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Remember the lines from The Tale of Tsar Saltan?
The squirrel sings songs
Yes, he gnaws all the nuts,
But nuts are not simple,
All shells are gold,
The nuclei are pure emerald.
Pushkin calls this tree spruce. But, apparently, he did not know botany well, because spruce does not have any nuts. They are near the cedar pine. And these are one of the most expensive nuts, so “golden shells” and “kernels are pure emerald” are very suitable for them.
Types of cedar pine
And here is another interesting fact: cedar pine is not one species. There are four of them in nature!
Siberian
Siberian cedar pine (Pinus sibirica) is a very massive tree, it reaches a height of 20 – 25 m, but there are specimens of 35 – 40 m each. And the thickness of its trunk can be up to 2 m. That is, if you are going to plant it on the site, consider the dimensions She needs a lot of space.
The crown of the Siberian pine is dense, with thick branches and often with several peaks. It is about 8 m in diameter. The needles are very long, up to 15 cm and soft. Collected in bundles of 5 needles.
This type of cedar pine lives on average for about 250 years, but in the northeast of Altai there are specimens whose age is 800 – 850 years! By the way, it is Altai that is considered the birthplace of Siberian pine. And most of these trees (80%) grow in Our Country. The remaining 20% can be seen in the east of Kazakhstan and in the north of Mongolia.
Mature Siberian pines produce an average of 12 kg of nuts per year, but some trees can produce up to 50 kg. Each cone contains 30-150 seeds, but they ripen for a very long time – 14-15 months. Cedar pine begins to bear fruit at the age of 60! But it happens later. And it gives good harvests 1 time in 3 – 10 years, but most often once every 4 years (1). Do you understand now why nuts are comparable to gold-emeralds?
Sorts
The selection of Siberian cedar pines in Our Country is carried out by the Institute of Forests. V.N. Sukachev of the Siberian Branch of the Academy of Sciences, as well as private nurseries. As of 2021, the catalog of the Society for Breeding and Introduction of Conifers lists 58 varieties of Siberian pine (2).
Specialists divide varieties and clones of Siberian cedar pines into 3 groups.
Tall fruit – they reach the same height as their wild relatives, but the cones give much earlier – already 2 years after vaccination, and after 10 – 12 years they reach the peak of fruiting.
FDA. This cultivar is named after the initials of the scientist Fyodor Dmitrievich Avrov, who devoted his whole life to the study of coniferous plants. The trees are tall, give 30 cm of growth per year and reach 10 m by the age of 4,5. The needles are green, 10-11 cm long. The cones are of full size, and the yield of this clone is 2 times higher than that of its wild relatives. Without problems withstands frosts down to -40 ° C.
Kress (Kress). This variety was introduced into cultivation in 1992 and named after the first governor of the Tomsk region, Viktor Kress. The tree is tall, gives growths of 30 cm per season and reaches a height of 10 m by the age of 4,5. The needles are green, about 10 cm long. It begins to bear fruit the next year after grafting. The yield is 2 times higher than that of wild pines. But the bumps are a little smaller. Withstands frosts down to -40 °C.
Low-growing fruit – their height is from 20 to 50% of the height of wild pines. These are the so-called “witch’s brooms” (BM) – natural mutations of individual branches, which are characterized by low growth and compactness. They are grafted onto other plants and then propagated. They begin to bear fruit 4-5 years after vaccination and give several dozen cones – they are smaller in size, but full-fledged. However, there is a problem – the clones themselves do not produce pollen. In Siberia, such varieties give a harvest without problems, since there are many wild-growing cedar pines in the taiga, and in the European part of Our Country they need a special pollinator variety.
Recordist (Rekordistka). This clone got its name because of the incredible fertility – its yield is 10 (!) times higher than that of wild pines (1). In culture since 1995. The trees are low, by the age of 10 they reach 30 – 90 cm, for a season they give an increase of only 2,5 – 7,5 cm. The needles are green, short – 5 – 7 cm. The cones are almost 2 times smaller than those of the species. Very frost-resistant clone, withstands up to -40 ° C.
