Silver firis a native coniferous tree with a conical crown. It is rarely found in gardens due to the high cultivation requirements and sensitivity to air pollution, which often causes diseases. However, it is worth getting to know the gardenvarieties of silver firwith a picturesque appearance. If you do not have a garden in the city, it may turn out thatgrowing silver firwill not be a big challenge: -)
Silver fir - Abies alba
Fig. depositphotos.com
Silver fir - description of the appearance
Silver fir , otherwise also known as white fir (Abies alba) occurs naturally in mountainous areas all over Europe, and in Poland it can also be found in the lowlands. This evergreen tree grows up to 55 meters in height, but breeders have focused on selecting much shorter, oftendwarf silver fir varietiesthat will easily fit into gardens.
Silver fir has a conical, regular and quite loose crownThe needles are dark green on the top and with stripes of wax coating on the underside. Green, cylindrical, raised silver fir cones turn brown with time. When they mature, they disintegrate, releasing the seeds.
Silver fir - varieties
We presentsilver fir varietiesof small sizes, suitable for even small gardens.
Silver fir 'Pyramidalis'- is a variety with a narrow columnar habit. Slowly growing, after 10 years it reaches a height of about 10 m. It thrives in home gardens, planted near water reservoirs.
Silver fir 'Pendula'- is a unique variety which, thanks to its columnar habit and hanging side shoots, is an extremely attractive accent. It looks best when planted singly as a solitaire. It grows slowly and after about 10 years it grows to about 2 m in height and 1 m in width.
Common fir 'Ibergeregg'- is a dwarf variety growing up to 1.5 m in height, with an irregular, asymmetrical, wide habit. Interesting habit and quite rare, thick twigs and spiky needles make it resemble bonsai trees. The variety is recommended for home gardens, rockeries and moors, and as a solitaire.
Silver fir - Abies alba
Fig. Vassil, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons
Silver fir 'Compacta'- slowly growing variety reaching 2-4 m in height. It has a compact, conical crown and is perfect even in small gardens.
Silver fir 'Brinar'- is a slow-growing, dwarf variety, reaching 2-3 m in height, with a typical, conical shape. Its dark green, shiny, spiky needles blend in beautifully with the vegetation of heather gardens. Looks good as a solitaire. Fully frost-resistant.
Silver fir - cultivation
Silver fir has high cultivation requirementsIt grows best in semi-shaded positions with high air humidity. It is sensitive to drought and polluted air. It prefers fertile, loamy and moist soils with a slightly acidic to alkaline pH.
Silver fir is sensitive to low temperatures(the species is included in the plant frost resistance zone 5B) and performs best in regions of the country with a milder climate - in the west of Poland and in Pomerania. In severe winters, it sometimes gets cold. In addition, it does not tolerate temperature fluctuations well. For the winter, it is worth protecting young plants with a tunic or, for example, a cover.nonwoven agrotextile to protect them against cold wind and moisture loss.
Silver fir requires a moist substrateYoung plants are the most susceptible to overdrying. They should be watered rather rarely, but very abundantly. As a result, the trees will take root more strongly and will withstand periods of drought longer in the later years.
Silver fir requires watering also in autumn , in snow-free winters and in early spring, if rainfall is insufficient. During this period, plants may be threatened by the so-called physiological drought.
Fertilization of silver firis best done in early spring or autumn, using natural compost or granulated manure. In the period from spring to mid-summer, you can also use mineral fertilizers, which will ensure faster growth and better color of the needles. The best solution is a multi-component fertilizer for conifers.
Silver fir - planting
Silver fir seedlingsbought in containers can be planted all year round, except during periods of drought and frost.Plants purchased with a root ball should be planted in early spring or autumn.
When preparingfir planting stand , first of all weed and loosened. Then we dig a sufficiently wide hole, and when the substrate is not fertile and humus enough, we mix the obtained soil with peat or compost in the ratio 1: 1. Then we place the fir as deep as it grew in the container and water it abundantly. It is good to mulch the soil under the plant immediately after planting, which will reduce the evaporation of water from the soil and slow down the growth of weeds. Pine bark is ideal for this purpose.
Silver fir - Abies alba
Fig. Daderot, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons
What to plant next to the fir tree?
