Cedar pine is not only a spectacular evergreen plant, which is often used in landscaping of personal plots, but also gives a good harvest of delicious and very healthy pine nuts. The article will consider a detailed description of cedar pine, its most common species, as well as the characteristics of planting and caring for a young plant.

Description of the tree and regions of cultivation

Cedar pine belongs to the genus Pines, is an evergreen tree or shrub that reaches a height of 4 to 50 m, has a trunk diameter of up to 2 m. The life span is at least 500 years, sometimes trees can live up to 1000 years. The pine tree has a thick multi-vertex crown with thick shoots. The shape of the crown depends on the species and can be cupped, ovoid, conical. Sometimes it is straight and even, and in some species a curved trunk differs in brownish-gray color, and on old specimens a fissured, scaly bark appears.

Cedar pine has a whorled branching, young shoots of light brown color with a long, red pile. The shortened branches are covered with dark green needles with a bluish or bluish coating, the length of the needles is from 6 to 20 cm, which are soft. In the context, each needle has three faces with light notches. On one branch there are many bundles, each of which consists of 5 needles.

The root system is a short rod conductor (up to 50 cm), on which there are longer, thin branches with a large number of small root hairs. If the pine grows on well-drained light soil, then powerful anchor roots develop on the conductor, which go 2-3 meters deep and ensure trunk stability. The vegetation period of the tree is not more than 45 days a year, therefore, cedar pine belongs to slow-growing species.

Did you know? Cedar pine wood is very much appreciated and is used not only for the production of furniture, but also for dishes. It is believed that due to the high content of phytoncides, milk in such a container retains freshness longer.

The tree tolerates shade well, but prefers to grow in lighted areas. The monoecious nature of cedar pine involves placing male and female cones on the same plant. Pollinated by the movement of the wind. The male cones are located closer to the trunk on young shoots, and the female ones are located at the ends of the “older” processes, which are already completing their development. The kidneys are characterized by a conical shape, are strongly narrowed at the ends, from 6 to 10 mm long, have no resins. As a result of pollination of the plant, the formation of fruits - egg-shaped cones that grow different sizes, from 4 to 17 cm in length and from 5 to 8 cm in width. The color of the cones at the beginning of growth is purple, with time changes to brown.

Each cone has tightly pressed scales, with a short and stiff nap. Fruit ripening lasts at least 14 months; cones fall in late summer or early fall of next year. After dropping the cones by the tree, they still have closed flakes, one fruit contains from 30 to 150 seeds, which are called pine nuts. Seeds - obliquely-ovoid in shape, dark brown in color, up to 18 mm long. One tree per season is able to "give" from 5 to 18 kg of seeds. The beginning of fruiting of cedar pine depends on the species and occurs after 20-60 years of growth.

Depending on the species, cedar pine has become widespread in different parts of the world. For example, Siberian cedar in the wild is distributed throughout the forest part of Siberia, in the west of the Urals and in Central Altai, rising to a height of up to 2 thousand meters. There is also a tree in Kazakhstan, northern Mongolia and China. European cedar pine grows in the mountainous parts of Central and Western Europe, adjacent to European spruce and larch. Breeding of the European variety is carried out by such countries as Austria, Germany, Poland, Romania, Norway, Sweden and Iceland.

Did you know? In the wild, the reproduction of cedar pines and their spread over large areas is due to the small bird - cedar, which eats nuts. Stocking up food, cedar bury seeds in the ground and often forget about them, so they soon germinate.

Some species

Cedar pine is the conventional name for several species of plants from the genus Pines, whose seeds are edible.

