When to plant pine grown in the ground. How to grow pine from seeds yourself, planting and care. Cedar pine, planting

The difficulty lies mainly in the fact that for wintering they need low temperature and round-the-clock inflow fresh air during the whole year. Only a few plants (for example) grow well indoors, mainly on window sills and loggias.

Buying a coniferous seedling is, perhaps, the most important task, on the results of which the further success of the "operation" depends. The fact is that conifers after their "death" they can retain their original appearance for about a month. Of course, it will not be difficult for a specialist to determine the state of the plant even by a slight change in the color of the needles, but what to do if you are just starting to comprehend all the wisdom of plant growing?

So that buying a seedling does not turn into a game of "lucky or unlucky", you need to know how to distinguish a healthy plant from a sick one or, worse, a dead one. This can be done in two ways:

1. Feel the plant - if the twigs break easily, and the needles crumble even with a light touch, then the plant has died.
2. Look at the root system (which, unfortunately, is not always possible) - in a healthy plant, the tips of the roots are white or slightly yellowish, but always juicy.

Pay attention to the condition of the soil - if it is dry, refrain from buying a seedling, since the complete drying out of the earthy coma entails consequences that are irreversible for the coniferous plant. If a deciduous plant can still be "reanimated" by watering, then a coniferous plant is unlikely to withstand such a test.

ON THE PICTURE:In a healthy plant, the needles are intensely colored and do not crumble when touched

After you bring the seedling home, do not remove the store substrate and do not transfer the plant from the pot to the pot - it is better not to disturb conifers at all unnecessarily. Otherwise, they develop poorly, begin to wither and, in the end, die.

Coniferous plant care

Do not rearrange your plant from place to place - conifers react extremely negatively to such "moving", because every time they are forced to adapt to new conditions, and this "slows down" their development. However, in summer it is possible - and even necessary - to take them outside, always in partial shade.

Substrate selection

The composition of the soil for growing conifers at home depends on several factors: temperature, humidity, light and your own "handwriting" of watering.

Much depends on experience - undoubtedly, after several years of practice, you will be able to choose the final composition potting soil that suits your conditions perfectly.

The basic composition for conifers includes turf soil, leafy ground, peat soil and sand in a ratio of 1: 2: 1: 1. You can supplement this mixture with 0.5 parts of softwood.

It is even easier to purchase a special “personalized” substrate that will suit your particular plant. You can buy it at any specialty store.

Watering frequency

In the summer, especially if it is very hot, conifers need generous watering. Pour with settled water at room temperature (or even cooler if it comes about plants at rest). At the same time, it is necessary to monitor the state of the earthen coma, it should not be allowed to become waterlogged or dry out - both are detrimental to plants of this class.

ON THE PICTURE: Most conifers, for example, this cypress, prefer to live on windows of the north and northeast orientation.

In autumn, watering little by little, as they say "drop by drop," is reduced to moderate. During the period when the air temperature outside the window has already dropped, and the room is not yet heated, conifers need to be watered especially carefully, especially in rainy weather. The fact is that the dampness of an unheated room in itself leads to a slower drying out of the soil. Precipitation increases the humidity of the air, and thus further "inhibits" the drying process, so there is a risk of simply flooding the plant.

In winter, you need to moisturize moderately, but there are some nuances. On the one hand, because of work central heating the humidity in the room decreases, and this leads to rapid evaporation of water. But on the other hand, when the pot is on the windowsill, the earth in it is often cold, especially if on window frames there are cracks and a stream of cold air blows directly onto the pot. In such a soil, moisture is absorbed by the roots much weaker. Therefore, if there are gaps, you need to carefully seal them up so that you prevent the pot from overcooling.

In the spring, watering should be increased again. Throughout the year, it is very important to regularly spray the crown with settled water heated to a temperature of + 25 ° C. It is good to carry out this procedure 2 times a day, morning and evening.

Transplant and feeding

Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to achieve one hundred percent survival rate of conifers during transplantation (especially for ornamental and purchased plants).

In our climate, the optimal time for transplanting conifers is the end of April - beginning of May. But as practice shows, you can transplant at any other time of the year, if there is such a need.

