For the sake of greater environmental friendliness and practicality, I want to buy a Christmas tree in a pot - and after the holidays give it a chance in the wild, in the country or on the balcony. It seems to be alive, with roots, small, still growing and growing... And in general, why not get yourself a completely indoor Christmas tree? How convenient it would be.

But alas, conifers do not live in captivity. And even the chances of such a Christmas tree to take root in open ground are not very high. Basically, potted Christmas trees are also intended for temporary use - they just have root system, which means they will last a little longer in a living space, under stressful conditions, before withering away.
Although miracles do happen. How can I help it happen?

To begin with, determine whether you really bought a Christmas tree, from all the types of New Year's assortment of conifers (it could be, for example, pine), and if it is a Christmas tree, then whose?

These could be, for example, common spruce (Picea abies); Colorado spruce (Picea pungens var. glauca “Blue Colorado spruce”); gray spruce "Conica" (Picea glauca "Conica"); Serbian spruce (Picea omorica)…

Picea pungens var. glauca “Blue Colorado spruce” photo: Anna M. Stevenson

And also pine or fir. (If “Canadian” is written on the pot, this does not necessarily mean that the spruce comes from Canada - it means that the spruce is blue. You cannot do without comparing names from reference books...)

The main suppliers of potted Christmas trees for the holiday are Denmark, Holland, Poland, the Baltic countries, Sweden and Finland. There are practically no Russian nurseries.

photo:

Winter hardiness depends on where the trees were bred. Domestic varieties take root much better in our conditions; northern varieties are more resistant than German or Dutch ones. The Christmas trees and spruce trees brought from Denmark and Holland on the site most likely will not survive the frost.

As a general rule, the frost resistance of a potted Christmas tree should be 1-2 zones higher than your region.

If the Christmas tree (pine, fir) purchased for the holiday theoretically suits our conditions, you can try to give it a chance. And if the tree survives until spring, transplant it into the ground.

The Christmas tree does not adapt well and survive in rooms. In winter, conifers have a period of rest, hibernation, they need fresh, moist air and cold. If the Christmas tree wakes up ahead of time and produces shoots or cones, it means that spring has arrived in the middle of winter, which requires appropriate lighting, and it will die outside in the cold. If it is too hot and dry at home, it is also bad, the needles will begin to crumble and dry out.

Any Christmas tree can be kept in a heated room for no longer than two weeks without harm to its health. You need to install it away from batteries and heating devices, in a bright place.

Since the trees need moist air, it is good to place a humidifier nearby or at least place a wide vessel with water to evaporate. The Christmas tree also needs regular spraying and moderate watering, avoiding either waterlogging or drying out of the soil. It is better to take settled water at room temperature for irrigation and spraying. There is no need to water the Christmas tree with fertilizers until spring.

You can, of course, try to plant it on the site in winter, in one of the more or less warm days. However, winter planting of Christmas trees is not the easiest option (it would be easier either to plant a Christmas tree in early spring, growing it until the next New Year, or to contact a company that deals with winter planting of large trees).
At the end of the holidays, the tree should be sent to a cool place for the winter. A large tub of a Christmas tree can be prepared for wintering by “reverse acclimatization” in a cold room - a sudden change temperature regime It's stressful for them. The tree is gradually accustomed back to “wildness” by acclimatizing it in an intermediate room.

photo: Niall McAuley

For wintering spruce and Christmas trees, a glazed balcony is suitable - with a temperature no higher than 10-15 degrees. Before moving it to the cold, moisten the soil well (without flooding). Watering in early January must be reduced (especially during periods of severe frost), but the earthen clod should not be allowed to dry out completely. On the balcony, continue to spray the needles from time to time, maintaining air humidity.
In addition to moisture, the Christmas tree will need light - however, not direct sunlight, in order to avoid burns of the needles (this danger is especially relevant in the spring). (Yes, there are a lot of round dances with Christmas trees...)

If there is no balcony, some gardeners make do with a cold window sill (with a window constantly ajar with a micro-opener, for example) - but this does not always work, due to the batteries located precisely under the window sill. Others take the Christmas tree to a cooler windowsill in the entrance. (And some inventors even keep the plant in the refrigerator for some time!)

It is better to place the plant not on the south window, but on the north one - all because of the same direct sun. The side of the tree standing on the windowsill facing the room may begin to turn yellow and dry out - from time to time turn the tree with different sides towards the light source.

