How to grow cedar from a nut

Cedar (Cedrus) is a genus of coniferous trees consisting of three species, belonging to the Pine family. The natural range of this culture covers the mountainous Mediterranean and the western part of the Himalayas. Germinating cedar seeds at home is not particularly difficult and can be an alternative to buying expensive seedlings. You just need to get the seeds and be patient.

Contrary to popular belief, cedar seeds are inedible. They cannot be bought in a supermarket or market. Under the name pine nuts, the seeds of the Siberian pine pine are sold everywhere, which is related to Cedrus in the same degree as, say, hawthorn and pear.

Description, types and varieties of cedar

Cedar is a monoecious evergreen coniferous plant. At a young age, its spreading crown has a pyramidal shape; in old trees it becomes umbrella-shaped.

The bark is dark gray, scaly, cracking. The root system is shallow, so a single tree can be knocked down by strong winds.

Cedar needles are hard, prickly needles with three or four edges, blue-green or silver-gray. They are collected in bunches of 30-40 pieces and arranged spirally or singly on short branches. Each needle lives from 3 to 6 years.

The cones are located throughout the crown of the tree and bloom in the fall. Women's can be recognized by size: their length is 5-10 cm, width - 4-6 cm, men's are much smaller and surrounded by needles. The seeds on the tree ripen 2-3 years after fertilization and scatter. They are resinous triangles with a wing 12-18 mm long.

An old tree can reach a height of 60 m with a crown width of 3 m. It lives up to a thousand years or more (according to some sources - up to 3 thousand). The genus consists of three species. True, some taxonomists distinguish Cyprus Short-coniferous from the Cedar of Lebanon into a separate species.

Of course, this culture has high decorative qualities. But to grow a tree on a plot of land that, even after many years, will reach 60 m, is at least unreasonable. Now varieties have been created that are low-growing and beautiful, but, unfortunately, do not grow even in frost resistance zone 5. Some of them can be planted in the Rostov region, many in the south of the Krasnodar Territory.

Atlas cedar

A very light-loving species, living up to 800 years.The crown of the tree is cone-shaped, height - 40-50 m. The branches are densely covered with 2.5 cm long bluish-green or silver needles collected in bunches. The cones ripen 3 years after pollination.

Atlas cedar does not like calcareous soils, but tolerates urban conditions well. The tree is widely used in parklands in Eastern Transcaucasia, on the Black Sea coast of Crimea and the Caucasus.

Popular varieties of Atlas cedar are highly decorative and are intended for cultivation in frost resistance zones from 6 to 9:

• Glauka (Glauca) – a branched tree about 20 m high with grayish-blue needles;
• Fastigata (Fastigiata) - distinguished by bluish needles, a columnar crown, narrower than that of other varieties and the species Atlas cedar, raised branches;
• Glauka Pendula (Glauca Pendula) - a weeping form up to 6 m high with bluish needles.

Himalayan cedar

It tolerates shade better than others, but is poorly adapted to survive in urban environments. It lives for about a thousand years, grows up to 50 m, and the trunk diameter can reach 3 m. An adult cedar has a cone-shaped crown, horizontal branches are densely covered with light gray-green needles 25-50 mm long, collected in bunches.

The tree tolerates pruning well and blooms in the second half of autumn. The seeds ripen in a year and a half and fall off; they have the best germination rate. Himalayan cedar has gained particular popularity due to the fact that the crown of each specimen has an original shape.

The species is undemanding to soils, but with a high lime content it suffers from chlorosis and grows slowly. In the southern regions of Russia, varieties that can winter in zone 6 can be grown:

• Karl Fuchs (Karl Fuchs) - the most winter-hardy variety with a conical crown, young needles are almost blue in color, turning green with age;
• Golden Horizon (Golden Horizon) has a wide flat crown, by the age of ten it reaches 4.5 m, in the sun the needles are greenish-yellow, in the shade they are gray-green;
• Rependance (Repandens) – a weeping tree with gray-green needles;
• Silver Mist (Silver Mist) - a dwarf form with silver-white needles, by the age of 15 it grows to 60 cm with a width of 1 m;
• Divinely Blue (Divinely Blue) grows no higher than 2.5 m, has a narrow conical crown and gray-green needles.

Cedar of Lebanon

The most frost-resistant and light-loving of the species. It grows up to 40 m and is distinguished by widely spread, layered branches covered with hard bluish-green or dark green needles collected in bunches. The crown of a young tree is pyramidal, while that of an adult tree is prostrate.

