How to grow a pine cone: stratification and how to plant seeds at home
Under natural conditions, pines reproduce generatively or by seed. If you dig a tree in the forest and plant it on the site, the likelihood of its successful rooting is minimal. Instead, you should take the grain and grow the crop in a pot, after which it can be transplanted to the chosen place on the site. So, how can you grow a pine cone? To do this, you need to take into account a number of features.
Preparing the site and seeds
To grow pine from seeds at home, you need to choose an adult tree with old cones under the crown in advance in the forest or in the park. This indicates that the plant has entered reproductive age and is actively forming planting material.
For some time it will be necessary to observe the vegetation of the seedlings. Mature buds are dark brown in color and covered with stiff scales.
How to select suitable seeds
To get a strong tree at home, it is recommended to collect pine seeds in late autumn. This is done before the arrival of frost. It is required to remove ripe cones from the intended tree. At the same time, you should not take fully opened fruits - it is likely that the seeds spilled out of them. It is best to use voluminous seedlings that have loose scales. You can also collect from the ground or pick from the branches a few cones that differ in the degree of disclosure and carefully fold into a bag.
Post-processing them
In order for the seeds to give a lot of sprouts, they need to be properly prepared. For this, a stratification procedure is carried out. It is a hardening of planting material in the cold. This will help to get a tree with strong immunity.
To prepare seed material, you can resort to the following methods:
- Keep the seeds at a negative temperature for 2.5 months. To do this, you need to place the seed in a sterilized jar, cover with a lid and put it in the freezer.
- Make a composition based on sawdust and wet sand. Mix this substrate with seed material, place in a container, cover and put in the basement.
- Dig a hole in the area and put dry straw on the bottom. Put the seeds in a paper bag, place on straw and sprinkle with sawdust. Cover the hole with a board and cover it with snow.
Ground preparation
To grow pine, seeds can be planted in containers, mini-greenhouses, or directly in open soil. The last option is suitable only for the southern regions. In a temperate climate, you first need to get a seedling from a grain and only then transfer it to the site.
If it is necessary to obtain a large number of seedlings, it is recommended to plant seeds in large containers. Side holes are made in containers to aerate the roots. For coniferous plants, light soil should be used. Growing a crop in loam is quite difficult. If required, the composition can be lightened by adding river sand.
Expert opinionZarechny Maxim ValerievichAgronomist with 12 years of experience. Our best gardening expert.Ask a QuestionDo not use soil with the addition of organic matter for planting pine. In such a substrate, it will not be possible to obtain a seedling. It will simply die from excess nitrogen. For growing crops, mineral fertilizers are required.Instructions for planting
For growing pine, when planting, it is necessary to take into account a number of important nuances. The culture needs to maintain constant humidity, a balanced composition of the substrate and a temperature of + 22-40 degrees.
If necessary, young plants should be moved to large containers once a year. Such a need arises if the root system has filled the container in which it grew. The seedling must be carefully transferred into bulk dishes, trying not to destroy the soil lump. After planting, the crop should be watered and sent for growing.
The first sprouts should be expected 2-4 weeks after placing the crops in a warm place. To care for them, constant watering and maintenance of the optimal temperature regime at the level of + 24-30 degrees are required. In addition, it is recommended to air the sprouts every day.
After germination, the film must be removed and the seedlings placed in a well-lit and warm place. It is important to ensure that direct sunlight does not fall on them. It is permissible to transplant seedlings to a permanent site only 3 years after planting - only at this stage do their roots become strong enough.
Open ground
When growing pine, seeds can be sown directly into open soil. May is ideal for this - at this stage the soil warms up enough and the threat of return frosts disappears. The land must be taken from a pine forest or make the substrate yourself. To do this, mix peat, sand, dry needles and turf.
For planting a crop, it is recommended to make a special hole, tamp the earth in it, then lay the seeds and sprinkle with peat and sawdust. The thickness of this layer should be approximately 1 centimeter. The interval between grains should be 4-6 centimeters. The planting site must be carefully watered and covered with a film. After the appearance of sprouts, it is recommended to remove it.
In the pot
Pine seedlings are recommended to be transplanted to a permanent place after 2-3 years. To do this, they need to be moved with a lump of soil into spacious containers.In this form, the grown seedling can be placed on an open veranda, in places of rest, in summer cottages. Such a tree will be an excellent interior decoration.
Pine care
To get a strong and he althy tree, seedlings need to be provided with complete and high-quality care. Young plants require constant watering and fertilization. They also need to be protected from pests and diseases. Of great importance is the regular cleansing of the near-trunk circle from weeds. Otherwise, it will begin to drown out the development of the seedling. 2 times a year, the culture needs to be supported with stimulants that strengthen and activate the growth of the root system.
When growing pine in open ground, it needs to be fed with organic fertilizers once a month. At the same time, manure should not be used, since too much nitrogen is present in its composition.This substance activates the growth processes of the seedling and makes it less resistant to frost. Compost can be used instead of manure.
From mineral dressings, it is worth giving preference to preparations that include magnesium. This substance helps to strengthen the immunity of the seedling.
Maintaining constant soil moisture is of great importance. To preserve useful elements and maintain moisture, the near-stem circle needs to be mulched with dry needles.
During the first year of development, the culture needs protection from the sun's rays. The prevention of pathologies is of no small importance. This will help the use of special tools - in particular, "Fitosporin" and "Fundazol" .
Growing pine from a cone has a number of features. In order for the plant to develop normally and retain its decorative properties, it is important to strictly adhere to the rules of agricultural technology.
