When landscaping plots, gardeners often give preference to low-growing pine, fir, cypress, cereals and flowering crops. Miniature coniferous plantings do not require much space, withstand unfavorable conditions well, are rarely susceptible to disease, and serve as an ideal backdrop for flowers.
Atypically low varieties of a certain species are called dwarf. Not every site can accommodate a coniferous giant. The dwarf pine is not inferior in beauty to the tall species. The significant difference between them is the minimum annual growth. If for dwarfs it averages 5 cm, then for ordinary pines it reaches 50 cm. Almost all types of pines have low-growing forms. Among them are ordinary, mountain, cedar, etc.
Depending on the variety, the plant has a spreading or spherical crown shape. The needles of young specimens are soft green, while those of adults are rich shade, not long, soft and slightly curved. Due to the taproot, well-branched root system, the coniferous guest stays firmly in the soil and is not afraid of strong winds and other unfavorable conditions.
What is the advantage of low-growing conifers on the site? There are several advantages to growing miniature plantings:
In landscape design, miniature pine is used very widely. The tree is successfully grown alone, in a group with conifers, as a frame for a path. Ephedra looks good in rockeries and on an alpine hill. They can decorate the area near the pond. Thanks to their strong root system, pine trees can be planted on slopes. The proximity to rocky juniper and spherical spruce will be successful.
Among deciduous plants, barberry, hydrangea, and spirea are suitable for composition.
Compositions are made up of plants with different shades or crown shapes. One is pyramidal, the other is spherical, the third is creeping. To make it more presentable, add a few stones or driftwood. The soil around is mulched with bark, pine needles or wood chips. If there is not enough mulch, the remaining space is supplemented with mosses, lichens, sedums, and squat grasses.
Distinctive features of miniature seedlings:
Due to the variety of seedlings, beginners have difficulty purchasing the desired type. To make your life easier, just decide on the place of cultivation, write out suitable names from catalogs and go to the nursery with the list.
Video about selecting suitable varieties.
How to choose a pine seedling, general rules:
Classification of cultivators based on annual growth:
Popular varieties:
Miniature representatives prefer to grow in sunny meadows. They are not afraid of winds due to their low growth, unlike standard conifers that suffer from drafts. The soil can be any, but to preserve decorative properties, preference is given to sandy and loamy soils. If the soil is too heavy, it is drained and peat is added. A neutral or slightly acidic reaction is preferred. For acidic soils, the problem is solved by adding lime.
A favorable time for planting is spring, after the soil has warmed up. Autumn planting is also possible no later than mid-October. In autumn, it is not recommended to plant samples with an open root system, as they are more sensitive to drought and cold.
Planting a miniature plant:
When thinking about how to grow healthy conifers for the garden, you need to pay attention to watering and mulching. It is advisable to protect young plantings from bright sunlight, snatching them away for the winter. Shape-forming pruning begins in mid-April and ends by June. The tree can be given different shapes.
Common problems:
To eliminate pests, insecticide solutions such as Actellik, Akarin, etc. are used. Home remedies in the form of soap or tobacco solution are also suitable. The infected tree is sprayed insecticide, all affected parts are removed and the soil around is dug up.
Growing coniferous species such as dwarf pines is not difficult. Miniature conifers rarely get sick, successfully tolerate drafts, and are not afraid of high humidity, bright sunshine and frosty winters. With proper care, small pine trees become the main year-round decoration of the local area.
Coniferous plants are rapidly filling our garden plots, decorating the corners of gardens of any landscape style. The importance of conifers in garden design can hardly be overestimated: they create the basis of large and small compositions, decorate or completely cover nondescript fragments of the garden and architectural buildings, create evergreen color arrays or act as soloists against the background of the lawn. In combination with stones, conifers recreate cozy corners of nature in miniature, all year round pleasing to the eye and adding warmth to the palette of the garden canvas. In the snowy season, they complement the graphics of bare deciduous and perennial plants, maintain the “shape” of the garden. Many conifers change needle color throughout the season, adding unexpected pops of color.
