Geldreich's white pine (Compact Jam) is a real find for landscape designers, because it can be the main tool for creating a delightfully beautiful landscape. The exact parameters are characteristic of dwarf plants, a dense crown and elegant dense needles make it a real highlight of the garden, park, rockery, alpine hill or other forms of green corners. Read more about the culture and the features of caring for it, read on.

Grade description

A variety of conifers - white fast pine, was first described by Theodor Geldreich, in whose honor it got its name. It was this botanist and biologist of German-Greek origin who discovered the plant on the southeastern slopes of the European mountains. The year of culture identification is 1851. Compact Gem is a dwarf form of Geldreich pine.

Did you know? Compact white pine Jam symbolizes the Pollino Italian National Park.

Among the characteristics of a dwarf plant, it is worth noting:

• small and compact growth parameters: the height of an adult tree does not exceed 3–3.5 m, and its diameter is 2 m. When a plant is 10 years old, it grows to only 1.2–1.5 m, with a width of 0.8 m;
• decorative crown, which takes on a conical wide-pyramidal shape and is distinguished by the density and density of branches and shoots, which are directed upward along the diagonal;
• dark green, steamy, hard, shiny needles. The needles reach 12 cm in length and are collected in compact bunches (usually two in one);
• slow growth: in one year the plant grows by only 8-10 cm;
• dense arrangement of branches;
• the formation of ovoid cones painted in brown on a tree. Their average lengths are 8 cm and widths are 2.5 cm. The scaly brushes of the cones are flat in shape. Seed is elliptical, 6–7 mm long;
• the presence of large diamond-shaped leaf pillows on the branches, after the needles have fallen;
• high frost resistance;
• photophilousness;
• a well-branched rhizome that deepens into the ground is also worth noting as one of the key characteristics in the description of pine. Since the vital activity of culture directly depends on the roots and compliance with the rules of their planting.

Preparing the landing site

Dwarf pine Compact Jam does not have high requirements for a seat. The main thing is that it should not be excessively moistened, since excessive moisture and stagnation of water adversely affect the root system of the culture and even are fraught with its death.

Did you know? Geldreich pine is considered a long-liver. The oldest representative tree of the species grows in Bulgaria; its age is 1300 years.

Regarding the type of soil, the tree is not picky: it will grow perfectly even on poor and dry soils. But still prefers well-drained, loamy, fresh sandy loamy lands. Acidity must be neutral. To do this, loosen the soil and add lime to a depth of 20 cm from the top layer of soil.

The proportions in grams per 1 m² depend on the level of acidity of the earth and its type (clay and loamy lands or sandy and sandy loamy ones):

• pH less than 4: depending on the soil types indicated above, 500–600 g, 300–400 g;
• pH level equal 4.1–4.5: 300–400 g, 250–300 g;
• acidity 5.1–5.5: 250–300 g for clay and loam, and sand types are not limy;
• indicators are close to neutral (5.5–6.0): no lime should be added.

Select and prepare a seat in the following way:

1. Give preference to a sunny, well-lit corner. The tree is afraid of drafts and cold winds, so choose a site that is protected from them.
2. Clean the landing site: clean it of vegetation and its debris.
3. Dig over the selected area.

Seedling Selection

Compact jam seedlings must be purchased in special nurseries. Give preference to pine trees that grow in special containers (containers, pots), which indicates a good development of the roots. Such seedlings will be pulled out from the container along with a lump of earth, and accordingly their root system will not be damaged during transplantation.

If the roots of a seedling are open, then this indicates their low rooting, since special microorganisms are stored on the plant’s rhizome, a small tree needs to absorb mineral substances from the ground. In the open air, without soil, these bacteria die in 15 minutes.

Important! If you want to make sure that a spectacular decorative tree grows from a seedling, then buy those whose age is less than 5 years. Since its adaptation to new conditions directly depends on the age of the tree: the younger the seedling, the faster it will get used to the site.

