An evergreen coniferous tree, balsam fir, has become widespread in many countries of the world. The ephedra, originally from the forests of North America, earned such popularity due to the variety of varieties, high decorativeness and the possibility of growing in different climatic conditions.
Balsam fir - an ornamental shrub from the subtropics
Brief information about the variety
- Colour: the upper side of the needles is emerald and shiny, and the lower side is covered with whitish stripes.
- Height: 25-35 m.
- Crown diameter: 10-15 m.
- Distribution regions: Far East, China, Korea, North America and Japan. It is successfully cultivated in all regions of our country.
- Landing features: scheme - 1x1.5 m. Likes to grow in a sunny place with shading at lunchtime.
- Immunity: High frost resistance and good disease resistance.
- Life span: 200-250 years.
Description of varieties
Balsam fir (abies balsamea) belongs to the Pine family. It has several successful hybrid varieties that differ in shape, color and size.
Piccolo
Miniature compact ephedra 30-50 cm high with a spherical crown and emerald needles. Young needles have a rich light green tone, ripened dark green.
The Piccolo variety is often planted as a tapeworm in containers or tubs. They are used in creating various compositions on alpine slides, in mixborders, rockeries and rabatkas.
Due to its miniature size, fir can be grown on a tiny personal plot without losing its decorative effect.
Nana
Dwarf plant Nana (nana) in the form of a bush - height from 0.5 to 1 m, width - 2 m.
The crown is spherical with sprawling, dense branches that grow horizontally. The needles are of an emerald tone, short, on the underside they contain 1-2 pronounced stripes of a bluish tint.
The description of fir includes several advantages:
- slow growth;
- good shade tolerance;
- high frost resistance.
The plant is suitable for single and group planting, looks good in rocky gardens, is an excellent decoration for terraces, gazebos and roofs.
Some people use the variety to create compact hedges along fences or outbuildings.
Diamond
Another unique variety is Brilliant fir.
An adult tree reaches 0.3-0.5 m in height. It grows very slowly, therefore it is often used for growing as a pot culture. The annual growth is 3-4 cm.
It has a compact cushion crown with densely spaced shoots. Young needles of light green color, later become a rich green hue. The length of the needles varies from 10 to 20 mm.
Ornamental shrubs are readily used in the creation of rock gardens, gardens of different styles.
Hudsonia
Fir will decorate your garden
One of the most popular dwarf mountain species. In its natural environment it is a compact slender tree 15-20 m high with a beautiful pyramidal crown.
Skeletal branches densely cover the trunk to the bottom. The needles are emerald in color, with a sheen, thornless, and contain silvery-whitish stripes on the underside. Young cones berries of a purple hue, after ripening, become chocolatey.
This culture forms a superficial root system, so a windless area with little shading is chosen for planting it.
The description of the cultivated form is slightly different:
- height about 1 m;
- diameter - 1.2-1.5 m;
- slow growth - annual growth is 5-7 cm;
- needles are short, flat, bicolor pointed at the tips - emerald on top with black tint, below - bluish-green, young needles - light green;
- shoots not too long, thick, densely covering the central conductor;
- the crown is often asymmetric, wide and rounded.
Refers to frost-resistant and shade-tolerant varieties. It is used on alpine slides, to create rocky, heather, Japanese gardens.
Kiwi
Fir abies kiwi is a dwarf shrub up to 0.5 m high. It has a beautiful rounded crown with emerald, dense, short needles. Young growth of a bluish-blue tint.
This ephedra is readily used in rocky and heather gardens, small compositions - rabatki, rockeries. This variety is suitable for growing as a pot crop.
General characteristics
In nature, balsam fir is a giant tree reaching 25-35 m in height.
The crown is of the correct conical shape, densely covered with skeletal branches hanging down to the ground, the circumference is from 10 to 15 m.
The central conductor and adjacent shoots have a smooth gray-brown bark. The needles are long - from 15 to 25 mm, blunt, two-colored - the upper side is emerald, shiny, the lower one with whitish stripes. The needles have a comb-like arrangement.
The cones are oval-cylindrical in shape, 10x2.5 cm in size. At the beginning they are dark purple, when fully ripe they acquire a chocolate tone.
This culture has a superficial, branched root system. Refers to long-lived conifers - life expectancy varies from 200 to 250 years.
