Picea JEZOENSIS

Picea JEZOENSIS - Jezo spruce, Yezo spruce, Picea jezoensis.

Can be grown in bonsai style!

Picea (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 boggy areas of Eurasia and North America. The region of origin is considered to be the harsh mountainous terrain of China. The lifespan of the trees exceeds 200 years, with long-lived individuals surviving up to 500-600 years.

Tall trees with a graceful crown reach up to 60 m (197 ft) in height and 1.5-2 m (4.9-6.6 ft) in diameter under optimal growing conditions. The straight trunks are covered with gray, uneven, thin, slightly flaking bark. Horizontal branches drooping with age form a pyramidal, low-reaching crown with high shade tolerance. Each shoot is densely clothed with short, stiff leaves - needles. Leaf blades in various shades of green sit on woody peg-like leaf cushions (pulvini). Annually, about one-seventh of the needles are shed.

Lower branches resting on the ground can root and form layers. The root system undergoes dramatic changes with age. The taproot providing nutrients dies off over time. Instead, surface roots spread actively outward. On well-drained soils, individual roots penetrate obliquely to 50-70 cm (20-28 in).

At an age of 10-60 years, the plants begin cone-bearing. Female erect cones appear at the ends of branches. Smaller male cones are gathered in catkins along the mid-sections of shoots. Following pollination by wind-borne pollen, the cover scales close, and the female cones become pendulous. The red or violet coloration shifts to brown. In mid-winter, the cones open. Slender winged seeds fall onto the snow-covered soil. They are carried significant distances from the parent plant.

In cultivation, dwarf and medium-sized species and cultivars with attractive needle coloration have achieved the greatest popularity. Dwarf cultivars are grown indoors as bonsai. For creating miniatures of various styles, this conifer provides a unique, pliable material from which wonderful compositions are created.

Jezo spruce is a species very ancient in its origin. It is rightly considered one of the oldest tree species of the Primorye flora, having formed part of the ancient Turgai forest complex. A characteristic feature is its long spire-like top. The needles are linear, green and glossy on the upper surface, silvery-white underneath. The tips of the shoots are turned toward the tree itself. The cones are red, turning brown as they mature.

It is shade-tolerant, responds sharply to changes in air humidity, and does not tolerate waterlogging. It can grow on stony and gravelly soils; when freestanding, it is prone to windthrow. It tolerates transplanting, pruning, and air pollution poorly. It is cold-hardy. It is adapted to short, cool summers. In youth it grows slowly, and later at a moderate pace. The maximum lifespan is 300-350 years.

It is advisable to subject the seeds to prior stratification. Before sowing, conifer seeds are soaked in a potassium permanganate solution, then for 24 hours in clean water, and subsequently sown in sand 0.5-1 cm (0.2-0.4 in) deep. The container is held for several days up 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 with a spray bottle, and germinated in light at a temperature of 21-22 °C (70-72 °F). Overwatering and drying out must be avoided. Seedlings appear in 2-3 weeks. The little spruces are watered gently, fed twice with a dilute solution of balanced fertilizer, and the soil is lightly loosened.

In late May, seedlings are transplanted into the open ground. It is recommended to add compost or mineral fertilizers to the planting holes. The soil is lightly firmed after planting the seedlings. For several days, a mini-greenhouse made of film or plastic bottles may be required. Shelters must be removed for ventilation 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 mulched with sawdust in a layer 5-6 cm (2.0-2.4 in) deep in autumn and 2-3 cm (0.8-1.2 in) in spring. Seeds sown in spring germinate in two weeks, while autumn sowings germinate after several months. Seedlings must be shaded. Young plantings are loosened shallowly, no more than 5-7 cm (2.0-2.8 in), because the root system is located close to the surface.

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Spruces are quite undemanding, drought-resistant, shade-tolerant, and mostly survive the harshest winters without losses, with certain species fairly tolerant of excess soil moisture and urban air pollution. They grow slowly, particularly during their initial years. They do not tolerate high water tables and suffer from trampling and soil compaction. They respond well to shearing, after which they thicken considerably.

Mature spruces are fully frost-hardy and are not covered for the winter. Young saplings, especially during the first two years following planting, are mulched with peat or sawdust in a layer 6-8 cm (2.4-3.1 in) deep, and the needles of young ornamental seedlings are protected from frost and sunburn using spruce boughs or kraft paper. In spring, the peat is not removed, but mixed with the soil, pulling it back from the root collar.

The best time for planting on a plot is considered early spring. If several 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 soil is formed. In open air, roots perish within minutes, so the root ball should not be broken up. The plant is lowered into the pit with its root ball intact, without burying the root collar. The soil is firmed and watered gently.

Cuttings or seeds are used for propagating trees on a site. Cuttings are neatly sliced, the lower portion stripped of needles, and placed in a rooting hormone. They are then planted at an angle into a mix of sand, peat, and perlite. Following watering, plants are placed into a cold frame or covered with film. At a temperature of 24-27 °C (75-81 °F), the twigs root rapidly.

The plant tolerates transplanting better than other conifers: the taproot ceases its growth early, while lateral roots form a shallow root system, which, however, leads to a weaker capacity of the trees to withstand wind pressure.

When grown for bonsai, training 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. The miniature composition only receives formative pruning. For healthy growth, balanced fertilizers are regularly applied, keeping in mind that the dosage indicated on the package should be halved.