Make sure that the seedling is grown under conditions identical to those in which you live. This contributes to rapid acclimatization.

Step-by-step landing instructions

It is best to plant a plant in open ground in the spring, after about two weeks outside the temperature is maintained at + 10 ° C and more, and the risk of frost return has passed. Autumn landing is also allowed: around the beginning of September. If you decide to grow a tree in a container, everything is much simpler: just take the culture outside and put it in the right place.

The landing procedure consists of the following steps:

1. Digging holes. In order not to miscalculate with the parameters of the pit, focus on the size of the container in which the seedlings grow. You should prepare a pit, the depth of which will be 20-30 cm more than the length of the container, and the diameter 15-20 cm.
2. Drainage. Lay the bottom of the hole with a drainage layer, the thickness of which should be 5-10 cm. The hole is drained with gravel, sand, expanded clay, crushed brick or crushed stone.
3. Falling asleep. Pour a layer of drainage with a mixture of fertile soil, which should include turf soil, peat and sand in a ratio of 3: 1: 1.
4. Direct landing. Place a white pine seedling in the center of the hole, and spread its rhizome (if the lump of soil crumbles). Then you need to fill the hole with soil. Make sure that the root neck does not go deep into the ground.
5. Compaction of the earth. The soil is well tamped.
6. Watering. Use 10 liters of water for one seedling.
7. Mulching. Spend sawdust, or peat.

When digging planting holes, do not forget about the distance between the trees, it should be 3-4 meters.

Care Features

Caring for a white pine tree will not be difficult even for an amateur gardener: the plant has no special requirements and is not distinguished by finicky. If you have chosen the right site, then the mandatory points of care for Compact Jam are reduced to timely watering, fertilizing, loosening the soil, preparing for winter and pruning the crown.

Watering

Young pine trees should be watered twice a week, using one bucket of water for each. The best time for watering is evening. Adult plants need less watering: 3-4 times a season is enough. But, if the summer is dry, it is worth returning to the scheme 2 times a week.

Video: planting and caring for a pine

It is advisable to water not only the roots of Geldreich pine, but also its needles with a crown. To do this, you need to take a watering can with a spray, because conifers like sprinkling.

Fertilizing and loosening the earth

The Compact Jam pine needs to be fed in order to have a healthy and attractive decorative look. As a rule, compost and fertilizers are required for conifers (Compo, Plantafol, Novofert). They feed in the spring, because they provoke the growth of shoots, and this is true precisely when warm times are ahead.

Important!Before applying fertilizer, it is necessary to loosen the soil. The procedure is necessary in the fall. Do not loosen deep so as not to damage the roots.

Constantly clean the area around the trunk of weeds, as weediness is an ideal environment for the development of pathogens and pine pests.

Pruning and preparing for winter

Pruning of the white Heldreich tree is a small adjustment of its shape, in the case of asymmetrical development of shoots and branches. This procedure can be both formative and sanitary in nature. Formation is necessary in order to give the tree the desired shape. Sanitary pruning is to remove dry and damaged branches, spend it in spring and autumn.

Did you know?Artificial silk and leather are made from pine wood.

Preparing for winter is to mulch the soil around the trunk with a peat layer up to 10 cm thick. Such a procedure is necessary to ensure that the roots of the tree have a comfortable temperature regime and to preserve the moisture they need during the frosty period. The first 5 years of life, a young plant is recommended to be covered with winter spruce branches in the winter to protect it from the cold.

The path to creating a spectacular landscape design on your own plot is quite simple - plant the Geldreich Compact Jam white fast pine. This tree will give the landscape originality and originality. Among the advantages of culture is not only its high decorative qualities, but also the ease of care, cultivation, unpretentiousness to the soil composition and environmental conditions, as well as high frost resistance, which will allow you to admire the green beauty even in winter. If desired, it can even be decorated and dressed up during the New Year holidays.