Spruce cuttings. Spruce propagation: cuttings and seeds

The height of most trees reaches 25-30 m and practically does not change, although sometimes there are almost twice as large giants. The average height of common spruce varieties at the turn of ten years of age is no more than 4 meters.

Breeders have bred many varieties of this tree - more than seventy species. These include both classic massive trees and undersized fluffy forms that creep along the ground. A number of varieties have been turned from a tree into a bush that is up to two meters wide and rises half a meter above the ground.

Sharp knife or secateurs Rubbing alcohol or chlorine bleach 3-inch pots with drainage holes All-purpose slow-release fertilizer Fine bark Peat moss Pencil Root hormone Plastic bags Rubber bands or twist nuts 6-inch pots with drainage holes Garden soil Peat moss. Propagation by cuttings of deciduous trees from many evergreens can be done at home in a simple frame filled with sand. To make such a frame, simply make a square or rectangular frame using 2" x 6" boards.

Artificially bred varieties of blue spruce remain extremely frost-resistant. This is quite unusual for plants that a person had a hand in the appearance. Almost all full-sized and dwarf tree varieties can easily withstand frosts down to -35 ºС.

Popular varieties

For most decorative and household tasks, several dozen varieties of blue spruce are used. Many available varieties of the tree can be grown on their own or purchased as seedlings. The main differences between them are the growth rate and maximum stem height. Consider their most famous varieties.

How to grow blue spruce

Nail the four corners together as if to create a large frame. This frame should sit on the ground in a well-drained area. An area with a partial shade is preferred. After you have built the frame, remove any weeds or grass in the frame to prevent this vegetation from growing through your breeding bed. Fill this frame with very good quality sand. This frame should be well depleted. Standing water is sure to seriously hamper your spreading results.

Making evergreen cuttings is easy. Simply clip a 4-5" cutting from the parent plant. Divide the needles or leaves from the bottom half to two thirds of the cut. Ranking evergreen cuttings is not usually required because the removal of leaves or needles causes enough trauma for healing and root development.

Dwarf blue spruce (maxwellii, ohlendorfii) used to frame paths and arbors without taking up much space and not hanging overhead with heavy branches. The maximum height of most undersized specimens does not exceed 1-2 m. A number of spruces can reach a height of 5-6 m, however, a growth rate of 3-5 cm per year allows them to be classified as dwarf. The cost of a seedling is from 500 to 1500 rubles. In a shaded place, special care for an adult tree is not required. It is enough to carry out periodic inspection and treat the surface with protective chemicals. Reproduction of dwarf spruce is carried out mainly by cuttings.

Start watering again in the spring and throughout the summer. They don't need much water, but be careful not to let them dry out. And at the same time, make sure they are not wet. Deciduous tree debris of many evergreens can spread this way, but it takes some time. You must leave them in the frame for twelve months. You can leave them on longer if you like. Leaving them until next spring would be great. They should develop more roots during the winter.

A wholesale nursery friend of mine uses this method to propagate all of his evergreens. He covers his frames with steel hoops and plastic to provide extra protection in winter. This may help, but you must be careful. It will be too hot on good days and the plants will start to come out of dormancy too early.

Spruce glauca (glauca) represents two varieties, including the classic prickly spruce and its miniature companion. A standard tree reaches a maximum height of 25 m and has a growth rate of 10 to 20 per year. Dwarf Glauca (Glauca globosa) grows no higher than 2 meters, increasing during the ripening period by 10 cm per year. The cost of the dwarf spruce Glauka reaches 8000 rubles, and its reproduction is a long process associated with the selection of suitable seedlings from seeds. The price of a seedling of an ordinary spruce is 1000-1500 rubles, and it is grown in nurseries both by cuttings and by seed. Glauca globosa is planted for decorative purposes in the yards of houses, while the common spruce is found in the city. A group planting of a full-sized spruce is carried out to develop green spaces and emphasize the architecture of cultural or administrative buildings. Large spruces do not require careful maintenance and are only subject to periodic pruning as the branches dry out. Spruce Glauca globosa needs to pay more attention and monitor the optimal soil moisture regime, avoiding excessive moisture.

They will then freeze when temperatures drop below freezing. If you are going to coat your frame in the winter, use white plastic or clear plastic that has been white to white latex paint. You should also water in the winter if you are going to cover the plants with plastic. Dehydration occurs very easily in winter, especially with plastic surgery.

A cover of light fluffy snow actually protects the plants from the harsh winter winds. Let Mother Nature take care of your cuttings in winter. Sometimes she does a fantastic job and sometimes she reminds us that we are messing with nature. This method of rooting hardwood cuttings can and will work on a variety of evergreens, both needles and broadleaf evergreens. But there are some varieties that are more difficult and will not root unless special care is taken.

Blue spruce hoopsii (hoopsii) refers to varieties of medium height (up to 11 m), used for planting in parks and forest belts saturated with greenery. The tree stands out among other varieties with the most pronounced blue tint of needles and is popular in recreation and leisure areas. The tree is propagated by cuttings, and the cost of seedlings reaches 4500 rubles. The average tree growth is 10-12 cm/year.

Spruce Hupsi is also the most resistant to the effects of microorganisms and adverse weather conditions. Tree care is needed only when it is used for decorative purposes. Spruces planted in parks do not require outside intervention and grow independently.

For most of the more difficult propagation of evergreens, adding bottom heat will help induce root development. You can find the link in the table of contents. Keep in mind that anytime we try to root a cut of any kind, we ask the plant to establish roots until the top of the plant starts to grow. Once the plant starts growing, it will die if it doesn't establish roots first. Coniferous cuttings are very delicate and will collapse if not cared for carefully.