Today's gardener is already quite competent in the range of conifers presented on the Russian market. The experiments with heat-loving “tails” from the Dutch mix, with plants without the name “from grandma” are behind us. The time has come for a conscious and purposeful selection of suitable and original candidates for our garden plots. The market supply is quite large, and I want to select conifers that would stand out from others with some bright distinctive property, unusual shape, silhouette, unexpected growth pattern or eye-catching color of the needles. I dare to say that there are a great many such plants, since many years of work by breeders and dendrologists have given the world a wide range of coniferous plants to suit all tastes. A considerable part of this huge list is suitable for our harsh climate. I propose to take a walk through the virtual “arboretum” and consider the “very best” conifers that are commercially available and suitable for growing in Russian conditions. Let's start with plants that stand out for their shape, and primarily for their exceptional size - giants and dwarfs...
Miniature conifers are gaining increasing popularity among amateur gardeners. They perfectly complement stone compositions, decorate small gardens and do not grow much over time. The latter quality is especially valuable because dozens of plants can be planted in a small area and their development can be observed for many years.
Miniature, or dwarf, are considered conifers that do not exceed 1-1.5 m in maturity. Advantages The beauty of miniature conifers is undeniable: they do not require pruning or shearing, and independently acquire and maintain a compact, dense shape. They do not require additional care, do not require fertilizers and are unpretentious to soils and growing conditions. Since “miniatures” spend most of their lives in the winter under thick snow, there are no problems associated with preparing for winter and spring burns sun rays. Wintering under snow gives a chance to grow miniature varieties even of conifers, the original species of which are not winter-hardy in our climate. This applies, for example, to varieties cypress trees - Lawson, stupid .
The origin of dwarf varieties is different: most are obtained from cuttings taken from “witches’ brooms”, some are found in nurseries among the mass of seedlings. Breeders collect cones from “witches’ brooms” and make crops in which unique miniatures appear. Sometimes artificial influence on genetic material is used.
Of course, numerous attractive anomalies have been discovered directly in nature. Some finds have spread throughout the world and have already become classics - for example, popular varieties mountain pine - ‘Pug’, ‘Gnome’, ‘Humpy’, ‘Ophir’ . It’s amazing that the number of varieties of mountain pine is measured in thousands of names, and this list is updated every year through the efforts of amateur enthusiasts! Many of them are as similar as two peas in a pod, but some stand out as something special. For example, variety ‘ Fructata’ densely strewn with small cones, variety 'Lilliput' has completely short needles, variety ‘Ungrowth’ forms a flat cake, grade 'Jacobsen' resembles a bonsai variety 'White Bud' - with bright white buds.
Mountain pines with the prefixes “ mugus" And " pumilio" A clarification is necessary here: these names are not varieties of mountain pine, they are two common natural forms that occur naturally when planted. “Mugus” is a large, prostrate shrub with long needles, growing up to five meters in cultivation, “pumilio” is dense low bush with short needles, not exceeding 1 m in height. In nature, both forms appear simultaneously, but depending on the growing conditions, one or another form is fixed, sometimes both at the same time. In nurseries, young mountain pine seedlings are conventionally divided into these two categories, grown and sold under the appropriate names.
I will list some miniature conifers. All varieties are good without exception mountain pine, Scots pine, Scots spruce. Among the pine varieties, the bluish ball is interesting 'Bennett Compact' , a variety with a dense dark green crown ‘ Globosa Viridis' , dense balls 'Jeremy', 'Sandringham' , bonsai sculpture ‘Laponum Kvenangen’ . Norway spruce: classic ‘Little Gem’, ‘Pygmaea’, ‘Minima’, ‘Ohlendorffii’ , short-needle variety ‘Zajecice’ , a variety with miniature cones 'Pusch' . Take a closer look at dwarf varieties fir Korean fir is especially attractive Oberon', 'Pinocchio', 'Silberkugel', 'Blauer Eskimo', 'Kristalkugel' , 'Tundra' , balsam fir‘Nana’, fir monochrome'Piggelmee'. All of these plants prefer full sun or light partial shade; in such conditions they retain their compact shape and bright needles.
