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Conifers that produce edible seeds include the Italian Pine or Pine. It grows throughout the Mediterranean, in Russia - only on the Black Sea coast. Species plants and the Silver crest variety are used in culture. Growing and caring for Silvercrest pine is possible only in frost resistance zone 7, and according to the American Conifer Society - 8. In Germany, botanical gardens plant small specimens in greenhouses.
Interestingly, the fairy-tale hero Pinocchio was made from an Italian Pine log. And it was to the trunk of this tree that Karabas Barabas’ beard stuck.
Description of pine Silver crest
Unlike species-specific Italian pine, the Silvercrest variety increases in size more slowly. But it still belongs to the fast-growing conifers, adding about 30 cm annually. The height of the Silvercrest pine at 10 years is about 3 m, the maximum is 15 m.
Small plants about 20 cm high, which sometimes go on sale, have a crown of an indistinct configuration. Later the tree becomes like a spherical bush. But the description and photo of a mature Silvercrest pine show a plant with an original shape. Apart from Pinia, this is typical only for Nelson pine.
The Silvercrest trunk is short and often curved. The branches are horizontal, long branches rise at an angle of 30-60°, the tips are directed strictly vertically. They form a very wide, flat, umbrella-like crown.
The bark of the Silvercrest pine is thick, young - smooth, first gray-green, then yellow-brown. The old one is covered with deep longitudinal cracks, with a color ranging from reddish-gray to gray-brown. The edges of the peeled plates are almost black.
The buds are ovoid in shape, with a sharp tip, covered with red-brown scales with a silvery fringe-like edge, ranging in size from 6 to 12 mm. The hard Silvercrest pine needles are collected in groups of 2, have a length of 10-12 cm, and a width of up to 2 mm. The needles are colored silver-green and live for 1-3 years.
The cones are often single, very rarely collected in groups of 2 or 3, large, ovoid with a rounded top, 8-15 cm long, 5-11 cm in diameter at the thickest point. They ripen in the third year. Silvercrest buds are green at first. Then they turn brown, with strongly convex growths on the scales. At the end of the third season, the seeds fall off, and the cones can hang on the tree for another 2-3 years.
Italian pine has the largest seeds among pine trees: there are only 1,500 pieces per 1 kg. They are edible and are in great demand. The taste is better than pine nuts, which are actually pine seeds.
The shell color is light brown, often with whitish spots.The length of the seeds can reach 2 cm, the wing is absent or rudimentary.
Where does the Silvercrest pine grow?
Descriptions and photos of Silver crest pine show that it is a very beautiful tree. But it will winter without shelter only at a temperature not lower than -12° C. Some sources claim that the crop can withstand -16° C for a short time. But, for example, pine pine cannot be grown in the Moscow region.
Even if the crop successfully survives several mild winters, it will still die at the first frost, which is common in the Middle Zone.
So growing Silvercrest pine in the garden is possible in the countries of the former Soviet Union only on the Black Sea coast, and even then not everywhere. In other regions, it will die at the first weather disaster.
Silvercrest pine loves warm, dry and loose soil. It grows on sandy loam and calcareous soils. Loves the sun and does not tolerate waterlogging. It is resistant to wind, but strong gusts can make the crown asymmetrical.
Planting and caring for Silver crest pine
Actually, growing and caring for Italian pine pine is not particularly difficult. It’s just that in our country it can only exist in a limited area. Northerners and residents of regions with temperate climates will not be able to plant it.
Preparing seedlings and planting area
Silvercrest pine cannot be planted in damp areas. Even a large drainage layer may not be enough; it is better to make a rocky or sandy embankment or build a terrace.
The hole is dug the same as for other conifers - the depth should be equal to the height of the earthen ball plus at least 20 cm for drainage. Diameter is 1.5-2 times the width of the root system.
If the soil is rocky, there is no need to remove foreign matter. If necessary, add sand, turf soil and lime. Starting fertilizer is applied under the seedlings with burlap covered earthen roots.
But it is better to buy Silvercrest pine in a container. Moreover, the tree must already have acquired the shape characteristic of the species and be at least 50 cm tall.
20-centimeter trees sold in pallets are usually discarded, which is why they are cheap. Here, first of all, you need to make sure that the Silver crest pine is alive. It should have flexible, living needles; it is advisable to remove the tree from the pot and inspect the root. But you shouldn’t really hope that the tree from the pallet will take root.
Landing rules
Drainage is poured into the prepared planting hole, which can be:
- expanded clay;
- sand;
- crushed stone;
- dropout;
- broken red brick;
- stones.
