Contents
As an integral part of the name of conifers and deciduous plants, Pendula is quite common, which confuses novice gardeners. Meanwhile, the word means only that the crown of the tree is weeping, hanging. Prickly spruce Glauka Pendula is one of the most beautiful coniferous crops, obtained as a result of somatic mutation, and propagated exclusively by grafting.
Description of the prickly spruce Glauka Pendula
The mutation that led to the creation of the thorny spruce variety Glauka Pendula was discovered in the Versailles Gardens by A. Carrière. The plant was introduced into cultivation by Ari Koster, the owner of the Boskop nursery (South Holland) in 1895.
Glauka Pendula is one of the most beautiful varieties of prickly spruce, considered to be of medium height. It is propagated only by grafting, so most of the trees come to Our Country from Poland, Holland, Germany and other foreign nurseries. Domestic manufacturers have just started to carry out the operation, and they cannot saturate the market. Because of this, planting material is expensive.
The presence of the word Pendula in the name of the spruce variety in itself means that its crown should be hanging, weeping. But it is not always the case. The fact is that the shape of the tree in this particular case depends on the owners, or rather, their desire or ability to give the plant the desired shape.
The trunk of the prickly spruce Glauka Pendula does not exist as such. Its role is played by an arbitrarily chosen powerful branch tied to a support. The owner himself is able to adjust the height of Glauka Pendula. To do this, he stops tying up the prickly spruce, and then the top hangs, or builds up support, and the tree continues to stretch upward.
As a result, plants can be obtained that differ greatly in height, shape and crown outlines. Therefore, the photos and descriptions of the Glauka Pendula spruce are so different.
The growth of an adult tree depends on the height of the graft and garter. Usually Glauka Pendula for small gardens is formed at 3-5 meters, in large areas they are allowed to stretch up to 8-10 m. But if this spruce is not tied up at all on a low graft, it will become like a ground cover plant. Only prickly.
Based on this, it is difficult to talk about the width of the Glauka Pendula spruce. If grown as a ground cover plant, it is able to cover a large area, especially since the shoots can take root in contact with the ground for a long time. But if at Glauka Pendula the conductor is constantly raised, and the side branches are not touched at all, the width of the prickly spruce can reach 1,5 m. This is a very arbitrary value. Usually, the owners give the crown a fancy shape with garters, trimmings and other methods.
Glauka Pendula grows quickly, under good conditions, adding 30 cm during the growing season. Its branches are stiff, but quite strong, capable of withstanding large masses of snow. The needles are dense, prickly, blue, slightly curved sickle, 15-20 mm long, do not change color throughout the season.
Shoots of Glauka Pendula fall in a dense dense cascade, completely covering the trunk. The lower branches hang at an angle, if the branches are not cut, they lie on the ground. The higher the shoots are, the more freely they are located. Some grow almost parallel to the ground for some time. Because of this, the tree takes on an original shape, and we can safely say that there are no two identical prickly firs with a weeping crown.
Varieties
Spruce Pungens Glauka Pendula was obtained as a result of an unstable mutation; during its cultivation, deviations in the color of the needles and the nature of the growth of drooping branches constantly occur. Many of them are propagated and separated into separate varieties.
In Our Country, all weeping forms of prickly spruce are called simply Pendula, but in fact they are registered under various names. By and large, these are variations of the same variety, it can be difficult for amateurs to understand them, but there are still differences.
Experts are still arguing which name of the original form is correct: Prickly Spruce Glauca Pendula (Glauca Pendula) or Kosteri Pendula (Kosteri Pendula). As a result, we decided that it is easier to consider them synonyms.
Prickly spruce Pendula
Prickly spruce Pendula differs from the original variety only in the color of the needles. Her needles are not white and blue, like those of Glauka, but green. The crown is drooping, the lower branches are lowered at an angle and lie on the ground, the upper ones first grow in a horizontal plane, then fall down. The height depends on the place of grafting and the conductor’s garter to the support. The branches are stiff, the needles are prickly. Only with a permanent attachment to the support, its width is slightly larger than that of Glauka Pendula – not 1,5, but 2 m.