This species is not suitable for growing in urban conditions, but can even tolerate calcareous soils. Lives for more than a thousand years. It has durable, lightweight wood that has a pleasant smell and is free of resin passages. Widely used in the park culture of Eastern Transcaucasia, Central Asia, the Black Sea coast of Crimea and the Caucasus.

Varieties that grow well in the sixth frost resistance zone:

• Glauka (Glauca) – a tree with a weeping asymmetrical crown and gray-green needles;
• Nana (Nana) - a dwarf form, which is a lopsided bush, reaching 0.9 m by the age of 10;
• Beacon Hill (Beacon Hill) - a tree with a narrow conical crown, weeping branches and cracking bark;
• Sargenti (Sargentii) can grow in partial shade, has a weeping crown, reaches 1 m by the age of 10;
• Turkish (var.Stenocoma) is not a variety, but a form of Lebanese cedar popular among landscape designers with a pyramidal crown, upward-pointing branches and a height of up to 3 m; it can grow in frost resistance zone 5.

Is it possible to plant cedar

It is quite possible to grow cedar from a nut at home. You just need to first find seeds of acceptable quality - they ripen 2-3 years after pollination. In addition, what may arrive by mail is not what the gardener ordered; when searching for planting material, it is better to rely on personal contacts.

Even if you successfully germinate the seeds and bring the seedlings to a size appropriate for moving them into the ground, planting and caring for cedar in the Moscow region is impossible. The tree is quite heat-loving; even the most frost-resistant varieties will withstand a short-term drop in temperature only to -30° C.

Cedar grown from seeds at home does not inherit varietal characteristics. So you can plant a tree only in the southernmost regions, in frost resistance zones 7-9. Most likely, over time it will reach a size of 30-60 m. Varietal trees propagated by grafting, some of which winter in zone 6, can be low, 2-6 m. There are even some that do not exceed 80 cm in adulthood.

But planting and growing Siberian Cedar, which is a species of the Pine genus, at the dacha is quite possible. It is frost-resistant and lives up to its name - it can survive in the harshest climates without shelter. In addition, Siberian Cedar has low-growing, highly decorative varieties, making it an indispensable crop in the design of sites located in the North-West.

Features of growing cedar from seeds at home

Before you start germinating cedar seeds, you need to think about the purpose for which this is being done. If you're just out of curiosity, no problem. But when a gardener wants to germinate a pine nut in order to move the tree to the garden or leave it at home, one should think about the feasibility of such an operation:

1. From the seed of a varietal cedar, which is not very tall but is resistant to low temperatures, a species tree will grow. Over time, it will reach a huge size and will not be frost-resistant.
2. Growing cedar on a balcony or in a room, as enthusiasts advise, is actually very difficult. The tree needs differences between night and day temperatures and high humidity.
3. In general, no matter what the “experts” say, growing conifers indoors is very difficult. At home, it is almost impossible for them to create suitable conditions. Araucaria can be planted as a houseplant. All. The rest of the trees will have to be tinkered with like little children. And cedar is generally not an easy crop to grow, even in a suitable climate.
4. Even if a gardener lives on the Black Sea coast, the question arises: does he have enough space on his site for a species of cedar? Otherwise, it may happen that the heirs will have only one tree growing in their yard.
5. In addition, cedar is not resistant to wind. Simply put, a tree has a shallow root system; if it grows alone, strong winds can knock it over. Is there room on the property for a grove?

What else should a gardener know if he decides to grow cedars from seeds:

• It is easier to bring Himalayan, Atlas and Lebanese cedar to the ground before planting in the ground; it is better to leave it to specialists;
• the shell of cedar seeds is thin, unlike other conifers;
• the crop does not require seed stratification during germination;
• if the seeds have sprouted, even among gardeners who easily grow closely related pines, the seedlings may die due to the slightest mistake or inattention;
• Himalayan cedar cones ripen after a year and a half and open on their own;
• to “get” the seeds of the cedar of Lebanon, the cone is soaked and dried several times, from the moment of pollination to ripeness it takes 3 years;
• The germination period of Lebanese cedar seeds is 20 years, and that of Himalayan cedar – several months.

How to germinate pine nuts at home

Germinating cedar seeds in flower pots does not make sense - if they sprout, they will quickly die due to the inability to create the proper conditions for the plant. Those who say otherwise should try it themselves. Even if someone’s seedling survives, it will be a rare exception. And in the 2-3 years that must pass before planting in the ground, anything can happen.

