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Japanese pine is a tree or shrub, belongs to the pine family, coniferous class. The plant is able to maintain vital activity from 1 to 6 centuries.
Description of the Japanese pine
The tree is characterized by rapid growth. The height of the Japanese Negishi pine is 35-75 m, the diameter of the trunk reaches 4 m. In wetlands, the growth of the tree does not exceed 100 cm. There are single-trunk and multi-trunk pine species. The bark of the tree is smooth, becoming scaly over time.
Japanese pine is a photophilous representative of conifers. The first flowers appear in the last month of spring, but they are hardly noticeable.
At the end of the process, cones of various shapes and colors, depending on the variety, are formed. They are divided into male and female. The color scheme of the shoots is varied, there are trees with yellow, purple or brick red, brown cones.
Modified male shoots are cylindrical-ellipsoidal in shape, up to 15 cm long. Female cones are more rounded, slightly flattened, 4-8 cm long.
There are two types of Japanese pine seeds: winged and wingless.
Instead of the usual foliage, the tree forms long coniferous shoots in the form of needles. They are soft, thin, slightly curved at the ends, capable of maintaining vital activity for up to 3 years. Young needles have a greenish tint, which eventually turns into a gray-blue.
Varieties of Japanese pine
There are more than 30 species of Japanese pine, they differ not only in appearance, but also in life expectancy, planting and care features.
Common varieties of Japanese pine:
- Blue Angel: a representative of conifers with a loose spreading crown, which can be pressed down to the desired shape. In a year, the tree adds up to 10 cm in height, forming decorative blue needles. The variety responds favorably to top dressing, delighting the gardener with an abundant amount of light brown cones. The Blauer Engel species is undemanding to the composition of the soil, frost-resistant, but does not grow well in wetlands, therefore, when planting a plant, sunny areas should be preferred.
- glauc: an adult plant, has a height of 10-12 m, the crown in diameter reaches 3-3,5 m. The tree grows rapidly, adding 18-20 cm in height annually. The shape of the variety is cone-shaped, slightly asymmetric. The needles of the tree are very dense, rich silver-blue hue, presented in the form of paired bundles. The growth and vital activity of the Glauca pine is favorably affected by fertile, well-drained and loose soils. With proper care, landing in the sand is also possible. It is recommended to grow pine in lighted areas.
- Negishi: the tree has a high decorative effect, common in Japan. According to the description, the Negishi pine has fluffy, green-blue needles that form a beautiful dense crown. The variety grows slowly, often not exceeding 2-3 m. Pine prefers sunny places, undemanding to the soil, but does not tolerate alkaline soils. The frost resistance of the Negishi variety is average; it grows successfully in urban gassy conditions.
- Tempelhof: dwarf tree, characterized by twisted shoots at the ends in the form of brushes with blue-tinted needles. In a year, the variety adds 15-20 cm in height, young branches have a bluish tint. The shape of the crown is close to rounded, loose. For 10 years, the plant reaches 2-3 m in height, tolerates frosts down to -30 ° C, and is not suitable for growing in arid southern regions.
- hagoromo: miniature Japanese pine, reaching a height of no more than 30-40 cm (crown diameter 0,5 m). The variety is characterized by very slow growth, no more than 2-3 cm per year. The branches are short and thin, directed upward at an angle from the center of the plant, forming an asymmetric wide crown. The needles of the Hagoromo variety are bright green. The plant tolerates low temperatures well, grows successfully in both sunny and shaded areas, prefers moist and fertile soils.
Japanese pine in landscape design
Due to its frost resistance and unpretentiousness, the tree is often used to decorate the garden. Landscape design using Japanese pine is concise, many varieties can form a crown, which is successfully used to implement creative ideas of designers.
Japanese pine is used to decorate alpine slides, slopes, forest edges, and is placed as a single composition on lawns.
Glauca and Hagoromo varieties are used to decorate the coastal zone of a reservoir, a rocky garden or a walking path.
How to grow Japanese pine from seeds
Seed material is purchased in stores or mined independently. The process of maturation of cones is 2-3 years, after the appearance of a pyramidal thickening on them, the seeds are collected and transferred to a container.
Seed preparation
For each variety, the seed may differ not only in appearance, but also in the method of planting, so it is recommended to study the characteristics of the variety. It must be stored in a cool place, wrapped in a cloth or placed in a container.
Before planting Japanese pine seeds, it is important to carry out competent processing. To do this, they are placed for several days in water for germination. Viable seeds swell, and emerging specimens are unsuitable for growing, so they are removed.
At the end of the procedure, the seed is packed in a bag and transferred to the shelf of the refrigerator, where the temperature is up to + 4 °C. Within 14 days, the seed container is gradually moved up, and then transferred in the reverse order for another 2 weeks.
Soil preparation and planting capacity
Japanese pine from seeds at home is grown in containers. They are prepared independently or purchased in stores. It is necessary to make sure that the container is intact, that it has holes, then rinse and dry thoroughly.
