Pine is a very valuable coniferous tree, quite widespread in our country. The evergreen tree is our constant companion. Since childhood, we used to see it on New Year's Eve in the house, forever remembering its wonderful aroma. And in the forest plantations mainly pine trees prevail. Under favorable conditions, they reach forty meters in height. But sometimes even a centenary tree can remain forever a small dwarf. This plant is very photophilous. It can be safely attributed to centenarians.
Pine description
The tree reaches forty meters in height. It is attributed to plants of the first magnitude. The circumference of the trunk can reach one meter. Pine bark has a reddish-brown color with furrows of exfoliating parts. At the base of the tree it is much thicker than at the top. By nature it is conceived for protective purposes. The thick bark of pine in the lower part protects it from overheating during fires.
The young plant has a conical shape of a crown. Growing, it rounds, becomes wider, and an aging tree acquires an umbrella-shaped or flat shape. Pine needles are usually bluish-green in color. It is a bundle consisting of two needles. They are located throughout the branch. The needles are very spiky and pointed, slightly flattened, with a thin longitudinal stripe. The needles live for three years. In the autumn, it partially falls. Most often this happens in September. The needles before this are painted yellow, which makes the pine look variegated.
Pine cones
A description of the pine would be incomplete without mention of the cones. They are located either one at a time or two or three pieces on legs, looking down. The green pine cone has a conical shape and a dark green hue. Brown is sometimes possible. And only in the second year does it ripen, acquiring a brown or brown tint. The length of the cone ranges from 3 to 6 centimeters, and the width is 2-3 cm.
Her life begins with the formation of a small red ball. This is a pine embryo. It appears in late spring, at the moment when young shoots from the buds begin to grow on the tree. At first they do not have needles, and on their tops are the buds of cones.
All summer cones grow and with the advent of autumn become green in size the size of a pea. Such they remain all winter. And with the advent of spring, they begin to develop further. By the end of summer, the bump reaches adult size. And by the next winter it will turn brown, ripen, but has not yet opened. Her scales are still tightly pressed, so the pine seeds still do not spill out. And this process will begin only in the third spring, when the snow melts. The cones will begin to dry out in the sun, as a result the flakes open, and the winged pine seeds leave their home.
Pine trees distinguish between female and male cones. They are located in different places. Women’s are at the top of young shoots, and men’s are near their base. So it’s male that pollinates female pollen with its pollen. Fertilization occurs only after a year. All this time, pollen, falling on a female cone, is at rest.
Pine structure
In fact, the structure of the pine is the same as that of any other tree. It has a trunk, root, branches with needles. Of particular note is the pine root system. Currently, four types of root systems are distinguished:
- Powerful, which consists of a highly developed core root and a couple of lateral, which is typical for well-drained soil.
- Powerful with a weakly expressed stem, but strong lateral roots that grow parallel to the surface of the earth. This option is typical for dry soils with deep occurrence of groundwater.
- Weak, consisting only of short branching processes. Such a pine root is found in swamp and semi-bog places.
- A shallow but fairly dense root system in the form of a brush is characteristic of hard soils.
The root system of pines depends on the structure and nature of the soil on which the tree grows. Its lamellar form makes pine very valuable. It makes it possible to use trees for artificial afforestation. Pine is planted on wetlands, dry and unsuitable lands. It should be noted that the pine root begins to grow at temperatures above three degrees. It penetrates to a depth of 230-250 centimeters and is growing rapidly in the first years of life. By the age of thirty, the roots reach their maximum size and maximum depth. In the future, there is a quantitative increase in the surface processes. Horizontally in different directions they grow by ten to twelve meters. As observations show, the roots of pine penetrate to a depth through the gaps left from the decayed roots of other trees. On such ready moves, whole bundles of young shoots rush down.
Pine trunk
Pine growing in dense stands has a fairly even and slender trunk without knots. In rare plantings in conditions of open space, the tree grows less tall and with a more dull trunk. The bark on different parts of the pine has a different color and thickness. At the bottom of the tree it is thick and reddish brown, and in the middle part and at the top it is yellow-red with thin peeling plates.
How does conifer grow?
If we talk about how and how much pine grows, then it should be noted that the greatest increase in height occurs at the age of thirty. And by the age of eighty, the tree reaches thirty meters.
Most of the pine trees are fast-growing. At the age of 5 to 10 years, they grow annually from 30 to 60 centimeters. Then the growth annually can reach one meter under favorable conditions. Further, from 30 to 50 years old, the pine tree does not so much grow in height as the thickness of its trunk increases. So how much does pine grow? Conifers are long-livers. On average, they live from 150 to 300 years. Aren't the impressive numbers really?
Pine crown
The shape of the crown of the pine in the forest depends primarily on age. The young tree has the shape of a cone. Then it gradually changes and becomes old in the form of an umbrella.