To germinate seeds indoors, special conditions are required:

• differences between temperatures between day and night;
• constant high air humidity;
• low positive (from 4 to 8 ° C) temperature in winter;
• bright diffused light;
• a constant outflow of moisture from the soil, and simply taking a pot with holes and putting a drainage layer is not enough; even short-term stagnation of water will destroy the sprouts.

Seeds need to be planted outside or in specially adapted premises, which are available at farms engaged in breeding coniferous trees. An amateur can equip them, but this requires financial and labor costs, a separate room, and special equipment. At least for year-round maintenance of the necessary regulated humidity and temperature, forced ventilation.

On the street, you can set up a cold greenhouse in which the seedlings will develop and be kept until planted in the ground. There you can propagate other coniferous trees both by seeds and cuttings.

Seed selection and preparation

It is better to collect Himalayan cedar cones yourself - the seeds quickly lose their viability. They should germinate quickly. Seeds of Lebanese cedar can be purchased, as they can sprout 20 years after collection. It is important that the cones ripen on the tree.

The seeds of real cedar are covered with a soft shell; it is not necessary to prepare them for sowing. But pre-soaking increases germination, which is 50% for Lebanese and 70% for Himalayan.

Before planting, the seeds are dipped for 20 minutes in a pink solution of potassium permanganate, then left in warm water for 1-2 days. The planting material that has risen to the surface is thrown away - it has definitely lost its germination capacity.

Stratification of cedar seeds at home

In fact, real cedar seeds do not need stratification. If you carry it out for 60-90 days, as for pine, the planting material will definitely die. But short-term maintenance in a moist substrate at a temperature of 3-5 ° C will be useful, but only if the seeds are sown in the spring.

Coarse sand is washed, disinfected with potassium permanganate and calcined in the oven. You can replace it with perlite mixed with acidic peat. It is enough to soak them in a weak solution of potassium permanganate and rinse well.

Such recommendations are given when germinating almost all large seeds or cuttings of coniferous trees. Most amateur gardeners ignore them, and often successfully receive high-quality seedlings. This trick will not work with real cedar - an infected substrate can destroy the seedlings at any stage.

The seeds are mixed with three times the volume of wet sand or perlite and placed in a pre-prepared container. For these purposes, you can take a plastic container with holes in the bottom and sides.

The container is placed on slats to provide air access and placed in the lower section of the refrigerator. You can use a cool room with a temperature of 3-5° C.

Ensuring moisture balance is very important - the substrate should not be dry or too wet. A lack of moisture will prevent the seeds from hatching, and an excess will destroy them. This requirement is especially important when germinating Lebanese cedar.

Stratification should not be carried out longer than 2 weeks. Seeds should be inspected every day - they may hatch in 2-3 days, and then they should be sown immediately. If the sprouts are left unattended, they may rot or break when planted.

Growing cedar at home after stratification

In autumn, seeds are sown in a cold greenhouse without any stratification.If you let the sprouts hatch and only then place them in the ground, in winter, even warm ones, they will die.

Of course, you can plant the seeds in containers and place them in the house. But they sprout quickly, and the conditions of detention have already been considered - it is impossible to create them in an unsuitable room.

A cold greenhouse is the best solution for growing cedar from seeds. The substrate should be light, consisting of a mixture of sand, acidic peat and leaf humus. The seeds are sown to a depth of 1.5-2 cm quite close to each other - they are not afraid of thick planting.

The seedlings are watered regularly, not allowing the soil to dry out even for a short time. Overwatering will cause blackleg disease, which kills most of the seedlings. No loosening should be carried out - this will also “thin out” the seedlings. If the substrate has been prepared correctly, it is already sufficiently permeable to water and air.

You need to start feeding the seedlings only when they get stronger - leaf humus contains a certain amount of nutrients, which will be enough for the first time. Untimely fertilization can not only reduce the number of small trees, but also destroy them completely. In summer, seedlings need to be shaded, in winter, when the temperature drops sharply, the greenhouse needs to be insulated, and when it warms up, remove the cover.

About a year after emergence, cedars are planted in small plastic containers with a drainage layer and holes in the bottom and sides. The seedlings are removed from the soil with a spoon in order to damage the root less and are planted at the same depth as before. The containers are watered and immediately buried in a cold greenhouse. It is better to replant in the fall.