The most common of them:

• pine pine - It is represented by a small creeping woody plant, whose branches are widely spreading. It can form a crown of various configurations: from a cup-shaped to a tree-like. In height, the plant is from 4 to 12 m. The root system of a young tree is represented by a short rod root, which dies out over time and the lateral processes develop and strengthen actively. The color of the needles in young plants is light green, in old ones it is gray-green. Cones ripening occurs 2 years after flowering. Cones are small, up to 7 cm in length, have an ovoid or elongated shape, small (up to 9 mm in length) pine nuts are formed and ripen in the scales. Fruiting occurs on the 30th year of tree growth and lasts about 200 years, the crop is harvested once every 2-4 years;
• European cedar pine - grows in the form of a tree, has a wide ovoid crown. The height of the plant does not exceed 25 m, the trunk diameter is 1.5 m. The root system is well developed, has one short, thick central conductor with a small number of long, thinner processes. The needles consist of bundles of 5 needles each, the length of the needle is about 9 cm, the color is green-blue. Cones of European cedar are small, up to 8 cm in length, each cone contains up to 200 seeds, up to 12 mm in size. Fruiting occurs 60 years after the start of growth; harvesting occurs every third year;
• korean pine - It is represented by a tall tree, up to 50 m, with a trunk diameter of up to 2 m. It has a developed, dense conical or round-ovoid crown. The root system is an underdeveloped stem and many small lateral processes that go 1 m deep. The shoots are covered with thick, long needles (needles up to 20 cm long) bright green in color. Cones ripening occurs in late summer and early fall of the next year after flowering. Cones are large, up to 17 cm long, form up to 150 seeds inside, up to 18 mm in size. Fruiting begins in the sixtieth year of life, sometimes later, harvest of pine nuts is collected once every 3-4 years;
• Siberian pine cedar - a tree, reaching a height of 25–40 m, has a dense multi-vertex crown. The root system is represented by a short central conductor and a large number of smaller root processes. The needles have a dark green color with a gray coating, the length of the needles is up to 14 cm. Cones of medium size, up to 13 cm in length, form on the tree. Each cone can hold up to 150 seeds, up to 14 mm in size. The fruiting period begins when the plant reaches sixty years of age; pine nuts are harvested once every 3 years.

Planting and reproduction

Cedar pine is undemanding to environmental conditions and grows well in personal plots. However, in order to minimize the effects of diseases and pests, as well as to maintain a spectacular appearance of the plant on an ongoing basis, it is recommended to pay attention to the following tips:

1. For planting, it is better to choose a well-lit place and a large free space, since the future adult tree will be massive, with a branched, strong root system.
2. The best soils for planting pine cedar are wet sandy loam and loam. It is possible to grow a tree on clays, however, the organization of an additional thick drainage layer will be required.
3. Overly acidic soil must be liming. Before each planting, 300 g of lime are added to each well.

Important! It is not recommended to plant cedar pine near the birch, which absorbs all moisture from the soil and does not allow the coniferous tree roots to eat normally.

The process of planting a young seedling in the adjacent territory should look as follows:

1. In the selected area, the soil is cleaned of weed vegetation, dig up, removing the rhizomes of plants, which can interfere with the normal development of a young plant.
2. Next, dig a hole for planting, the size of which will depend on the age of the purchased planting material and the size of the root system. As a rule, seedlings are sold with a closed root system, so the size of the pit is not difficult to determine - you should add half the diameter of an existing earthen coma.
3. To maintain the stability of the young plant and the formation of an even trunk, it is recommended to provide additional support in the form of a wooden or metal stake, which must be fixed in the pit. The length of the support should be at least 2 m, so that after filling the pit there is enough height left to garter the pine.
4. The bottom of the pit is filled with a drainage layer of at least 10 cm. In case of planting in clay soil, the thickness of the drainage should be from 20 cm. As a drainage layer, ordinary crushed stone or ceramic fragments are suitable.
5. A seedling with a closed root system is placed in a pit and the voids are filled with a mixture of peat and a fertile, previously dug, soil layer (1: 1). If there is no peat, it can be replaced with compost or manure in an amount of 1 bucket of fertilizer per 3 buckets of soil.
6. The final stage of planting is abundant hydration of the trunk circle. At least 5 buckets of water should be poured under each seedling.
7. If you plan to organize a pine planting of several copies, you should adhere to the recommended distance for planting pines - at least 6 m between each plant.