A large selectionlow and dwarf fir varietiesgives a lot of room for lovers of rock, heather and naturalistic gardens. Fir, because it feels good and looks beautiful in the company of trees and shrubs, among which it grows in its natural state, such as: elm, ash-leaved maple or common beech.
Silver fir looks good when plantedwith colorful deciduous shrubs, such as Thunberg's barberry, tawuła, hydrangea, as well as on moors with other acidophilic plants, such as Japanese pieris or azalea garden.
Silver fir - cutting
Silver fir primarily requires sanitary pruning. We make them in early spring, removing sick, dead shoots. We cut to the place with green twigs, and if there are no green twigs on the stem - cut them completely up to the trunk.
Silver fir - reproduction
In amateur crops, we can mainly try topropagate silver fir from seeds , because it is very difficult to root cuttings. From seeds, however, it is worth propagating mainly the basic species. In the case of ornamental varieties, seedlings often do not reflect the characteristics of the mother plant. Professional breedersreproduce ornamental silver fir varieties by grafting
Fir propagation from seeds- seeds from existing trees are harvested from August to October. They are mixed with moist sand and kept at 10-15oC for a month. When the first sprouts appear, we sow them in cold frames, tunnels or directly into the ground. The best time is from mid-April to the end of May. Sprouts appear after 3-4 weeks. In the second half of May or June, young seedlings are transferred to the ground. Young seedlings grow slowly and require special attention - regular watering and shading. They can be quilted after a year. Trees 4-6 years old are planted permanently.
Silver fir - diseases and pests
Aphids weaken plants, often transferring viral diseases and promoting fungal infections.Fir may contain specific species of aphids :
- fir adhesion,
- rush protein,
- fir bend.
As a result of feeding these pests,deformation and bending of fir needles , covering the needles and shoots with white waxy secretion produced by aphids, and general weakening of plant growth. We prevent aphids by spraying with the Emulpar 940 EC oil preparation in early spring or with paraffin oil. After noticing symptoms of pest feeding during the growing season, you can use the natural Emulpar 940 EC or the orange oil-based Limocide preparation, and if that is not enough, use the Karate Gold Tuje and Iglaki insecticides, Mospilan 20 SP or Polysect 005 SL.
White coating on fir shoots - aphid feeding effect
Fig. © PoradnikOgrodniczy.pl
Spider mitesare tiny mites that suck the juices out of the plant. Symptoms of spider mites feeding on fir are small, yellow and brown discoloration on the needles, followed by dying off and falling needles.Sometimes there are also delicate cobwebs.Spider mites on silver fircan be fought with the same natural preparations as aphids, ie Emulpar 940 EC and Limocide. Spraying is performed after the pest feeding symptoms have been noticed, and Emululp is also applied as a preventive measure in the early spring in order to eliminate forms overwintering on the plant. Among chemical insecticides, the spider mite preparations Karate Gold and Ortus 05 SC will be helpful.
Fir rashis a fungal disease leading to discoloration and then dropping of the needles. The needles become covered with tiny black spots that enlarge over time and appear as orange circles. The changed places turn black with time and necrosis forms on them, and the infected tree loses its needles en masse. In case of disease symptoms, fallen needles should be collected and burned. Spraying with Scorpion 325 SC and Topsin M 500 SC fungicides is also necessary.To limit the use of chemicals, it is worth using them alternately with the natural preparation Biosept Active.
Fir and carnation rust- it is the most dangerous disease of fir, affecting its branches and trunks. It is known to produce fiendish brooms in the crown and cause wood cancer on the stump. Infected in the springspots on young fir shoots thicken in autumn, and over the years they turn into cancerous tumorsThe buds located within the infected parts of the bark develop into morbidly swollen shoots the following year after infection. which short needles are formed in the circumferential system, and not in planes close to the horizontal as on normal shoots. In the years that follow, these shoots branch out, and because the branches again do not lay horizontally, but vertically, abushy creature called the witch's broom is formedSick spots on the shoots grow into a thickening trunk, in which then tree crayfish form with strong and deeply fissured bark and even a large open wound.
After cutting fir shoots with visible signs of rust, spray them. Scorpion 325 SC is recommended foranti-rust spraying on fir . Spray the entire plant thoroughly, spraying 2-3 times every 2 weeks. Spraying can be performed alternately with the natural preparation Limocide.
MSc Eng. Anna Błaszczak
