Larch tree(Andromeda polyphony) owes its popularity to both decorative qualities and ease of cultivation. Willingly planted in the company of other acidophilic species, it is an ornament of heather gardens. Learnsecrets of growing larchand its most interesting varieties recommended for gardens. We also suggest proven ways toreproduce larch
Common Larch - Andromeda polyphony
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What does the common larch tree look like?
Common larch, also referred to as European larch, occurs in its natural state in Poland. It is a perennial shrub with narrow, leathery leaves similar to rosemary leaves. However, they must not be confused, because unlike this popular herb, the leaves of larch are very poisonous!
Larch flowersare small, bell-shaped, ranging in color from white to pink. This plant blooms from May to June. Its slender, thin, partially creeping shoots become woody over time. It is a relatively short plant, growing up to 30-40 cm in height.
From the end of July and in August,Larch fruits appearThese are five-chamber, spherical-shaped, raised bags, topped with a permanent, dried-up post neck. The fruits are very durable and stay on the plant for a long time. Sometimes they can be observed even in winter.
Common Larch - application
Larch tree is a decoration of heather gardens , where it is planted in the company of plants with similar cultivation requirements, such as e.g.azaleas, heathers and heaths. Such assumptions can be supplemented with beautifully contrasting ornamental grasses, such as hair sedge, sea bass, morgue and blue tiger. Larch tree looks beautiful against the background of creeping junipers, yellow-flowering gorse, fruiting cotoneaster and thorny holly or broom, which enliven the heath with their flowers in spring and early summer.
Note!The shoots, leaves, flowers and fruit of the European Larch are poisonous. That is why we grow this plant only for ornamental purposes. Let's be careful that children do not accidentally get interested in the fruits of the larch, and all care work on this plant should be carried out in protective gloves.
Common Larch - varieties
Blue Lagoon- is a low, evergreen shrub, growing up to 30 cm high and approx. 50 cm wide with bluish leaves and pink flowers. It blooms in May and June. Due to its creeping habit, it is an excellent groundcover.
Common Larch 'Nikko'- is a low shrub growing up to 20 cm in height. Its tiny, narrow, leathery, bluish leaves and light pink bell-shaped flowers make it a perfect match for heather, pieris and kalmia. It blooms profusely. It also works well as a border plant. It looks great in pots and containers with other heather plants.
Blue Ice Larch
Fig. shutterstock.com
Larch trees 'Compacta'- is a variety of larch trees with a compact habit, slowly growing, growing up to 25 cm in height. Densely embedded leaves covered with blue-gray coating and pink flowers, gathered in loose clusters, make the plant decorative all year round.
Blue Ice Larch- it is compact and a low shrub growing up to 20 cm high and 40 cm wide.Thin and quite brittle shoots are covered with leathery, lanceolate, wax-covered leaves with an intense blue color. Bell-shaped pink flowers, gathered at the tops of the shoots, develop in May. Due to the fairly extensive habit, this variety of larch is recommended to be planted with a slightly larger spacing of 40x40 cm. This larch variety was awarded a bronze medal at the Green To Life exhibition in Warsaw in 2004.
Common Larch - cultivation
Larch grows best in moist, peaty and acidic soils(3.5-5.5 pH). We plant it in a sunny (peaty) or semi-shaded (other soil types) position. It is fully resistant to frost (included in the plant frost resistance zone 3), but in the coldest regions of the country, due to the occurrence of physiological drought, it is worth protecting the shrubs in winter with cloth or agrotextile. To cover the surface tightly,larch trees are planted at a distance of 30x30 cm(the exception is the aforementioned widely growing larch 'Blue Ice', which we plant at a spacing of 40x40 cm).
The plant is available for sale, rooted in a pot.Larch trees are best planted in the spring , unless it is exceptionally warm - then the autumn date is better. Prepare a hole twice the size of the root ball, and pour 10 cm of gravel or other pebbles on its bottom, which will prevent the seedling from flooding the roots.
Fruit of the common larch
Fig. depositphotos.com
Preparingsubstrate to fill the hole for common larchprepare a mixture of garden soil and acid peat in the ratio 1: 3, to which you can also add ground pine bark and coarse sand. At the bottom of the well, pour a layer of the prepared substrate, then insert the root ball so that the root neck is level with the ground. We cover the hole, and then instead of kneading, which does not have a positive effect on the shallow root system of the larch, we water the soil until it settles.
In order to reduce the evaporation of water from the soil, it is worth mulching the soil under the plant, e.g. with garden bark, composted sawdust or leaves. Water the seedling regularly, but sparingly so as not to overflow the substrate.
Larch tree does not require shaping, only sanitary cuts are used, consisting in removing dried, frozen or broken shoots. Thiscutting of larchis best done just after winter, when it is best to see which shoots are damaged.
Fertilization of larchis done in spring . After the frosts are over, the plant is fed with fertilizers rich in nitrogen and phosphorus. It is good to apply fertilizers intended for conifers or rhododendrons and hydrangeas. Ideally, they should be slow-release fertilizers intended for heather plants. Autumn universal fertilizers should be applied no later than mid-August, which will facilitate the preparation of the shrubs for the first autumn frosts.
Flowers of the common larch
Fig. depositphotos.com
Common Larch - reproduction
Common Larch can be propagated by woody cuttings, plant division or by sowing seeds.
Larch propagation by cuttingsis the simplest method. The seedlings are harvested in the second half of the year, preferably in November and December. Before flowering, the shoots intended for cuttings are taken from he althy mother plants aged 3-6 years. Cuttings, about 15-20 cm long, are prepared from shoots under the inflorescence or from the apical parts. All leaves should be removed from the lower part of the seedling (up to 2/3 of its length), and the lower leaves should be shortened even by half. Before planting, the end of the cuttings can be dipped in the rooting agent.
Heather plants take root well in a mixture of high peat and sand in the proportion of 4: 1 or 5: 1. If the cuttings are lignified enough, it takes about 2-5 weeks.Containers with seedlings are placed in a foil tunnel, greenhouse or garage with a temperature of 0 to 5 ° C. We plant the plants permanently in late spring or early summer.
If we choose generative reproduction, it is recommended to sow larch seedsin the fall (if we have a heated greenhouse) or at the turn of February and March. The seeds are sown in flat boxes with soil for acidophilic plants with the addition of peat. Plants that are at least two years old and 15 cm tall should be planted on the target sites, and it is recommended that the young plants be kept in a greenhouse for the first winter.
Another way ispropagating larch wood by divisionThe best time to divide larch wood is late autumn or early spring. In order to obtain a new plant, separate a small fragment of a clump or stolons with roots and plant it in a pot. Once the roots have developed well, the plant can be planted into its final position in the garden.
MSc Eng. Anna Błaszczak