Plantation (Plantationnyj). The name of this variety also speaks for itself – it is recommended for laying industrial plantations, because its yield is 4 times higher than that of wild pines. In culture since 1998. The height of the tree at 10 years old is 0,9 – 1,8 m. During the season it gives an increase of 7,5 – 15 cm. The needles are green, slightly shorter than the species – 8 – 9 cm long. The cones are also a little smaller – 80% of typical size. Begins to bear fruit immediately after grafting.
President (President). This clone was introduced into culture in 1992. In 2002, one tree was presented for the 50th anniversary of our President Vladimir Putin and the variety was given a name in honor of him.
Initially – Putin, then they renamed him President (you will find out why in the description of the next variety). Now it is one of the most popular varieties of Siberian pine. The height of the tree by 10 years is 0,9 – 1,8 m. The annual growth is 7,5 – 15 cm. The yield is 5 times higher than that of the species, but the cone is slightly smaller (80% of natural ones). The needles are slightly shorter (7 – 8 cm), but 3 times thicker. Without problems withstands frosts down to -40 ° C.
Oligarch (Oligarkh). The variety was introduced into cultivation in 1992 and named after the well-known oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky at that time. Initially, this clone only had the working name “clone 03”. But in 2003, one such tree was presented to Khodorkovsky. And they decided that they would name him in honor of the eminent recipient – Khodorkovsky. However, a few days later, the famous oligarch was arrested. A little later, journalists from the Healthy Food Near Me newspaper arrived at the nursery where these two clones were bred, and an article was published in the network: “Not only Khodorkovsky, but also Putin, was imprisoned in Tomsk.” Well, that is, it was about new cedar pines. But the author of these varieties, out of harm’s way, decided to rename them President and Oligarch.
The oligarch is a stunted tree, by the age of 10 it reaches a height of 0,9 – 1,8 m, grows by 7 – 15 cm per season. The needles are green, shorter than those of species pines, only 5 – 6 cm long, but 4 times thicker . The yield of this clone is 7-8 times more abundant than that of the species. But the cones are 2 times smaller. Fruiting one year after grafting. Frost resistance – up to -40 ° С.
Avrov. This variety, as from the FDA, is dedicated to the scientist Dmitry Avrov and named after him. Introduced into culture in 1994. His trees are dwarf, at 10 years old their height is only 30 – 90 cm, for a year they give an increase of 2,5 – 7,5 cm. The needles are green, short (5 – 7 cm), but they are 3 times thicker than those of natural kind. Cones and nuts are 2 times smaller than those of wild pines, but the yield is 3-4 times higher. Frost resistance – up to -40 ° С.
Among other productive varieties, one can note (in brackets it is indicated how many times they are superior in yield to wild pines): Seminsky (7) Altyn-Kol (5) He and she (4) Stoktysh (4) Highlander (4) (2).
Low-growing ornamental varieties – they have very fluffy crowns of the correct form, sometimes with an unusual color of needles, and they grow extremely slowly.
Narcissus. This dwarf variety has a spherical shape. At the age of 10 years, it reaches a size of 30 – 90 cm. Its needles are light green, noticeably lighter than those of species pines. The needles are shorter (5 – 7 cm) and 8 times thicker. It practically does not form cones, and if they do appear, they are single and only the first 2-3 years after vaccination. Withstands frosts down to -40 °C. Sometimes (rarely) it burns a little in the spring. Requires an annual stonecrop of the crown from old dried needles.
Emerald (Izumrud). The name of the variety reflects its main feature – its needles have a turquoise hue. The clone is semi-dwarf, by the age of 10 it reaches a height of 90 – 1,8 m, the annual growth is 7,5 – 15 cm. The crown is wide, erect or oval. The needles are short, 5-7 cm, but 4 times thicker than those of specific pines. The variety, although it belongs to the ornamental, but bears fruit well – the yield of cones is 2,5 times higher than that of its wild relatives. But they are 2 times smaller. The variety is incredibly frost-resistant, withstands up to -45 ° C. But it can be affected by the pest – Hermes, therefore, it requires annual preventive treatment with systemic insecticides (Engio or Atkara). Once a year in the spring, dry needles need to be cleaned from the crown.