Despite the fact that the roots of the Christmas tree are considered one of the most frost-resistant, the pot with the Christmas tree must be insulated to prevent it from freezing.

Already in early spring, a Christmas tree from a pot can be transplanted to permanent place. When choosing a place, keep in mind that it should be shaded, and also that coniferous trees Every year they gain 20-30 cm in height. And if the Christmas tree takes root, then over time it will grow into a large spruce.

F.D. Richards

Prepare a hole larger in diameter than the lump of earth, 20-30 cm, the walls of the hole are vertical. Composition of the earth mixture for the Christmas tree: two parts of turf soil and one part each of peat and sand. When planting a plant, pay attention that the root collar does not go deep and is at ground level. After planting, water the tree generously. A plant that has been stressed and transplanted will take root better if you treat it with a stimulant solution, for example, Epin, Zircon or Radifarm. In the first year, the Christmas tree will require regular watering and sprinkling of the crown.
But you will find out whether the Christmas tree has finally taken root for three whole years - they do it slowly.

photo:

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Natalya Belova 05/6/2015 | 15049

The dream of decorating the interior of a city apartment with a living evergreen tree can become a reality if you choose for this purpose a representative of conifers suitable for growing at home.

It’s hard to resist the charm of conifers. It’s good to have a garden next to your house where you can grow any evergreen trees and shrubs. But if this is not possible, do not be upset: conifers take root quite well in an apartment if you make the right choice.

Place for a coniferous garden

Having decided on a bold experiment, it is worth learning as much as possible about the peculiarities of growing each variety of conifers and equipping your apartment with a similar winter garden where the plants will feel comfortable. Ideal conditions for Christmas trees– a bright, spacious terrace in a private house, a glazed and insulated loggia or balcony in an apartment building.

Another important condition: lighting should be intense, but indoor Christmas trees cannot stand direct sunlight. A living room is not suitable for conifers - plants need constant circulation fresh air, enough high humidity And temperature up to 5°C - in winter period.

Contents on open balcony in the middle zone - an extremely wrong choice. Under such conditions, the earthen lump in the container freezes completely, which leads to the death of the green pet. The only variety of conifers that can take root in a city apartment is considered to be, but this native of southern latitudes also needs low temperature and high air humidity during the dormant period. IN small apartment With central heating no spraying can change the situation in better side: Araucaria, like any other representative of conifers, quickly loses its visual attractiveness and dies.

Choosing suitable conifers

When the preparation of the place for domestic conifers has been completed, air humidifiers, lamps for additional lighting, containers and soil have been purchased, you can begin choosing furry pets. Fortunately, in stores and nurseries you can find plants for every taste.

If you decide to grow a Christmas tree from a seed obtained from a cone found in the forest, you should be patient and be prepared for failure: coniferous seeds do not germinate well, and young plants need special care, which can only be provided by specialists. In addition, they grow very slowly. The tiny Christmas trees in nurseries are actually 5-6 years old.

When choosing a spruce in a store, you should first opt ​​for heat-loving natives of the Mediterranean, South and Central America, Southeast Asia, Crimea and Black Sea coast Caucasus: araucaria, and cypress, thuja, cryptomeria, . Subsequently, you can diversify your home coniferous garden with dwarf spruce, fir, and pine trees, which are less difficult to care for and maintain than their outdoor species.

More information about indoor conifers

Cryptomeria indoors, or cryptomeria japonica - an evergreen coniferous tree or bush of the Cypress family with needles up to 2.5 cm long. natural conditions this plant reaches impressive sizes (up to 60 m in height!), but as a house pet it will grow to a maximum of 100 cm. The composition of the soil for cryptomeria is a mixture of leaf and turf soil in equal proportions and a little sand. The bottom of the container must be filled with a thick layer of expanded clay, pebbles and broken bricks for drainage.

The plant needs bright lighting without direct sunlight; in winter it should be provided with additional lighting. Cryptomeria loves warm “rains”, especially on hot summer days, is afraid of drafts, and responds well to fertilizing with fertilizers. indoor plants, propagated by seeds and cuttings. Transplant young tree You can do it once a year, in the spring, gradually increasing the size of the container. Subsequently, fresh soil should be added annually to the pot in place of the top layer of soil, and replanted once every 5 years. Mature plants develop small round bumps Brown, in which the seeds ripen.

