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European or Falling Larch (Larix Decidua) belongs to the genus (Larix), the Pine family (Pinaceae). Under natural conditions, it grows in the mountains of Central Europe, rising to an altitude of 1000 to 2500 m above sea level.
The European Larch was first described by Philip Miller in 1768. It was originally known as the Deciduous Pine. In New Zealand, where the forestry service is planting a crop to combat erosion, it is commonly referred to as “wild coniferous wood”.
What does European larch look like?
European larch is a tall or medium-sized coniferous tree with needles falling down for the winter and a straight trunk. The size of old specimens ranges from 25 to 35 m, while the average trunk diameter reaches 1 m, in the rarest cases - 45 and 2 m, respectively.
Among larches, it is the European one that is considered the fastest growing - it annually adds 50-100 cm. It is interesting that the fastest growing culture is 80-100 years.
In a young tree, the crown is narrow, conical or pin-shaped, often of irregular shape, becomes much wider with age. Branches are horizontal or hanging, with ascending ends. Young shoots are thin, picturesquely falling from raised skeletal branches. The bark is yellowish or gray-yellow, smooth, old cracks and turns brown.
The needles of European larch are bright green, flat, soft, 1 to 3 cm long, collected in bundles of 30-40 pieces on shortened shoots. In autumn, it turns golden yellow and falls off. In winter, the culture is easily recognizable by its knotty branches.
Flowering, unlike most other conifers, is very attractive. In spring, rounded golden male cones appear on European larch simultaneously with young needles. They are located on short leafless shoots, mostly on the underside of the branches. The pollen is not far away.
Oval-rounded cones 2-4 cm long, with 40-50 scales, ripen in the same year, can hang on a tree for up to 10 years. They are colored light brown and covered with soft bristles.
The lifespan of European larch is more than 500 years. The oldest officially recorded specimen was 986 years old.
European larch, unlike other species, has low frost resistance. Without shelter, it can winter only in zone 4; many varieties are even more thermophilic.
There are three main subspecies of European larch, the main difference of which is the geographical position of the natural habitat and the structure of the seed cones:
- Alpine European larch - Larix decidua var. Decidua;
- Carpathian European larch - Larix decidua var. Carpatica;
- Polish european larch - Larix decidua var. Polonica.
European larch varieties
Since European larch is a very beautiful, but high culture, and it grows very quickly, the selection is aimed at creating low varieties. But all the same, the trees very quickly reach several meters. For a small garden, or where a tall plant is simply not needed, since it shades a large area, varieties grafted on a stem are bred.
European larch Puli
The Hungarian variety Larix decidua Puli owes its origin to Jose Mikolos, who selected and planted in the mid-90s of the last century a seedling found with strongly drooping branches.
The crown of a weeping shape, forms a dense curtain of thin branches covered with light green needles, which change color to golden in autumn. At first, the shoots fall beautifully from the height of the trunk, then they spread along the ground.
If the plant is left alone, it will first form a kind of skirt around the trunk, then spread in different directions like a ground cover. Pruning started at an early age and the direction of the shoots in the right direction will help create a real masterpiece. You can even prevent the branches from lying on the ground if you constantly shorten them.
There is no need to talk about the height of the Bullet larch on the trunk - it depends on the grafting and the stock. And the branches will cover the area that landscape designers and owners will provide at their disposal. The annual growth is more than 30 cm, in any case, by the age of 10, the crown diameter will exceed 4 m, if the branches are not shortened.
Frost resistance - zone 5.
Little Bogle Larch
The Australian cultivar Larix decidua Little Bogle is derived from a witch's broom found in 1990.
This is one of the rare cultivars that gives a clear leader. Therefore, the Little Bogle larch variety on the trunk is usually grafted low, and it forms a kind of curved trunk, reaching a height of 130 cm by 10 years.It grows slowly, adding 10-12.5 cm every season.
The shoots of the larch of the European variety Little Bogle are often twisted, forming a wide asymmetrical crown, vaguely resembling an oval or egg.
European larch Kreichi
One of the most original conifers is Larix Decidua Krejci. The variety arose from a deformed seedling discovered in 1984 by the Czech Ladislav Kreichi. It is very difficult to propagate it, as well as to bring it to a permanent place, so the plant remains rare and expensive.
The European larch variety Krejci is a slow-growing tree with sparse twisted shoots growing in unexpected directions. Every year they become thicker, adding 8-10 cm in length. At 10 years old, the plant does not exceed a height of 1 m.
