Mountain Pine Pug (Pinus mugo Mops) is a striking representative of ornamental plants grown for landscaping of private backyards and park areas. The coniferous tree is adapted to urban conditions.
Mountain pine Pug: how to care for a coniferous plant
Brief information about the variety
- Needle color: green, blue-green.
- Tree height: up to 1.5 m.
- Crown width: 1-1.5 m.
- Growing regions: grows everywhere.
- Landing features: prefers sunny areas.
- Immunity: resistant to major diseases and rarely attacked by pests.
- Life span: up to 500 years.
Geography of distribution
Coniferous species are ubiquitous. It is winter-hardy, able to withstand drought and wind, and is also undemanding to the ground.
These characteristics make it possible to grow pine not only in the middle lane, but also in central Russia (for example, the Moscow region), and also in the harsh climatic conditions of northern areas (for example, in Siberia and the Urals).
Botanical characteristic
Pug Pine is one of the dwarf evergreens.
Description:
- crown of the correct spherical shape, formed by short shoots;
- young trees of a uniform color, dark green or blue-green, needles are 2-4.5 * 2 cm, collected in bunches of 2 pieces, needles change every 3-5 years;
- on the shoots there are densely planted thin resinous buds - oval cones (1-2 cm), brown color,
The culture is drought-resistant, easily tolerates the absence of moisture. Winter hardy, intended for cultivation in the USDA climatic zone No. 2, where the temperature drops to -45 ° C.
Growing requirements
The dwarf species can be planted both in open ground and in a separate container - a container.
The latter method is convenient for its mobility: if necessary, the tree is rearranged to a new place.
When growing, it should be borne in mind that the ephedra grows slowly, up to 2-8 cm per year, and branches strongly.
The optimal planting time is mid-spring (late April - early May) or autumn (late August - early September).
Selection of seedlings
Saplings are recommended to be purchased in nurseries, where they have already been grown and adapted to local conditions. Such planting material has a slightly higher price, but the chances of settling down are much greater.
They sell trees in different forms:
- with an open root system, placing in a temporary area or with roots wrapped in foil;
- with a closed root system, when each ephedra is planted in a separate container in the soil mixture.
The second option is preferred.
When buying, the age of the seedling is of no small importance. It is better to buy young trees that are already 4-5 years old.
Site preparation
Pine loves sunlight
Almost any area is suitable for a dwarf pine Pug, but the tree grows worse in shaded areas. Full growth requires sunny sides.
Due to the well-developed open root system, the ephedra can be planted on sandy and sandy loam soils, moderately dry or moist, up to depleted in nutrients.
Any acidity of the soil is permissible, however, it is better to choose a site with slightly acidic soil.
The composition of the soil mixture: turf, sand or clay, taken in a 2: 1 ratio.
Landing technology
For planting, drainage is required, which is laid out with coarse sand, crushed stone or gravel, the layer thickness is from 0.2 m.
Planting pits are formed 2-4 weeks before the expected date of planting seedlings at a distance of 2 to 4 m from each other.
The width of the hole should be 15 cm larger than the diameter of the root system, the depth should be from 0.7 m.
Coniferous debris from pine trees is added to the soil mixture in order to lay the future symbiotic processes and fertilizers for the plant. Nitroammofoska (100 g per 1 planting pit) is suitable as a top dressing.
When transplanting, the root collar is left at ground level or slightly raised. The seedling in the new place is watered abundantly. For the first 5 days after planting, the young ephedra should be covered from the sun with spruce branches or spandbond.
Care rules
An adult and rooted pine is unpretentious to care, but young seedlings at the initial stage need to create all favorable conditions for growth and development.
Watering
Watering is carried out once a week. Moisten along the perimeter of the planting pit, avoiding direct contact with the trunk circle. Additionally, in the hot season, the crown is sprinkled.
Top dressing
Young conifers are fed during the first 2 years after planting.
Subsequently, an adult pine does not need additional nutrition, taking all the necessary components from the soil due to its developed widely branched root system.
For top dressing, they use universal fertilizing complexes developed for coniferous trees.
Mulching and loosening
The trunk circle is mulched immediately after planting the seedling. Peat is suitable as mulch, the minimum layer is 5 cm. In the future, it is not removed, but is gradually mixed with the soil.
Ephedra is sensitive to soil compaction, therefore loosening is carried out regularly, especially when an earth crust forms after precipitation or watering. They loosen the earth along the perimeter of the planting pit.
Crown formation
The plant is rarely pruned, because the natural feature of this variety is a properly growing crown.
Shearing is done more often for sanitary purposes, removing dried and frozen branches and with the intention to slow down growth and increase density.
When forming the crown, the number of annual shoots is reduced.
Winter protection
Young plants need to be protected from frost
Mature pines are resistant to frost and wind. Young seedlings in the first 2 years after planting in open ground require protection from the cold for the winter. For this purpose, the roots are covered with spruce branches.
Shelter for the winter of seedlings planted in a new place in the fall is especially important.
Conifers are opened at the onset of spring, when constant warm weather sets in and there is no risk of recurrent frosts. Watering with melt water helps to speed up the process of adaptation and restoration of the plant after winter.
Reproduction methods
Mountain pine is propagated in one of three possible ways.
- Seeds. They are germinated in separate containers or by sowing directly into open ground. Mandatory stratification is required before landing. The best time is spring. The disadvantage is that the maternal qualities of the variety are often not preserved.
- By cuttings. The shoots are taken from annual conifers, cutting off together with the heel bark. Initially, the cuttings are soaked in a growth accelerator for 12 hours, then kept in ordinary water for 3 days and only then planted in open ground. A stalk planted in autumn takes root within a year, a spring stalk - in 6 months.
- Vaccination. Graft a mountain pine on trees (4-5 years old). The vaccination method allows you to transfer most of the maternal qualities.
Disease and pest resistance
The mountain pine Pug is resistant to the main diseases found in conifers and is rarely affected by pests. More often the crown of young pines suffers from sunburn.
If the rules of care are violated, the ephedra may develop fungal diseases.
- Schütte. The primary signs are a change in the color of the needles from green to brown, drying of the branches and the appearance of a white bloom, similar in appearance to a cobweb.
- Scleroderriosis. The buds die off, followed by drying of the entire branch.
- Seryanka. It manifests itself in the form of a red bloom on the needles.
A tree affected by the fungus is treated by spraying with means based on copper sulfate, after removing the diseased branches. Spring treatments with sulfur solutions are used as a prophylactic agent.
Practical use
The main use of Pug pine is in landscape design. The tree is grown for decorating rockeries, rocky areas and creating alpine slides.
Mini-conifers on the trunk are used to decorate balcony loggias and closed winter gardens.
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Gardeners reviews
Gardeners love the mountain pine Pug for its ease of maintenance and compactness.
It harmoniously fits into the landscape design of any personal plot, both singly and in composition.
Ephedra can be grown not only for residents of the southern, but also northern regions, because the variety is winter-hardy, freezing up to -45 ° C.