Nordmann fir: growth per year, care and pruning

The Nordmann fir comes from the Caucasus and reaches heights of growth of up to 60 meters. It was named after the Finnish naturalist Alexander von Nordmann, who is credited with bringing the magnificent tree to Central Europe. Here it grows in domestic gardens up to 25 meters high and up to three meters wide. Even in old age, the lower part of their trunk does not bare, but remains fully loaded.

growth

A Nordmann fir can be recognized by its straight trunk, its strong needles and its symmetrical, pyramid-shaped growth. The lower part of their trunk is always evenly overgrown with branches. Since they spread far, the Nordmann fir is particularly suitable for larger lawns. When young, a Nordmann fir grows very slowly and can therefore initially be grown as a container plant. Then you can put them in the house at Christmas and you have a very evenly grown, spicy-scented Christmas tree. Older Nordmann firs grow a little faster. On average, a Nordmann fir grows between 25 and 30 centimeters per year. In width it grows up to 15 cm per year.

What to consider when buying

If you want to plant a Nordmann fir, you can buy a sapling from a tree nursery. Nordmann firs are also often available in garden centers and hardware stores. The young specimens are ca. 160 centimeters tall. With larger trees, the rootstock is already too big to be dug up again. If a Nordmann fir is bought as a potted Christmas tree, then it is less suitable for later in the garden being planted out because their roots have been clipped for the pot, making growing outdoors difficult might.

Location

Shady and semi-shady areas are suitable as locations for the Nordmann fir. Young trees in particular do not like blazing sun. However, how much sun a Nordmann fir can tolerate depends on the variety. Older trees can certainly thrive in the sun.
The Nordmann fir prefers:

• shade and penumbra
• northern slopes
• high humidity

Unfavorable can themselves

• strong sunlight
• icy east winds in winter
• polluted air

at the location of the Nordmann fir.

The Nordmann fir should be planted from the start where it should be forever. The tree belongs to the taproot family. This means that its main root grows deep into the soil and cannot be removed again later. However, young plants are also suitable for pot culture because they only grow a few centimeters a year. It is easy to find a shady spot on the terrace for a Nordmann fir planted in a pot.

What else should be considered when choosing the location:

• when placing in front of a hedge or wall, keep enough distance, because later the tree will grow even wider at the bottom and develop strong roots
• unsuitable for smaller gardens because it grows up to three meters wide

The ideal floor

Nordmann firs grow well on humus rich soil enriched with loam. Ideally, it should be loose and permeable. Brown soils are also ideal. The Nordmann fir grows on calcareous as well as on acidic and alkaline soils. The ideal pH is between 5 and 6. Too solid and dense soils increase the frost sensitivity of the fir in winter.

• mild, humus-rich loamy soil or brown earth
• fresh, loose, deep soil that is kept consistently moist
• no heavy clay soils that are too firm and not very permeable to air
• no compacted soils

When and how to plant

A Nordmann fir can be planted in late summer, autumn, winter and spring. The ground should be frost-free. Before planting, the root ball should be thoroughly watered. The planting hole must be twice as large and twice as deep as the root ball.

• loosen the lower soil in the planting pit to the depth of a spade.
• Add potting soil and some fir fertilizer
• Tie a support stake loosely to the tree and place it in the planting hole
• Fill the planting hole with soil
• stamp the earth well
• remove excess excavated soil with a wheelbarrow
• Water regularly for the first few weeks

If smaller seedlings have been planted, they should be protected from frost by a cover. Root cloths can be cut open and partially planted as they will rot later.

Cultivation in the bucket

• Choose a bucket twice as wide and deep as the root ball
• Lay drainage over the drain hole to avoid waterlogging
• Before filling the pot with soil, place it on a base with castors so that it can be easily transported later
• Water the plant well and place it in the pot
• After planting, fill the pot with potting soil or garden soil
• Press the soil down well and water the plant

Sow

The best seeds for growing Nordmann firs are those that come directly from their natural area of ​​origin, the Caucasus. The seedling must be well cared for and fertilized, only then will it grow into a small tree. After 10 to 12 years it has reached a height of about 1.80 meters. The seeds should be sown in the year of their harvest. Then their germination capacity is almost 90 percent. If they are only sown in the second year after the harvest, the germination rate is only 50 percent.