Transplanting growing conifers "throughout the program" is a very serious and traumatic procedure: It involves cleansing the root system of old soil mixture, removing diseased, dried or rotten roots, processing the cuts (for this, crushed charcoal is used).

ON THE PICTURE: A complete transplant of a coniferous plant is rarely done, the transshipment method is most often used

Transplant the plant into a pot bigger size not at all necessary (if there are rotten roots, you can take an even smaller pot). It depends on the health of the plant itself, the state of the root system, as well as on the desired result - whether you want to grow the ephedra faster or, conversely, restrain its growth.

Before replanting the plant, drainage is poured into the bottom of the pot (for example, washed sand + a few pieces charcoal). A pile of soil is poured over the drainage, along which the roots are straightened, after which the pot is filled with earth. If large specimens are transplanted, the earth is poured not in a slide, but in a simple layer, since their roots, most often, are lignified, tough, and it is not always possible to spread them out.

Important! During transplantation, carefully monitor the position of the root collar - deepening it into the substrate is categorically contraindicated for conifers!

After transplantation, the coniferous plant is shaded from the sun for 1-2 weeks and is kept in conditions high humidity(regular watering and spraying is required).

However, a complete transplant of conifers at home is rarely done - the risk of damaging the root system is very high. As a rule, conifers are simply rolled over or transplanted in a sparing mode - while the earthen lump is not destroyed artificially, only the soil that is shaken off and crumbles by itself is removed.

ON THE PICTURE: Regular watering and spraying the crown with warm water - required condition content of conifers

Abundant fertilization is not required for conifers. It is enough to apply a weak mineral fertilizer or special fertilizer for conifers a couple of times during the summer.

Wintering

Winter is a real test for home pines, firs, thujas, cypress trees and other conifers. It is the wrong content in winter period is the main, and often the only, cause of their death. The most difficult thing is to ensure the required temperature - in winter it should be in the range of + 6-12 ° C, which in indoor conditions difficult to achieve.

Most of the problems with the wintering of conifers arise from those who do not have a balcony or loggia. It's good if window blocks old construction and between the frames there is enough space to put the plant there.

If the conifer is contained simply on the windowsill, it must be insulated from heat as much as possible (for example, when lung aid frame covered with polyethylene, or ordinary cardboard box). But if you consider that there is usually a central heating battery under the windowsill, and we have - let's put it bluntly - well, it is, alas, impossible to call such conditions of detention acceptable for conifers.

But the presence of a well-insulated loggia greatly simplifies this task. The only drawback is difficult ventilation, so you need to think in advance about the ways of supplying fresh air (for example, a small window).

To maintain the desired temperature in the loggia, you can use electric heater connected to the temperature sensor (in this case, when the temperature drops, the heater will automatically turn on, and when the air temperature warms up to + 10 ° C, it will turn off).

ON THE PICTURE: Conifers love to "breathe fresh air", so in the summer it is useful to take them out to the balcony

You can try to heat the loggia not electrical appliances, but by forcing warm air from the room. In this case, it will be necessary to make special holes through which, in fact, air flows will flow. The operation of the blower fan can also be controlled using a temperature sensor located on the loggia. If the plant pot is on the floor, the soil may freeze. It is good to use a radiant infrared heater to heat it.

1. When choosing a coniferous plant, pay close attention on the condition of the crown and root system, otherwise you risk buying a dead plant.
2. For placement of conifers, choose window sills of the northern and northeastern orientation.
3. Spray the crown and water the plant regularly, but in no case "fill" it - waterlogging, as well as drying out the soil, has a detrimental effect on representatives of this class.
4. If you are replanting conifers, do it very carefully so as not to damage the root system. It is better not to disturb the old earthen lump, but to use the transshipment method.
5. After transplanting for 1-2 weeks, shade the plant, provide it with high humidity conditions.
6. It is extremely important to properly organize the wintering of conifers - make sure that the air temperature is not higher than + 6–12 ° C.

If you decide to grow pine seedlings from seeds, then you need to be very patient. However, with the right and consistent approach, you will definitely achieve success. Pine seeds should be properly collected and prepared for sowing. In addition, it is necessary to pay attention to the characteristics of the soil and temperature conditions. Let's talk in more detail about the specifics of growing pine seedlings with our own hands.

