Pine Banks: description and recommendations for growing

In addition to small compact spruce trees, many gardeners planted majestic pine trees on their plots. The Banks variety is very popular with owners of private houses and summer cottages. The plant is distinguished by its unpretentiousness and high frost resistance. Banks pine is also often used in landscape design.

This conifer has many names: Labrador, Canadian, dapper, princess pine and Hudson's Bay pine. In nature, the forest beauty is found in the eastern regions of North America. The evergreen conifer is named after the English naturalist Joseph Banks (head of Kew Gardens).

This variety belongs to tall breeds, and its lifespan is simply amazing. - Banks pine is capable of delighting with its beauty for 100-300 years.

The distinctive features of the Banks variety include the following characteristics.

• The plant has a branched, rounded crown. The needles are short enough, curved. The color of the needles transforms over time: young needles change their yellowish tint to a beautiful bright green.
• The flowering period of the variety falls on the end of spring. On the branches of the plant, lateral cones of a curved shape appear. After ripening, they decorate the tree for several more years.
• Banksa firmly tolerates low temperatures, and its crown does not deform under the weight of snow.
• The bark of the tree is red-brown in color, covered with deep cracks.
• Until the age of 20, the tree grows intensively, then the growth of the pine slows down significantly.
• Visually, the young plant resembles a beautiful fluffy shrub.

This ephedra has subspecies that differ in appearance and characteristics. Most often, dwarf hybrids of the Banks variety are used in landscape design. Popular varieties of Labrador pine are presented below.

• Uncle Fogy. Dwarf variety, reaches 2 meters in length. It has a weeping crown and a crooked trunk that bends towards the ground. Branches with beautiful green needles practically fall on the soil. The original appearance of the variety attracts gardeners all over the world.

• Banska Stiavnica. The variety is characterized by slow growth, the height reaches 1-1.5 meters. It is characterized by a dense, dense cone-shaped crown. The variety is known for its amazing light green needles. The needles are quite dense and slightly twisted.

• Arktis. The dwarf pine has a loose fluffy crown, the needles are of a grayish hue. The plant is about 3 meters long. Graceful branches are directed in different directions.

• Chippewa. Miniature evergreen tree has small needles of light green color. This variety grows rather slowly and adds only 2-3 cm per year. It has a flattened crown.

All of these varieties are widely used in landscape design. However, their "progenitor", the Banks pine, is not inferior to them in popularity. The majestic beauty is planted as a single composition. She is also good in group plantings, for example, in hedges. Banksa goes well with other conifers or deciduous plants.In addition to its spectacular appearance, this variety is known for its amazing, fresh aroma.

The optimal time for planting evergreen conifers is in the spring (early March - mid-May). At this time, the land begins to "move away" from winter. It is best to purchase Banks pine seedlings in proven nurseries. This variety prefers peaty, loamy and sandy soils.

For a pine, a hole is dug 1-1.5 meters deep, and the bottom is covered with a layer of drainage. Before planting, the plant is carefully removed from the container along with an earthen lump, without damaging the root system, and carefully placed in the hole. It is important to know that when planting, the seedling does not get rid of the earthy coma, which is a kind of protection for the delicate root system.

As for group planting, the distance between seedlings is at least 3 meters.

Experienced gardeners do not recommend replanting a green beauty growing in the wild on the site. In this case, there is a high probability that the tree will not take root and die after a short time.

Despite the unpretentiousness, this plant requires some control. Caring for Banks pine involves the following steps.

A young tree needs constant soil moisture. It is watered 2-3 times a month. In the summer, this procedure should be carried out more often. Moistened soil retains heat and prevents the root system from drying out.

Several years after planting, the tree needs feeding. In the spring, a young tree is fertilized with minerals. An adult pine itself creates a coniferous “blanket” around the trunk, which contains organic elements necessary for an ephedra.

First of all, young trees need shelter. This will help protect the plant from snow and sunburn. Special bags made of cotton, light-colored fabric will do. It is not recommended to use plastic bags, as they create a greenhouse effect, which leads to the development of fungal diseases.

As for pruning, it is used exclusively for decorative purposes. Prune and prune branches in early spring. This variety is propagated by seeds that grow without human intervention. Nondescript in appearance, small seeds eventually turn into a mighty majestic coniferous tree of unsurpassed beauty.

For more information about Banks pine, see below.