Dwarf cedar has been cultivated since 1817. It is currently one of the most commonly used plants in landscape design in England.
Dwarf cedar: a tree bush that can decorate any area
Brief information about the species
- Colour: green, fades during cold weather. As it matures, the plant acquires a brown shade of needles.
- Height: up to 5 m.
- Crown width: in recumbent trunks, it grows to a maximum of 15 m.
- In which regions is it growing: natural area of distribution - the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk, in Kamchatka, on the territory of the Kuril Islands.
- Landing features: prefers light, does not tolerate stagnant water. The minimum distance between elfin and other plants is 4 m.
- Immunity: weak against rust of needles and shute. Of insects, aphids, scale insects and Siberian hermes should be feared.
- Life span: over 200 years.
Growing regions
The original distribution area of dwarf cedar is Transbaikalia: Kuriles and Kamchatka. It is here that he can reach his maximum height of 7 m.
The plant is considered a half-tree-half-bush and has a horizontal undersized crown. Because of this feature, thickets are called creeping forests.
The culture is doing well in northern Japan, China and Korea. But in the European part of Russia, it practically does not occur.
Using cedar dwarf
The culture is grown not only for landscaping the site, but also because of the essential oil, seeds and needles.
Stlanik is valued for:
- Essential oil - it has the highest amount of phytoncides in comparison with other conifers.
- Nuts - high quality oil is pressed from them. Nut cake is used in cooking for the manufacture of confectionery. Whole nuts are also eaten.
- Hardwood - decorative crafts are made.
- Turpentine and gum - obtained from the plant.
- Needles are considered an environmentally friendly green dye.
Elm wood is planted to disinfect the air and strengthen the soil.
Plant appearance
The bush is considered a tree-like, belonging to the pine. It has spreading branches and a different crown, depending on the variety: in the form of a bowl, traditional or creeping.
Elm tree in the form of a tree grows up to 7 m in natural conditions. For creeping forms, the normal height is 1.5-2 m.
The needles are gray-green, with a blue or white tint. The color of a plant can change over the course of life and the change of seasons.
Popular varieties
- Glauca. The height of this shrub is up to 1.5 m, width is up to 3 m. The annual growth is up to 3 cm. Demanding on lighting. Glauka has purple-red buds and bright blue-green needles. The branches are down.
- Dwarf blue. A bush with spreading branches. This variety is often compared to the Blaukissen prickly spruce due to its bluish needles and fluffy shoots.
- Draijers Dwarf. A shrub with blue-green needles that seem whitish from a distance. Fluffy shoots.
- Globe. It grows in the shape of a skittle or a ball, reaches a height and width of 2 m. The needles are dense, green-blue in color. The needles are long, up to 7 cm, slightly curved. The variety is extremely difficult to propagate, so it is recommended to purchase it from nurseries.
- Jeddeloh. Has a growing crown. After the end of the period of active growth, the annual growth is about 9 cm. The color of the needles is considered a feature of the variety: it is green on top, blue and white below.
- Jermyns. One of the slowest growing varieties. Has a conical crown.
- Nana. A bushy plant with a dense crown. The flowers are reddish, the needles are curving, green-gray. Previously, the Nana variety was referred to as a European cedar pine.
Landing
The plant takes up a fairly large space
It is imperative to choose the right place for planting the elfin tree, as it is highly rooted. This plant does not tolerate transplants very well.
Seedling preparation
To prevent the development of diseases, the root part of the seedling before planting is placed in a 3% solution of potassium permanganate for 2 hours.
Immediately before planting, a pot of cedar is spilled with water so that an earthen lump grabs.
Site preparation
Dwarf cedar tolerates frost well, is wind-resistant and reacts poorly to changes in humidity.
He prefers lighted places, but he can grow with a little darkening. In partial shade, the crown loses its splendor.
The tree is undemanding to the soil, grows normally even on rocky ground. The only thing that the plant does not tolerate is stagnation of water, therefore gardeners recommend planting this plant on hills.
When preparing a landing site, certain rules are used.
- The planting hole is dug 2 times the height of the seedling, but not less than 80 cm. The width of the recess should be 2-2.5 times the earthen dwarf plant.
- The bottom of the pit is covered with a drainage layer 15 cm high. Expanded clay or gravel is used for drainage.
- 15-20 cm of sand is poured onto the drainage, after which half the planting hole is filled with a soil mixture.
- Then a full bucket of water is poured into it to avoid drying out the seedling.
- If the soil is too heavy, it is additionally limestone with dolomite flour. For 1 sq.m. 500 g is enough
When planning landscape design, it is taken into account that there is about 4 m between the neighboring cedars, since the elfin trees cannot tolerate transplanting. Calculations are made based on the adult state of the plants.
Landing technology
Dumplings are planted from early to mid-April to late May. If the weather is warm and dry in autumn, then planting is carried out until early September.
The earthen root ball is preserved. For plants of different ages, their own rules for deepening the root collar:
- for very little ones, it is left at soil level;
- in young cedars, the neck is 3 cm above the ground;
- for adults - about 10 cm above the soil.
