Content
The Himalayan pine has several other names - Wallich pine, Griffith pine. This tall coniferous tree is found in the wild in the mountainous Himalayan forests, eastern Afghanistan and western China. Himalayan pine is valued for its decorative properties, so it is grown everywhere.
Description of Himalayan pine
Himalayan pine belongs to a species of gymnosperms from the genus Pine. This tree grows up to 35–50 m in height. The crown has a wide pyramidal shape with a loose structure. The branches are long, flexible, located horizontally, growing from the ground line. The decorative nature of the culture lies in the long thin needles. The length of each needle reaches 20 cm, and the thickness is about 1 mm, so the needles are very flexible. The needles are collected in bunches containing 5 needles. Young needles resemble the needles of Scots pine, and with age the needles droop, which makes them look like willow. The shade of the needles can be bluish-green or bluish with a silvery tint. Each needle grows on a tree for at least 3–4 years.
The cones become yellowish after ripening, their length ranges from 15 to 32 cm, and their width is no more than 7 cm.The shape is cylindrical, slightly curved. The seeds are equipped with an elongated wing, the total length is about 30–35 mm. Pine blooms at the end of April, the timing varies from person to person and depends on the growing region. The buds ripen in the second year after flowering, around mid-October.
Young specimens are distinguished by dark gray, smooth bark; in older trees, it becomes covered with cracks, changes its color to ashen, and peels off in places from the trunk. The color of young shoots is yellowish-green with a characteristic shine; there is no bark.
The roots of the Himalayan pine are located in the top layer of the earth, the central rod reaches a length of 1.5 m.
The lifespan of the Himalayan pine in the wild is about three hundred years. Annual growth depends on growing conditions. Under favorable conditions, pine shows an increase in height of about 60 cm, the width of the tree increases to 20 cm every year, which is considered a good indicator for coniferous seedlings.
The approximate height of a tree grown in central Russia by the age of 35 is 12 m. In Crimea, a pine tree of the same age will grow twice as tall, i.e. up to 24 m.
The Himalayan pine has a high degree of frost resistance; the crop can withstand temperatures down to -30 °C, but branches break under the load of wet snow or blizzards.
Himalayan pine awakens at the first warming, which can result in damage to shoots from recurrent frosts. If the tree managed to survive, it will not grow this season, because...All efforts will be directed towards restoration.
Decorative needles can be damaged by bright sunlight in the winter and spring. The sun reflected from dazzling white snowdrifts is especially dangerous. It leads to needle burns.
Himalayan pine in landscape design
The main beauty of the Himalayan pine lies in its long, hanging needles. The tree is actively used for landscaping park areas; it can be planted in a flowerbed as a single specimen or in groups. Coniferous seedlings go well with rocky hills.
The dwarf version of the Himalayan pine, Nana, is popular; it forms a sphere up to 2 m in diameter. The needles of this subspecies are also decorative and droop with age like those of a willow, but the needles are much shorter than those of a tall tree. The length of the needles does not exceed 12 cm. Another dwarf specimen with a spherical shape is Schwerinii Wiethorst. It was obtained by German breeders in the process of hybridizing Weymouth and Himalayan pine. The crown of this variety is dense, fluffy, spherical, with a diameter of up to 2.5 m.
Dwarf species are used for landscaping garden areas; they look good both in single and group plantings; they are planted in rocky gardens, on hills, and in mixborders.
Planting and caring for Himalayan pine
In order for a seedling to be accepted and become a decoration of the territory for a long time, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the requirements for its planting and cultivation.
Preparing seedlings and planting area
Himalayan pine can be grown in Ukraine, Belarus, as well as in the southern and middle latitudes of Russia.
The location is selected according to the following criteria:
- the tree does not like gusts of wind, so it should be located behind a high fence, the wall of a building.The issue of wind protection is especially pressing in the northern regions;
- the place should be well lit, but not by direct sunlight, but by diffused light. Needles can suffer not only in summer, but also in the period February - March during thaws and recurrent frosts;
- Himalayan pine loves light, well-drained soil without stagnant moisture. Ephedra will not grow in wetlands. Alkaline soils are not suitable for growing pine.
