Today, coniferous trees can be found in many household plots. People fully appreciated the virtues of these cultures, their beauty and ability to purify the surrounding air. Fir trees are in greatest demand, as they are distinguished by a peculiar decorative effect, especially when it comes to hybrid varieties. Silver Fir Silverberlock is one of such representatives. The tree has amazing aesthetic characteristics and stands out for its low maintenance. Nevertheless, some nuances need to be known to gardeners who want to plant a crop on their site.
Botanical Description
Korean fir Silberlock (Abies Koreana Silberlocke) - ideal for planting in the garden. The tree has a moderate height, about 2 m, sometimes, under favorable climatic conditions and proper care, can reach a height of up to 4 m. This dwarf plant grows rather slowly, gaining no more than 8 cm per year and is 1 by 10 years old. 5 meter tree.
Fir is famous for its stunning decorativeness - it has branched shoots located up and to the sides. The needles, densely covering them, are long, bent inward. Needles have their own peculiarity - from the outside they are dark green with a bluish tint, and from the inside they are characterized by a white coating. Each needle is so strongly curved that the back whitish side is clearly visible. As a result, the general appearance of the crown acquires a green-silver tint, and from afar it seems that the crown flaunts in different tones.
A feature of the Silberlok variety is that the trees have several peaks, which is not at all characteristic of firs. The crown is broad-conical, symmetrical, but, depending on the preferences of the owners, it can have other shapes that are given to it by molding trimming. An additional bright decoration of the Korean fir Silberlocke are its pointed cones, which are formed in large quantities during the ripening period, which occurs only 7-8 years after planting.
Their length is about 5-6 cm, they are characterized by a blue-violet color inherent in fir species of evergreens. Unlike pines, firs and other conifers, cones grow vertically upward, resembling candles. Their seed scales are impregnated with resin and adhere very tightly; therefore, they are often used to create decorative compositions.
Origin of name
The Silberlok Korean fir variety was bred in Germany in one of the nurseries located in Schneverdingen by breeder Gunther Horstmann. The first copies that were born in 1978, caused considerable delight with its unusual overflow of crown with a silver tint, as well as its twisted shape.
Did you know? One of the meanings of the word “Abies” (fir) — abundance. It sounds pretty fair, since all plants of this genus have rich fragrant needles.
As a result, the grade was given the original appearance of the original name Silver Curls, meaning "silver curls." A little later it was corrected and sounded already like Silberlocke, meaning in translation from German “silver curls”.
Landing
Silver Fir Silverberlock belongs to unpretentious cultures. It tolerates climatic features of the regions well, so it can be planted in different latitudes. However, the undemanding fir does not mean that it can grow without the care of a person. In order for the tree not to hurt and delight with its wonderful crown, it is necessary to know the basic rules of growing, which begin with the requirements for planting.
Video: how to plant and care for fir
Site selection and preparation
The first thing to think about is choosing the right place for fir. Since the roots of an adult tree grow well and are quite close to the surface of the earth, it cannot be planted near tall plants. You also need to consider that the site should be well lit, penumbra also suitable, but very dark places should be avoided, otherwise the tree will often hurt.
Important! Do not plant fir near roads and highways — the tree does not tolerate gassed air and can die.
The tree is not afraid of gusts of wind, therefore, it can safely grow as an independent object of landscape design on an open lawn. Like all coniferous plants, fir prefers moistened soils, but not wetlands. To protect the roots of the plant from rotting, waterlogged soil (for example, with a high level of groundwater) should be equipped with a drainage layer.
Slightly acidic or slightly alkaline soil, loams, and even heavy soils are suitable. However, fir is best established on loose sandy soils fertilized with organic matter. Fir can be planted in spring or autumn. Optimum periods are May or September. Trees planted at this time take root well and are less prone to diseases. Significantly favorable weather conditions, the absence of frost and debilitating heat.
Landing technology
The landing site should be prepared in advance - at least 2 weeks in advance. For this, the site is weeded, cleaned of all biological debris. They dig a planting hole with a depth of 80 cm and a diameter of about 50-60 cm. If you are going to plant several seedlings at once, think about their location on the site and when digging holes, keep an acceptable distance. Considering that the lower part of the crown will grow to 1.5 m in diameter over time, the landing holes should be located at a distance of 3-4 m from each other.
Each pit is poured with 15 liters of water and laid on the bottom of the drainage layer of broken brick, rubble or any other material intended for these purposes. The layer thickness is about 10 cm. Now you need to separately prepare a nutritious soil mixture for each pit. To do this, mix one part of sand and peat with three parts of clay and humus taken. Half of the mixture is laid out in a pit, 200 g of mineral fertilizer (Nitrofoska recommended) and 10 kg of wood sawdust are added.
