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Conifers reproduce generatively in their natural environment. It is possible to transfer a young tree from the forest to the site, but there is a serious problem. Even if all planting rules are followed, evergreen trees from the wild practically do not take root in a new place. The best option is to grow pine from a cone at home or purchase a seedling from a nursery.
Is it possible to grow a pine from a cone
Pine is an evergreen perennial plant. More than 16 varieties of culture grow in Russia. The main distribution is in Siberia, the Far East, the Crimea and the North Caucasus. They differ in growth and crown structure. High-growing species reach up to 40 m in height, medium species with a spreading crown - up to 10-15 m. And dwarf dwarf dwarf trees, which are found mostly on rocky terrain - up to 1 m. Selection species are used for landscape design. It is unlikely that it will be possible to grow a tree with the appearance of a parent plant from a cone of a hybrid pine; plants rarely give full-fledged material while maintaining varietal characteristics.
To grow a coniferous culture from a cone, you need to know the type of plant that you want to plant on the site. There are varieties in which the seeds ripen for 2 years, while others have planting material ready by the end of autumn. It is not necessary to go to the forest to collect cones; they can also be collected in the park. For landscaping megalopolises, varieties of wild plants are used, adapted to the urban microclimate.
To plant a pine from a forest cone, the fruit is taken from an adult tree only after the scales have opened - this is a sign of the maturity of the planting material.
What pine seeds look like
Coniferous culture does not bloom; it immediately forms male and female strobili. During the formation of young shoots, two brown spherical formations are noted at their ends. This is the first stage of the cone, during the summer the cone grows, changes color to green, by the fall it becomes the size of a pea. The next spring, the growth of the cone continues, it is quite intense, by the end of the seasonal growing season the cone grows to 8 cm. In the 2nd year of growth, the cone matures completely by winter. What does pine seed look like:
- rounded shape, length - 10 cm, volume - 4 cm;
- the surface is bumpy, large scales are tightly pressed;
- color - dark brown.
In the third spring after formation, when the weather has completely recovered, the cones begin to dry and open, the pine seeds lie on the scales, 2 pcs. External characteristic:
- ovoid shape, elongated, length - 3 mm;
- unprotected surface (bare);
- equipped with a wing 3 times larger;
- color - light brown or black, wing beige.
Pine propagation by seeds is possible after the material has ripened. If the cone falls to the ground, the scales are pressed tightly and there are no signs of disclosure - it is not fully ripe, the seed will not sprout.
How much pine seeds ripen
The ripening period of pine seeds depends on the type of crop. Strobilis are formed with an embryo in early May. Planting material matures along with the growth of the cone. In some species, the material ripens by the end of August, remains in the cone for the winter.In the spring, at the beginning of the growing season, when the snow has completely melted and the soil is moist enough for germination, the cones open or fall off and the seeds fly away.
For other species, until the material is ready, it takes 18 months to grow a coniferous tree. If pollination took place in the spring, the seeds ripen only by the next autumn, they remain in the cone for the winter, and fly away in the spring. In any case, the guideline is the disclosure of the scales.
How and when to collect pine cones for seeds
In order to grow a pine tree from seeds at home, in advance in a forest or park, you need to choose an adult tree, under the crown of which there are old cones. This is a sign that the plant has entered reproductive age and is intensively forming planting material. For some time you will have to observe the growing season of seed fruits, the mature cone is dark brown, with stiff scales.
Pine seeds are collected at the end of autumn, before the onset of frost. Mature cones are removed from the target tree. If they are fully opened, there is no guarantee that the seeds did not fall off. They take bulk seedlings, where the scales have slightly shifted, they do not fit tightly. You can collect several cones from the ground or remove from branches in different degrees of openness, carefully fold them into a bag and bring them home.
How to grow pine from a cone
To grow a tree, you need to extract the seeds from the fruits brought. It is recommended to spread the fabric and shake the bumps over it. The seeds should easily separate from the scales, if this has not happened, the cones are not fully ripe.
For artificial ripening of the planting material, the infructescence is placed in a paper bag and placed next to the heating device. The temperature should not exceed +400 C. If the material is from different pine trees, put it in different bags. Periodically, the cones are shaken, the ripe seeds crumble.
Not all seeds will be able to grow pine, planting material is taken away. Water is poured into the container and seeds are placed in it, some of them sink to the bottom, it will not be difficult to grow a pine tree from them, the hollow ones remain on the surface, they will not sprout.
Seed treatment
It is possible to grow a coniferous tree on the site only from pre-treated seeds. Sequencing:
- After the selection of seeds, they are dried.
- Remove lionfish.
- Rinse in running water to remove residual ether compounds from the surface.
- Spread out in a thin layer on a napkin, dry.
- Soak for 40 minutes in a 5% manganese solution.
Then they are taken out, laid out to dry.
Home seed stratification
Planting pine from seeds will become more effective if the material is stratified. This is an artificially created environment in which the planting material is in the soil in winter. It will be much easier to grow a tree from hardened material, the germination rate after stratification is 100%. Several methods are proposed. First way:
- sterilize a glass jar in an oven;
- let it cool down;
- pour out the material;
- close with a lid;
- placed in the freezer until planting, approximately 2.5 months.
Second way:
- a small depression is made on the site;
- a layer of dry straw is placed on the bottom;
- the material is placed in a canvas cloth or paper bag, laid on a straw;
- cover with a layer of sawdust on top;
- covered with a wooden board and covered with snow.
