Crown of a tree. Formation of tree crown

The top of the evolution of plants is the familiar, but from this no less amazing and incredibly diverse life form - trees. In many religions, the tree is a symbol of life, fertility or knowledge, and in folklore works, it is far from being the last place. Who does not remember the apple tree that saves children from geese-swans, or the epic willow lamenting the dead Russian soldiers? But
Today forget about fairy-tale characters and talk about the features of this unique life form, the formation of crowns, their forms and density.

Crown types

Dendrologists introduced a scale for distinguishing the size of trees. They distinguish the trees that make up the upper tier - up to 20 meters. The value of the second tier is from 10 to 20 meters, the third - 5-10 meters.

Landscape designers in the design of sites necessarily take into account not only the magnitude, but also the shape of the trunk and the views of the crown. The crown of a tree is completely independent of its height, but determines its shape. The same shape can be found in a 30-meter tree-giant and a plant that does not reach a meter in height.

The following forms of tree crowns are conventionally distinguished:

• pyramidal (poplar);

• elongated (juniper);

• Column-shaped (apple-tree columnar);

• umbrella (Italian pine) ;

• globular, oval (Siberian apple, elm, chestnut, larch);

• Weeping (willow weeping, birch);

• longline (pine);

• creeping (cedar stilt, creeping species of apple trees).

Crown density

An important factor in the design of parks and gardens is the density of the crown. The most dense is the one whose gaps amount to 25%. 25-50% of lumens create a mid-dense crown. If they occupy more than half, the crown of the tree is light and openwork. Trees can be either whole-compact or with a separately compact form, where there are gaps between the tiers.

Stretched shape

This shape of the crown is characterized by a spindle-shaped shape. In the center it is more voluminous, rather narrow at the base and stretched upwards. Poplar and Provencal cypress are bright representatives of this form. This is a win-win option for creating small gardens. Forming strict vertical lines, their crown most advantageously shades the unevenness of the relief and increases the sense of height.

The trees of this form excellently enliven and mark the long term. The rows of pyramidal poplars planted on the bottom of the ravines create a unique spectacle: the narrow silhouettes of trees emphasize steep slopes, contrasting with them. In addition, the ordered planting of such trees creates a magnificent windproof curtain.

Column shape

This form is close to elongated, but its representatives do not have a thickening in the middle of the crown, and there is a fairly wide base almost coinciding with the size of the upper part of the tree, which in general gives the impression of a column. Very interesting parks with plantings of trees of a similar shape, giving them a light southern flavor. Staggered trees, columnar shaped trees, create effective protection against wind.

Pyramidal crown

The most interesting tree crown is the pyramidal one. Recently, it is customary to call all trees with a crown in the form of a cone with a pronounced dense volume, creating a clear geometric silhouette. Such crowns can differ dramatically from each other. This difference is determined by the growth of branches: growing branches create a skeletal, elongated, dense volume, horizontal - light monumentality, flowing give the plant a magnificent and romantic appearance.

Longline crown

Such a crown gives the impression that the tree consists of From a number of layers - horizontal layers, practically identical in volume. This original crown is found in Lebanese cedars, some shrubs: cornelian, pygmy conifers. Modern designers use longline crowns in interesting landscapes with clear geometric lines.

Weeping Crown

Flickering to the ground flexible thin branches, gentle well-groomed appearance. The weeping crown, admittedly, is the most touching and romantic. This tree crown, photo
Which is presented in the article, for all its entertainment requires constant care and quality care. Such plants are especially effective near water or on a delineated level difference. For example, on the irregularities of hills and valleys.

Ball-shaped, oval crown

Ball-shaped or oval crowns can be round, oblate, cylindrical, widening, etc. The most vivid representatives of this form are beeches, oaks, elms.

Crown

This form is often used in the design of modern gardens. The migrating species, as a rule, are of Far Eastern origin. They are exotic and picturesque:
The plant spreads on the ground, as in natural conditions on the seashore or in high-mountainous areas.

Umbrella crown

The most exotic tree crown is undoubtedly umbrella. The perfectly smooth trunk ends with a magnificent umbrella. All trees of this type, from the classical umbrella pine to the exquisite magnolia - the virgin umbrella, have a monumental appearance. The crown of this form can be obtained artificially, with special devices preventing the branches of some weeping species from falling down, for example, sophores. The shape of the umbrellas can be very diverse: domed, more or less pointed. It can have a rather blurry outline.

Formation of tree crowns

Virtually all types of crowns of trees growing in urban parks or garden areas require proper formation. This is achieved by pruning. Of the several existing systems of crown formation, the most universal way is sparse-tiered. The method of such pruning is applicable to all fruit trees and park cultures.

The essence of this method is to timely trim the tree, leaving 10-12 lateral branches on the trunk, tearing off from the trunk at different levels with an interval of 15-20 cm. One-two-year-old seedlings from the nursery are already sold with the first tier formed from Several side branches. Further, the formation of the crown is carried out as the plant grows. Considering that the growth in the first year of the tree is small, the pruning of the tree crowns is made only in the spring for the third year. The trunk should be cut about
Meter height from the beginning of the first tier, not forgetting to leave on it about 10 kidneys, from which in the summer there will be new lateral branches and escape of continuation.

In the spring of the fourth year of the sprouting new branches leave some of the strongest, located along the circumference, removing the rest. This will be the second tier of the crown. Over the next two years also form the third tier of 1-2 branches. At a height of 4-4.5 m, the growth of the tree is stopped, truncating the trunk above the base of the strong upper branch. Formation of the crown of trees at this stage is considered complete. Correct pruning allows you to get a magnificent tree, a photo and a kind of which delivers a truly aesthetic pleasure.