Even a photo of European Kreichi larch makes an indelible impression.
European larch Repens
The English variety Larix Decidua Repens has been known for 200 years, and it is always popular. It is grafted on a trunk, the height of which depends on the size of the tree.
In the photo of European Repens larch, you can see trees that are unlike each other, nevertheless, they are one and the same variety. The shape of the crown depends on where this or that branch "went" - first they rise 50 cm, then fall.
Carrying out annual pruning, and removing branches sticking out "in the wrong" direction, a ball or dome can be formed from larch, with shoots not touching the ground. If it is grafted on a low trunk, you will get a ground cover plant, in the center of which there will be a green "fountain" with a height of just over 50 cm.
The tree grows relatively slowly, adding about 30 cm annually. The needles are light green in spring and golden brown in autumn. Frost resistance - zone 4.
Larch Kornik
The dwarf variety Larix decidua Kornik clearly emerged from a witch's broom. It grows grafted onto a stem, the length of which depends on the size of the plant. The standard height is 1-1.5 m.
It is a neat ball with dense short branches directed upwards, and emerald foliage, which turns golden in autumn. Although the needles fall off in winter, the Kornik larch grafted on a trunk does not lose its decorative effect.
European larch on a trunk
A significant part of modern varieties are plants grafted on a trunk. This allows you to limit the height of European larch, but does not always slow down the growth of shoots. As a result, you can get a tree of the desired size, and the shape of the crown will depend on the scion. Vaccinations can be conditionally divided into three types:
- The easiest option is to inoculate the shoots of species larch on a bole. The plant is limited in height, and even so drooping branches lie on the ground and spread like a ground cover.
- Breeders are looking for shoots of a strange shape, with the original color of the needles or other interesting deviations from specific characteristics. Then they are propagated by grafting and observed. If clones pass on modified forms from generation to generation, a new variety emerges.
- Many interesting cultivars arise from witch brooms. A new variety of European larch will not necessarily have a weeping crown. It can resemble a hedgehog, consist of several bizarrely curved branches or other original shape.
Grafted European larch trees are expensive, but have a unique crown. It is impossible to find two identical ones, and if you start pruning at an early age, then the shape of the tree can be corrected or directed in the desired direction.
A very interesting option for creating an arch from a seemingly well-known variety of European larch Pendula is presented in the photo.
European larch in landscape design
The culture is very attractive for decorating parks, public and private gardens. Especially popular are the undersized and grafted forms of the European Larch Larix Decidua.
The only drawback of the culture is insufficient frost resistance for Russia - zones 4 and 5. We often plant other species that are more resistant to low temperatures.
When planting a tree, you first need to carefully study the characteristics of the variety. Only some grow slowly and take up little space, the rest need space, even grafted on a trunk.
European larch looks good as a tapeworm, it can be planted on the lawn, in the parterre, in the foreground of landscape groups - the tree will surely attract attention. Autumn golden needles look especially original. Even in winter, gnarled, gnarled branches do not spoil the appearance of the garden, but give it a kind of zest.
Larch is just that culture, during the cultivation of which the imagination of the owner or landscape designer can fully manifest itself. It is important to remember that the formation of the tree should be started as early as possible. Only then can you create an original, unlike anything crown, while maintaining decorativeness and without harming the plant.
Planting and caring for European larch
Larch is undemanding to soils, but it grows better than drained podzolic or sod-podzolic, and on sands it grows poorly. Suffers from drought and stagnant water at the roots. It tolerates urban conditions well, which makes it attractive for landscaping parks and squares where automatic irrigation is equipped.
It is better to plant larch dug with a clod of earth at the age of 6 years; for container plants, the terms are limited to 20 years. Then there is a danger that the tree will not take root.
For planting, it is better to choose autumn, after waiting for the needles to fall. Varieties of European larch that can withstand low temperatures, in cool regions where summer is not hot, can be placed on the site in spring, before bud break. This does not apply to container plants - they are planted throughout the season, except for the hottest months.
The place must be chosen open, since larch does not withstand shading. Be sure to take into account the growth rate of the culture, and do not plant nearby plants that require good lighting.
Seedling and planting plot preparation
The planting hole is prepared in at least 14 days. If it is necessary to completely change the substrate, it is prepared from leaf humus, peat and sand, taken in a ratio of 3: 2: 1. The drainage layer is standard - 20 cm.