Seed collection

You will need mature buds of a healthy tree. The size of female cones is significantly larger than that of male ones. Ripe fruits have a woody brown appearance. Up to two hundred seeds can be obtained from one. Pine seeds remain inside the cone exactly until they dry out and open well. Each has small wings designed to facilitate spreading. Seeds should be harvested between September and November. At this stage, the buds naturally fall from the tree.

In order to determine the quality of seeds and their ability to germinate, place them in a container filled with water. As practice shows, that planting material that stays floating has the least chance of germinating.

Seeding preparation

It is necessary to stratify the seeds before planting. To this end, they are sprinkled with soil a little and put into the refrigerator on the lower shelf. There they need to be kept for at least one month, and preferably three. Some gardeners advise keeping the seeds in an epin solution, but this technique does not give particularly positive results.

When choosing a pine variety, give preference to black pine, because it is the least demanding on lighting. Sowing freshly harvested seeds can be carried out without pre-treatment.

Sowing is carried out in a container, the depth of which is at least fifteen centimeters. The bottom should be covered with two or three centimeters. drainage material... Fill the remaining gap with coarse sand. To reduce the likelihood of rot development, it is recommended to calcine or steam the drain. Otherwise, many sprouts may die.

On the surface of the prepared soil, grooves are made, the depth of which should be one and a half to two centimeters. The interval between them is two to three centimeters. Prepare a small sand for filling the seeds.

Sowing

Pine seeds are sown in late February and early March. Spread the seeds into grooves, keeping the same spacing of a couple of centimeters. This interval allows you to make the subsequent pick convenient. Sprouted seedlings have basically a tap root system, so their digging is not difficult. The grooves are covered with fine sand, and it should also be disinfected. Then they carry out neat watering. Optimum moisture can be achieved by immersing the seed container in water. You can also use a spray bottle. You can also cover the drawer with glass, but it is worth ventilating daily.

After sowing, you need to be patient, as well as with a fugicide, which needs to be soaked in places on the ground on which mold appears. For this purpose, you can use a weak solution of potassium permanganate. The plant is considered susceptible to fungal ailments exactly as long as the stems of the shoots do not coarsen and lose their grassiness.

Care

Seven to fourteen days after sowing, the first shoots will appear. If the box was covered with glass, it should be removed. Place the container in the sun and carefully monitor the soil moisture level. With a lack of lighting, the sprouts will intensively gain growth, as a result of which you will get a tree on which the first branches are located high enough.

Pine seedlings do not require any special care, in addition, they do not need additional feeding. However, to achieve better rooting, you can use a weak solution of nitrate or boric acid... During the growth period, they often use special formulations for conifers.

After the seedlings reach a height of fifteen to thirty centimeters, you can plant them in fresh air.

Diseases

Young shoots often suffer from late blight. This is a fungal disease, which is fought, as already mentioned above, with fugicides. However, many gardeners do not try to cope with it in any way, they carry out a natural selection of the strongest seedlings.

If plants have white bloom, and their needles became shorter and, most likely, they were struck by aphids. In order to eliminate it, it is necessary to treat the branches with solutions of actellik or rovikurt.

Open ground

Planting seedlings in open ground spend in the spring or autumn. Suspended formulations are considered excellent soil for this. Heavy clayey soil must be drained by pouring gravel and coarse sand on the bottom of the prepared pits, in a layer of about twenty centimeters. Upper layer the earth is mixed with sod soil, mixing in about thirty grams of nitroammofoska. At high acidity lime must be added to it. The root collars of the seedlings should be flush with the soil.

Pine trees in adulthood are not afraid of frost, but small plants can suffer from them. This situation can be prevented by covering the seedlings with spruce branches. You need to remove it only in the middle of spring.

Growing pine seedlings from seed is a long but exciting experience.

Many summer residents seek to improve their plots, planting on them not only flowers and horticultural crops, but also various trees... In this way, for example, you can make the garden more shady, strengthen the soil or hide windows on the facade of the house from prying eyes. A popular type of tree in this case is coniferous, or rather, pine. It is most convenient to plant a tree that has already sprouted, which has been in natural conditions for three to five years. But if you do not have the opportunity to purchase a seedling, you can go the other way. This article will show you how to grow pine from seed.

