How to grow pine from seeds

Coniferous trees in their natural environment reproduce generatively. It is possible to transfer a young tree from the forest to a site, but there is a serious problem. Even if all planting rules are followed, evergreen trees from the wild practically do not take root in a new place. The best option is to grow a pine tree from a cone at home or purchase a seedling from a nursery.

Is it possible to grow a pine tree from a cone?

Pine is an evergreen perennial plant. More than 16 varieties of crops grow in Russia. The main distribution is in Siberia, the Far East, Crimea and the North Caucasus. They differ from each other in growth and crown structure. High-growing species reach up to 40 m in height, medium-sized species with a spreading crown - up to 10-15 m. And dwarf elfin trees, which are found mostly on rocky terrain - up to 1 m. Selected species are used for landscape design.It is unlikely that it will be possible to grow a tree with the appearance of the mother plant from the cone of a hybrid pine; plants rarely produce full-fledged material while maintaining varietal characteristics.

To grow a coniferous crop from a cone, you need to know the variety of the plant you want to plant on your site. There are varieties in which the seeds take 2 years to ripen, while in others the material for planting is ready by the end of autumn. You don’t have to go to the forest to collect cones; you can collect them in the park. For landscaping megacities, varieties of wild plants adapted to the urban microclimate are used.

To plant a pine from a forest cone, the fruits are taken from an adult tree only after the scales have opened - this is a sign of the maturity of the planting material.

What do pine seeds look like?

The coniferous crop does not bloom; it immediately forms male and female strobili. During the formation of young shoots, two spherical brown formations are noted at their ends. This is the first stage of the cone; during the summer the cone grows, changes color to green, and by autumn it becomes the size of a pea. Next spring, the growth of the cone continues, it is quite intense, by the end of the seasonal growing season the cone grows up to 8 cm. In the 2nd year of growth, the cone matures completely by winter. What does a pine fruit look like:

• round shape, length – 10 cm, volume – 4 cm;
• the surface is lumpy, large scales are tightly pressed;
• color – dark brown.

In the third spring after formation, when the weather has fully recovered, the cones begin to dry and open, pine seeds lie on the scales, 2 pieces each. External characteristics:

• ovoid shape, elongated, length – 3 mm;
• surface unprotected (bare);
• equipped with a wing 3 times larger;
• color - light brown or black, wing beige.

Pine propagation by seeds is possible after the material has matured. If the cone has fallen to the ground, the scales are pressed tightly and there are no signs of opening, it is not fully ripe and the seed will not sprout.

How long does it take for pine seeds to ripen?

The ripening time of pine seeds depends on the type of crop. Strobili with the embryo are formed in early May. The planting material matures along with the growth of the cone. In some species, the material ripens by the end of August and remains in the cone for the winter. In the spring, at the beginning of the growing season, when the snow has completely melted and the soil is moist enough for germination, the cones open or fall off and the seeds scatter.

Other species need 18 months before the material is ready to grow a coniferous tree. If pollination took place in the spring, only by the next autumn the seeds ripen, remain in the cone for the winter, and scatter in the spring. In any case, the guideline is the opening of the scales.

How and when to collect pine cones for seeds

In order to grow pine from seeds at home, you need to select an adult tree in advance in a forest or park, under the crown of which there are old cones. This is a sign that the plant has entered reproductive age and is intensively forming planting material. You will have to observe the growing season of the fruit for some time; the mature cone is dark brown, with woody scales.

Pine seeds are collected at the end of autumn, before the onset of frost. Mature cones are removed from the target tree. If they have fully opened, there is no guarantee that the seeds did not fall off. They take voluminous infructescences where the scales have moved slightly and do not fit tightly.You can collect several cones in varying degrees of openness from the ground or remove from the branches, carefully put them in a bag and bring them home.

How to grow a pine tree from a cone

To grow a tree, you need to extract the seeds from the fruits brought. It is recommended to spread a cloth and shake the pine cones over it. The seeds should be easily separated from the scales; if this does not happen, the cones are not fully ripe.

To artificially ripen planting material, the infructescence is placed in a paper bag and placed next to a heating device. The temperature should not exceed +40⁰ C. If the material is from different pine trees, it is placed in different bags. The cones are shaken periodically and the ripened seeds fall off.

Not all seeds can be used to grow pine; planting material is taken away. Pour water into a container and place seeds in it, some sink to the bottom, growing pine from them is not difficult, the hollow ones remain on the surface, they will not sprout.

Seed treatment

It is possible to grow a coniferous tree on a plot only from pre-treated seeds. Sequencing:

1. After selecting the seeds, they are dried.
2. The lionfish are removed.
3. Wash in running water to remove residual ether compounds from the surface.
4. Spread in a thin layer on a napkin and dry.
5. Soak for 40 minutes in a 5% manganese solution.

Then take it out and lay it out to dry.

Seed stratification at home

Planting pine from seeds will become more effective if you stratify the material. This is an artificially created environment in which planting material is kept in the soil in winter. It will be much easier to grow a tree from hardened material; germination after stratification is 100%.Several methods are offered. First way:

• sterilize the glass jar in the oven;
• let it cool;
• pour out the material;
• close with a lid;
• placed in the freezer until planting, for approximately 2.5 months.

