Siberian pine: photos and features

Siberian pine is a tree that everyone can grow on their own plot. It has phytoncidal properties and a pleasant coniferous smell. The main advantage of the Siberian pine is its seeds – pine nuts, which are a valuable high-calorie food product.

Description of the Siberian pine

The Siberian cedar pine is a close relative of the Korean, European and dwarf cedar pines. According to the scientific classification, the Siberian pine belongs to the genus of pines, but it has long been called the Siberian cedar for its external resemblance to the tree of the same name.

The Siberian pine is a monoecious, dioecious, anemophilous plant. This means that female and male cones are located on the same tree, and it is pollinated with the help of wind. The vegetation period of the plant is quite short and is only 40 – 45 days, so it is classified as a slow-growing crop. Active fruiting of pine begins, on average, after 60 years. Up to 12 kg of nuts are harvested from one tree. The plant gives a bountiful harvest every 3 to 10 years.

Characteristics of the Siberian pine:

• moisture-loving culture, which is particularly sensitive to soil and air moisture, especially during winter;
• develops well in sandy and loamy soils, but can grow on the surface of sphagnum bogs and stony substrates;
• high frost resistance;
• high rates of shade tolerance in youth, however, in adulthood, the plant prefers good lighting;
• does not respond well to transplantation in adulthood;
• the ability to grow throughout life;
• does not tolerate air pollution.

Siberian pine is listed in the Red Book and is considered a vulnerable species, since its population is declining due to forest fires, anthropogenic factors, economic activities and changes in environmental conditions.

What does Siberian pine look like?

The Siberian cedar pine is one of the largest evergreen representatives of the Pine genus. This is a powerful tree, the trunk of which reaches a thickness of about 2 m in diameter. The height of the Siberian pine is from 20 to 44 m.

Photos and descriptions of the Siberian pine show that the crown of the tree is dense, multi-topped, with many thick branches. In young plants, it has a sharp conical shape; as the tree grows older, the crown becomes wider.

The trunk of the tree is gray-brown in color, smooth and straight. Old pines are covered with fissured, coarsened, scaly bark. Young shoots are a lighter brown shade, they are covered with long red hairs.

Morphological features of Siberian pine

The shortened shoots of the Siberian pine are covered with needles of a dark green shade with a bluish bloom. The length of the needles is from 6 to 14 cm. The needles are soft to the touch, slightly serrated and grow in bunches, five pieces in one. The tufts are surrounded by scaly, rapidly falling golden brown leaves. The needles are kept on the branches of trees for 3 years, after which they fall off and are renewed.

The buds of the plant are conical in shape, from 6 to 10 cm long, tapering towards the end, not resinous, covered with pointed lanceolate bud scales. Siberian pine blossoms in May.

The cones of this conifer are erect. The female ones are formed at the ends of the upper shoots, after they complete their growth, and the male ones gather at the base. In the axils of the female cones there are seed scales with two ovules.

Upon reaching maturity, the cones become large, from 5 to 8 cm wide and up to 13 cm long, acquire an elongated, ovoid shape, first purple and then brown. Their scales become more dense and adjacent, and the surface is covered with short, stiff pubescence.

Each cone can contain from 30 to 150 nut seeds. According to their structure, the seeds of Siberian pine are quite large, ovoid in shape, reach 10-15 mm in length and 6-10 mm in width. Their peel is dense, hard, dark brown in color. The internal contents are oily nuts of a yellowish-white hue, covered with a thin skin. They serve as a rich source of phosphorus, lecithin, iodine, manganese, copper, zinc and cobalt.

Comparison of Siberian pine and Scotch pine:

The root system of the Siberian pine

A characteristic feature of the structure of the Siberian pine is its root system, which includes a tap root up to 50 cm long, as well as lateral roots extending from it. At their ends there are small root hairs, on which mycorrhiza is formed – a symbiotic relationship between fungal mycelium and plant roots.

If a tree grows on well-drained, light soil, then, despite the short taproot, it will have powerful anchor roots that can penetrate to a depth of up to 3 m. Such a solid support, consisting of anchor roots and basal legs, endows the trunk and crown wood resilience and ability to withstand winds and hurricanes.

Properties of Siberian pine wood

Siberian pine wood has the following features:

• softness, lightness, strength;
• nice smell;
• beautiful texture and many shades (light beige, pink beige, pale chocolate, dark brown);
• excellent resonant properties;
• high moisture resistance, resistance to decay, unattractiveness to worms and beetles that corrode the bark and trunk of a tree;
• ease of processing and polishing, pliability of the material, drying without cracking.

