European Cedar Pine: description, planting and tree care, application

The European Cedar Pine is an evergreen crop characterized by a strong trunk and powerful roots. Recently, the plant is increasingly used for landscaping city streets, parks and squares. To get an attractive ornamental culture, it is important to familiarize yourself with certain rules and cultivation features. At the same time, it is required to moisten and loosen the soil in a timely manner, to carry out pruning and mulching.

Description of the tree

European cedar is a slender and massive coniferous tree that has excellent decorative properties.It is characterized by dense green needles, which goes well with brown cones. Under natural conditions, this culture is often found in the mountain forests of Central Europe. The plant can be seen in the south of France, in the eastern part of the Alps and the Carpathians.

Culture develops well in moderately moist soil. Under such conditions, it reaches 26 meters in height and 8 meters in width. The crown consists of long needles. At the same time, they have an unusual color - emerald and smoky.

The flowering of the tree is observed in the summer. At the same time, in the first half of autumn, rather large cones up to 25 centimeters long appear on the branches of the plant. Their maturation occurs only after a year. At this time, seeds up to 12 millimeters in size are formed in the cones. Ripe fruits are dark brown in color.

The plant is characterized by a fairly powerful tap root system. Thanks to this, cedar pine does not require regular watering and perfectly withstands the effects of drought.Culture is considered undemanding to care. It is unpretentious to the composition of the soil and humidity. Ephedra is resistant to cold, so it can be grown in different regions. Cedar pine is considered a long-liver. In one place, it can grow for more than 400 years.

On the basis of European cedar pine, breeders managed to create more than 100 ornamental varieties. The most popular and sought-after varieties of culture include the following:

1. Columnaris - characterized by a columnar crown.
2. Viridis - the tree is covered with needles of rich emerald color.
3. Aurea - has a beautiful golden color of the needles.
4. Verigata - the tips of the needles have an attractive golden color, and the rest of the fragments are covered with spots or stripes.
5. Compact Glauka - is a dwarf culture, which is characterized by slow development. Its height is no more than 80 centimeters.From the outside, the tree has greenish-blue needles, and from the inside it is distinguished by a snow-white-sky color. Another feature of the tree is the vertical arrangement of the shoots.
6. Pygmea - this variety is often used to create alpine slides. The height of the culture does not exceed 40-60 centimeters. It is characterized by delicate curved needles, which differ in length.

Useful properties

According to the description, the tree has a wide scope. Cedar European pine is actively used in the woodworking industry and in medicine. This culture is characterized by strong and durable wood. Therefore, it can be used for the manufacture of furniture, souvenirs, dishes. Also, the material is often used as the interior lining of a house.

In folk medicine, all fragments of culture are actively used, each of which has its own characteristics:

1. The seeds are used to make pine nut oil, which successfully copes with varicose veins.
2. Nut shells can be used to combat mastopathy. Also, this product successfully treats sciatica, arthritis and osteochondrosis.
3. Coniferous decoction has pronounced diaphoretic properties.
4. Infusion of walnut shells helps to cope with stress. Also, the remedy successfully eliminates diseases of the kidneys, liver and stomach.
5. Pine resin has strong bactericidal properties. This allows it to be used for burns, wounds and cuts.

Application in design

Pine Pinus Cembra is often used in landscape design. The plant can be used to decorate parks, squares and suburban areas. This culture looks good in single and group plantings. It can be combined with ornamental shrubs and trees.

European Cedar pine emits a large amount of oxygen and phytoncides. Thanks to this, the tree contributes to the disinfection of the air and saturates it with a coniferous aroma. This reflects well on the work of the human body.

To get a relaxing effect, cedar pine is recommended to be planted near recreation areas. It can also be placed near water bodies and combined with other conifers.

Landing: step by step instructions

Pine Pinus Cembra is considered undemanding to care, soil composition and air humidity parameters. To grow a beautiful and useful plant, it is important to properly prepare the site, purchase a quality seedling and follow the basic rules for caring for it.

Cedar pine seedling is recommended to buy in a specialized nursery. It is best to give preference to plants with a closed root system. This helps the culture quickly adapt to new conditions and will ensure the growth of powerful roots.In addition, a seedling in a container can be planted at different times of the year - in spring, summer and autumn. In order for the pine tree to better adapt to new conditions, it is recommended to give preference to seedlings no older than 3 years.

To preserve the decorativeness of needles, European pine is recommended to be planted in an open, well-lit area. This culture is considered undemanding to the composition of the soil. However, it grows well and develops in fertile soil.

