Content
Siberian pine is a tree that anyone can grow on their own plot. It has phytoncidal properties and a pleasant pine scent. The main advantage of the Siberian pine is its seeds - pine nuts, which are a valuable high-calorie food product.
Description of Siberian pine
Siberian cedar pine is a close relative of Korean, European and dwarf cedar pines. According to scientific classification, Siberian pine belongs to the pine genus, but since ancient times it has been nicknamed Siberian cedar for its external resemblance to the tree of the same name.
Siberian pine is a monoecious, dioecious, anemophilous plant. This means that the female and male cones are located on the same tree, and it is pollinated by the wind.The growing season of the plant is quite short and is only 40 - 45 days, so it is classified as a slow-growing crop. Active fruiting of pine begins, on average, after 60 years. Up to 12 kg of nuts are collected from one tree. The plant produces a bountiful harvest every 3 to 10 years.
Characteristics of Siberian pine:
- a moisture-loving crop that is particularly sensitive to soil and air humidity, especially during winter;
- develops well in sandy and loamy soils, but can grow on the surface of sphagnum bogs and rocky substrates;
- high frost resistance;
- high levels of shade tolerance in youth, but in adulthood the plant prefers good lighting;
- responds poorly to transplantation in adulthood;
- ability to grow throughout life;
- does not tolerate air pollution.
Siberian pine is listed in the Red Book and is considered a vulnerable species, since its numbers are declining due to forest fires, under the influence of anthropogenic factors, economic activities and changes in environmental conditions.
What does Siberian pine look like?
Siberian cedar pine is one of the largest evergreen representatives of the Pine genus. This is a powerful tree, the trunk of which reaches a thickness of about 2 m in diameter. The height of Siberian pine is from 20 to 44 m.
Photos and descriptions of Siberian pine show that the crown of the tree is dense, multi-peaked, with many thick branches. In young plants it has a sharp cone-shaped shape; as the tree matures, the crown becomes wider.
The tree trunk is gray-brown, smooth and straight. Old pines are covered with cracked, rough, scaly bark.Young shoots are a lighter brown color and are covered with long red hairs.
Morphological characteristics of Siberian pine
The short shoots of Siberian pine are covered with dark green needles with a bluish tint. The length of the needles is from 6 to 14 cm. The needles are soft to the touch, slightly jagged and grow in bunches, five pieces in one. The tufts are surrounded by scale-like, fast-falling golden-brown leaves. The needles stay on tree branches for 3 years, after which they fall off and are renewed.
The buds of the plant are conical in shape, 6 to 10 cm long, tapering towards the end, not resinous, covered with pointed lanceolate bud scales. Siberian pine blooms in May.
The cones of this conifer are erect. The female ones are formed at the ends of the upper shoots after they complete their growth, and the male ones gather at the base. In the axils of female cones there are seed scales with two ovules.
Upon reaching maturity, the cones become large, from 5 to 8 cm in width and up to 13 cm in length, acquire an elongated, ovoid shape, and are first purple and then brown in color. Their scales become denser and more adjacent, and the surface is covered with short, hard pubescence.
Each cone can contain from 30 to 150 nut seeds. In terms of their structure, the seeds of Siberian pine are quite large, ovoid in shape, reaching 10 - 15 mm in length and 6 - 10 mm in width. Their skin is dense, hard, dark brown in color. The internal contents are yellowish-white butternuts covered with thin skin.They serve as a rich source of phosphorus, lecithin, iodine, manganese, copper, zinc and cobalt.
Comparison of Siberian pine and Scots pine:
Plant parts | Siberian pine | Scots pine |
Seeds | Large nuts with a dense, brown skin and a white, oily kernel. | The seeds are small, with wings. |
Needles | There are 5 needles in one bunch; they are longer and stay on the tree for up to 3 years. | The needles are small, connected in bunches of 1 piece, needles change much more often. |
Crown | Powerful, cone-shaped, dark green crown. | Round or umbrella-shaped crown. |
Root system of Siberian pine
A characteristic feature of the structure of Siberian pine is its root system, which includes a tap root up to 50 cm long, as well as lateral roots extending from it. At their ends there are small root hairs on which mycorrhiza is formed - a symbiotic relationship between fungal mycelium and plant roots.
If a tree grows on well-drained, light soil, then, despite the short tap root, it will have powerful anchor roots capable of penetrating to a depth of up to 3 m. Such solid support, consisting of anchor roots and basal paws, gives the trunk and crown wood is resistant and able to withstand winds and hurricanes.