Due to its properties, Siberian pine wood is highly valued and is used for the production of furniture, pianos, guitars, harps and even pencils. It is also used for construction and interior decoration.

How long does Siberian pine live

The tree is considered long-lived. The life expectancy of the Siberian pine is about 500 years, but some individuals have existed for over 850 years. The level of air pollution has a great influence on the life of the plant.

Where does Siberian pine grow?

Siberian pine grows throughout the forest belt of Western Siberia. In Eastern Siberia, its spread is hindered by permafrost, so the Siberian cedar is found only closer to the south. In the west of the Urals, the tree grows up to the Timan Ridge.

In Altai, Siberian pine can be found even at an altitude of 2400 m above sea level. The plant is also widespread in Mongolia, Kazakhstan and China.

Among other things, on the territory of Our Country there are cedar groves planted in pre-revolutionary times, such as Chagrinskaya, Koryazhma and Petryaevskaya.

Siberian pine varieties

Siberian pine is characterized by very slow growth, and the first cones appear on the tree after about 60 years. As a result of research, breeders received about several dozen samples of Siberian cedar, which are distinguished by faster growth rates and abundant fruiting. Already a year after grafting with a suitable stock, such plants can produce about 15 – 20 cones. Variety examples:

• President 02;

  

• Oligarch 03;

  

• Emerald 034;

  

• Narcissus 06.

  

The value of Siberian pine in nature

Siberian pine is of great importance for nature. Its seeds serve as food for the nutcracker, chipmunk, squirrel, sable, bear, woodpecker, nuthatch and other animals. The animals, in turn, spread the seeds, which later grow into new trees.

Coniferous hedges not only have high decorative qualities, but also have a beneficial effect on the microclimate. Siberian cedar creates a habitat for many other plants, mosses, lichen fungi and microorganisms. The coniferous tree clears air, promotes destruction of pathogenic microbes.

Planting and caring for Siberian pine on the site

Gardeners practice two ways of growing Siberian pine: from seeds or using seedlings. In this case, the second method is more preferable. Since the tree belongs to slow-growing crops, planting through seedlings can reduce the ripening time for the first fruits.

Seedling and planting preparation

Seedlings that have reached the age of 5 years are considered ideal. Their growth should be no more than 1 m, the diameter of the trunk – no more than 2 cm.

It is best to purchase Siberian pine seedlings with a closed root system: this will avoid damage during further planting in the ground. If there is no opportunity to purchase such a plant, then you can choose seedlings with an open root system. The main thing is that they meet the following requirements:

• a lump of earth should be at least 40 – 60 cm in diameter: the larger the seedling, the more land it needs;
• it is important that the earthen ball be wrapped in burlap and additionally placed in a plastic bag;
• landing at a permanent place should take place as soon as possible;
• it is desirable that the seedling was freshly dug.

Good nurseries use a special root pruning technique during the digging of seedlings, which allows you to maintain the integrity of the root system when transplanting to a permanent place. It usually takes a plant some time to settle down. At this point, it is important to provide him with the most comfortable conditions.

The plant prefers sandy and loamy well-moistened soils. If the land in the summer cottage is clay or loamy, additional drainage will be required. The root system develops well on airy soils.

The acidity of the soil should be medium; at high rates, it is recommended to use lime at the rate of 300 g per well.

Rules of landing

The optimal time for planting Siberian pine seedlings is early spring. Despite the fact that young trees grow well in partial shade, a well-lit place should be preferred.

Landing algorithm:

1. Dig up the entire area for planting Siberian pine seedlings. For one tree, it is necessary to dig at least 1 m of earth around the planting hole. The distance between seedlings should be 6 – 8 meters.
2. An earthen hole should be dug approximately 30% larger than the earthen ball.
3. In loamy and sandy soil, Siberian pine seedlings can be transplanted immediately. If the soil is too clayey, the earth removed from the hole should be mixed with a mixture of peat and sand, in a ratio of 2: 1: 2.
4. After that, it is necessary to add fertilizer from rotted manure, wood ash, peat and several handfuls of coniferous forest land to the soil. Mix the resulting mixture well, pour into the wells.
5. Strengthen a peg in the pit for planting, place a pine seedling in the center so that the root collar is not too deep and is at the level of the soil. If it turned out to be lower, you need to carefully remove the seedling and add the missing amount of soil mixture.
6. Seedlings with a closed root system after removal from the container need to straighten the roots. They should freely, without bending, be located in the hole.
7. The part of the seedling that remains above the ground must be tied to a support with twine.
8. Next, you need to fill the pits with the prepared soil mixture so that there is no empty space left, water using at least 6 liters of water per tree.
9. Mulch the surface around the trunk with nutshells, pine needles, bark or sawdust.
10. Water Siberian pine seedlings 1 time in 2 – 3 days over the next two weeks. During rains, watering is usually reduced.

