Picea ORIENTALIS

Picea ORIENTALIS - Oriental spruce, Caucasian spruce.

Can be grown in bonsai style!

Spruce is a genus of coniferous evergreen trees in the pine family (Pinaceae), numbering about 45 species distributed across cold and temperate climates, on sandy and rocky soils, and in waterlogged areas of Eurasia and North America. The harsh mountainous regions of China are considered the area of origin. The lifespan of the trees exceeds 200 years, and among them are long-lived individuals that survive up to 500-600 years.

Tall trees with an attractive crown reach 60 m (197 ft) in height and 1.5-2 m (4.9-6.6 ft) in diameter under optimal growing conditions. Straight trunks are covered with grey, uneven, thin, slightly flaking bark. Horizontal branches that droop over time form a pyramidal, low-reaching crown with high shade tolerance. Each shoot is densely studded with short, rigid leaves - needles. Leaf blades in various shades of green sit on leaf pegs. Annually, about one-seventh of the foliage is shed.

Lower branches resting against the ground can root and produce layerings. The root system of the plants undergoes radical changes with age. The taproot supplying nourishment dies off over time. In contrast, superficial roots actively spread out sideways. On well-drained soils, individual roots penetrate obliquely to 50-70 cm (20-28 in).

At 10-60 years of age, the plants begin to bear cones. Female cones pointing upward appear at the branch tips. Smaller male cones are gathered in catkins in the middle of shoots. After pollination by wind-borne pollen, the cover scales close, and the female cones themselves become pendulous. The red or purple coloration turns brown. In mid-winter, the cones open. Slender winged seeds fall onto the snow-covered ground. They disperse over significant distances from the mother plant.

In cultivation, low-growing and medium-sized species and cultivars with attractive needle coloration have gained the widest popularity. Dwarf cultivars are grown under indoor conditions as bonsai. For creating miniatures of various styles, this conifer representative is a unique and pliable material that produces remarkable compositions.

Oriental spruce is a tree 32-55 m (105-180 ft) in height, with a dense, branched conical crown. The bark is scaly, brown, becoming dark grey on mature plants. Young shoots are yellowish-grey or red, while more mature shoots are light grey or grey. Buds are 2-6 mm (0.08-0.24 in) long, ovate, reddish-brown, non-resinous, with triangular scales whose tips are slightly recurved. Needles are 5-9 mm (0.2-0.35 in) long, 0.8-1.1 mm (0.03-0.04 in) wide, four-angled, blunt at the apex, slightly flattened, coarse, and brightly glossy. The needles are arranged more or less flattened.

Cylindrical cones are 6-11 cm (2.4-4.3 in) long and 2 cm (0.8 in) thick, red when young, then light brown. Seed scales are obovate, with an almost rounded entire upper margin, longitudinally striate on the back, with a bright sheen. Seeds are 2-5 mm (0.08-0.2 in) long, black, with a longer yellowish-brown wing.

It is advisable to pre-stratify the seeds. Before sowing, conifer seeds are soaked in a potassium permanganate solution, then for 24 hours in clean water, and then sown in sand to a depth of 0.5-1 cm (0.2-0.4 in). The container is kept from several days to 2 months in the cold at a temperature of 4-5 °C (39-41 °F). Under home conditions, seeds are placed in the refrigerator in late autumn or winter and planted in spring.

In March, the sowing is moved to a warm location, moistened from a spray bottle, and germinated in light at a temperature of 21-22 °C (70-72 °F). Both overwatering and desiccation must be avoided. Seedlings appear in 2-3 weeks. Little spruces are watered gently, fed twice with a weak solution of complex fertilizers, and the soil is lightly loosened.

In late May, seedlings are transplanted into open ground. Adding compost or mineral fertilizers to the planting holes is recommended. The earth is lightly firmed after planting the seedlings. A mini-greenhouse made of plastic film or plastic bottles may be required for a few days. Coverings must be removed for aeration and condensation removal.

Alternative method: Seeds are sown either in autumn or in spring. They are pre-soaked for 24 hours in water, and after sowing are mulched with sawdust in a layer of 5-6 cm (2.0-2.4 in) in autumn and 2-3 cm (0.8-1.2 in) in spring. Seeds sown in spring germinate in two weeks, and in autumn - in several months. Seedlings must be shaded. Young plantings are loosened shallowly, by no more than 5-7 cm (2.0-2.8 in), since the root system is located close to the surface.

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Spruces are quite undemanding, drought-resistant, shade-tolerant, and mostly withstand the harshest winters without losses; some species are fairly tolerant of excessive soil moisture and air pollution. They grow slowly, especially in the early years. They do not tolerate shallow groundwater and are sensitive to soil compaction and trampling. They tolerate shearing well, becoming very dense afterward.

Mature spruces are fully frost-hardy and are not covered for the winter. Young trees, especially during the first two years after planting, are mulched with peat or sawdust in a 6-8 cm (2.4-3.1 in) layer, and the foliage of young saplings of ornamental forms is protected from frosts and sunburn with fir branches or kraft paper. In spring, the peat is not removed, but mixed with the soil while raking it away from the root collar.

Early spring is considered the best time for planting on a plot. If multiple spruces are planned, planting pits measuring 60x80 cm (24x31 in) are spaced 2-3 m (6.6-9.8 ft) apart. A drainage layer of crushed brick and sand is constructed, and a mound of earth is poured. Roots perish within minutes in open air, so the root ball should not be disturbed. Together with it, the plant is lowered into the pit without burying the root collar. The soil is compacted and gently watered.

Cuttings or seeds are used for propagating trees on a plot. Cuttings are carefully cut, the lower part is stripped of needles and placed in a rooting hormone. Then they are planted into a mixture of sand, peat, and perlite at an angle. After watering, the plants are placed in a cold frame or covered with film. At a temperature of 24-27 °C (75-81 °F), the twigs root quickly.

The plant tolerates transplanting better than other conifer species: the taproot stops growing early, and lateral roots form a shallow root system, which, however, results in poor wind firmness.

When grown for bonsai, shaping of the seedling begins when it reaches approximately 10-12 cm (3.9-4.7 in). After 2-3 years, the plant is repotted into a new container - a bonsai pot. Subsequently, the plant is repotted less frequently. At a more mature age (and growing a bonsai takes decades), spruce is repotted very rarely. Only formative pruning is performed on the miniature composition. For healthy growth, complex fertilizers are applied regularly, keeping in mind that the dosage indicated on the package should be halved.