The Nordmann fir (Abies Nordmanniana) is named after Alexander von Nordmann, the professor of botany who first described this species. The plant has 2 more common names in everyday life: 1. Danish Christmas tree (it came from the fact that in Denmark it has been grown for more than 200 years as a decoration for the new year). 2. Caucasian fir. The name is associated with the original distribution area.
A tree from a New Year's fairy tale: Nordman's fir in landscape design
The tree is widely used in landscape design, since it does not require additional crown formation and complex manipulations during cultivation. It has been used as a Christmas tree for over 200 years.
Brief information about the species
- Colour: green, green-white, emerald, gold ± depending on the variety.
- Height: up to 50 m, annual growth of about 15 cm.At the age of 30, fir is about 10 m high.
- Crown width: up to 7 meters.
- In which regions is it growing: western Caucasus, southern regions.
- Landing features (crowding): grows well in the sun, in the shade, and in partial shade. It can grow both separately and in fir. The minimum distance to buildings and other sites is 3 meters due to the developed root system.
- Immunity: strong, but the plant becomes vulnerable to fungal diseases if irrigated improperly.
- Life span: up to 700 years.
Common varieties
Nordman's fir has four popular varieties: they create different compositions in the garden with them, and also combine with other crops.
Golden spreader
Golden Spider is often used in landscape design because of two features of the variety: slow growth and the color of the needles. For 10 years, the plant has reached only 1 m in height, and in the future this pace will not accelerate. The needles are golden white.
The crown diameter will not exceed 1 m; it has a distinct notch in the center. The needles are small, about 2 cm long.
Jadwiga
It has an unusual color of needles: they are light green above, white below. The needles are long and soft.
It is characterized by rapid growth that does not decline over time. The shape of the tree resembles a pear: elongated top and massive lower branches.
Pendula
An unusual variety, which is also called a weeping pine. Pendula's branches tilt downward, giving the tree a soft, elongated silhouette.
It has an extremely slow growth rate and high maintenance requirements. Of all the fir varieties, Pendula is the most vulnerable to adverse weather conditions.
Borjomi
This variety is practically no different from natural. However, it has a unique feature: in some growth conditions, the buds turn purple-violet.
The plant is thermophilic, it tolerates well both shade and light, but at the same time it is extremely demanding on the level of humidity.
Growing regions
In nature, Nordman fir is found in the west of the Caucasian ridge. To this day, there are massive fir trees at an altitude of 2100 m. This plant can be found in Georgia, Turkey, in the Russian Republic of the Caucasus, in Abkhazia and Armenia.
The climate of Russia is not suitable for fir
It grows well in Denmark, as this country has a humid climate with mild winters and cool summers - ideal conditions for development.
It is difficult for fir to grow in central Russia. The reasons are both low temperatures in winter and hot summers, poor humidity levels and gusts of wind.
Landing
It usually takes at least 7 years from the moment of seed germination to planting seedlings in open ground. As experts describe, it is at this age that the seedlings begin to show sufficient resistance to adverse conditions.
Sapling selection
When buying a seedling for your own garden, you should pay attention to certain signs. Description of quality:
- planted in a separate container.
- the root system is not exposed.
- age from 5 to 7 years.
- the needles are evenly colored, without signs of fungus or rust.
- the needles are soft, but not slimy, with a strong coniferous aroma.
- the needles are clean, without cobwebs or other inclusions.
The best quality seedlings are sold in specialized nurseries. When buying a tree in them, you can choose the specimen you like, and it will be dug out of the ground right in front of your eyes.
Site preparation
In order for the tree to feel good as it grows, you should take care of preparing the right place for it.
- The soil should be slightly alkaline and light, fertile.
- Nordmannians are indifferent to light and shadow, they grow in any conditions.
- Fir seeds or seedlings are planted at a distance of at least 3 m from other trees or large buildings due to the rapid development of the plant's root system.
- In the fall, you can redecorate the proposed landing site to get rid of parasites and disinfect the land.
