But there is a group of ornamental crops that need to be taken care of even after frosts, in the spring. Ice rain, heavy snowfall and bright spring sun can ruin the crown of conifers, or even burn the plants to the ground. Therefore, when preparing plants for winter, it is so important to provide them with shelter to protect them from snow, ice, and sunburn.

Timing of sheltering conifers for the winter

All measures for sheltering conifers can be carried out both in autumn and in the first half of winter. Under such shelters, conifers will be safe from any weather surprises, and the gardener’s soul will be calm all winter.

In order to survive the winter, plants must be strong and healthy. Therefore, it is so important to pay attention not only to preparing for winter, but also correct landing and caring for conifers:

Sheltering conifers from snow and ice

After long snowfalls the crown junipers and it doesn't look in the best possible way– individual branches bend to the ground, or even break completely. It is good when it is possible to shake off trees immediately after the end of snowfall, but often this is not possible.

Shelter of thuja and juniper

1. To prevent damage to the crown, I tie the tree crowns with a special wide garden bandage.
2. I start tying from the top and move down so that the winding does not fly off.
3. After wrapping with bandages, I place 3-4 metal rods around the conifers - they should be the same height as the plant or slightly higher. In the spring you don’t have to pull them out - they won’t be noticeable in the crown.
4. I wrap the rods in plastic coarse mesh. This mesh is an excellent basis for further shelter from the spring sun and additional insurance against breaking the crown.
5. For varieties, shelter is limited to wrapping the crown with a bandage and attaching the mesh to the rods - it does not burn in the spring sun, and is not afraid of frost.

How to make garden bandages with your own hands:

• take a regular covering material, it is better to take one with a thickness of 60,
• cut strips from it for winding.

I also have one more contender for protection from snowfalls - dwarf pine "Spielberg". It has thin branches with fluffy paws at the end, which break off at the slightest snow load. I tie it very tightly.

Sheltering conifers from sunburn

All varieties juniper , spruce konica And fir "Silberloke" on top plastic mesh I wrap it in burlap or unnecessary sheets, because they burn first in the spring sun, especially the conika.

For small specimens, like conic and fir, you can limit yourself to a few rods - dig them around the perimeter of the crown and wrap them with burlap.

• Covering material such as spunbond, agril, lutrasil, etc. They are not suitable as sun protection, because according to the manufacturers, they perfectly transmit the sun, which means that the conifers under it will burn immediately.
• Unnecessary old blackout curtains also keep the sun out. In winter, I sew them and sheets together several at a time so that I can throw them on in one fell swoop and secure them.

For more information on protecting conifers from burning in winter, watch the video:

Shelter of conifers on a trunk

Conifers on a trunk deserve special pre-winter attention. Depending on the size of the crown, I cover them differently.

1. At the same time, everyone grafted conifers There is a weak point - the graft, I always wrap it with a piece of covering material and secure it firmly with ropes. If you conscientiously tie the grafting site, then standard conifers will not be afraid of any frost.
2. The second danger facing plants is breaking off the crown from the trunk as a result of the accumulation of a fair amount of snow. The crowns of grafted conifers cannot bear much weight and, as a result, break at the grafting site.
3. So, it has a wide crown blue spruce on the standard. I place metal rods around the perimeter and stretch fine mesh on top. metal mesh, and I put burlap on it. It turns out that no matter how much snow falls, it does not touch the crown, and all the weight falls on the mesh. I also cover pine bonsai .
4. Recognized star of the garden - fir on the Icebreaker trunk she is afraid of both the sun and the weight of the snow at the same time, so I lower a wooden box onto it and put a “roof” on top.
5. Small crowns of standard conifers, for example, larch , I wrap it completely with covering material, including the crown and the trunk itself to the ground - in my experience, it is to some extent afraid of frost.

Photo: fir shelter

Conifer shelter (video)

For more information on how to cover thuja, junipers, conika, fir for the winter and protect conifers from the sun, the weight of snow and freezing rain, see my video

Cedar forests are healing for humans. The air there is surprisingly clean, and this is natural, because cedar actively releases phytoncides that kill pathogenic bacteria. But is it really possible to raise a resident of the taiga forests in our gardens? Let's try to uncover this “terrible” secret.

Let's start with clarification: Siberian cedar is the name given to Siberian cedar pine, which belongs to the genus Pine and is very distantly related to real cedars.

IN natural conditions Siberian cedar is a powerful tree up to 40 m high with a spreading multi-stage crown, and not everyone can wrap their hands around the trunk, because its diameter can reach 2 m. Can you imagine what size it should be? suburban area so that the cedar feels at ease? But for those who cannot boast of dacha properties of such an area, there is an alternative: low-growing varieties Siberian cedar, which will not take up much space, but will bring considerable benefits.

For what advantages do we fall in love with Siberian cedar? Firstly, it is unusually decorative throughout the year and looks great not only in summer, but also in winter - turning green above the snow-white snowdrifts. Secondly, for its delicious and healthy seeds- nuts (they are often mistakenly considered fruits), from which healing cedar oil is produced. Thirdly, for the resin-resin, which has a wound-healing effect, for the healing pine needles, from which infusions are made that help with various ailments, and even for the nut shells, which have been used in folk medicine for many years. In addition, cedar wood is highly valued (due to its beautiful texture, ease of processing, resonant properties) and is widely used in construction, furniture and musical instruments. Siberian cedar is characterized by high winter hardiness - it can withstand frosts below 60 ° C, and is resistant to gas-polluted urban environments. In favorable conditions, cedar can live up to 500-800 years, and is well adapted to the harsh climate of Siberia and central Russia.

If you already have a Siberian cedar growing at your dacha, be sure to create a resting place in its shade. By spending even 1 hour a day under a tree, it is quite possible to recover from some diseases, because cedar is able to accumulate healing energy and give it to people. And if you don’t have a decorative healer yet, let’s look at how you can plant a cedar pine tree summer cottage.

IN at a young age(up to 16 years) seedlings are shade-tolerant, but then they need good lighting, take this feature into account when choosing a permanent landing site.

If possible, purchase seedlings from

(closed root system). In this case, the roots will not be damaged during transplantation. If the nursery does not have these, and you have to take a plant with an open root system, pay attention to compliance with important requirements:

• the seedling must be planted in a permanent place as soon as possible; therefore it is highly desirable that it be dug up in your presence;
• there must be a lump of earth on the roots: for plants 1.5-2 m high, about 40-60 cm in diameter;
• the earthen lump should be carefully packed in burlap; additionally, it is possible (and preferable) to place it in a plastic bag or wrap it in damp burlap.

In good nurseries, root pruning is used when digging up seedlings, while root system the damage is minimal, but the plant will still need time and effort to take root in a new place. To help him get comfortable, it is important to create optimal conditions. According to experts, the best survival rate is for Siberian cedar seedlings aged 6-8 years.