Unlike cryptomeria, araucaria, whose popularity is growing every year, is not afraid of drafts, but otherwise demonstrates a set of similar preferences: love for light, spraying, high humidity and intolerance to direct sun, heat and excessive dry air. It is extremely difficult, almost impossible, to propagate this coniferous tree at home. Cuttings from lateral branches produce only creeping varieties of araucaria; apical cuttings take a very long time to take root; only fresh cuttings are needed for propagation by seeds. planting material, which is quite difficult to obtain.

Wonderful tart aroma, amazing appearance and junipers conquer us with many healing qualities. Some varieties are often used by bonsai practitioners. These include Chinese juniper (Juniperus chiensis), especially its dwarf variety JaponicaAureo-variegata with golden needles, as well as juniper firma (Juniperus rigida).

A wonderful decoration for an indoor coniferous garden will be dwarf species of Korean fir - Diamond, Tundra, Silberzwerg, Oberon, Blue Standard, Dark Hill, Cis . All these cute dwarfs are distinguished by their unique crown shape, slow growth, beautiful needles of different lengths and small oblong cones. The charming bright green ball is extremely popular fir Cis with soft long needles. For the sake of appearance Diamond characterized by small sizes - the bush reaches only 30 cm, in rare cases 50 cm in height.

A coniferous garden will become irresistible if you plant dwarf trees in it. pine trees And ate, such as Nana (dwarf form Balkan pine), Mungo , Pumilio , Kobold (species of mountain pine), cedar dwarf (or dwarf pine, pleasing to the eye with beautiful needles and picturesque and very varied colors).

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A SPRUCE IN A POT IS COZY AND ORIGINAL, ECO-FRIENDLY AND FASHIONABLE, RATIONAL AND AESTHETIC. IT'S NICE TO KNOW THAT ON HOLIDAYS, YOUR HOUSE IS DECORATED WITH A LIVING TREE AND NOT A CUT-DOWN TREE. ANOTHER UNDOUBTED ADVANTAGE THAT PRODUCT SELLERS TALK ABOUT IS THE POSSIBILITY TO PLANT IT IN THE GARDEN OR KEEP IT ON THE BALCONY. BUT HERE IS THE DIFFICULTY STARTING

It turns out that not every plant sold under the guise of a “New Year’s tree” is capable of growing in a garden, much less on a balcony in a limited amount of soil and without snow cover. We still have to work out how to preserve it before planting it in the garden.

Before you go shopping, you should decide how you want to use the plant after the holiday. The answer to this question will help determine not only the type of conifer, but also its size, crown habitus and the size of the pot in which the plant is planted.

If you are going to plant a plant in the garden after the holiday, you should study the issue of winter hardiness of the selected species and variety (shape), find out the size of an adult plant (whether it is a large tree about 20 m tall or a dwarf not exceeding 1 m) and its preferences regarding location, so that roughly know where and with which neighbors you can place a purchase.

So, among coniferous species there are no shade-loving species, but common spruce, fir and thuja can tolerate slight shading, and forms with colored needles are more light-loving. Pine is more drought-resistant compared to thuja, spruce and fir. All of them require well-drained soil of medium texture (loam), since they cannot tolerate stagnant water.

It should be noted that Canadian spruce and western thuja can turn brown (burn) in late winter - early spring. Stable in central Russia are common spruce, E. prickly, E. Canadian, Scots pine, p. cedar, village Weymouth, balsam fir, whitebark fir, monochrome fir, subalpine fir, Korean fir and western thuja.

But from the acquisition of the so-called “Danish fir” (Nordmann fir, or Caucasian fir), black pine, p. small-flowered ‘Negishi’, p. Geldreich’s ‘Compact Gem’ and ‘Malinki’ are best avoided. They are not suitable for our climate.

If your balcony is insulated and the temperature on it does not drop below -5... -7 °C, you can buy ordinary conifers that are resistant to the middle zone. If the temperature on the balcony and outside does not differ much, pay attention to more winter-hardy species and forms (Scots pine 'Watereri', 'Nana', 'Compressa', 'Beuvronensis'), since on the balcony even when covered with kraft paper and non-woven material, the conditions are harsher than in open ground.

The entire range of conifers offered for the role of New Year's tree can be conditionally divided according to two decorative characteristics: the shape of the crown and the color of the needles.

The pyramidal shape of the crown is characteristic of most fir trees (including fir Korean varieties 'Silberlocke' and 'Samling'), common spruce 'Columnaris', e. prickly ‘Iseli Fastigiate’, e. Serbian, e. Canadian 'Conica', thuja occidentalis 'Smaragd' and 'Brabant', Scots pine Fastigiata, as well as the species plant, p. European cedar and s. Korean.