To find out which seeds are really germinable and which are empty, place them in a glass filled with water for 1 to 2 days. The empty seeds rise to the top of the water while the viable ones remain at the bottom of the jar. Nordmann firs are cold germs. This means that before sowing, the seeds must be stratified, i.e. subjected to cold treatment. To do this, they must be placed in the freezer compartment of the refrigerator or in the freezer for 1 to 2 days. You should then keep it in the normal fridge for about 14 days, wrapped in foil with moist sand. Before sowing, it is advisable to soak the seeds in a water bath for 24 hours.

Sow directly in the garden or in a seed pot. Outdoor sowing is possible in November and December or in the following spring. A shady sowing spot should be chosen. Loose flower ends with sand are suitable as growing substrate. After sowing, the substrate must be watered and kept evenly moist. The germination time is several months. Only then do the first small seedlings appear.

Pour

The first time the Nordmann fir is thoroughly watered immediately after planting or sowing. In the weeks that follow, the freshly planted tree or seed should be regularly watered. Especially in times of low rainfall and in summer it is very important to keep the soil evenly moist.
Watering older Nordmann firs is no longer necessary. Their roots are then so deep and long that the trees provide themselves with water, even in prolonged dry weather.

Tub cultures, on the other hand, have to be watered constantly because they cannot draw groundwater from the ground. However, it is important to avoid waterlogging.
If a pot plant is brought into the house as a Christmas tree at Christmas, it must also be watered regularly, because it constantly draws water, especially in warm rooms. It is also advisable to spray the needles of the bucket Christmas tree with water from time to time.

Fertilize

As a rule, it is sufficient to fertilize the young fir once a year with a commercially available long-term fir or conifer fertilizer. These special fertilizers contain all the nutrients that the young plant needs. Since older Nordmann firs no longer need as many nutrients, regular fertilization can later be dispensed with.

Cut

Commercially available Nordmann firs are usually around ten years old. They may be cut back in summer if less vigorous growth is desired. In order to keep the fir narrower, the outer shoots can be shortened a little. All you have to do is simply snap them off. However, younger seedlings and younger saplings grown from seed should be spared. It is not necessary to affect its growth with a pruning. Only brown branches have to be removed here. Cutting back is only an option when the tree is more than 3 years old. Pruning should be done after flowering. The flowering period is from May to the end of June. The pruning should ideally take place at the end of June or beginning of July.

• wait until the tree is at least three years old before pruning
• cut only after flowering, at the end of June
• It is best to only cut out dead branches with brown needles

Diseases and pests as a result of poor care

The Nordmann fir is sensitive to excessive sunlight, heat and environmental toxins. The following pests can attack them:

pine aphid

Younger Nordmann firs and weakened trees that may already have been damaged by a bark beetle are very susceptible to pine aphid infestation. This is reflected in a peak drought of the young plants. It is caused by the sucking activity of this pest. If older fir trees are infested with the pine aphid, both the shoots and the branch tips wither. If a tree has been infested for several years, the pine aphid can even kill it.

Small pine bark beetle

The small pine bark beetle is also a pest that primarily affects young and weakened trees, but also older, ailing trees. An infestation can be seen on reddish colored shoot tips, branches and parts of the crown. With a stronger infestation, the bark comes off in larger pieces. It is not possible to control the pine bark beetle. Trees that are already infested can usually no longer be saved and must be felled.

pine trunk aphid

An infestation by a pine tree aphid can be recognized by white wax flakes that become visible on the bark of the fir tree. Damage caused solely by pine stem lice is usually very minor. Serious impairments to the health of the tree usually only occur when other pests such as pine aphids or pine bark beetles appear. In most cases, however, these can be successfully eliminated with chemical pesticides.

Healthy through all seasons

By choosing the right location and regularly keeping the soil moist, pest infestation of the Nordmann fir can be prevented. The fir tree is naturally very strong and resilient. In general, older specimens require little maintenance. If the Nordmann fir has the right location and is initially sufficiently watered and fertilized, it will grow into a strong, healthy and large tree.

In spring, summer, autumn and winter it wears its evergreen, wonderfully fragrant needles, which makes it so popular as a shade provider for the garden. If you don't choose deciduous trees for the front yard, but opt ​​for a noble Nordmann fir, you can save yourself the hassle of removing leaves in autumn and have little trouble cleaning the lawn hold. In winter, young Nordmann firs should be protected from frost.

winter protection

Adult Nordmann firs are generally hardy. Young trees, on the other hand, often react sensitively to cold easterly winds in winter and to late frosts in spring. Strong solar radiation from the lower sun can also endanger young Nordmann firs. They should therefore be protected from frost and sun with fleece, straw mats or brushwood. Poorly aerated soils can experience a lack of water in winter.

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