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Pug mountain pine is an ornamental plant created specifically for decorating land. An unusual shape, unpretentiousness in care, a pleasant aroma are perfectly combined in a small shrub. There are certain requirements for soil and care, given that everyone can use Pug pine for landscape design.
Description of mountain pine Pug
Externally, the plant resembles a slightly flattened ball. Its distinctive feature is that the tree grows almost equally in width and height. It lends itself well to pruning and shaping. The dwarf shrub of the Pug subspecies grows slowly – in a year the size of the pine increases by only 2 – 4 cm. Its main advantages are:
- resistance to frost, winds;
- does not require a lot of moisture;
- tolerates polluted air;
- has low requirements for soil, conditions, care.
The full Latin name is Pinus mugo Mops. The plant reaches a height of 1,5 meters, including small shoots. The color of the needles is different – from green with blue to deep emerald. Needles are changed every 3-5 years.
The cones of the Pug variety are brown, shaped like an egg, 2 to 7 cm long. The buds are resinous and grow densely. The roots of mountain shrubs form a large branched network closer to the soil surface. Thanks to this, Pug pine keeps well on inclined surfaces, alpine slides.
Planting and caring for mountain pine Pug
Choosing the right landing site is key. The area should be well lit. In the shade, the mountain shrub grows slowly, while the color of the needles is dull, barely green. In such conditions, the likelihood of diseases is high.
The soil for Pug pine should be light, well-permeable to air and moisture. Acidity can be any, although a slightly acidic environment is better tolerated by the plant. If the earth on the site is heavy, dense, it is required to create an additional drainage layer – a mixture of small stones and sand is poured over the soil (layer thickness of at least 20 cm).
Pine Pug tolerates polluted air well, so it is often used for urban landscape design. The shrub easily adapts to temperature extremes, snow, heat, heavy rain and wind. In hot, dry weather, additional watering is necessary. Such unpretentiousness allows you to grow a plant in central Our Country, Moscow, Moscow region.
Seedling and planting preparation
The optimal time for planting young mountain shrubs is the second half of spring and the beginning of autumn. In order for Pug pine seedlings to take root in new soil and temperature conditions, they must be prepared in advance.
You can buy ready-made seedlings in ordinary stores or specialized receivers. The second option is better – in such places, the conditions of keeping and growing, as a rule, are close to ideal. Mountain varieties from nurseries get sick less and grow stronger, hardier.
Before buying, choose one of the possible root systems:
- open – the plant is either placed on a temporary site of the store, or the roots are covered with a film;
- Closed – each shrub is grown in a separate pot.
A plant from a pot better tolerates planting in a new place, takes root and adapts faster. Young trees are chosen – the age of the seedling should be less than five years. Carefully inspect the roots, needles – they should not have rot, damage.
Rules of landing
Pug mountain pine should be planted following a specific pattern. The plant needs the right soil, the procedure is strictly defined:
- dig a hole, the width of which is 10 – 12 cm more than the root ball of the seedling, the depth is from 0,7 to 1 m;
- a drainage mixture is laid at the bottom (gravel, sand, ground brick), layer height – 20 cm;
- then the prepared soil is poured, which includes turf, sand or clay in a ratio of 2: 1, respectively; it is permissible to use ready-made mixtures;
- a Pug pine seedling is placed in a hole, while the root system cannot be destroyed;
- sprinkled with soil mixture, rammed;
- the last stage is watering: there should be more water than usual.
Additionally, fertilizers are added: prepared manure, compost, nitrogen or complex. The distance between shrubs is from 1,5 to 4 meters.
Watering and top dressing
The first month is the most difficult for a seedling. It is watered carefully, along the perimeter of the pit, once every 3-4 days (depending on the weather, the general climate). Water cannot be poured near the tree.
Feeding mountain shrubs is a must. Use one of the compositions recommended by gardeners:
- nitrogen (for example, 40 g of Nitroammophoska); contribute during planting along with the main soil;
- mineral wagon or special (for example, Kemira – 30 – 40 g); add the drug to the circle near the pine trunk during the first two years.
