Glauca is a type of fir that is not suitable for every garden plot due to large parameters. The plant is somewhat demanding in growing, but unique in the beauty of the needles and the impressive size of the cones. You will learn from the article how to grow the mentioned variety of fir, choose the right place, plant and care for the tree.

Botanical Description

Tall Fir Abies procera Glauca endowed with the term noble. A majestic giant growing in the natural environment mainly in the cascading mountains of the coast of western North America. Alpine tree is usually found at an altitude of 300-1500 m. This is a very old variety, the first mention of which dates back to 1863.

In contrast to the Spanish fir variety of the same name (Abies pinsapo Glauca), which reaches 10 meters in height at 10 years old (maximum 10 m), growth rates of 50 m are not uncommon for tall Glauca (with average values ​​of 20 m).

Did you know? Gifford Pinczow National Park grows Glauk's most gigantic fir — 85 m high and trunk diameter over 8 m.

Botanical characteristics:

1. The root system is pivotal and powerful, deep in the ground, which provides adult plants with high wind resistance.
2. The tree trunk is straight and even, has an axial shape with a clearly developed boom and lateral evenly spaced branches.
3. The bark of young seedlings is thin and smooth, different from the bark of pine and spruce. Over time, it acquires a rough, cracked structure and becomes reddish, thickness - up to 2-3 cm.
4. The crown is narrow-pyramidal in young trees, grows slowly with an irregular growth habit, as a result of which some parts of the plant look slightly biased, which, however, does not detract from the charm of the tree. Later, the form takes the form of a lowered and wide conical, rather symmetrical.
5. The branches are young light brown, in the second year they acquire dark shades. Form horizontal transparent tiers around a tree trunk. Shoots are brown, massive and stiff. The annual growth is moderate - 25–40 cm, rarely up to 80 cm, reaches a value of 8–10 m for many years.
6. The needles are evergreen, flat, up to 30 mm long and 1.3 mm wide, soft and non-spiny to the touch, silver-blue, the color is most intense on neoplasms, then it gradually darkens.
7. The needles are covered with a waxy coating and depart from the branch almost at right angles, are densely located on the underside of the shoots, deviate upward, giving the tree a fluffy look. Saved on the plant for several years. The aroma is coniferous, pronounced.
8. Pollen cones 5–7 mm long, yellow. Seeds - thick, cylindrical, with two layers of scales, reach a length of 25 cm and up to 6 cm in diameter. In a young state, the cones are green, in a mature state they are red-brown. They appear on the tree every year and are a real attraction - located vertically on the branches, do not crumble like most conifers (spruce, pine), but open on the tree, leaving only the rods.
9. Seeds - 0.6–1 cm, light brown, equipped with wings (2 cm). Fir flowering - in April - May, cones ripen in September - October.
10. The height of the tree at a late age (30 years) is 20 m. The diameter of the crown is up to 3-5 m. The trunk thickness is up to 1 m. Glauka fir is the longest-living of all species (up to 400 years or more). In the "native" natural area, the plant is much larger, and the tree grows throughout life, hence the differences in height.
11. Frost resistance of adult plants is up to -18 ° C, young seedlings are sensitive to frost, winter winds and early frosts, but resistance to low temperatures increases with the age of the plant.

Origin of name

It was previously known under the scientific name Abies nobilis, “Noble Fir,” and as a result of selection, a large-sized variety with silver-blue needles was obtained. The Latin name is Abies Procera Glauca. The binomial name is Abies Procera. Another name is the Abies of Protser Glauk, which means "Fir tall noble."

Abies (lat.) Means "fir". There is another version of the origin of the name - from the Indo-European word, similar in sound, which means "abound", which characterizes the culture as a strong branching and dense needles. The term Procera (lat.) - "high". Glauca designation is assigned to plants with silver-blue color of needles, as well as "blue" or "blauer".

Landing

Planting a tree should begin with a choice of location and planting material.

Landing site requirements:

• the soil is fertile, not calcareous, well permeable, moist, with a slightly acid reaction (if necessary, add peat or forest land from the place of coniferous trees);
• solar exposure - young seedlings can be planted in partial shade, taking into account that an adult plant will be well lit by the sun, and this will make the color of the needles more intense;
• do not plant near fast-growing crops to provide sufficient coverage of the middle tier (fir does not like the neighborhood of linden, maple, oak, and it has “common” diseases with spruce and pine trees);
• Fir grows best in places with high humidity (near water bodies);
• the site should be protected from strong winds and drafts;
• wetlands should be avoided, where the plant will lose its decorative effect, and there is a high probability of the occurrence of fungal diseases, and arid places will slow growth.

When choosing a seedling, make sure that the plant is suitable for the climate of your region, the soil meets the requirements, and the site - exposure. Choose a container plant, which will facilitate guaranteed rooting of the seedling. Plant material should be healthy, with brightly colored needles, without fresh cuts, cracks and creases. The time for planting fir in regions with a cool climate is early spring, and in arid areas it is autumn, when the chance of natural precipitation increases.

Important! Never plant plants in a bad mood - they feel it, do not take root well and are sick for a long time.