However, coniferous cuttings take root very quickly and can grow on their own roots within a few weeks. Leaf cuttings, on the other hand, are much more durable and can survive for months with very little care or roots. However, hardwood cuttings develop roots very slowly.

Why planting should be done in the spring?

Planting in the spring allows the young tree to establish itself in a new place and prepare for the winter cold. Trees planted in autumn almost always die, unable to withstand the harsh cold conditions. Their root system does not have time to prepare in a new place, and small damage is not restored before frost.

It's a matter of what works best for you. For the average home gardener, propagating from hardwood cuttings is more reliable because they require less maintenance. It will grow to 60 feet tall and 15 feet wide and will be very windy due to its large expanding root system and tough flexible wood. This tree can live a long life in its native area, outside of that it is highly variable and many times lives no more than 25 years. In the wild around Durango, Colorado, many spectacular species grow over 100 feet in height.

Moist loam, provided with nutrients, is well suited for planting spruce. It is desirable to feed spruce once a year during the first years of growth with special fertilizers. It is strongly not recommended to add ordinary manure in the place where the tree grows.

To ensure long-term and high-quality growth, you need to consider the following:

Due to their shape, heavy snow and ice storms deal little damage. Deer usually do not eat this species unless otherwise available. Has been planted in windbreaks in the past because many nurseries only carried this evergreen. When you are planted by yourself in the sun and wind, disease problems are reduced, but not eliminated. When this tree is taken out of its natural range of low humidity and rainfall and planted in the wind, problems arise.

With more humidity and less sun and wind, this species develops two major disease problems: acupuncture and cancer, which are both fungal diseases. It usually starts at the bottom with dead branches and spreads up the tree, with white sap coming out of the trunk. It doesn't seem to completely kill the tree, many times a 30 foot tree only has 3 feet at the top which is green.

the soil should not be constantly dry, since the nutrient medium necessary for spruce is created by mushrooms living in moist soil;
for landing should avoid places in which there is always a shadow. It will maintain excessive moisture and contribute to the decay of the tree;
blue spruce will not be damaged by dry watering - fluff the earth to obtain its loose state. Do not be too zealous when working the earth, since the roots of the tree are close to the surface;
pay attention to the appearance of the seedling. The reddish tint of the needles indicates the appearance of a fungus, and sprinkling of needles is a sign of excessive moisture. You can get rid of blue spruce diseases by treating it with appropriate chemicals.

In hot weather, watering of young trees should be 12 liters per week per tree. Pre-heat water outdoors, otherwise the contrast between warm soil and cold water will negatively affect the health of young shoots.

Seedlings with a closed root system

Without wind protection and being downright ugly, most people cut them down. Tree 2 feet tall 5 feet high at 5 years old, in good soil, with sufficient moisture, and weeds and grasses around the base. The left image is only 30 feet tall and almost completely dead from needle fungus disease. Right drawing. Is it a beautiful tree?

Colorado spruce is not recommended in wind waves east of Nebraska due to its disease problems which cause the tree to rarely reach more than 30 feet. If you like this tree, plant one in your front yard and one in your back yard, but plant other species in the wind if you want something that won't be a problem. In drying areas west of Iowa, this can be a good tree branch due to low moisture requirements, less humidity and therefore less disease problems.

Don't miss this 5-minute video on how to properly plant a coniferous tree seedling:

The method of growing plants by cuttings is very effective and is used on an industrial scale. The essence of the approach is to use fragments of spruce branches to obtain a full-fledged tree.

Many evergreen trees used for carved Christmas trees are often members of the pine family, difficult or impossible to propagate from cuttings. These seedlings grow 1-2 feet per year or two. After transplanting, they become 6 feet tall at 5-8 years old. Consider the problems of taking cuttings from a tree that was pruned a few weeks before. Cuttings from any plant must be carefully taken from the proper part of the plant and handled accordingly. Suitable evergreen trees that can be propagated from cuttings should have cuttings taken from the current growing season and near the base of the plant.

The main stages of cuttings are:

selection of cuttings for germination. They should be 7-12 cm long and have a piece of bark at the base. The procedure should begin in April, when the plants “rise” after winter stagnation;
placing cuttings in a substrate consisting of equal parts of sand, perlite and peat (as an option, you can use purchased mixtures);
maintaining a constant humidity in the substrate, which can be created by covering the soil together with the cuttings with a vapor-proof film or an inverted half of a plastic bottle;
moving cuttings after rooting to the greenhouse. It will be their final development. It is desirable to provide plants with bright sunlight, which is necessary for intensive growth.

Sprouted cuttings should be planted in the soil one year after the start of cuttings. You can always take a chance and try to transplant a few cuttings from the greenhouse in late autumn, but there is an extremely high chance that they will not take root.

You need to collect seeds a couple of months before they are planted (planted in April, and harvested in February). Cone seeds are a small seed and an impeller surrounding it. The latter must be removed, since it will interfere in the future.

What is the best time of year to cut tree roots?

Also, do not remove roots that are close to or fused to the body, as they are critical to the structure of the tree. If you decide to cut or remove tree roots, winter and early spring are the best times of the year to do so.

How many tree roots can be cut

Never remove more than 20 percent of tree roots. Then wait two to three years to make sure your tree fully recovers. Only then can you safely consider cutting more tree roots.