After filling the landing pit with earth, I spill it with 2-3 buckets of water.
Care
The tree needs feeding
Elmwood does not require special care or excessive watering.
For good growth and a beautiful appearance, it is enough to feed the tree and make room for development: the root system of the plant grows horizontally.
Watering
Cedar is undemanding to watering. It is enough to carry out it once, from May to September.
In stable dry weather, watered three times in two months and additionally sprayed with needles.
Top dressing
By the end of April, the plant is fed with mineral fertilizers.
In the future, gardeners are advised to monthly introduce humic fertilizers together with watering, before loosening the ground.
Mulching and loosening the soil
Dumplings are mulched with fallen leaves, pine bark or wood chips, as well as artificial materials. The height of the mulch is from 5 to 8 cm.
The soil is loosened before fertilization. Also, loosening allows you to prevent the rooting of cuttings and the formation of unwanted thickets on the site.
Haircut and trim
The tree does not need formative pruning. If it is carried out, then you need to catch it before the end of April.
Sanitary procedures must be repeated every season, after the snow melts. Remove dead and broken branches.
If a disease is detected, the damaged parts are removed immediately.
The cut must be treated with paint.
Preparing for winter
In autumn, the root system is covered with straw up to 8 cm in height. It is permissible to use peat.
The crown is quite fragile and can break from excessive snow.
To preserve its integrity, a cube of slats is built near the plant, which is then covered with lutrasil.
Reproduction
The procedure is carried out using seeds or layering. Ornamental species reproduce by grafting.
Seeds
Nuts are pre-stratified for about six months at a temperature of 5 ° C. For this:
- seeds are placed in a container with moist soil, the distance between them is about 2 cm;
- nuts are not buried or buried;
- from above the seeds are covered with moss, which is sprayed with water.
Since the dwarf tree has extremely poor germination, gardeners are advised to plant as many seeds as possible.
Seedlings are planted in the ground, keeping an earthen lump.
Layers
Sometimes the branches of a plant that are too low and touching the ground will root on their own. Over time, if the soil is not loosened, real thickets can form.
For reproduction, gardeners root the lower branches, holding them to the ground with forks. Sprinkle additional soil on top.
In April, the cuttings are dug up together with a clod of earth. The maternal branch is cut off, after which the young plant is transplanted into a previously prepared hole. After all the procedures, it is spilled with water and humic fertilizers are applied.
Cultivation of elfin is a protracted matter, and in some cases, to create a competent garden composition, it is more profitable to purchase an adult seedling in a nursery than to try to propagate your bush.
Diseases and pests
Rust is the worst enemy
Rust is considered the main disease. It manifests itself in the form of yellow blisters on needles. If it is not treated, the plant begins to shed its needles. At the same time, the decorative qualities of the dwarf tree are reduced.
To prevent this disease, it is necessary to trim the affected branches in a timely manner, after which they are treated with immunostimulants. The tree is fed with micronutrient fertilizers.
Shütte is the second most common ailment. The main sign of damage is the yellow-brown needles of the plant in spring. On closer inspection, black growths on the needles become visible.
It is difficult to treat, it spreads quickly, especially in decorative thickets. If a fungal disease is detected, the affected branches are removed, after which they are sprayed with Hom.
Prevention consists in spraying the pumila with 1% Bordeaux every spring and autumn.
Of the pests, the following insects should be feared:
- Siberian Hermes. The main sign is the formation of white bloom and cobwebs on the needles. For treatment, sprays and injections of insecticides are used. To completely cure the tree, the procedure will have to be carried out two or three times.
- Aphid. Prefers young plants with soft needles. To prevent aphids, it is recommended to fight against the ants that cultivate it. Dumplings are sprayed with solutions of Decis, Fufanon or similar substances.
- Shield. It manifests itself in the form of small brown rounded cones. As a result, it leads the plant to the death of the bark and the crooked growth of young shoots. To get rid of the parasite, they use trapping belts at a low degree of infection and insecticides like Fitoferm at a high level.
Use in landscape design
Landscape designers use cedar for:
- creating undergrowth in front of deciduous and coniferous trees;
- tapeworm planted on dumps;
- strengthening of soils, which is often used in nature reserves;
- decorating attics when growing in pots;
- organization of garden compositions on roofs;
- decorate driveways.
Elderberry looks advantageous when creating alpine slides; hedges are cultivated from it.
It has a horizontal root system, so it is separated from other plants by at least 2 m for bushes and 4 m for woody forms.
It is not recommended to plant next to the intermediate hosts of rust: gooseberries, currants and others.
Conifers for your garden Dwarf cedar
Conifers: cedar pine, Weymouth pine, dwarf cedar.
CEDAR LEFT, STRATIFICATION.
Gardeners reviews
Landscape designers speak positively about dwarf cedar: according to their description, it is a wonderful decoration for any garden.
However, it is noted that it is very difficult to create a competent composition. This is due to the extremely slow growth of the plant, poor survival rate during transplantation and too expensive planting material.
But it is not difficult to take care of the culture, it tolerates wind and cold and has a strong immunity.
Its cultivation for over 200 years is proof of its decorative properties and popularity.