Pine trees reproduce mainly with the help of seeds ripening in the fruits of these trees, that is, in cones. Accordingly, it is quite easy to find Scots pine seeds. To do this, you can walk through the forest or park where this type of tree grows, and collect the fruits that have fallen to the ground. It is best to do this in the fall or in early spring when the bumps have not yet had time to open.

Pine propagation by seeds is a rather long process. Most of the cones ripen for about two years: the first year they are quite dense, but not firm, bright green, and only by the end of the second year do they "lumber", and the seeds inside begin to ripen. It is the dark brown, unopened buds that must be harvested to make seeds. You also need to remember that the cones must be female, that is, seeds with wings should be visible at the ends of the scales. You can see pine seeds in the photo.

Pine seeds

You can speed up the process of seed ripening at home by putting the cones on a warm battery or stove for a couple of days. When the scales are completely open, you need to gently shake the cone, shaking out the seeds.

To find out which seeds are suitable for growing pine, you need to conduct the following experiment. Pour the seeds from each cone into a separate container and fill them with water. After a while, some of the seeds will float to the surface, and some will remain at the bottom of the container. It is those seeds that have completely sunk to the bottom that are suitable for growing pine.

The health of the seedlings directly depends on the daylight hours. Lack of light threatens with poor development and withering of seedlings ....

Preparing pine seeds for planting

An important step before planting a future tree is seed preparation. The structure of the pine seed is distinguished by the density of the outer shell, therefore, for home cultivation, they must be brought to the desired state. In this case, you can choose two ways:

• allow seeds to germinate in a comfortable room environment;
• before sowing, place the seeds in wet sand in the refrigerator for a month, that is, to carry out the so-called cold stratification.

Cold stratification, in the experience of many gardeners, is not at all necessary for pine seeds. The easiest way is to soak the seeds in warm water for up to three days, or leave them between layers of damp gauze until they germinate. We must not forget that Scots pine is a light-loving tree, therefore it is important to provide maximum illumination for seedlings. The sowing depth is about 5 mm. The appearance of the first sprouts of pine from seeds can be expected in 5-7 days, and sometimes much longer.

We select soil and fertilizers

Since conifers are forest trees, plant them in fertile soil not necessary. The main condition for growth is the presence of drainage. It will be provided for pine by sandy soil with the addition of crushed stone or chipped bricks. To plant germinated seeds in boxes or pots at home, it is necessary to compose soil from turf land, peat and sand.

Ordinary complex fertilizers not suitable for conifers. Also, it is categorically impossible to use manure for feeding pines, since it has a large number of nitrogen, due to the action of which the shoots begin to grow very quickly, not having time to ripen before the first frost, which often causes the death of a young tree.

Special mineral fertilizers for conifers are best suited for seedlings. A good feeding for them is rotted compost or vermicompost.

When choosing store-bought fertilizers designed specifically for pines, you should pay attention to the presence of magnesium in their composition, which is very important for these plants.

Evergreen, unpretentious and showy conifers are a great way to give a territory a unique image….

How to properly plant a pine tree in open ground

The best time for planting pine is the end of April or May. Before planting a pine tree, you need to prepare the place in which it will grow. Plant young tree best of all on a hill, a hillock. Slopes will help create quality drainage.

Having dug a hole for disembarkation, you can put a small amount on its bottom nitrogen fertilization to stimulate the growth of the vegetative mass of the future tree. The fertilizer should not come into contact with the roots of the plant, so it should be covered with soil about five centimeters. But do not forget that in the future it is absolutely impossible to use such fertilizers for feeding!

If there is no opportunity to grow seedlings, you can plant the seeds directly into the ground. To do this, you need to dig a trench with a bayonet depth of a shovel and a width of about 25-30 centimeters, fill it with the same soil mixture, which is recommended for planting in pots, and then lay out the seeds. You can sprinkle with sand on top, but no more than 1-2 centimeters. If you have planted seeds at home in boxes or flower pots, it is best to wait at least three years before planting them in open ground.

Pine tree care

The area where the pine seeds were planted should be kept moderately moist for the first week, watering as needed. The second and third week, watering should be done as the soil dries up.