Watering and top dressing

Despite the fact that the plant is very moisture-loving, watering is recommended as the soil dries out. In summer, watering should be more abundant and frequent, but in winter it is important to check that the soil is completely dry. Excessive soil moisture can cause damage and rotting of the root system.

The plant does not require frequent fertilizing. The hot summer period is considered the best time for fertilizing. You can feed the Siberian pine with special fertilizers for coniferous crops. Organic fertilizers are applied before planting. A mixture of 2 buckets of manure and 50 g of superphosphate per entire trunk circle is perfect.

Mulching and loosening

When loosening the soil, one should not forget about accuracy. The roots of the Siberian pine are located too close to the surface, so only the topsoil can be loosened.

The best mulch for coniferous crops is forest foliage, small branches, moss. They contain mycelium of fungi living in symbiosis with Siberian pine and improve the mineral nutrition of its roots. The soil around the trunk is also mulched by adding compost, loose humus or peat.

With the help of mulching, soil moisture is maintained, favorable conditions are maintained for soil microorganisms that are necessary for the plant’s root system to replenish humus reserves. This is especially important for sandy soil.

Trimming

Pruning of the Siberian pine is optional if, in the first years after planting the seedling, break off the lateral buds of the axial shoot. This allows nutrients to enter the central point on the axial shoot: thus, its growth per season can increase by 2-2,5 times.

Preparation for winter

The tree is characterized by high frost resistance and calmly survives a drop in temperature to -60 ^oC. Siberian pine does not require special preparation for the winter period. In autumn, before the snow falls, you only need to mulch the soil around the trunk. This will help protect the root system from freezing and retain moisture in the root zone.

Pests and diseases of Siberian pine

The main sources of danger for the Siberian pine are:

• Bark beetles, especially chalcographs and common engraver. Immediately after the spring thaws, when the daily air temperature rises, bark beetles wake up from their winter hibernation. They gnaw passages in the bark of a tree and lay eggs there, from which new larvae hatch. Gradually, the tissues of the bark are destroyed, and the tree itself may die. To get rid of these beetles, it is recommended to contact specialists, since the process of removing them is not so simple;
• Siberian Hermes, piercing a tree trunk with his sharp trunk and sucking the juice out of it. In the fight against such pests, insecticides that act through plant sap will be effective;
• Rust that appears on needles during wet and warm summer seasons. You can recognize this disease by orange-yellow bubbles on the needles. Prevention of the disease is the weeding of plants growing nearby;
• Blister rust and shoot cancer are one of the most severe diseases of Siberian pine, which are difficult to treat. In order to prevent in the early stages, root development stimulants and anti-stress agents are used.

Reproduction of Siberian pine

In the natural environment, Siberian pine reproduces by seeds. They are spread by nutcrackers, chipmunks, sables, squirrels and other forest animals that eat pine nuts.

In dachas and vegetable gardens, crops are most often grown using seedlings. Particularly valuable varieties are grafted for breeding purposes. Reproduction of Siberian pine at home is also possible with the help of seeds. On sale there are seeds of the Siberian cedar of the agricultural firm “Gavrish”.

The use of Siberian pine

Siberian cedar pine is one of the most valuable tree species. Pine nuts are renowned for their beneficial nutritional properties and are eaten all over the world. They are rich in iodine and are valuable as a natural, natural prevention of iodine deficiency.

Walnut shells are great for mulching. Oil is also made from nuts, which is used in medicine and the food industry. It contains twice as much vitamin E as almond and walnut oil.

Pine needles are used in the production of shampoos, soaps and vitamin supplements. It is processed and vitamin flour for animal husbandry is obtained. The resin of the Siberian cedar pine is considered an effective remedy for healing wounds, boils and ulcers.

Siberian pine pollen has healing properties; on its basis, an alcohol tincture is prepared that helps to cope with respiratory diseases and tuberculosis.

The wood is easy to process, soft, light and pliable, which is why it is often used for construction and interior decoration. Crafts, pencils, furniture and musical instruments are made from pine.

Conclusion

Siberian pine is a valuable commercial crop that can be easily grown on your site. It is undemanding in care and has high frost resistance. Growing a tree from grafted seedlings significantly reduces the time it takes to bear fruit, and the first cones may appear on such a tree 1–2 years after planting.