Pine trees are ideal for landscaping city parks and summer cottages. Plants purify the air, they are not whimsical in growing, such as, for example, a variety of black pine Nana.

Botanical Description and Characteristics

Pinus nigra Nana (Latin name) is a low plant, its maximum growth is about 3 m, and the crown width is up to 4 m. By the way, from Latin “pinus” is translated as “mountain” - the plant has a strong and long root system that can keep plantings on the mountain slopes. Most coniferous centenarians grow on the impregnable mountain peaks. Annual growth is about 5 cm, the variety is slowly growing. The straight trunk of a dark gray color is covered with furrows, shoots of gray-brown color grow vertically.

The crown of the pine may be spherical or have the shape of a cone. In any case, the tree is fluffy, thanks to the needles growing in frequent bunches. Long needles (up to 10 cm) are bright, green, but as they grow older they darken almost to black. Against the background of dark needles, yellow-brown look beautiful, up to 7 cones in the shape of an egg. Inside contains small (6 mm) seeds.

Variety characteristics:

• tolerates cold up to -30 ° C, but “young” specimens need shelter;
• prefers moist, drained and loose soil with a slightly acidic, and preferably alkaline, reaction;
• on heavy soils it is sick and poorly developed;
• resistant to drought, but watering should not be forgotten;
• It shows better decorative properties in lighted areas;
• has immunity to fungal infections;
• life expectancy is up to 100 years.

Did you know? Amber, which is highly regarded in jewelry, is the fossil resin (resin) of pine trees.

Use in landscape design

Description of Nana gives a flight of fancy for the use of plants in landscape design. A fluffy and low pine with bright spots of cones in dark needles will look great both in single plantings and in a group.

The tree will be in good harmony with low shrubs:

• spirea;
• barberry;
• broom;
• Weigela
• euonymus;
• oak hydrangea.

Pine is suitable for decorating the alley, rocky areas, alpine slides, artificial ponds, as a hedge.

Dark needles look advantageous against the background of bright colors of perennials:

• alissum;
• thyme;
• awl-shaped phlox;
• saxifrage;
• thrift;
• periwinkle;
• clove grass.

Landing

It is advisable to purchase a seedling in a nursery, where the plants are cultivated with proper care, and experts will tell you the details of growing. A healthy bush has a straight, even trunk, with no signs of damage or suspicious spots on the bark. The needles are soft, bright and light tones, the shoots are flexible and vertically arranged. The tree is best adapted and rooted in a new place for 2–5 years, and you need to buy a seedling with a closed root system (in a pot).

Important! Black Nana is not planted next to the bird cherry. Deciduous tree volcano adversely affects the growth and development of coniferous shrubs.

You can plant in spring and autumn, while the soil should be warmed up to + 8 ... + 10 ° C, there should be no threat of frost. Depending on the climate of the region, April-May or September-October are suitable.

The site is selected lit, prepared in advance. The size of the landing pit should be commensurate with the volume of the root system, drainage must be placed on the bottom of the recess. Shards of brick, large pebbles or gravel are suitable as a material. Dense soil should be “diluted” with sand, lime should be added to acidic soil. Coniferous layer collected in the forest is used as fertilizer. Before making it, you need to pour it with boiling water to avoid infection with fungi.

Video: pine planting

Landing pattern:

1. Extracted from the hole half of the soil is mixed with sand and lime in equal proportions. Add fertilizer (needles or rotted compost).
2. The fertile layer is poured onto the drainage, forming a hill to the length of the roots.
3. The seedling is removed from the pot and placed on the mound.
4. Sprinkle with earth, leaving the root collar above the surface of the soil.
5. Water the soil and irrigate the crown.
6. The trunk circle is mulched with organic natural material (straw, sawdust, needles).

Follow-up care

Especially attentive care is needed for young Nana pines. Freshly planted trees should have enough moisture and nutrients. They need to be protected from pests and diseases, through the prevention and care of the soil.