When using seeds to grow spruce, be patient and follow the general tips:

the collected mixture of seeds should be washed in water and treated in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, then dried and "hardened";
"hardening" is carried out in a refrigerator or snowdrift, in which the seeds are placed in a cloth bag;
a couple of days before the planting date, the seed material is removed from the snow or refrigerator and dried. It must be used in the near future, otherwise there will be no good germination;
the seeds are planted in a peat-based substrate to which spruce fertilizer and a small amount of fungicide are added. Seeds should be buried 1-2 cm into the soil, otherwise it will be difficult for them to grow;
at the end of severe frosts, one-year-old sprouts can be planted in open soil. With high germination, it is enough to leave one sprout of spruce per 6-7 cm of the planting row. You should not be upset if the total seed germination is less than 50%. Even 30 or 40% of germinated shoots is an excellent result.

A significant part of the trees can grow from a seed into an ordinary spruce with green needles (not blue). This is a normal situation for seed plants, since only seedlings obtained by cuttings completely repeat the maternal properties.

Again, if you cut the roots of trees, there is never a guarantee that it won't damage or eventually destroy the tree. We only recommend removing tree roots when they cause damage or disturb a nearby structure - not for aesthetic reasons.

To get the best chance of your tree surviving, consult with your local arborist before removing tree roots. Or see if your arborist can cut the roots for you. If it ends up being part of a large root, ask your arborist before pruning or cutting. For a smaller root, go to step.

Blue spruces are an inexpensive alternative to ornamental garden trees. With independent cultivation, the most troublesome is only the initial period of caring for the sprout, while the adult tree will develop independently. Periodic application of fungicides or insecticides to protect against pests and fungus is necessary for all garden plants. Blue spruces are rarely seen in home gardens, but they always emphasize the sophistication of housing and the originality of its design.

Coniferous trees are well propagated by cuttings. Spruce species such as glauca, blue spruce, dwarf spruce are very popular among gardeners and private entrepreneurs, and each of these species lends itself well to propagation using cuttings.

Spruce cuttings are planted in the spring, which gives the tree a significant head start over other plants - it has more time left to prepare for winter, collect a certain amount of useful things, strengthen the root system and tree trunk in order to be able to withstand the cold. Autumn planting does not give positive results, according to gardeners - almost all conifers die in winter, especially in regions where winter is more severe.

Loamy soil can be an ideal substrate for spruce propagation. It is nutritious enough for spruce, so at home, growing this representative of conifers, you can use a loam-based soil mixture or one hundred percent loamy soil. The plant does not require frequent feeding - just once a year is enough to satisfy the spruce. Top dressing, looking ahead, occurs exclusively with mineral fertilizers. It is necessary to refrain from organic components, it is especially not recommended to introduce manure into the soil mixture in its pure form or as part of other fertilizers.

Propagation of spruce cuttings at home begins with the search for material for taking cuttings, their separation, and then rooting. Cuttings ideal for planting are up to twelve centimeters long and have a heel - a small piece of bark on the bottom - which will ensure excellent root development. The minimum length of the handle should be from six centimeters. Cuttings are cut in the spring, around April, when the sap flow in the plant began, it moved away from hibernation and is completely ready, saturated with useful substances. Cuttings in April are also advisable, because they allow cuttings to be planted in favorable conditions - the temperature has adjusted at night, and the rest of the time there are also no significant drops or sudden climatic changes.

Spruce should be propagated by cuttings at home in a substrate of sand, peat, perlite and earth from the site. The mixture should be loose. It should be constantly moisturized, as this is the key to good development. For seven days, spruce cuttings immersed in the substrate are covered with plastic wrap. Since air does not penetrate under it, the film must be periodically opened, allowing the cuttings and soil to ventilate. You can replace this procedure with greenhouse conditions, that is, place the cuttings in the substrate in the greenhouse.

The main conditions for the development of cuttings are the sun and water. You need to water often, but do not forget to give the soil mixture time for the moisture to evaporate. It is recommended to harden spruce cuttings at home by treating the soil mixture with a solution of potassium permanganate. The cuttings and soil are also treated with fungicides, and insecticide treatment is also periodically used to protect them from bacteria in the soil or from fungal formations. It is recommended to carry out in the first weeks of planting, when the cuttings will be in a humid environment under the film.

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Many land owners dream of growing fluffy and beautiful. You can even decorate the site beautifully by growing a whole alley of fir trees. This is not the easiest task, it requires compliance with certain rules, as well as patience and time.

. Therefore, if you are wondering how to grow a spruce from a branch, first find a young and healthy spruce, no older than 8 years, from which you can take a branch. Cut them off from the top of the tree. You need to take only one-year-olds. Twigs from the middle of the tree also have a chance to take root, but it is likely that the tree will grow with a crooked crown.

Tricks of growing spruce from a branch:

Usually the branch takes root only in the second year. But if you want the roots to go already in the year of planting, prepare cuttings in the middle of spring.
Cut in autumn or winter, the so-called lignified cuttings are stored all winter in a cool, dark place.
The length of the branch can vary from 10 to 25 cm.
After the branch is cut, remove all the needles from the bottom by about 3-6 cm and put it in a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
In order for the stalk to give roots and take root well, it is necessary to do. Well, if it is heated.
You can easily make your own without help. Drainage must be placed at the bottom to avoid stagnant moisture. Stones, broken bricks or large gravel can be used as drainage. After drainage comes soil and a layer of sand on top, better cleaned. Soil can be taken in a spruce forest or purchased at a store.
We cover with a film so that there is a distance of no more than 30 cm between the sand and the film.
At first, spruce needed a shadow, so we put another dark coating on top of the film, you can use burlap.
You need to plant a branch to the depth to which you cleared it of needles.
They are planted at a slight angle with an interval of 2 m (if you are planning an alley).
Remember that spruce can grow very large, so do not mess with seedlings.

