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Many gardeners call the reproduction of coniferous plants their hobby, which they do not for profit, but for their own pleasure. And it is not surprising, because this process, although it requires full dedication, is in itself very exciting and interesting. Evergreen trees and shrubs serve as a decorative decoration for any garden plot. In addition, they bring undoubted benefits due to the ability to purify the air, therefore they are always very popular. Reproduction of conifers is possible by several methods, which are discussed in detail in the article.
Features of reproduction of conifers
In the natural environment, coniferous plants are characterized by reproduction by seeds. Ephedra do not have flowers or inflorescences in the conventional sense of the term. However, they do have male and female reproductive organs called strobili. Male – microstrobils – are shoots that carry pollen, which pollinates the female organs – megastrobils, after which fruits (cones or berries) are formed. In the fruits, the seeds ripen, with the help of which coniferous trees propagate.
However, not all conifers have strobili, and this method of reproduction is not available to everyone. In addition, planting conifers with seeds will give the expected result (that is, the grown plant will be identical to the mother plant), only if the seed is collected in the wild. Varietal, decorative conifers with this method of reproduction often give deviations, that is, the purity of the variety is not preserved. Therefore, at home, the reproduction of conifers is usually carried out by the vegetative method using cuttings, layering or grafting.
How to propagate conifers at home with seeds
Growing conifers from seeds collected in the forest will most likely produce a plant with characteristic features of the variety. In addition, some conifers can only be propagated by seed (for example, larch, fir, pine, spruce).
Due to the large amount of oils, seeds lose their germination capacity if stored improperly. How to choose seeds for planting:
- seed must be freshly harvested or no more than 2 years old;
- cones are taken only fully ripened;
- the outer cover of the seeds should not have traces of damage;
- seeds with a broken or incompletely formed shell should be sown immediately, as they lose their germination very quickly.
After the seed is harvested, the buds need to be given time to open up. To speed up this process, they are placed in a paper bag and shaken occasionally, left in a warm, dry, well-ventilated place. It is important to adhere to the optimal temperature regime: if the seeds are dried too intensively, germination rates deteriorate.
Growing conifers from seeds at home has its own rules, so it is important to follow agricultural practices. Seeds should be prepared in a special way before planting, that is, the integrity of the outer shell should be violated. For this purpose, they are subjected to stratification, namely, they are placed in the cold for 1 – 3 months (at a temperature of 1 – 5 ° C). Immediately before sowing, the seeds of coniferous plants are mixed and rubbed with coarse sand. All this is done in order to help the embryo overcome the hard shell and increase the friendly germination of seeds. Under natural conditions, this process is provided by microorganisms living in the soil, as well as enzymes in the stomachs of birds and animals.
For sowing seeds, boxes are prepared in advance with a special substrate consisting of one third of compost, one part of peat and one part of sand. Seeds of coniferous trees should be sown in December. Immediately after sowing, the containers are cleaned in a dark place, with a temperature of no more than 5 – 7 ˚C for 2 – 3 months: it can be a basement or cellar.
After three months, the landing containers are moved to a lighted place with a temperature of 18 – 22 ˚С. It is necessary to ensure that the direct rays of the sun do not fall on the appeared sprouts: they can cause a burn. After the seedlings get stronger, a pick is carried out in separate pots or seedlings are planted in open ground. This should be done in the summer, when conifers have a slow growth period, in cloudy weather or in the evening.
Some species of coniferous plants (pine, spruce, larch) germinate well under a layer of snow. To do this, boxes with seeds are taken out into the street and sprinkled with snow. When it gets warmer, the boxes are dug into the ground and left.
Seedlings of coniferous trees do not require special care. The soil should be well-drained, loose, loamy, and watered moderately, since the seedlings do not need to be fed. If the seeds were sown in a properly prepared substrate, the seedlings will have enough nutrients. If necessary, you can fertilize with diluted manure infusion or mineral dressing of very low concentration.
Reproduction of wild coniferous plants is possible only by sowing seeds. For decorative conifers, this method is also widely used.
Propagation of conifers by cuttings
Propagation of conifers by seeds is one of the most common methods. However, in some cases, cuttings are resorted to.