Watering and feeding

Given the long roots of pine trees and the frequency of natural rainfall, watering is carried out up to 4 times a season. If there is no rain or little, the procedure is carried out more often. It is advisable to irrigate the soil in the near-stem circle in the evening, when solar activity decreases, moisture evaporates less intensely. Under a young tree, 30 l of settled water at room temperature is enough, adults need up to 40-50 l.

After watering, the earth around the trunk needs to be loosened, thereby providing oxygen access to the roots. In the presence of weeds - weed. After that, mulch the surface with a layer of 5-8 cm in order to retain moisture in the soil longer.

The first two years after planting a pine, enough nutrition laid in the hole. Further, for health and active development, you can use compost, humus or mineral compounds. Fertilize 2 times a year, in the spring and before winter. Young bushes in the fall do not feed, enough spring food.

Did you know? Pine wood is used in the manufacture of materials such as leather substitute and rayon.

If organics are used, then 2-3 kg per m² is enough for young plants, 3-5 kg ​​per m² - for adult specimens. The mineral composition should contain potassium, phosphorus and magnesium. The last element is needed for needles. Granular potassium-phosphorus fertilizer is introduced into the trunk circle in an amount of 30-50 g per m² (depending on age).

In autumn, it is best to add dolomite flour, it contains potassium, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium.

A haircut

The Nana variety needs more sanitary pruning than a formative procedure. His crown grows beautifully without the help of a gardener, forming a beautiful shape. However, in order for the tree to be healthy, it is necessary to remove frozen or broken branches every year, to shorten the shoots that are knocked out of the general contour. As you grow and mature you need to remove the lower old branches.

Given the slow growth of black pine, it is sheared once every 3 years. A thorough procedure with the removal of a large number of shoots is carried out when growth is not less than 1.5 m. Such a tree will quickly return to normal after pruning, otherwise it can lose needles.Be sure to disinfect the cutting tools, otherwise the infection will get into the wound.

If you want to form a very thick, dense crown, the ends of the branches can be pinched. After this, it is imperative to ensure that fallen needles do not accumulate on healthy needles. This can trigger a fungal disease.

Winter preparations

In September, the near-trunk circle of pine need to be thoroughly moistened and dolomite flour added. This will give the plant a winter supply of nutrients and moisture. After that, the soil around the trunk is covered with sawdust or straw, a layer of 15 cm.

Important! The sun in the winter can be no less aggressive than in the summer. To protect the needles from burns, they install improvised screens (gauze stretched over a wire frame) on the south side of the site.

For young shrubs, it is advisable to make a shelter:

1. Drive the stakes in a circle.
2. Pull the wire between them.
3. Wrap the frame with agrospan.
4. Overlaid the trunk circle with large stones to prevent deformation of the trunk due to gusts of wind.

Disease prevention

Nana is resistant to diseases, but due to negative manifestations of the external environment or errors in care, infection is possible. Constant inspection of the color of needles, broken or deformed branches will help to avoid tree health problems. Changing the color or shape of shoots, cones, needles indicates an infection.

It is important to clean the trunk circle, remove weeds, monitor the appearance of pests. Insects and parasitic herbs are often carriers of diseases. The former also feed on the juices or tissues of the plant, damaging parts of the tree.

As a prophylaxis, fungicides are used by spraying in the spring. A Bordeaux mixture (0.2%) or a solution of copper sulfate (1%) from fungi and bacteria is ideal. To combat fungal infections they use “Abiga-peak” - 1 ml per 1 liter of water, “Fitosporin” (10 g per 5 liters of water) will help to cope with bacterial and viral diseases.

To protect against insects, plants are treated with a solution of the Actellik preparation, 1 ml per 1 liter of water. In case of pest damage, the dose of the drug is doubled. The insecticide has a wide spectrum of action, as well as acaricidal properties.

It is easy to grow black pine on the site, you need to water and feed on time, and also clean the soil. The tree can be protected from diseases and pests by preventive treatments and attentive care.