Blue needles are characteristic of prickly spruce varieties 'Hoopsii', 'Glauca', 'Fat Albert', Scots pine ‘Glauca’, p. cedar dwarf 'Glauca', With. Veymutova 'Amerland'.

If you grow a tree on the balcony, pay attention to the slow-growing forms of Canadian spruce ‘Nana’, ‘Conica’, ‘Echiniformis’, i.e. ordinary ‘Nidiformis’ and ‘Little Gem’, e. Serbian ‘Nana’, western thuja 'Tiny Tim'.

The thuja occidentalis has a conical or ovoid shape of the crown. ‘Yellow Ribbon’, ‘Smaragd Witbonf’, ‘Wagneri’, ‘Woodwardii’.

In order to avoid making an unfortunate mistake when purchasing and not to purchase a plant that was initially doomed to death, you need to know a few simple rules.

Information about spruce is welcome

See if there are labels on the plants: this is not only a significant “plus” for the manufacturer and confirmation of the quality of the product, but also brief, succinct information for the buyer about the preferences of a particular crop (light/shade, dry/wet), its growth pattern and winter hardiness. All this is important to know when purchasing a plant for a more or less long term.

Where is the Christmas tree from?

The root system of conifers is very fragile and vulnerable. If the plant was dug out of the ground in a hurry before the holiday and squeezed into a pot, then it is practically doomed to death. Therefore, you should not make purchases in dubious stores, on roadsides and places of spontaneous trade. If you really intend to keep your new pet, then choose a local nursery that professionally breeds conifers. As a last resort, you can purchase a Christmas tree from a reliable garden center. By the way, conifers in pots stored outside in winter must be covered with sawdust or snow.

No need to break!

You should definitely refrain from purchasing if the needles are falling off the plant. Signs that the tree is no longer viable are the following: the branches are brittle (in a living plant they are flexible and the roots look lifeless (healthy roots are succulent and have yellow or white tips).

Until you see it for yourself...

If possible, you should carefully remove the tree with roots from the pot, for which the container is first lightly squeezed with your hands and tapped. Ideally, the root system should completely encircle the entire lump. If the soil immediately crumbles and the roots stick out in different directions, then it is better to refrain from purchasing.

Negative factor

Be sure to pay attention to the moisture content of the substrate in the pot. Dry soil not only indicates poor quality of plant care, it is also an extremely negative factor for the tree itself. It has been noticed that coniferous crops whose roots have been overdried die almost one hundred percent.

Health is in the needles

Pay attention to the color of the needles. The presence of brown, brown or yellow shoots should alert you. This a clear sign disease or death of the plant. However, green needles

(blue, silver in some forms) is not a 100% guarantee of health. A coniferous plant can remain green all winter, and with the onset of spring warmth it can quickly crumble.

A large pot for a large Christmas tree!

A knowledgeable buyer will immediately pay attention to the proportionality of the container and the tree. It is unlikely that a beautiful lush plant could be grown in too small a pot. This means that it is very likely that the root system was severely pruned before planting in a new, cramped container, which will have an extremely negative impact on the further viability of the plant.

Christmas tree in a bag

Manufacturers can offer conifers not only in containers, but also with an earthen ball wrapped in burlap. After purchase, such a plant should be removed from the wrapper and planted in a container of a suitable size (preferably 3 - 5 cm in diameter and deeper than the existing lump). It is not advisable to purchase plants with an open root system. Even in regions with cool temperatures, not cold winter, even when dug up in a special area, such conifers take root worse than plants with a closed root system grown in compliance with agricultural techniques.

How to care for a Christmas tree in a pot

Immediately after purchase, you should not bring the plant into a warm room (room), nor should you take it outside after the holidays. Large temperature fluctuations are too severe stress which can lead to death. If you live in a private house, you should think about whether to dress up the purchased plant in front of the windows of the living room or children's room outside? At the same time, it is not necessary to plant it immediately - you can simply dig the pot deep into the snow.

After all, the plant was purchased specifically for the room; the coniferous plant should be placed on a balcony or terrace for a few days to ensure the smoothest possible temperature transition. During severe frosts, the temperature on the balcony, and especially on the terrace, is negative, so you should cover the pot with an unnecessary blanket or non-woven material. By placing the plant in this way, a weak polyp should be produced.