El Argentea Pendula
The very word Argentea shows that the needles of this spiny spruce are silver, not green or blue. With the constant garter of the leader, from afar, she looks more like the Serbian Pendula. Closer examination shows that this is still a prickly spruce with hard, sharp needles.
If the conductor is directed only upwards, the crown becomes narrowly conical, with drooping branches. Growth – 15-30 cm per season. The thorny Argentea Pendula variety has excellent frost resistance, it can be grown without shelter in zone 2.
Prickly Spruce Glauka Pendula Slendrina
Spruce Pendula Celenderina Glauka differs from the original variety in its more compact size and somewhat slower growth. In the spring, its needles are silver-blue, in the summer the color of the needles returns to the white-blue color familiar to the mother form.
The central leader Glauka Pendula Slendrina grows straight, the lower branches form a semblance of a skirt around the trunk.
Prickly spruce Pendula Wojsławice
The main difference between this Polish variety of prickly spruce and the original Pendula Glauka is an irregularly shaped crown and silvery needles. Even with the constant garter of the leader, its shoots tend not to fall in tiers, but stick out in different directions, hanging with age. In addition, the Wojsławice Pendula thorny spruce will overwinter without shelter only in zone 4.
Prickly spruce Ze Blues Pendula
A new highly decorative variety of weeping prickly spruce is not yet sufficiently propagated and is rare. It forms a low tree, with a constant garter of the leader, reaching 10 m by the age of 1, at 25-30 years, presumably, it will stretch up to 3 m.
The needles of this prickly spruce in the sun are unusually bright, silver-blue, fade in partial shade. The needles are noticeably larger than those of Glauka Pendula, but just as sharp and hard.
Spruce Pendula in landscape design
The distribution of the Glauka Pendula variety of prickly spruce is hindered only by its high cost, caused by the difficulty of reproduction. This beautiful tree with a drooping crown, stiff branches that can withstand a lot of snow, blue needles, does not change color throughout the season and inspires the creation of beautiful compositions.
Glauka Pendula looks great as a tapeworm (single focal plant). Weeping spiny spruce is planted in the foreground of woody landscape groups. Pendula can decorate the front entrance to the house or recreation area. It will serve as an exotic accent among other conifers, emphasize the charm of roses and other lush or modest flowers.
Thanks to the original crown, with the help of a garter and pruning from prickly spruce Glauka Pendula, you can create:
- an unusual tall tree with a sharp, upward-pointing top, and branches pressed against the trunk, falling in narrow tiers;
- a wide groundcover covering a large area with shoots lying on the ground, covered with hard, prickly needles of green, silver or blue color;
- a weeping low tree with a top that is strongly inclined in the direction the designers need, and a cascade of falling long branches.
Using a bit of imagination, you can form a weeping prickly spruce as you wish, creating new, unusual and unusual compositions. Pendula is well suited for landscape, romantic or mixed style gardens. It is difficult to fit it into a regular style, but competent landscape designers can do it too.
Planting and caring for Pendula spruce
Pendula thorny spruce is easy to care for but must be thorough due to grafting. If a disease occurs at the junction of the tissues of two different trees, pests “work”, a frost hole occurs or any mechanical damage occurs, measures will need to be taken immediately. Otherwise, Pendula Glauka may die. The general condition of the tree depends on the correct mode of watering, fertilizing and other care-giving measures.
When planting, the Pendula prickly spruce makes the same demands as other coniferous crops.
Seedling and planting preparation
All Pendula thorny firs grow well in full sun. Nothing threatens their health in partial shade, but the blue or silver needles will become faded. There you can plant a variety with green needles – the usual Pendula. For the Ze Blues form, the lack of light is unacceptable, since the main beauty of the tree is in its unusually bright needles.
