Instead of chopping young Christmas trees for the New Year, which will dry up a couple of weeks after the holiday, it is better to grow a real tree yourself at home. To grow this tree, special conditions are not needed, it is enough just to follow simple rules, and then everything will work out.
We plant a cone with seeds
Cones are best harvested in the forest between October and January. Young, tightly closed cones are suitable for planting. Green buds are not suitable for this purpose. Please note that cones are best suited not from the forest, but from the city park. Trees grow there that are better suited for growing in a metropolis.
Place the pine cone vertically in a pot of soil. Most of the bud should be above the soil surface.
Maintaining moisture
Water the bud daily in small portions. Excess water will cause the bud to mold and rot. After a while, the first shoots will appear on the cone. Water for irrigation must be defended during the day. So chlorine will come out of it, and metal salts will settle to the bottom of the watering can.
We keep in a dry room
If the indoor air is dry, try to increase the humidity. Spruce sprouts do not tolerate dry indoor climate. Place a humidifier near the seedling, or build something like a small greenhouse: you can cover the cone with plastic or other similar material. The air in it will be humidified by evaporation from the soil in the pot. The main thing is not to make the greenhouse completely sealed - leave small holes in it.
Getting used to outdoor climate
Spruce care is a painstaking and long process. In an apartment, it will grow to 30-50 cm in about 4 years. By this time, the root system will get stronger, and the tree can be planted on the site.
Before planting a tree in open ground, you need to harden the young seedlings. To do this, take the pot of spruce to the balcony or yard. Start with 20-30 minutes, gradually increasing your outdoor time to 4-5 hours. It is best to start such procedures in spring or autumn, when the air temperature is not too high or low. Gradually, the plant will get used to the outside air and will more easily transfer the transplant to open ground.
We transplant to the site
The optimal time for planting seedlings in open ground is the end of March or April. At this time, the snow has already melted, and the ground has warmed up a little so that the gardener can prepare a place for replanting.
Be sure to add some forest earth to the hole. Dip the plant into the hole right along with the clod from the pot. Sprinkle soil over the roots, water and compact the soil. After planting, water the tree a little every day. This will help the root system adapt faster. When the tree takes root, frequent watering is no longer required.
If you follow and properly care for the Christmas tree, in ten years you will decorate a Christmas tree in the yard for the New Year, grown with your own hands from an ordinary cone.
