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Serbian spruces with a weeping crown are very popular and expensive. The high price is due to the fact that they are not propagated by cuttings or seeds – only by grafting. In addition, domestic nurseries are only mastering the operation and cannot saturate the market. Spruce Serbian Pendula was first described by the German botanist Fritz Kurt Alexander von Schwerin in 1920. Only the fact that it originated in Europe is known for certain about the origin of the variety.
Description of the Serbian spruce Pendula
The status of the Serbian spruce Pendula (Picea omorika Pendula) as a separate variety is questioned by experts. This is stated in Humphrey Welch and Gordon Haddow’s 1993 World Conifer Checklist and other sources. Scientists believe that Serbian spruce Pendula is the collective name of plants belonging to the species with a weeping crown shape. They have significant (from the point of view of botanists) differences, and should be assigned to different varieties.
Spruce weeping Pendula, like all weeping forms, does not have a trunk. He is “brought up” from an arbitrarily chosen strong shoot, constantly tied to a support, and is called a leader or guide. Therefore, it is necessary to speak with caution about the height of dangling forms. What do manufacturers and gardeners mean: the length of the conductor or how much does the Serbian Pendula spruce rise above the soil surface? It would be good to consider this issue in detail.
If you choose a good conductor, and constantly tie it to a strong support, the Pendula Serbian spruce will form a narrow-conical tree with flexible branches hanging along the “trunk”. They grow so densely, forming an impenetrable canopy, that it is impossible to see the bark of the leader.
As can be seen in the numerous photos of the Serbian Pendula spruce, an adult tree resembles a column rather than a cone, even if it is narrow. If grown with constant tying of the leader. With this formation, Pendula reaches 10 m in height with a width of 3 m by the age of 1. Annually, the size increases by 10-15 cm. Serbian spruce grows more slowly in width, adding 5-10 cm. But the side branches are tightly pressed to the leader, and a visual effect that the volume builds up worse.
After 10 years, Pendula begins to grow faster, and by the age of 30, the length of the central conductor reaches 10 m. Of course, if the branch is tied up firmly, it was not broken and no pruning was done. After 30 years, Serbian spruce continues to grow, but slowly. The largest size of a tree tied to a support, known and included in the special literature, is 15 m.
When forming the Serbian Pendula spruce as a column, the width of the crown reaches a maximum of 3 m (after 30 years). Usually it does not exceed 2 m in an adult tree.
Usually weeping forms without support lie on the ground, and continue life, becoming like a groundcover. Not so Serbian Pendula spruce. If you do not intentionally bend it to the ground, the center conductor will pull up. True, he chooses a “winding path” for this. The trunk bizarrely bends, because of which it is impossible to find two identical Pendul not tied to the support.
To close the question of the nature of tree growth, a few words should be said about the support. If gardeners want to grow a tall straight Serbian Pendula spruce, it is not necessary to look for a long, thick stick somewhere. It is enough to have 2-3 straight strong rods on the farm.
Over time, the leader becomes woody, and from a flexible thin shoot it turns into a powerful thick branch. Then the support can be untied – the Serbian spruce will not bend anywhere. And adjust to the top. Thus, when growing Pendula, 2-3 rods are used at the same time.
The needles of the Serbian spruce Pendula are greenish-blue, flat, 8-18 mm long. The bark is reddish-gray, superficial, but powerful root system. Bumps rarely appear.
For different forms of Pendula, the recommended growing zones without shelter vary – from 4 to 2. So it is better to clarify this issue when buying spruce. Resistance to urban conditions is high.
Spruce Serbian Pendula Bruns
This form of Pendula spruce is more common in landscape design than others and is better described. The variety was selected in 1955 by the Bruns nursery, located in the municipality of Bad Zwischenahn, Germany.
Serbian spruce Pendula Bruns is a coniferous tree, reaching 10-1,5 m by the age of 3 with a vertical tie. The seasonal growth of the leader is 15-30 cm, side shoots increase by 15-20 cm. A tightly tied tree looks like a column or very narrow pyramid with lowered branches pressed against the trunk. By the age of 30, it can reach 10 m.
If you do not tie up the omorika Pendula Bruns spruce, it first stretches up, then the conductor begins to bend. So there are no two identical specimens grown without support. The lower branches lie on the ground without pruning, and form a kind of skirt.
Spruce Pendula Bruns differs from the original form by intensive growth, more lush dense needles, dark green above, bluish below, which creates an interesting visual effect. The length of the needles is up to 2 cm. The young needles are light green. Hardiness zone 2-7 (according to Jan van der Neer).
