A bright representative of evergreen conifers belongs to the family of the order Pine. Siberian cedar (lat. Pínus sibírica) is also known as "Siberian cedar pine". The culture is widespread in Eastern and Western Siberia. A distinctive feature of a coniferous tree is a massive, multi-tiered crown with large branches. The whorled structure (a special arrangement of branches, in which several leaves depart from each shoot) makes the plant especially attractive. The slowed down development of the culture is caused by a short period of vegetative growth - only 45 days a year. Under favorable conditions, pine can live up to 800 years. An adult representative often reaches about 40 meters in length. There are cases when the diameter of the Siberian cedar was more than 3 meters. You can not be afraid to grow a bulky, giant tree at home. Breeders have bred no less useful dwarf subspecies of culture.
Cedar pines
In Russia, real cedars can be found extremely rarely, since they are very thermophilic plants and are common in subtropical latitudes. The trees that most people mistake for cedars are actually cedar pines, which form one family with great relatives. In nature, they have quite a few varieties, but only three species grow on Russian territory: Korean cedar, dwarf cedar and Siberian cedar. The latter is the main nut-bearing breed and has the widest distribution. Its range covers areas with various climatic conditions: Eastern and Western Siberia, the middle and northern Urals, regions of the European part of Russia.
Siberian cedar pine is a majestic representative of conifers with a wide variety of decorative forms. This tree belongs to shade-tolerant species and tolerates the harshness of low temperatures well. It belongs to the number of centenarians (400-500 years) and at the same time it grows slowly. How long it takes a cedar to grow up is clearly demonstrated by the first fruits that appear under favorable conditions only for 40-70 years of life. But the breeders managed to achieve results and reduce the time to first fruiting.
Cedar root system. What does a cedar look like: photo and description
The cedar belongs to the large family of Pines, the genus is Cedar, or Siberian Cedar Pine. This genus is of particular interest because of the universal value of wood, needles and seeds. Cedar is also in demand in landscaping.
Cedar in the photo
The cedar tree looks like a real giant: it has a powerful trunk, reaching a height of 25 to 45 m, depending on the species.
Unlike ordinary pine, the needles of the cedar are surprisingly soft, long, triangular, collected in whorls of 5-6 pieces. And the pine has two and very rarely has three needles.
Shoots of two types - elongated vegetative and shortened generative. The tree is monoecious. Male kidneys - in the form of spikelets looking up, red or yellow. Female - bumps of 2-4 pieces - are at the top of the shoot and are purple in color.
The description of the cedar roots is akin to the tree itself: the root system is as powerful as the aboveground part, which allows the plant to endure all natural disasters and be unpretentious in culture.An adult cedar does not need agrotechnical care.
As you can see in the photo, the cedar tree is very beautiful with its green outfit at any time of the year:
Its antimicrobial properties are also very valuable. The air around these trees is practically sterile. Many cedars have been planted by amateurs in their dacha, backyard and garden plots in the central zone of Russia. It cannot grow in dry sandy places, but prefers sandy or loamy moist fertile soils.
In the post office, all types of cedar pines in forest plantations begin to bear fruit at the age of 30-60, sometimes later, and in gardens where they provide timely care and fertilization, at 15-20 years and continue to bear fruit up to 250-300 years. A good harvest of large pine nuts occurs in those areas where 2-3 cedars grow in a group, since conifers are cross-pollinated trees. The cycle of seed development in a cedar lasts one and a half years.
Four types of cedar grow in Russia - Siberian, European, Korean and Siberian elfin.
You can familiarize yourself with the varieties of cedars and their photos on this page.
How many years does Siberian cedar grow
Mature cedar pines, as trees of the first size, are distinguished by a dense luxurious crown with impressive large branches. Their height can be up to 45 meters, and the thickness of the trunk in diameter is up to 2 meters. Cedars mature very slowly. The first whorls of their branches occur only at the age of 6-7 years, in which the height of the tree barely reaches 30 centimeters. Starting from the age of 20, its growth is activated, the annual growth increases and reaches 35 centimeters per year.
