Do you think that a Christmas tree in a pot is better than a cut one or an artificial one? We agree with you and are ready to talk about choosing such a spruce and caring for it, because the question of how to care for the tree will certainly arise before you when the holiday bustle subsides.

The good thing about living spruce is that you don’t have to throw it away. In the spring you can plant it in the garden, country house or yard. However, in order for the tree to survive until spring, it is necessary to create certain conditions for it.

Spruce takes quite a long time to take root: about three years. All this time it needs regular watering. But in the future, you will be able to decorate this living Christmas tree on your site and not worry about buying a New Year’s tree.

Live spruces in pots for the New Year are, of course, classic version. But you can experiment and dress it up (follow the link, we have previously written about caring for this tree). Araucaria is one of the few coniferous plants that can be grown in room conditions, since it comes from subtropical regions.

In addition, cypresses and cypress trees can replace live spruce. They usually cost less, and in indoor conditions they feel better than Christmas trees. Cypress (Cupressus) in winter, however, also requires cool maintenance (at +5 - 10 ° C), but (Chamaecypris) winters normally at 18 - 20 ° C and only needs regular watering and spraying.

Lawson's cypress

Thus, a live spruce in a pot (or its substitute) is a very environmentally friendly option for decorating a house or apartment on New Year’s Eve, although a little troublesome.

Practically the only coniferous plant, which can be grown at home - araucaria, in Latin Araucaria. Araucaria is a tree with a pyramidal crown. The branches of the plant are tough, covered with short but numerous leaves, in the form of needles.

The natural habitats of araucaria are mainly South America, but sometimes the plant is found in Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately twenty species of this coniferous plant, and in wildlife Araucaria can reach fifty to sixty meters in height. In its homeland, araucaria is used as a source of wood.

Despite such a significant natural size, at home araucaria remains undersized, its height does not exceed 1.5 m, while the tree grows very slowly, almost never blooms, however, it is popular as an ornamental coniferous plant, as in city apartments, and in greenhouses and winter gardens. Moreover, it is preferable to grow araucaria in winter gardens, since only there it is possible to provide the plant necessary conditions, namely cool temperatures in winter. Winter is a time of peace and rest for Araucaria. If in winter period the plant is kept warm (more than 20 °C), it continues to grow and develop, which leads to depletion. Besides, negative impact The dry air of city apartments also has an effect - the plant’s needles may turn yellow and subsequently fall off.

Araucaria heterophylla is best suited for growing at home and in winter gardens. The plant's homeland is the Pacific island of Norfolk, located between Australia and New Zealand. Araucaria variegata is a plant with a pyramidal crown and soft light green leaves-needles about 2 cm long.

Caring for araucaria at home

Temperature, humidity, lighting

The temperature of the room in which araucaria is grown should be about 20°C in summer and no more than 15°C, or better yet 10°C, in winter. If you have a glazed loggia, preferably heated, the best solution would be to take the araucaria there in winter. In summer, the plant must be placed outdoors - personal plot, balcony or loggia.

It is important to maintain high air humidity in the room where araucaria is grown. As mentioned above, dry air leads to yellowing and death of needle leaves. To maintain the required humidity, the plant can be periodically sprayed with a spray bottle.

Araucaria does not like direct sunlight, diffuse light and partial shade are best for the plant. To form an even crown, the tree must be rotated from time to time relative to the light source.

Watering and fertilizing

It is necessary to water the araucaria as the earthen clod dries out, in the summer at intervals of two to three times a week, in the winter a little less often. For irrigation, it is better to use soft, settled water at room temperature.

You can fertilize araucaria with the usual complex mineral fertilizer for house plants in spring and summer. The amount of fertilizer should be reduced by half compared to the amount for other plants. In winter, fertilizer and fertilizing are not required.

Soil and replanting

For araucaria, universal soil for house plants, half mixed with acidic soil for azaleas and rhododendrons. It is also possible to prepare the soil yourself: one part each of sand and peat, two parts each of leaf and turf soil. It is also possible to grow araucaria using hydroponics.

Plant replanting is carried out rarely, approximately once every four to five years. When transplanting, it is very important not to damage root system araucaria and monitor the soil level in the pot, in no case raising it relative to the previous one. Pots for the plant should be wide and high enough, with a good drainage system.