It is recommended to use a special substrate for planting the crop. To do this, you need to mix sand, clay and turf in a ratio of 2: 1: 1. If you plan to plant a crop in heavy loamy soil, it is recommended to provide a drainage layer of sand or crushed brick before planting. Its thickness should be 20 centimeters.

When planting several cedar pines, it is important to keep the distance between them. Its size should be 4-6 meters. It is important that the root system is located freely in the hole. To carry out planting work, it is recommended to do the following:

1. Make a planting hole 1 meter deep. At the same time, its width should be 1.8 meters.
2. Fill the hole with 1 bucket of fertile soil and 10 liters of compost. Mix all ingredients well.
3. Carefully remove the seedling from the container and straighten the twisted roots. At the same time, it is important to maintain the integrity of the earthen coma.
4. Place the plant in a bucket filled with warm water. It is important to ensure that the root system does not dry out when planting.
5. Make a small hill in the planting hole and place a seedling on it. At the same time, it is important to ensure that the root collar is on the same level with the ground.
6. Sprinkle the roots with soil. In this case, it is recommended to carefully compact each layer.
7. Plentifully water the planted plant. For 1 seedling, it is recommended to use about 5 buckets of warm water.
8. After absorbing moisture, cover the soil with a mulch layer.

With an asymmetrically developed crown, it is important to properly position the plant during planting. At the same time, it is recommended to direct the less developed side to the south.

Further care

The European Cedar Pine is a drought tolerant crop. The tree equally well perceives both dry and well-moistened soil. At the same time, in early spring, the culture needs abundant watering. This is due to the awakening of the conifer buds during this period. For 1 young plant, it is worth using 50 liters of water.

In hot and arid climates, sprinkler irrigation is recommended. This manipulation helps to increase the humidity of the air, improve the condition of the crown and make the aroma of the plant more intense.

When growing conifers, it is important to consider that the crop does not tolerate nitrogen fertilizers. These substances provoke a slowdown in root development. To preserve the decorative effect of the crown and the normal growth of the root system, it is better to apply mixtures based on phosphorus and potassium.

Loosening and mulching

After planting the crop, the trunk circle needs to be covered with a mulch layer. Thanks to this, it will be possible to maintain a sufficient level of moisture, provide oxygen to the root system, saturate the tree with nutrients and prevent the active development of weeds.

Mulch can consist of needles, leaves, bark. It is best to use materials in a crushed state. As the organic matter decomposes, the soil is saturated with nutrients and an optimal microclimate for the crop is formed.

Loosen the soil as carefully as possible. In this case, it is important to work out only the top layer of soil. Digging the ground in the near-trunk circle is strictly prohibited. This is due to the superficial location of the root system.

Crown formation

Cedar European pine does not need crown formation.However, if necessary, sanitary pruning can be carried out. It is aimed at removing damaged and dry branches. To make the crown denser, it is recommended to shorten annual shoots. It's about half done.

Preparing for cold weather

Adult culture is resistant to frost. She is able to withstand even severe cold and does not need shelter. However, cedar pine seedlings can suffer from harsh climates. Therefore, for their insulation, it is recommended to use non-woven materials that pass air well.

Reproduction

Culture can be propagated by seed or vegetative method. In the second case, it is required to vaccinate on ordinary pine. However, in most cases, gardeners use the seed method.

When European Cedar pine is propagated by seeds, it begins to bear fruit only at the age of 20. If vaccinated, you can harvest after 7-10 years.

It is important to consider that the seed material of the cedar pine quickly loses its germination capacity. Therefore, it is required to plant it immediately after collection. It is recommended to do this between the end of September and the beginning of October.

When propagating a crop by seeds, stratification is mandatory. It is recommended to do the following:

1. Immerse the planting material in warm water and leave for 4-6 days. The water needs to be changed daily. It is important to consider that the temperature of the liquid should be + 25-30 degrees.
2. Mix prepared nuts with peat chips. You can also use river sand. The mixture must be left at room temperature. From time to time it needs to be stirred and watered.

After 50-60 days the seeds will germinate. At this stage, it is permissible to move them to a permanent place. The best option would be a bed with a light and loose substrate. In the second year, it is permissible to dive seedlings.

The European Cedar Pine is a fairly common crop that has useful properties and is often used in landscape design. In order for the cultivation of a plant to give results, a number of rules must be followed.

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