Landing technology
For the seedling, make a depression 80 cm wide by about 60 cm. It should be 25-30% larger than the size of the root ball. At the bottom of the pit, gravel or crushed stone drainage is laid, which requires an additional 10 cm from the depth.
To accelerate the addiction of the seedling, it is recommended to prepare a soil mixture from:
- sand 15%;
- humus 15%;
- peat 40-42%;
- clays 28-30%.
A complex fertilizer is added to the mixture. It is poured into a pit with a slide, after which the root system is distributed over it. Further, the depression is covered with soil and the fir is watered, the root collar is at ground level.
To improve the survival rate, the seedlings are shaded with non-woven fabric. This is especially true for warm areas, where in the spring the sun warms the soil strongly.
Care
A young tree must be protected from direct sunlight.
Fir does not like transplanting from place to place, so it is worthwhile to think over the design of the site in advance and determine the permanent position of the tree.
To protect the delicate needles from the sun, on especially hot days, fir is sprayed with water. It is better to share this early in the morning, when the heat has not yet begun.
The rest of the plant care is standard: watering, feeding, loosening and rare pruning.
Watering
Particular attention is paid to watering in the year of planting: its root system has not yet had time to strengthen in place and does not consume much water from the soil.
In the future, the procedure is carried out twice a week during drought. If the weather is normal, then 2-3 times a season is enough.
In the spring, all the firs are abundantly watered in order to provoke their joint awakening.
Top dressing
After the snow melts, young plants are fed with nitroammophos (40 g / m2). You can use a complex fertilizer on a mineral basis.
Adult specimens do not fertilize if the soil is fertile enough. When the land is poor, every 3 years, in the spring, they are fertilized with special means for conifers.
In the fall, around October, the Danish tree is fertilized with potassium-phosphorus substances, regardless of age.
Mulching and loosening the soil
Mulching can reduce the frequency of watering your plant. For it, a mixture of pine bark and chips is used, which are laid on the soil near the trunk. The height of the embankment is from 5 to 7 cm.
Loosening the soil provides oxygen and destroys the larvae of parasites. It must be carried out in spring and autumn as a preventive measure.
Pruning
This type of fir has a dense crown with a pronounced shape, so it does not need decorative pruning.
Dead branches are removed before buds spill out, frozen ones - at the end of May, when there is no risk of recurrent frosts.
Preparing for winter
The bark system of the Nordmanniana fir has a high winter hardiness: they can withstand temperatures down to -30 °. At the same time, young shoots freeze even when the decline is below 15 °.
In order for the plant to survive the winter normally, it must be properly prepared.
- Cover the branches with spruce branches. A special non-woven fabric is also suitable. The shelter is not removed until warm weather is firmly set.
- In the middle lane, it is recommended to additionally close the tree trunk circles. This is done with mulch, which is poured up to 10 cm high.
Reproduction
The tree propagates exclusively by seed
The Nordman fir is propagated exclusively by seeds. Their stratification is carried out 2 months before planting.
In nurseries, seeds are planted in containers and put away in a cool place - a basement or a special refrigerator. In the spring, they germinate in the warmth, after which the seedlings dive into larger pots.
You can try to propagate the plant yourself using seeds. They are taken out of the cones and placed in the ground in the fall. To prepare seeds, unopened cones are harvested until September.
According to the descriptions of gardeners, when planting seeds, the germination rate is extremely low.
Diseases and pests
Fir is resistant to diseases. But under unfavorable growth conditions and excessive moisture, rust appears. At the first signs of the disease, the plant is treated with a solution of copper sulfate.
When a fungus occurs, the needles turn yellow and crumble at a high rate. If not treated, then it provokes the development of fusarium and brown shute. To prevent it, the tree is not deepened during planting and is treated with fungicides in a timely manner.
Prevention is carried out annually in April. For this, 1% Bordeaux liquid is used.
Of the pests it is worth fearing:
- False shield. Signs: drying of the needles, the appearance of honey drops on it. They are driven away mechanically: they set traps impregnated with special glue from caterpillar tracks.