Reproduction

It is quite difficult to propagate araucaria at home; it is best to buy a rooted plant in florist shops. Methods of propagation of araucaria - by cuttings, seeds, grafting. The most common and simplest of them is propagation by cuttings. In the spring-summer period, the semi-woody apical cuttings are cut off, dried in the shade for about a day, the sections are cleaned and planted in wet sand or a peat-sand mixture. The cuttings are covered on top with a transparent container with a hole for ventilation (cut top from plastic bottle), periodically watered and sprayed. Rooting occurs approximately two months after planting the cuttings.

Pests and care problems

Pests living on araucaria - mealybug, pests of coniferous plants.

• Yellowing and falling of needles - excessive dry air, high temperature air, lack of watering.
• Thin, elongated shoots are a disadvantage nutrients in the soil.
• Slowing plant growth is a lack of calcium and nutrients in the soil.

Makes you think. Is the two-week presence of a Christmas tree in the house worth such sacrifices? It’s even sadder to see the picture after the New Year, when discarded former “green beauties” are everywhere. There is an alternative option to purchase a live Christmas tree. She will delight you with her appearance even after the winter holidays are over. No, this is not an artificial tree, but a decorative spruce in a pot. Caring for it is a little more difficult, but in the end you will get a real beauty in your garden.

Choosing a Christmas tree

Spruce in a tub is a great way to slow down cutting down coniferous forests. In addition, it stops smelling after a couple of days, and the crumbling needles keep digging into the heels. The same cannot be said about the planted spruce. Decorative species amaze with their diversity; even the most sophisticated gourmet will be able to choose a plant to their liking.

If you decide to buy a Christmas tree and plant it yourself, pay attention to its root system. Its condition will become a harbinger of the plant. In conifers, it is predominantly deep. If, due to its length, the tree does not fit into the pot, find a larger container or plant it in open ground. Do not shorten the root of the plant under any circumstances, otherwise it will not live longer than a felled spruce. Decorative dwarf beauty has a more compact root system. Therefore, this species is excellent for growing in a pot.

When buying an already planted Christmas tree, keep in mind that in a cramped container the roots of the plant form quite densely. Having chosen a suitable tree, do not rush to pay. Ask the seller to remove it from the pot to show the root. There are unscrupulous traders who cut off the offending part and sell the plant. We wrote above what will happen to such a tree.

Decorative spruce in a pot. Care and its features

In anticipation New Year's holidays It's time to go for the symbol of the New Year. But what to do after buying a spruce? A description of the tree will help you learn the features of growing and caring for this plant.

Conifers grow quite slowly, so they can remain in a tub for several years. To do this, you need to properly maintain the spruce in the pot. How to care for such a plant is described below.

A spruce tree in a pot should be watered at least 3 times a week. best option- in a day. To do this, use 2-3 liters of water. Carefully ensure that the soil in the pot does not dry out, which can happen if the air in the apartment is dry.

Remember that a decorative spruce tree in a pot cannot remain in a heated room for more than two weeks. Caring for it indoors is simple: regular watering and high humidity. After the New Year holidays, send the winter beauty to the balcony or other cool but well-lit place. A sudden change in temperature can harm the plant, so it must be hardened off first. To do this, leave the tree for several nights in a room where it is about 7 degrees below zero. To prevent the root system from freezing, insulate the pot. Use hay, straw and other materials.

To improve tree growth and condition, replant the plant every 2-3 years. Choose a pot that is a few centimeters wider than the previous one.

Spruce, like all plants, requires regular watering, which stops with the onset of real frost. In spring, it is recommended to fertilize the soil and feed the tree with complex fertilizer, which is applied along with water.

We carry out formative pruning

This question arises for everyone who sets out to grow a spruce in a pot: “How to care for a plant so that it acquires beautiful shape? The answer is simpler than it seems. To get a lush tree with a symmetrical shape, it is necessary to regularly carry out formative pruning. This procedure is carried out early spring in dry weather, when the plant has not yet entered the active growth phase. When pruning, stick to the natural shape of the crown and trim only long, bare branches. This will encourage branching and you will get a beautiful, lush tree. You need to cut the branch immediately after the joint from which new branches will come.