At first, it is necessary abundantly and every day, in the heat up to four times a day. Don't forget to loosen the soil as well. When the first roots appear, you do not need to water more than once a day. You can spray the seedlings with a mineral mixture. For the winter it is necessary to cover them or foliage.

Growing a beautiful Christmas tree from seeds is more difficult than from a branch, but with certain recommendations, you can very well boast that you succeeded. It is not recommended to buy seeds in a store or order online, because you do not know the quality of these seeds, how much and under what conditions they were stored.

Tips for growing spruce from seeds:

In November, choose any spruce you like: ask your neighbors for a bump, find a tree in a park or forest. The cone must be plucked from the tree, and not lifted from the ground. At home, these cones must be placed in a warm place, closer to a heater or radiator, and allowed to dry.
When the cone releases seeds, treat them (seeds, not cones) with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, and then put them in a box of calcined sand.
It is not necessary to dig deep, 1.5-2 cm will be enough. Put the box in the cold. It is these conditions that will be closest to natural.
Thus, the seeds, being at rest, will accumulate useful substances and will be ready to sprout by spring. In this form, the seeds should be left for 2-4 months.
Then the seeds will need to be put in a warm place and constantly so that they sprout. A large amount of water will cause the seeds to rot, so watering should be moderate. With proper care, the first shoots will appear in 2 weeks.
Until the moment you plant a seedling, the soil must be fertilized twice. You need to water in such a way that the soil is moist, but the water does not stand on the surface.
When the night frosts are left behind, and it gets warmer outside, you can plant your spruce on the site. First, dig a hole and put mineral fertilizers there. There is no need to feed the spruce anymore.

At first, the seedling needs a greenhouse. To do this, cover it with a cut plastic bottle. Do not clean such a homemade greenhouse for at least a week. But at the same time, it would be wrong to completely deprive the spruce of air flow. Therefore, periodically remove the bottle to ventilate the seedling and remove the accumulated condensate. Do this during warm weather.

Over the summer, your spruce will not grow and get strong enough to survive the winter frosts. For the winter, it needs to be covered or made a greenhouse. The layer of snow should be sufficient so that the seedling does not freeze.

And now some spruce care rules that will allow you to grow a beautiful, healthy and tall tree on your site.

Spruces may well grow in the shade, as is often the case in natural conditions.

But if you want to get a fluffy tree, and not a long and stunted one, it is still better to choose a sunny place where it is warm enough, humid and not strong wind. Then the tree will grow straight and strong. An abundance of bright light is also not desirable.

Proper tree care:

Spruce loves moisture. It does not tolerate drought well, but it can rot from stagnant water. Therefore, the earth sometimes needs to be loosened, providing water and air access to the roots. It is not often necessary to water an adult spruce, once a week is enough, but at the same time it is necessary to pour at least 10 liters of water. It is this amount that is considered optimal in order to nourish the roots and prevent moisture stagnation.
Requirements for air humidity are low. Humidity tolerates calmly, as well as more arid conditions. To wash the dust and dirt, you can periodically wash the spruce with a hose. Then the needles will acquire a rich green color.
If for the first time you made a mistake with the place, spruce can be transplanted. It will tolerate the transplant well in the absence of bright sun and all conditions are met. But often transplanting spruce is not recommended. To do this, dig a hole in advance in the desired part of the garden, repeat the whole procedure from the beginning: lay drainage, pour soil specially selected for conifers, sand on top. Please note that the basal neck should be above the ground. This is an important condition for healthy tree growth.
Do not often need tree fertilizers. Spruce does not need this at all. If you wish, you can fertilize the soil near the trunk in the spring before the shoots appear.
Reproduction of firs is also carried out through or. If you have a special type of ornamental spruce, prefer the type of propagation by cuttings, then you will be able to preserve all the decorative properties of the spruce.
Spruce does not like dense soil, so you need to loosen near the trunk. Loosen with a chopper or hoe very carefully. No need to dig deep, you risk damaging the roots.
Watch the appearance of the spruce. Remove dried branches in time. If the tree begins to split in two, remove one top.

Spruce has many varieties: they differ not only in appearance, but also in the color of the needles. Consider the most common among them:

Ordinary. In other words, this is our usual Russian Christmas tree, green, tall, similar to a cone. The height can be very impressive, up to 50 m. It tolerates frost, shade well and is generally unpretentious in care. Lives for more than one hundred years, reaching the highest point of growth by 150 years.
Canadian. Beautiful spruce with a bluish tint. The height of an adult tree is 10 m. The needles are short, have a slight smell of blackcurrant. He loves the light, but is quite capable of enduring the shadow, as well as severe frosts. The trunk reaches a thickness of 4 m. It does not like high humidity, but it will survive the drought.
Acrocon. A species of common spruce. An excellent choice for those who are looking for an interesting decoration for their site. These are small trees, usually no more than 4 m high, growing in irregular bushes. The needles seem to be pointing down. A special highlight is the multi-colored needles. At first it is bright green, and then it becomes very dark. The combination of both colors creates a very beautiful composition. The buds appear all over the tree, turning bright burgundy by spring.
Inverse. The crown of this spruce resembles a weeping willow. All branches are directed downwards and seem to flow around the trunk. Height is about 6 meters. Its crown can be directed, then the tree will grow in a given direction. If you do not create any support for the trunk, the spruce will not grow at all above the level of the knee, it will spread along the ground.
Serbian. This ornamental spruce is one of the most slender. It grows rapidly, reaches a height of 15 m. It tolerates frost well, but not an abundance of moisture in the soil. The needles are bright green, brightens towards the bottom of the trunk. The decoration is cones of a purple hue. It is almost impossible to meet Serbian spruce in the wild. It is easy to cut, in strong winds the tree can fall, as the roots go shallow into the ground. In Europe, this spruce is very much loved and often used as a traditional Christmas decoration.
Nana. This is one of the varieties of Serbian spruce. Low tree up to 3 m in height with bluish needles. It is undemanding in leaving, well transfers frosts and looks very beautifully. But it grows slowly, no more than 3 cm per year.