Boarding order:

• They dig up the entire area where they plan to plant cedars (if there is only one seedling, then they dig up the soil within a radius of 1 m around the planting hole).
• They maintain a distance between pits of up to 8 m (for dwarf varieties - up to 3 m).
• The size of the planting hole should be 30% larger than the size of the seedling's earthen ball.
• If the soil is loamy or sandy loam, then cedar seedlings can be planted directly into it. And if it is clayey, then mix the soil taken out of the hole with peat and sand in a ratio of 2x1x2.
• Then fertilizers are added to the excavated soil: rotted manure, wood ash, 2-3 handfuls coniferous land from forest, peat (for loamy and sandy loam). The soil is mixed well with the added ingredients and poured into the hole.
• Strengthen a support (peg) in the planting hole and place a seedling in its center (the root collar should be at soil level). If it turns out to be lower, the seedling is carefully removed and a little more soil mixture is poured into the hole.
• If the seedling had a closed root, after it was taken out of the container, the roots should be well straightened so that they fit freely in the hole without bending.

• The above-ground part of the seedling is tied to a support with twine. The empty space around the earthen ball is filled with prepared soil mixture, compacted, and watered (at least 6 liters of water per plant).
• The tree trunk circle is mulched with pine litter, bark and sawdust of trees coniferous species.
• For 2 weeks, continue watering at intervals of once every 2-3 days (if there is no rain, of course).
• Nitrogen fertilizing is not applied in the first year after planting.

Growing Siberian cedar from seeds

You can take a longer route: grow cedar from a seed - a nut. In the fall, collect ripe cones and select the best quality vigorous nuts. Next, follow the following order:

• Place the seeds in a cup of water and keep them like this for 3 days, changing the water daily. During this time, high-quality seeds will swell and sink to the bottom, while empty ones will remain on the surface of the water.
• benign seeds are kept for 2-3 hours strong solution potassium permanganate;
• then the nuts are placed in a moist substrate (sphagnum, peat, sawdust, etc.) and stratified for at least 3 months;
• before sowing, the seeds are re-soaked in a strong solution of potassium permanganate for 24 hours, then dried;
• sown in protected soil (greenhouse, film cover) in well-prepared soil: a mixture of superphosphate, wood ash and peat is added per 1 m of the seed furrow in a ratio of 1x2x20. The seeding depth is 2.5-3 cm. The crops are mulched (0.5-1 cm layer) with peat and sawdust.
• Before germination, crops are regularly watered; in order to prevent fungal diseases, you can alternate ordinary water for irrigation with a solution of potassium permanganate.

In protected soil, Siberian pine seedlings are grown up to 2 years of age. Then the cover is removed. At the age of 6-8 years, the seedlings are ready for planting in a permanent place.

Cedar care

The top layer of soil in the tree trunk circle should not dry out, so mulching is necessary. During dry periods - regular watering. Digging up the soil in the tree trunk circle is unacceptable; only superficial loosening is possible, but if there is mulch, there is no need for it. Periodic irrigation of the crown is very beneficial for cedar, especially in the absence of rain. Top dressing (20 grams of potassium sulfate per 10 liters of water) is applied three times per season (May, June, July) under each tree.

Varieties of Siberian cedar

And now I present to you the two most popular scion varieties of Siberian cedar.

Variety "Recordist"

A unique variety that got its name due to its abundant fruiting.

But the decorative qualities are also excellent - the dense spherical crown will decorate any garden.

Variety "Icarus"

Cedar of the “Icarus” variety is a low tree with a stunningly beautiful pyramidal crown.

What progress has come! The unity of nature and science has given us low-growing varieties of the mighty medicinal cedar, which can be grown at every dacha - in open ground or as

tub

culture.

Cedar is a coniferous evergreen tree of the Pine family. IN wildlife grows in Mediterranean countries, in the western regions of the Himalayas, in Siberia, Crimea, and the Far East.

General information

Cedar is enough decorative tree, capable of living 500 years and growing up to 50 meters in height. Except decorative properties, the tree is valued for its tasty and healthy nuts, which are used in medicine and cooking.

Cedar sprout.

Therefore, cedar is actively grown both in forestry farms for planting in the wild and in household plots.

Cedar is a monoecious tree with a spreading, lush crown, dark gray bark, and needle-shaped needles. The needles of cedar are prickly and hard, silver-gray, dark green or blue-green.

Cedar cones are erect, cylindrical, or oval-elongated, ripen in the second or third year, the seeds are edible. Cedar blooms in autumn.

Planting seedlings

Seedlings for planting cedar can be purchased at a nursery or forestry, according to special permission. The highest quality seedlings are those growing in a sunny place. When exposed to the sun, they become strong and dense, and after transplanting to a new place they will easily get used to the bright rays of the sun.

Before digging up a cedar seedling, a ribbon is tied to one of the branches to plant the cedar, correctly oriented to the cardinal points. The south side should also face south in the new location.

Cedar does not grow quickly, a one-year-old seedling grows up to 4-5 cm, while its roots reach 20 cm. For planting, it is better to buy a cedar seedling aged 2-5 years with a well-developed root system and a strong trunk.

A seedling in a pot, purchased in autumn or winter, can be kept on the balcony, in an unheated room, and even outside.

Before transplanting, a seedling purchased in spring or summer is left outside in the shade, correctly oriented to the cardinal points. In warm and hot weather, its crown should be frequently sprayed with a spray bottle. There should always be a container of water next to the seedling to maintain the desired level of humidity.

If a seedling is taken from a forestry, where it grows under open air, they begin to dig it in at a distance of 30-40 cm from the trunk, and gradually deepen the hole. This operation can be performed with your hands rather than with a shovel, so as not to damage the roots.

The central root is completely freed, the lateral ones can be slightly cut off. It will be correct to dig up the seedling along with the earthen root, moisten it, and immediately put it in a plastic bag. The bag is tied so that the soil does not spill out.

At the same time, cedar needles are collected in a separate bag, which will be useful for fertilizing and mulching the hole. The seedling is brought home and immediately transplanted to a new location.

To get seeds from cedar, it is better to take seedlings from different places, the fact is that this is a cross-pollinated plant, and high-quality nuts will be obtained only when inbreeding can be avoided.

Cedars are planted on the site in groups of at least 3-4 trees. The distance between them should be 5-8 meters - these openings can be filled with shrubs - serviceberry, honeysuckle, raspberries. You cannot plant cedar mixed with deciduous trees, they will interfere with each other. If you sow lupine next to cedars, it will saturate the soil with nitrogen, which is necessary for good growth and fruiting of cedars.

Cedar loves light, permeable soil and does not tolerate stagnant moisture; it grows well in soil poor in lime. Thus, Himalayan cedar can develop chlorosis and die on dry, calcareous soil. Lebanese and Atlas cedars grow and develop poorly on calcareous soil.

The place for planting cedar should be open, well lit and well ventilated. A tree needs fertile soil; poor soil will not be able to “nourish” the tree to its natural size. Does not like cedar and polluted air. In a garden or summer cottage, cedar is planted at a distance of about 5 meters from buildings, and at least 8 meters from gooseberries and currants. If the area is damp, cedar can be planted on a mound about 1 meter high and 3 meters in diameter.