Biosphere (Biosphere). This is one of the first ornamental varieties of Siberian pine with a spherical crown shape. True, it is far from an ideal ball – it is rather oval. The plant is dwarf, at 10 years old it has a height of 30 – 90 cm and grows by 2,5 – 7,5 cm per year. The needles are green, slightly shorter than those of species pines (about 7 cm), but 5 – 6 times thicker. The variety bears fruit – its yield is 2 times higher than that of wild pines. But the cones are 2 times smaller. Frost resistance is very high – up to -45 ° С. Once a year, you need to clean out the old needles from the crown.
European
European cedar pine (Pinus cembra) naturally occurs in Europe, its ranges are very small and concentrated in two places: from the south of France to the eastern regions of the Alps, and in the Tatra and Carpathian mountains.
This species is lower than its relative Siberian cedar pine – the height is often about 10 – 15 m, but can be up to 25 m. And the trunk diameter reaches 1,5 m. The needles are 5 – 9 cm long, collected in bunches of 5 pcs. The cones are small, 4-8 cm long, but the nuts are large – about 1 cm long.
This pine is more thermophilic than its Siberian sister, withstands frosts down to -34 ° C, but it grows well in Moscow – there are several trees in the Biryulevsky arboretum.
Sorts
She has few varieties, but she still has a choice.
Glauka (Glauca). By the age of 10, the trees reach a height of 2,5 – 3 m. Her needles are long, collected in bunches of 5 pcs. Valued for the unusual color of the needles – it is bluish-silver. Frost resistance – up to -34 ° С.
Ortler (Ortler). A rare variety that is a clone of the “witch’s broom” comes from the Alps. The trees are undersized, compact, at the age of 10 it does not exceed 30-40 cm, gives an increase of 3-4 cm per year. The shape of the crown is spherical, irregular. Shoots of different lengths, so the plants often resemble bonsai. The needles are short, blue-gray-green.
Glauca Trento (Glauca Trento). This is a variety, a clone of a wild pine from Northern Italy – from the outskirts of the city of Trento. In culture since 1996. Trees by the age of 10 years reach a height of 1,8 – 4,5 m and give an increase of 15 – 30 cm per year. Needles 8-9 cm long, blue-green. Fruiting begins a few years after vaccination. The harvest of cones does not give every year, but it is formed from a lot. The frost resistance of this variety is much higher than that of its European ancestors – up to -45 ° C.
Spb (Spb). The name of the variety was given in honor of St. Petersburg. In culture since 1997. It grows very quickly, 30 cm per year and reaches a height of 10 m by the age of 4,5. The needles are long, about 10 cm, green-blue in color. Begins to bear fruit 10-15 years after grafting. Cones are not formed every year, but in large quantities. Frost resistance – up to -45 ° С.
Korean
Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis) grows wild in Korea, Japan, in the northeast of China and from Our Country – in the southeast of the Amur Region, in the Primorsky and Khabarovsk Territories. In our country, it is rare and is listed in the Red Book.
The trees are very tall, reaching 40-50 m, and the trunks are up to 2 m in diameter. The needles are very long, up to 20 cm, collected in bunches of 5 pcs. The cones are large, up to 17 cm long, and the nuts reach a length of 1,5 – 2 cm. Up to 500 cones can ripen simultaneously on one adult tree, and up to 150 nuts in each. Under natural conditions, it begins to bear fruit from the age of 60 – 120 years, the crop yields every 3 – 4 years. Trees live 350 – 400 years. The frost resistance of Korean cedar pine is incredible – up to -50 ° С.
Sorts
Silverey (Silveray). In this variety, the needles have two shades – the upper side is green and the lower side is blue. In addition, the needles are twisted around their own axis and directed in different directions, which makes the tree look curly. By the age of 10, it reaches a height of 3 m, and adult specimens do not exceed 8 m. Needles are 9–20 cm long. Cones are up to 17 cm. Frost resistance, according to various sources, is from -34 ° C to -40 ° C.
Jack Corbit. Another “curly” variety, but unlike Silverey, is dwarf – at 10 years old, its height does not exceed 1,5 m. It grows 10-15 cm per year. The needles are long, silvery-green. The cones are small, 10 cm long. It begins to bear fruit at 10-25 years. Withstands frosts down to -40 °C.