Properties of Siberian pine wood
Siberian pine wood has the following features:
- softness, lightness, strength;
- nice smell;
- beautiful texture and many shades (light beige, pink beige, soft chocolate, dark brown);
- excellent resonance properties;
- high moisture resistance, resistance to rotting, unattractive to worms and beetles that eat away the bark and trunk of the tree;
- ease of processing and polishing, material pliability, drying without cracking.
Due to its properties, Siberian pine wood is highly valued and is used for the production of furniture, pianos, guitars, harps and even pencils. It is also used for construction and interior decoration.
How long does Siberian pine live?
The tree is considered long-lived. The lifespan of the Siberian pine is about 500 years, but some individuals have existed for 850 years. The level of air pollution has a great influence on the lifespan of a plant.
Where does Siberian pine grow?
Siberian pine grows throughout the entire forest belt of Western Siberia. In Eastern Siberia, its spread is hampered by permafrost, so Siberian cedar is found only closer to the south. In the west of the Urals, the tree grows all the way to the Timan Ridge.
In Altai, Siberian pine can be found even at an altitude of 2400 m above sea level. The plant is also widespread in Mongolia, Kazakhstan and China.
Among other things, on the territory of Russia there are cedar groves planted in pre-revolutionary times, such as Chagrinskaya, Koryazhemskaya and Petryaevskaya.
Varieties of Siberian pine
Siberian pine is characterized by very slow growth, and the first cones appear on the tree after about 60 years. As a result of research, breeders obtained about several dozen samples of Siberian cedar, characterized by faster growth rates and abundant fruiting. Already a year after grafting with a suitable rootstock, such plants can produce about 15 - 20 cones. Examples of varieties:
- President 02;
- Oligarch 03;
- Emerald 034;
- Narcissus 06.
The meaning of Siberian pine in nature
Siberian pine is of great importance for nature. Its seeds serve as food for nutcrackers, chipmunks, squirrels, sables, bears, woodpeckers, nuthatch and other animals. The animals, in turn, distribute seeds, which later grow into new trees.
Hedges made from coniferous crops not only have high decorative qualities, but also have a beneficial effect on the microclimate. Siberian cedar creates a habitat for many other plants, mosses, lichens, fungi and microorganisms. Coniferous trees purify the air and help destroy pathogenic microbes.
Planting and caring for Siberian pine on the site
Gardeners practice two methods of growing Siberian pine: from seeds or using seedlings. In this case, the second method is more preferable. Since the tree belongs to slow-growing crops, planting through seedlings allows you to shorten the ripening time of the first fruits.
Preparing seedlings and planting area
Seedlings that have reached the age of 5 years are considered ideal. Their height should be no more than 1 m, the trunk diameter should be no more than 2 cm.
It is best to purchase Siberian pine seedlings with a closed root system: this will avoid damage during further planting in the ground. If there is no opportunity to purchase such a plant, then you can choose seedlings with an open root system. The main thing is that they meet the following requirements:
- the lump of earth should be at least 40 - 60 cm in diameter: the larger the seedling, the more land it needs;
- it is important that the earthen ball is wrapped in burlap and additionally placed in a plastic bag;
- landing at a permanent place should occur as soon as possible;
- It is advisable that the seedling be freshly dug up.
Good nurseries use a special technique for cutting roots when digging up seedlings, which allows them to maintain the integrity of the root system when transplanting to a permanent location. It usually takes the plant some time to get established. At this moment, it is important to provide him with the most comfortable conditions possible.
The plant prefers sandy and loamy well-moistened soils. If the soil at your summer cottage is clayey or loamy, additional drainage will be required. The root system develops well in airy soils.
Soil acidity should be average; at high levels, it is recommended to use lime at a rate of 300 g per hole.
Landing rules
The optimal time for planting Siberian pine seedlings is early spring. Despite the fact that young trees grow well in partial shade, preference should be given to a well-lit place.
Landing algorithm:
- Dig up the entire area for planting Siberian pine seedlings. For one tree, you need to dig up at least 1 m of soil around the planting hole. The distance between seedlings should be 6 - 8 meters.
- The earthen hole should be dug approximately 30% larger than the earthen ball.
- Siberian pine seedlings can be transplanted immediately into loamy and sandy soil. If the soil is too clayey, the soil removed from the hole should be mixed with a mixture of peat and sand in a ratio of 2:1:2.
- After this, it is necessary to add fertilizer from rotted manure, wood ash, peat and several handfuls of forest coniferous soil to the soil. Mix the resulting mixture well and pour into the wells.
- Secure a peg in the planting hole and place a pine seedling in the center so that the root collar is not too deep and is at soil level. If it turns out to be lower, you need to carefully remove the seedling and add the missing amount of soil mixture.
- Seedlings with a closed root system need to straighten their roots after being removed from the container. They should fit freely in the hole without bending.