After 5-7 days (or later if time permits), the plant can be brought into the room. Optimal temperature keeping it indoors is + 16...+19 °C, which, of course, is uncomfortable for humans. Therefore, conifers usually have to put up with the +22… + 24 °C we are used to.

In an apartment or house, conifers need abundant watering and it is advisable high humidity air, for which the container can be placed on a wide platform with expanded clay poured on it. Water needs to be added there systematically. You can also put pieces of ice or snow in the pot - this is not only additional source moisture, but also great way cooling the soil and air around the plant. Conifers react to lack of watering by dropping their needles and drying out the branches. Overwatering is also harmful: it causes root rot. Feeding is not needed, as it stimulates the growth of shoots, and our task is not to awaken the plant, but to keep it as safe and sound as possible. Young, weak, immature growth will certainly die when the plant is returned to the terrace or balcony after the holidays.

When placing a spruce tree in a room, you should not choose a place near a heat source (radiator, stove). No matter how romantic the picture of a spruce tree by the fireplace may be, not a trace of the plant’s beauty will remain next to the heat of the fire.

ON A NOTE

After purchasing from a plant, you should wash the needles, since the dust accumulated on them clogs the stomata and disrupts respiration and metabolic processes. You can wash it with a shower, having first wrapped the pot with the substrate in polyethylene so as not to over-moisten the lump.

What to do with live spruce after the New Year?

So, the holiday has died down, you admired the New Year's tree, the children played enough and danced around it...

What does the plant expect now?

As mentioned above, temperature changes are extremely undesirable, especially now, after the plant has “woke up” in a warm room. If the size of the pot and the area of ​​the window sill allows, it is advisable to place the container by the window, where it is a little cooler than in the room itself. This is how you need to maintain the plant before planting it in the garden, providing it with timely watering. If the “spruce” has begun to grow, you can add additional light to it so that the growth is decorative and healthy.

When the plant is too large and the window sill is narrow, you can put it on an insulated balcony. But when negative temperature the tree must be insulated, and not only wrap the container well and place a layer of cardboard or insulation under it, but also throw 1-2 layers of non-woven material over the crown. In the future, it is necessary to ensure that the spring sun’s rays do not touch the New Year’s tree, otherwise under cover it may end up as if in a greenhouse: the shoots will begin to grow, and then, with daily drops in temperature, they will freeze.

Besides harsh winters, coniferous plant Another problem awaits you on the balcony - a small volume of substrate. No matter how slow the growth rate of the plant, its roots need to develop, so it is advisable to annually transfer the coniferous plant to a new container. It should be 3-5 cm wider than the previous one.

After a few years, when the root system reaches a significant size and the container is too large, the plant will have to be planted in the garden. Conifers grown in containers require systematic feeding with complex mineral fertilizer. Feeding is carried out from April-May to the end of July. Starting from August, fertilizers containing nitrogen are eliminated.

If you plan to keep your coniferous plant on the balcony all year round, it should be noted that only a glazed space where the temperature does not drop below - 10 ... - 12 ° C is suitable for this purpose. And in order for the tree to survive harsher cold conditions, you will need to provide careful shelter, especially in the container. After all, coniferous shoots can be tolerated painlessly very coldy, which cannot be said about their root system.

If you do not have the opportunity to even keep a coniferous plant on the balcony, you can take it to the dacha. The pot with the green pet should be placed in a place protected from the wind as much as possible and the tree should be covered with snow to the very top.

Transplanting spruce from a pot into open ground

LONG-WAITED LANDING

Before planting the plant in the garden in spring, which is preferably done from late March to April, you should prepare a planting hole. Its diameter should be approximately 20 - 30 cm larger than the diameter of the container. Drainage must be placed at the bottom. The soil mixture for filling the hole should contain turf soil, peat and sand (2:1:1).

When planting a plant, try not to disturb the earthen ball and damage the roots. You can spill or soak a lump of earth in a solution of a growth stimulator - this will help the plant adapt to new conditions and take root better. When planting, the root collar of conifers should neither be raised nor buried, it should be at the level of the soil - if the soil subsides after planting, the plant should be placed on a mound about 5-7 cm high.

If you want to decorate the same coniferous plant in your house for more than one year, then it will be most convenient to transplant it into a container of larger diameter, which you then dig into the garden, and with the onset of winter, remove it from the ground and transport it to your apartment or balcony.

Finally, the second half of May has arrived. And if you notice that the buds on the New Year's tree are swollen, you can be congratulated: attention and care helped the plant stay alive and healthy.