Important! You should not prune a weak or diseased tree, as after the procedure it may not recover and will begin to dry out. Shorten the branches only to the green needles, since the woody part does not produce new shoots.

Transplanting a Christmas tree from a pot into the garden

After the tree has successfully wintered, it can be transplanted into the garden. Best time for transplantation - spring. To do this, prepare a hole that will be slightly larger than the pot. Before planting, you need to fertilize the soil, so put compost at the bottom. Remove the tree from the pot and plant it in the hole. Then water thoroughly.

What can replace the Christmas tree?

In addition to Christmas trees, other fir, holly, sciadopitis and others are grown in pots. These trees reach small sizes, and they grow very slowly, which is a good replacement if you are not satisfied with a decorative spruce in a pot. Caring for pine or fir is the same as caring for a Christmas tree. The only difference is that pine can withstand quite severe frosts if the tree is hardened first. Glauca Globosa. The height does not exceed one and a half meters. The needles are bluish in color, frost-resistant and unpretentious.

Montgomery. The height of this spruce is about two meters. Tolerates drought, frost and pruning well. Spruce has an unusual color. Bluish needles are at the tips of the branches, greener ones are closer to the trunk.

Araucaria, or indoor spruce, is an evergreen coniferous plant that can grow at home. In nature, this spruce grows in South America, Australia and New Guinea and can reach 50–60 m in height. Some specimens live for a very long time, up to 2000 years. In an apartment it grows to a maximum of 2 m, then, if desired, it can be planted in open ground.

Araucaria is a real homemade spruce in a pot. Its light green branches extend from the trunk almost at a right angle and form an ideal pyramidal crown.

Key Features:

• erect trunk;
• thick resinous bark;
• hard and flat needles located on the branches in a spiral;
• spherical or umbrella-shaped crown;
• ovoid cones.

Araucaria is often used as a Christmas tree.

Varieties and varieties

The most common types and varieties:

• Araucaria Chilean. It grows naturally in Argentina and Chile. This tree can reach 60 m in height. As they age, the lower branches fall off, so the crown becomes like an umbrella. The needles of Chilean spruce are quite dense and tough and last for 12–14 years. Eat decorative types with wide needles of golden color.
• Variegated. The plant's homeland is Norfolk Island, near Australia. In nature it grows up to 50 m. Forms beautiful crown, while the branches have the shape of even triangles. The spruce got its name due to the characteristics of its needles. Young needles are soft and thin, have an emerald green color. Later they become scaly, thicker and denser.
• Narrow-leaved. It is also called Brazilian, as it grows in the southern regions of Brazil, where it reaches 30 m. In greenhouses, the maximum height is 4 m. The needles are thick, pointed, rich dark green.

Only Araucaria varifolia can grow indoors. In an apartment it does not grow more than 1.5 m.

Basic requirements for cultivation

If you provide the plant optimal conditions, it will not hurt and can grow well.

• Indoor spruce prefers bright rooms, but can also grow in partial shade. Direct sun rays the plant does not tolerate it, so it needs to be shaded at noon. In the warm season, the spruce can be taken out onto the street, terrace or balcony.
• In order for the branches to develop and grow evenly, once every 7 days the plant needs to be turned with the other side towards the light. But it is best to place it in an evenly lit place.
• Indoor Araucaria does not like heat. Optimal performance temperatures for it, even in the warm season, should not exceed +22 degrees, in winter – +15. It is highly undesirable to place the plant near heating devices and radiators.
• The plant must be handled very carefully, trying not to damage the top, since that is where the growth point is located. If it is broken off, the spruce will stop growing upward, and the branches will develop unevenly.

The best soil for indoor spruce is slightly acidic, as for all conifers. You can prepare a good substrate yourself by mixing deciduous, coniferous and sod land with humus, peat and sand. Spruce also grows well hydroponically.

Caring for araucaria at home

Growing araucaria is not a difficult task. However, for the plant to feel good, it must be provided with normal air humidity. Therefore, spruce needs to be sprayed regularly. Even better, place the container with the spruce in a tray filled with wet expanded clay. It is advisable to cover the soil with sphagnum moss, which will retain moisture. Excessive dryness often provokes drying out and yellowing of the needles.