The sprouts need to be protected from fungal infections for the first few weeks. To do this, you can periodically spray them and the ground around weak solution potassium permanganate or solution "Previkura". It is optimal to feed seedlings twice a season, and the first must be carried out in May, and the second in August, so that the shoots have time to ripen before winter.

Best of all, the pine root system assimilates liquid fertilizers. They need to be poured into holes dug along the perimeter of the crown. Granular fertilizers are mixed with the soil while digging or loosening the soil around the tree trunk.

Further care depends on the variety of pine you choose. For example, an ordinary pine a couple of years after planting will no longer require careful tracking, and Schwerin's pine will have to be sheltered at a young age for the winter. With proper care, you can grow a healthy tree even from seeds. cedar cone... They are relocated to open ground at the age of about 6 years.

How to grow bonsai from pine seeds

Many wildlife lovers do not have the opportunity to grow a full-fledged conifer tree. An excellent solution for such people will become a bonsai pine, which can be grown even from the seed of an ordinary pine. Those who have such a tree at home may well equip a small Japanese garden.

For growing pine bonsai there are special types conifers, for example, dwarf pines. Bonsai seeds can be purchased at major garden stores or ordered straight from Japan. Despite the fact that it will take a long time to form such a mini-tree, the process is fascinating and truly relaxing. Moreover, it can become an excellent hobby, because video lessons by Japanese masters can suggest a large number of creative ideas for growing a bonsai tree.

Pitsunda pine (lat.Pinus brutia var.pityusa) is a large tree of the Pine genus (Pinus) of the Pine family (Pinaceae). One of the varieties of the Calabrian or Turkish pine, which is not a separate species. Pitsunda pine is the oldest representative of the Tertiary flora; fossils have been found in the Pliocene deposits of Upper Georgia.
The pine is called Pitsunda by the name of Cape Pitsunda, where the resort is of the same name.
Seeds can be collected in Gelendzhik directly on the streets, or from wild specimens. In the area of ​​Dzhanhot, there is the largest forest of Pitsunda pine, but there are quite enough trees on the streets of the city.
How to grow a Pitsunda pine from a seed, or just a pine from a seed, how to plant at what time, how to care ..
Growing a tree from seed is fun and exciting. Pine is an unpretentious tree, grows quickly and easily, does not require special care. You can get pine seeds yourself, you just need to choose the right time and place. Cones can be found at open places, in autumn or early spring. It is important to be in time before the heat, otherwise the buds will fluff up and give up their seeds.
To get the seeds out of the cones, you need to dry them well - on a stove or a central heating battery. The seeds can be harvested after a few days when the buds open.
It is better to sow seeds in boxes - plastic or wooden containers with holes for water drainage are covered with loose earth and a layer of peat (it will save the seedlings from fungal diseases). Sow seeds carefully - not too often and shallow. You can sprinkle them on top and then loosen the ground a little.
The high susceptibility of young seedlings to diseases allows the strongest seedlings to survive. Phytophthora fungi often infect young plants, especially in warm conditions... You can water the seedlings with a solution of potassium permanganate - this method will help the plant survive, but will significantly slow down its growth.
The seedling boxes should be placed under Sun rays- pine loves light. Both open space and greenhouse conditions are suitable. If the weather is dry, then water the plants daily. It is good to use ready-made compounds as fertilizers, and frequent weeding will give the seedlings more light.
After 5 - 6 months, the seedlings will get strong enough, their stem will become stiff, and will reach 7 cm in length. For the winter, the pines should be left in boxes, but not create greenhouse conditions for them.
In the spring, seedlings can be planted in natural soil... Trying not to damage the long and thin roots, the seedlings should be carefully divided and planted at a distance of 10 - 12 cm from each other. The landing level should be the same as in the boxes - shallow. You need to sprinkle the soil with seedlings with small sawdust, which will save the plants from an abundance of weeds. Periodic manipulations with fertilizers, watering and weeding are the main recommendations for the next couple of years. The pine tree grows quickly and in the third year its height reaches 60 cm. Now the seedlings can be planted on permanent place it is best to do this in the middle of spring, together with the ground, trying to preserve the root system. A long-lived tree will delight subsequent generations with its aroma and healing air.
How to grow a pine tree? It is difficult to find a tree that is more abundant, useful and versatile than pine. In addition to wood, resin is collected from trees, and turpentine and rosin are obtained from it. Carotene and vitamin C are obtained from needles, and the famous pine oil is produced from seeds.
So, let's find out how to grow a pine tree so that it is pleasing to the eye and heals the garden. The best time autumn sowing is considered September - October.
Seed reproduction
For him, the largest seeds are selected with the best trees that bring bountiful harvests.
Before planting, the seeds are prepared.
First, they are soaked in water for several days, while the water is changed every day.
The day before sowing, the seeds are placed in a strong solution of potassium permanganate.
Now you need to decide how to grow a pine tree from seeds.
The seeds are sown in wide rows, the distance between which is ten to fifteen centimeters. Their planting depth is three centimeters. After sowing, the soil is rolled up and covered with a layer of mulch. It is imperative to ensure that no shade is applied to the beds, since even light shading causes a slowdown in growth. It is advisable to cover the seedlings in the spring. plastic wrap to avoid being damaged by birds. But as soon as the green "loops" throw off the shell, the film is removed.