Caring for a New Year's tree in a pot - questions and answers, advice from readers

IN Lately Before the New Year, trade began to offer small live Christmas trees in containers. This makes it possible to save the tree’s life by planting it in the country or in the city near the house. But how to make such a Christmas tree take root? Please advise!

Alexander Danilovich STARIKOV, Moscow region, Zelenograd

Indeed, there is a certain danger that during the New Year and Christmas holidays, living trees located in an unusual environment (living quarters) may not withstand such conditions. However, if you follow certain rules, it is quite possible to keep the Christmas tree alive through all the vicissitudes of the festivities. However, a New Year's tree can be pine, thuja, or juniper.

Choosing a tree

It is worth noting that there are two options sold New Year's trees-grown in containers and dug out of the ground. The former, of course, will be more hardy and, most likely, will survive forced stay indoors well. If the plants were dug up and planted in pots shortly before sale, damage to the root system is quite possible, which casts doubt on their adaptation after transplantation into the pound.

You can determine whether a plant is really grown in a container like this: try to remove it a little (4-5 cm) from the container and carefully examine the roots. They should densely braid the lump, and at the very edge they should have a yellowish color.

In dug up trees, the root system will most likely separate from the earth clod, since it has not had time to “grow into it.” It is best to avoid purchasing such plants.

Health check

While the tree gets from the place of cultivation to the counter, a certain time usually passes. And it could have been in the store itself for a relatively long time. And it is quite possible that the plant did not receive proper care. To find out whether the seedling has received watering, you should knock on the container: the duller the sound, the more dry the soil ball is. You can also stick your index finger into the soil to control the moisture content. Overdried plants should also be discarded; it is quite possible that they are already dead. After all, the needles on conifers do not fall off immediately after the plants die.

But even if the humidity is okay, inspect the plant and touch the needles. Damaged bark, dried twigs, yellowed and dry needles can be alarming. It should be green and elastic.

Rules for green "guests"

Since the home environment is unfavorable for conifers, we must try to keep their stay indoors as short as possible. At least, you shouldn’t keep the plants warm for more than two weeks.

For the same reason, it is best to place green “guests” away from heating radiators and other heat sources, and ventilate the room from time to time. You should also try to increase air humidity using special humidifiers. You can periodically spray water from a spray bottle.

The soil in which the tree grows must be watered daily. At the slightest yellowing of the crown, the plant should first be taken to a cooler room, where it should remain for a day or two, and then outside. The same thing - with gradual adaptation to the cold - must be done when the time comes to plant the plant in open ground. This can be done with a lump of earth in winter - the planting hole must be filled with a mixture of earth and peat. An agronomist answered a reader's question

HOME TREE FOR EVERY NEW YEAR

New Year is a family and kind holiday, and somehow this kindness does not fit in with the fact that from the first day until the end of the New Year holidays, the number of used-up spruce trees in the city’s landfills increases like an avalanche. At this time, hundreds of thousands of young trees are destroyed as a tribute to tradition.

An artificial spruce is beautiful, but there is absolutely no romance, so many reluctantly choose living, but already cut down spruce trees.

But there is a way out of the situation - you need to buy a live spruce in a pot and grow it at home. All you will need to do is bring the spruce in from the street on New Year’s Eve, decorate it and then take it out into the cold again.

Spruce cannot be kept in the house for a long time, it reacts negatively to dry and hot air, and the soil in the pot dries out very quickly, here you need to be careful and careful.

When choosing a live spruce in a pot, give preference natural trees devoid of unnecessary decorations such as sparkles, artificial snow and the like. This may hide some kind of plant defect.

The most common - this is a transplant of spruce from open ground in a pot a few weeks or even days before the New Year. Alas, such a spruce is akin to a cut one - the likelihood that it will continue to grow in a pot is negligible. Usually, after ten days or even faster, after you bring it into the house, such spruce trees will actively begin to shed needles, and the remaining ones will begin to turn yellow.

In addition to decorated fir trees, you should not take those that are simply dug up with a clod of earth and wrapped in burlap. You can purchase such spruces only if you are going to plant them on your site, but they will no longer grow in a pot.

The best option is to purchase spruce from specialized nurseries with a good reputation and be prepared for a serious price for such a tree. Such a spruce will not only effectively decorate the room, but will also improve the health of the air in the house, fill it with the New Year's aroma and lift your spirits.

