Mountain pine growing: the subtleties of planting and care
Among the conifers that are used for landscaping private plots, it is worth noting mountain pine. This is one of the most beautiful and compact crops, and growing mountain pine in general will not cause much trouble. Having chosen the right place for her and choosing a high-quality seedling, it remains only to correctly plant it. In the future, all you need is that sometimes water the pine, feed it for the first time and prepare it for the first winter. In gratitude, the tree will delight you with short, lush needles. And this variety is also highly drought and frost resistance. She is less likely to get sick, is not demanding on the soil and tolerates a haircut well.
Where and when is it better to plant pine
From the practice of gardeners, it has been noticed that the optimal dates for planting pine are:
- the last days of April - the first ten days of May;
- the last decade of September - the first decade of October.
If you plant later, the seedling will not have time to take root and get stronger. In the spring, it will suffer from high temperatures, and with an autumn planting, it may not survive the winter frosts.
Buy seedlings only in pots with closed roots. The seedling growing in the container is alive and mycorrhiza. But in seedlings with open roots, it dies after 15 minutes outside the soil. Such a pine tree is unlikely to take root.
For mountain pine, it is better to take a sunny place on the site where it will develop well. In partial shade, the tree can also survive, but at the same time it will no longer be so decorative and bright.
Landing features
The planting hole should be slightly larger than the diameter of the root system. Since pine does not like stagnant moisture, lay a drainage layer on the bottom of the hole. Cover the top with a small layer of excavated soil.
Replace the rest of the soil with a light fertile soil mixture consisting of:
- 3 shares of sod land;
- 1 share of peat;
- 1 share of sand.
Mix the soil well in the hole, place the seedling in the center, cover it with earth and water it. Pine is not demanding on the soil, but for the first couple of years it is desirable that it be nutritious. This will help the tree grow better.
Do not deepen the root collar.
Mountain pine growing: tree care features
Water young pines for the first couple of months often, about once a week. When they take root, there is no need for such a regime due to the good drought resistance of the plant. However, in hot dry summers, do not forget to periodically moisten the soil under the pine trees.
Only young pines need additional nutrition, and even then the first couple of years. Use special mineral complexes for conifers. Adult pines have enough nutrients, which they themselves "produce". Just do not remove the fallen needles.
For the winter, cover the young plantings with spruce branches to protect the delicate branches from frost. And the trunk circle mulch peat.
With a beautiful crown, this culture practically does not need pruning. The cultivation of mountain pine consists only in the removal of dry and diseased branches. If desired, for the density of the crown, you can pinch young branches so that they begin to branch.