If the seeds are sown in spring, then they undergo stratification within eighty to ninety days.
They are soaked in warm water for six to eight days. Then pine seeds are mixed with peat or sand and kept at a temperature of eighteen to twenty-two degrees for a month.
The seeds treated in this way are stored at zero temperature.
The best time for spring sowing is April - May. The first pick is carried out at the cotyledon stage.
Seedlings are dug up, sorted, roots are cut off and planted according to the scheme twenty by twenty centimeters.
In the third year, the seedlings are transplanted into the first school at a distance of seventy to ninety centimeters from each other, and after five years they can be planted in a permanent place. If large-sized planting material is required, then it is grown in the second school for five years.
When picking and replanting seedlings, it is always necessary to add coniferous litter to the soil, as well as pine forest soil, which contains mycorrhiza, since it increases the survival rate of young trees. To decide how to plant a pine tree, you need to clarify some points.
Planting seedlings
For planting pine trees on garden plot requires a sunny, open and dry place. The distance between trees should be at least 7-10 meters. The planting hole is dug in length and width equal to ten trunk diameters at the base. The depth of the hole is dug 15 to 20 centimeters more.
If the soil at the planting site is not suitable for pine, then the pit increases by thirty centimeters in depth, width and height. To the bottom of a hole dug in clay soil, lay drainage, twenty centimeters high. Then it is filled by a third with a mixture prepared from humus, coniferous litter, garden soil and a small amount of peat.
It is advisable to replant a tree older than three years old with a clod of earth. Before planting, the roots are treated with a root stimulant solution for twenty-four hours. The pine tree is placed in a planting hole and carefully covered with an earthen mixture, and then watered abundantly.
When planting container trees, watering is carried out only after planting. In this case, a root stimulant, for example, heteroauxin or indolylbutyric acid, must be added to the irrigation water.
Trees from containers to planting pits are set at the same level at which they were planted in pots. Pine trees with an open root system are best planted in the fall, and container plants are best planted year-round.
Growing bonsai from pine
In order to have a miniature pine tree in a pot at home, you can try to grow a bonsai. Let us warn you right away that this is a troublesome and not always successful business. One-year seedlings are suitable for growing bonsai. To start the painstaking work, dig a seedling in the fall and transplant it into a small pot filled with humus, sand and perlite.
In the spring, after the seedling has rooted, you can start pruning, leaving only a 7-centimeter stalk. After pruning, you need to apply a wire frame, which will further form the stem of your dwarf tree.
Caring for planted pines
Planted plants need careful care, which consists of watering, weeding and feeding. Now let's figure out how to care for a pine tree so that it quickly begins and grows well. In the first year of cultivation, watering is carried out regularly and quite abundantly.
Top dressing is carried out once a month with organic fertilizers. The ground under the trees, within a radius of seventy centimeters, is kept clean.
Twice during the growing season, the roots of the plant must be spilled with a solution of root stimulant to form small suction roots. Also, once a month, the land around the trees is mulched with a coniferous litter.