Miniature conifers for a shady garden
But what should you do if the area is shady? What miniature conifers can grow in the shade of trees and tolerate a lack of sun? For such places, cypress and hemlock trees and their compact varieties would be the ideal choice. The range of mini-conifers for shade is quite large, but is still poorly represented on the Russian market, but among them there are many beautiful and exquisite plants. Among the undisputed favorites for a shady garden are varieties obtuse cypress(Chamaecyparis obtusa). Many gardeners have been burned by failure with the popularly marketed “bear cub” variety ‘Nana Gracilis’ , have sworn off dealing with cypress trees of this species, but there are more than 150 miniature varieties of obtuse cypress! This happened against the backdrop of a lack of information and lack of experience in growing in the middle zone.
Now you can formulate simple requirements for successful cultivation. Obtuse cypress varieties are planted in the shade, and in such a way as to avoid direct sun in the middle of the day and in early spring, when the snow melts. Obtuse cypress varieties can tolerate even dense shade. The soil for them should not contain clay and should consist of two-thirds sand and one-third - a mixture of garden soil and high-moor (red) peat. It is precisely this poor soil that ensures a smooth transition in spring to the growing season without damage to the crown. During the dry months, cypress trees need regular spraying and watering.
Canadian hemlock will like similar conditions, but the soil for it is prepared richer, with a higher content of humus and leaf humus. Magnificent and filigree miniature hemlocks: varieties ‘Minuta’, ‘Essex’, ‘Microphylla’, ‘Horsford’, ‘Von Helm’, ‘Popeleski Dwarf’ and many others.
Often choosing trees and shrubs for your garden or summer cottage, people prefer coniferous plants. This is understandable, because most conifers retain their decorative properties all year round. In addition, they are different types and shapes, for example, you can combine low-growing coniferous plants for the garden with tall ones, which allows you to diversify your landscape design.
Coniferous plants in garden design can look great both in single and group compositions. In addition, needles are often used to create evergreen sculptures and hedges.
Among the advantages of such plantings are:
However, before you decide to plant a particular coniferous plant, you need to familiarize yourself with its characteristics and find out what height it can reach. This will allow you to avoid some problems associated with tree growth or growth in the future. Thus, the design of a garden with coniferous plants will look harmonious even after many years.
To decorate gardens and summer cottages, as a rule, several types of coniferous trees are used:
In addition, garden conifers also include some shrubs, among which there are low-growing and even creeping plants that look great on. Below we will familiarize ourselves with the features of all of the above types of crops.
Yew trees include not only trees, but also shrubs. However, the main representative of this group is yew - evergreen tree, which can be monoecious or dioecious. The leaves of yew representatives are double-rowed or asymmetrically located relative to each other.
Their features include strong branching and extensive root system. Plants “love” rich soils, and are also demanding of air humidity. There are about twenty species of yew, which primarily grow in the Northern Hemisphere.
Note!
Yew trees grow well in well-drained soils and do not tolerate waterlogging and increased acidity soil.
It must be said that these plants are shade-loving, and they can survive in such heavily shaded places where other coniferous crops cannot survive.
There are 12 species of plants of this species. They grow in warmer zones of the Northern Hemisphere, however, among them there are also frost-resistant crops. As a rule, cypress trees are evergreen trees, however, some shrubs also belong to this group.
It should be noted that all cypress trees are spectacular ornamental plants, which are an excellent decoration for personal plots.
You can grow them in two ways:
Note!
When planting cypress trees, you must be guided the following rule– plants with needles yellow color should be located in sunny areas, and with green areas - in shaded areas.
Pine trees include plants that primarily grow in Asia and Europe. Typically this is very tall trees with a spreading wide crown.
All species of these trees have needles collected in small bunches, however, the number of needles and their structure vary different varieties may differ significantly. The needles usually last for several years and then fall off.
Growing and caring for coniferous plants in the garden, which are classified as pine, is not particularly difficult. The most important thing is to plant and care for it correctly the first year. These trees can withstand very coldy and heat, however, are photophilous.
Fir trees are fast-growing coniferous crops with a pyramidal crown. It is advisable to plant them in sheltered and shaded areas. On clay soils for them it is necessary to provide drainage in the form of gravel or crushed stone.
