Proper care for Japanese umbrella fir, Sciadopitys verticillata

The needles of the Japanese umbrella fir look like the umbrellas on a cocktail glass. As a solitaire in the garden or cultivated in a bucket, the decorative conifer can really unfold. In the first years of life, the plant develops more like a shrub. Only after about 10 to 15 years does it become a columnar tree. But Sciadopitys verticillata makes some demands on the hobby gardener and is sometimes not easy to care for.

Location

Finding the ideal location for the Japanese umbrella fir is a bit difficult. Because she is very demanding. She likes it sunny to semi-shady, but direct sunlight should be avoided in winter. Likewise, the fir should be cultivated in a wind-protected location. However, this can also be a bit difficult, since the fir does not like taller plants directly surrounding it. Therefore, the ideal location should be chosen as follows:

• bright and sunny
• nevertheless avoid direct winter sunlight
• in front of a wall or in a corner
• yet far enough away
• if the corner narrows, the umbrella fir does not like it
• next to a taller tree
• there should be enough space in between

substrate & soil

The high-maintenance umbrella fir also makes many demands on the substrate. Since this should have the following characteristics, rhododendron earth, moor earth or peat earth are well suited:

• nutritious
• moist but permeable
• low in lime
• sandy
• the existing garden soil is mixed accordingly
• However, rhododendron earth can also be filled directly into the planting hole or bucket

watering & fertilizing

The Japanese umbrella fir does not necessarily have to be fertilized. However, if a nutrient deficiency occurs, easily identified by yellow or brown needles, action should be taken. However, the umbrella fir does not tolerate a longer dry period and must therefore be watered regularly, especially if it does not rain for a long time. This is definitely also the case in winter, if it is dry for a longer period of time, it must also be watered on frost-free days. An umbrella fir that suffers from drought also develops brown needles. The decorative plant also likes to have a shower from above during long periods of drought. However, this should only be carried out in the evening hours so that the sun does not cause burns. However, only low-lime water should be used for the irrigation water, so ideally use collected rainwater. Proceed as follows when fertilizing due to a lack of nutrients:

• April is optimal for fertilizer application
• Fold in compost
• Use fir fertilizer or long-term fertilizer for fir trees
• Pour manure over the floor
• these fertilizers are ideal
• they contain nitrogen, phosphorus but also zinc and iron

Plant

Once the right location for the Japanese umbrella fir has been chosen, it can be planted. Like many other trees, firs are commercially available as potted plants or in bundles. Sciadopitys verticillata can be planted all year round, except on frosty days. If the baled goods were chosen, however, the time over the winter, from October to April, should be chosen as the planting time. Then proceed as follows:

• Dig and prepare soil
• dig the planting hole twice as big as the root ball
• Put the fir tree in a pot with water
• lay drainage on the bottom of the planting hole to prevent waterlogging
• Scatter stones or shards of pottery on the floor
• Put on the umbrella fir
• Fill in the soil all around
• make sure that the trunk is upright
• Press the soil down lightly and water well
• water well for the first few days

transplant

The umbrella fir is one of the few trees that doesn't mind being transplanted. If the old location is no longer optimal for the coniferous tree, a new one can be found. The best time for transplanting is autumn and winter. Here, however, a frost-free time must be selected. The roots of the umbrella fir should be given more space in the new planting hole. Otherwise, the procedure is the same as for the planting. If the fir tree is dug up at the old location, however, great care must be taken here so that the sharp spade does not damage the roots. Therefore stake out and dig out the earth far enough around the trunk.

Cultivation in the bucket

If you don't have enough space for the expansive umbrella fir in the garden, you can also cultivate it in a bucket, because the graceful firs are even planted and valued as bonsai. In this way, it can adapt to its environment, and thus also to a bucket, and grows correspondingly more slowly if it cannot expand with its roots. The ideal location is particularly important when keeping buckets. Under no circumstances should this be in full sun, it is better if the bucket is in the shade, the fir itself can tolerate the sun. But the soil in the bucket with direct sunlight dries out much faster, which the Japanese umbrella fir does not tolerate at all. When planting pots, the following should also be considered:

• create drainage over the drain hole
• this avoids dangerous waterlogging
• place shards of pottery or stones over the hole
• lay plant fleece over this so that no soil blocks the drainage
• fill in some prepared soil
• Put in the umbrella fir, fill in the remaining soil
• water well
• Half an hour later, pour off excess water from the plate

repot

It must be repotted at the latest when the roots of the plant protrude upwards. Then the bucket became too small. Since it is a flat-rooted plant, the roots only grow in width and, if there is a lack of space, upwards. But ideally, the Japanese umbrella fir should be given a new, slightly larger pot every two years at the latest. The procedure for repotting is the same as for planting in a bucket.