The light conditions and a number of other factors will determine how long the cedar will grow and how long to wait for its fruits. In the forest for the first 70-100 years, it stays under the canopy of dominant deciduous trees (often birch and aspen), therefore, strong shading is the reason for its late ripening. At the same time, in open spaces, the period of fruitfulness of the cedar can begin as early as 20-40 years.
Features of fruiting
Scientists have studied the features of Siberian pine fruiting. Her male inflorescences begin to form on the branches in the middle part of the crown, and female ones on the large upper branches. When ripe, the pollen is carried by the wind to a female cone, which by autumn reaches the size of a hazelnut and remains unfertilized until the next year. The intensive development of the cone occurs after fertilization in June of the second year. Its color begins to change from purple to dark brown, which indicates the stage of seed ripening, which ends by early September. The entire cycle of a cedar cone (how much it grows to full maturity) takes 18 months.
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It is interesting to note that female cones change their color repeatedly over the entire period of development. During flowering, they look pinkish, then turn into crimson, the cones overwinter with a creamy color. During the period of active growth, they demonstrate rich purple tones, and at the final stage, when the seeds ripen, the color is transformed into a light and dark brown hue.
Cedar cone: photo, composition and properties
The taste of nuts and their nutritional properties are best preserved in their own "packages" - cones.
The benefits of using nuts in food are immeasurable. Only 100 grams of nuclei replenish the daily requirement of the human body for amino acids. Nuts also contain vitamins A, B (1, 2 and 3), D, E and a huge amount of trace elements: iron, magnesium, iodine, manganese, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, silicon, copper, boron, titanium, nickel, sodium, aluminum , silver and molybdenum.
Of the organic acids, citric acid is present in the composition of nuts. Also, nuts contain proteins, starch, fiber, a little sugar (sucrose).
The kernel of a nut is an excellent source of fat.
Cedar fruiting factors
How long a cedar tree grows to its first bud depends on many conditions. The primary role in this issue will be played by internal factors: the specifics of the growth and development of the tree itself, its initial years of life. Further, nutrition, the environment, climatic soil factors, the position in the canopy of the trees, the density of the stand (if the cedar is in the forest) are of no small importance. Together, these reasons make the final verdict on the time of the first fruits of the tree and its subsequent yield.
Thus, being in natural conditions, cedar pine during its ripening is in a state of continuous struggle and competition with other trees. As a result, its fruitfulness occurs later than that of its fellows on the site.
Siberian cedar cones
As a fruit tree, cedar is considered a late-ripening plant; by November, its ripe cones begin to fall off. Their size is quite large and can be up to 15 centimeters long. The mature bud has a dry, non-resinous surface of woody flakes that can be easily separated from each other. The seeds of the Siberian cedar have a rounded-elongated shape and a relatively small size (in mass no more than 230-250 mg).
The size of the cones is closely related to the age of the cedar and the yield of the cones on it. In most trees, the first decades of fruiting are characterized by a small number of cones, but they are quite large. The number and size of the fruits give an idea of how much the cedar grows, the period of its maturity. At a mature age, by the time of sunset, the fruitfulness of the tree decreases, its cones begin to shrink.
Landing in open ground
You can get a cedar pine on your site in two ways: by sowing a nut or by planting a seedling. Both methods have the right to life; they have their own strengths and weaknesses.
Ephedra seeds are inexpensive (5-15 rubles apiece), they can be sent by mail anywhere in the country. The seeds can be stored in a dry place for a while until a convenient time for sowing comes. Cons of seed propagation of cedar:
- the need for stratification (cold treatment);
- low germination (no more than 50%);
- mice love to feast on nuts;
- cedar seedlings are small and tender, they need careful care.
Cedar pine seedlings are much more expensive (from 500 rubles for a 2-3-year-old bush). But the survival rate of the plant, subject to correct planting, is close to 100%.
The seeds can be stored in a dry place for a while until a convenient time for sowing comes.