Typically, branches on a tree are arranged in tiers. On each of them, at one and the same level, four to five branches diverge. These are the so-called whorls. Moreover, new ones are formed annually. However, age cannot be determined by this principle, except in young plants, since in old plants, as a rule, the lower tiers die off and turn into twigs.
Pine growing
The Chinese belief says that the pine tree is a magic tree that drives away misfortune and brings people happiness. And therefore, its landing near housing symbolizes longevity and prosperity. And do not be afraid of the size of the tree, because there are tall pines, but there are also decorative, dwarf forms. If desired, you can choose the right option.
Planting a pine tree
When choosing seedlings, you need to pay attention to how the root system of pines looks, whether it is damaged, whether an earthen lump is present. All this is very important. After all, pine transplantation is stressful for the plant itself. The less damage, the easier and faster the tree will take root. We want to emphasize that the seedling should not be older than five years. An adult plant is best replanted in the winter with a lump of land.
In general, there are two periods when you can plant conifers:
- Spring - April-May.
- Early autumn - August-September.
How is pine transplanted? First of all, a pit up to a meter deep is prepared. If you are sure that the soil on your site is heavy, then before planting, it is better to drain, pouring gravel and sand to the very bottom (layer thickness should be 20 cm). It is recommended to fill the planting pit with a fertile mixture of turf land with sand, adding nitroammophoska. For acidic soil, 200 grams of slaked lime should be added.
When transplanting, it is important not to damage the pine roots. The landing depth should be such that the root neck is above ground level. If you plan to plant not one plant, but a whole group, then the correct distance should be maintained between the trees. Here you need to consider the size of future trees. If it is a large pine, then the distance should be large, if it is dwarf plants, then you can reduce the distance. On average, between coniferous trees provide a distance of one and a half meters to four. With proper planting, the pine quickly takes root and does not get sick. Most young seedlings tolerate the transplant quite calmly. But with age, this process becomes more painful.
How to care for a pine tree?
Pine is a beautiful coniferous tree. In addition to beauty, its indispensable advantage is unpretentiousness. And this means that the tree does not need strong care. However, in the first two years after transplantation, it makes sense to fertilize. Further feeding can be omitted. Never remove the fallen needles, it forms a litter under the tree. It will accumulate organic food necessary for normal growth.
Pines are drought-resistant trees, and therefore they do not need watering. Only seedlings and young trees need to be moistened. But conifers do not like overmoistening. Even water-resistant varieties tolerate two to three waterings per season. Adult plants do not need to be watered at all. They tolerate not only the summer heat, but also the winter cold. Young plants can suffer from the scorching rays of the sun. To prevent such troubles, they are covered with spruce branches or shaded. Shelter can be removed in mid-April.
Propagation Features
Pines can be grown from seeds, but decorative forms are obtained by vaccination. Cuttings do not reproduce plants. To get seeds from cones, you just need to dry them thoroughly, for example on a battery. Soon, the bumps will crackle and open. Seeds can be easily obtained. Sow them in small boxes. A drainage is put at the bottom, a loose mixture of sand and peat is poured over it, sprinkled with a layer of earth, and watered with water. The seed planting depth is 5-10 millimeters.
Pine seedlings are recommended for cultivation on sandy and light clay soils. Sowing seeds is usually done in the spring, although it is possible in the fall. Crops recommend mulching. After three weeks, the first shoots should appear. Seedlings in open ground grow up to three years, and then transplanted to a permanent place. While the tree is still not quite large, there is less risk that the root system of the pines will be damaged during transplantation.
There is also a technique for growing seedlings in greenhouse conditions for two years. Those familiar with the grafting system may try to propagate the tree in this way. For this, cuttings are taken from an increase of one to three years. Trees of four to five years old are used as stock. All needles need to be removed, leaving it only near the kidney, located above the stock. Vaccination is done in the spring, before the buds open. You can also try to do this in early summer. If vaccination is done in the spring, then last year’s shoot is used, and if in the summer, then they take the shoot of the current year.
Tree crown formation
Pine trees, as a rule, do not need a haircut. However, with its help, you can suspend, or rather slow down the growth of a plant, making its crown more dense. For this, you don’t even need any special tools, it’s enough just to break a third of the young growth with your fingers.
In general, with the help of simple techniques from a pine tree, it is quite possible to make a garden bonsai or just a cute miniature tree. Umbrella pruning is very popular. If you have already set a goal to grow a bonsai, then you need to ensure that it does not lose its decorative shape. He needs special pruning of shoots once a year. Adult shaped bonsai is trimmed with clippers. The young plant does not yet have a tightly formed crown. Therefore, they cut each shoot separately. Conifers are sheared from late May to almost the end of June. The best time is the period when the needles have not yet blossomed.
