Himalayan cedar: description and what kind of cones it has, planting and care, application

Himalayan cedar is a chic conifer that grows without problems in areas with a warm and humid climate. This tree is considered a real long-liver. It can become a decoration of a summer cottage or a park for many years. At the same time, the plant will become more attractive every year. For a culture to develop well, it needs to be properly looked after.

Description of the tree

Himalayan cedar is a very beautiful representative of the Pine family. The culture grows in the mountainous regions of Central Asia. It is also found in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. In addition, the plant is often found in European countries - Austria, Czech Republic, Germany.

Under natural conditions, a culture can live up to 1000 years. At the same time, it will retain its decorative properties and majestic appearance. Some of the plants are located at an altitude of 3-3.5 kilometers above sea level.

In the early years, the Himalayan cedar is characterized by rapid growth. With age, the rate of its growth gradually slows down. An adult tree can reach a height of 50 meters. Moreover, in diameter it exceeds 3 meters. The young culture forms a wide cone-shaped crown, which is distinguished by a rounded top and does not have tiers. Mature plants tend to have a more rounded crown.

The branches are located in relation to the trunk at a right angle, and the ends droop to the ground. The needles of the Himalayan cedar form spirals. Moreover, it can be presented in the form of long single needles or form bundles. The needles are glossy. Moreover, their color can be different - from green to bluish.

Himalayan cedar is a monoecious culture. In autumn, pollen ripens in male cones, which fertilizes larger female fruits. The cones of the plant are located in the upper part of the crown. They are at the ends of the branches and are deployed in the direction of the sun.

Female cedar cones are similar in shape to an elongated barrel, the diameter of which is 5-7 centimeters, and the length is about 13. As they ripen, which lasts 1.5 years, the fruits change color from blue to brick or red-brown . For 2-3 years, the scales open, which helps ripened seeds to fall out. They are shaped like a white egg, 17 millimeters long and up to 7 millimeters wide.

Each seed has a light brown shiny wing. This allows it to spread over considerable distances and sprout hundreds of meters from the mother culture. It is worth considering that inedible seeds are characteristic of the Himalayan cedar.

Common varieties

This culture has excellent decorative properties. Therefore, on its basis, breeders constantly develop new varieties that differ in needle color, durability, and growth characteristics. Below is a description of such cedars:

1. Feeling Blue - is a dwarf creeping culture, which by the age of ten does not exceed 60 centimeters in height. In warm areas, the plant can reach 1.5 meters. The culture is actively growing in width. For a year, it is able to increase by 30-40 centimeters. Thanks to this, the plant forms beautiful weeping forms. The width of an adult plant can reach 3 meters. This variety is characterized by long soft needles of a silver-blue color. Frost resistance parameters reach -27 degrees.
2. Golden Horizon - the annual growth of this plant is 30 centimeters. At the same time, the culture is able to withstand temperatures down to -29 degrees.Young plants have the form of a fountain shrub. Subsequently, the trunk develops more actively, as a result of which the culture acquires a pyramidal shape with weeping branches. This plant is characterized by long and soft needles. In spring and summer, the needles have a golden yellow hue. With the advent of autumn, the needles become greenish or grayish.
3. Karl Fuchs is the most frost-resistant variety that can withstand temperatures as low as -30 degrees. It is characterized by bluish needles and a narrow crown. The culture is growing rapidly. For a year it increases by 30 centimeters. By the age of 30, the tree reaches 10 meters. Moreover, its maximum height is 20 meters. Young shoots are almost blue in color. They turn green with age, but the pronounced blue tint remains.
4. Electra - this variety is characterized by slow development and unusual color. Shaded needles reach a length of 2-3 centimeters. At the same time, the needles inside the shrub have an almost blue color, and the outer needles have a silver-blue tint.The crown also has an unusual shape. The lower branches rise high and are almost parallel to the trunk. However, gradually the shoots seem to deviate from the central part and take an almost horizontal position. The shrub is characterized by a symmetrical shape that approaches a clear cone. However, the lush needles make the appearance of the culture very original. The plant is resistant to lime and has a high degree of hardiness. It easily withstands pruning and can tolerate frosts down to -27 degrees.
5. Snow Sprite is quite an original strain. It seems that its needles are powdered with snow. Young shoots are distinguished by ivory color, which further draws attention to the sophistication of the crown. As the tree develops, the branches become creamy yellow. The average tree height is 4-8 meters. It is best to plant a crop in partial shade. This helps to emphasize the decorativeness of the needles.
6. Pendula - is a weeping culture, which is distinguished by flowing branches.They are so expressive that they are associated with fairy-tale motifs. This plant is characterized by dark green needles with a bluish tinge. It is quite long and reaches 3-4 centimeters. The culture has beautiful purple cones that grow up to 7 centimeters. This variety is able to withstand frosts down to -25 degrees.