Trees are transplanted to a permanent location no earlier than 2-3 years after germination. If the plants are intended for sale, they can be transferred to large containers as needed and kept in them for up to 9 years.

Planting and caring for cedar in open ground

In Russia, growing cedars is more difficult than other conifers. They need a strictly controlled water regime. In addition, areas suitable for the crop are located along the Black Sea coast, and the trees do not tolerate strong sea winds.

How to plant cedar

Planting a tree itself is not particularly difficult. It is important to choose a suitable location and follow the planting rules.

Landing dates

Cedars should be planted in open ground in a strictly defined period. This is the only way to guarantee that they will take root well. Excavation work begins in the fall, after most of the deciduous trees have fallen off, and continues throughout the winter. The transplantation of cedars ends in the spring, before the buds open.

Preparation of planting material

Seedlings take root best at the age of 6-8 years. Cedar grown in a container is watered 2-3 days before planting. When transplanting a tree to another place, it is dug up with an earthen ball with a diameter of at least 20 cm, and when carried or moved from the nursery to the site, it is wrapped in film or a damp cloth.

Soil for planting cedar

All cedars are light-loving, only the Himalayan can tolerate slight shading.They prefer to grow on loose fertile loams, but will tolerate any sufficiently permeable soil that is not prone to soaking, except calcareous ones.

In the place where the tree is planted, groundwater should not come closer to the surface than 1.5 m. This is enough for varietal plants, species will also not suffer - the roots of the crop are superficial, spreading more broadly than deep.

The planting hole for planting a tree is dripped one-third more than the volume of the root or earthen coma. You need to prepare it in advance.

On loose fertile sandy loams and loams that do not contain a large amount of lime, acidic peat, leaf humus, ash, and special fertilizers for conifers are added to the soil. It is useful to bring at least a little litter from a pine or spruce forest to add to the planting mixture. Leaf humus and sand are added to dense soil. Calcareous soils are brought into proper condition using large doses of acidic (high-moor) peat.

At what distance to plant cedars

Cedars are planted in large and small landscape groups. A single tree looks beautiful, but this arrangement is possible in a place protected from strong gusty winds. The distance between cedars when planting, even for species plants, is permissible at 3 m - they are not afraid of dense plantings and will not suffer when they grow.

But not only the bark and crown of a tree are decorative. The cones are very beautiful, especially those of the cedar of Lebanon. The more light the tree receives, the sooner it begins to bloom. Even with free planting, the first cones appear after 18 years.

Landing rules

The pre-dug planting hole is completely filled with water. Wait for it to be absorbed. Start landing:

1. A nutrient substrate is poured onto the bottom so that the horse's neck remains at ground level after planting the tree and watering.
2. A cedar seedling is installed in the center.
3. The cedar is covered with prepared soil, carefully tamping it down as the hole is filled.
4. Check the position of the root collar.
5. Water the tree generously.
6. The tree trunk circle is mulched with acidic peat or coniferous litter.

Watering and fertilizing

Even mature cedar, unlike other coniferous crops, is especially demanding when it comes to watering. The soil should not dry out, but stagnation of water at the roots is also unacceptable.

The need for moisture must be determined independently. The frequency of watering depends on the weather, the composition and permeability of the soil, and the proximity of groundwater.

Only mineral fertilizers can be used - infusions of mullein, bird droppings or herbs can be harmful. For cedar, it is better to buy special fertilizers intended for coniferous trees and lawns. There are fertilizers available for sale that are designed for different seasons. They must be used strictly according to the instructions and in accordance with the seasons.

Foliar feeding plays an important role in cedar nutrition. At least once a month (no more than once every 14 days) the tree is sprayed with fertilizers throughout the growing season. It is best to use a complex of chelates - it contains all the nutrients that are well absorbed through the needles. Additionally, a portion of magnesium sulfate is added to the container.

Cedar pruning

By and large, cedar pruning at the dacha only needs sanitary pruning. It is carried out before the growth of new shoots in the spring. The crown of the cedar is attractive without any additional measures. But sometimes trees interfere with each other's growth or block the view of something very attractive hidden in the depths of the garden. Cedar can be safely cut at the beginning of the season. For a radical correction, it is better to choose September.

Sometimes owners want to create a topiary shape or trim the tree so that it resembles a nivaki. This type of pruning should also be done in September, when the heat has subsided, but there will be enough time until the end of the season for the cedar to heal its wounds and recover.