Foreword

For the improvement of a suburban economy, it is often important to know how to properly grow a pine tree from seeds and get beautiful landscaping plot.

Seed preparation - collecting and growing cones

If you decide to improve your site and plant a pine grove on it, take care of the planting material first. To do this, you need to go to the nearest forest, where there are enough strong trees the breed you need, and note some of the healthiest among them. Then, starting from mid-September, you need to visit the chosen place from time to time and watch when the cones begin to fall, with the help of which the pine forest reproduces.

You may have to follow up until November, so take a photo of the selected trees in advance. It is advisable to collect fruits from under several pines. Before choosing trees, familiarize yourself with their species, since there are separate varieties of pine, the seeds of which ripen for about two years. After picking up the buds, make sure that they have not yet sprinkled with seeds.

Then, carefully placing them in a paper bag or box, transfer them to a room where you try to shake them over large sheet white paper, or directly in the bag. If the seeds do not fall, then the buds are not fully ripe yet. You need to dry them on a heating radiator or on a stone stove, if there is one. In the oven, despite the recommendations of many gardeners, it is undesirable to heat it, you can not calculate and overheat the seeds. When the cone scales open, gently shake out the planting material.

To select the strongest seeds that will go for propagation, prepare several cups, according to the number of cones collected. Next, we place the seeds from each fruit of the Scotch pine (or other variety) in a separate container and select those that plunged into the water faster than others. Those that remain to float on the surface are not suitable for breeding. Many people advise to dry the planting material and place it in the soil prepared for germination. However, it is much more effective to pre-soak for 24 hours in at least warm water at room temperature. Better yet, leave the seeds on damp gauze (between its two layers) until they hatch.

Soil preparation for sowing seeds for seedlings

First of all, it should be noted that pines are quite unpretentious plants, but it is extremely difficult to grow them on heavy soils. The ideal soil for them is considered to be one that is well saturated with oxygen, that is, it can be sandy soils or sandy loam. By placing the seed in a heavy and poorly loosening soil, you have every chance of not waiting for the sprout to appear.

In the absence of air access, rot forms at the end of the hatched root, which quickly covers the entire embryo as a whole. The same thing happens when there is an excess of moisture in the soil. If planted in sand, then the optimal ratio of its particles with water will be such a state when moisture does not ooze from the lump raised in the fingers, but the individual fractions remain linked by it. The ideal environment where it is recommended to place Scots pine seeds, both for germination and already hatched, is... And not any, but obtained from the upper layer, more friable.

The fact is that peat is formed from peat moss, which turns under the influence of dampness and in the process of decomposition by bacteria into a kind of compost. This planting substrate, in addition to excellent oxygen saturation, is very rich in various trace elements, initially replacing fertilizer for seeds. Moreover, top peat retains to some extent the antiseptic properties of sphagnum moss and protects pine embryos from rot and fungus.

Low-lying peat is not suitable for sowing pine, since it is too dense soil, practically not saturated with oxygen, slowly absorbing and also slowly releasing moisture. To distinguish between the top and bottom layers of peat, you first need to pay attention to their color by comparing photos or finished samples, the first is much lighter than the second, some redness is inherent in it, while the low-lying layer is closer to brown and dark brown. They also have varying degrees of looseness, as mentioned earlier, and it is enough just to knead a lump with your fingers to understand what type of substrate is in front of you.

To some extent, it is suitable for planting hatched seeds and black soil, which it is advisable to dry beforehand. Before planting, such soil is watered with a weak solution of potassium permanganate to destroy the fungus.

Stratification - is it really necessary for pine seeds?

Some tree species, from seeds, need mandatory sharp cooling, or, in other words, they need stratification. These include linden, ash, mountain ash and even a pear. Apply this way activation of the processes of development of planting material and to the seeds of Scots pine.

According to some statistics, stratification slightly accelerates growth by initial stage, during the first year, which can be noted by making for comparison a photo of seedlings planted with and without pre-cooling. But at home, such methods of seed preparation are undesirable, since a violation of the temperature regime can eventually lead to decay of the planting material. However, extracted from well-dried in room temperature cones, pine seeds are capable of germinating without aging in a cool, humid environment (within 0 degrees).