After you purchase and bring the spruce home, be sure to place it in the brightest and preferably cool place possible, then humidify the air in the room, water the soil in the pot and spray the needles with water.

If the air in the house is dry, then next to the spruce you need to place a bucket or bowl of water so that it evaporates and maintains air humidity at optimal level at least near a tree.

If funds allow, you can buy electric humidifier air.

But even under these conditions, you need to spray the needles with water from a spray bottle at least once every couple of days and preferably use melt water (snow, ice) and always at room temperature.

You need to water the soil in the pot as it dries, avoiding waterlogging or drying out of the soil, and also use melt water.

As the spruce tree grows at home, its needles may still begin to turn yellow, and this manifests itself gradually from the very tips of the needles - this indicates that there is too little moisture in the soil or air, and its deficiency will urgently need to be eliminated.

When the Christmas tree has already fulfilled its New Year's role, you will need to remove all the decorations from it and place it in the yard or on the balcony, where the temperature will not be higher than +6 degrees. When placing a spruce tree on the balcony, you also need to periodically water the soil in the pot, but when you put it outside, the spruce tree needs to be covered with snow as well as possible so that the roots in the pot do not freeze.

IN spring time spruce must be protected from exposure to direct sunlight, otherwise the needles from sunburn may also begin to turn yellow and fall off.

If you wish, you can transplant the spruce with a lump of earth into the garden, but then keep in mind that it is better not to replant it back into the pot, because the spruce is very afraid of transplantation.

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Do you think that Christmas tree Is it better to be in a pot, cut down or artificial? We agree with you and are ready to talk about choosing such a spruce and caring for it, because the question of how to care for the tree will certainly arise before you when the holiday bustle subsides.

The good thing about living spruce is that you don’t have to throw it away. In the spring you can plant it in the garden, country house or yard. However, in order for the tree to survive until spring, it is necessary to create certain conditions for it.

Spruce takes quite a long time to take root: about three years. All this time it needs regular watering. But in the future, you will be able to decorate this living Christmas tree on your site and not worry about buying a New Year’s tree.

Live spruces in pots for the New Year are, of course, a classic option. But you can experiment and dress it up (follow the link, we have previously written about caring for this tree). Araucaria is one of the few coniferous plants that can be grown in room conditions, since it comes from subtropical regions.

In addition, cypresses and cypress trees can replace live spruce. They usually cost less, and in indoor conditions they feel better than Christmas trees. Cypress (Cupressus) in winter, however, also requires cool maintenance (at +5 - 10 ° C), but (Chamaecypris) winters normally at 18 - 20 ° C and only needs regular watering and spraying.

Lawson's cypress

Thus, a live spruce in a pot (or its substitute) is a very environmentally friendly option for decorating a house or apartment on New Year’s Eve, although a little troublesome.

Araucaria, or indoor spruce, is an evergreen coniferous plant that can grow at home. In nature, this spruce grows in South America, Australia and New Guinea and can reach 50–60 m in height. Some specimens live for a very long time, up to 2000 years. In an apartment it grows to a maximum of 2 m, then, if desired, it can be planted in open ground.

Araucaria is real home spruce in a pot. Its light green branches extend from the trunk almost at a right angle and form an ideal pyramidal crown.

Main characteristics:

• erect trunk;
• thick resinous bark;
• hard and flat needles located on the branches in a spiral;
• spherical or umbrella-shaped crown;
• ovoid cones.

Araucaria is often used as a Christmas tree.

Varieties and varieties

The most common types and varieties:

• Araucaria Chilean. It grows naturally in Argentina and Chile. This tree can reach 60 m in height. As they age, the lower branches fall off, so the crown becomes like an umbrella. The needles of Chilean spruce are quite dense and tough and last for 12–14 years. Eat decorative types with wide needles of golden color.
• Variegated. The plant's homeland is Norfolk Island, near Australia. In nature it grows up to 50 m. It forms a beautiful crown, with the branches shaped like even triangles. The spruce got its name due to the characteristics of its needles. Young needles are soft and thin, have an emerald green color. Later they become scaly, thicker and denser.
• Narrow-leaved. It is also called Brazilian, as it grows in the southern regions of Brazil, where it reaches 30 m. In greenhouses, the maximum height is 4 m. The needles are thick, pointed, and rich dark green.

Only Araucaria varifolia can grow indoors. In an apartment it does not grow more than 1.5 m.