Preparing for winter

Real cedar grows only in the southern regions. A young tree needs shelter in the first year after planting. It is wrapped in white spandbond or agrofibre and secured with twine.

Diseases and pests

Cedar is not a crop that is rarely affected by diseases, and it has more than 130 pests, to combat which it is necessary to use folk and chemical means. A well-cared for tree rarely gets sick or is affected by pests. So proper agricultural technology in itself is the best protection.

Among the pests that attack cedar, the following should be highlighted:

• cone moth;
• spruce moth;
• cone moth;
• spruce sawfly;
• red pine sawyer.

Of the cedar diseases the most dangerous for the tree are:

• mottled red rot;
• brown central rot;
• brown prismatic rot;
• rust.

Separately, I would like to note the fungi that parasitize cedars and cause many tree diseases:

• pine sponge;
• root sponge;
• Schweinitz tinder fungus.

In the fall, the cedar needles turned yellow: what are they?

Cedar needles may turn yellow before falling off. If needles live on a tree for 3 to 6 years, this is normal. Then they naturally fall off. You should sound the alarm if the young 1-2 year old growth has changed color.

First of all, carefully examine the needles and branches of the tree using a magnifying glass. If there are no signs of pest damage, and young cedar needles are yellow, you need to look for the cause. It could be:

1. The first sign of overwatering or stagnation of moisture at the roots.
2. Gardeners may purchase a damaged or even dead tree. But conifers fade slowly, and the needles often turn yellow after the plant is planted in the ground.
3. Sunburn of a tree in winter. Snow that falls in the southern regions can act like a lens, and the needles will suffer.
4. Insufficient watering - cedar is sensitive to lack of moisture.
5. Chlorosis. Calcareous soil and a lack of microelements can cause yellowing of cedar needles. Nutrients are absorbed faster through needles and leaves, and chelates are absorbed only with foliar treatment.

If the watering is adjusted, spraying the needles with a solution of chelates did not help, and the cedar has been growing on the site for a long time, you should think about fungal and viral diseases and treat the tree with fungicides.

How to distinguish a cedar seedling from a pine tree

In nature, there are many “cedars” that have nothing to do with the genus Cedrus. The culture should not be confused with such coniferous and deciduous trees, relying only on the name:

• Siberian pine, Korean, Siberian and European, the seeds of which are eaten and called pine nuts;
• Canadian Red and White Cedars belonging to the Thuja genus;
• Eastern Red Cedar, as Juniperus virginiana is sometimes called;
• Yellow Alaskan Cedar – Nutkan Cypress;
• Fragrant cedar - an evergreen deciduous tree of Gwareya, growing in Africa;
• Spanish Cedar - Cedrela Dushsta, which is also not a conifer.

In practice, real cedar is confused with cedar pines. But they are easy to distinguish by just two signs:

1. The needles of real cedar are short, about 2.5 cm long. Only in the Himalayan tree can they grow up to 5 cm. Cedar needles are collected in whorls of 40 pieces. Cedar pine needles reach a length of 6-20 cm, and there are only 5 of them in a bunch.
2. The buds are very different. This is clearly visible in the photo.

Lebanese cedar cone and needles

Siberian pine cone and needles

Advice from experienced gardeners

What else do you need to know about real cedars and what is worth focusing on again?

1. The first and main advice: you should not plant cedars in frost hardiness zones below 6. When choosing a variety, you need to pay attention to whether it can survive on the site in winter.
2. Species plants should not be placed in small private properties, even on the Black Sea coast - over time the trees will become huge.
3. Those who plant the crop for the purpose of obtaining edible nuts can forget about this - the seeds of real cedar cannot be eaten.
4. When growing conifers, special attention should be paid to watering - almost all problems with trees arise due to drying out or soaking of the soil.
5. Cedar is prone to chlorosis, and not only on calcareous soils.Treating the crown with chelates should become a common procedure in seasonal care.
6. Cedar requires increased attention from its owners. It is not a culture for the lazy or busy. If the gardener does not have time to tinker with the tree, it is better to choose another conifer.
7. When placing cedar, it is better to plant it closer to the recreation area. The phytoncidal properties of the tree are high even compared to other conifers.

Conclusion

Germinating cedar seeds at home is not an easy task. Whether it is worth doing this, the gardener must decide for himself, focusing on the availability or lack of free time and the climate of the region in which the tree is supposed to be planted. In any case, even from self-collected seeds of low varieties, a huge plant will grow.

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