Fill it 2/3 with substrate and fill it with water. Let it sit. No earlier than 2 weeks later you can start planting:
- Part of the earth is removed from the hole.
- The seedling is installed in the center. The root collar should be located at the same level with the soil surface.
- Gradually fill in the substrate. At the same time, it is compacted thoroughly, but not too tightly.
- A roller is formed around the perimeter of the planting hole.
- Water generously.
- The soil is mulched.
Watering and fertilizing
At first, the Italian Silvercrest pine is watered frequently so that the soil underneath does not dry out. But excess water can cause root rot. When the tree takes root, watering is reduced to meager. Moisturizing should be rare, but very plentiful. About once a month (if there has been no rain at all), approximately 50 liters of water are poured under each tree.
Unlike the soil, the air must be moist. Therefore, pine grows, for the most part, in coastal regions. So, the drier the air, the more frequently the crown should be sprinkled. You may have to do them daily in the summer.
The pine tree needs to be fed regularly only until it reaches 10 years of age. In the spring, she is given a complex fertilizer with a high nitrogen content, and in the fall - potassium-phosphorus fertilizer.
Foliar feeding, especially a chelate complex, is always beneficial for Silvercrest pine. You just need to do them no more than once every 2 weeks.
Mulching and loosening
It is necessary to loosen the soil under the Silvercrest pine only in the first and second years after planting. Then it is enough to mulch the tree trunk circle with coniferous bark, peat, and rotted wood chips.
Trimming
Pruning of Italian Silvercrest pine is needed as part of a complex of sanitary measures, when all dry, broken and diseased branches are removed. The variety does not require formative pruning. But for greater decorativeness in the spring, young shoots are pinched to 1/3 or 1/2 of their length.
Preparing for winter
It's easy to cover a small tree. How to protect a 10-year-old pine tree that has reached 3 meters from frost? The tree will grow this size quite quickly, especially considering that high-quality seedlings should not be younger than 5 years. What happens to a mature Silvercrest pine when it grows to 12 meters? How to cover? No, of course, if you have the desire and money, it is possible.But isn’t it better to plant a crop on the site whose winter hardiness will correspond to the climate?
So Italian pine is for the southern coastal regions, corresponding to frost resistance zone 7, and if the temperature “jumps”, then 8. And there it is not necessary to cover it. If there are still negative temperatures in winter, protection is needed in the year of planting; in subsequent years, simply increase the layer of mulch.
Features of caring for Silvercrest pine at home
Growing Silvercrest pine in a pot is doomed to failure. Despite the fact that pine is often mentioned in books on indoor floriculture, it is not suitable for keeping indoors. Absolutely. True, in the south the crop is grown on cool glazed loggias.
Although it can be made into a bonsai, even experts rarely mess with the Italian Silvercrest pine. And not because it is difficult to create a miniature with a flat root from it. The difficulty lies in the maintenance of the tree.
A very cool (4-6 °C) light wintering, no temperature changes, to which pine in “captivity” is even more sensitive than in the ground - all this can only be ensured in a specially equipped room.
So, if your home does not have a climate-controlled winter garden, you can forget about growing Silvercrest pine at home.
Reproduction of Italian pine
Growing pine pine from seeds and grafting is the only way the crop reproduces. Layering is impossible, since the branches are directed upward and located high, and the cuttings practically do not take root.
But the seeds germinate well, without stratification.But in the next 5 years, which must pass before planting in the ground, young pines gradually die. When picking, during multiple transplants, from overwatering and drying out, rust and black leg.
Self-propagation of Italian pine by amateurs usually ends in failure.
Diseases and pests
In general, Italian Silvercrest pine planted in the south is a healthy crop. Of course, it can be affected by diseases or pests, but this rarely happens. Some of the most common troubles include:
- Mealybug, which usually appears when an infested tree appears in an area. Or due to sprinkling of the crown late in the evening, when the needles remain wet overnight.
- Spider mites, the appearance of which is associated with dry air.
- Rots caused by overflowing.
- Resin cancer or blister rust, which is a real scourge of the Pine genus.
To keep the Silvercrest pine healthy, you need to plant it in the “right” place, regularly water the crown in the early evening, avoid overwatering, and do preventive treatments. And also inspect the crown to identify problems at an early stage.
Conclusion
Growing and caring for Silvercrest pine will not be difficult even for novice gardeners. But the crop can only be planted in the southern regions. Perhaps someday pine varieties will be developed for temperate climates and the North, but so far they do not exist.