- The part of the seedling that remains above the ground must be tied to a support using twine.
- Next, you need to fill the holes with the prepared soil mixture so that there is no empty space left, and water them using at least 6 liters of water per tree.
- Mulch the surface around the trunk with nut shells, pine needles, bark or pine sawdust.
- Water Siberian pine seedlings once every 2-3 days over the next two weeks. During rains, watering is usually reduced.
Watering and fertilizing
Despite the fact that the plant is very moisture-loving, it is recommended to water it as the soil dries out. In summer, watering should be more abundant and frequent, but in winter it is important to check that the soil is completely dry. Excessive soil moisture can cause damage and rotting of the root system.
The plant does not require frequent feeding. The optimal time for applying fertilizers is considered to be the hot summer period.You can feed Siberian pine with special fertilizers for coniferous crops. Organic fertilizers are applied before planting. A mixture of 2 buckets of manure and 50 g of superphosphate for the entire tree trunk is perfect.
Mulching and loosening
When loosening the soil, remember to be careful. The roots of the Siberian pine are located too close to the surface, so only the top layer of soil can be loosened.
The best mulch for coniferous crops is forest foliage, small branches, and moss. They contain the mycelium of fungi living in symbiosis with Siberian pine and improve the mineral nutrition of its roots. The soil around the trunk is also mulched by adding compost, loose humus or peat.
With the help of mulching, soil moisture is maintained, favorable conditions are maintained for soil microorganisms necessary for the plant's root system to replenish humus reserves. This is especially important for sandy loam soil.
Trimming
Pruning Siberian pine is not necessary if you break off the lateral buds of the axial shoot in the first years after planting the seedling. This allows nutrients to flow to the central point on the axial shoot: thus its growth over the season can increase by 2 - 2.5 times.
Preparing for winter
The tree is characterized by high frost resistance and can easily survive temperatures dropping to -60 oC. Siberian pine does not require special preparation for the winter period. In the fall, before the snow falls, you only need to mulch the soil around the trunk.This will help protect the root system from freezing and retain moisture in the root zone.
Pests and diseases of Siberian pine
The main sources of danger for Siberian pine are:
- Bark beetles, especially chalcograph and common engraver. Immediately after the spring thaw, when the daytime air temperature rises, bark beetles wake up from hibernation. They gnaw holes in the tree bark and lay eggs there, from which new larvae hatch. Gradually, the bark tissue is destroyed, and the tree itself may die. To get rid of these beetles, it is recommended to contact a specialist, since the process of removing them is not so simple;
- Hermes of Siberia, piercing a tree trunk with its sharp trunk and sucking the juice from it. In the fight against such pests, insecticides that act through plant sap will be effective;
- Rust that appears on needles during wet and warm summer seasons. This disease can be recognized by orange-yellow bubbles on the needles. Disease prevention is done by weeding nearby plants;
- Blister rust and shoot cancer are some of the most severe diseases of Siberian pine that are difficult to treat. For prevention purposes, root development stimulants and anti-stress agents are used in the early stages.
Reproduction of Siberian pine
In its natural environment, Siberian pine reproduces by seeds. They are distributed by pine nuts, chipmunks, sables, squirrels and other forest animals that eat pine nuts.
In dachas and gardens, crops are most often grown using seedlings. Especially valuable varieties are grafted for propagation purposes. Reproduction of Siberian pine at home is also possible using seeds.Seeds of Siberian cedar from the Gavrish agricultural company are available for sale.
Application of Siberian pine
Siberian cedar pine is one of the most valuable tree species. Pine nuts are famous for their beneficial nutritional properties and are eaten all over the world. They are rich in iodine and are valuable as a natural, natural prevention of iodine deficiency.
Walnut shells are great for mulching. Oil is also produced from the nuts, which is used in medicine and the food industry. It contains twice as much vitamin E as almond and walnut oil.
Pine needles are used in the production of shampoos, soaps and vitamin supplements. It is processed to produce vitamin flour for livestock. Siberian cedar pine resin is considered an effective remedy for healing wounds, boils and ulcers.
Siberian pine pollen has healing properties; an alcohol tincture is prepared on its basis, which helps cope with respiratory diseases and tuberculosis.
Wood is easy to process, soft, light and pliable, which is why it is often used for construction and interior decoration. Pine is used to make crafts, pencils, furniture and musical instruments.
Conclusion
Siberian pine is a valuable commercial crop that can easily be grown on your own plot. It is undemanding in care and has high frost resistance. Growing a tree from grafted seedlings significantly reduces the time it takes for fruiting to begin, and the first cones can appear on such a tree 1 - 2 years after planting.