It has long been known that the needles contain a huge amount of vitamins, minerals, essential oils. Therefore, winter needles are often used to make homemade cosmetics. It is in winter that it absorbs all the useful substances. Masks, lotions are made from it, coniferous baths are taken, which is very beneficial for the skin and blood circulation in general.

Spruce needles are crushed, poured with boiling water and then used to make face and hair masks, creams, lotions, tonics.

It is also useful to drink such an infusion. It has a diuretic effect, removes small stones from the kidneys and urinary tract. Almost any part of spruce (cones, buds, branches, needles) can be used in the treatment of rhinitis and colds. Inhalations with a decoction of pine needles destroy microbes, facilitate breathing, relieve inflammation. Healing spruce resin ointment will help get rid of boils. Resin and wax can also be inhaled. It is very useful in bronchial diseases. They are cleaned, sputum is removed, inflammation is removed.

An infusion of cones is very useful for external and internal use. For this you need:

Select good cones, grind, pour water and boil for at least half an hour.
Then let it brew under the lid. The infusion is dark brown, the taste is not very pleasant, astringent. It can be used for inhalation.
If you add lemon during boiling, this decoction can be taken orally to strengthen the immune system.
The broth is stored in a cool no more than 3 days.

You can also take spruce branches along with young buds, pour boiling water and let it brew. If you regularly take such an infusion, you can get rid of bronchitis, sciatica, speed up recovery from pneumonia.

It is not necessary to make infusions or decoctions, you can take a few needles, rinse with water and just chew.

In addition to the pleasant coniferous smell from the mouth, vivacity will appear, immunity will be strengthened, and working capacity will increase. Remember that with peptic ulcers of the digestive system, such home remedies are prohibited. Before use, it is recommended to consult a doctor.

More information can be found in the video.

Foreword

Lovers of decorative coniferous trees will find it useful to learn how to grow a blue spruce from ordinary branches. Let's take a closer look at several methods of cuttings and their features.

The natural habitat of blue spruce is North America. Today, this type of ornamental plant is gaining more and more popularity and is actively grown by gardeners around the world. In addition to being attractive, blue spruce is easy to care for and has a high resistance to winter frosts, which makes it possible to grow it even in the most severe conditions. Against the background of other conifers, it stands out with an unusual blue tint. The needles have a conical shape and there are a large number of cones on the branches.

Blue spruce on the site

Under natural conditions, blue spruce grows for a very long time, and its age can reach 600-800 years. But in the home garden, such a spruce will live no more than 100 years. If we talk about the height of the tree, it varies depending on the species. There are quite powerful trees with a height of 25-30 m or more, medium trees up to 4 m in height and undersized dwarf species creeping along the ground. At the moment, breeders have bred about 70 species of this coniferous plant. However, the last version of the blue spruce is still the most popular, the width of the crown of which can reach 2 m, and the height does not exceed 0.5 m. Moreover, such shrubs are more resistant to frost than their large counterparts, withstanding up to -35 ̊С.

The optimal time for collecting blue spruce cuttings for propagation is the beginning of May. It is during this period that the tree finally wakes up after hibernation, being saturated with nutrients and juice. It is advisable to pluck branches from young spruce trees up to 10 years old. This increases the likelihood of survival of the cuttings. When choosing branches, pay attention to their size. They should not be shorter than 7-12 cm and should have a “heel”, a thickening of the old wood at the base. Due to the presence of a “heel”, coniferous resin will not clog the cells of a young seedling and limit the flow of the required amount of moisture. In order not to damage it, it is better to pluck the twig with your hands, and not cut it with a knife.

blue spruce stalk

Harvest planting material preferably in the morning or on a cloudy day. Immediately put the branches in a plastic bag so that they do not dry out, and transplant them into the ground on the same day. A root formation stimulator will help to speed up the process of growing a seedling and its survival rate, in which we leave the cuttings for 2 hours. This will allow you to get a developed root system, subject to all subsequent care rules in 1.5 months. But without the use of a stimulant, this process can take up to 3 months or more.

If you did not have time to prepare the soil for planting in advance and have already plucked blue spruce branches, then germination in the refrigerator is suitable for you. To do this, we send the cuttings to the water for an hour, and then plant them in wet sand. Pour the required amount of sand into a plastic bag and drop branches into it to a depth of 2 cm, tie the bag and send it to the refrigerator for 14 days. We maintain seedlings at a temperature of +3 ̊С. After this time, we transplant the cuttings into a greenhouse or greenhouse. Roots will appear in about 2 months. However, for this method to work, do not treat the twigs with stimulants. This can adversely affect their survival.

Spruce cuttings for sprouting

An unusual and very convenient way is to land in a cigarette roll. This method is a great space saver and is especially suitable for gardeners who do not have large window sills for growing. It is best used for winter cuttings. Self-rolling is a long ribbon folded in several layers. The first layer is a cotton towel or any soft substrate from under the laminate and similar materials. The main thing is that the material is thermally insulating. The length of such material can be unlimited, and the width is 10-15 cm.