It must be said that fir varieties of coniferous plants for the garden are very demanding in terms of soil saturation with water and its fertility. As for care, plants require only sanitary spring pruning. In addition, young crops need to loosen the soil.
In the first year after planting, it is better to cover the plant with spruce branches for the winter. No further action is required, since the crop is frost-resistant.
Cedar can be called a special gift of nature. The fact is that this evergreen tree has not only an attractive appearance, but also healing properties.
The trees reach a height of 40 meters, and the diameter of the trunk can be 1.5 meters. The needles are collected in small bunches of five pieces each. An adult tree bears fruit once every one to two years.
It should be noted that cedar grows slowly, but its age can reach 550 years.
There are two ways to grow trees with your own hands:
Note!
Cedar does not like to grow alone, so it is advisable to plant the tree in a company of 2-3 plants of the same species.
In the photo - dwarf pines in landscape design
There is an opinion that the best option for a garden are low-growing coniferous plants, as they allow you to fully admire the beauty of the crown. Frost-resistant varieties are especially in demand among short plants.
This group includes:
It should be noted that low-growing species have insignificant annual growth - no more than 15 centimeters. Moreover, they may differ in crown shape, color, needle structure, etc.
Note!
Low-growing coniferous crops cannot be planted under tall deciduous trees, as the leaves will fall on the needles, which will negatively affect the development of the plant.
Despite the fact that some types of conifers need special conditions planting, there are general rules for all their types. In particular, important point is the planting date; for coniferous plants it is the end of April - the beginning of May.
As mentioned above, the easiest way to grow crops is from seedlings. The only thing you need to pay attention to is their quality, which is indicated by the following points:
Brief instructions for planting needles are as follows:
Here, perhaps, are all the main points of planting coniferous crops.
There are many types of coniferous plants that can be planted in the garden. Among them there are both very tall trees and very small bushes. This allows you to select evergreen crops for your garden landscape that match any design ideas. From the video in this article you can see some additional information on this topic.
Coniferous plants are actively used when creating landscape design. Evergreen shrubs, trees look attractive at any time of the year. They are distinguished by their unpretentiousness, spending a large number of you won’t have to spend time and effort caring for them. With the help of coniferous crops you can decorate any area, creating a unique design.
Evergreen shrubs and trees are considered unpretentious, but each species needs to create the most suitable conditions for growth and development. When choosing, you need to pay attention to the size of the plants and the rules for placement on your personal plot.
In large gardens, parks or adjacent areas Tall coniferous plants look impressive. If there is not much space, then the tree can become the center of the composition. Other plants are placed around it to create a harmonious ensemble.
When planting tall species, it must be taken into account that the plants will take up space over time. large area. Their root system grows well. Tall trees will provide shade, so shade-loving crops are planted next to them.
Spruce Hoopsii
Popular types of tall conifers include blue spruce. The Hoopsie variety is valued for its attractive appearance and predictable growth. When planting, you can immediately guess what size the spruce will be in a few years. Upon reaching 30 years of age, the height of the spruce will be 10 m, and the crown will grow to 4 m in diameter. Spruce grows up to 15 m in height and 5 m in diameter.
When planting, preference should be given to sunny areas. The needles of the Hoopsie spruce are prickly and thick, and the shoots are strong and flexible. The needles grow up to 3 cm in length. The branches are covered with a dense layer of silver-blue needles. Many note the special attractiveness of this tree in late spring and early summer, when young light blue branches appear.
Hoopsie spruce varieties differ:
It is advisable to periodically fertilize the soil in which spruce trees grow. When creating a landscape design, experts recommend shading Hoopsie with an emerald-colored lawn. These spruce trees go well with weeping species deciduous trees, bushes.
Spruce Hupsi tolerates haircuts well
A slow-growing conifer that many people like is Korean fir. IN natural conditions mature trees grow up to 12 m in height. Distinctive characteristics:
The tree is demanding in terms of soil moisture and fertility. In the first years of life, it is recommended to create partial shade for it; at a more mature age, it can grow in open areas.
Korean fir is a shade-tolerant plant.