The nutrient soil in the pit is well mixed, watered again and left so until planting. It is better to buy seedlings in the nursery, where you can be sure that you are purchasing the Silberlock fir variety. Choose material that is 3-4 years old and about 50 cm high. Well inspect if damaged or shrunken areas are found, it is better to refuse to buy. As a rule, seedlings are sold in container blocks along with the soil, which must be moist and clean. The tree is removed from the container immediately before planting in the ground.
This must be done very carefully so as not to damage the young roots. The seedling is placed in the planting pit so that the root neck in the end result remains at ground level. Now you can bury the planting with the remaining nutrient soil prepared in advance, tamp a little and water it well, delivering 10-15 l of water to each tree. After this, the soil near the trunk circle is mulched with peat, sawdust or wood shavings. The mulch should not be allowed to touch the stem of the plant directly - this can cause it to rot.
Planting seeds
Varietal fir seeds are rarely planted, basically, breeders use this method of propagation in an attempt to improve species features. Gardeners who still want to grow fir in this way need to take into account that the seedling will develop for a long time and the resulting tree will most likely not acquire the properties of the mother plant - this applies to both decorative characteristics and survival, immunity to diseases and pests, and other properties.
To plant seeds, you must first get them - you can buy them in garden centers, nurseries or get yourself. In autumn, you need to collect unripe cones, put them in a warm place, and wait until they open. Now seeds are extracted from the scales, dried, folded in a bag and stored in the refrigerator until spring. In late March - early April, the material is immersed in water for a day, after which it is immersed in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for another 30–40 minutes.
To plant seeds, you need a greenhouse. You can make it from a small container, which is filled with loose soil mixed with sawdust. Seed is planted to a depth of about 2 cm, sprinkled with sawdust on top, watered and covered with a film or glass, put in a warm place. Every day, the container is opened for ventilation and watering, and when the first sprouts appear, remove the film.
Further, watering is continued, making sure that the soil does not dry out. In the first year, seedlings will grow by only 4-5 cm, and by the 4th year they will reach a height of 14 cm - now they can be safely transplanted into the open ground. Throughout the growth, it is advisable to apply fertilizers and rooting agents, for example, you can use such compounds as “Heteroauxin” or “Radifarm”.
Fir Care
Silberlocke fir is especially important care in the first years after planting. In the future, an adult tree will already require less attention - agricultural technology will be reduced mainly to periodic top dressing, watering, as well as treatment with protective drugs from diseases and pests.
Watering and feeding
Watering is important for young plants, adults moisturize only in particularly dry periods, delivering to each instance about 15 liters of water at a time. Seedlings are watered regularly once every 2 weeks. In hot periods, it is better to use sprinkling in the evening - this procedure will not allow the appearance of insect pests that activate in dry, hot weather (such as spider mites) and allow the tree to relieve fatigue from the heat of the day. If you have well fertilized the composition of the soil when planting, you should start fertilizing only after 2 years.
Fir is fed in spring and summer, and in autumn it can be done only with the use of those compounds that are activated in spring. It is advisable to use complex mineral dressings, such as Florovit. Fertilizer has several varieties, including products designed for autumn processing, which can improve winter hardiness. Also, Activin, which contains a large amount of magnesium and iron, will become a useful fertilizer.
Important! Fresh manure cannot be used as a top dressing for fir, as it contains a lot of nitrogen and can burn roots.
To improve the decorative properties, it is recommended to carry out foliar top dressing by spraying the crown, for example, with a solution of the Quantum preparation. Organic compounds also help improve soil fertility. For firs, the best option would be vermicompost, rotted compost, or complex organic compounds, like Arksoil bio-fertilizer. The drug not only improves the quality of the soil, but also creates a barrier to pests and pathogens.
Video: how and when to fertilize conifers
Loosening and mulching
The soil around the fir needs to be loosened periodically. It is recommended to do this during watering. The procedure allows you to get rid of weeds and also makes the soil more fluffy, and, therefore, increases its breathability. But you need to loosen it carefully - remember that the roots of fir lie very close to the surface of the earth and do not go deeper than 10 cm.
After watering and loosening, it is advisable to cover the soil with mulching material. For fir it is better to use needles, sawdust or wood chips. Such protection will retain moisture for a long time, protect the roots from drying out and frost.
Pruning
Since the silver fir Korean Silberlock grows very slowly, the first 10 years it can not be cut at all. But it is imperative to periodically inspect trees for diseases. If you find damaged, shrunken branches or inhabited by dangerous microorganisms, insects - immediately remove them. The first sanitary pruning is carried out in early spring, and the last - when preparing fir for winter.