Growing regions
The evergreen plant is common in the forest zone of the Far East, China, Korea, North America and Japan.
Almost all varieties have good winter hardiness and frost resistance, therefore they are successfully cultivated in all regions of our country.
Landing rules
Anyone can grow one of the above varieties of fir, the main thing is to choose high-quality material, a suitable place, soil and provide the plant with timely care.
Seedling selection criteria
It is recommended to buy seedlings in nurseries
You need to purchase this ephedra with all the varietal characteristics of the mother plant in a specialized nursery. At the same time, the selection criteria are observed.
- Take copies that are at least 4 years old, because too young have weak roots, and after transplantation they may not take root in a new place.
- Buy bushes with a closed root system - they are easier to transfer stress during planting on the site, and the roots, shrouded in earth, are protected from drying out. Alternatively, you can purchase a seedling in a container or tub.
- When buying, you should carefully examine the crown - it must be alive, with bending shoots and needles of a uniform green color. Any spots - yellow, black or reddish, as well as mold - are signs of infection and non-viability.
The optimal time for planting is late April or early May in regions with a cool, harsh and changeable climate.
In the south, balsamic fir is planted in the first decade of September, so that it has time to take root and take root before the onset of stable frosts.
Site and soil preparation
This plant tolerates shade well, so you can plant it near fences, walls of a house or outbuildings.
It is important that the ephedra is protected from the scorching sun and strong winds, which quickly dry out the soil and root system.
Any type of soil will do, but with good drainage.
- If you plan to land on loam, you need to add a couple of buckets of sand, vermiculite or other drainage material 1 m².
- When planting on sandy loam, add clay in the same amount.
The site must be flat, not swampy, otherwise the plant will quickly rot and die. A soil with a slightly acidic reaction is suitable - within 5-6 units.
At a higher rate, any deoxidizing material is introduced - slaked lime, dolomite flour, calcite or chalk at the rate of 350-400 g per 1 m².
The landing pit is prepared two weeks before the planned landing. The approximate dimensions are 70x70x70 cm. If the earthen lump is larger, then its dimensions are increased.
The pit is spilled with water - 25-30 liters. After the moisture has been absorbed, drainage is introduced - half a bucket of broken brick, pebbles or rubble. Then ½ the depth is filled with a fertile earth mixture of sand, humus, peat and clay soil in a ratio of 1: 1: 3: 2.
Additionally, you can add 300 g of nitroammophoska and 10 kg of coniferous sawdust. After a couple of weeks, as the nutrient components settle, you can start planting the plants.
Landing technique
When planting in a group, it is necessary to follow a certain scheme, so the conifers can fully develop and not compete for moisture, nutrients and space. A distance of about 1 m is maintained between the seedlings, the distance in a row is 1.5 m.
The earthen ball is placed so that the root collar is 5-6 cm above the soil surface. It is sprinkled with the remaining soil mixture, tamped and watered.
To avoid rapid evaporation of moisture, it is necessary to mulch with a thick layer of coniferous sawdust or peat.
Care requirements
Balsam fir grows well and pleases with its decorativeness all year round, if it is provided with timely and proper care.
Watering
In the first months after planting, it should be regular but moderate.
Moisturize once a week, the consumption for a young tree is 5 liters, provided that the summer is hot and dry. Moisture-infused conifers will rapidly grow root system and green mass.
At the age of four years, the frequency of watering is reduced to three times per season. The amount of water for one copy is 25-30 liters.
It responds well to frequent sprinkling - it is carried out in the evening to avoid burning the needles and no more than 1 time in three days.
Loosening and mulching
Loosening helps the roots get oxygenated
For this tree, a surface loosening procedure is carried out to a depth of 5-6 cm.
This operation is necessary to maintain the moisture and air permeability of the soil, as well as to ensure full access of water and oxygen to the roots. During it, weed sprouts are removed, weeded between the rows.
Mulching provides protection against drying out of the soil and prevents the growth of unnecessary vegetation among the conifers. Peat, pine sawdust or wood chips are used as mulch.
Top dressing
With good nutrition, fir grows beautiful and healthy.
The first time fertilizer is given a year after planting - one of the nitrogen-containing preparations is used: a solution of urea, nitrophoska or ammofoska at the rate of 20 g per 10 liters of water.
The liquid nutritional composition stimulates the growth of roots and green matter. It is introduced in early spring before bud break.
