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Daurian larch or Gmelina is an interesting representative of coniferous species of the Pine family. The natural habitat covers the Far East, Eastern Siberia and northeast China, including the valleys of the Amur, Zeya, Anadyr rivers, and the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk. In mountainous areas, the Daurian species grows at high altitudes, taking a creeping or dwarf form; it is also found in lowlands, on swampy pigweeds and peat bogs, and easily colonizes rocky mountain slopes.
Description of Daurian larch
Gmelin or Daurian larch (Larix gmelinii) is a powerful, extremely hardy deciduous tree, reaching a height of 35-40 m when mature. The average lifespan is 350-400 years.
Young shoots of the Daurian variety are distinguished by light yellow, straw or pinkish bark with slightly pronounced wavy and pubescence.With age, the bark becomes thick, deeply fissured, and its color changes to reddish or brownish-gray.
The needles are a rich, bright green color, thin, narrow and soft to the touch, smooth on top, and have two longitudinal grooves on the bottom. The length of the needles is 1.5-3 cm, on shortened shoots it is formed into bunches of 25-40 pieces. In autumn, the color of the crown changes to honey-yellow.
The needles of Daurian larch (Gmelina) bloom in late April or early May, earlier than other types of larch. During this period, the earth at the roots has not yet completely melted. Along with the appearance of new needles, flowering also occurs. Male cones are oval-shaped, mostly located at the bottom of the branch on short, bare shoots. Pollen from Dahurian larch does not have air sacs and does not fly over long distances. Female cones are ovoid in shape, do not exceed 1.5-3.5 cm in length. The scales are arranged in 4-6 rows, the average number is 25-40 pieces. The color of young female inflorescences is lilac-violet; in adulthood, the color changes to red, pinkish or green. Pollination occurs through the wind, after a month the cones are fertilized. The seeds ripen in late summer or early autumn; in clear, dry weather, the cones open, allowing the seeds to fall out.
Daurian larch in landscape design
Daurian larch (Gmelina) is a valuable species for decorating a personal plot or garden. Most often it is planted as a tapeworm - a single plant that attracts attention to the entire composition. Daurian larch is also used to create groves.
Daurian larch, together with other deciduous trees, is a classic layout option for a northern garden. It also looks advantageous against the background of evergreen conifers - pine, fir or spruce. The species tolerates pruning well, but is not suitable for curly haircuts. Young shoots of Daurian larch (Gmelina) are elastic and flexible, they can easily be intertwined with each other, creating living arches, arbors or pergolas.
Planting and caring for Daurian larch
Daurian larch is a northern tree species that can withstand temperatures down to -60°C. It is extremely photophilous, but is not at all demanding on the composition of the soil. It can grow both on rocky slopes and on sandstone, limestone, wetlands and peat bogs, in places with a shallow layer of permafrost. The best soil for Gmelin larch is considered to be moist loam with the addition of lime.
Preparing seedlings and planting area
Since Daurian larch (Gmelina) tolerates replanting well, both adult specimens (up to 20 years old) and annual seedlings are suitable for a summer cottage. For landscaping work, 6-year-old specimens in soft containers are used; older trees are replanted in hard containers or with a frozen ball of earth.
Transplantation is carried out in early spring before buds open or in autumn after the needles have completely fallen off. Thanks to its powerful root system, which goes deep down, Daurian larch is not afraid of strong winds. For it, choose a sunny, open place and dig a hole 50*50 cm, 70-80 cm deep. The distance between neighboring trees should be at least 2-4 m. Prepare a soil mixture by adding peat and sand to the leaf soil at a ratio of 3:2: 1.The pit is left for 2 weeks for the soil to settle.
Seedlings are inspected for mechanical damage and pests. It is important that there are no scratches or cuts on young roots, since they contain the mycelium of a symbiotic fungus, which acts as root hairs.
Landing rules
The algorithm for planting Daurian larch (Gmelina) does not differ from planting other representatives of this genus:
- In a place prepared in advance, dig a depression commensurate with the seedling’s earthen coma.