When can cedar be transplanted? Cedar seedlings can be transplanted from early spring until the beginning of May, and in the fall - in September-October, so that the plant has time to take root before the first frost.

The dimensions of the hole for planting cedar seedlings depend on the length of the central root and the diameter of the root system. When the hole is dug, its bottom needs to be loosened with a shovel half a bayonet, and a little ash, humus, pine needles, peat, top fertile layer soil. This mixture should occupy about a third of the depth of the hole. The components can be mixed in advance, poured out and filled with water.

The seedling is placed on a moist mixture and covered with earth so that the root collar is flush with the surface of the earth. The soil is compacted with feet or a shovel.

At the end of planting, pour another 1-2 buckets of water into the hole, add more soil if it has subsided, and mulch with pine needles, peat or humus. Caring for seedlings consists of constant watering so that the soil is always moist and fertilizing mineral fertilizers. In spring, organic fertilizers are needed. The first two years after planting, water and fertilizers are applied to the soil along the perimeter of the crown.

If the seedling was purchased together with a pot, before transplanting it can be watered and carefully removed from the pot. It is planted in a hole together with a lump of earth in the same way as a seedling growing in open ground.

When planting in a hole, you can bury a peg to which the seedling is tied for stability. At first, a seedling grown in greenhouse conditions must be protected from direct rays of the sun by fencing it with a wooden lattice.

A well-established seedling will have dark green needles and will grow 10-15 cm in a year.

A layer of mulch must be constantly added so that the cedar's adventitious roots develop well, because mulch retains moisture well. This is especially important if the cedar is planted on sandy loam soil. On clay soil mulch prevents squeezing out its root system in winter.

Do not dig up the soil under the trees - this can damage the roots; you can only slightly loosen the top layer. Side branches cannot be removed; the more branches and needles, the better and faster it will grow.

Cedars are resistant to diseases and pests, but can be susceptible to small sucking insects - hermes. If you notice small cotton balls on the needles, wash them off with water and treat them with Actellik.

Planting and caring for Siberian cedar

The root system of the seedling should be placed freely in the planting hole without bending the ends of the roots. At the same time, taking into account the superficial nature of the distribution of the root system of Siberian pine, the roots should be located within the upper fertile layer of soil. In central Russia the soils are thin. The thickness of the fertile layer rarely exceeds 20 cm.

When planting cedar in heavy clay soil, it is necessary to add sand to the planting hole.

• Dig a planting hole 1 m deep, 1.8 m in diameter (when planting large cedars, the diameter is larger).
• Fill the hole with a mixture of fertile soil and sand (if the soil on the site is clayey); if the soil is sandy loam, you do not need to add sand.
• Add 10 buckets of compost on top and dig thoroughly.

Top 20cm. the soil layer should be light fertile sandy loam (to provide air access to the cedar roots).

• Carefully remove the seedling from the container (first crimp the walls of the container - it will be easier to remove the soil lump).
• Straighten the curled ends of the seedling roots without destroying the soil ball.
• Place the roots of the seedling in a bucket of water (the roots should not dry out when planting).
• Form a soil cone at the top of the planting hole and carefully spread the roots of the seedling over it.

If the cedar crown is asymmetrical, the less developed side is placed to the south (in the south direction the branches grow faster and the crown will level out).

When planting large seedlings, drive a strong stake into the center of the hole and tie the cedar stem to the stake with a fabric tape (“figure of eight”).

• Cover the roots with soil and compact the soil with your hands.
• Form a ring of soil around the planting hole and water the seedling generously (about 5 buckets of water).
• Mulch the surface of the soil with compost (after the water has been absorbed into the soil).

The soil in the hole will settle by 8-10cm, so plant the cedar in a small mound so that after settlement the root collar is at soil level.

On damp areas, With high level groundwater, cedars are planted in bulk sites, 0.4-0.8 m high, with a diameter of at least 3 m. The soil is first dug up with the addition of compost and sand (if the soil is clay). Brushwood is placed in the areas (supplying cedar nutrition, improving soil structure). Along the edges, it is advisable to lay layers of turf (protection from soil erosion).

The active part of the root system (small suction roots) of cedar is located directly under the forest floor. Therefore, when planting cedar, it is imperative to mulch the soil surface to maintain high fertility and good aeration of its top layer. The best mulch is forest litter from deciduous stands. In such a substrate, the activity of soil animals and microorganisms is active. It contains mycelium of fungi - symbionts that improve the mineral nutrition of Siberian pine and protect its root system from pathogens of root sponge and other diseases.

A layer of mulch retains moisture in the top layer of soil, which is especially important when growing cedar on light sandy loam, and on heavy clay soil it protects its root system from being squeezed out in winter. It is necessary to add a layer of mulch annually to stimulate the formation of adventitious roots in the cedar, which enhance its growth.

During dry periods, cedar trees must be watered to maintain the moisture of the top layer of soil. It is also advisable to periodically spray the crown of young cedars with water in the evening to remove dust and improve gas exchange through the stomata in the needles.

The soil under cedar trees cannot be dug up - the roots will be cut off (loosening only its top layer is permissible).

The side branches of cedar cannot be removed (the more needles, the faster the cedar grows).

If small cotton balls appear on the needles (underneath there are small hermes sucking aphids), wash them off with a strong stream of water and treat the shoots with the preparation “ACTELLIK”.

Trees and shrubs should not shade cedars. On open place cedar forms a decorative spreading crown, is resistant to wind and snow, begins to bear fruit earlier and is characterized by greater productivity.

Cedar is a self-pollinating species, but for better cross-pollination it is advisable to plant not single trees, but groups of 3-4 trees (at a distance of 8-20m from each other).

More details about Siberian cedar and the peculiarities of its cultivation can be found on the author’s website “Growing Siberian cedar in central Russia”

Below are my detailed step-by-step recommendations for planting a cedar tree.

Planting a Siberian cedar seedling

Notes:
The root system of the seedling should be located within the top fertile soil layer on the site (about 20cm). In the area of ​​the root system and above it there should be light, fertile sandy soil (to ensure air access to the roots of the seedling).
During the growing season, it is necessary to fertilize the seedling 3 times with a solution of potassium sulfate - 20g/10l. water (water in a circle near the trunk, consumption - 10 liters per seat).
Feeding - at the end of May, June and July. Nitrogen fertilizers can be used only one year after planting.
Regular watering is necessary in dry weather so that the top 5 cm layer of soil does not dry out.
Mulch is forest litter prepared under alder, birch, or hazel (you can use mown grass). The soil in the hole will settle by 8 - 10 cm, so the seedling should be planted in a small mound (taking into account soil settlement).

Planting Siberian cedar.
Photos were kindly provided by the customer Igor Mikhailovich Troshin.

Photo 1. Cedar removed from the container

Photo 2. Planting hole 1 m deep, 1.8 m in diameter.

Photo 3. Fill the planting hole with a mixture of topsoil and compost (if the soil is clay, add sand to the mixture)

When filling the hole, constantly moisten the mixture so that there are no voids.

