Representatives of the Sosnovye family are among the most common crops that are grown on the garden plot. A special place in this list is occupied by balsamic fir varieties Brilliant. This variety is characterized by low growth. The article describes the description of the culture, gives rules for planting and care.
Botanical Description
Balsamic, or also Korean fir Diamond (Abies balsamea Brilliant, Abies koreana Brillant) is an original variety that belongs to natural dwarfs. Most often, this variety is used in landscape design. The culture lives mainly in the territories of North America, Canada, North Korea.
Did you know? Fir cones, unlike cones of other conifers, grow exclusively vertically.
Variety Description:
- crown compact, pillow-shaped;
- plant height - 30-50 cm;
- crown diameter - 55 cm;
- needles are short, dense. Each side of the needles has a different color. If the upper part has a saturated green glossy tint, then the lower part has small silver stripes of a longitudinal structure with curled edges;
- the length of the needles is about 1-2 cm;
- winter hardiness is average, up to -23 ° С.
The plant belongs to slow-growing crops. Annual growth is not more than 4 cm. When the shrub reaches 10 years of age, it reaches a height of 40 cm and a width of 60 cm. Life expectancy is not more than 200 years.
Landing
The variety is planted in moist, fertile and slightly acidic soil. The optimum acid-base balance is from 5 to 7.2 pH. It is preferable to land in sunny areas. Also, the plant can develop in partial shade, only the color of the needles will be slightly paler.
Did you know? The fir needles contain volatile, so the tree branches can be used to disinfect the room or air.
Diamond seedlings are recommended to be bought in specialized nurseries, where planting material is stored in the right conditions. Also, young shrubs fertilize during the formation process, so gardeners can not add nutrients during planting.
Video: How to plant and care for fir
Since planting is carried out in the spring, soil preparation is carried out in the fall. First, they dig a garden plot. In the process, all weeds are removed along with the root system. After that, humus or horse manure is introduced throughout the territory (20 kg per 1 m²). After 2 weeks, when the fertilizers are absorbed, you need to dig out the landing holes, 50 × 50 cm in size.
Step-by-step landing instructions are as follows:
- At the bottom of the hole pour 20 cm of drainage. Better moisture passes broken brick and expanded clay.
- Sprinkle the drainage layer with nutrient soil. To do this, mix peat and turf in a ratio of 1: 2.
- Place the seedling inside and spread the roots. This will avoid the formation of voids that provoke rotting of the root system.
- Sprinkle with earth and tamp.
- Pour 20 l of water into each bush.
Fir Care
After planting, you need to provide plants with full care. First of all, properly water the bushes so that the soil does not dry out, but also is not too moist.
It is necessary to loosen the soil and remove weeds in order to prevent the development of pests. The plant does not need to form a crown, so only sanitary pruning is required.
Watering and feeding
Young shrubs need more abundant watering than adults. Therefore, the first six months irrigate the soil with an interval of 5 days. At least 10 liters of water are poured under each plant. Further watering is carried out 1 time in 2 weeks. In this case, 20 liters of water are used for each bush.
To make the crown brighter, you can irrigate the crown with a hose. This procedure also allows you to flush all existing pests.
Top dressing is applied 2 times per season. If you bought seedlings in a nursery, then the first 3 years you will not need to fertilize.
Further use of nutrients is carried out according to the following schedule:
- in spring, 10 l of a solution of “Hetrauxin” (40 ml per 10 l of water) is poured under each bush;
- in the fall, Radifarm is used (25 ml per 10 l of water). 1 liter is poured under one plant.
Loosening and mulching
Loosen the soil every week. If there is no crust on the soil surface, air and nutrients will be better able to penetrate the root system.
Mulching is carried out immediately after planting. To do this, use sawdust, pine bark or peat. The mulch layer should be at least 20 cm in order to protect the bushes from hypothermia.
Pruning
Fir trees do not need constant forming clippings. Crohn's plants retain their shape for a long time. It is enough to remove dry and damaged branches in the spring. It is also necessary to pinch the central buds in autumn. This is done to preserve the fluffiness of the plant.
Winter preparations
Despite the average frost resistance, the young fir needs shelter for the winter. To do this, in October or November, plants are protected with a plastic film or thick cardboard..Shelters need to be removed when the air warms up to + 15 ° C. If this is not done, the root system will begin to rot.
Important! Adult shrubs do not need protection before winter frosts. It is enough to put in October a dense layer of mulch.
Breeding
Not every gardener can afford to buy ready-made seedlings, given their high cost. Therefore, some prefer to grow them at home.
The most common breeding methods:
- cuttings;
- seeds.
To implement the first method, it is necessary to cut off a small annual shoot in spring. Divide it into several parts so that each is up to 5 cm in length. Place the cuttings in the Kornevin solution (30 g per 10 l of water). Soak for 10 hours. After this, pour the nutrient mixture (peat, turf soil and sand in a ratio of 1: 2: 1) into a container or flower pot. Fill the container by 2/3. Deepen the stalk by 3 cm and water it with 5 l of water every day.
Already next spring, you can plant the plant in open ground
To collect seeds for reproduction, it is necessary to collect them from large and beautiful cones. Place the seeds in the refrigerator for a month. After that, soak in clean warm water for a day. The growing procedure is the same as in the case of cuttings. The differences are only in the fact that you need to deepen the seed by 5 cm. Ready seedlings will be ready in 2 years.
Video: Growing fir from seeds
Possible diseases and pests
The only disease that affects Diamond Fir is rust. It manifests itself in the form of yellowness on the needles and orange-brown growths along the shoots. Affected areas of the tree are cut and burned. After that, the plant is sprayed with a solution of copper sulfate (20 g per 10 l of water). The processing interval is at least 3 weeks.
Common pests are:
- Leaflet. The struggle consists in processing with Kronefos solution (30 ml per 5 l of water). Spraying is carried out 1 time per month.
- Spider mite. An effective remedy against this pest is Fazalon (50 ml per 4 l of water). Spray bushes 2 times a month.
- Fir moth. “Keltan” (10 g per 10 l of water) is used against the parasite. Spray plants every 3 weeks.
- False shield. Against it use "Phosphamide" (20 g per 5 liters of water). Spraying is carried out 1 time per month.
Use in landscape design
Diamond is rarely used for industrial purposes. More often it is used for decorating suburban areas. In the city, it is not recommended to grow this species, because excessively polluted air negatively affects the development of culture (growth slows down, the crown is deformed and the saturation of the shade of the needles is lost).
Beauty and original appearance allow you to use this variety for the design of flower beds, large flower beds or alpine slides. You can also plant plants along the alley.
The compactness of the bushes allows them to fit well into the landscape of the garden. They are planted both in groups and alone. Plants are regularly found in coniferous parks or flower beds in decorative compositions. It goes well with cypress, arborvitae or juniper. Some summer residents plant fir on the same site as a chestnut or birch.
A compact grade of balsamic (Korean) fir. The diamond is unpretentious in care. Thanks to its unusual appearance, you can create any decorative compositions and make the garden more neat and aesthetic. Growing a variety is easy to perform, so it is suitable for both experienced gardeners and beginners.
