The Serbian Spruce is a delightful narrow crowned evergreen with a blue-green underside to each needle giving the whole tree a wonderful silvery appearance. It is a slower growing and more elegant tree compared to many other members of the spruce family. It has an important place in parks and large gardens because of its very attractive crown form and ability to grow on a wide range of soils, including alkaline, clay, acid and sandy soil and even chalk providing adequate moisture is present.
It was originally discovered in 1875 growing in a small area of forest linking eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina and western Serbia it is now widely planted throughout northern Europe and North America mostly as a specimen ornamental tree and also as an alternative Christmas tree.
It needs to be grown in an open position as it cannot grow in the shade. A good wind-firm tree that resists strong winds but not maritime exposure or atmospheric pollution. It is also very frost hardy and comes into growth very late in the spring, making it suitable for planting in frosty valley bottoms and frost pockets where other earlier flushing species such as the Norway Spruce would be badly damaged.
Germination and after care information sent free with every order
Germination, Sowing and After Care Information for
Serbian Spruce (picea omorika)
Serbian Spruce seeds are relatively easy to germinate and grow. The dormancy within the seed is short and easily broken and reasonable success can be expected even when seeds are sown without any form of pre-treatment. The benefit of a short period of pre-treatment is that a greater percentage of seeds will germinate and the germination of the seedlings will be syncronised with most seedlings germinating within a few days of each other.
The pre-treatment is done as follows.
Soak the seeds in water for 24 hours. Fully drain away all of the water and place the seeds in a zip-lock freezer bag. Place the seeds in the fridge, it is important that during this period that the seeds do not dry out or are waterlogged otherwise the pre-treatment will be ineffective.
t is important to keep checking the seeds every week or so to make sure that they are not drying out. You could also at the start of treatment incorporate a little damp vermiculite or perlite, this helps to keep the seeds moist but not waterlogged.
After around 4 weeks under these conditions the seeds are ready to be sown.
Seeds should be sown into containers filled with a good quality general potting compost. Suitable containers could be plant pots, seed trays or plug trays or even improvised containers with drainage holes. Firm the compost gently and sow the seeds on the surface. If you are sowing in plug trays, sow 2 or 3 seeds per cell.
Cover the seeds with a couple of millimeters of vermiculite or failing that a fine layer of sieved compost. Follow with a gentle watering and keep them at room temperature. Germination will begin within a 10-14 days of sowing.
The seedlings are reasonably robust and trouble free and usually grow to a height of between 2 and 10 cm in the first growing season depending on the sowing date and cultural techniques.
Developing seedlings should be fine in full sun, keep them well watered and free of competing weeds.
Growth will accelerate in the second and subsequent years and the developing young trees should be re-potted as necessary preferably during the dormant season. After perhaps 2 or 3 years they are ready to be planted in their permanent position
The pre-treatment is done as follows.
Soak the seeds in water for 24 hours. Fully drain away all of the water and place the seeds in a zip-lock freezer bag. Place the seeds in the fridge, it is important that during this period that the seeds do not dry out or are waterlogged otherwise the pre-treatment will be ineffective.
t is important to keep checking the seeds every week or so to make sure that they are not drying out. You could also at the start of treatment incorporate a little damp vermiculite or perlite, this helps to keep the seeds moist but not waterlogged.
After around 4 weeks under these conditions the seeds are ready to be sown.
Seeds should be sown into containers filled with a good quality general potting compost. Suitable containers could be plant pots, seed trays or plug trays or even improvised containers with drainage holes. Firm the compost gently and sow the seeds on the surface. If you are sowing in plug trays, sow 2 or 3 seeds per cell.
Cover the seeds with a couple of millimeters of vermiculite or failing that a fine layer of sieved compost. Follow with a gentle watering and keep them at room temperature. Germination will begin within a 10-14 days of sowing.
The seedlings are reasonably robust and trouble free and usually grow to a height of between 2 and 10 cm in the first growing season depending on the sowing date and cultural techniques.
Developing seedlings should be fine in full sun, keep them well watered and free of competing weeds.
Growth will accelerate in the second and subsequent years and the developing young trees should be re-potted as necessary preferably during the dormant season. After perhaps 2 or 3 years they are ready to be planted in their permanent position
