Schwerin pine: description, tips for planting and care

The fluffy pine of Schwerin is a frequent inhabitant of private plots, because because of its attractive appearance it becomes the main decoration of rocky, Japanese and heather gardens, it is used in group and single plantings. This is a compact, pretty tree with soft needles of a delicate blue hue. From a distance it seems that the tree is covered with frost. True, in order to get such a beauty, you need to take a responsible attitude to the rules of her planting and further care.

On sale is mainly offered a variant called Schwerin pine "Witthorst". It is a hybrid of Himalayan and Weymouth pines. At the age of 15, the height of a tree of this variety is 2-2.5 m. Its main purpose on the site is decorative. A miniature pine tree looks aesthetically pleasing in combination with undersized shrubs. For the first time, the variety appeared about 100 years ago and immediately received the name of its developer - Count Schwerin.

The young plant has a wide cone-shaped crown. He has an upright trunk, and the branches are located horizontally. The tips of the branches stretch slightly upward. Over the years, the tree takes on a more interesting loose crown shape, its diameter is about a meter. The needles are 11-15 cm long, they are collected in bunches and hang down somewhat, have a dark green color with a silvery blue tint.

The tree bears fruit even at a young age, its cones differ in their size - up to 15 cm, and in favorable conditions they can be 20 cm in length. At first, the cones are green in color, and over time the color turns brown-gray with numerous resin drops. Cones are collected in groups.

The pine tree has a shallow root system. And also this variety is characterized by good frost resistance and can withstand temperatures of 35-40 degrees below zero. Usually the variety takes root well in a new location.

An important point is the choice of planting material. It should be a seedling with a strong, solid trunk without cracks, breaks and other defects. Pay attention to the needles, the needles should be elastic, and their color should be uniform. Examine the branches, they should be fluffy and free of empty areas. Most often, seedlings are offered in pots, which allows you to preserve vulnerable young roots when transporting the plant.

Next, you should choose the most suitable place for landing. This should be an area that is well lit by the sun and protected from the wind. Make sure that the shoot is planted as far away from large fruit crops as possible. It is important that there is enough free space nearby. Experienced gardeners recommend placing the Schwerin pine near the alpine hills - this way it will emphasize the beauty of landscape design.

Planting is carried out in the spring, at about the end of April, but already in the fall, humus with sand is introduced into the selected area and dug well. You can plant a seedling in mid-September, but in this case there is a risk that it will not have time to adapt to a new place before frost.

The planting process is as follows.

1. Dig a planting hole and place a mixture of ash and sand in equal parts.

2. Carefully remove the shoot from the pot along with the earthen lump and carefully place it in the hole so that the root collar is slightly above the surface of the ground.

3. Pour in some water and fill the empty space with earth mixed with sand and clay.

4. Lightly compact the soil around the seedling.

5. Tie the sapling to a peg for stability.

Young specimens are quite defenseless against the influence of external factors, therefore, in order to make it easier for them to adapt to a new site, the gardener will have to put in a lot of effort. For example, it is important to protect the tree from frost in the first couple of years... To do this, you can simply cover the seedling with a film, and insulate the roots with an additional layer of soil with sand. A matured pine tree can survive the winter without shelter.

This pine does not like stagnation of moisture, so the owner must monitor how moist the soil is. The basic rules of care state that watering is carried out on average once a week. One serving - 10 liters. In dry times, it is allowed to water the tree 2 times a week.

The first feeding should be a bucket of humus mixed with a potassium-phosphate mixture. (30-50 g). The mixture is added during planting. Then you can use complex mineral dressings, which are applied twice a year - in spring and autumn. Gardeners recommend using fertilizers in solutions - so they are absorbed by young pine faster.

In order for the roots to always have access to fresh air, the soil must be periodically loosened at a distance of up to 1 meter around the trunk. Mulching is also an important criterion in caring for this species. Wood chips and sawdust can be used as mulch. This pine tree has a beautiful crown, which does not need to be shaped, therefore the tree only needs sanitary pruning. During the procedure, you need to remove all dried, damaged or frozen branches.

For example, if you plant a seedling in a too shaded place, the tree quickly stops growing, and non-compliance with watering rules (waterlogging) leads to putrefactive processes in the root system.

Among the pests, pine silkworms, scoops, aphids, bark beetles, sawflies, and scale insects love most of all to feast on pine. Treatment with specialized complex preparations will allow you to get rid of pests.

Schwerin's pine varieties reproduce only by cuttings, seed propagation is impossible. To grow a new tree, in rainy weather in autumn, you need to select healthy shoots on the north side in the middle part of the crown and tear them off with a piece of bark, sharply bending the fragment down and slightly to the side. The stalk for propagation should be 8-12 cm in size. The damage remaining on the bark should be treated with garden pitch.

Next, it is advisable to soak the cuttings in water for 3 hours, and then treat them with antibacterial agents.

Peat mixed with sand and turf in equal parts is suitable as a soil. Then you need to organize a greenhouse and bottom heating.

Cuttings are placed in a bright place, you can root on the street in specially prepared flower beds. For this, the compost is laid out under drainage. After planting, a greenhouse is built and the seedlings are not touched during the year.

For more information on the Schwerin pine, see below.