Spruce Pendula Cook
Serbian Spruce Pendula Cook is very similar to the Bruns variety, but grows slower and lower. The increase in the leader per season is 5-10 cm, the maximum length of the central conductor after 30 years is up to 10 m, but often does not exceed 5 m. It is the last figure that should be guided in Our Country.
The central conductor from the very beginning does not want to grow vertically. If you do not tie it up, then the tree will begin to bend just above the grafting site. Over several seasons, the Pendula Cook variety forms a remarkably gnarled tree with drooping branches. His crown is often called “dancing”.
The color and size of the needles is the same as that of the Bruns variety: young – light green, mature – green with a blue tint. But the branches of the Serbian spruce Pendula Kuk are thinner and weaker, but not so much that without a garter the tree lay on the ground and became like a groundcover. Frost resistance for Our Country is low – zone 5, that is, the area where temperatures below -28 ° C have not been recorded in the entire history of observations.
Spruce Pendula in landscape design
Serbian Spruce Pendula with a twisted crown is used in romantic and landscape gardens. It looks great in a single landing against the backdrop of a lawn or flower bed. Serbian Pendula is planted in the foreground of large and small tree landscape groups.
Spruces, tightly tied to a support, can make up an alley. Planted in a landscape group, a tree as straight as an arrow will serve as a magnificent vertical accent.
Serbian Pendula will appeal to all lovers of the exotic. It is simply indispensable when planning exotic gardens, it will help out where you need to divert attention from something.
By manipulating the garter and supports, you can create a fantastic plant from Pendula spruce. It will grow tall and slender, leaning to one side or twisting in different directions. In addition, no one forces you to tie the support strictly vertically: you can use several at once, and direct not only the leader, but also the side branches.
Planting and caring for the Serbian Pendula spruce
For all its exotic appearance, the Pendula Serbian Spruce is an easy plant to care for, at least compared to other members of the Picea genus. It tolerates urban conditions well, is not too demanding on soils, has excellent health and is rarely damaged by pests.
Seedling and planting preparation
Serbian Pendula spruce is planted in a sunny place, but can be placed in partial shade. She prefers acidic or slightly acidic loose loams, but she will put up with neutral soil, however, she will not feel the best way.
When preparing the planting mix, high-moor peat is almost always added to the substrate – it not only normalizes the pH level, but also improves the soil structure. Stones, if they are in the soil, do not need to be removed – Serbian spruces grow in the mountains and will favorably react to their presence in the earth mixture.
Pendula will grow quite large, and although her central conductor is strong, but only in comparison with other weeping spruces, the root system is superficial. Therefore, the landing site must be protected from strong winds, otherwise it will simply uproot the tree.
When choosing seedlings of Serbian spruce Pendula, imported ones should be taken in plastic containers. Domestic can be bought with a sheathed earthen clod.
The grafting site of the Serbian Spruce Pendula should be well spliced, intact, the needles should be fresh and elastic. Otherwise, the tree may not take root or quickly die. Needles must be in good condition for at least three years. If they began to crumble, partially dried up, you do not need to take Serbian spruce. Even the reddish tips of the needles should make you refuse to buy.
Sometimes, instead of the expensive Pendula, they try to sell another spruce. Small trees do not always look like adults, and unscrupulous traders take advantage of this. It is impossible to insure yourself for all occasions, but when buying, you need to pay attention to such points:
- Serbian spruce Pendula, even the smallest, four-year-old, is always sold with a support. This is done because the leader is formed, albeit from a strong, but still branch. It can easily break during transportation, caring for a tree in a nursery, when buyers are viewing the goods. Producers will not take risks, and always grow Pendula firs tied to a support.
- An ungrafted tree cannot be a weeping spruce. Even if the branches are lowered and the trunk is bent. You can give a drooping shape to any tree, using stretch marks and bending the shoots to the ground. On small spruces, the operation is not so laborious. And weeping forms are expensive. The owners will plant a tree on the site, in the absence of struts, it will straighten the branches, and a spruce of the usual shape will grow, only a curve.
- There are no rooted Pendules. If you root cuttings of Serbian drooping spruce, trees will grow that only tend to form a weeping crown. That is, in an ordinary tree, the branches will be located at a different angle, or several branches will look down. Such spruce will have nothing to do with varietal.
Rules of landing
Pendula container spruces can be planted at any time, but this should not be done in the summer. Unless the weather is cool, cloudy, and should not change in the next 2 weeks. If we talk about the best time for planting, then in the south it is autumn, in cold regions – spring.
In the pit for Serbian spruce Pendula, the substrate is completely changed only on dense alkaline soils. To do this, prepare a mixture of soddy land, acid peat, sand, clay and leaf humus.