In Our Country, Korean cedar pines have also been selected, and more than 20 varieties have been bred at the moment (1). Among them there are miniature ones, at the age of 10, no more than 30 cm high (Anton, Dauria, Thermohydrograviodynamics), dwarf – 30 – 90 cm (Alenka, Anastasia, Aristocrat, Bonsai, Femina, Gosh, Xenia, Pandora, Perun, Stribog) and semi-dwarf – 0,9 – 1,8 m (Dersu, Kizlyar-aga, Patriarch, Svyatogor, Veles) (2).
elfin
Elfin pine (Pinus pumila) is better known in our country under the name of elfin cedar. The main area of this plant is in Our Country – it grows in almost all Siberia – from the Irkutsk region to Sakhalin, and in the north it can be seen even beyond the Arctic Circle. Abroad, there are only small areas with Siberian dwarf pine – in the mountains of Mongolia, Northeast China and Korea.
Cedar elfin is a creeping plant, 30 – 50 cm high and it grows very slowly – 3 – 5 cm per year. The needles are short, 4-8 cm long, collected in bunches about 5 pcs. The cones are small, 4-8 cm long, the nuts are also small – 5-9 mm. It bears fruit every 3-4 years. And the first harvest gives at the age of 20 – 30 years.
Sorts
There are only 6 varieties of cedar elfin, all of them are bred in Our Country (2): Alkanay, Ikawa, Yankus, Hamar-Daban, Kikimora, Kunashir. All these are clones of natural mutations. They differ in the shape of the crown, height, color of the needles (Kunashir, for example, blue) and are all very fluffy. They are used as ornamental plants. But they all bear fruit. Frost resistance in these varieties is up to -45 ° С.
Planting cedar pine
Cedar pines need to be bought only with a closed root system, that is, in containers – with bare roots, they practically do not take root. There is no need to dig a large hole for such seedlings. The rule for all types is:
- pit diameter – 2 container diameters;
- pit depth – 2 container heights.
It is useful to pour a layer of drainage at the bottom of the pit – 10 – 20 cm. It can be expanded clay, crushed stone or broken brick.
If the soil on the site is heavy, clayey, it is better to fill the pit with special soil for conifers (it is sold in the store) or prepare the mixture yourself – soddy soil, peat, sand in a ratio of 1: 2: 2. For each hole, you need to add a bucket of earth from a pine forest (and even better from under cedar pines) – it contains mycorrhiza, which helps the young tree to take root better in a new place.
It is worth planting cedar pines carefully so that the earthen lump does not fall apart. The root neck should be flush with the soil level – this must be strictly monitored.
After planting, the seedling must be watered – 1 – 2 buckets per seedling, depending on its size. After watering, it is better to mulch the soil – with pine or larch bark, coniferous sawdust or coniferous litter.
Caring for cedar pine
All types of cedar pines are extremely unpretentious and, in general, they need identical conditions for growing.
Ground
Cedar pines grow on any soil, even on sandy and stony ones. But best of all – on loamy and sandy loamy fertile soils – there they give the largest yields of nuts (3).
Lighting
All cedars are photophilous plants. At a young age, they can grow in the shade – the same happens in nature, they grow under the crowns of large trees.
Adult low-growing forms can be planted in partial shade – this will not affect their growth and development in any way, but for ornamental varieties, the color of the needles will be paler, and for fruit varieties, the yield will be less. So better find them a bright place.
Watering
Cedar pines require abundant watering only after planting – for 2 weeks every 2 – 3 days, 1 bucket of water. In the future, they need to be watered only in a very strong and prolonged drought.
After 5 years of age, watering is completely stopped – the roots of cedar pines penetrate deep into the soil and are able to get moisture for themselves.
fertilizers
When planting cedar pines, if the soil is poor, it is useful to apply a complex organomineral fertilizer (any), but its dose must be significantly reduced – 30% of the recommended rate should be applied under these trees.
Feeding
Tall cedar pines do not need top dressing – they have very powerful roots that penetrate to great depths and grow strongly in breadth, beyond the projection of the roots. So they will get food for themselves.
But undersized pines should be fed – early in the spring with special fertilizer for coniferous plants (they are sold in garden centers and it is written on them: “For conifers.” Only the dose needs to be reduced – only 30% of recommended by the manufacturer.
Reproduction of cedar pine
Inoculation. This is how most varietal cedar pines are propagated. But this process is time-consuming, requires special knowledge, and this is usually done by nurseries. It is easier to buy a ready-made grafted plant.
