Geldreich's Pine: variety description, planting and tree care, pros and cons

Geldreich's pine is an evergreen coniferous plant that grows in South-Eastern Europe. This culture is also often referred to as white or Bosnian. It has an attractive appearance and is used to decorate garden plots. In order for the tree to retain its decorative properties, it needs to be properly looked after. Compliance with the rules for landing operations is of no small importance.

Tree description

Geldreich's pine comes from the mountainous regions of the Balkan Peninsula. This species got its name in honor of Theodor Heldreich, a botanist who has German and Greek roots. At the same time, the plant is often mistakenly called Heydrich's pine.

This culture is characterized by the following distinctive features:

1. Powerful root system. In this case, the roots of the plant are located in deep soil structures.
2. Straight barrel. The height of the tree can reach 15 meters. At the same time, in natural conditions, it grows up to 20 meters at all. However, in Russia such dimensions are extremely rare. Usually, pine trees grow no higher than 1.2 meters in garden plots and park areas.
3. Young trees are characterized by light bark, which has a smooth and shiny surface. After the needles fall, the trunk is covered with scales and resembles snake skin.
4. The crown has a conical shape. It persists with age.
5. Shoots can grow to the surface of the earth. However, they hang a little.
6. The needles are characterized by a rigid structure and a high degree of density. The needles are characterized by a pointed shape and a dark green color.
7. Male inflorescences are golden yellow and form bunches.
8. The fruits are presented in the form of elongated cones that resemble an egg in shape. In length, they reach 8 centimeters. At first, the fruits are blue in color, and then turn black or dark brown.

Geldreich's pine has a long lifespan. The age of the oldest plant, which has survived to this day, exceeds 1300 years.

This culture is actively used in landscape design. It is used in single plantings or complements rock gardens. Pine of this variety looks great in group compositions and in heather gardens. The plant easily withstands transplantation, therefore it can grow in a large city or in an industrial area.

Expert opinionZarechny Maxim ValerievichAgronomist with 12 years of experience. Our best gardening expert.Ask a QuestionPine reproduces only by seed. Despite this, the culture is considered very popular. This is due to its resistance to major conifer diseases and parasites.

Advantages and disadvantages

Bosnian pine has the following advantages:

• attractive appearance;
• ability to bring freshness to any landscape composition;
• undemanding to the composition of the soil;
• ease of care;
• drought tolerance.

At the same time, the culture is different and has a number of disadvantages:

• slow growth;
• intolerance to standing water in the soil;
• average winter hardiness parameters.

Popular varieties

Today, quite a lot of varieties of Bosnian pine are known, each of which is characterized by its own characteristics. Below are descriptions of the main varieties of culture:

1. Nana - an adult plant aged 10 years does not exceed 1.3 meters in height. The needles have a shiny structure and a dark green color.
2. Compact Gem - the variety is characterized by a wide crown and reaches a height of 50-70 centimeters.
3. Raspberry - has a small size and is more like a shrub. Its growth does not exceed 15 centimeters per year. A five-year-old plant has a height of no more than 75 centimeters. In favorable conditions, the maximum plant size is 5 meters. The pine is decorated with numerous shoots that stretch upward. From above, the tree is covered with a smooth and shiny bark, which eventually becomes covered with cracks. The needles reach a length of 7-10 centimeters and are distinguished by a pointed structure. The needles form bundles of 2 and are dark green in color.
4. Dolce Dorme is a fairly attractive ornamental crop that reaches a height of 1.8 meters.

How to plant correctly

In order for the plant to adapt well to new conditions, it is important to carry out planting work correctly. First you need to choose a strong and he althy seedling in the nursery. In this case, it is worth paying attention to the bark, needles and the condition of the roots. It is important to ensure that the soil is not too wet, as this will cause the roots to rot from excess water.

Compliance with planting dates is of great importance. The best time to do this is in spring or autumn, when the average daily temperature is not too high and the sun is not too hot.

The next step is to decide on the landing site. In this case, you need to choose a site that is well lit by the sun. The spacing to neighboring trees is determined by the size of the variety you plan to plant.

When preparing a hole for planting, it is important to adhere to certain dimensions.In this case, the diameter of the hole should be 60 centimeters, and the depth - 50. A drainage layer of 10-15 centimeters in size must be poured onto the bottom. It may consist of crushed stone or expanded clay. This will help eliminate moisture stagnation in the root area.

To plant a plant, do the following:

1. Prepare the nutrient substrate. To do this, mix humus, soddy soil and sand in a ratio of 2: 2: 1.
2. Pour complex top dressing on the bottom of the recess. After that, the pit needs to be filled 2/3 with a nutrient substrate.
3. Make a depression in the center, remove the pot from the root part and position the plant so that the root collar is flush with the ground.
4. Fill the hole with soil and carefully tamp the surface.
5. Water the plant generously. The amount of water depends on the size of the tree and the moisture content of the soil. On average, 1-3 buckets of water are required.

How to care

In order for a plant to develop normally and retain its decorative properties, it needs to provide quality care. Pine needs proper watering. If there is no rain in the spring for more than 2 weeks, it is recommended to water the plant with a small amount of moisture. In summer, it is worth moistening the soil only in hot and dry weather. It is also important to consider that the conifer perfectly perceives crown sprinkling.

Another necessary agricultural technique is the loosening of the trunk circle. In the spring, this procedure begins to be carried out immediately after the soil warms up. It is important to loosen the top layer of the earth and get rid of weeds. The processing depth should not exceed 10 centimeters.

In the summer, it is recommended to loosen the soil after each rain. If it is not possible to cultivate the land so often, this should be done at least once a month to destroy weeds.

Recommendations for beginners

When growing Geldreich pine, you need to follow these rules:

1. In early spring, carry out preventive treatment of plants from parasites and diseases. Then you need to inspect the crown and remove the affected and broken branches.
2. In the summer, inspect the crown for diseases. If signs of pathologies are identified, it is required to process the tree.
3. In autumn, it is imperative to perform shaping pruning. This will help give the tree the look you want.

Geldreich's pine is a fairly common and sought-after crop, which is often used for decorative purposes. At the same time, it is important to carry out planting work correctly and provide the culture with comprehensive care.

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