How to grow a spruce from a seed: a step-by-step guide for gardeners

Spruce is a coniferous plant that serves as a classic decoration of the territory. Blue spruce is one of the endangered species, therefore it is listed in the Red Book. This factor affects the cost of seedlings of needles. But why spend money on buying young trees if you can grow them yourself? How to grow a spruce from the seeds, try to understand together, because in addition to saving money, the gardener gets a healthy, adapted to the environment plant.

Owners of country estates massively buy cuttings of blue spruce for further cultivation even despite the high cost. All because not everyone has the concept of how to grow spruce from seeds, but you will know for sure.

Features of blue needles

The main difference between conifers of this species is the color of needles. When growing spruce at home from seeds, it is possible to obtain a tree with 30% of thorns stained in noble blue, the rest acquire a classic green tint. Because many are interested in the question: "How to grow spruce from seeds at home and get a quality seedling?".

How to get a quality seedling at home growing?

There are three ways of reproduction of spruce:

• Vaccination;
• Method of propagation;
• Growing from seeds.

Method of propagation: features

This is the easiest way to grow a new conifer. The planting material is rooted in the greenhouse, since the open ground has a negative effect on the still fragile coniferous plants. So, the planting of spruce begins with the selection of cuttings. Winter cuttings are best suited, which give a result up to 4 times faster. The most favorable period for rooting is the moment of bud swelling. The main thing in the reproduction of spruce - do not forget about maintaining the temperature regime and the necessary moisture level.

Blue spruce, grown in this way, after 5 years, reaches 1 meter in height. At this point, the tree can be transplanted to a permanent place of growth.

Growing of needles from seeds

How to grow spruce from seeds? This process is characterized by painstakingness and duration, and the result depends on the selection of the material and the quality of it.

Fence of seeds

For the cultivation of any plant with their own hands, a selective planting material is required, which is best not to buy, but to obtain independently. For growing spruce seedlings , seeds obtained from the fruits of coniferous plants - cones are used. The cones are collected in mid-February. This is the ideal time to collect full-value fir seeds. Cones are placed in a tissue bag and placed next to a heating device or fireplace, which facilitates rapid opening and free access to grains. After a few weeks, you can get the seeds without damaging them. After the cones are opened, the seeds of the spruce in the bag are rubbed together to cleanse the lionfish. Washing under running water will allow to get rid of the fatty film formed due to the release of essential oils. At the final stage of preparation, the planting material is dried well.

To ensure complete protection of seeds from bacteria, they are washed with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, and then wipe with a cloth shred. Prepared seeds are put in a glass jar, which, tightly closed, placed in the refrigerator. The conditions in the freezer are as much as possible natural (in the cold season), where the seeds are kept until the middle of March.

How to grow spruce from seeds? It is very important to get a good planting material, which, however, can be bought on the market if necessary. The main thing is to know a good manufacturer.

Preparing the soil

That the blue spruce from seeds in house conditions has grown healthy, before sowing of copies it is recommended to prepare a site.

Important! Do not sow the seeds of blue spruce in the places where you grow vegetable crops - on the beds they do not get accustomed and quickly perish.

The optimal environment for growing - the ground from under the lawn grass, mixed with soil, taken from under the coniferous tree. Cultivation in greenhouses implies two methods of planting:

• Straight into the ground;
• In an additional capacity.

When planting seeds in pots, do not forget to prepare a peat mixture, with the addition of limestone flour and ammophoska in a proportion of 6: 0.035: 0.020 kg. The mixture is scattered in the containers into which the spruce is planted. The pots are buried in the depth of the earthen embankment in the greenhouse.

Important! When choosing the first way of planting, an additional upper layer is poured over the soil layer - from sawdust and peat.

Planting seeds

First, determine the most favorable date for planting spruce. Seedling will feel comfortable in nature if the ambient temperature is in the region of +19 ^о С (+ -1-2 ^о С).

Important! After changing the temperature regime (i.e., after the refrigerator), they can be stored only for 50 hours.

Before landing, the planting material is treated with a foundation solution: 20 g per 10 liters of water.

Planting of spruce is carried out in well-moistened soil. If spruce will be grown in greenhouse conditions, the containers are deepened into the ground by 1.5 cm, and the film is stretched from above. If on the open ground - first ground in the hole, then put the seeds, covering them with a peat mixture and a thin layer of sawdust (about 1 cm).

Important! The distance between individual seeds should be at least 3.5-6 cm.

Germination of seeds

The first shoots can be observed after 10-14 days. If the spruce seedlings are placed close to each other, there is a need to thin them. Of the whole series of plants, only the strongest specimens are left, keeping the distance between them to 7.5 cm.

When unfrozen seedlings go to the active phase of growth, it is necessary to maintain optimum conditions for growing needles, which are as follows:

• Cancel watering and put into practice light spraying of shoots with water - 2 times a day;
• Maintain the temperature regime: the minimum temperature is +13 ^о С, the maximum temperature is +15 ^о С.

Important! Remember that night frosts and direct sunlight in the day have a detrimental effect on the fragile young needles.

A month later the young blue spruce seedling reaches a height of 3-4 cm. Specialists note that indirect scattered sunlight influences well the growth rates of specimens. Since small needles are unstable to diseases that affect plants, namely to root rot, there is a need for special protection: first, a fungicide will be required, then treatment with an insecticide solution.

Plant transplantation

How to grow seedlings from spruce seeds, you already know, but it is impossible to do it qualitatively without transplanting annual plants. The procedure is carried out in early spring. After the seedlings have reached the required level, it is important to plant the specimens that you have deduced in order not to lose the plants.

Before the transplant, pits are prepared which are rammed and sprinkled with a layer of ground mixture from under the coniferous plant.

How to make a transfer?

Small Christmas trees are excavated from the ground, separating the interwoven roots of individual specimens. This work needs to be done quickly, but carefully, so as not to damage the root system and prevent it from drying out.

Blue spruce, from seeds at home grown, requires special care. Often these are standard rules.

Interesting! By the third year of growth, less than half of the seedlings survive.

Three years after seeding, the plants are re-planted. This is done to ensure sufficient space for the roots of spruce. During this period the fir-trees are planted at a distance of 1 m from each other.

Are you interested in how much the spruce grows from the seeds? And we have the answer to this question. After 5 years you will have a full spruce, exceeding in height 1 meter.

Such a bluish-green beauty will become a real garden ornament or will successfully complement the landscape composition. Growing plants with their own hands is quite difficult, but in view of the fun of the process and in the case of a positive result, when it turns out that the efforts were not in vain, you will certainly be proud of your coral herringbone.