As a soil, it is recommended to purchase a specialized substrate or use soil from a mixture of clay granulate and humus (in a ratio of 3: 1). The earth must be disinfected by spilling it with a solution of potassium permanganate or calcining it in an oven at 100 ° C.
How to plant Japanese pine seeds
The optimal time for growing Japanese pine is the last month of winter or the beginning of March.
Soil is poured into the prepared container and furrows are made in it, and seeds are placed at intervals of 2-3 cm. On top of them it is necessary to pour a thin layer of sand and spill with water. At the end of the procedure, the container is covered with glass.
Seed care
It is important to ventilate the container with Japanese pine seeds daily. When mold forms, it is removed, the soil is treated with fungicidal agents.
After the appearance of sprouts, the glass is removed, the box is transferred to a sunny place, controlling soil moisture. Top dressing at this stage of cultivation is not required.
Planting and caring for Japanese pine in the open field
The tree is resistant to bad weather conditions, but it is recommended to take into account varietal characteristics. To grow white Japanese pine, moist but well-drained soil is preferred. To do this, expanded clay or crushed brick is introduced into the soil.
Seedling and planting preparation
Before transplanting, the soil is carefully dug up, a planting hole is formed 1 m deep, and nitrogen fertilizer is applied to it. As a backfill, it is recommended to use a mixture of soil, turf, clay and fine sand (2: 2: 1). Stones or broken bricks are laid out at the bottom of the pit.
Semi-dwarf and dwarf varieties are placed at a distance of 1,5 m from each other, the gap between tall species is at least 4 m.
The seedling is watered abundantly to make it easier to remove from the container along with the soil, then transferred to a pit and covered with earth.
Watering and top dressing
Moisturizing the soil must be done immediately after planting Japanese pine. Further, watering is carried out taking into account weather conditions: on hot days, the plant needs more moisture. On average, soil irrigation is carried out every 7 days.
In spring and summer, in the absence of precipitation, it is recommended to wash the needles in the morning or evening, washing away dust and dirt. To do this, sprinkling with warm water is carried out.
Be sure to include fertilizer in the soil in the care of Japanese white pine. Mature trees independently provide themselves with all the necessary substances, and young seedlings are fed with the necessary substances for 2 years from the moment they are transferred to the soil.
To do this, complex top dressing is applied to the trunk circle twice a year, calculating according to the scheme: 40 g per 1 sq. m.
Mulching and loosening
Due to the drainage system, the soil and the unpretentiousness of the plant, it is possible not to loosen the soil. This is especially true when growing Japanese pine on rocky soil.
When planting a seedling in fertile soil, loosening is carried out after watering. Fallen needles are used as mulch for the plant.
Trimming
All year round, damaged or dry shoots are removed from the Japanese pine. Preventive pruning is carried out in the spring, after the formation of young branches (pine buds).
To form a crown, buds are pinched from a seedling. This procedure provokes branching of the tree, slowing down its growth. If it is necessary to grow a miniature plant, the buds are shortened by 2/3.
Preparation for winter
Young Japanese pine seedlings need shelter to prevent death from frost. To do this, the crown and roots are covered with spruce branches, which are harvested only in April. Covers or burlap are allowed. It is not recommended to cover young trees with a film: there is a high risk of creating condensate, which will lead to premature death of the plant.
Reproduction
You can grow Japanese pine not only from seeds, but also by cuttings, by grafting.
To prepare cuttings in autumn on a cloudy day, they are not cut off, but torn off with a piece of wood and bark, processed and placed in a container for rooting.
Vaccination as a breeding procedure is rarely used. It is important to use a 4-5 year old plant as a rootstock. The age of the scion should be 1-3 years. The needles are removed from the cutting, leaving only the buds on the top. Long shoots are cut from the stock.
Vaccination is carried out in the spring on last year’s shoot, after the start of sap flow. In summer, it is possible to graft a pine tree onto a branch of the current season.
Diseases and pests
Japanese pine, despite its unpretentious care and longevity, is susceptible to pest attack, so it is important to carry out preventive work in a timely manner.
The appearance of a plant on the needles is a sign of pine hermes. As a therapeutic measure, Japanese pine is treated with Actellik.
Aphids are able to destroy green plants within a short period of time. Small pests emit toxic substances that lead to the fall of the needles and the death of the tree. To destroy aphids, use a solution of Karbofos, spraying the plant three times a month.
Attacks in the spring time on the Japanese scale pine. Its larvae suck the juice from the needles, so it turns yellow and falls off. To destroy the pest, the tree is irrigated with Akarina solution.
A symptom of cancer in Japanese pine is a change in the color of the needles to dark red. Gradually, the plant dies: the branches fall off, the tree dries out. To prevent the disease, pine is periodically treated with the drug “Cineb”.
Conclusion
The Japanese pine is a highly ornamental tree that can be grown in regions with rocky or clay soil, in cities with frosty winters. The plant is unpretentious, care consists in watering and carrying out preventive measures against parasites and diseases. The possibility of forming a crown allows the use of Japanese pine in landscape design