After two years, Pug pine no longer needs complementary foods. For normal development and growth, nutrition from the plant litter is sufficient.
Mulching and loosening
Mature mountain shrubs do not require additional procedures. The soil near only transplanted plants needs to be loosened and mulched.
Mulching – covering the soil around the trunk with various materials to protect the roots, improve soil properties. For mountain pine Pug use peat. A layer of 5-6 cm is poured. Over time, peat mixes with the lower layers and enriches the soil as a whole.
Frequent loosening around Pug pine is not recommended. The earth is loosened around the perimeter of the planting pit when weeds are removed.
Trimming
Mountain pine Pug initially has the correct spherical shape. Pruning is practically not needed. If necessary, remove young branches (shoots), pinch off or cut off no more than a third of the crown volume. The procedure helps to slow down the overall growth of mountain shrubs, and make the crown of the Mops variety more dense and dense. In the spring, dried, dead branches are cut.
Preparation for winter
Mature mountain pine Pug is frost-resistant and responds well to low temperatures, snow, wind. Two years after transplantation, it is not necessary to cover the plant. Young shrubs of the Pug variety are covered with spruce branches. It is especially important to insulate mountain pine transplanted in autumn.
The plant is opened in the spring, after a stable positive temperature has been established. It is recommended to additionally water the Pug mountain pine with warm melt water – this way the shrub will “wake up” faster and start the vegetation processes.
Reproduction
There are three propagation options: grafting, seeds, cuttings. Growing from seed is an easy way to preserve Pug mountain pine’s decorativeness, health, and stamina. Landing is carried out in separate containers or immediately on open ground (in this case, more sprouts will sprout). They are planted in the spring, after stratification.
Cuttings are considered the least suitable and most time-consuming method. Cuttings are taken from young annual plants with a “heel” (part of the bark). Then they are placed in water with a solution to accelerate root growth for 12 hours, after which they are transferred to plain water for three days. Additionally, prepare the soil – mix peat, sand and earth in equal proportions. The lower part during planting is treated with Epin or Zircon. Rooting occurs six months later (for autumn plantings – after a year).
Propagating Pug mountain pine through grafting is an even more time-consuming process. Four-year-old shrubs are used. The grafted plant completely takes over the properties of the mother bush. It is quite difficult to carry out pine grafting on your own, the method is rarely used. The breeding process is described in detail in the video:
Diseases and pests
Pug mountain pine is resistant to most types of diseases or harmful insects. Often the cause is contaminated soil or vectors (birds, small animals). The weather and improper care have a negative impact on development.
In the spring, when the plant is weakened, a schutte fungus may develop, while the needles of the plant become dark brown with black patches. The branches dry up, a white coating appears (more like a small cobweb). The cause of infection may be a lack of moisture, excessive planting density. Due to the fungus, needles fall off, the shrub loses its shape and decorative appeal.
Solutions containing copper will help stop the development of the fungus. Mountain pine is completely processed, after removing all damaged branches (they need to be burned). For prevention, the plant is sprayed with sulfur, horn.
Scleroderma – a common disease of coniferous mountain trees. First, the buds dry up, then the entire branch. The infected part of the mountain pine Pug is removed, no additional processing is required.
rust fungus (seryanka) is manifested by a red bloom on the needles. The affected branches of the bush are cut off, burned.
The main pests of the crop are some butterflies and aphids. For the prevention and elimination of harmful insects, preparations with a chemical or biological composition (for example, Lepidocid) are used. Proper care, timely feeding and observation are the best ways to protect against pests and diseases.
Conclusion
The mountain pine Pug is an unpretentious ornamental plant. Frost resistance and endurance allow it to be planted in different climatic conditions. A pleasant spherical shape of the shrub will fit into any style, suitable for decorating a garden, ponds. Mountain pine is best propagated through seeds. The main thing is time and patience.