Before removing from the container, the seedling is well watered.
Rules for planting Himalayan pine
The approximate depth of the planting hole is 1 m. The size of the hole is determined by the container in which the seedling was purchased. A hole is dug approximately 2 times larger than the earthen ball on the root system. The distance between neighboring trees should be about 4 m.
A mixture consisting of peat, soil and sand, taken in equal proportions, is poured into the planting hole. A drainage layer (stones, pebbles, broken bricks, gravel, sand) is poured onto the bottom of the planting hole. If the soil is clayey or heavy, the drainage layer should be at least 20 cm.
The seedling is placed in the hole along with a lump of earth, and the prepared soil mixture is covered on top.
Watering and fertilizing
During the first two years, the seedling gets used to the growing conditions, so it needs regular watering and fertilizing. Older pines can grow during periods of drought without additional soil moisture, but the tree trunk circle must be mulched.
Closer to autumn, it is recommended to feed the pine with potassium-phosphorus compounds, and in the spring superphosphate will benefit.
Mulching and loosening
Mulching protects the root system from hypothermia and excessive evaporation of moisture. The mulch layer should be at least 10 cm. Peat, crushed tree bark, wood shavings or sawdust can be used as mulching materials. A layer of mulch prevents the soil from drying out and at the same time improves its composition.
Trimming
When carrying out formative pruning, you should adhere to the rule that the growth should not be completely removed. Shorten shoots by no more than 30%, cutting off all branches.
After winter, sanitary pruning is carried out. At the same time, broken, frozen and dried branches are removed.
Preparing for winter
Young pine seedlings need shelter for the winter. But it is not recommended to carefully wind up the branches, since this type of tree has very fragile wood.
It is best to build a frame, which is covered on top with a covering material: burlap, film. You can cover it with regular spruce branches.
The shelter is made in late autumn, when the night air temperature drops to -5 °C. The protective structure is removed in the spring, when the daytime temperature reaches above zero.
Shelter helps protect the tree not only from frost, but also from snowfall, as well as from bright sunlight, which can cause burns on the needles.
Reproduction
Reproduction of Himalayan pine occurs by seeds. The trees bloom in late spring, after which cones form.Seed ripening occurs the following year in autumn.
At home, growing Himalayan pine from seeds can take a very long time and is not always successful; it requires special conditions and care, so it is better to purchase a ready-made seedling from a nursery.
Diseases and pests
The following diseases are dangerous for pine trees:
- Schutte;
- rust;
- drying out of shoots.
Fungicides are used as therapeutic and prophylactic agents. Spraying of the crown and trunk circle is carried out with the following preparations: “Maxim”, “Skor”, “Quadris”, “Radomil Gold”, “Horus”. You can use copper-containing products. For example, as a preventive measure, crown treatment with Bordeaux mixture, copper sulfate, “Hom”, “Oxychom” is used. These products are used no more than twice a season. The biological product “Fitosporin” is considered safer, which can be used several times with an interval of 2 weeks.
Hermes and aphids can be found among pests on pine. To combat them, spray the crown with special preparations “Aktellik”, “Aktara”, “Enzhio”. Treatment is carried out in the spring and repeated in the summer.
Conclusion
Himalayan pine is a tall representative of the Pine genus. Trees are valued for their decorative value and are therefore used in landscape design. Pine combines effectively with other coniferous and deciduous trees with a dark green crown. Himalayan pine trees decorate the park alleys. They are used in single and group plantings. In dacha conditions, dwarf specimens of Nana are chosen to decorate the site. It is necessary to take into account that mature trees tolerate frost well, while young trees require shelter. The branches of the Himalayan pine can be damaged by snowfall, so in winter the snow should be carefully brushed away.