Columnar can grow up to 45 m in height Serbian spruce. Upon reaching 10 years of age, the coniferous tree grows up to 10 m, the diameter during this period is 2 m. Its branches are short, the lower ones are inclined to the ground.
The branches are covered with flattened dark green needles. On the underside they have 2 stripes of a bluish-white hue. The cones are blue-black, their color changes to brown when ripe.
Serbian spruce is unpretentious to growing conditions; it is characterized by good frost resistance and relative smoke and gas resistance. For normal growth and development, the plant needs regular watering, but it tolerates dry periods better than ordinary spruce trees.
This coniferous tree is classified as shade-tolerant. It is used in group and single plantings.
Serbian spruce is best planted on loamy soils
Thuja Smaragd
Thuja variety Smaragd is popular among landscape designers. Its height reaches 5 m, while its diameter does not exceed 1–1.5 m. Smaragd is a coniferous tree with a regular cone-shaped crown and branches growing vertically.
Thuja is a slow-growing tree. In a year it adds no more than 20 cm in height and 5 cm in width.
Caring for Smaragd thujas is not difficult, but they require constant watering, and it is undesirable to allow the soil to dry out. If the plant is located in sunny areas, the crown will be dense and the needles will be bright. It can grow in shaded areas, but the crown will become sparser.
The needles of Thuja Smaragd are shiny and bright green.
Juniper Skyrocket
Skyrocket is known as the pencil tree. The plant reaches a height of 6–8 m, and a width does not exceed 1 m. Its shape is columnar and narrow. The branches of this type of juniper grow vertically. The plant's needles are gray-blue in color and can be needle-shaped or scaly.
Skyrocket is planted in small garden plots. When choosing a place for growing, it is better to give preference open areas which are well lit by the sun.
You can grow juniper in areas with a deficiency nutrients
With the help of small plants you can create a unique landscape design even in a small area. Traditionally, they are placed along paths, in the corners of garden plots with a lawn, or used as an element of complex compositions.
Compacta Glauca pine
Dwarf cedar pine Great for creating landscape design. The main characteristics include the following:
When creating heathers, stone gardens Compacta Glauka dwarf pine is used. Plants look good on alpine slides and in plantings on lawns. Specified view Pines are best grown in moderately acidic and moderately moist soils.
When planting pine trees, preference should be given to well-lit, sunny areas
mountain pine
Two types of pine trees are popular among homeowners.
Winter Gold is a hemispherical pine. Its crown is squat and unevenly developed on the sides. IN summer time The needles of mountain pine are light green, and in winter they acquire a yellow-golden color. At 10 years of age, the height of the plant is 0.5 m, and the diameter of the crown is 1 m.
The Ophir variety is distinguished by its regular rounded shape. But after a few years of growth, the pine may become a little lopsided and more spreading. Mature 10-year-old plants are usually no more than 0.5 m in height, and they can be about 1 m in diameter.
Mini Mops mountain pine variety is considered no less popular. It is used to decorate areas. Pine grows very slowly, the annual growth is 2 cm. When it reaches 10 years of age, the height of the conifer does not exceed 40 cm. Mini Pug needles are dark green, young shoots are light green. The branches form a flattened, spherical crown.
The Mini Pug plant is a light-loving plant; it can tolerate a little shade, but with a constant lack of sunlight, its growth deteriorates and the tree may dry out. Pine is undemanding to soil and grows even on soils lacking nutrients. Tolerates frost and wind well.
Gardeners, if desired, can shape the crown of mountain pine; the plant tolerates haircuts well
Spruce Barry (Barryi)
Popular slow-growing species include Norway spruce. In young, low-growing plants, the crown has a rounded shape. Over time, the branches grow to the sides. By the age of 30, the spruce becomes about 2 m in height.
The needles of the Barry variety are dark green; brown-orange young shoots appear in the spring. Spruce is shade-tolerant and can be safely planted in shaded areas. Coniferous trees take root and grow better on loamy and sandy loam well-drained soils.