Photo 4. Upper part fill the planting hole with fertile sandy loam (lighter fertile soil) and form a shallow cone of soil.

The planting hole must be prepared in advance, 2-3 days before planting the cedar, so that the water is absorbed into the soil and the soil settles!

Photo 5. Place the cedar soil ball in the center of the planting hole, release the curled ends of the roots (without destroying the ball) and spread the roots along the soil cone.

Photo 6. Cover the roots with fertile sandy loam, compact the soil with your hands, form a ring of soil around the planting hole and water the soil in the planting hole generously (about 50 liters of water)

Photo 7. After the water is absorbed into the soil, mulch the soil surface 3 cm. layer of compost and, additionally, 5 cm. a layer of grass clippings (to retain moisture in the soil)

Photo 8. Pieces of turf can be laid along the edge of the planting hole.

Photo 9. Cedar - a year after planting.

Photo 10. Cedar - 3 years after planting.

I wish you success in growing these wonderful trees.
Sincerely, Candidate of Agricultural Sciences Ageev Alexander Borisovich.

Proper planting of cedar is not an easy task. You need to choose the right place, find suitable seedlings. It is not enough to simply dig a hole and stick a plant there, because with this approach, at best, it will hurt and grow slowly, and at worst, it will die. Caring for this tree, fortunately, is not so difficult, but also requires certain knowledge.

Cedars - evergreen conifers. Usually Siberian cedars in Russia are called cedar pines Pínus sibírica, the planting and cultivation of which has recently become increasingly of interest to cottage owners. It is these trees that produce tasty and healthy nuts. “True” cedars are inhabitants of the Mediterranean and Himalayas. They also grow in Crimea. So, when choosing which cedar you decide to plant, pay attention to its origin. Lebanese cedar, by the way, perfectly withstands frosts down to -25°C, so it may well feel great in our conditions, along with Siberian cedar.

For those who have a small plot of land, breeders have developed dwarf varieties, able to fit perfectly into landscape design.

Selection and preparation of a place for planting cedar

Cedars are light-loving plants. In order to evergreen crown has been pleasing to the eye for decades, and these trees live for hundreds of years, they need to be planted in a well-lit place. At the same time, in the first few years it is very important for cedars that their branches are not broken by strong winds, so it is worth providing a small shelter for them. An alternative is to plant cedar in clumps, that is, in fairly close groups in which the plants themselves protect each other.

The distance between individual trees in such groups should be at least two meters, and between clumps - 15-20 meters. Group plantings ensure cross-pollination of trees, which is an indispensable condition for good fruiting.

Why is such a long distance necessary? The fact is that the root system of cedars is located superficially and tends to occupy a large area rather than rushing deeper. The method of planting on a soil cone is also related to this. To do this you need to do the following:

• dig a hole whose diameter is half the size of the container with seedlings, and the depth is at least 1 m
• loosen the soil around the hole to a depth of one and a half to two shovels and at a distance of up to one and a half meters from the center of the hole
• Place a mound in the middle and place the tree so that the roots are distributed along the slopes of this cone
• Fill the hole with soil and compact it by hand.

When planting, you should remember that the soil will settle by 8-10 cm over time, therefore, the roots will be exposed. Therefore, you need to fill the hole in such a way that the root collar is covered by a decimeter.

Before planting, do not forget to mix too dense loamy soil with sand, and pour broken brick, expanded clay or pebbles into the bottom of the hole, sprinkling this layer with sand on top. Such measures are necessary for good drainage. Cedar does not like stagnant moisture and can rot because of this. By the way, it won’t hurt to add mature, rotted compost to the pit as a source organic fertilizers. Lay mulch on the surface along the entire diameter of the excavated soil.

After planting, you need to water the cedar. The volume of water is approximately 10-20 liters. If rain is not expected in the near future, then it is necessary to water the tree every three days.

Remember that planting cedar in the fall should be done before the onset of persistent frosts. The optimal time is from mid-September to the third ten days of October. It is best to focus on the temperature, which should not fall below -5°C at night. And also make sure that there are no deciduous trees near the cedar, which can whip the needles and shoots in strong winds. First of all, this rule applies to trees such as birch or aspen, the branches of which resemble whips.

What to pay attention to when choosing a seedling

You should definitely buy seedlings with a closed root system, that is, with a lump of earth, in cellophane containers. This will ensure the plant quickly adapts and also protect the roots from damage during transportation and from drying out.

When growing plants in containers, the roots become very twisted in the lower part of the earthen ball. They must be straightened and be sure to be wetted. Root pruning is not necessary. The maximum is dipping in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for disinfection. Some experts recommend diluting clay with this solution until a creamy mass is formed. The roots are placed in a container with such liquid clay, and this protects them from drying out during the time from planting the cedar to watering.

The soil in the container should be well moistened. You should not remove it when planting cedar, since it contains a set of hormones that help the tree take root in a new place, and already formed microflora that is friendly to it.

If you decide to decorate your area with a plant such as cedar, planting and caring for it in the Moscow region will not be different from any other area. But remember that in dry heat, young trees lack moisture, and once transplanted, they will not withstand frost. This means that you should carefully examine the crown to see if there are any signs of drying out, in which the needles become very stiff and turn yellow at the ends of the shoots.

Cracked bark and brittle roots also indicate a violation of the rules of cedar care. It often happens that such trees are sold at a discount, but saving here means losing all the money paid for the seedling.

Cedar care

Cedar loves loose soil, but you shouldn’t dig it deep; loosening the top layer is enough. The tree will produce adventitious roots under a layer of mulch, therefore, it is best to simply increase the amount of mulch every year. The lower layers will gradually rot and be processed into humus.

This plant does not like nitrogenous fertilizers, so there is no need to fertilize it with nitroammophos and bird droppings, but cedar likes potassium. That is, potassium sulfate or potassium chloride is suitable for feeding it. In the absence of such, you can add stove ash containing potash - potassium carbonate. Potassium fertilizers are easily washed out and are poorly retained by light soil, which means that fertilizing is best done in the spring, during the period of active tree growth.

Do not water the plant abundantly, allowing moisture to stagnate. Planting cedar in the country in the fall, as a rule, does not require watering at all, except for the first one. If groundwater are located close, it is advisable to plant the tree on a small artificially created mound. At the same time, during dry periods it is advisable to spray cedars with water in the evening. When pests appear, you can use appropriate drugs to combat them.

For the first 10-15 years, the lower branches should be gradually removed at a height of 2-3 meters, the wounds should be covered with garden pitch. If you break off the lateral buds on the axial shoot within three to five years after planting a young two-year-old seedling, then removing the shoots will not be necessary.

23.11.2019

What and how to cover coniferous plants in winter?

In the pre-winter time, prepare coniferous trees and shrubs. To avoid breaks from the snow pile, the branches of vertically growing junipers and thujas are carefully tied together. An ordinary twine is suitable for this.

Kraft paper, burlap, and non-woven materials such as agrospan, lutrasil, and spunbond can be used as covering materials. At home, you can even use newspaper and wrapping paper for shading. The only condition is that the material must “breathe”, so films and plastic are unsuitable.