Watering should be plentiful, but not frequent. In the hot season, water the plant approximately once every 5–7 days, making sure that the earthen ball is completely wet. The remaining water that has leaked into the pan is drained. Araucaria reacts painfully to a lack of moisture, so the earthen ball should never be dry.

During the growing season, the plant is fed with fertilizer for conifers once every 3 weeks.

There is no need to replant the spruce often. Young plants are replanted once every 3–4 years in the spring into larger pots. To slow down the growth of an adult plant, it is recommended to simply change the soil and plant it in a pot of the same size. Drainage made from broken brick, gravel or expanded clay is required, and it must occupy at least ¼ of the pot.

Reproduction of domestic spruce

Spruce can be propagated by cuttings or seeds, but last method It is rarely used because it is quite labor-intensive. In addition, seedlings grow and develop very slowly. Seeds can be sown in a greenhouse or prepared box with a light substrate. It is advisable to cover the ground with sphagnum so as not to lose moisture. Shoots will appear only after a few months.

Only plants that are at least 10 years old are suitable for propagation by cuttings.

1. In July, it is necessary to cut off the half-lignified apical cutting (in no case the tip).
2. The planting material is prepared, dried for 24 hours, then cleaned of resin and planted in a substrate of sand and peat.
3. It is advisable to cover the cutting with a jar and place it in a warm place.
4. Rooting does not occur immediately, it takes from 2 to 5 months. To speed up this process, you can use special medications.
5. Young seedlings are transplanted into a substrate for coniferous plants.

Protection from pests and diseases

Improper care provokes various diseases, so you need to try to create optimal conditions for the araucaria plant.

Particularly dangerous for spruce is overdrying of the earthen clod and too high air temperature.

The most common growing problems and ways to solve them:

• Growth is too slow. This is how an excess of calcium in the soil can manifest itself. Therefore, for feeding you need to use only special fertilizers with a minimum amount of calcium. Also, do not use hard water.
• Drying of the lower branches of araucaria. This is one of the signs of a root beetle attack. The plant should be urgently treated with an insecticide.
• The branches are too thin. This is a sure sign of nutrient deficiency. Feeding should be done immediately.

The plant is rarely attacked by pests. Sometimes araucaria is attacked by mealybugs. You can simply remove it with cotton wool soaked in alcohol.

Possible difficulties during cultivation

If you provide the plant with optimal conditions, no difficulties are expected. A sufficient amount of light and moisture is all that is needed for the normal development of spruce.

• Sometimes the owners of araucaria complain about the curvature of the trunk. This is the result of uneven lighting. The container with the plant just needs to be turned regularly different sides to the light.
• If the shoots dry out and turn yellow, the reason is dry air, insufficient humidity or poor watering. The plant needs to be sprayed regularly, increasing the air humidity in the room, and increasing watering. For this reason, needles may also fall off.

But if you create araucaria comfortable conditions, she will please her owner for a long time lush greenery. Among other things, it is not only beautiful ornamental plant, but also a natural orderly. It releases beneficial phytoncides that purify the air and destroy harmful microorganisms and bacteria.

Conifers - these indoor plants are very similar in appearance to a miniature Christmas tree and can easily replace a New Year’s beauty. Even after the holiday, they will perfectly fit into the interior of the apartment, help improve the climate in it, and fill the space with their green beauty and unique pine aroma.

Get yourself such a green home friend and the problem of how to decorate your house for the New Year will be partially solved.

After all, if desired, this indoor coniferous plant in a pot can be nicely decorated for the New Year:

• pour snow soil on top of the soil in the pot,
• choose a beautiful flowerpot,
• decorate the tree with mini Christmas tree toys.

Thereby creating a pre-holiday mood and decoration in the interior.

I suggest watching a video on how you can make a festive New Year's composition using spruce branches.

Friends, are you going to put up a Christmas tree in your house? What type of plant will you have, live, artificial, or will you now decide to use coniferous indoor plants instead? Have you already taken care of gifts for your friends, family and loved ones? New Year It's coming in 26 days! I will be glad if you liked the New Year's article if you share it and press the buttons social networks and vote with stars. Join the group on VKontakte and register on the site, then you will be aware of all the blog news!
Sincerely, Lyubov Fedorova.