Seeds. This method is usually used for the propagation of species plants, that is, wild plants. However, varietals can also be propagated by seeds, but only 50% of seedlings retain the signs of their parents. The rest, most likely, will look like wild plants.
The method is not easy. Seeds should be sown in late autumn, in late October – early November. They must undergo stratification, that is, exposure to cold temperatures. Otherwise, they won’t come up. In spring, seeds can be sown only after preliminary stratification in the refrigerator for 1,5 months. But when sowing in autumn, as shown by experiments on Korean pine, the germination rate is higher – 77%, while after artificial stratification it is 67% (4).
Seeds must be fresh – they have the highest germination rate, and if they lie down, it is greatly reduced.
In no case should nuts be sown on cultivated soils, that is, a garden and a vegetable garden are not suitable for this – there are a lot of pathogens, and pine nuts have no immunity to them. It is best to sow them somewhere in a wasteland where nothing has been planted and the earth has not been dug.
Under sowing nuts, you need to dig a trench 5–8 cm deep and 10 cm wide. Pour 3–5 cm of coniferous litter at the bottom – the top layer of soil of their pine forest. Then spread the seeds – at a distance of 1 cm from each other. And from above, cover with the same soil from a pine forest with a layer of 1 – 3 cm.
Shoots usually appear in mid-May. And at this moment they need to provide protection from birds – they love to feast on young pine sprouts. The simplest thing is to lay spruce or pine branches on top of the crops.
In the first year, the seedlings grow very slowly, by the end of summer they are the size of a match with a small bunch of needles on top. At 2 years old, they thicken a little and slightly lengthen – at this time they need to be dived, transplanted to a permanent place. This should be done in mid-April or mid-October.
Diseases of the cedar pine
Resin cancer seryanka and pine blister rust. These fungal diseases manifest themselves in a similar way – swellings appear on the branches, above which the needles gradually dry out.
The best option when they appear is to cut down the tree and burn it so that other plants do not become infected – these diseases affect many types of pines, including common pine, prickly spruce rhododendrons, and from fruit trees – apple trees, pears, currants, gooseberries, game and mountain ash. But it is unlikely that any of the summer residents will take such a step, especially if there is only one tree – it’s a pity! Therefore, you can try to slow down the development of the disease – cut out all the affected branches, remove all fallen needles from the ground, and in the spring treat the plants with copper sulphate.
Cedar pine pests
There are a lot of them, but the good news is that you can get rid of them all.
Spruce mite. These miniature pests feed on the juice of young pine needles. You can recognize them by the appearance of the needles – they begin to lose color, as if fading, and then wrinkle and dry out.
You can exterminate this tick with the help of Fitoverm.
If it appeared, then the needles begin to fade, as it were, wrinkle, and subsequently completely dry out. This is due to the fact that miniature parasites feed on the juice of young needles.
Spider mite. When it appears, the needles begin to turn yellow and dry out, and soon a noticeable cobweb appears on it.
Fufanon will help to cope with the pest.
Pine aphid. It feeds on the juice of young needles, and sometimes they appear in large numbers and can destroy a young tree.
The measure of struggle is the drug Karbofos.
Hermes. A very small pest, its appearance can be recognized by dirty-white fluffy lumps on the needles. It affects only young cedar pines, mature trees are resistant to it.
To combat this pest, the preparations Spark, Fufanon, Atkara are used.
Popular questions and answers
We asked typical summer residents questions about cedar pines agronomist-breeder Svetlana Mikhailova.
Sources of
- Vyvodtsev N.V., Kobayashi Ryosuke. Yield of cedar pine nuts in the Khabarovsk Territory // Actual problems of the forest complex, 2007 https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/urozhaynost-orehov-sosny-kedrovoy-v-khabarovskom-krae
- Society for Breeding and Introduction of Conifers https://rosih.ru/
- Gavrilova O.I. Growing Siberian stone pine in the conditions of the Republic of Karelia // Resources and Technology, 2003 https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/vyraschivanie-sosny-kedrovoy-sibirskoy-v-usloviyah-respubliki-karelia
- Drozdov I.I., Kozhenkova A.A., Belinsky M.N. -podmoskovie