- On heavy clay soils, be sure to lay a drainage layer at the bottom - at least 20 cm (broken brick, crushed stone, gravel).
- When planting, you can add humus or compost to the soil; the use of manure is highly undesirable.
- The hole is spilled with water 2-3 times and allowed to soak.
- The young seedling is placed in the center, if necessary, the roots are straightened and covered with earth, being careful not to bury it (the neck should be at ground level).
- The young tree is watered with non-cold, settled water, using at least two buckets per specimen.
- The circle around the trunk is mulched with sawdust, peat, pine bark or pine needles.
- At first, young Daurian larch seedlings need shading from direct sunlight.
Watering and fertilizing
Gmelin larch loves well-moistened soil. The top layer of soil should not dry out. Adult larches are quite drought-resistant, unlike young seedlings, which need regular watering 2 times a week.
In order for the conifer to take root faster and begin to grow, it must be regularly fed with complex mineral fertilizers with a high content of potassium and phosphorus.Apply 50-100 g of fertilizer per 1 m².
Mulching and loosening
Loosening and removal weed is especially important for young seedlings of Gmelin larch. To prevent the top layer of soil from drying out quickly, the ground near the trunk is covered with mulch made from peat, sawdust, bark, and pine needles. The layer must be at least 5 cm.
Trimming
Daurian larch or Gmelina larch grows somewhat slower than other species and does not need pruning often. It is possible to form a tree only at a young age; adult larches are subjected only to sanitary pruning, during which dried and damaged branches are removed. The procedure is carried out when the period of active growth of young shoots ends, but lignification has not yet begun. Pruning Gmelin larch is also necessary to control the growth of the tree in height.
Preparing for winter
In addition to resistance to drought, swampiness and soil salinity, Daurian larch (Gmelina) tolerates the most severe frosts. Mature trees do not need shelter; young trees can be wrapped in two layers of burlap for the winter.
Reproduction of Daurian larch (Gmelina)
Gmelin larch reproduces by seeds. After the needles fall on the tree, light brown cones are selected and dried at room temperature until the scales open. The fallen seeds are placed in a paper bag and placed in the refrigerator until spring.
Larix gmelinii seeds germinate well without stratification, however, this procedure will significantly increase the germination percentage. A month before sowing, the seeds are soaked for a day in water at room temperature. Then it is mixed with moistened coarse sand in a ratio of 1:3 and placed in the refrigerator.
Gmelin larch seeds are sown at the end of April or early May. They are sealed to a depth of 1.5 cm, sprinkled with a sand-peat mixture on top. Upon completion of sowing, the soil is slightly compacted and covered with spruce branches or straw. When Daurian larch seedlings emerge from the ground, the mulch is removed. Young larches do not tolerate the slightest shade, so regular weeding of plantings is the key to active growth and proper development of seedlings.
Gmelin's larch can be propagated by layering and grafting, however, this method is very difficult for the average gardener and is used in industrial nurseries or greenhouses. For planting in a garden plot, it is easier to buy a ready-made seedling.
Diseases and pests
Gmelin larch can suffer from a number of pests:
- larch leaf miner;
- hermes;
- coniferous scale insects;
- sawflies;
- larch case-bearer;
- bark beetles;
- pine beetles;
- barbel
Systemic insecticides are used for control; for prevention against beetles, in early spring the larch crown and the soil around the trunk are treated with karbofos.
Gmelin larch is susceptible to some fungal diseases, such as:
- Schutte (meriosis);
- rust;
- Alternaria blight;
- tracheomycosis wilt.
Fungicides are used for treatment; severely damaged specimens should be uprooted and burned.
Conclusion
Daurian larch (Gmelina) has found wide application in landscape design due to its unpretentiousness, exceptional frost resistance and high decorativeness. It will become a decoration and the main accent of any garden plot; it will delight the eye with its fluffy, juicy green crown.