Basic requirements for cultivation

If you provide the plant optimal conditions, it will not hurt and can grow well.

• Indoor spruce prefers bright rooms, but can also grow in partial shade. The plant does not tolerate direct sunlight, so it needs to be shaded at midday. In the warm season, the spruce can be taken out onto the street, terrace or balcony.
• In order for the branches to develop and grow evenly, once every 7 days the plant needs to be turned with the other side towards the light. But it is best to place it in an evenly lit place.
• Indoor Araucaria does not like heat. The optimal temperature for it, even in the warm season, should not exceed +22 degrees, in winter – +15. It is highly undesirable to place the plant near heating devices and radiators.
• The plant must be handled very carefully, trying not to damage the top, since that is where the growth point is located. If it is broken off, the spruce will stop growing upward, and the branches will develop unevenly.

The best soil for indoor spruce is slightly acidic, as for all conifers. Good substrate You can prepare it yourself by mixing deciduous, coniferous and turf soil with humus, peat and sand. Spruce also grows well hydroponically.

Caring for araucaria at home

Growing araucaria is not a difficult task. However, for the plant to feel good, it must be provided with normal air humidity. Therefore, spruce needs to be sprayed regularly. Even better, place the container with the spruce in a tray filled with wet expanded clay. It is advisable to cover the soil with sphagnum moss, which will retain moisture. Excessive dryness often provokes drying out and yellowing of the needles.

Watering should be plentiful, but not frequent. In the hot season, water the plant approximately once every 5-7 days, making sure that the earthen ball is completely wet. The remaining water that has leaked into the pan is drained. Araucaria reacts painfully to a lack of moisture, so the earthen ball should never be dry.

During the growing season, the plant is fed with fertilizer for conifers once every 3 weeks.

There is no need to replant the spruce often. Young plants are replanted once every 3–4 years in the spring into larger pots. To slow down the growth of an adult plant, it is recommended to simply change the soil and plant it in a pot of the same size. Drainage made from broken brick, gravel or expanded clay is required, and it must occupy at least ¼ of the pot.

Reproduction of domestic spruce

Spruce can be propagated by cuttings or seeds, but the latter method is rarely used, as it is quite labor-intensive. In addition, seedlings grow and develop very slowly. Seeds can be sown in a greenhouse or prepared box with a light substrate. It is advisable to cover the ground with sphagnum so as not to lose moisture. Shoots will appear only after a few months.

Only plants that are at least 10 years old are suitable for propagation by cuttings.

1. In July, it is necessary to cut off the half-lignified apical cutting (in no case the tip).
2. The planting material is prepared, dried for 24 hours, then cleaned of resin and planted in a substrate of sand and peat.
3. It is advisable to cover the cutting with a jar and place it in a warm place.
4. Rooting does not occur immediately, it takes from 2 to 5 months. To speed up this process, you can use special medications.
5. Young seedlings are transplanted into a substrate for coniferous plants.

Protection from pests and diseases

Improper care provokes various diseases, so you need to try to create optimal conditions for the araucaria plant.

Particularly dangerous for spruce is overdrying of the earthen clod and too much heat air.

The most common growing problems and ways to solve them:

• Too much slow growth. This is how an excess of calcium in the soil can manifest itself. Therefore, for feeding you need to use only special fertilizers with a minimum amount of calcium. Also, do not use hard water.
• Drying of the lower branches of araucaria. This is one of the signs of a root beetle attack. The plant should be urgently treated with an insecticide.
• The branches are too thin. This is a sure sign of deficiency nutrients. Feeding should be done immediately.

The plant is rarely attacked by pests. Sometimes attacks Araucaria mealybug. You can simply remove it with cotton wool soaked in alcohol.

Possible difficulties during cultivation

If you provide the plant with optimal conditions, no difficulties are expected. Sufficient quantity light and moisture - that's all you need for normal development ate.

• Sometimes the owners of araucaria complain about the curvature of the trunk. This is the result of uneven lighting. The container with the plant just needs to be turned regularly different sides to the light.
• If the shoots dry out and turn yellow, the reason is dry air, insufficient humidity or poor watering. The plant needs to be sprayed regularly, increasing the air humidity in the room, and increasing watering. For this reason, needles may also fall off.

But if you create araucaria comfortable conditions, it will delight the owner with lush greenery for a long time. Among other things, it is not only beautiful ornamental plant, but also a natural orderly. She highlights useful phytoncides, which purify the air and destroy harmful microorganisms and bacteria.