The snow around the plant is trampled or cleared. Now wrap the material around it, completely covering the needles. Fasten the seams with a stapler, leave a gap at the top for breathing (on the shady side, so that the sun's rays do not fall on the needles). There is also a frame method of shelter - a frame is installed around the plant and covered with a cap made of agrospan. The shelter and cap are secured with pegs. You can see the types of frame shelters on our website.

In some frosty and sunny winters, it is enough to shade adult, long-planted plants with a fine mesh with sunny side.

When is the cover removed?

Removing the cover requires great care and compliance with several conditions. Firstly, it is necessary that the ground thaws no less than the depth of a bayonet and the root system of the plant begins to work. This happens around the end of April.

Secondly, the cover is removed in cloudy weather so that sudden changes in illumination and direct rays do not cause shock to the needles. It is ideal if you have studied the weather forecast in advance and opened the plants ahead of a cloudy period of 4-7 days. Then your coniferous pets will be able to gradually adapt to the light regime and painlessly move from hibernation to growth.

In order for conifers to become a worthy decoration of the garden, it is necessary to provide them with proper care throughout the year, and the winter period is one of the most difficult in the life of any plant. Let's figure out what problems conifers face at this time and how to help them survive possible difficulties painlessly.

The territory of our country is huge, it covers several frost resistance zones, but most of it is in zones 2 - 4, that is, the extremely low winter temperatures are - 45 ... - 29 ° C, respectively. Therefore, the first thing plants face in winter is damage from low temperatures. This is especially true for conifers, which can also be characterized by varying degrees of frost resistance.

The key to successful wintering is choosing a plant with a frost resistance zone corresponding to the planting region or even more frost-resistant. However, we often want to decorate our garden with people from warmer zones.

It should also be taken into account that a plant can be frost-resistant, but not be winter-hardy: a lot depends on specific conditions - on the nursery, where the planting material comes from, the planting location, and the age of the plant.

For example, yellow pine (Pinus ponderosa) seedlings from local nurseries grow and develop successfully, which cannot be said about those imported from abroad. Whole-leaved fir (Abies holophylla) at a young age is characterized by average winter hardiness, but over the years it increases significantly. Western thuja (Thuja occidentalis) successfully winters without shelter in central Russia. Varieties of Japanese larch (Larix kaempferi) BIue Rabbit, Diana and common spruce (Picea abies) Acrocona, Will's Zwerg can be damaged by late spring frosts- they are recommended to be placed in warm corners soda of southern and southwestern exposure.

Young green

It is recommended to cover all young coniferous plantings for the first couple of winters. Cover as follows: in late autumn (November), sprinkle the root system with peat, dry leaves, sawdust, or cover with spruce branches 6-8 cm thick. The crowns of spherical dwarfs, as a rule, are under the snow, which means they are well protected. Plants with a low spreading crown can be bent to the ground and covered with spruce branches. Wrap taller young conifers in craft paper.

The next winter problem is mechanical damage to plants. This could be frost cracks on trunks, branches breaking under the weight of snow, or the consequences of freezing rain. You can prevent the appearance of frost holes on the trunks of large coniferous plants in different ways - by wrapping the trunk with burlap or a special mat (the latter option is optimal, since pests can find shelter in the burlap and the air circulates worse under it), by whitewashing the trunks, due to which the sun's rays will be reflected from trunk surface. If frost cracks do appear, then it is necessary to disinfect the wound with a solution of copper sulfate and cover it with garden varnish or RunNet.

To avoid breaking branches, it is recommended to periodically shake off the snow from the plant by gently tapping it frequently. If you do not visit your suburban area in winter, then in late autumn you should lightly tie the branches of spherical and columnar conifers with twine. It is advisable to tie narrow-columnar cultivars (for example, Western thuja varieties Degroot’s Spire, Malonyana) to strong supports in the fall, otherwise after winter they may literally look like “arches,” bending to the ground. The current year's plantings must be secured with guy ropes, which will prevent the plant from being uprooted from the soil.

In no case should you try to warm up pine needles covered with an ice crust (consequences of freezing rain) - the ice will melt on its own, and artificial heat can lead to an early awakening of the buds. What should be done is to place supports under the branches, since shoots encased in ice are quite heavy and can break off.

The nature of winter is changeable - after frosts come thaws. Here our coniferous plants face a new danger - undergrowth. First of all, mountain species of junipers (juniperus procumbens Nana) are susceptible to this, as well as those that are carefully covered or tightly related plants. Therefore, it is extremely undesirable to cover them with dense non-woven material, especially in several layers. It is important to leave gaps, small holes for free air circulation.

Regarding resistance to the problems of late winter and early spring (sunburn, dehydration), conifers can be divided into those that burn (that is, become brown to one degree or another), and those that do not burn (retain the color of the needles with which they went into the winter). winter).

The first include Canadian spruce (Picea glauca), western thuja, common juniper (Juniperus communis) and juniper horizontalis (Ju. horizontalis), Nootkan cypress (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis) and Lawson's cypress (Ch. lawsoniana). The latter include common spruce, e. Serbian (Picea omorika), Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), p. Banks (P. banksiana), p. dwarf dwarf (P. pumila), Dahurian juniper (Juniperus davurica), Cossack juniper (Ju. sabina), white fir (Abies alba), single-colored fir (A. concolor).

It should be noted that varieties are sometimes more resistant to sunburn than the species. For example, yew (Taxus baccata) burns, and its variegated cultivars Dovastonii Aurea and Elegantissima are quite resistant. There is also evidence that junipers that change the color of their needles in the pre-winter period (M. Cossack Femina, M. horizontal Andorra Compact), and varieties of western thuja (Yellow Ribbon, Sunkist) burn less or almost not burn. Burning is not typical for larch, which annually sheds its needles. And yet the division is very conditional. Here, as in the issue of winter hardiness, great importance have specific site conditions, plant age, weather conditions of the current winter, as well as some agricultural practices.

Time for shelter?

There are different points of view on the issue of sheltering conifers from spring burns. On the one hand, in winter the role of conifers in the garden becomes leading, which means they should appear in all their glory, with their luxurious needles of dark green, bluish, bluish, golden, bronze colors, and not in unsightly burlap zipuns. On the other hand, coniferous plants should be pleasing to the eye in the summer, and not stand like a brownish “broom.” Trees and shrubs shaded with shields look more aesthetically pleasing than those wrapped in covering material. In my opinion, this question should be based on whether you spend time in the garden in winter or not. If not, then you can cover it, because no one will see the plants anyway. Moreover, it is better to provide shelter from burns within a specific time frame. This procedure is especially relevant from the second half of winter to mid-April.

If you like to enjoy winter outdoors, then it is probably better to refuse shelter. In this case, you should purchase species that are resistant to sunburn and low temperatures and plant them in the most suitable place, taking into account their preference for light, moisture, and soil type.