To plant a young plant correctly and ensure favorable development conditions for it, follow the following procedure when planting:

1. Dig a landing hole 30–40% more than the volume of the root coma and sufficient to accommodate the roots. The depth is such that, after planting, the tree trunk is in the ground at the same height as in the shipping container. A good guideline is a stick placed on the edge of the pit. A deep landing can cause root rot.
2. To fill a hole, mix garden soil (up to 30%) with compost or a turf layer, and dilute heavy soils with coarse sand.
3. Loosen the side walls and the bottom for better root growth. Lay out a layer of drainage from pebbles, rubble or broken brick.
4. Set the plant in the center of the pit, sprinkle with half the earth, rinse and water. Make sure the plant is located directly and in the center.
5. Fill the hole to the desired level. When filling the space between the root lump and the walls of the landing pit, make sure that there are no air pockets, and tamp the soil well.
6. Fill a trunks circle with a side for a better supply of water to the roots. In the future, as the plant takes root, it can be removed.
7. Water the plant liberally regardless of weather conditions and planting time. If the earth has settled, add more soil.
8. Mulch the soil around the tree with a layer of 5-10 cm, but do not let the mulch touch the trunk.
9. If the tree is tall, place it on struts to prevent it from tipping over.

Fir Care

Caring for a tree is simple and does not involve any special manipulations, but some measures that depend on the quality of the healthy and decorative appearance of the tree should be carried out - this is watering, top dressing, and the prevention of harmful lesions.

Important! Fir is very sensitive to atmospheric pollution and gas contamination, therefore it cannot be used for cultivation in the city, along highways, near industrial plants.

Watering and feeding

Fir is demanding on soil moisture, so moderate watering without stagnation of water is required. Water supply rates depend on natural precipitation, but in dry periods trees are watered abundantly so that the water reaches deep soil layers (to a depth of 30 cm) and ensures full saturation of the root coma. Young seedlings are watered more often, preventing the soil from drying out especially in the first weeks after planting so that plants can take root well.

Fir fertilizer is theoretically not necessary, but all plants like fertilizing, and they are especially necessary for a large and powerful tree. This makes the needles and cones brighter. It is recommended to use universal fertilizer for coniferous crops. Depending on the type of fertilizer, it is advisable to use several top dressings during the year at the rate of 100–125 g / m². Top dressing of young plants is carried out in the second or third year after planting.

Important! Try to water the trees at the beginning of the day or in the late afternoon in order to keep moisture longer and reduce the plants' daytime stress from the heat.

Loosening and mulching

Regular weeding, cultivation and mulching provide invaluable benefits for fir. Removing weeds eliminates competing plants for nutrients in the soil. Loosening provides air saturation of the roots and aeration of the soil. Mulching protects the root zone from frost, adds nutrients during decomposition, normalizes the temperature of the soil and retains moisture.

As a mulching material, it is desirable to use peat, bark, sawdust and litter of conifers.Needles in the forest are harvested in spring, treated with disinfectants, poured with boiling water and insisted, and then placed under fir, mixing with the topsoil. Mulch needs to be updated periodically, as it is blown away by the wind and decays.

Did you know? These magnificent plants fascinated people many centuries ago. The ancient Celts described fir as a strong, strong and independent tree, endowing similar qualities of people born under its sign.

Pruning

There is no need to trim the tree so as not to distort the natural shape.Sanitary pruning is carried out before the sap flow begins, in early spring, while removing shoots damaged by frost, broken branches and problem parts of the plant.

To facilitate branching, the tips of the branches of a young plant can be tacked. For thinning, whole branches are cut, which gives more light to the inner surfaces of the crown, increases air circulation and reduces the risk of fir disease. But the best thing is to start thinning by removing dead or diseased wood.

Possible diseases and pests

Procera Glauka has good resistance to diseases and pests. But with violations of agricultural requirements, weakened trees are more often affected by insects and fungal infections.

Possible diseases Glaucoma caused by pathogens:

• rust;
• brown shute;
• browning of needles;
• bacteriosis (dropsy);
• necrosis of shoots and buds;
• rust cancer;
• rot.

After diagnosing the causes of lesions, treatment should be carried out with systemic fungicides. Spraying with copper-containing preparations and top dressing with potassium-phosphorus compounds increase the tree's resistance to disease.

The soft and juicy needles of fir attract many pests that can affect plantings, especially young trees:

• caterpillars attacking plants;
• spruce-fir hermes;
• fir moth;
• Siberian silkworm;
• ticks;
• leaflet conifer;
• pine cone;
• bark beetles.

To control pests, pesticides and systemic insecticides that act selectively should be used, and treatment should be carried out directly in the lesion. It is desirable to alternate chemicals. In the spring, install glue fishing belts on the trunks to prevent the spread of caterpillars on the crown, and in the autumn dig up tree trunks to destroy wintering larvae.

The use of wood in landscape design

Fir - one of the most popular and beautiful conifers found in home gardens. It is a valuable decorative culture and has many varieties. Most of them are tall trees, but there are also many dwarf and even miniature varieties.

Since Glauka's high fir can grow to a solid size, it is recommended to use it as single trees in a garden design or as separate groups of several specimens so as to admire its decorative structure without interference. A good place would be open areas near ponds. Free space, suitable illumination and humidity allow the trees to maintain their shape and widely extended lower tiers of branches.

Did you know? The Trojan horse was built from fir wood.

This variety is suitable for large adjoining plots, territories with elements of the natural landscape and suburban park areas, where culture definitely requires free space. On New Year's holidays and Christmas, fir can be used as a beautiful living tree growing on a site outside the window.

At the base of the tree you can plant crops that prefer acidic soils, such as garden hydrangeas, dogwood or barberry. But not only in garden design finds fir application. Its light and soft wood is used as a building material, for paper and furniture production, resin is highly valued and is used in the manufacture of fir oil and balsam. From needles, cones and shoots, camphor is obtained.

Not every site can be planted with Glauka's high-growing fir due to the solid size of the tree, but if you have such an opportunity, it will become for many years a strict accent and decorative decoration of the free space of the personal landscape, as well as statues, water objects or arbors.