Mountain pine "Varella": description, planting and care

Mountain pine is often planted in plots and gardens. It serves as a wonderful decoration and addition to various compositions, and besides, it looks beautiful in single plantings.

Mountain pine "Varella" belongs to the decorative dwarf species of conifers. The stem of the tree is about 1-1.5 m, and it reaches 1.2 m in width.The ten-year-old plant has a height of about 0.7 m with a crown diameter of 0.5 m. The crown of the pine is characterized by a spherical shape of small size and a rather dense structure.

The needles are somewhat elongated and slightly twisted, densely located on short shoots 8-10 cm long. Young needles are slightly longer than mature ones, which gives the effect of a lush crown. The color of the needles is dark green. Mountain pine cones are in the shape of a cone about 5 cm long, at first they are green, and then they turn brownish. They open at the beginning of winter, the seeds are small, dark brown.

Description of the main characteristics of mountain pine:

• the presence of a wide root system;
• slow growth - it grows by 10 cm in a year;
• undemanding to the soil, but prefers moist, drained soil;
• the need for a well-lit area, although it can grow in partial shade;
• normal drought tolerance;
• frost resistance;
• resistance to diseases and pests;
• the release of phytoncides into the air that kill microbes;
• long lifespan, more than 100 years.

Pine "Varella" is distinguished by its unpretentiousness to the conditions of detention, therefore it feels quite normal in an urban environment. It is better to plant a plant on the site in spring in April-May or in autumn in August-September, then it will take root faster. Pine thrives on sandy and sandy soils, it also grows well both on dry and wet ground. The environment for pine does not play a special role, but still the most suitable is slightly acidic. If the soil for planting contains a lot of sand, then add a little clay to it.

Besides, you need to supplement it with turf soil and provide good drainage, it can be a layer of gravel or sand of 20 cm... When planting in groups, the distance between large plants is kept about 4 m, and between undersized plants 1.5 m. The plant is planted in a depression up to 1 m deep. Drainage is done at the bottom, then a layer of nutritious soil (up to 20 cm) is poured and a little water is poured. The roots are carefully distributed over the hole and covered with soil.

If the plant is purchased in a plastic container, it is carefully pulled out of it. When planting a pine, be sure to pay attention that the root collar is above the ground, otherwise the pine may die. After the tree has been planted, it must be moistened and covered with mulch. Experienced gardeners recommend three types of soil substrate for planting mountain pine "Verella":

• black soil and sand, taken in equal parts;
• sandy loam soil and black soil also in equal proportions;
• one part of sand and pine sawdust, two parts of black soil.

In the first year after planting, it is recommended to water the young plant twice a week, if it is cool - once a week. The first few times it is worth adding preparations to stimulate root growth ("Epin" or "Zircon") to the water for irrigation.

Mountain pine care consists of several activities.

• Top dressing is used for the first 2 years after planting. For this, mineral fertilizers are used. For one plant, 30-40 g of the composition, which is introduced under the trunk, is quite enough. An adult tree does not need to be fed. Fallen needles form a nutritious bedding, because useful organic matter is collected in it, this is fully enough for a pine tree for normal development.
• Mulching promotes moisture retention and significantly slows down the growth of weeds, which take nutrients from the soil. Chopped bark, sawdust, straw, or fallen leaves can be used as mulch.
• Loosening the soil around the tree facilitates the access of oxygen to the plant's root system.
• Crown pruning helps shape the pine and promotes the formation of a thicker canopy. Mountain pine perfectly holds any shape, be it natural or artificial. During formative pruning, more than a third of the crown should not be removed, first of all, the bare shoots belong to pruning - they quickly dry out and spoil the appearance of the plant. The procedure is carried out with a sharp knife, it is recommended to process the sections with garden pitch or a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Pruning should be done during the pine tree sleep period, it lasts from the second half of February to early March.
• Preventive spraying insecticides are carried out twice a year: in spring and summer.
• Preparing for winter consists in abundant moisture, and if necessary, fertilization. Since the Varella pine belongs to frost-resistant plants, it can winter without shelter. In late January - early February, it is worth covering the bushes with a film that will protect them from the bright spring sun. As a shelter, a construction mesh with small cells is quite suitable. They take it off only after the snow has completely melted.

If you wish, you can try to propagate the mountain pine on your own. There are two ways to propagate this coniferous plant:

• cuttings;
• seeds.

When using the first method, cuttings that are 3 years old are used. You should not take sprouts from the forest as planting material, they take root very rarely, it is better to purchase them in a nursery. The method of planting cuttings is the same as planting a young plant. Strengthened sprouts are planted in a permanent place after 3 years. If lumps of earth remain on the roots, they do not need to be removed, so as not to damage the still not very strong roots.

Seeds for propagation of pine should be left in a cold room for a month, then held in warm water. This procedure promotes their faster germination. Before sowing in the ground, the seed should be kept in a solution of potassium permanganate. In order for the plant to take over, take the following actions:

• dig a hole up to 1.5 m deep;
• a layer of sand is poured into it, and buried back;
• the seeds are planted 5 mm deep with a distance of 0.5 m between them;
• apply a solution of mineral fertilizers in a proportion of 30 g of minerals per 10 liters of water.

Mountain pine "Varella" is ideal not only for decorating the site, but also for enclosed spaces such as terraces or verandas. It is grown without much difficulty in containers, and this location does not affect its appearance in any way. The plant also serves as an excellent addition to a home mini-park, flower bed or green composition.

The tree also looks picturesque in a single planting, and small parameters allow it to be planted even in small areas. This variety of pine on a trunk fits perfectly into a Japanese-style garden or bonsai. In addition, this ornamental coniferous plant adorns a heather or rocky garden, as well as alpine hills.

An overview of the variety in the next video.