It will also be necessary to carry out a number of agrotechnical measures. Timely planting (before September), organization of drainage on heavy soils and creation of optimal soil mechanical composition sandy soils(by adding clay, peat), timely application of fertilizers, moisture-recharging watering at the end of October (5 - 8 buckets per plant) and covering the root system with a layer of peat, dry leaves or sawdust - it is advisable to always fulfill these requirements. Only then will the plants answer you good growth and development.

It is best to use a screen for shelter, installed on the south side of the plants (where sunlight is most intense). If you need to cover the entire plant, use a special shade net (with 50% or 75% shading) or at least burlap - these materials do not interfere with air movement and do not accumulate solar heat.

For spherical and pyramidal shapes, it can be recommended to build a frame, and then lay a shade net or burlap on top of it - this will help to avoid breaking the branches with snow. Non-woven covering materials - spunbond, lutrasil and others - although they are white, do not heat up from the sun's rays and partially reflect them, they are still able to accumulate heat and do it quite well (worse than polyethylene film, but much better than shade film chaff and burlap). A weak “greenhouse” effect occurs - plants under spunbond hoods can wake up earlier than without it, and since the roots are still not able to extract moisture from the soil, the problem of sunburn and dehydration will worsen.

Tags: Garden care, Conifers 459

po-sovetu.com

The winter is coming. We insulate conifers on our site

Lovers of coniferous plantings living in central Russia dream of evergreen decoration of their home plot. Despite the frost resistance of conifers, young seedlings need protection for the winter period. How we cover conifers for the winter and other methods of protection from ice and snow will be discussed in this article.

Why cover winter-hardy crops?

Almost all coniferous plantings, from trees to low-growing shrubs, are distinguished by their unpretentiousness and resistance to frost. Both thuja and spruce attract the attention of gardeners not only with their beautiful appearance, but also with their resistance to diseases and pests, and also exude a wonderful pine aroma. In addition, they are excellent antiseptics.

For the love of decorative appearance plants, it is planted along alleys, near administrative buildings, as well as in parks and gardens. But despite such positive characteristics, coniferous plants need shelter for the winter. Namely, young seedlings that are not yet 3-4 years old are considered weak and need protection. Here are two aspects that adversely affect evergreen crops:

1. severe frost new wind;
2. spring sun rays reflected from the snow.

Why wind and sunlight? The fact is that the winter wind causes severe dryness of the branches, and from a lack of moisture they freeze, break off and die. If you have observed a beautiful spruce with a withered shoot and yellowed needles, then know that this was due to the cold and strong wind. While tree needles can withstand severe frost, they do not like the wind.

Everyone knows that the thaw at the end of February and March is characterized by the bright sun, the rays of which are reflected on the white snow. At this time, sap flow has not yet begun, and the bushes are still weak and vulnerable. Then pine needles and green paws of thuja under bright light may get sunburn. Therefore, there is a need to cover the crop for the winter, not to mention the branches breaking under the weight of the adhering snow.

Protection for medium-height shrubs

To cover coniferous bushes that have not yet reached 3 years of age for the winter, we first bend the branches to the trunk of the tree. To do this, take a string, preferably green or the color of the trunk, and, without pressing too much, lightly wrap it with a cord so that the legs of the trunks do not stick out. After that we take non-woven material or spunbond, and determine the size of the future bag. Then we secure the seam with a stapler.

Today, manufacturers offer ready-made agrotex bags. various sizes. Spruce and pine need autumn shelter only in the first year of life.

How to cover bushes and young trees of medium height so as not to damage the crown and preserve the integrity of the crop as much as possible? For this purpose, a wooden frame is constructed from bars of medium thickness.

Advice! “You can make a frame from an elastic plastic mesh, which is very convenient because of its flexibility.”

It is better not to install an iron or wire frame, since the metal conducts cold and can cause frostbite to the branches.

After preparing the walls of the frame, we wrap it with covering material. It is better not to use polyethylene for these purposes, as it collects moisture. The moisture accumulated under the film freezes during the winter cold and does not contribute to thermal insulation or leads to rotting and mold. In addition, polyethylene may not withstand low temperatures and burst, allowing snow and cold wind to penetrate. To protect coniferous plantations for the winter, it is better to use:

• burlap;
• spunbond;
• kraft paper;
• agrofibre;
• lutrasin;
• agrospan.

Any of the listed materials, except kraft paper, can be stapled to wooden frame. You can wrap the insulation around the mesh, connecting the ends into a single seam.

Any agrofibre should be of medium thickness for air to enter (sometimes a small gap is left or the top is not secured), but not torn from strong gusts of wind. After winter, shelters need to be removed at the beginning of April or at the end of March, when it gets warmer and sap flow begins. Moderate melting of snow and air temperature close to 0 °C will tell you when to open the insulation.

If your pets have reached 4 years of age, and you did not shelter them, but only tied them with twine, then we perform the following shenanigans. At the end of February, on the south side of the garden we install an awning from any available covering material. Our goal is to create a shade curtain so that the conifers do not get sunburned from the blinding sun.

Protection for low growing bushes

If your juniper or cedar is too young, or you are a fan of low-growing crops, then the amount of insulation work is significantly reduced. It is enough to stock up on spruce branches in the forest and cover them with seedlings in the form of cone-shaped houses. Thrifty owners prefer to place plastic containers on top of spruce branches for reliable fixation and maintaining temperature conditions.

Industrial business satisfies any demand and therefore the Moscow region is provided with covering material for planting in full. It is sold in the form of cone-shaped bags with a tightening rope at the bottom. To prevent the ends of the conifer paws from turning yellow, it is enough to use special bags.

Agronomist advice! “For young conifers with a weak root system, it is necessary to sprinkle the area at the roots with sawdust or mulch before covering for the winter.”

Additional care

Despite the winter hardiness and unpretentiousness of the crop, mineral fertilizing will not harm. Especially for freshly planted crops in the fall, so that they can take root before spring. The plant must become stronger and be resistant to disease. What to feed your pets ahead of the cold weather?

Let us describe several steps leading to successful acclimatization and overwintering:

1. We water in the fall 50–60 cm deep, not only near the root, but also within the radius of the root system. With abundant autumn rains the procedure is cancelled;
2. trunk mulching with organic matter (needles, pine bark, sawdust, spruce branches, hay, etc.) is poured in 1–2 layers, no thicker, so that rodents do not build a nest;
3. feeding with vermicompost and compost will support the vitality of conifers, as well as adding magnesium with dolomite flour;
4. nitrogen in large quantities and manure can harm plantings;
5. In spring, at temperatures above +10 °C, it is recommended to treat with biostimulants: Epin, HB 101, Zircon. Sometimes it is enough to spray the crown with warm water and hide it from the sun.

It is much more advisable to take care of conifers than to restore them as a result of neglect.

vosaduly.ru

Preparing coniferous plants for winter on Sadogolik.ru

Beautiful, majestic and persistent coniferous plants remain the only decoration of the garden during the cold winter season. It is traditionally believed that they do not need any special preparation for winter at all. And in most cases this is true. Mature plants - pines, spruces, larches, thujas and junipers, growing on the site for more than one year, can easily endure any harsh Russian winter. But even for them experienced gardeners It is recommended to carry out some preparatory measures that will allow the trees to feel comfortable even in the most severe frost. Not to mention the tender young seedlings, which without special preparation can easily die in a harsh winter in a new place.