The second layer is absorbent paper or napkin, moss is ideal for cuttings. We begin the process by preparing the branches. We remove the needles at the base and dip each end into Kornevin's powder. Next, roll out a cotton towel or other material, lay a layer of moss on top of it, moisten it well and place the bare part of the twigs on it. Roll everything up and tie with a rubber band. Stand the structure upright in a bag, tie it up and hang it in a window where it's warm but not so sunny. As the top layer of the roll dries, we moisten it with water. In the spring, the cuttings will take root, and they can be planted in a greenhouse.

So that the cuttings have time to take root well, do not rush to immediately plant them in open ground. It is better to leave them on the windowsill, planting them in a special substrate. Prepare a handy container, such as a homemade plastic bottle container or pot. Lay drainage, small pebbles or pebbles 4-5 cm high at the bottom. Next, fill in nutrient soil, preferably for conifers, but if there is none, it is better to use universal soil. The final top layer is sand. Its height is about 5 cm. Before planting the seedling in the substrate, treat the base of the cutting in a growth stimulator or a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Next, we deepen it by 3-5 cm at an angle of 30 degrees and moisten the soil with water.

Sprouting coniferous cuttings at home

As the top layer dries, we water, but we do everything moderately, without waterlogging. In this process, it is not so much watering the soil that is important, but spraying the cuttings themselves with water from a spray bottle, which should be regular. Also, do not place a container with cuttings on a sunny windowsill. Partial shade will be optimal for them. It is recommended to plant cuttings a year after the start of cuttings, but many do this much earlier. The best time to transplant cuttings to a permanent place of growth will be late autumn or winter. It is during this period that the lowest probability of developing root rot in blue spruce is created.

Depending on the color scheme of your spruce, we select the most favorable place for planting. The darker it is, the more comfortable it will grow in the shade.

We select the landing pattern, focusing on the type. We put compost, mineral fertilizers into the prepared pit, and also lay drainage from broken bricks on the bottom. When planting a seedling in the ground, we leave the root neck at ground level, without greatly compacting the soil around the spruce. During the dry period of the year, weekly watering of blue spruce should be at least 12 liters. At the same time, we preheat the water in the sun, especially on cloudy days. Otherwise, the sharp contrast between warm soil and cold water can adversely affect the root system of young seedlings.

Reproduction of blue spruce in a greenhouse - we maintain temperature and humidity

If you still decide to plant cuttings in a greenhouse, then you need to take care of all the conditions. First of all, this concerns the temperature regime, which should be at least 13 ̊С for air and 10 ̊С for soil. The ideal indicators in a greenhouse are considered to be 18-24 ̊С for air, and 21-27 ̊С for soil. Therefore, it is best to purchase soil heating. So that the root system does not rot, at the bottom of the hole for planting cuttings we make drainage from gravel or small pebbles (5 cm), sprinkle it with light nutrient soil (about 10 cm) and sand (5-7 cm). At the same time, we maintain a distance between the cuttings and the greenhouse film of 20 cm. As in the case of planting in a container, we deepen the branches of blue spruce into the ground by 3-5 cm at an angle of 30 degrees.

Growing blue spruce in a greenhouse The second important indicator in a greenhouse is air humidity. We check it on the greenhouse film. We make sure that too large drops of moisture do not form on it, only light blotches. To do this, we carry out daily ventilation. And in order to limit the cuttings in the first months from the aggressive sun, we throw burlap or spunbond on top of the greenhouse. Also make sure the soil is not dry. Water it moderately. Fluff up the ground periodically. However, do it carefully, do not harm the cuttings and delicate roots.

Throughout the cutting period, pay attention to the appearance of young seedlings. If their coniferous needles turn red, this may indicate infection with fungal infections, and if they crumble, an excess of moisture. In this case, you can try to save the cuttings with antifungal drugs, but the risk of recovery is minimal. Upon reaching a positive result, after 2 months of intensive care, the cuttings should take root. We transplant seedlings in open ground. However, we do this as carefully as possible, since they break off quite easily.

Spruce cuttings are planted in the spring, which gives the tree a significant head start over other plants - it has more time left to prepare for winter, collect a certain amount of useful things, strengthen the root system and tree trunk in order to be able to withstand the cold. Autumn planting does not give positive results, according to gardeners, almost all conifers die in the winter, especially in regions where winter is more severe.

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There is a huge variety of conifers, among which the blue spruce is considered an elite plant, because it has an amazing color, lush needles and a solid appearance. Therefore, blue spruces can be seen near the government house, any bank, and near other institutions that are significant to people.
Because of this, many summer residents want grow blue spruce and on your site to admire and be proud of it. The prickly beauty is used as a tapeworm, as it is a kind of accent of the site. In the winter season, the blue spruce gathers around itself both children and adults for the New Year holidays, who decorate it with the help of garlands, balls, tinsel and lights.

Planting material preparation

Not every summer resident can afford to buy a blue Christmas tree, so many of them try to grow it using seeds from cones or cuttings. And they succeed because they strictly follow the technology.

Harvesting seeds

When growing any spruce, including blue, the seeds are harvested first. To do this, at the end of summer, a suitable blue spruce is looked at, having the color and shape that you like best. See if there are cones on the tree. If there are cones, you need to wait for November, when it gets colder, and at the beginning of the month pick cones from the selected Christmas tree. Don't worry about getting a lot of seeds - the more seeds you have, the more likely you are to grow a blue Christmas tree.

