The evergreen mountain pine Pumilio with creeping shoots creates a dense and lush squat crown in the shape of a ball. The compact bush grows well in a sunny place, easily tolerates drought, severe frosts and is not picky about soil fertility. Therefore, it is readily used in landscape design in the central and middle regions.
Mountain pine Pumilio - description, planting and care rules
Characteristics of the variety
Description of the external parameters of the mountain pine Pumilio (full name pinus mugo var.pumilio):
- the maximum height of an adult plant is 3 m, width is 2.5-3 m;
- in young bushes, the shape of the crown is flat-round, cushion-shaped, in old bushes it becomes widespread;
- grows slowly - the annual growth is 5 cm in length, 12 cm in width;
- needles are green, prickly, length - 2-3 cm;
- shoots are light brown, erect;
- the first fruiting occurs in the 7th year of cultivation;
- fruits - cone-shaped cones, chocolate color, their sizes vary from 3.5 to 4.5 cm.
The culture has good winter hardiness, is common in Central and Eastern Europe, the Balkans and the Carpathians.
The price for a seedling with a height of 40 to 70 cm is 1200 rubles.
Landing rules
It is not difficult to grow these needles on the site, the main thing is to choose high-quality material, plant it correctly and provide the necessary care.
Sapling selection
You can buy this plant in a specialized nursery or in a gardening store, the main thing is that it meets all the withered characteristics of the variety.
When choosing, carefully inspect the aerial part - one should be alive, shoots and a trunk with even and smooth bark, needles of a uniform saturated green color.
The optimum height of a seedling for planting is 50-70 cm. It is better to take bushes 2-3 years old with closed roots, which will not dry out during transplantation.
Place and soil
Pumilio pine loves to grow in a sunny location with deep groundwater flow and protection from drafts.
The soil is suitable for light, loose - sandy, clayey, siliceous with a neutral level of acidity and a low degree of salinity. In a shady area on salty ground, the plant begins to reduce immunity against diseases and grows slowly.
This variety perfectly tolerates gas pollution and dust, so it can fully develop both in the garden area and outside, along the roads.
To deoxidize the soil, 300 g of limestone, chalk, dolomite or calcite must be added to a 1 m² garden. Sand and peat will help to make it loose and light - 2 buckets each. To increase the nutritional value, an additional bed is sprinkled with 100 g of superphosphate, 80 g of potassium nitrate and 70 g of azophoska. Then deep digging and leveling are carried out.
Landing technique
This compact plant should be planted according to the scheme - 1x1 m.
First, they dig holes 60 cm deep and 80 cm wide.Then, drainage from pebbles, crushed stone or broken brick is laid on the bottom, then they are filled up to half with a nutrient composition of sand, peat and turf soil (1: 1: 1). An earthen ball is lowered, all the voids are covered with fertile soil, tamped and spilled abundantly - one bucket per seedling.
When planting, it is important that the root collar of the bush is slightly above the surface of the soil, otherwise it will quickly rot and die.
To prevent rapid evaporation of moisture, the near-trunk zone is mulched with peat soil or sawdust of needles.
Basic care
It is not difficult to take care of a coniferous shrub, all it needs is regular moisture, periodic fertilization, pruning and loosening.
Watering
Water the pine as needed
The first moistening is carried out one week after planting, then every 2 days for 10 days. Moisture contributes to the rapid establishment and growth of green mass. The frequency of subsequent watering depends on weather conditions and precipitation.
Loosening and mulching
The loosening procedure is needed to maintain the moisture and breathability of the soil. They loosen the soil superficially and a day after each watering. Additionally, aisles are weeded and unnecessary vegetation is removed.
Mulching with peat and coniferous sawdust helps to maintain the acidity of the soil necessary for the ephedra, protects the roots from drying out and prevents the growth of weeds.
Top dressing
The main care for this crop is regular fertilization. In the first year of planting, the plants do not need nutrition, since the nutrients laid down on the site will be enough until spring.
At the end of April or at the beginning of May, they can be fed with nitrogen-containing preparations - nitrophos, ammophos or urea. Prepare a solution of 30 g per 10 l of water. Consumption per seedling - 5 liters.
The second time, young shrubs are fed with a complex mineral composition of superphosphate (15 g) and potassium nitrate (10 g) per bucket of water. The amount of nutrient fluid per plant is 5 liters.
Pruning
For this miniature shrub, a shaping haircut is not needed, since it initially forms a thick, beautiful spherical crown.
There will be no superfluous sanitary pruning, which is carried out in early spring - all branches damaged by frost, winds, diseases and parasites are removed. For this operation, a sterile pruner is used, and the cut sites are irrigated with a solution of copper sulfate to avoid infection.
Shelter for the winter
Adult plants easily tolerate wintering without additional shelter - the only thing they need is hilling the near-trunk zone with peat.