In addition, you can try to apply a method of soaking in ice melt water to a small batch of seeds, which, like stratification, according to some gardeners, activates accelerated growth and saturates the planting material with energy. In general, it is enough to germinate well-dried seeds in warm water in order to get uniform friendly shoots. If stratification for Scots pine seeds is considered by you as a necessary stage of preparation, you can use the following advice from foresters.

When the buds are fully open, the seeds are soaked in cheesecloth for 3 days. To hatch them, you need to keep the planting material in a humid environment for about 10 days, so a shorter period will simply reduce the dormant period. Next, the seeds are mixed with coarse sand (preferably river, with a rounded shape of fractions), in a ratio of 1: 3, which will require small wooden boxes... Stratification requires keeping seeds cool, at temperatures from 0 to 6 degrees, for which a dry cellar is suitable, or a half-meter deep ditch, subsequently covered with snow.

Temperature range for seed germination

Pine - heat-loving plant, however, here the emphasis should be placed on the word "heat", it does not tolerate high temperatures, especially since the heat dries up the soil, and the seeds need moisture no less oxygen. Even at the drying stage, care should be taken that the air around the seeds does not heat up over 40 degrees. But also cooling the environment below 27 degrees is undesirable. You should not listen to advice on drying in the oven, since 120 degrees are destructive in most cases for planting material.

After placing the seeds in peat or in a sandy substrate, you need to try so that the pots or containers do not get too hot - the warmer, the more favorable conditions for fungi. Therefore, in sunlight, do not overheat the plantings, provide a constant supply of fresh air. In this case, in no case shade the emerging shoots, the pine needs a lot of light. Optimum temperature soil for active growth - 22-24 degrees, no more. That is, you need to regularly moisten the peat or sandy substrate, at least once a day.

What should be the lighting of seedling containers?

Mentioning temperature regime, it will be natural to focus your attention on the lighting. As already mentioned, the Scots pine needs a lot of bright sunlight... Therefore, containers are best kept on windows facing south. Shading of sprouts leads to inhibition of their development. However, it should be borne in mind that in photosynthesis, not just light plays a key role, but the ultraviolet spectrum, therefore, on the window where daylight it does not happen all day, the growth of pines will be slower than in the open field.

It should be noted that artificial lighting in no way replaces the natural. In particular, only bright light and heat can be obtained from incandescent lamps, but not ultraviolet light. Fluorescent lamps do not even provide heat. There are special fluorescent lamps with photosynthetic effect, but they are not powerful enough to fully provide the pine sprouts with the necessary lighting. Therefore, it is easier to make a greenhouse in the garden so that the sun's rays fall on the shoots from morning to evening than to install them at home, an ineffective imitation that consumes electricity.

Watering and fertilizing the soil in containers with seedlings

Moistening of the substrate in which the seeds are placed should be constant, more precisely, daily. The degree of water hardness when growing pine does not play a special role. At the same time, it does not matter at all how the hatched seed is immersed in the soil or sand, spine down or sideways, it will still develop correctly. Moderate watering is recommended so that the oxygen needed by the roots remains in the substrate.

Also, for air access, it is advisable to drill small holes in the walls of containers or pots, so that earth does not spill out of them. In general, it all depends on the volume of soil - if it is prepared more than 500 grams per plant, then you can do without holes in the container. The substrate should not be less than 200 grams per seed. It is best to water not with a jet, which quickly oversaturated the soil, but with water dust from a spray bottle, gradually moistening the peat or sandy substrate. Watering from below is considered a good solution, using wicks from quickly absorbing moisture fibers brought out through the drainage holes in the pot.

Such a container is placed in a pan with water, which is then absorbed from the bottom into the soil. In the same way, you can feed the plantings with soluble mineral fertilizers... Concerning organic fertilizers, they are categorically contraindicated, since nitrogen oversaturation may occur, and there is a risk that the roots will begin to suffocate. You need to stop feeding in the middle of summer, so that the winter period of rest comes on time. Attention - over the course of a year, the growth rises by 10-12 centimeters, which can be seen by taking a photo, you can transplant the pine only in the 5th year, when it appears enough needles, and a stem will form.