- Spider mite. Signs: large lumps of cobwebs between branches, yellow and brown spots on the needles. Control method: spraying the tree with garlic and dandelion infusions. It should be borne in mind that dwarf trees are much easier to cure than large ones.
- Hermes. Signs: white bloom on the needles. The fight is carried out with the help of strong insecticides, it is advisable to cut off the affected areas.
- Fir moth. It is poisoned with biological products, to prevent the appearance of larvae, the earth is dug up every spring and autumn. When young caterpillars hatch, the tree is treated with drugs.
- Caterpillars of the pine cone moth. Signs: sagging resin, pineal brown insect excrement. The fight is done with drugs.
Use in landscape design
Landscape designers call the advantage of conifers not only easier care, but also the preservation of needles. In winter, among the bare deciduous trees, spruces and pines will be a real eye-catcher.
Nordman fir is widely used in landscape design, but different varieties have found different uses.
- Golden spreader. The dwarfism and golden color of the needles made this variety extremely popular. It is planted mainly in the southern regions, adorning alpine slides.
- Yadwiga. When planting, it should be borne in mind that trees grow quickly, without slowing down with age. This plant needs a lot of space. The needles of Jadwiga are very beautiful, light green above and white below, suitable for landscaping parks.
- Pendula. Because of the specific looking branches, landscape designers advise using this variety with caution. Excessive planting can give the garden a somewhat dull look, so Pendula is diluted with plants with bright leaves or needles.
- Borjomi. It makes sense to plant this variety only in those regions where the cones can show their unusual color. However, even with brown fruits, the fir looks pretty good.
Larch, mountain ash, juniper, thuja and pine are good neighbors for the Danish tree. You can also plant Thunberg barberry and spruce.
Fir Normandy for the new year
Fir can stand indoors for up to 10 weeks.
It is not for nothing that Nordman's fir is called the Danish tree: the climate of Denmark turned out to be so good for this plant that this country has been growing and supplying the best samples of fir trees for Europe for more than 200 years.
She is loved because she:
- possesses emerald thornless needles;
- able to stand indoors in a pot for up to several months;
- has a regular conical shape.
How to save
In the new year, a live tree brings an indescribable feeling of celebration and fills the house with a fresh pine scent. To extend the life of a festive beauty, experts recommend:
- Buy it not indoors, but at street exhibitions - this way it will last longer thanks to the fresh air.
- The trunk is placed in a pot with a special mixture: 3 tbsp. l. glycerin, sand, water. It takes so much water to make the sand wet. Fir will last less in water.
If you notice that the needles have turned yellow sharply, then you can try to revive the tree: spray it abundantly with a spray bottle. If you do not use paper toys to decorate the fir, then you can moisten the needles every day to keep them longer.
How much can not crumble
Cut Caucasian fir can stand without shedding needles for up to 10 weeks. The main difficulty lies in determining the timing of the cut: bazaars and markets often provide incorrect information.
To be sure of the timing, it is recommended to buy a Christmas tree in specialized nurseries. This solution has another significant advantage: only there fresh fir and spruce retain their coniferous smell.
Reviews
Reviews of nordmann fir are positive: the tree has a wonderful appearance and does not require special care. It is chosen for its tightly set needles and intense color of the needles.
However, experts note that the culture is extremely sensitive to air pollution. Therefore, it is not recommended to plant it near large cities: in the same suburbs, it may feel bad.
When using the Danish Christmas tree as a symbol of the New Year and Christmas, it is only given a positive assessment. The Nordman fir does not crumble for a long time and looks “like from a fairy tale” thanks to its dense emerald needles and the correct shape of the crown.
Caucasian fir Nordman
Caucasian fir | Plante.md
How to properly plant and care for fir
Strong branches allow you to hang a large number of decorations on them, and a tree stands indoors without shedding needles for up to 10 weeks from the moment of cutting. It should be remembered that it is best to buy it in nurseries: this way the price will be lower, and the plant will be of higher quality and fresher.
The only thing that confuses buyers is the price, which can reach 2000 rubles. But many agree that the holiday feeling and great looks are worth the money.