Contents
Evergreen trees dramatically transform the design of the site. This is especially true for the plant, the appearance of which corresponds to the sonorous name – balsam fir Brilliant. Its bright green colors delight the eye in summer and give positive energy in winter. Gardens, roofs, terraces, decorated with plants, enliven the space, blending in perfectly with the surrounding landscape.
Description of Balsam Fir Brilliant
Balsam fir is a coniferous plant belonging to the pine family. Under natural conditions, it grows in North America – Canada and the USA, loves well-lit areas, protected from winds and drafts. Refers to frost-resistant species.
Fir has a miniature size, its height does not exceed 50 cm, it grows slowly, no more than 4 cm per year. The crown of the plant is spherical or slightly flattened, with a diameter of about 0,8 m. The needles are bright green, soft, thick and long – from 8 to 20 mm, with curved edges. The bark of the tree is smooth, of a pleasant ashy color, there are no cracks. Cones are surprisingly beautiful, purple in color, arranged vertically.
The root system of Brilliant balsam fir is compact, which allows it to be grown both in the ground and in tubs and containers. The tree has a pleasant subtle coniferous aroma. Its life expectancy is up to 300 years.
Fir Brilliant in landscape design
The growth and development of balsam fir Brilliant is negatively affected by polluted air, therefore, most often the plant is used for landscaping suburban areas and territories.
A beautiful and original tree is used to decorate landscape compositions. It is placed on lawns, flower beds, used to decorate alpine slides. Fir trees planted along the alley look very stylish in rocky gardens.
Since Brilliant balsam fir is dwarfed in size, it can be placed both in individual and in group plantings.
The plant goes well with other conifers – thuja, cypress, juniper and with deciduous species – birch, chestnut, maple. Perhaps the location on the playgrounds, because the soft needles of the plant are safe for children.
Due to the compactness of the crown and root system, it is permissible to grow in a container and determine in the place where the Brilliant fir looks most advantageous. Judging by the reviews of the owners, their photos and descriptions, Brilliant balsam fir is gaining great popularity and love among gardeners who are happy to use it in the design of their site to create comfort, brightness and style.
Planting and caring for balsam fir Diamond
Fir balsamic diamond is an unpretentious conifer, but it is necessary to follow the rules when planting a plant and caring for it:
- planting in the ground is carried out at the age of 5 seedlings;
- the site should be sunny, protected from the winds;
- a place where there is a possibility of stagnant water is not suitable for fir;
- mandatory use of drainage;
- the optimal time for planting is spring;
- watering should be regular for young seedlings and adult plants;
- proper soil mulching;
- carrying out dressings;
- regular sanitary pruning.
Seedling and planting preparation
When starting to plant a balsam fir Brilliant, it is worth taking care of protecting the young seedling. The plant cannot withstand strong winds, because it has not yet completely taken root. For this purpose, it is worth installing protection in the form of a low fence for a period of at least a year.
Not good for fir and the open sun, the direct sunlight of which can cause burns to the seedling. You can solve the problem by placing the plant in partial shade or creating a light shelter. In order for adaptation and engraftment to be painless, planting dates should be scheduled for the spring. Autumn planting can end badly for the shrub, because it will not have time to take root and die.
The choice of seedlings of balsam fir Brilliant must be taken responsibly:
- do not buy a tree younger than four or five years old,
- the needles should be uniform in density, bright green;
- it’s good when the roots are hidden in a moist clod of container earth;
- when buying, carefully inspect the plant for dry shoots, damage or disease.
Rules of landing
Fertile, drained, moistened lands are suitable for balsam fir Brilliant, it can be near water bodies, with loamy soil that moderately transmits and retains moisture.
In advance, two weeks in advance, it is necessary to prepare the soil and pits for seedlings.
Pits should correspond to the size of the root system, along with a clod of earth. On average, their depth is not less than 80 cm, and their width is about 60 cm.
For planting Brilliant balsam fir, it is better to choose a warm overcast day, you can with a little quiet rain.
Pits should be poured with plenty of water, at least two buckets per hole. To prevent moisture stagnation near the root system, it is necessary to create drainage. Broken bricks, crushed stone, pebbles are suitable, which are poured into the hole with a layer of about 20 cm.
The soil mixture for the pit is prepared in advance. It consists of:
- humus;
- sand;
- clay.
10 kg of sawdust and 200 g of nitrophoska should be added to the mixture.
The prepared soil should be poured into the pit up to half. After a couple of weeks, having started planting, place the fir together with an earthen clod on a soil mound, without exposing the root system and without destroying the clod. Fill the remaining voids with soil and tamp so that the neck is flush with the soil surface. Water the seedling thoroughly.
When planting an alley of balsam firs, a distance of 4 m should be observed, in group plantings – 3 m.
There are a few little secrets to keep in mind:
- So that the clod of earth does not crumble from the roots or from the container, wet them with water the day before planting.
- Paper packaging or burlap, in which the lump is wrapped, can be left: after a while they will rot.