The second time you can feed with a mineral complex of 15 g of superphosphate and 10 g of potassium sulfate in a bucket of water.
This fertilizer increases the immunity against diseases and the winter hardiness of the crop. Fertilized one month before the onset of stable autumn cold weather.
The growth and development of fir is positively influenced by foliar nutrition with drugs in a hylate form - Quadris, Epin or Geterauxin. Crown irrigation is carried out three times per season in the evening hours.
Pruning
This tree naturally has a beautiful and compact crown, but if you want to make it thicker or trim the edges, an easy cut is allowed - 2-3 cm in length of all shoots. Otherwise, the needles will not tolerate stress and will die.
Basic care includes annual sanitary pruning, which is done every spring. Cut out all branches damaged by frost, winds and diseases, as well as dried and growing parts.
To avoid infection, use a sterile sharp object - a pruner, a knife. After the operation, irrigate with a solution of copper sulfate or Bordeaux liquid to protect against the appearance of infections.
Shelter for the winter
Regardless of the region of cultivation, adult firs from the age of three years do not require insulation, since they have good frost resistance.
Before wintering, they can be covered with a thick layer of peat or pine chips.
Young trees need to be protected from severe frosts and severe winters:
- mulch the near-trunk zone with peat or sawdust;
- press the skeletal branches to the central trunk, fix with twine, wrap with burlap or cover with spruce branches.
Under a breathable covering material, the seedlings will safely endure wintering and will not dry out until spring. The shelter is removed when the threat of recurrent frosts has passed.
Reproduction
You can get a large number of new seedlings in two ways - by seeds and using cuttings.
The first method requires a lot of patience, some knowledge and is not always effective. It is more often used by breeders to obtain new hybrid forms.
Cutting is one of the most successful and proven options by many gardeners.
Preparation and landing
Cuttings are carried out in the spring
Shoots are cut in the spring - an adult and healthy tree from three years old is used. The apical parts are cut off with a piece of lignified bark. The optimal segment length is 15-20 cm.
In the lower part, they are freed from processes, needles, sprayed with one of the growth stimulants, planted in a moist and loose substrate of peat and sand mixed in the same amount.
Basic care
Sprinkle with warm water, cover with a transparent film and put in a warm place with a temperature in the range of 20-23 ° C.
When kept at home, plantings are periodically ventilated, watered, loosened and freed from weeds.
Rooting will take 60 to 90 days. The success of the process can be determined by the new buds on the cuttings. Then the shelter is removed, the seedlings are transferred to a room with a temperature of 15-18 °, they continue to moisten, loosen.
Transplantation to the site is carried out after a year and a half of germination at home. Usually this procedure is carried out in the second half of September, so that the conifers have time to take root and take root before the onset of the first cold weather.
Diseases and pests
This type of ephedra has a high immunity against diseases and parasites; it is rarely possible to spot Hermes (a type of aphid) on its crown.
The mass awakening of females occurs at the beginning of spring, so you need to have time to carry out preventive treatment with Antio or Rogor - 20 g of substance per bucket of water. Irrigate in the evening and early in the morning twice with an interval of 7 days.
The same funds are used for medicinal purposes not only for Hermes, but also for other pests of fir - pine cone leafworm, fir shoot moth.
Of diseases, rust is annoying. Signs of a fungal infection are the massive appearance of reddish or orange spots on the bark of the trunk and skeletal branches. All damaged organs are cut out, fallen needles are collected under the needles.
Places of cuts are covered with garden varnish, and the crown is irrigated with a solution of Bordeaux liquid of 2% concentration.
If a stellate or chive is found, the affected specimens must be dug up and burned.
Application in garden design
Evergreen beautiful fir has become widespread in garden landscape design:
- it is used in alley plantings, for landscaping city parks;
- from several seedlings form a compact and lush hedge;
- planted near artificial or natural reservoirs;
- combined with various varieties of other conifers - thujas, junipers, ground cover plants and mosses.
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Reviews
Due to the high decorativeness of balsamic fir, it is very popular among gardeners in different regions of the country.
- Many people appreciate it for its unpretentiousness, good resistance to frost and the ability to maintain decorative properties throughout the year.
- Successful cultivation by cuttings allows obtaining a large number of new plants with all varietal characteristics of the mother bush.
- Bushes compact in size go well with almost all the vegetation in the garden, without oppressing their decoration and growth.