An adult, fairly tall tree can be trimmed in early spring, giving it the desired shape. After the procedure, it is recommended to fertilize the soil so that the plant can survive the stressful situation for it more easily. Korean fir is a winter-hardy plant capable of surviving cold snap to -35 ° C. In preparation for winter, mulching the soil is enough for adult trees, but it is better to shelter young seedlings using spruce branches or nonwoven material.
Video: pruning fir
Possible diseases and pests
Fir, like all representatives of the flora, can suffer from various diseases and attacks of insect pests. Most ailments are the result of improper care or planting, but there are also fungal diseases carried by the wind, groundwater or insects.
The most common of these are the following:
- rust - fungal disease, manifested by orange bubbles on the needles;
- shute - an infectious disease in which the needles acquire a red tint, dries out, but does not crumble;
- rot - a group of fungal diseases affecting the trunk and shoots. Ailments are characterized by softening and destruction of wood.
Also worth mentioning are diseases such as bacterial dropsy and rust cancer. Dropsy can be identified by faults in the bark, dirty gray color of needles, and cancer - by the formation of thickenings on the trunk and shoots. It is impossible to cure both of these ailments - trees need to be removed and burned. The most dangerous pests for fir are hermes, false shields and spider mites. Their attacks are characterized by different signs, and requires the use of individual drugs to fight.
For instance, You can determine that fir is attacked by hermes by the small black dots on the needles, as well as the white light cannon. Get rid of the pest with the help of the drug "Decis pro." From the appearance of false shields, the needles begin to fade and crumble, since the pest eats the juice of the plant. You can get rid of it by spraying the crown with “Actara”. The appearance of a spider mite is accompanied by the formation on the needles of a thin web and yellowish spots. The plant must be treated with Caesar or Nurel-D.
How to reanimate a fir
If you find that fir is sick, but the disease does not belong to the category of incurables, it can be reanimated. First you need to cut off the affected areas and burn them, since fungal infections can spread over large areas and affect other plants. Next, the crown, trunk and shoots should be treated with one of the active fungicide preparations.
Such helpers as Skor, Profit or Ordan will become good helpers. It is recommended to spray several times in a break of 2-3 weeks. If the problem is associated with wood diseases (rot), you need to additionally treat the trunk circle “Fundazol”.
Breeding methods
As noted earlier, Silberlocke fir can be grown from seed, but this method does not give a guaranteed result, which in the end will grow just such a tree as its predecessor. Another, most acceptable method of fir propagation is to plant cuttings. Material can be cut throughout the season. Cuttings must be cut from annual shoots so that each has an apical bud.
Material obtained in spring or summer can be planted immediately, and autumn cuttings are stored in a cool place until the spring thaw. So that the cut shoots take root, they are planted in a container with sandy soil, watered and covered with a film, creating greenhouse conditions.After 4-5 months, the root system will begin to form. After a year, the seedlings can be transplanted into the open ground, having previously treated the roots with a growth stimulator.
The use of wood in landscape design
Fir trees are in great demand among landscape designers. As for the Silberlok variety, this is a worthy contender for the best place on the site. The slow growth of the culture will allow for a long time to preserve the landscape picture, and the special shade of the needles will make it very expressive against the background of other green plants. A good place for a tree would be the center of the garden or a separate floral arrangement.
Did you know? Fir is very popular in the regions of its growth as a New Year tree, and all because its needles do not crumble even in a dry state.
A silver shade immediately catches the eye, so fir can become an accent element, from which the rest of the design will be repelled. The tree looks especially interesting in the summer, when the effect is created as if it is covered with a thin layer of hoarfrost, reminiscent of winter. Silberlock fir is ideally suited for a minimalist Japanese garden, as it in itself looks decent and does not need a lush environment, which is inherent in the concept of this design.
The same feature allows culture to harmoniously "fit" into the landscape of alpine hills and rockeries. Here, the beauty of the conifer is emphasized by bare natural stones and ground cover plants, such as saxifrage, arabis, etc. When organizing a mixborder, you can choose spherical varieties of fir and perennial flowering plants as neighbors. Clematis, sprouts, alissums, hydrangeas - bright buds of these flowers perfectly emphasize the beauty of the needles.
Annuals should not be planted nearby, as their annual transplant will cause discomfort to the root system of the fir. Korean fir Silberlocke is one of the best varieties that will become a worthy decoration of any suburban area. All that is required from the gardener is a little patience and care, in return for which you can get a lot of pleasure from contemplating an unusual and very beautiful coniferous tree.