Optimal time
The ideal time for planting cedar pine at their summer cottage is late autumn. In the climate of the middle zone - the end of October. At this time, the plant is ready to plunge into a dormant state and easily tolerates a transplant. The lack of heat also has a beneficial effect on the adaptation of the seedling in a new place.
Cedar is not afraid of frost. Surface freezing of the soil does not prevent the plant from rooting. The main thing is that the soil is not frozen during planting.
Planting is also possible in early spring, in April. But in this case, you will have to shade the young plant from the bright spring sun so that the needles do not get burned. It is useful to spray the crown of a cedar pine with cool water if the heat comes.
Attention! The culture is sown with nuts in November, on a previously prepared garden bed in the open field. Natural stratification allows you to get friendly and strong plant shoots.
The ideal time for planting cedar pine at their summer cottage is late autumn.
Site selection and soil preparation
Before deciding to plant such a large-sized tree like a cedar, you need to choose a suitable place for it. The fact is that the cedar does not like transplants. The older he gets, the more difficult it is for him to settle down in a new place.
An adult cedar pine should not grow closer than 6–8 m from other trees and buildings.Otherwise, the roots of the krupnomer will destroy the foundation or stifle neighboring plants.
Important! It is necessary to make sure that no wires are stretched over the location of the seedling and no gas pipes pass.
At an early age, the seedling needs a lace shade. Delicate needles in the bright sun turn red and dry. The first 3 years are protected from the sun and wind with wicker shields or caps made of white lutrasil.
Cedar requires dry and elevated areas for planting. In ravines, in places where melt and rainwater accumulate, it will not grow.
The culture makes the following requirements to the composition of the soil:
- acidity at the level of 6-7.5 units;
- loose;
- moisture-absorbing;
- fertile.
Fertile loams are considered ideal in composition. Peat and humus, sod soil are added to the sandy loam. Dense clay soil is loosened by adding sand - up to 8 kg per 1 sq. m.
Important! It is useful to add half a bucket of coniferous litter to the planting hole along with the top layer of soil. In such a substrate, microorganisms necessary for coniferous plants are present, which help the plant to assimilate nutrients. Litter and soil are taken only from under healthy trees.
An adult cedar pine should not grow closer than 6–8 m from other trees and buildings.
Landing scheme
The planting hole is dug 60 cm deep; its diameter depends on the size of the root system. The roots of the cedar lie in the upper layer of the soil and grow in breadth, so there is no need to dig a hole deeply. The distance from the cedar pine to the nearest large tree is at least 6 m.
At the bottom of the hole, half a bucket of expanded clay or crushed stone is poured - this is drainage. The pit is half-filled with fertile soil with coniferous litter, to which mineral fertilizer for conifers has been added ("Buyskoe", "Fertika").
The seedling, previously soaked in a solution of "Kornevin" and "Heteroauxin", is removed from the pot. The roots must be untangled and straightened, the success of cedar rooting depends on this.
The seedling is immersed in a hole without deepening the root collar. The roots are spread to the sides and covered with earth, pressing it tightly.
After planting, the cedar is watered, spending up to 5 buckets of water for each plant. The surface of the soil around the seedling is mulched with peat and needles. If the planting was carried out in the spring, a shelter from the sun is erected for the plants.
Nuts are sown at a distance of 5-10 cm from each other, to a depth of 1.5-2 cm.
The planting hole is dug 60 cm deep; its diameter depends on the size of the root system.
Fruiting of Korean cedar and dwarf cedar
Korean cedar is recognized as a symbol of the vegetation of the Primorsky Territory and is of great value for the national economy of the region. Its fruiting is not very different from its Siberian relative. In natural nature, it begins at the age of 50-60, with cultural cultivation much earlier. The ripened cones are quite large, on average their length is 17 centimeters, and the size of the seeds reaches 2 centimeters.
Dwarf cedar is a branched coniferous shrub with widely spread branches, which is common in the northeastern territories of Russia. Its fruiting begins at the age of 20-30 and continues until its very end, which occurs at 200-250 years. Dwarf pine cones are smaller than Siberian cedar cones; on average, their length is only 4 centimeters. They remain ripe on the branches and partially fall off in winter. The seeds have an oval-irregular shape and can be up to 0.8 centimeters long. Dwarf cedar is completely undemanding to the soil environment and grows in the most severe and difficult conditions.