On others, the soil is simply improved if necessary:
- with an alkaline or neutral soil reaction, riding (acidic) peat is added;
- excessively light sandstones are made denser with clay;
- the structure of poorly permeable soil is improved with leaf humus and soddy soil;
- on the blocking ones, a drainage layer is made, 1,5-2 times more than the recommended one, or an embankment is built.
The planting hole for the Pendula Serbian spruce is dug 2 weeks or earlier so that the soil has time to subside and the Serbian spruce root neck does not fail. The size of the recess should be about 1,5-2 times the size of the root with a clod of earth. Therefore, it is better to immediately make it voluminous. The depth is needed so that drainage (15-20 cm), soil (layer up to 10 cm) and spruce root fit in it.
After the planting pit is dug, drainage is laid, 2/3 of the remaining volume is covered with a substrate prepared and mixed with nitroammophos (up to 150 g). Fill with water.
There is nothing special about planting the Serbian Pendula spruce – any gardener can handle it. To avoid mistakes, you need to follow a few rules:
- prepare a hole in advance so that the soil subsides;
- plant the Serbian Pendula along with the support;
- do not remove sacking from a sheathed earthen coma;
- monitor the position of the root collar – it should coincide with the ground level or be slightly higher (2-3 cm);
- compact the soil poured during planting to prevent voids from forming;
- water Pendula abundantly, spending at least 10 liters per small tree, or a bucket of water for every 1 m of the length of the central conductor for large-sized;
- mulch the ground under the Serbian spruce.
Watering and top dressing
After planting, it is necessary to water the Serbian Pendula spruce frequently, not allowing the earthy coma to dry out, but avoiding waterlogging and stagnant water. In the future, moisture should become rare, but plentiful and regular. With each watering, the tree consumes the same amount of water as when planting. In the hot summer, soil moistening is carried out every week.
Crown sprinkling in hot weather is mandatory, daily is better. This prevents the needles from drying out, washes away dust and prevents the appearance of many pests, primarily the spider mite. In warm weather, it is advisable to spray the crown several times a week.
It is necessary to feed the young Pendula 2 times per season, as well as large-sized ones in the first 2 years after planting. Mature trees (after 10 years) – desirable. Fertilizers are used specialized for coniferous crops. They are produced separately for spring and autumn.
Foliar top dressing allows the Serbian Pendula spruce to get the necessary trace elements, since they are poorly absorbed through the root. They are made no more than 2 times a month, adding epin or zircon to the balloon. Magnesium sulfate is useful for needles, especially in urban areas. It is applied in addition to water-soluble fertilizers containing a complete set of trace elements, or a chelate complex.
Mulching and loosening
Serbian Spruce Pendula does not tolerate trampling the soil in the root area. The first years it is regularly loosened, especially after watering or rain, later replaced by mulching. For weeping spruces, covering the soil with acidic peat or pine bark is of great importance:
- creates a suitable microclimate;
- does not allow weeds to germinate;
- retains moisture;
- improves the absorption of nutrients;
- protects the root from overheating.
Trimming
Serbian spruce Pendula does not need pruning, but it tolerates a haircut well. For sanitary purposes, all dry and broken branches are removed. Formative pruning is usually limited to removing or shortening the lower shoots that fall to the ground. But often they are left as is, placing pine bark under the branches to avoid contact with the ground.
Preparation for winter
In the first two years after planting, the Serbian Pendula must be covered by wrapping the tree in white spandbond and securing it with twine. At the same time, the soil is covered with a thick layer of high-moor peat. In the spring it is not removed, but buried in the soil.
Then spruce can winter without shelter in zone 4 and above. They protect only the place of vaccination, if for some reason it is not covered with a canopy of branches.
Reproduction
Serbian Pendula spruce, like all drooping forms, is propagated only by grafting. Even specialists from domestic nurseries still rarely carry out this operation, and most of the planting material comes from abroad. Fans of grafting conifers can not do it.
Diseases and pests
All Serbian firs, including Pendula, are very healthy. If you plant a tree correctly, take care of it regularly, diseases and pests rarely appear.
Serbian Pendula can be affected by insects that are destroyed by insecticides:
- spruce sawmill;
- aphids;
- mealybug;
- Butterfly Nun (caterpillars);
- spider mite;
- spruce leaflet;
- Hermes.
Diseases are treated with fungicides, it should be highlighted:
- shutte;
- wound cancer;
- rust;
- fusariosis;
- necrosis;
- rot.
To minimize the harm caused to the Serbian Pendula by pests and diseases, spruces are regularly inspected, paying great attention to the grafting site.
Reviews of the Serbian spruce Pendula
Conclusion
Spruce Serbian Pendula is a beautiful tree with an exotic crown shape, healthy, well adapted to urban conditions. The variety does not require careful care, and will be easy to grow even for beginner gardeners.