Excessive soil waterlogging is harmful to Barry spruce
Thuja Danica
In their dachas and areas near private houses, many people plant evergreen thujas. The Danica variety is one of the most common. The plant has the shape of a ball. At the age of 10 years, its diameter is 0.4 m. The maximum size of adult shrubs is 0.8 m in height and 1 m in diameter.
TO distinctive features thuja Danica include:
Thujas can grow in partial shade and sun without problems.
In brightly lit areas, thujas will be brighter and denser
Spruce Conica
Thanks to its attractive appearance, many people plant Konik spruce in their dachas and gardens. The variety is distinguished by a fluffy, dense crown, an ideal cone-shaped shape, which is obtained naturally without haircuts.
Features of the species:
Landscape designers Konica spruces are often planted in the foreground; they look good when placed alone and in groups.
Spruce has a small stature due to strong branching and a short distance from one internode to another
As decorative element Creeping plants are often used in rocky gardens. With their help you can add volume to landscape flower beds.
Juniper Wilton
In flower arrangements at country houses, garden plots many people add horizontal junipers. The Wilton variety spreads low on the ground. At the age of 10 years, it rises above the ground by no more than 15 cm. In width, it can grow by 2–3 m. The needles of the Wilton juniper are silver-blue.
Wilton is one of the varieties that can be safely grown in an urban environment. It is undemanding to the composition of the soil, frost-resistant and tolerates temporary droughts well.
It can be planted as a single plant or in group plantings. Wilton looks good in rock gardens and rock gardens. This species looks impressive if its branches hang from the retaining walls.
Juniper Plumosa
The Chinese juniper variety Plumosa is a creeping variety. But it reaches a height of 30–50 cm. The plant spreads over the surface by 2–2.5 m. Old branches lie on the ground, and young shoots rise from them at an angle of 45°.
The branches of juniper Plumosa are feather-like. The needles are gray-green in summer-autumn; in winter, the needles acquire a purple tint. The variety is light-loving, but it also grows well in shaded areas. In the shade the color becomes light green. Juniper is undemanding to soil.
Juniper is suitable for acidic and alkaline soils
Canadian hemlock
Hemlock is a conifer belonging to the pine family. Landscape designers like to use weeping hemlock species for individual or group plantings, which are located on rocky areas, near ponds, and in open areas.
A popular slow-growing hemlock variety, Prostrate. It belongs to the creeping cushion-shaped plants.
Variety characteristics:
It is better to plant hemlock Prostrate in partial shade. She needs coolness and high humidity. The plant does not tolerate heat and drought well. Moist soils with a slightly acidic reaction are ideal for planting; it is important that they contain a large amount of nutrients.
Spruce Loreley
The Lorelei variety is a weeping species. common spruce. Its trunk is arched, the lower branches spread along the ground. Spruce becomes creeping after grafting into the root collar. The branches rise in height by no more than 0.6 m, then the shoots descend and spread over the surface of the ground.
For planting, it is better to give preference to sunny areas, although spruce also grows in partial shade. The soils should be drained, slightly moist; sandy and loamy soils are suitable.
When creating a landscape design, it is necessary to take into account that the Lorelei spruce variety looks good in areas with varying heights.
Stagnant moisture is harmful to spruce
Microbiota cross-paired (Decussate)
The cross-paired microbiota belongs to the cypress family. It can be grown in difficult climatic conditions, she is not afraid of strong winds, rocky soils and shadows. Branches in natural conditions can rise up to 1 m in height, but when grown in gardens and dachas, its height usually does not exceed 60 cm.
On young shoots of microbiota, the needles are needle-shaped; over time, they become scaly. In summer the needles are dark green, and in winter period the color changes to copper-brown. When planting cross-paired microbiota, preference should be given to shady areas. The plant looks good in single plantings in the center of the lawn, in mixed compositions when planted along lawns, flower beds, slopes, and coastal areas.
The microbiota shoots form a flattened shape with clearly defined tiers
Coniferous crops are actively used to create individual landscape design on sites. When planting, it is necessary to take into account what soils the plants prefer and how they relate to sunny and shaded areas. Only plants with the same care can be planted nearby. Compositions made from conifers, with a properly formed design, will delight owners for many years.
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