site or placed in the house - to decorate the space and saturate it with a pleasant aroma.

Landing instructions

Blue Shag pine requires compliance with planting rules. It includes 2 main stages - preparatory and main. First you need to select seedlings and a place, and then proceed to the planting process.

Selection and preparation of seedlings

The choice of planting material must be treated with extreme care. You should not buy pine seedlings from unverified sellers. In this case, there is a danger that the crop will not have the necessary varietal characteristics.

This type of conifer is considered very common, so it will be quite easy to find it in the store. It is best to buy a plant with closed roots. Its roots should be in a moist environment, and its needles should have a bluish color. It is recommended to move the purchased seedling into the soil immediately after purchase.

Preparing the site

When choosing a planting site, it is recommended to take into account the size of a mature pine tree. It is better to plant this crop in a large area so that it has enough space to develop. It is also worth considering the placement of other crops.

Since Weymouth pine tolerates blister rust, it should not be planted near hawthorn. It is important to maintain the spacing between trees. When planting dwarf pines, the distance between them should be 1.5 meters.

How to plant correctly

To plant a crop you need to do the following:

1. Carefully dig up the area where you plan to plant the tree. It is important to clear the area of ​​weeds, stones and other debris. The culture tolerates loamy or sandy soil well.However, it does not withstand wet clay soil well.
2. Dig a hole. Since the culture is considered a dwarf variety, the depth of the hole should be 70 centimeters. At the same time, its width is affected by the dimensions of the root system.
3. Place a drainage layer on the bottom. It may consist of pebbles, crushed bricks and other similar materials. Drainage is necessary to prevent moisture stagnation around the roots.
4. Add sand to the soil. This will help improve its structure. If the substrate is highly acidic, lime should be added to it.
5. Place the seedling in the hole. In this case, you need to hold the tree with one hand, and lightly pour the nutrient substrate into the hole with the other. It is important to ensure that the root collar of the crop after planting is located at the same level with the ground surface.
6. Water the crop immediately after planting and shade it from direct sunlight for a couple of days.

Further care

In order for the plant to grow and develop normally, it needs to be properly cared for. To do this, it is recommended to adhere to a number of rules.

Watering + fertilizing

Mature plants do not need additional watering, since their root system is fully developed and can obtain water from the deep layers of the soil. Small pines are not yet able to saturate the roots with moisture so well, so they need help with this.

It is important to water this type of pine according to the following rules:

1. The soil should be moistened early in the morning or late in the evening. This will help avoid burns under the scorching rays of the sun.
2. In spring and autumn, pine trees need fairly extensive watering. In autumn, the crop needs support so that it can withstand the winter. In spring, the tree has a weakened root system. At these stages, you need to pour 10-15 liters of water under each tree.It is recommended to moisten young plants at intervals of 2-3 weeks.
3. For irrigation, you should use fresh, not stagnant water. Otherwise, there is a high probability of soil salinization.
4. For pines of this variety, drip irrigation or spraying is more suitable.

This crop responds well to fertilization. It is necessary to feed the crop at the stage of planting the tree. In this case, you need to add humus or nitroammophoska to the planting hole. It is also permissible to feed young plants with combined preparations. Adult cultures no longer need this.

When and why to prune

Weymouth pine usually does not need pruning. Small trees almost always have a high-density decorative crown. It can be oval or spherical. If pruning is necessary, small shoots must be pinched. This will help make the crown more even and attractive.

Preparing for cold weather

This variety is characterized by high frost resistance parameters and does not require additional shelter. But it is better to cover young trees with burlap cloth or use other similar material. The plant belongs to frost hardiness zone 4.

Possible diseases

The most dangerous pathology of Weymouth pine is considered to be blister rust. It is also called tar cancer or seryanka. This disease is of fungal origin. Its development is associated with rust fungus.

The pathology can be identified by the appearance of an orange coating on the needles. When the first signs of a problem appear, you need to get rid of all affected branches. In advanced cases, the plant must be destroyed.

Fungal pathogens often affect gooseberries and currants.These plants are considered intermediate hosts of pathogens. Therefore, the affected bushes should be removed from the site.

To avoid the development of pathologies, in the spring it is necessary to carry out preventive treatment with copper-containing preparations. The most effective means include the following substances:

• "Oxychom";
• "Kuproksat";
• "Home";
• "Skor."

Of the pests, the crop is affected by the following insects:

1. Red-headed sawfly weaver. This pest has blue wings. Caterpillars actively consume needles and make nests from cobwebs and the remains of digested food. In July, the larvae move to the ground surface and pupate there.
2. Pine armyworm is a gray-brown butterfly whose wings measure 3 centimeters. In March, she lays eggs on the bottom of the needles. The caterpillars of this pest are green in color. They actively eat young needles.
3. Brown pine aphid - attacks young shoots. Its spread occurs with the participation of ants. This pest absorbs all the juices of pine needles and young branches.
4. Pine hermes is considered one of the varieties of aphids, which has a complex type of reproduction. This pest absorbs pine sap.
5. Pine subbark bug - penetrates into cracks in the structure of the bark. After this, in areas where pests accumulate, you can see yellow spots, which over time become brown. The bug leads to weakening of the crop and paleness of the needles. Subsequently, the needles simply fall off.

To cope with parasites on pine trees, it is important to use high-quality insecticidal preparations in a timely manner. In this case, you must strictly follow the instructions for their use.

Weymouth Blue Shag pine is a beautiful and unpretentious crop that many gardeners grow.In order for the plant to maintain its decorative properties and develop well, it must be properly cared for. This requires watering the plants in a timely manner, pruning them and preparing them for winter.