Landing

Saplings of this plant are recommended to be moved to a permanent site at 3 years old. Himalayan cedar should be placed in a well-lit area or in a slightly shaded area. The culture is considered not too demanding on the composition of the soil, but it develops best in light loams with good drainage and deep groundwater.

Deepening under the Himalayan cedar is recommended to be prepared 3 weeks before planting. The soil should be dug up within a radius of 3 meters from the landing site.At the same time, the dimensions of the recess should be 1.5-2 times larger than the earthen clod. The soil should be mixed with peat and wood ash. It is also permissible to introduce rotted manure and sand into the substrate. The resulting mixture must be left in the hole so that it settles.

Planting work is recommended in early spring, when the buds on the branches remain dormant. When planting Himalayan cedar in autumn, it is worth considering the appearance of deciduous trees. They should shed their leaves completely.

To plant a plant, the seedling must be carefully pulled out of the container and placed in the hole at a slight slope. In this case, it is recommended to carefully straighten the twisted root system. A young seedling should be sprinkled with a nutrient substrate, compacted and watered well. After that, it is recommended to sprinkle the trunk circle with a mulch layer.

Aftercare

Moisturize the Himalayan cedar in the summer in such a way that the soil does not dry out. However, it is important to avoid stagnant moisture. Nutrients should be applied 3 times during the season. It is recommended to do this from the end of April.

Until mid-August, the plant should be fed with combined minerals that contain a lot of nitrogen. Starting in July, it is recommended to use preparations that include phosphorus and potassium.

Periodically it is required to carry out loosening of the trunk circle. During the procedure, it is imperative to get rid of weeds. After loosening, the trunk circle is covered with a mulch layer. For this, it is recommended to use forest litter from under hazel or birch. It is also worth using peat, compost, sawdust. Every spring, the mulch needs to be removed and replaced with a new one.

As far as pruning is concerned, the Himalayan cedar only requires a sanitary procedure, during which it is recommended to remove injured and withered branches. The procedure should be carried out in the spring. This is done before the appearance of new shoots. A radical curly haircut is held in September. Thanks to this, the Himalayan cedar will have enough time to recover.

From the beginning of August, it is important to stop applying nitrogen fertilizers so as not to provoke the development of new shoots that will not have time to get stronger before the cold weather. In areas with severe and little snowy winters, water-charging irrigation is required. Thanks to this, with the onset of heat, the tree will have a sufficient amount of moisture.

When growing a crop in temperate latitudes, it is important to protect it from the cold. This is especially true for young cultures. When the temperature drops to 0 degrees, the cedar should be insulated. To do this, the trunk circle needs to be covered with a mulch layer of sawdust and put spruce branches in it.

Tree branches are recommended to be tied with twine or wrapped with net. This will help prevent them from breaking under the weight of the snow. Young plants that have not yet fully formed roots need to be secured with stretch marks. As a warming material, ordinary burlap is ideal. The fact is that non-woven materials can provoke the decay of culture.

How to propagate a tree

In nature, the tree propagates by self-sowing. However, you can get a new culture on the site through vaccination. However, most often the plant is bred by seed. Planting material does not need stratification. To stimulate its germination, soaking in warm water for 2-3 days is enough. Some gardeners put the soaked seeds in moistened sand and put them in the refrigerator for a month - on the bottom shelf.

Then seeds are recommended to be planted in containers filled with a mixture of peat and sand. They need to be covered with a film and put in a room with room temperature. Under such conditions, the crop should be grown for 2-3 years.

Possible pests and diseases

Himalayan cedar is characterized by strong immunity and is rarely affected by diseases or pests. With quality care, the likelihood of developing pathologies is low.However, sometimes the culture still suffers from different types of rot. Of the pests, it is subject to attacks by moths, moths, sawflies, codling moths. When a tree is damaged, fungicides and insecticides are required.

Application of wood

For the design of summer cottages, low varieties of Himalayan cedars are usually used. In city parks, large-sized plants are predominantly planted. In any case, this culture has excellent decorative properties and a high degree of endurance. It can be used to solve such problems:

• creating alleys;
• located near large-sized vehicles;
• forming a hedge;
• decorating recreation areas in city parks;
• creating compositions with flowering plants;
• combination with various types of conifers;
• growing near homes or office buildings;
• planting as a tapeworm in the center of the lawn.

Himalayan cedar is a fairly popular ornamental culture that fits well into various landscape compositions. In order for the plant to develop normally, it needs to be properly looked after. At the same time, it is important to water the plant in a timely manner, introduce nutrients, and carry out sanitary pruning. Equally important is the preparation of crops for winter and full protection against diseases and pests.

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