Blue spruce is increasingly seen in garden plots. Thanks to its unpretentiousness, resistance to diseases and the whims of nature, it is quite easy to grow this tree. The cost of ready-made spruce seedlings is high, so it is easier and cheaper to grow a young tree yourself. Today I will share with you how to do this.
Preparation of planting material
Determining the variety
In city squares, we most often see large spreading trees growing up to 5-6 meters. It is not very convenient to plant such trees on your site. A bulky plant will shade other plantings. And the Christmas tree will look unaesthetic in a small area. It is best to choose varieties of low-growing spruces, the height of which does not exceed 1.5 m.
Harvesting twigs
The best time for cutting blue spruce is considered to be spring, the first decade of May. Choose a young, healthy plant. Before picking up the planting material, carefully inspect the tree. Do not take bushes with dark needles and other signs of illness. We harvest branches for planting with a size of 10-15 cm. The cuttings are separated from the spruce so that part of the mother tree remains on them. It is undesirable to keep the prepared branches outdoors for a long time. It is necessary to place them in a solution that stimulates root formation as soon as possible, for at least 2-3 hours. After that, the cuttings are planted in the soil.
Rooting methods
Stocked blue spruce cuttings can be grown in several ways.
- Planting seedlings in greenhouses.
- Sprouting in the refrigerator.
- Layer-by-layer rooting method.
- Growing on a windowsill.
Cuttings of blue spruce in a greenhouse
When planting a cuttings in the soil of a greenhouse, it is important to observe the temperature regime of both air and soil, as well as the level of humidity. The greenhouse should be warm enough and the thermometer should not drop below 13 ° C. The optimum air and ground temperature is + 20 + 25 ° С. Saplings must be planted at a distance of 20-25 cm from each other. Spruce loves well-drained soil, therefore drainage is placed at the bottom of the planting hole: expanded clay, crushed stone, broken brick. This will avoid rotting branches. Next, a layer of nutrient soil is placed and a layer of sand of 3-5 cm on top. Each stalk is deepened 4-5 cm at an angle of 30 °.
Rooting in the refrigerator
In order to get the desired roots from the seedling, it is necessary, after separation from the tree, to put it in water for an hour and a half. Clean sand is poured into a dense plastic bag, into which cuttings are placed to a depth of 2-3 cm. The package is stored in the refrigerator for 2 weeks, after which the seedlings are transferred to the greenhouse.
Using the layered method
If it is not possible to plant a tree in the ground, you can use the following method. Prepare the stalk, remove the branches at the base and treat the trunk with a stimulant powder. The branches are wrapped in two layers. The first is a piece of cotton fabric 15 cm wide, the second is paper towels or napkins. Both layers are properly moistened and folded together. Place the processed branches on a wet paper towel and twist them with a ribbon so that they are wrapped in a wet cloth. Place the twist in the bag and keep it in a shaded place. It is necessary that the cuttings are always moist.
Planting a tree on a windowsill
You can root blue spruce seedlings in an ordinary flower pot on the windowsill. To do this, a drainage layer is placed at the bottom of the container, which is covered with fertile soil. We process the cuttings with a root growth stimulator and plant them in a pot to a depth of 3-5 cm at an angle. Watering should be done in moderation so that the bushes do not rot.
In the process of cutting blue spruce, carefully monitor the condition of the cuttings. To get the long-awaited roots, you need to work hard. But soon you will receive healthy young seedlings of this beautiful tree.
Read also: Top dressing of apple trees in the fall: what fertilizers are best to apply to get a good harvest next year
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