Tips for decorating with conifers

Conifers are plants that bring beauty and elegance to the garden. In addition, there are many that, due to the size they reach, serve as protection hedges and even as windbreaks, and since they usually have evergreen leaves (except for a few species) they are ideal for those who want to have their particular green paradise always clean and tidy. .

However, to achieve your goal it is important that you take into account a series of things so that later problems do not arise. Follow these tips to decorate with conifers and enjoy your garden from the beginning.

Choose those that can grow in your area

Unfortunately, not all plants can grow well in all parts of the world. There are some that only grow in warm areas, others in cold ones; others in acid soils, others in alkaline ones ... Each of them has specific needs, so to avoid wasting money in vain it is necessary to acquire conifers that have the nurseries closest to the home.

Don't plant them too close together

These plants, although most have a slow-medium growth, they need to have enough space to be able to thrive. If they are planted too close together, in the end it will happen that only the strongest will survive; that is, those that have been able to absorb more nutrients from the soil through their roots.

For this reason, before planting them, it is highly recommended to know how much distance to leave between the plants you want to put up. For example:

• Genus Cupressus: if it is allowed to grow 1-2m on its own, but if it is cultivated as a 50-60cm hedge.
• Genus Picea: 1m.
• Genus Pinus: depends on the species, but usually 1-2m.
• Genus Taxus: 2-3m, unless it is cultivated as a hedge, in which case 40-50cm would be sufficient.

Use the dwarf conifers to fill in the empty gaps

Although they are not known much yet, the truth is that dwarf conifers are exceptional plants. They can grow in both semi-shade and full sun, and do not require much maintenance, which is why they are often planted in rockery..

Some examples are, in addition to the Pinus mugo that you can see in the image above, the following:

All of them do not exceed one meter in height, so you can have them even in pots.

Disinfect your pruning tools before using them

To prevent them from becoming infected, it is very important to disinfect the pruning tools before using them, since otherwise it will be very difficult to avoid losing them. Therefore, if you are going to prune your conifers, Clean tools with pharmacy rubbing alcohol when needed, and after use. 

Remember that the best time for pruning is at the end of winter, when the temperature begins to rise above 10ºC.

Enjoy your conifers

I know, it is not a decorating tip, but I think it is the most important thing: enjoy the plants. Observing them every day, seeing how they grow, how they change over the years, the fauna they attract,… is without a doubt the most beautiful thing. 🙂

So, do you dare to have conifers in your garden?