No matter how surprising it may sound, the main enemy of conifers in winter is not cold, but drought and sunburn.

During periodic winter thaws, the needles begin to actively work, evaporating moisture in the process, and the roots of plants located in very frozen ground do not have time to replenish the quickly wasted moisture reserve. As a result, the plant begins to dry out.

In order to avoid drying out of the plant, in October-November, before the onset of persistent cold weather and freezing of the ground, abundant moisture-recharging watering is carried out for coniferous plants. Each adult plant, depending on age and weather conditions, will require at least two to three buckets of water.

It is advisable to wrap young seedlings on the sunny side with any covering material or protect them with a screen. Do not cover the plant under any circumstances. plastic film, under it plants can be exposed to fungal diseases during winter thaws.

Of all the coniferous plants, small dwarf crops are the least resistant to cold. As a rule, they tolerate winter quite well under a snow cap. In the event that there is little snow in the winter, it is advisable to additionally sprinkle such plants with snow, for example, with garden paths.

Western thuja, Canadian hemlock, some varieties of junipers, black pine and Serbian spruce, as well as any conifers subjected to regular pruning, do not tolerate severe frosts very well, especially at a young age. It is advisable to completely cover such plants with covering material for the winter.

Small coniferous plants grown in containers can be moved to a bright, cool room with a temperature of about 5 C.

Another danger for conifers in winter is the threat of branch breaks. This can happen, for example, if there is heavy wet snow. If possible, snow should be swept away in a timely manner, and vertically growing coniferous trees should preferably be tied with twine for the winter. To avoid the needles getting warm inside the crown, the branches should not be compressed too tightly.

It is important to treat young seedlings in late summer or early autumn with special preparations to combat diseases and pests. They need to be inspected periodically and problems that often arise must be dealt with in a timely manner.

And of course, you should not neglect fertilizing conifers in autumn period. Phosphorus-potassium fertilizers will help the shoots ripen and prepare for winter. At the same time, avoid applying nitrogen-containing fertilizers that stimulate the growth of young shoots.

Don't be alarmed if you suddenly discover that the branches of some coniferous plants will turn yellow by winter. Microbiota, Pseudo hemlock green and some varieties of juniper actually turn yellow in the winter, returning to their original form.

sadogolik.ru

Sheltering conifers for the winter - how to protect trees from frost in winter? + Video

Preface

Coniferous plants in the garden are stylish, beautiful, and prestigious. However, you will have to pay for such beauty - no, not with money, but with time spent on care. Conifers especially need your attention in winter. In this article we will tell you why you need to cover conifers for the winter and how to do it.

How to cover conifers for the winter

Sheltering conifers for the winter is a very important plant protection process, so we recommend studying the video and other information provided in this article. Already in the fall, when the days are either sunny or rainy, it is necessary to take care of the young seedlings. During this period, the conifers are not yet strong enough, which means they can be seriously damaged by strong winds or the first frosts. It is the first wintering that is quite dangerous for these plants. There are several methods of shelter.

So, if your coniferous tree grows in a tub, then you should definitely bring it into the house or into a room where a constant temperature is maintained. However, the size of the plants can change your plans - if the trees simply no longer fit into the doors, you will have to think about sheltering the coniferous beauties right on the street.

As an effective and inexpensive covering material, you can use spruce branches, which are laid in the form of a hut, covering the plant from top to bottom. By the way, this affordable heat-insulating material can be used to protect other plants from winter frosts.

What to do if you can’t get spruce branches? Then you can make a covering material in the form homemade pillows filled with sawdust, straw or various rags. If the frosts in your area are very severe, we recommend using everything in combination to protect plants - both spruce branches and bags. All your multi-layer protection should be well reinforced so that in a strong wind nothing will fly apart. To do this, fir branches are secured with staples or simply sprinkled with earth below, and the pillows are tied with twine.

If one-year-old seedlings have already been planted in open ground by autumn, then it is necessary to take a slightly different approach to covering plants for the winter. First, the root system should be insulated. To do this, you can pour a large layer of sawdust or peat on top of the soil in the area around the tree trunk. Also suitable for these purposes are the spruce branches we mentioned above, laid directly on the ground or just pine needles.

The branches should be tied with twine so that they are pressed against the trunk. Firstly, it will then be much easier to wrap the plant with thermal insulation material, and secondly, this will protect the branches from wind and heavy snow.

To cover coniferous plants, you can use a material known as spunbond or agrofibre. This is a special non-woven material with a high degree of resistance to both low and high air temperatures. He is not afraid of precipitation - rain, wind, snow and even hail. An undoubted plus is that it allows air and steam to pass through, so that covered plants will not suffer from rotting.

Options for protecting conifers for the winter

Polyethylene can also be used to protect trees from frost. Only in this case is it recommended to create a frame from stakes or metal rods and attach the film over the frame. If you wrap polyethylene around plants, this is fraught with rotting of the needles, because the film does not allow air to pass through. When creating a frame, make sure that it holds well - it will have to withstand all gusts of wind and the weight of fallen snow. Watch the video, which covers in detail the shelter of conifers and options for protecting plants for the winter - you will get answers to many questions.

Closer to spring, try to protect your conifers from sunburn. In the spring, the soil has not yet completely frozen, the circulation of sap has not been restored - under these conditions, direct sunlight dries the needles.

Signs of burns – brown or yellow. To prevent trees from being damaged, you should gradually open them to sunlight, increasing the duration every day. However, you cannot keep them closed - the needles can prohibit them.

In the end, it would not be amiss to add that in some regions, adult conifers do not need to be covered - for example, in central Russia, spruce trees that are 4 years old or more, mature larches and junipers may not need to be protected from frost. Pines, yews, cedars, thujas and firs can also be winter-hardy in adulthood. But young seedlings of these plants must be covered.

nasotke.ru

Preparing conifers for winter

Many of us try to improve our plots by planting various plants, including conifers. I’ll talk about them, or rather about preparing conifers for winter, in this article. According to tradition, it is believed that coniferous plants feel good in winter and do not need to be prepared in any way for the cold. Yes, this is true if we're talking about about larches, spruces, thujas, pines and other conifers that have been growing in the garden for many years. These plants can even withstand Russian winters. But it is still believed that for them, and especially for young seedlings, it is necessary to carry out a number of preparatory measures.

Preparing conifers for winter

No matter how strange it may be, in winter coniferous plants die mostly from drought and sunburn, and not from sub-zero temperatures. When warmth comes quickly in the spring, or if it is a winter thaw, the pine needles begin to evaporate moisture. At the same time, the root system, being in frozen ground, does not replenish its moisture supply. As a result, the plant begins to dry out. To prevent this in the fall (October-November), you need to thoroughly water the coniferous plants on your site. Depending on the size of the plant and the weather, water consumption should be at least two buckets per plant. Regarding young plants, a covering material or screen is used to protect them from the sun. It is worth noting that polyethylene cannot be used for the purposes under consideration. It promotes the development of fungal diseases during the thaw period. Among the coniferous plants that do not tolerate frost well, it is worth highlighting western thuja, black pine, Serbian spruce, Canadian hemlock, and varieties of junipers. Those conifers that are regularly pruned endure winter worse than free-growing plants. In regions characterized by harsh winters, such plants must be completely covered for the winter. If the plants are in pots or containers, then they can simply be moved to a bright room where the temperature will be maintained at about +5 °C.