Structure
The most valuable in terms of the content of nutrients are the fruits of Siberian pine and Siberian dwarf pine. They include:
- B vitamins.
- Vitamin E.
- Vitamin K.
- Iron.
- Zinc.
- Phosphorus.
- Magnesium.
- Copper.
- Manganese.
| Structure | Unit rev. | per 100 g | % of the daily value |
| BZHU, calorie content | |||
| Protein | r | 13.69 | 27% |
| Fats | r | 68.37 | 57% |
| Carbohydrates | r | 13.08 | 3% |
| Cellulose | r | 10,6 | — |
| Sugar | r | 3.59 | — |
| Calorie content | kcal | 673 | — |
| Minerals | |||
| Calcium, Ca | mg | 16 | 1.6% |
| Iron, Fe | mg | 5.53 | 30% |
| Magnesium, Mg | mg | 251 | 63% |
| Phosphorus, P | mg | 575 | 71% |
| Potassium, K | mg | 597 | 24% |
| Sodium, Na | mg | 2 | 0.15% |
| Zinc, Zn | mg | 6.45 | 54% |
| Copper, Cu | mg | 1.324 | 132% |
| Selenium, Se | mcg | 0.7 | 1.2% |
| Manganese, Mn | mcg | 8.802 | 440% |
| Vitamins | |||
| Vitamin C | mg | 5,6 | 0.8% |
| Thiamin, B1 | mg | 0.364 | 24% |
| Riboflavin, B2 | mg | 0.227 | 12% |
| Niacin, B3 | mg | 4.387 | 22% |
| Pantothenic acid, B5 | mg | 0.313 | 6% |
| Vitamin B6 | mg | 0.094 | 5% |
| Vitamin, E | mg | 9.33 | 62% |
| Vitamin, K | mcg | 53.9 | 45% |
| Folic acid, B9 | mcg | 34 | 17% |
| Lutein + Zeaxanthin | mcg | 9 | 90% |
| Fats | |||
| Saturated fatty acids | r | 5,9 | — |
| Monounsaturated fatty acids | r | 23,2 | — |
| Polyunsaturated fatty acids | r | 14,4 | — |
Also, nuts are rich in fats (especially polyunsaturated fatty acids), lysine, methionine, tryptophan and other valuable substances.
It should be borne in mind that the kernels are quite high in calories: 100 g of the product contains 673 kcal. Therefore, people who are overweight should not consume them in large quantities.
However, adding 20-30 g of nuts to the daily diet contributes to weight loss, since they contain substances that break down fats and, accordingly, help get rid of extra pounds.
100 g of pine nuts contain:
Fruiting cultivated plantings
Cedar pine growing in a park or on a plot significantly accelerates the onset of fruiting time. The place of planting and caring for the tree is of great importance. It is from the conditions created that it will depend on how many years the cedar grows to its cones. As a rule, "domesticated" plantings do not keep themselves waiting long, the first fruits appear in 15-20 years.
It is worth noting that the fruiting process can be further accelerated. A stalk taken from an adult tree with a good yield is grafted onto a cedar pine. In this case, cones will appear within 5-7 years after planting the seedling.
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How fast do they grow: spruce, pine, CEDAR, thuja and other conifers.
People often ask me questions: How fast do cedars grow? What is their annual growth rate? What to do to make cedars, pines, spruce, thuja and other conifers grow quickly?
In this article, we will consider the main factors affecting the annual growth of coniferous (and not only) seedlings, look at photos of large growths and hold a small competition with prizes from our nursery "Kedr18" in order to determine the MAIN factors of successful growth of seedlings.
So let's take for example: an increase in a year - 20 cm, is it a lot or a little?