Second way:

• a small depression is made in the area;
• a layer of dry straw is placed at the bottom;
• the material is placed in a canvas cloth or paper bag, placed on straw;
• cover with a layer of sawdust on top;
• covered with a wooden board and covered with snow.

Third way:

• seeds are mixed with wet sand and sawdust;
• the mixture is poured into a container, covered;
• lowered into the basement;
• left until landing.

The latter method is convenient because there is no need to germinate pine seeds at home; by spring they will sprout on their own in the basement.

Preparing the soil and planting container

You can grow pine at home by planting seeds in containers, mini-greenhouses, or directly into the ground in a designated area. Direct landing is suitable for the Southern regions. In temperate climates, a pine seedling is first grown from seed, then transferred to the site.

Large containers are needed if you need to grow a lot of seedlings for mass planting. Side holes are made in the containers to aerate the root system. The soil for coniferous trees is light; it is difficult to grow the crop on loamy soil. If the composition on the site is not sandy loam, it is lightened by adding river sand.

It is not recommended to pour soil into containers with added organic matter. It will not be possible to grow planting material; the seedling will die from excess nitrogen. Mineral fertilizers are added to the containers.

Pine seed sowing rate

There are several ways to grow seedlings:

1. Using the narrow tape method, where the tape width is 15 cm, seedlings with a well-developed root system will be obtained.
2. Multi-line - planting in several parallel lines with minimal proximity of plants. The planting method is used in small areas to obtain a significant number of seedlings.
3. In one row (ordinary), the result should be 100 sprouts per 1 m. After sprouting, the shoots are thinned out. It is more productive to grow seedlings using this method; row planting is used in nurseries to sell seedlings.

In any case, the sowing rate of pine seeds will be the same per 1 hectare - 60 kg. To decorate a personal plot, calculate 2 g per 1 m2. To grow seedlings in a container, the minimum calculation per seed is 200 g of soil, the optimal is 500 g.

How to plant pine seeds

Seedlings can be grown in a greenhouse or container, the placement scheme is the same. Planting pine seeds at home begins at the end of winter. Direct planting in the ground is carried out in the spring. Before sowing, the material is germinated:

• placed on one side of the wet cloth;
• cover with the second part;
• locate in a bright place;
• constantly moisturize.

After 5 days, sprouts will appear.

How to grow seedlings in a container:

1. Fill the soil, leaving 15 cm of free space to the top.
2. Make longitudinal furrows 2.5 cm deep.
3. Carefully, so as not to damage the sprouts, place the seeds at intervals of 1 cm.
4. Cover with glass and keep warm.

After 14 days, shoots will appear, the glass is removed.

If the goal is to grow seedlings in a greenhouse:

1. Dig a trench 20 cm wide and as deep as a shovel.
2. The earth is mixed with sand and turf soil.
3. Fill the trench.
4. Make furrows 3 cm deep.
5. Fall asleep, moisturize.

Work is carried out after the soil has thawed. Shoots will appear in 3 weeks.

If the goal is to grow a coniferous perennial by direct planting, the placement of seeds is the same as in a greenhouse. The work is carried out in the spring; in the southern regions, laying can be done in the summer or before winter.

As a decorative option, you can grow a pine tree by planting a cone in a flower pot. Place it sideways or vertically. The cone is half covered with soil and covered with moss. Sprouts are formed from the scales of the cone. In the summer, the pot is taken out to the veranda in the shade, and returned indoors for the winter.

Seedling care

You can grow pine from seeds subject to the following agricultural technology conditions:

• after planting, watering is carried out every day until seedlings appear;
• young shoots are watered every day for a week;
• then watering is replaced by irrigation from a spray bottle;
• apply fertilizers with a special composition for coniferous crops;
• treated with fungicide.

When the seedlings grow to 10 cm, they are thinned out, weak ones with a curved trunk and bare shoots without needles are removed.

Optimal conditions for growing pine from seeds at home

Seedlings can only be grown if the temperature is observed; it should not be higher than +23⁰ C and only in natural light. Special lamps are not used to grow young pine trees. The greenhouse is ventilated, as is the room where the containers are located.

It is possible to grow seedlings only if the air is not too dry. In winter, central heating reduces humidity to a minimum. It is recommended that, along with spraying, place the containers in a pan of water or place a wide cup of water nearby. When the weather is above zero, the containers are taken out to the area in partial shade. The film cover is removed from the greenhouse.

Transplanting a seedling into open ground

You can grow a coniferous tree only from a 4-year-old seedling. The seedling is transferred to the place of subsequent growth in March, when the soil has warmed up to +12⁰ C, and the culture obtained from the cone is in a dormant state. Sequence of work:

1. The soil is moistened, and the plant is removed from the soil using a shovel.
2. If you dug up several pieces, they are carefully separated so as not to damage the root.
3. Make a planting hole along the height of the root to the neck, 25 cm wide.
4. Place drainage at the bottom; fine gravel will do.
5. Place the plant in the center and cover it with soil.

After 3 years the pine tree is replanted. If the trees are located in one line, leave 1 m between them.

Conclusion

Growing a pine tree from a cone is not so difficult, but it takes quite a long time. It is necessary to choose the right cones, obtain material from them and follow the recommendations for planting and care. To grow coniferous crops, seedlings are placed on a plot only after 4-5 years. After 3 years they will have to be replanted, the weak plants will die, leaving strong seedlings from which it will not be difficult to grow an adult tree.

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