In addition to the above, branches of coniferous plants may break in winter. In most cases this happens due to snow. To prevent faults, snow must be shaken off in a timely manner. Conifers that grow vertically, such as hemlock, vertical varieties of junipers, and thuja occidentalis, are tied using twine. But there is no need to tie the branches too tightly. Otherwise, the inside of the crown will become warm. What else can you add to prepare coniferous plants for winter? If there are young plants on your site that have recently been planted, before the start of winter they may be weakened by fungal diseases, as well as various pests. To avoid this, it is necessary to treat plants at the end of summer or autumn with special means. Young plants should be periodically inspected and, if necessary, measures taken to combat emerging problems.

Fertilizing coniferous plants containing nitrogen stops at the beginning of August. Thus, the growth of young shoots stops and they begin to ripen. You can feed plants with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. There is a possibility that a situation may arise when the branches of conifers begin to turn yellow. There is nothing wrong with this, since in the spring they will acquire their normal look. Here is a small, but hopefully useful article about preparing conifers for winter.

Detailed video about preparing conifers for winter

Lovers of coniferous plantings living in central Russia dream of evergreen decoration of their home plot. Despite the frost resistance of conifers, young seedlings need protection for the winter period. How we cover conifers for the winter and other methods of protection from ice and snow will be discussed in this article.

Why cover winter-hardy crops?

Almost all coniferous plantings, from trees to low-growing shrubs, are distinguished by their unpretentiousness and resistance to frost. Both thuja and spruce attract the attention of gardeners not only with their beautiful appearance, but also with their resistance to diseases and pests, and also exude a wonderful pine aroma. In addition, they are excellent antiseptics.

Out of love for the decorative appearance of the plant, it is planted along alleys, near administrative buildings, as well as in parks and gardens. But, despite such positive characteristics, coniferous plants need shelter for the winter. Namely, young seedlings that are not yet 3-4 years old are considered weak and need protection. Here are two aspects that adversely affect evergreen crops:

1. strong frosty wind;
2. spring sun rays reflected from the snow.

Why wind and sunlight? The fact is that the winter wind causes severe dryness of the branches, and from a lack of moisture they freeze, break off and die. If you have observed a beautiful spruce with a withered shoot and yellowed needles, then know that this was due to a cold and strong wind. While tree needles can withstand severe frost, they do not like the wind.

Everyone knows that the thaw at the end of February and March is characterized by the bright sun, the rays of which are reflected on the white snow. At this time, sap flow has not yet begun, and the bushes are still weak and vulnerable. Then the pine needles and green thuja paws under bright light can get sunburned. Therefore, there is a need to cover the crop for the winter, not to mention the branches breaking under the weight of the adhering snow.

Protection for medium-height shrubs

To cover coniferous bushes that have not yet reached 3 years of age for the winter, we first bend the branches to the trunk of the tree. To do this, take a string, preferably green or the color of the trunk, and, without pressing too much, lightly wrap it with a cord so that the legs of the trunks do not stick out. After this, we take non-woven material or spunbond and determine the size of the future bag. Then we secure the seam with a stapler.

Today, manufacturers offer ready-made agrotex bags of various sizes. Spruce and pine need autumn shelter only in the first year of life.

How to cover bushes and young trees of medium height so as not to damage the crown and preserve the integrity of the crop as much as possible? For this purpose, a wooden frame is constructed from bars of medium thickness.

Advice! “You can make a frame from an elastic plastic mesh, which is very convenient because of its flexibility.”

It is better not to install an iron or wire frame, since the metal conducts cold and can cause frostbite to the branches.

After preparing the walls of the frame, we wrap it with covering material. It is better not to use polyethylene for these purposes, as it collects moisture. The moisture accumulated under the film freezes during the winter cold and does not contribute to thermal insulation or leads to rotting and mold. In addition, polyethylene may not withstand low temperatures and burst, allowing snow and cold wind to penetrate. To protect coniferous plantations for the winter, it is better to use:

• burlap;
• spunbond;
• kraft paper;
• agrofibre;
• lutrasin;
• agrospan.

Any of the listed materials, except kraft paper, can be stapled to a wooden frame. You can wrap the insulation around the mesh, connecting the ends into a single seam.

Any agrofibre should be of medium thickness for air to enter (sometimes a small gap is left or the top is not secured), but not torn from strong gusts of wind. After winter, shelters need to be removed at the beginning of April or at the end of March, when it gets warmer and sap flow begins. Moderate melting of snow and air temperature close to 0 °C will tell you when to open the insulation.

If your pets have reached 4 years of age, and you did not shelter them, but only tied them with twine, then we perform the following shenanigans. At the end of February, on the south side of the garden we install an awning from any available covering material. Our goal is to create a shade curtain so that the conifers do not get sunburned from the blinding sun.

Protection for low growing bushes

If your juniper or cedar is too young, or you are a fan of low-growing crops, then the amount of insulation work is significantly reduced. It is enough to stock up on spruce branches in the forest and cover them with seedlings in the form of cone-shaped houses. Thrifty owners prefer to place plastic containers on top of spruce branches for reliable fixation and maintaining temperature conditions.

Industrial business satisfies any demand and therefore the Moscow region is provided with covering material for planting in full. It is sold in the form of cone-shaped bags with a tightening rope at the bottom. To prevent the ends of the conifer paws from turning yellow, it is enough to use special bags.

Agronomist advice! “For young conifers with a weak root system, it is necessary to sprinkle the area at the roots with sawdust or mulch before covering for the winter.”

Additional care

Despite the winter hardiness and unpretentiousness of the crop, mineral fertilizing will not harm. Especially for freshly planted crops in the fall, so that they can take root before spring. The plant must become stronger and be resistant to disease. What to feed your pets ahead of the cold weather?

Let us describe several steps leading to successful acclimatization and overwintering:

1. We water in the fall 50–60 cm deep, not only near the root, but also within the radius of the root system. In case of heavy autumn rains, the procedure is canceled;
2. trunk mulching with organic matter (needles, pine bark, sawdust, spruce branches, hay, etc.) is poured in 1–2 layers, no thicker, so that rodents do not build a nest;
3. feeding with vermicompost and compost will support the vitality of conifers, as well as adding magnesium with dolomite flour;
4. nitrogen in large quantities and manure can harm plantings;
5. In spring, at temperatures above +10 °C, it is recommended to treat with biostimulants: Epin, HB 101, Zircon. Sometimes it is enough to spray the crown with warm water and hide it from the sun.

It is much more advisable to take care of conifers than to restore them as a result of neglect.