For a 20 cm cedar, this is a lot, in fact it is a 100% increase per year, and at an older age, 100% gains are practically not found, and an annual growth of 20 cm, for a 2.0 m high cedar is not much at all
BUT, if a small seedling gives rise to ONE central and SEVERAL lateral branches, then an older tree can give a smaller increase in LENGTH, but thousands of times more in quantity and volume!
Therefore, to assess the growth of a seedling, it is more correct to look not only at the length of the growth, but also: the splendor of the crown, the thickness of the trunk, the color of the needles, the state of the buds, the root ball, the structure of the upper fertile layer of the earth, etc. etc. More details in the mailing list: Gifts from the kedr18 kennel
Let's consider the annual growth on practical examples from our kedr18 kennel:
Above average example: the cedric was about 15cm high and added 15cm in the spring and 15cm in the fall!
Availability of the autumn-second! growth per year - indicates that the tree is in a favorable environment and is developing vigorously
More photos of cedars with autumn growth:
To the topic of the second-autumn growth, I would also add that 90% of cedar seedlings have such an extraordinary property! And the question arises:
QUESTION No. 1: What other trees and under what conditions give two growths per year: in spring and autumn? I propose to discuss it in the comments to the article.
Another example: the pine tree was about 0.8m and added more than 1m in a year!
There are also seedlings with an increase in only a couple of mm per year - there are not many of them.
As a result, the growth per year can be: and 2mm, and 1m and more, and it can also be on several branches or throughout the crown.
This photo clearly shows that not only the size of the growth matters
At the same time, please NOTE that the average growth in another area, as a rule, will not tell you anything - the conditions in your particular place will be COMPLETELY DIFFERENT!
So what influences the annual growth of seedlings?
I will list the main factors:
- the quality of the seedling itself, - the amount of damage to the roots and tops during digging, delivery and planting (especially noticeable in the first year or two), - climatic conditions in the region as a whole and in a particular year! - the general properties of the soil (for example, on clay and with stones, they grow more slowly), - the fertile properties of the soil (an inexhaustible topic for discussion), - the organization of care for seedlings: watering, weeding, "fertilization", etc. (a topic for the next issues), - air humidity, the energy of the landing site, - the presence of a number of incompatible plants, - the presence of nearby plants with insect pests, - the presence of other pests, for example, moles, and many other factors not known to us!
What should gardeners do first of all? The answer is simple: improve the main factors, if possible, and carefully look at the result - if you do the right actions, the gains will be large
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ATTENTION QUESTION # 2 prize: In the list above, I missed one a very important factor in the quality and rapid growth of trees, one of the top three in terms of importance! - what is this factor?
To the one who is the first to write this important factor of the rapid growth of trees in the comments to this article, I will give a special prize from our nursery, to choose from: a book about cedar and its useful properties (we will send it by mail) or a 15% discount on ordering seedlings.
So we read the correct answer in the comments below, and of course I invite readers to share their experience of growing trees, I think together we will name many more important factors for large increments of coniferous seedlings
Respectfully yours, the head of the kennel "Kedr18" Ignatiev Alexey Gennadievich
daily 10:00 to 19:00 Moscow time
Is it possible to grow a cedar from a peeled nut. How to grow a cedar from a nut at home
Many people admire conifers for their beauty and grace. Various conifers can be grown in our climatic conditions. They can be of various configurations. You can grow a cedar from a nut at home. The main thing is to follow the simple rules of watering and care, then planting a cedar from seed at home will not be difficult.
Special properties of wood
Cedar is an evergreen plant. He is of interest to many amateur gardeners. The cedar tree has a beautiful appearance. Features of the plant:
- Pleasant aroma.
- Beautiful bark.
- High straight trunk.
- Attractive buds.
- Bright green shade of needles.
- The location of the needles is frequent, so the illusion of "lush paws" is created.
When growing a plant, special instructions are followed, which have been developed by specialists. Cedar, grown from a nut at home, turns out to be beautiful and can amaze any aesthete.
With the help of this tree, a summer cottage or park is ennobled. The root system is powerful and branched. The main root is surrounded by lateral ramifications. Thanks to them, the plant is firmly fixed in the ground.