Prickly spruces are distinguished by a root system that extends to a greater depth than other species. Because of this, they are less prone to torn and can grow on sandy, dry soils. But this also makes it impossible to plant thorny firs in hollows, on soils that are blocked, and where groundwater comes close to the surface.
Glauka Pendula soil likes acid, but will grow on slightly acid. Soils with a neutral and alkaline reaction need a radical improvement. The prickly spruce does not like heavy and dense earth.
A pit for prickly spruce should be prepared no later than 2 weeks before planting. Its width is made 1,5-2 times larger than the estimated diameter of the earthen coma or container, and the depth is such that drainage of 20-30 cm and a layer of substrate fit.
The soil mixture is made from leaf humus, acid peat, soddy soil, 100-150 g of nitroammophoska and sand. Drainage is laid, 2/3 of the hole is filled with substrate, filled with water and allowed to settle.
When buying a thorny Pendula spruce, attention is first of all paid to the place of vaccination. It should be well healed, without visible damage and signs of illness. If possible, you need to buy seedlings from local nurseries. But you should not especially hope to find them – most of the grafted firs come from abroad.
Imported seedlings must be in a container, the root system of local ones, together with an earthen clod, can be sheathed with burlap. It is not worth even considering the possibility of buying a prickly spruce Glauka Pendula with a bare root.
The substrate in the pot or burlap should be damp. Signs of drying needles, even the tips of the needles that have changed color, are a bad sign. You can’t buy this tree.
Rules of landing
Spruce prickly Glauka Pendula, grown in a container, is planted all season, except for the hot summer months. Burlap-lined trees are placed on the site in spring or autumn. In the southern regions, this is best done at the end of the season so that the heat does not interfere with the rooting of spruce, in the north – in the spring. Then the tree will settle down and take root on the site before the onset of frost.
There is nothing difficult in planting the prickly variety Pendula Glauka. It is carried out in the following sequence:
- Part of the substrate from the landing pit is removed and set aside.
- Spruce Glauka Pendula is installed in the center of the recess. The transition point from the root to the trunk (root neck) should be flush with or slightly above the edge of the pit.
- The prepared substrate is gradually covered with an earthen clod of spruce, ramming, to avoid the formation of voids.
- From the remaining soil in a circle of the landing pit, a side about 10 cm high is formed.
- Plentifully water the seedling with water so that it reaches the edge of the fence.
- When the liquid is completely absorbed, if necessary, add soil, pine bark or sour peat mulch the trunk circle.
Watering and top dressing
After planting prickly spruce, it should be watered frequently, not allowing the soil to dry out completely, even for a short time. But it is also impossible to overmoisten the soil, so as not to cause root rot.
When Glauka Pendula takes root, watering is reduced – among other spruces, prickly is distinguished by its resistance to a short drought. Of course, the plant should not be left without water – it will weaken, lose turgor and become easy prey for pests. In the hot summer, Glauka Pendula is watered every week, spending at least 10 liters on a small prickly spruce, for an adult tree you will need a bucket of water for every meter of growth.
Sprinkling will benefit the plant. It is not as important as for dwarf Canadian firs, but it should be done at least once a week in the summer.
Varietal plants should be fed with special fertilizers for coniferous crops. There, all the necessary substances are balanced by the manufacturer in doses required by prickly spruce:
- nitrogen predominates in those intended for spring;
- autumn contain large doses of potassium and phosphorus.
Foliar top dressing enables the plant to receive the necessary trace elements. It is useful to add alternately epin or zircon to the balloon – these preparations cost a penny, and their benefits can hardly be overestimated.
A balanced complete foliar top dressing contains all the microelements necessary for the plant. It is often advised to add an additional dose of magnesium to the conifer treatment balloon. For firs with blue or silver needles, this should be discarded. Magnesium enhances the green color of the vegetative organs, which is clearly unnecessary for Glauka Pendula.
Mulching and loosening
You need to loosen the soil under the newly planted spruces. After they take root, thin sucking roots come close to the surface. They should not be damaged by regular loosening.