Only about 40% of young trees sprouted from one Christmas tree will be colored the same as her. Others acquire a blue-green, or even green color, like ordinary spruces. This is a common problem associated with seed propagation, in which the characteristics of the mother tree are less transmitted than when propagated by cuttings.

Collection of blue spruce cones for further reproduction.

Spruce seeds can be collected in February, if you did not have time to collect them in the fall. However, in this case, they land not earlier than the end of June. In addition, the use of this option is possible only in areas with cool summers, because when the heat sets in, the seeds can burn out from the high temperature.

The most difficult thing in this process is to climb the spruce for cones, which usually grow at the top. Plucked cones must be tight and completely closed. You can pick up cones under a tree, but you are unlikely to be able to find unopened specimens.

We lay the cones so that the scales open

We take the collected cones to a warm room for ripening. After that, the cones open and give the seeds. Placed in a special nursery, the cones open within a couple of days, because there they are kept in a bunker with a temperature of up to 42 degrees, and are until all the scales open. It is difficult to create the necessary climate in apartments, so the cones are placed in a narrow cardboard box and placed on heating batteries.

If there are no batteries, you can put it on heated floors, or take it to the kitchen and put the box on the highest cabinet. Everyone knows that the warm air in the room rises, so the cones will ripen faster in the heat. The drying process will be accompanied by crackling of the scales. After the cone is fully opened, you can shake out the seeds from it by tapping it on a hard surface.

You can save time collecting and drying seeds by purchasing them from a nursery. Only buy from a trusted company, because you can slip stale seeds stored for a long time in a warehouse - they have a low percentage of germination. The best option would be 1-2-year-old seeds.

Carrying out stratification - seed hardening

Being in natural conditions, spruce cones open only in December-January. At the same time, the seeds are picked up and carried by the wind, and the seeds take root in another place. Until the April warm days, they are under the snow, which hardens them. There is a process of stratification.

At home, the seeds must also be hardened for the plants to acquire germination and good immunity.

In the absence of snow in winter, it is necessary to divide the entire number of seeds into two parts, one of which is sown in open ground. They will be powdered with snow - they will go through the process of natural hardening. Do not sow tree seeds in the snow. The second part of the seeds is germinated at home.

Home Stratified Blue Spruce Seeds:

It is necessary to prepare a 1% solution of potassium permanganate (dilute 1 g in 100 ml of water).
Immerse the seeds in the solution, keeping them in the solution for about 3 hours.
Spread the seeds on a dry towel or paper to dry.
Pour dry seeds into a linen bag.
Place the bag in a glass jar, close it and refrigerate.
Leave the seeds of the Christmas tree to "sleep" until the onset of spring days. If the seeds are collected in February, they are in the refrigerator until the end of June.

Several options for planting blue spruce seeds

Before using the seeds, they are awakened from their winter sleep. This is done by immersing overnight in a solution consisting of water with trace elements (a root formation stimulator and an antifungal drug, fundazol). Thanks to a humid environment, the cell structure is restored and seed germination improves.

Proper planting of blue spruce seeds.

In the morning, landing begins, which is carried out in different ways. It is best not to choose one method, but to divide the seeds into parts and try all the options to choose the most effective method for the plants growing in your area.

Planting blue spruce seeds in open ground

If spring frosts are not expected, prepared blue spruce seeds can be sown in the ground. Build a small greenhouse, fill it with a mixture of lowland peat, coarse sand and earth from a coniferous forest. The application of complex fertilizers can be done immediately, or you can leave top dressing for later, after germination of sprouts.

In order for spruces to grow well, you need to bring soil from the forest, as it contains fungal mycelium. Mushrooms in natural conditions help the root system of coniferous plants to extract moisture and nutrition, and also free the soil from harmful substances. Christmas trees need mycorrhizal mushrooms so that without them, blue beauties have a weak root system and often they even die.

Planting is carried out in the following order:

The soil is compacted tightly.
Seeds are laid out on top of it, the distance between which should be no more than 4 cm.
Coniferous sawdust and peat are mixed in equal proportions. The resulting mixture is sprinkled with seeds with a layer of about a centimeter.
The earth is being sprayed.
A film is stretched over the greenhouse.
It is necessary to periodically check the humidity, and if necessary, ventilate the greenhouse.
Emergence of shoots - in three weeks. The sprouts need to be thinned out, leaving the stronger ones, and the distance between them should be 6 cm.
In the morning, the sprouts need to be sprayed, but not abundantly, since excess moisture can cause the development of a “black leg” - this is the name of a viral infection that can destroy all blue spruce sprouts.

So the Christmas trees are left to grow until the next spring. In the summer, try to protect them from sunlight and do not overdry the soil.

Using Plastic Containers for Planting Blue Spruce Seeds

When sprouting Christmas trees at home, they prepare wide plastic containers equipped with lids (these can be containers in which store salads, cookies, and others are sold), or pots intended for planting.

Work is carried out in the following order:

In prepared containers, a soil mixture is placed on 2/3 of the volume, consisting of 1 part of peat and 3 parts of dry sand.
The earth is well sprayed.
Blue spruce seeds scatter on top of moist soil.
Seeds are slightly buried in the ground, for which a conventional fork is used.
The lid of the container is closed, or the pot is covered with a film. Then the containers are installed in a warm place, protected from direct sunlight.
Spray the soil as it dries.
When the first sprouts begin to appear, it is necessary to slightly open the lids to create ventilation for the plants.
In the summer, containers with sprouts are taken out into the street, placed in the shade under the trees, and when cold weather sets in, they are taken to a room where the air temperature does not rise above +15 degrees.

