What does the spruce like - light or shadow?

There are different opinions about what the spruce loves - sun or shade. For all its light-loving nature, at certain stages of growth, the tree needs shading.

Long-liver spruce

The genus Spruce has 40 species and belongs to the Pine family. The Latin name "Picea" comes from "pix" and translates as "resin". Few people know that the main symbol of Christmas and New Year can live for thousands of years.

In the national park of Sweden Fulufjellet grows spruce, which is more than 9550 years old. It is the oldest arboreal organism on the planet.

Average spruce lives much shorter - 250-300 years. But this is more than enough for several generations. Pine trees are undemanding to care for, they retain their decorative appearance all year round. The phytoncides they secrete have a beneficial effect on the human body. The resinous smell also repels ticks. In hot summer, a saving shadow forms under the tree, in winter you can dress it up and arrange a real holiday.

What kind of lighting does he like?

Ate are light-loving plants. They thrive best in full sunlight.

In the sun, the crown of trees becomes as fluffy and bright as possible, and the trunk grows even. Serbian and blue spruce are especially sensitive to lighting. It is important that the tops of these species are illuminated by bright sunlight throughout the day.

For all its photophilousness, young seedlings need shading. The spring sun can burn the needles. In the period from February to April, trees up to 1–1.5 m high need shade.

What kind of trees grow well in the shade?

Spruce grows in the shade, but slowly. In some species, this increases the likelihood of deformation of the trunk, a decrease in the color intensity and looseness of the needles.

Before planting a plant in the shade, it is important to ask about its shade tolerance. Such quality is endowed with varieties of common spruce (European):

• "Akrokona",
• "Repair",
• "Pumila Glauka".

The black spruce varieties "Doumeti", "Nana", "Cobalt" are considered relatively shade-tolerant.

You need to understand that plants are able to withstand light shade. A place where there is no sun all day long is not suitable for growing conifers.

The best place to land

Pine trees are usually planted at the gates, away from buildings and cultivated plants. Such requirements for the landing site were put forward for a reason. The fact is that ate is unstable and takes up a lot of nutrients from the soil around them. A feature of the plant is the dying off of the taproot after 10-15 years. At the same time, the superficial root system continues to exist and grows strongly in breadth.

The best place for a spruce is a well-lit area behind the gate of the house, near a fence that creates a low shadow.

Some gardeners plant a tree in the center of the yard. In this case, it must be borne in mind that as it grows, the spruce will shade a significant part of the site. To avoid such a problem, it is worth giving preference to dwarf varieties.

Keep in mind that you will not be able to plant anything within a radius of 2-3 m from the spruce.

When choosing a planting site, it is also necessary to take into account the composition of the soil. The tree loves loose, light soil. It grows best in loams. For spruce, a mixture of garden soil, sand and peat is prepared, vermicompost, humus or compost are added to it.

When planting spruce in a lowland, especially in heavy soil, drainage must be poured onto the bottom of the pit with a layer of 15–20 cm (broken brick or crushed stone mixed with sand). Trees do not tolerate waterlogging.

The nuances of planting and growing

An adult spruce that has taken root practically does not need care.However, before the tree takes root, you have to sweat a lot. The first difficulty is the choice of quality seedlings. Age 2 years is considered optimal for planting, but more mature spruce can also be planted. It is important that it has a closed root system, a dense earthy clod and green, healthy needles.

What nuances need to be considered:

• You need to plant spruce quickly. The ground that has fallen from a coma often exposes the roots, and they die in the air. The recommended duration of the event is 15–20 minutes.
• The position of the spruce should be kept relative to the cardinal points. Usually a bright piece of fabric is tied to the branch that faces north.
• The plant loves forest soil. Stirring it into the potting mix during planting will reduce stress.
• For the first 2-3 years, the tree needs regular and abundant watering (12 liters at least once every 2 weeks). In this case, you need to pour water only under the tree. You cannot wet the needles.
• Top dressing. The next year after planting, mineral fertilizers are applied to the trunk circle. The activities are repeated annually for three or more years.
• Preservation of soil looseness. It is best to cover the ground under the tree with coniferous litter or bark. If this is not possible, you will have to periodically loosen it (to a depth of 7 cm).
• Wintering. In order for young plants to overwinter well, phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are added to the trunk circle in September, which contribute to lumbering. In late autumn, trees are watered abundantly and the soil is mulched with bark to keep warm. Very young seedlings are additionally covered with spruce branches.

For the first 15 years, spruce grows very slowly. Often, mature trees are transplanted for landscaping purposes. Prepare them for the procedure in advance: in the spring they dig a trench 20-30 cm wide and 1 m deep, cut off the roots with a shovel, bring peat and root formation stimulants into the pit. In the fall, a pillow formed from the roots and soil is dug up and transferred to the basement before winter begins. It is recommended to plant an adult spruce after the soil freezes, but before the temperature drops below -8-12 degrees. So, adults ate only love the sun. But there are species that can grow in light shade. Young trees also need shading. It is better to place seedlings near the fence, bushes, low trees, which until a certain time will provide trees with shelter from the scorching rays.