A special microclimate is created around the trunk thanks to the needles.
Collection and processing of seeds for planting
Seed material is collected in the natural growth conditions of the tree. You don't have to look for a pine forest to collect seeds. You can get them in the botanical garden or ask in the forestry. Seeds are often obtained from cones. When collecting, it must be borne in mind that during long-term transportation with cones, the following processes can occur:
- Debate.
- Insects may start.
- The surface of the bump may be disturbed.
- Frostbite.
- Excessive dryness.
The seeds, when in the cone, are protected from negative external influences and climatic conditions.
Correct selection of seeds
Often a novice gardener is interested in the problem: is it possible to grow a cedar from a nut at home.
The answer is yes, with proper care, a beautiful and powerful tree with an even trunk and branches densely covered with needles grows from the seed. To plant a cedar in a garden plot, you need to purchase seeds from trusted sources.
The correct selection of seed material guarantees their one hundred percent germination. Seeds are acquired in the following ways:
- Through an almanac of seeds.
- Through independent sellers.
- Through gardening.
- Through the institute and the department of botany.
- Through gardening communities.
Cedar tree
Tree growth
Mighty cedar
Seasonal growth of cedar in open areas begins at the end of May, and 7-10 days later under the canopy of deciduous forest. The growth of cedar in height continues for 45-50 days of the growing season. In the first 10-15 days, shoot growth is slow. Then the growth increases sharply and after 7-10 days it reaches its maximum. The maximum increase is observed in mid-June. The growth of cedar is strongly influenced by weather conditions. He is very sensitive to the May heat. When warming, the cedar literally within a few days is covered with light green bunches of soft young needles with a pleasant resinous smell.
Cedar meadow
In some years, the cedar has a secondary growth. At the same time, the growth buds laid for the next year begin to develop in August, the length of the shoots reaches 8 cm.It is characteristic that the shoots not covered with needles, which grew with secondary growth, stop growth in late August or early September and do not lay new buds. In this state, they hibernate, and in the spring of next year they continue to grow without forming whorls. The phenomenon of secondary growth of shoots usually occurs in those years when warm weather with heavy rains sets in in August, due to which the awakening of the buds takes place in the year of their formation.
Pine cone sprout
During its life, Siberian cedar is characterized by a very long growth in height and diameter. Cedar growth in height depends on environmental conditions. On well-moisturized and fertile soils, cedar grows more quickly than on dry ones. The maximum increase is observed at the age of 50-120 years. During the first 10-15 years, cedar grows very slowly under the forest canopy. In the early stages of growth, due to the lack of light, the cedar undergrowth lacks branching. Under the canopy of medium-density, with a moderate density of maternal stands, undergrowth reaches a height of 8-15 cm by 5 years, by 10 years - 16-36 and by 20 years - 38-75 cm.In high-density, dense plantations, the growth in trees older than 10 years is sharply reduced , and by the age of 20 they die. However, with moderate shading, cedar at the age of 50 and even 100 years does not lose the ability to improve growth after lightening (natural or artificial release from the mother canopy).
Literature: Bekh, I.A., Kedr - the pearl of Siberia, Tomsk: Publishing house "Printing manufactory", 2009.
The emergence of the cone, the receipt of seeds
The development of the pine cone takes about three years. In the buds themselves, seeds can last up to 20 years. These seeds can germinate without preparation before sowing. But stratification at temperatures from +3 to + 5 ° C for about 14 days significantly accelerates their germination and increases germination (more than 50%). The planting depth of the seeds should be 1 cm.
Before getting the seeds, the cone must be soaked about 2 or 3 times, then dried, after which it will open.
The cone of a real Himalayan cedar matures for 1.5 years, and then crumbles like a fir. Moreover, the seeds of this species retain their germination only for about 5 months, in this regard, it is advisable to sow them after harvesting in the first spring. Pre-sowing processing is also not required. And their germination rate is 70%.
The cedar blooms in the spring, and the cones with seeds ripen the next year only in August-September (i.e.i.e. after 17-18 months).