Cuttings are cut from last year’s growth, in the morning. It is important to try to cut off the shoot with a small part of the mother material – the “heel”. The length of the handle should be 8 – 12 cm, for decorative conifers, 5 – 7 cm will be enough.
Before planting, the cuttings are treated with a root-forming solution and planted in separate pots with a diameter of 15 cm, to a depth of 3 cm. If the cuttings of conifers for propagation are small, it is permissible to plant 2-3 pieces in one pot. Then a plastic bag is put on the pots and placed in a well-lit place, for example, on a windowsill. After about 35 – 45 days, the shoots will take root.
Cuttings for breeding conifers in winter are the best fit. Feeling the approach of heat, closer to February, the plants begin to revive, and this period is the most suitable for collecting material. Cuttings cut in February take root better, unlike spring ones: their survival rate is up to 90%.
Transplantation of rooted cuttings in open ground is carried out in early or mid-May. This procedure should be carried out very carefully, with a lump of soil, so as not to damage the delicate roots. At this age, conifers survive the transplant well, the only rule is that plants should be planted in partial shade.
This method propagates blue spruce, thuja, junipers. Pine and spruce do not readily reproduce by cuttings, so there is a high probability of death of most of the shoots.
Reproduction of coniferous layering
Reproduction of conifers by layering, or, as this method is also called, dividing the bush, is used quite rarely. The method is not suitable for all conifers, but only for young, multi-stem, bush plants.
Horizontal layers are bent to the ground in the spring and buried in the soil. In order for the branches to take root faster, a shallow incision is made on the shoot under the kidney, all small branches are removed. To prevent the branch from straightening, it must be fixed with a stone or wire.
In addition, you should monitor the humidity at the point of contact of the shoots with the soil. After about a year, when the roots are already sufficiently developed, the branches are separated from the mother bush and transplanted. Sometimes it may take more time to form an independent root system. The first winter after removal, the young coniferous plant should overwinter with the mother bush.
This propagation method is absolutely harmless to the mother plant, but is considered the least productive. In addition, it is suitable only for coniferous bushes with flexible branches, an indefinite or horizontally creeping crown shape (cypress, yew).
On an industrial scale, coniferous shrubs do not propagate in this way, since in most cases a lopsided plant with an irregular crown shape will be obtained.
Propagation of coniferous plants by grafting
Reproduction of conifers at home is also carried out by grafting. This method is used for those breeds that are reluctant to propagate by cuttings or with the help of seeds. This method of propagation of conifers is widely used when it is necessary to obtain a special form of the crown of the plant.
As a rootstock for breeding conifers, three-, four- or five-year-old healthy seedlings act. Scion cuttings are taken from the top of the crown. They begin to harvest cuttings in the first month of spring and store them in the cellar until the grafting procedure. The vaccination itself is carried out in the second half of summer, when the weather is dry. How to properly carry out the grafting procedure in the lateral split:
- cut cuttings 10 cm long from the top of the shoot;
- both ends of the handle are cut with a wedge and cleaned of needles;
- the upper part of the shoot is split to a depth of 1,5 cm, then the prepared stalk is inserted there (at the same time, it is important to ensure that the cambium layer coincides with the scion at the rootstock branch);
- then the vaccination site is tied with a thick woolen thread and, in hot weather, protected from the sun’s rays with a paper cap.
In order for the procedure to give a 4% result, the cambium layer of the scion is carefully applied to the cambium layer of the rootstock, while cutting off 6-XNUMX cm of the bark, after which it is tightly bandaged. This method of grafting is called “for the bark.”
If everything is done correctly, after a month the cutting takes root, and the bandage can be removed. In order for the scion to actively grow, the top of the stock is cut off.
This method of propagation of coniferous plants is quite complex and requires certain skills and professionalism from the gardener.
Conclusion
Propagation of coniferous plants using any of the methods described above is a painstaking task that requires certain knowledge and skills. However, if you want to figure it out, it will not be difficult even for a novice gardener. The breeding method largely depends on the breed of the conifer, as well as on the expected result. On an industrial scale, sowing seeds and cuttings are widely used. At home, for the purpose of propagating coniferous trees and shrubs, you can use the method of dividing a bush (branches) or grafting.