Propagation of cedar pine is most efficiently carried out by sowing seeds. The procedure is performed in the autumn period, at the end of September, when the soil is still warm enough. The seed placement depth should not exceed 4 cm, a distance of 20 cm is maintained between each row. Each seed is placed at a distance of 10 cm from each other. Crops are covered with a plastic film, which is removed in the spring, after the seeds are pecked and the shell has fallen from the emerged seedlings. After 2-3 years of cultivation, high-quality young seedlings are obtained that are planted in a permanent place.

Care Rules

The picky cedar pine grows well in the wild without additional care and human intervention in the processes of life. In the case of growing a tree at home, everything is slightly different, since the climate and soil, which differs from forest soil, can inhibit the growth of a young immature seedling, which will affect the attractiveness of the appearance of needles. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the basic rules for caring for cedar pine in home growing conditions.

Did you know? Pine nuts in Siberia are used to make vegetable cream, which have a nutritional value 3 times higher than cow's, as they contain more than 80% fat.

Watering

Cedar pine is a hygrophilous plant, it does not tolerate prolonged drought, so in the first few years, while the root system is sufficiently strong and grows, it is necessary to regularly irrigate the tree trunk as the top soil layer dries.

2-3 buckets of water should be poured under one tree every 2-3 weeks, reducing or teaching watering depending on weather conditions - air temperature and frequency of rainfall. Watering the plant is carried out from late spring to early autumn, when the soil is still in a warm state.

Top dressing

Selling copies with a closed root system do not need to be fed for the first 2 years, in an earthen coma contains all the necessary nutrients. After the aforementioned time, the plant is fed 1 time per year, introducing special nitrogen-containing compounds for conifers. The amount of fertilizer applied depends on the concentration of nutrients in the preparation, and is determined in accordance with the instructions. Good fertilizers for cedar pine are considered compounds "Agricola", "Grandiol", "Yara Mila".

Mulching and loosening the soil

Since cedar pine has a superficial root system, the process of cultivation must be done very carefully, affecting only the topsoil. The depth of cultivation should not exceed 20 cm, it is better to perform the procedure with a pitchfork or glanders, while removing weeds from the near-stem circle. Loosening is usually carried out after watering, when all the water is completely absorbed, but the soil has not yet had time to dry out.

After loosening, it is better to mulch the near-stem circle immediately, which will allow to retain moisture longer and protect the treated area from weeds. Ideal materials as mulch for cedar pine are sawdust, spruce branches or decayed leaves. Mulch is laid in a thick layer, up to 10-15 cm, completely covering the surface of the trunk circle, where the roots are located.

Haircut and trim

From the second year of growth, after planting, they begin to form the crown of cedar pine to preserve its lush structure. The most effective is the "garden form" of pruning, which allows you to form a lowered, sprawling, multi-vertex crown. The first 10-15 years after planting, the lower branches of the plant are removed at a damage of 2 m from the ground. Manipulation should be carried out by secateurs at the base of shoot growth. To stimulate the rapid healing of wounds, the sections are covered with garden var.

It is possible to abandon tree pruning altogether if, in the first 3–5 years after planting, break-in of side buds on an axial shoot is carried out. Thus, it is possible to ensure that all nutrients enter the central kidney of the axial shoot, increasing its growth over the year by 2 times. Any manipulation of pruning or breaking off the buds is necessary only in the autumn-winter period, until the moment the tree enters the active phase of vegetation.

Do not confuse cedar pine with cedar, which is suitable for the formation of various figures or hedges. Cedar pine does not tolerate even partial removal of needles, and especially an abundant haircut, so it is forbidden to perform such a procedure.

Winter preparations

Despite the high frost resistance of cedar pine, the winter period of time is no less dangerous for it than for other plants with low resistance to strong temperature extremes.

