Many gardeners try to grow spruce on their plot, because it does not lose its rich color depending on the season. Thanks to such evergreen shrubs you will enjoy bright trees every day and make your garden more attractive. This article will consider the variety of Formanek spruce, as well as the features of its cultivation.

Botanical grade description

Common Spruce Formanek belongs to dwarf crops. Reproduction occurs with the help of vaccinations, so not many gardeners decide to grow it. The shrub has a weeping or lying form.

Did you know? When the spruce reaches 10 years of age, the central root dies. Secondary roots are responsible for the nutrition of the tree.

Detailed description of the variety:

• height about 40 cm;
• bush width - 1.5 m;
• annual growth - not more than 7 cm;
• short needles (2 cm), stiff. The outer side is gray-green, and the inside is silver;
• the root system is closed;
• cones are brown, up to 6 cm long;
• shoots are light brown, pubescent.

Winter hardiness of ordinary Formanek is high. The culture can survive a cold snap to -23 ° C. Also, the plant is shade-tolerant, but it develops best in well-lit areas. Life expectancy is from 300 to 400 years.

Landscape design application

Spruce Picea abies Formanek is actively used in landscape design. It is often planted on slopes or on a terrace. Branches resembling a cascade hang down to the bottom, without losing the saturation of the shade throughout the year. If you arrange the branches so that they spread on the ground, they can decorate the rock garden and gravel garden. Often this culture is found in park areas resembling a mountain landscape.

Did you know? Spruce is able to regulate the ambient temperature. In summer, coniferous forests are cooler and warmer in winter (compared to deciduous forests).

Very good ordinary spruce varieties Formanek combined with columnar arborvitae or juniper. If you are going to grow a crop on a lawn in solitary form, then you need to form a shrub so that there is only one shoot. It must be tied to a support, and the branches that will hang will form a lush shelter from the spruce branches. Due to the exotic appearance of the shrub, Formanek is often grown in Japanese-style gardens.

On the stem

If you use ordinary spruce on a stem, then it will be best combined with a well-groomed lawn and ponds. A straight trunk and a bright crown, which contrast perfectly with each other, beautifully combine with each other.

Often, standard plants are planted at the entrance of the garden. Such methods can give a flower bed solemnity. A very relevant direction in landscape design is arboarchitecture. Such a cultivation of standard crops will create arches and arbors.

Landing rules

It is necessary to plant ordinary spruce of Formanek variety in the soil, the acidity level of which is 5–7 pH. The landing site should be protected from direct sunlight, so as not to provoke the occurrence of burns on the crown.

Important! The optimum depth of groundwater is at least 2 m. Due to this, a sufficient level of moisture will be preserved in the root system, but at the same time it will not be affected by rot.

When choosing seedlings, the following features should be considered:

• absence of diseases and pests (plaque, spots and cracks on the surface);
• optimal height - 50 cm;
• developed root type closed so that it does not dry out in the open air.

It is necessary to plant a spruce at the end of September, when the air temperature drops to + 15 ° C. Before landing, you should prepare the site. Spread humus in the garden (30 kg per 1 m²). After 2-3 days, when some of the nutrients are absorbed, dig over the area. This will nourish the earth. After 2 weeks, dig holes 60 × 50 cm in size. The distance between the pits should be at least 1 m so that the plants do not intertwine.

Planting technology is as follows:

1. At the bottom of the hole pour a layer of drainage about 20 cm high. As a material, you can use crushed stone, coniferous branches or broken brick.
2. Sprinkle the drainage layer with nutrient soil. To prepare it, mix peat, turf soil and sand in equal proportions.
3. Place the seedling inside with the earthen lump.
4. Pour 5 liters of water.
5. Sprinkle with garden soil and carefully compact.
6. Cover the trunk circle with spruce branches or fallen leaves.

Caring for Formanek spruce

Spruce, despite its unpretentiousness in care, needs abundant watering. Especially if you live in regions with hot and dry summers.

Also, one should not forget about top dressing and loosening of the soil. Thanks to such simple actions, you can help the tree develop correctly without provoking the development of diseases and pests.

Watering

In regions with a hot climate, you need to water young plants (up to 3 years) every week. At the same time, at least 12 liters of clean, protected water are poured onto each tree. In the middle zone of the country, you can irrigate the soil once every 1.5 weeks, using 10 liters.

Mature trees are more resistant to dry weather. Despite this, they need to be watered 2 times a month. At least 20 liters of water are poured under each spruce.

Important! Regular irrigation of the crown makes it brighter and prevents the development of parasite larvae.

Fertilizers and fertilizing

The first fertilizer must be applied at the planting stage. 100 g of nitroammophoska are added to the well, along with nutrient soil. You can also replace this fertilizer with Kornevin solution (50 g per 10 l of water) to improve the development of the root system. It is recommended to pour 3 l of liquid into each well.

Also do not forget about top dressings, which are carried out twice a season:

• before the sap flow begins in the trunk (mid-March), potassium nitrate is introduced (100 g of the drug for each plant);
• In the autumn, at the end of October, feed the trees with superphosphate (50 g per spruce).

Loosening and weeding

Before watering and top dressing, it is necessary to loosen the top layer of soil. Depth should be no more than 5 cm, so as not to damage the root system. Thanks to such simple actions, nutrients and moisture will better nourish the plant.

Care must be taken in a timely manner to prevent problems (diseases, pests, stunted growth, dry roots, etc.). Weed monthly to eliminate weeds. Also, this procedure will allow oxygen to penetrate into the inner layers of the soil, saturating the root system and the earth.

Herbicides Can Be Used Against Weeds. One of the best spruce care products is Terrsan (30 g per 1 m²). You can also use "Skat" (10 g per 5 liters of water), distributing 2 liters per 1 m².

Disease and Pest Prevention

Common Spruce Formanek is often affected by the following diseases:

• fusarium. The disease manifests itself in the form of a change in the shade of the needles. She turns reddish brown. Over time, the tree dries and dies. To get rid of the disease, you need to spray the trees with a solution of “Fundazole” (30 g per 5 liters of water);
• necrosis of the cortex. Symptoms of the disease include dryness and darkening of the surface of the plant, as well as the appearance of growths of a brown-red hue. The fight against bark necrosis is to spray a solution of copper sulfate (10 g per 8 l of water);
• gray rot. It appears in the form of gray and brown spots on the branches. Also, the trees become weak and stop their growth. The treatment consists in spraying the spruce with a solution of Bordeaux liquid (40 g per 10 liters of water);
• brown shute. Symptoms of the disease are manifested in the appearance of a black-gray coating on the needles. Over time, the disease progresses and the fruiting bodies of the fungus form on the affected areas. The treatment consists in spraying with the Strobi solution (30 g per 10 l of water).

Of the pests, it is worth noting spruce aphids and hermes. Against aphids, use the oxyhom drug (30 g per 10 l of water). In the fight against hermes, Zircon is used (50 g per 10 liters of water). All spraying against diseases and pests is carried out 2 times a month.

So, now you know that growing Formanek spruce does not require much effort. It is enough to follow the basic stages of planting and care, so that the tree grows beautiful and lush.