Instead, the trunk circle is mulched with pine bark or high-moor peat – this acidifies the soil, protects the root from overheating, conserves moisture and prevents weeds from breaking through.
Trimming
The beautiful crown of weeping prickly firs does not need pruning. It is only necessary to remove broken or dried branches during sanitary measures. But the culture tolerates a haircut well, so if the design of the site requires a change in the shape of Glauka Pendula, you can cut it as you like.
It is only necessary to carry out a haircut in early spring before the opening of the kidneys, or, depending on the region, in late summer or early autumn. Before the onset of cold weather, the wound surface should heal. From the end of May to the beginning of June, spruce pinching is carried out, removing soft young shoots in whole or in part.
How to bring out the conductor
Spruce Pendula in the photo is always distinguished by a beautiful drooping crown shape. In practice, gardeners often complain that their tree does not grow as they would like. The fact is that Pendula Glauka cannot always form an attractive crown without outside help.
Trees of this variety do not have a trunk, its functions are taken over by a strong branch tied to a support. She is called a leader or guide. The height of the Glauka Pendula is adjusted by tying the conductor higher and higher. When the tree reaches the desired size, stop building up the support. The top of the leader continues to grow, hanging lower and lower. Such an operation is called “removal of the leader.” Or a conductor, whichever name is more to your liking.
In this case, the top can be directed in the desired direction, as well as the side branches. In order for them to bend in the right direction, young shoots are simply tied at first to pegs driven into the ground. During the season, they will become woody, and they themselves will grow “where necessary.”
Using a garter, horizontal and vertical supports of different sizes from the prickly spruce Glauka Pendula, in general, you can form a plant of a fantastic shape. For a while it will look strange, surrounded by pieces of wood and ropes, but the result is worth a little patience.
If you don’t tie a weeping spruce grafted onto a low trunk at all, it will scatter branches over the ground and become like a groundcover or a low bush of a bizarre shape.
Preparation for winter
Prickly spruces have high frost resistance. Pendula forms can winter without shelter in zones 2-3, only the Polish variety Wojslawice is more thermophilic and is intended for zone 4.
Prickly spruces need to be protected from low temperatures only in the year of planting. In the North and in other regions with a cold climate, it is better to play it safe and wrap the tree with non-woven material for the second winter.
Another thing is the place of vaccination. If it is done with high quality and healed well, then problems should not arise. But still, it is better to wrap a graft that is not covered with thick branches with a strip of non-woven fabric in 1-2 layers when the temperature drops below -20 ° C. But here it is important not to overdo it with warming, because damping is much more dangerous than low temperatures.
To protect the roots of spruce from frost in a snowless winter, in the fall, the near-trunk circle is mulched with acidic peat. It is not removed in the spring, but buried shallowly in the ground.
To increase resistance to frost, in the fall, water is charged and the tree is fertilized with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers.
Reproduction
Weeping spruce forms reproduce exclusively by grafting. From seeds or rooted cuttings, trees with a regular crown shape will grow.
Only experienced specialists can vaccinate conifers. Amateurs can try to carry out the operation, but they can get something worthwhile only by accident.
Diseases and pests
Glauka Pendula is attacked by the same pests as other thorny spruces:
- aphids;
- spider mites;
- false shields;
- spruce sawmills;
- topographer bark beetles;
- mealybugs;
- hermes.
Insecticides are used to kill pests.
Glauka Pendula can be affected by diseases:
- ulcerative cancer;
- shutte;
- rots of roots and trunk;
- necrosis
In spring and autumn, preventive treatments with fungicides are carried out. They are also used at the first signs of illness.
Reviews of spruce Glauka Pendula
Conclusion
Prickly spruce Glauka Pendula is one of the most beautiful coniferous plants. With it, you can create a romantic atmosphere on any site. And by skillfully adjusting the height and direction of growth, even an inexperienced gardener is able to form a tree with a crown of a unique shape.