Third way:
- seeds are mixed with wet sand and sawdust;
- the mixture is poured into a container, covered;
- lowered into the basement;
- leave before planting.
The last method is convenient in that there is no need to germinate pine seeds at home, by spring they will sprout in the basement on their own.
Preparation of soil and planting capacity
You can grow a pine tree at home by planting seeds in containers, in mini-greenhouses, or directly into the ground in a designated place. Direct fit suitable for Southern regions.In temperate climates, a pine seedling is preliminarily grown from seed, then transferred to the site.
The containers are taken in large size if you need to grow a lot of seedlings for mass planting. Side holes are made in the containers for aeration of the root system. The soil for a coniferous tree is light, it is difficult to grow a crop on a loamy one. If the composition on the site is not sandy loam, it is facilitated by the introduction of river sand.
It is not recommended to fill the soil in containers with the addition of organic matter. It will not be possible to grow planting material, the seedling will die from an excess of nitrogen. Mineral fertilizers are added to the containers.
Seeding rate of pine seeds
There are several ways to grow seedlings:
- Using the narrow-band method, where the width of the band is 15 cm, seedlings with a well-developed root system will be obtained.
- Multi-line - planting in several parallel lines with a minimum approximation of plants. The planting method is used in small areas to obtain a significant number of seedlings.
- In one row (ordinary), as a result, there should be 100 shoots per 1 m. After shoots, the shoots are thinned out. It is more productive to grow seedlings by this method, they use row planting in nurseries for the sale of seedlings.
In any case, the seeding rate of pine seeds will be the same per hectare - 60 kg. To decorate a personal plot, they count 2 g per 1 m.To grow seedlings in a container, the minimum calculation per seed is 200 g of soil, the optimal one is 500 g.
How to plant pine seeds
You can grow seedlings in a greenhouse or container, the layout is the same. Planting pine seeds at home begins at the end of winter. Direct planting in the ground is carried out in the spring. Before sowing, the material is germinated:
- placed on one side of a wet cloth;
- cover with the second part;
- determine in a bright place;
- constantly moisturize.
After 5 days, sprouts will appear.
How to grow seedlings in a container:
- Fill in the soil, leave 15 cm of free space to the top.
- Longitudinal grooves are made with a depth of 2.5 cm.
- Carefully, so as not to damage the sprouts, lay out the seeds, at intervals of 1 cm.
- Cover with glass, put away in the heat.
After 14 days, shoots will appear, the glass is removed.
If the goal is to grow seedlings in a greenhouse:
- Dig a trench 20 cm wide and deep on a shovel bayonet.
- The earth is mixed with sand and sod soil.
- Fill the trench.
- Furrows are made with a depth of 3 cm.
- Fall asleep, moisturize.
Work is carried out after thawing the soil. Seedlings will appear in 3 weeks.
If the goal is to grow a coniferous perennial by direct planting, the seed placement scheme is the same as in a greenhouse. The work is carried out in the spring, in the southern regions it is possible to make a bookmark in the summer or before winter.
As a decorative option, you can grow a pine tree by planting a cone in a flower pot. Place it sideways or vertically. The cone is half covered with soil and covered with moss. The sprouts are formed from the scales of the cone. In the summer, the pot is taken out to the veranda in the shade, and returned to the room for the winter.
Seedling care
It is possible to grow a pine tree from seeds subject to the conditions of agricultural technology:
- after laying, watering is carried out every day until shoots appear;
- young shoots are watered every day for a week;
- then watering is replaced by spray irrigation;
- apply fertilizers with a special composition for coniferous crops;
- treated with a fungicide.
When the seedlings grow up to 10 cm, they are thinned out, the weak ones with a curved trunk and with bare, without needles, shoots are removed.
Optimal conditions for growing pine from seeds at home
Seedlings can be grown only if the temperature regime is observed, it should not be higher than +230 C and only in natural light. Special lamps are not used to grow young pine. The greenhouse is ventilated, as is the room where the containers are located.
It is possible to grow seedlings only if the air is not dry. In winter, central heating reduces humidity to a minimum.It is recommended, along with spraying, to place containers in a tray of water or to place a wide cup of water next to it. When the weather settles at a positive mark, the containers are taken out to the site in partial shade. The film shelter is removed from the greenhouse.
Transplanting a seedling into open ground
You can grow a coniferous tree only from a 4-year-old seedling. The seedling is transferred to the place of subsequent growth in March, when the soil warmed up to +120 C, and the culture from the bud is dormant. Sequence of work:
- The soil is moistened, with the help of a shovel, the plant is removed from the soil.
- If several pieces have been dug up, they are carefully separated so as not to damage the root.
- A planting recess is made along the height of the root to the neck, 25 cm wide.
- Drainage is placed at the bottom, fine gravel will do.
- The plant is placed in the center, covered with soil.
After 3 years, the pine is transplanted. If the trees are located in one line, 1 m is left between them.
Conclusion
Growing pine from a cone is not so difficult, but rather long. It is necessary to choose the right cones, get the material out of them and follow the recommendations for planting and care. In order to grow coniferous crops, seedlings are placed on the site only after 4-5 years. After 3 years, they will have to re-transplant, weak plants will die, strong seedlings will remain from which it will not be difficult to grow an adult tree.
