As rare as they are, growing and caring for conifers is not challenging as long as you provide suitable conditions. Well, that goes for all plants.
Also, some conditions will harm this rare species, and without prompt rescue action, you are likely to be in the market looking for another hard-to-find replacement of the same conifers.
Now that you bought your conifers, what next?
Remember to get more of this rare species sent to your doorstep for a beautiful compound from conifersgarden.com.
Read on.
Planting
The best time to grow conifers is during the spring and early fall when it is cold and rain is plenty. It would also be best to plant conifers on a day with lots of clouds to protect water’s transpiration from retaining soil moisture. Conifers prefer growing in full sun; however, the dwarf species in the southern zones do best in an afternoon shade.
Growing Conditions
To ensure you are growing your conifers in the best conditions that also protect them, take note of the following;
Soil
The best soil for conifers growth is slightly acidic and well-drained loamy soil. The only time you will need to add organic matter is when the soil is light, poor-draining, and very compact. With poor soil drainage, it would help to have a raised bed prepared with improved soil.
Watering
Just like most plants, a new plant needs utmost care until it develops new roots. Ensure you are keen to check them for the first three weeks to maintain sufficient water to avoid drying. However, after a maximum of 6 months, when the roots are mature and out, you can reduce attention frequency.
You should only water about 3 inches of the soil when it feels dry. Preferably, deep watering is ideal than regular shallow watering. However, watering will depend on the types of conifers and the kind of soil.
Feeding
Remarkably, conifers are not heavy feeders; therefore, you will only need to fertilize annually with a complete garden fertilizer. The best time to feed the conifers is in late fall before the soil’s freezing and early spring before the plant breaks dormancy.
Pests and Diseases
The most common and horrid pests that attack pines are the bark beetles that kill healthy and weakened trees. After sucking out the sap and killing the trees, they move to the adjacent trees killing the entire spread.
Pitch canker is a fungal disease that attacks pines, and if allowed, it will kill the tree. The infection can spread by using contaminated tools and also transporting infected trees to plant uninfected trees. Still, infected trees create infected seedlings even though they can grow without any signs of the infection; the disease will show later on.
It would be best to act when you sight any infection and pests by using insecticides and pesticides often.
Pruning and Maintenance
Permanently remove dry or dead conifers immediately you spot them. Also, prune the conifers when it is dormant. Although conifers cannot regrow from old wood, ensure you only cut a third of the entire tree.
Still, avoid pruning drastically but only at a time to allow it to recover adequately. Moreover, the dwarf species only need thinning to fully penetrate the plant and allow sunlight and air to penetrate the plant.
Undeniably, conifers are rare and beautiful, thus ensure you only grow them to maintain healthy growth.