- A palm should enter between the walls of the pit and the lump, only in this case the dimensions correspond to the seedling.
Watering and top dressing
Although Brilliant Balsam Fir loves moist soil, it does not tolerate excess moisture well. In the first months after transplantation, seedlings must be watered regularly, preventing drying out. To make young plants easier to endure stress, it is worthwhile to carry out daily spraying of the crown. The best time for the procedure is early morning or late evening. In the daytime, the needles can get burned. In the adult state, balsam Brilliant fir does not need to be watered so often, but overdrying of the soil should not be allowed.
The first top dressing is carried out during planting by adding at least 300 g of nitroammophoska to the bottom of the hole. Further fertilizers are applied annually, in the spring. After top dressing, the fir is watered abundantly. It is worth monitoring the acidity of the soil and, when it decreases, apply a complex mineral fertilizer. It will not only restore the acid balance, but also affect the brightness of the color and the size of the cones and needles.
Mulching and loosening
Having planted Brilliant balsam fir, you should monitor the cleanliness of the near-stem circle, remove weeds in time, preventing their spread and reproduction. Regular loosening of the soil helps not only in the fight against weeds, but also in improving the supply of air to the root system. It is impossible to allow the formation of a crust on the soil, and if it appears, loosen to a depth of no more than 10 – 15 cm, making sure not to damage the fir roots that spread in the upper layers of the soil.
In order to retain moisture, prevent the soil from drying out, and maintain it in a loose state, immediately after planting, mulching is carried out around the plant stem. The protective layer needs to be replenished several times during the season, especially in spring and autumn. Its optimal thickness will be 8 cm or more. Peat, sawdust, crushed bark are used as mulch. It is very important that the mulch does not touch the trunk of the fir and does not cover the root collar.
Trimming
Pruning is not difficult for gardeners. For the first 15 years after planting, balsam fir Diamond should not be subjected to this procedure in order to form a crown, especially since the culture grows slowly. In case of drying, deformation of branches or disease of fir, it is necessary to carry out sanitary removal of such shoots. The best time for pruning is before sap flow begins. The crown of a balsamic diamond is shaped with pruning shears. They must be sharp and disinfected. When pruning, no more than one third of the branches are removed so that the plant does not stop growing and developing.
Preparation for winter
Balsam fir Brilliant is a frost-resistant coniferous plant that can withstand low temperatures, but at a young age, its seedlings need protection. It is especially important to cover the plant in the year it is planted or transplanted.
For protection, spruce branches are used, which is convenient to cover both the root system and the crown. After snowfalls, you can cover with snow until the spring thaw. Gradually, the seedling grows stronger and after a few years no longer needs additional protection.
Before wintering for a shrub, a number of actions must be performed:
- Water the plant generously.
- Mulch the near-trunk circle of fir.
- Leave a “window” in the shelter for the penetration of sunlight and the continuation of photosynthesis.
- In the spring – sprinkle the crown with water and shade from the sun to restore the quality of the needles.
Reproduction
There are two ways to propagate Brilliant Balsam Fir: by seed or by rooting cuttings.
You can collect seeds from a plant that is at least 8 years old: cones appear only at this age. Unripe cones are plucked, dried at home and the seeds are removed. They can be sown in autumn or kept in a cold place until spring, after which, after soaking for 30 minutes. in a 0,5% solution of potassium permanganate and rinsing, put them to swell for 24 hours. The swollen balsam fir seeds are placed in wet sand on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. Sowing seeds is carried out in March. A layer of sawdust is poured onto the sandy soil, seeds are laid out, covered with another layer of sawdust and watered abundantly. From above, you need to make a shelter with a film, while periodically opening it and ventilating the greenhouse. After germination, the film is removed, and the seedlings are regularly fed and moistened. This method is very time consuming and is rarely used at home.
Propagation of balsam fir by cuttings is a simpler procedure, for this you need:
- In April, cut cuttings with an apical bud from annual shoots.
- Remove the needles from the bottom of the cutting.
- Prepare a greenhouse with soil mixture.
- Soak planting material in a solution of a root formation stimulator.
- Plant the cuttings at a 45o angle.
- Cover with foil.
- Water periodically.
- In August, after the rooting of the plant, remove the film.
- A year later, plant a seedling in a permanent place.
Diseases and pests of fir Diamond
It is difficult to detect diseases of Brilliant balsam fir at a glance. In order not to miss the first symptoms, it is necessary to periodically inspect the plant in order to identify yellowed needles, dried shoots. If a pathology of the roots has appeared, this will be signaled by the smell of rotten leaves from the soil. The needles fall off during fungal infections, the development of which should be stopped with copper sulphate.
In pest control and for preventive purposes, insecticides are used, with which Brilliant balsam fir is treated in early spring.
Conclusion
Among the large variety of conifers, balsam fir Brilliant occupies a special place. This dwarf tree of the original species is unpretentious in care and frost-resistant, which is very important in growing conditions in Our Country. Fir will decorate any landscape in compositions with many types of trees, shrubs, flowers.