Cut

Sciadopitys verticillata usually does not need a cut. Because it has a very slow growth and above all it grows very regularly and densely. This beautiful growth form given by nature should therefore not be destroyed by a cut. Only if the conifers take up too much space can they be shortened on the sides. However, it must always be ensured that no holes are cut into the dense growth. These may no longer grow. The leader should also never be cut.

sowing

Hobby gardeners who already own an older umbrella fir have the opportunity to harvest the pine cones here. However, these only form in later years, young fir trees do not yet bear fruit. The cones are taken from the tree to obtain the seeds and placed in a warm, dry place to dry out. When the cones open, the seeds fall out on their own. Germination is a lengthy affair, so a lot of patience is required here. The sowing is then proceeded as follows:

• Fill pots or bowls with potting soil
• insert the seeds and water lightly
• cover with transparent foil for the germination time
• ventilate every now and then
• keep soil moistured
• put in a warm, bright place
• only after 100 days or later do the first seedlings appear
• even after that, growth is very slow
• only plant out when the firs have reached a size of 5 to 10 cm

multiply

The decorative coniferous tree can also be propagated by cuttings. However, this method is often not so successful. However, if you have a little patience, you can still use shoots of your Japanese umbrella fir to attempt propagation. This should be done as follows:

• select semi-ripe shoots in summer
• cut them and stick them in potting soil
• keep soil moistured
• pull a transparent film over the cuttings
• bright and warm
• once roots have formed, move to a larger container
• put outside in summer
• if the tree is big and strong enough, it can be planted out

hibernate

The umbrella fir is generally frost tolerant. Nevertheless, their roots should be protected from frost in the ground. Mulch and fallen leaves from other trees and shrubs are suitable for this purpose. These are not straightened up and disposed of, but distributed directly around the fir on the ground. This protects the earth from drying out in winter and from frost. If Sciadopitys verticillata was cultivated in a bucket, it should be moved to a sheltered place in winter. The bucket is also wrapped with brushwood mats or plant fleece, and some mulch is also applied to the soil. It is particularly important that the umbrella fir is protected from the winter sun, which it cannot tolerate. So it can be brought to a shady place in the bucket. If the tree is in the garden bed, it must be provided with sun protection if this is not provided naturally, for example by the shade from a house. This can be done as follows:

• if the tree is still small, a parasol will suffice
• even the big fir hardly tolerates winter sun
• plant a tree nearby at the same time as the umbrella fir
• however, there must be enough space between the tree and the umbrella fir

Care mistakes, diseases or pests

Mistakes in care, such as dryness, too much moisture or a lack of nutrients can result in yellow needles. Then the hobby gardener has to find the cause to counteract this. If the soil is too wet, a fungal disease can also develop, which could be dangerous for the fir. Root rot can also occur here, and even then the umbrella fir can often no longer be saved. If there is a nutrient deficiency, chlorosis can occur. But this can also be counteracted with the right fertilizer. Unfortunately, pests are also known:

• at a young age, spider mites appear on the fir
• these can be combated with special commercial insecticides

Conclusion

If you want to cultivate the decorative Japanese umbrella fir in the garden, you need a little time for maintenance. The location is particularly important in order to offer the tree the best environment. She makes many different demands on this, which perhaps cannot all be met together. If you still don't want to do without this gem, you can also cultivate the fir in a bucket that is placed on a mobile base. Depending on the circumstances, the plant can always be assured of the ideal location. However, once you have decided in favor of this decorative coniferous tree, with good care you can enjoy a beautiful, graceful, evergreen and decorative tree for many years.

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