Planting of young plants is carried out the next spring, after the soil warms up, most often this happens in May.

Planting blue spruce seeds in cigarette rolls

This method is unusual, but convenient. It is suitable for those summer residents who have not provided for large window sills in their houses, therefore they cannot place containers with seedlings on them.

Self-rolling is a long ribbon with several layers (like a roll):

The outer layer is a soft substrate made from under a laminate or other building material, 10-15 cm wide, and of unlimited length.
The second layer can be made with toilet paper or napkins.
The third layer is fertile soil.

The technology lies in the fact that a landing site is prepared for the seeds from the components that were listed above.

A substrate is rolled out on the table, which is cut into long ribbons.
Toilet paper is laid on top of the substrate.
The paper is wetted with water - a spray bottle is used for this.
The seeds are laid out on the edge of the paper every 2 cm so that the lionfish protrude beyond the roll, and the seeds are on the paper soaked with moisture, sticking tightly to the wet base.
Seeds are sprinkled with a layer of fertile soil.
The tape is neatly twisted into a roll, pulled together with an elastic band.
The roll is installed in a vertical position on a cardboard or saucer - the seeds should be at the top.
The resulting cigarette is sprayed with water.
It is covered with a film to create a greenhouse effect and installed in a warm, but not exposed to the sun, place.
When the first sprouts appear, the film is removed, and the top of the cigarette is regularly moistened with water.
So the sprouts of blue spruce contain until next spring.

Planting blue spruce from cuttings

Professional gardeners are more satisfied with the cultivation of ornamental coniferous plants by cuttings, which allows them to preserve varietal characteristics. Blue spruce is also amenable to cuttings. For this method, spring time, the beginning of May, is chosen, when the movement of juice actively begins inside the tree.

How to properly prepare branches for planting

For cuttings, branches from 4-10-year-old Christmas trees will do. Trees at this age have the maximum survival rate of cuttings. For the preparation of planting material, branches with side shoots are found near the blue spruce, and 2-3 cuttings are carefully torn off from each of them. The length of the cuttings should be from 6 to 10 cm.

They are torn off in such a way that at the end of each of them a “heel” is preserved - a thickening, which is the remnant of old wood. The "heel" does not allow the resin to stand out, which clogs the lower cells of the seedlings and blocks the flow of moisture into the young seedling. For this reason, it is not recommended to cut cuttings in coniferous trees with a knife. They just need to be torn off.

The material is harvested on cloudy days or early in the morning. Having plucked, the branches must immediately be packed in a plastic bag, otherwise they will dry out and disappear. Planting takes place on the same day.

It is not bad to withstand cuttings for 2 hours before planting in a root formation stimulator. In this case, the Christmas tree will have a root system in a month and a half. If you do not use a stimulator, the growth of the root system will continue for at least 3 months, or even more.

Performing the cutting process at home

All of the above methods of planting blue spruce with seeds will also work for planting with cuttings. But there are a couple more interesting options.

Germinating cuttings in the refrigerator

If you unintentionally pick cuttings of ornamental spruce without preparing anything in advance for planting them in the ground, you can follow the advice of experienced gardeners. Immerse the cuttings in water for an hour, and then plant them in wet sand to a depth of 2 cm. It is better to fill the sand in a plastic bag, and plant the cuttings there. Then tie the bag and send for storage for 2 weeks in the refrigerator, where the temperature should be +3 degrees.

After such preparation, sprigs of blue spruce are planted in a greenhouse in the usual way. By the end of the second month, the roots of the plant will appear. If you germinate spruce in the refrigerator, it is not recommended to treat the cuttings with a stimulant - this will reduce their survival rate.

Germination of cuttings in a cigarette roll

Cuttings by self-rolling are performed similarly to spruce seed cultivation. Self-rolling consists of a substrate, a napkin and a primer. The only thing you need to pay attention to: the part of the branch that will lie on the toilet paper must be cleaned of needles. The distance between the branches should be 5 cm.

Subtleties of winter cuttings

If you like your blue herringbone but it's past cutting season, pluck some twigs, bring them home, and try the following:

Clear the halves of the branches from the needles.
Dip their base in powder root.
Lay the branches in a pre-prepared “roll”, for which you need to roll out a paper towel, spread the moss evenly on it, moisten it and lay out the branches so that the bare lower parts fall on the moss.
Twist everything in the form of a roll and tighten it with an elastic band.
Place vertically in a bag, tie tightly and hang on the window.

During the winter period, half of the cuttings will have roots. May will come and they can be planted in a greenhouse.

Features of planting blue spruce cuttings in the ground

If you plant cuttings in a greenhouse without germinating them first, remember the following:

It is necessary to observe the optimum air temperature of at least +15 degrees and the soil - at least +10 degrees.

To prevent rotting of the roots, a drainage containing crushed stone and small pebbles is placed at the bottom of the greenhouse, the thickness of which should be 5 cm.

Blue spruces are best suited to light soils.

It is necessary to adhere to a distance from the film or glass that covers the greenhouse to the seedlings of at least 20 cm.

Plant cuttings at a 30 degree angle.

The depth in the ground should be about 2 cm.

Humidity is checked on the ceiling of the greenhouse - large drops should not appear on it.

The cuttings need daily airing.

The important point is that in the first month it is necessary to shade the greenhouse - throw a burlap or spand over it to protect the cuttings from the aggressive sun.
The methods described above can propagate any coniferous plants. Therefore, having grown a blue prickly beauty, you have the opportunity to plant a garden of coniferous plants. Practice will help you find the most successful germination option.