First, gravel or broken brick is poured into the dug hole, then the remaining volume is filled by 70% with the prepared substrate. Pour in water until it ceases to be absorbed, and allow to settle.
It is better to take a seedling of a species from a local nursery. The grafted larch trees are likely to be imported, they are bought in a container. At the same time, they check the moisture content of the earthen coma, the flexibility of the branches, the freshness of the needles (if any).
Landing rules
When planting any trees, they try to disturb the root minimally. Larch must be handled as carefully as possible. Landing is carried out in the following sequence:
- Part of the soil from the pit is taken out with a shovel.
- A seedling is installed in the middle.
- They fall asleep with an earthen lump with a substrate, constantly squeezing it from the edge of the pit to the center.
- A mound is formed along the edge of the trunk circle to retain moisture.
- Water abundantly until water is no longer absorbed.
- When the moisture is gone, the soil is mulched with a layer of 5-7 cm.
Watering and feeding
European larch, like other species, is demanding for watering. She needs them not only after planting, but throughout her life. Of course, at first it is watered more often, but even after complete rooting, the operation is carried out in the hot summer 1-2 times a week. In the cool season, moisture is reduced, but not stopped, and in the fall, moisture is recharged.
European larch is fed twice a year with specialized fertilizers for coniferous crops. They are produced separately for the spring - with a high nitrogen content; in the summer and autumn, phosphorus and potassium predominate.
You cannot neglect top dressing, since European larch is a deciduous tree:
- in spring, with a lack of nitrogen, young needles will grow weak, will not be able to provide a healthy growing season during the season, which may end with the death of European larch in winter;
- in the fall, phosphorus and potassium help the culture to safely endure the dormant period, increase winter hardiness, and reduce the likelihood of frost damage.
Foliar dressing is of great importance, delivering to European larch those substances that are poorly absorbed through the root, but are vital for the plant. Spraying is done no more than 1 time in 14 days. If the tree is too tall, at least that part of the crown that can be reached is treated.
Mulching and loosening
They loosen the soil under young plants in the year of planting and the entire next season after rain or watering. Then they are limited to mulching the trunk circle. To do this, it is better to use pine bark, which is sold in garden centers already treated for pests and diseases. It is divided into fractions from 1 to 5 in size; it is not difficult to find the necessary one for your site.
Pruning
European larch tolerates pruning at a young age. Reading this statement, novice gardeners often ask the question: "What to do next?" The answer is simple: continue the formation started earlier. In adult larch, young shoots can be completely removed or shortened, but old ones should not be touched.
So, if the tree is going to be given a specific shape, to direct the branches in one direction or another, you need to start right away. Larch is not an apple tree, which can be launched until it completely loses fruit, and then cut out 1/3 of the skeletal branches at a time to put it in order. This is a culture, the "education" of which should be started from a young age, or left alone, limiting itself to sanitary pruning.
Preparing for winter
European larches need shelter in the year of planting. Then the trees are protected from the cold only with a thick layer of mulch, they carry out autumn moisture recharging, they are fed at the end of the season with phosphorus and potassium. Special attention is paid to the grafting site - if it is not protected by branches, it is better to wrap a layer of white agrofibre around the trunk.
The frost resistance of the species plant and most varieties of European larch is low - zones 4 or 5.
Reproduction
European larch is propagated by grafts and seeds. Cuttings root better than pine, but not much. Those who like to propagate the culture on their own will not be able to vegetatively, and in nurseries the operation does not always end with success. The percentage of rooted cuttings is extremely low, even among specialists.
Vaccination is also not an operation for amateurs. But you can try to germinate the seeds after stratification, however, and here you should not really count on bringing the seedling to planting in open ground.
Diseases and pests
The main pests of larch are silkworms, which feed on buds, soft leaves and young cones. Other insects that can harm the culture should be distinguished:
- larch sawyer;
- larch leaf roll;
- larch sheath;
- larch fly;
- pine cone;
- larch moth.
At the first signs of damage, larch is treated with an appropriate insecticide.
The main disease of the culture is considered to be rust, the intermediate host of which is birch, rarely alder. Larch can be affected by cancer and shute. Treatment consists of fungicide treatment.
In order to reduce the likelihood of diseases and pests, it is necessary to regularly carry out preventive treatments and inspect larch.
Conclusion
European larch is a fast-growing, not too frost-resistant species, which has produced many attractive varieties. The culture is recommended for use in urban landscaping in irrigated areas, as it tolerates air pollution well, but requires regular watering.