The main problems that may arise are:

• fracture of branches under the weight of snow, which as a result entails a decrease in immunity and infection with fungi or pests of the affected area;
• thaws in winterwhen there is an active evaporation of moisture from the near-stem circle. The root system is drained and cannot compensate for the lack of moisture (since the tree is at rest), which often leads to the death of the plant;
• frosty wind, which can cause severe frostbite of some young immature shoots and lead to their death, which negatively affects not only the decorativeness of the plant, but also significantly reduces immunity.

Important! Tall trees cannot be covered; therefore, in winter, snow accumulations on branches should be regularly shaken off to avoid kinks from being overweight.

To avoid the above problems, it is necessary to timely prepare for winter, while maintaining the correct sequence of actions.

1. In late autumn, 2 weeks before the first severe persistent frosts, water-loading irrigation of the soil should be carried out, which will allow the plant to be saturated with moisture in sufficient quantities and not to suffer during the thaw. Under each tree, it is recommended to add about 10 buckets of fluid at intervals of several hours, 3-4 buckets per approach.
2. Perform the procedure of warming trees by wrapping the trunk and branches with agrospan, which is a fairly thin covering material that can pass air, but at the same time allows you to protect plants from freezing wind and snow. The procedure should be performed at the end of November, when the tree begins a period of rest.

Diseases and Pests

Cedar pine has a high resistance to diseases and pests, but during a period of weakened immunity, young and even some adult specimens can suffer from their harmful effects.

The most common pests that can appear on cedar pine trees are:

• hermes - an insect whose small larvae cannot be seen with the naked eye. They merge into a solid white coating on coniferous branches. The larvae feed on the sap of the plant, which leads to yellowing and drying out of the needles. To combat the pest, “Fufanon”, “Decis” or “Actellik” preparations are used, which treat the crown of the affected tree and pour “Aktara” under the root. Use insecticides carefully, in accordance with the instructions on the package, observing the dosage and recommended frequency of application;
• pine aphid - It is represented by an oblong-ovoid, highly pubescent small insect of gray color, which settles on the branches of needles, forming whole colonies, and feeds on the plant sap. The eggs of the insect winter well, attaching to the bottom of the shoots. An effective way to combat aphids is the spring treatment of the plant “Karbofos” (according to the instructions), which will destroy the insect eggs;
• silkworm pine - a brown butterfly with a wingspan of up to 85 mm, gray caterpillars, large, up to 80 mm in length. This is the most dangerous pest, whose caterpillars eats needles and small shoots of the plant, often destroying the whole tree with a massive defeat. To protect the plants, the biological product "Lepidocide" is used according to the annotation to the drug.

Diseases that sometimes affect a cedar pine tree are presented:

• rust - manifests itself in the form of yellow bubbles, eventually turning into powder, which scatters along the branches and affects the needles. The fungus usually lives on grasses and weeds growing near the tree, so cleansing the trunk circle will help prevent the spread of rust. Effective rust control preparations do not exist, therefore it is better to break off and burn affected branches to avoid mass spread of the fungus to other parts of the plant;
• seryane or tar cancer - is a consequence of the defeat of the plant by a rust fungus, it infects all terrestrial parts of the plant, depleting the plants and completely suppressing immunity, which leads to the rapid death of cedar pine. The affected parts are removed and burned; upon mass settlement of the fungus, the pine is completely cut off to protect the remaining specimens from death.

Landscape design application

Cedar pine is actively used by landscape designers in large summer cottages to create interesting compositions. Looks good in gardens, creating an imitation of a real forest. Landing of such large-sized plants is best done in groups of 3-4 units, with which you can surround the gazebo or bathhouse.

In addition to the spectacular appearance of a pine planting, you can create a wonderful space with clean air and a pleasant coniferous aroma. When placing cedar pine, it should be borne in mind that the tree grows large enough, creating large shady areas, and this can be detrimental to a number of growing sun-loving plants.

Thus, cedar pine is an excellent option for decorating a summer cottage. In order for the tree to grow beautiful and healthy, it is necessary to carry out care procedures in a timely manner, protect it from the effects of diseases and pests, and follow the basic recommendations for growing.