Young seedlings have weak immunity, so they are first mulched, then the branches are tightly tied to the central conductor with a rope or twine. The overground part is covered with spruce branches or burlap. The shelter is removed in spring - in April, when the sun is not so active.
Breeding methods
There are three ways to propagate this culture - by seeds, cuttings and grafting. The most effective and fastest way is with cuttings.
To do this, use an adult plant aged 5 years, cut the apical shoots up to 20 cm long with a piece of last year's bark (heel). The lower part is cleaned, dipped for an hour in a growth stimulant solution and immediately planted in a nutritious, moist substrate from turf, peat and sand (1: 1: 1).
You can keep cuttings in a greenhouse or at home, providing several important conditions:
- temperature regime within 20-23 ° С;
- humidity at 60%;
- daily airing;
- irrigation as the land dries up;
- weed removal and loosening.
As soon as the first shoots appear on the shoots (after about 2-3 months), the shelter can be removed, and the plants can be transferred to a cool place with a temperature of 18-19 ° C.
Transplanting into open ground is carried out no earlier than a year after germination in room conditions. During this period, conifers grown by cuttings will build up a good root system, get stronger and more easily survive the resulting stress.
Such reproduction makes it possible to get many young specimens with all varietal traits and characteristics of the mother bush.
Diseases and pests
Infections can infect a plant in autumn.
The peak of the development of sores in the mountain pine Pumilio falls in the autumn period, when the weather is stable and damp and cold outside. These conditions are ideal for the appearance of rust.
Signs of damage: the formation of numerous yellow or red spots on the trunk, shoots.
The infection quickly spreads to other trees and bushes growing nearby. Therefore, an urgent need to act is to remove damaged areas on weak shrubs and treat the crown with a solution of copper sulfate or Ridomil Gold. Dispose of and burn heavily infected specimens.
For the prevention of needles, it is better to plant them away from birches, avoid thickening of the plantings, thin out the aerial part in time and remove organs injured by the fungus.
Of the parasites, this plant is annoyed by the birch bug, which sucks the juices from the stems and leads to their drying out and death. For control and prevention, insecticides are used - Actellik, Aktaru, Engio. Spraying is carried out in early spring and autumn.
To cope with aphids, spider mites, scale insects and sawflies, you will need to carry out three processing of the crown and soil around the trunk with Aktara, Skor or Fundazol.
Regular removal of weeds, loosening of the soil, adherence to the planting scheme and periodic inspection for signs of damage will help from the invasion of parasites.
Application in landscape
A small plant does not need special care and takes root well on any type of soil - thanks to these qualities, they began to willingly use it in landscape design.
- Lush, evergreen shrubs are a great decoration for every composition in a rock garden, mixborder, rockery, rabatka or in a flower bed.
- Planting a dwarf conifer with columnar or spreading squat varieties of juniper with blue and gray needles will be spectacular. This contrast and combination of different shapes is an original design solution for a garden plot.
- The mountain pine Pumilio looks beautiful along the alleys, curbs, it is used for landscaping city parks.
- Some grow undersized shrubs as a pot culture and put them next to a gazebo, near terraces or arches.
- The multi-level composition looks amazing, at the top of which pines are planted, and on the lower steps there are moss, heather.
Differences Pumilio from other mountain pines
You can distinguish this type of mountain pine from other subspecies, for this it is worth familiarizing yourself with their description.
- Brevifolia. The crown is barrel-shaped, about 50 cm high. The needles are green.
- Winter Gold. Dwarf, slow-growing shrub 50x90 cm in size. Aboveground part is compact, spherical with golden needles in winter and light green in summer.
- Dwarf. The plant is the same in height and width - about 2 m. The shape of the crown is neat, spherical, the needles are greenish-gray.
- Kobold. Shrub 1 m long with a wide, spherical aerial part, green needles with a bluish tint.
- Pug. Height 1.4-1.5 m, spherical, rounded surface. This variety of mountain pine grows slowly - it forms about 10 cm of growth per year.
- Columnaris. Tall bush plant - reaches 2.5 m, circumference - 1 m.
- Ophir. A dwarf variety, the shape of the crown is flat, pin-shaped, height 35 cm, diameter - 55 cm. The needles are golden in color.
- Frisia. Large-sized plant 2x1.5 m in size. Emerald-colored needles, closer to winter acquire a dark green hue.
- Humpy. Dwarf spherical pine 1 m long, 1.4 m in diameter.
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Gardeners reviews
Many of those who have been growing this crop for several years leave positive reviews. They note that the shrub practically does not get sick, it pleases with its greenery and beauty all year round, while it can grow on any type of soil.
Everyone likes that the ephedra has a compact shape and it goes well with all types of home vegetation, which is why it is so willingly used in landscape design;
Due to its good growth and the ability to independently form a beautiful crown, the Pumilio pine is used not only in private, but also in industrial gardening - to decorate parks, alleys and other public areas.