How to plant and care for Canadian Daisy White spruce?

Competent planting of the Canadian spruce "Daisy White", as well as compliance with all the requirements for caring for this species will allow the plant to reach a hundred years of age. To achieve such a result, it is required to take into account the climatic features where it is supposed to be grown, and strictly follow the basic requirements for care. This compact ornamental tree prefers a climate with temperature fluctuations from –30 to +30 degrees, moderate soil moisture and partial shade.

The successful planting of this tree directly depends on compliance with the following rules.

1. It is required to monitor the preservation of the integrity of the root system and the fungus formed on it, which is necessary for the growth of the spruce (transplant only with a lump of earth).
2. It is imperative to prevent stagnation of moisture in the pit; for this, drainage using rubble, gravel, broken brick, etc.
3. Place the spruce so that the root collar is on the surface. Deepening is unacceptable, since this leads to the death of the bark on it and the cessation of plant nutrition.

Planting is carried out by immersing the root system of the tree along with a lump of earth into a specially prepared hole. It should not be too deep, since the root system of conifers is superficial. Making a hole deeper than 80–100 centimeters is simply pointless. Thus, a drain is placed at the bottom of the pit, filling it to about a fifth of the depth. Then the root system descends along with a lump of earth. If it was wrapped in burlap, it should not be removed, it will decompose naturally over time.

Good to know!

For conifers, planting is allowed in the winter season. However, early autumn is most preferable - the plant takes root better, tolerates winter well, and actively grows in spring.

Next, you need to carefully fill the pit. Having fixed the tree vertically, fill the soil in small portions. Every 15–20 centimeters, tamp it or water it so that all the voids are filled and the plant does not subsequently roll. Planting is completed with watering, since conifers, including the Canadian spruce "Daisy White", require a large amount of water at this moment (up to 40 liters). In the first year after transplanting, watering should be carried out intensively. For a tree up to 1 meter high, 10 liters of water will be required once a week in spring and autumn, and in summer - every three to four days.

How to care for a plant in the first and subsequent years

When planting is complete, help the tree, especially its root system. In the first week, you need to feed her with a rooting stimulant. Caring for it helps to strengthen the entire plant, since the root is the most vulnerable place during the transplantation period. It is also useful to sprinkle the needles abundantly, one of the advantages of which is to protect the shoots from too aggressive sunlight, especially in early spring.

Important!

When caring for coniferous trees, it is necessary to use fertilizing only for this type of plant. The use of manure, urea and humus is strictly prohibited!

Subsequently, care for the Canadian spruce "Daisy White" must be carried out taking into account the characteristics of this plant. Due to the fact that young needles are prone to sunburn, it can be shaded, and temporary shelters can be created using, for example, a net. Canadian spruce "Daisy White", like all conifers, evaporates moisture from the surface of the needles all year round. At the same time, in early spring, when the sun is active, it does this more intensively. The root system is not able to compensate for such a loss of moisture, because the soil has not yet thawed at this time.As a result, the needles dry up. To avoid this, it is necessary to provide the plant with the following care:

• clear the snow around the trunk, open access to the soil for warm air;
• water the spruce with warm water to thaw the soil around the root system;
• loosen the topsoil around the trunk with superficial movements.

These measures are relevant from mid-March if the plant is in a sunny place. Such care will keep the needles healthy, which means that the Canadian spruce will not lose its decorative qualities.

Decorative qualities and growth characteristics

The Canadian spruce "Daisy White" grows rather slowly, reaching 80 centimeters in height only by the age of ten. The crown in the form of a cone is very dense, bright green, completely hiding the trunk. Thanks to young shoots, which in late spring - early summer are white or creamy with a yellow tint, such specimens are highly valued from a decorative point of view. This is the reason for the name of the species: "white", which means white. Over time, young needles acquire the same bright green color. The Canadian spruce "Daisy White" grows well in a bright place or in partial shade, but too intense sun during the growth of the first young shoots harms them. In order for the white needles not to burn in the sun, it must be protected, covered with a net, and shaded.

Advice

It is advisable to keep the soil around the spruce trunk loose and moist. For this, mulch from peat and cut grass is used.

In winter, you can cover a young tree with spruce branches. This should be done when the air temperature reaches -15 degrees. It must be laid in 1-2 layers. When the spruce hut is covered with a snow cap, the temperature under it will not drop below -5 degrees. Unfortunately, in such favorable conditions, mice feel good, which can damage the bark of a tree. It is necessary to put poisonous agents for them under the spruce branches.

The compact size of this type of spruce and its visual appeal allow using "Daisy White" as an element of landscape design. Densely growing branches, dense crown, characteristic of these plants, make it possible to create from them hedge... The relatively easy maintenance makes the spruce attractive for decoration of both personal plots and public areas. Subject to all the necessary rules, Canadian spruce will grow successfully and can reach two, and sometimes three meters in height.