Useful information

How to grow a cedar yourself

Siberian cedar is a majestic long-lived tree, a handsome Siberian taiga, which grows well and bears fruit in the European part of Russia. In Moscow, there are adult plantings of cedar in the Main Botanical Garden, on the territory of the All-Russian Exhibition Center (VDNKh), in the park of the Timiryazev Academy, and even not far from the Kremlin walls. There are even whole cedar groves near Yaroslavl (Tolgsky monastery), Suzdal, in the Ivanovo region, in the Moscow region in the vicinity of Dolgoprudny, Yakhroma (Dmitrovsky district).

As history shows, our ancestors loved and honored the cedar, treated it with care, carefully guarded the fruit-bearing cedar trees and planted young groves. For its beauty and diverse benefits, cedar pine is increasingly planted in newly created parks, forest plantations and, of course, it becomes an indispensable part of the landscape of private estates.

For what merits is the Siberian cedar so highly valued? Firstly, for the beauty and high decorativeness throughout the year, for pine nuts and oil from them, for excellent wood, for resin-sap, needles and even for the shell of nuts, which are widely used in folk medicine.

Secondly, for those qualities that are not so obvious and well-known, but the most important and valuable for a modern person.

Cedar air is healing, pathogens do not survive in it, it relieves fatigue, gives vigor and energy. It has been proven that the air in a cedar forest is much cleaner than in any operating room, 2 times cleaner than in a pine forest and 3-4 times cleaner than in a spruce forest. It is recommended to plant cedar near resting places, gazebos, patios, near a bathhouse, etc. It is pleasant to relax in the shade of the cedar - there will certainly be a place for a bench so that you can breathe in the healing cedar aroma.

Since ancient times, people in Siberia and Altai have noticed the special properties of cedars, which were assigned a special role: "In the spruce forest - to work, in the birch forest - to have fun, in the cedar - to pray to God." Recently, research has been actively carried out in the field of dendrotherapy - treatment with trees and their cuts. According to the latest data, the cedar accumulates positive creative energy and at certain periods, when a person feels its lack, gives him this energy. Thus, Siberian cedar is a universal energy donor and is suitable for most people. It is especially useful to be near the trees planted by you or your ancestors, who feel the care and warmth of your hands, and reward you a hundredfold. One or several cedar trees on the site harmonize its energy, create an atmosphere of love and kindness. The basic rules for planting and placing cedar are to observe the orientation of the cedar in space (turn the northern part of the crown when planting to the north), the distance between trees is from 4 to 8 meters, between trees and buildings - at least 3 meters.

Before planting, you will probably have a question - where to get the planting material of Siberian cedar? Two ways are possible here.

The first way - you find a nearby nursery and buy seedlings there. It is advisable to purchase seedlings with a closed root system (in a container) or with a clod of earth - then the transplant will most likely be successful. Do not take seedlings with open bare roots, elongated or with rare yellowing needles - such plants can be dug out of the forest and take root in a new place with difficulty. In nurseries, you can find cedar seedlings from 30 cm to 3 meters high, and some landscape firms offer to plant even large, large trees, from 3 to 7 meters. Such a transplant is carried out using a special technology in the winter, and the transplanted cedars will need intensive care over the next 2-3 years.

The second way is to grow the seedlings ourselves. To do this, you need to take solid cedar nuts (in the shell) or remove them from the cone. The seeds should have a pleasant smell, they should be free from traces of mold and spoilage.Sowing of seeds is usually carried out in April-May, therefore, 3-4 months before that, they must be stratified, i.e. expose to cold. If you sow unprepared seeds, then they will sprout only next spring, and the germination percentage will be low.

First, pickle the seeds for 2 hours in a half-percent solution of potassium permanganate - this will protect the seedlings from fungal diseases. Then the seeds are soaked in water for 3 days, changing the water every day. Then the water is drained and the nuts are mixed with a triple volume of peat or coarse washed sand. The resulting mixture of seeds and substrate is moistened - if you squeeze it in a fist, then the water should not drip. Next, the mixture is placed in a wooden box with holes in the side walls and at the bottom to allow air flow. Once every 2-3 weeks, the seeds are moistened to their original state. The box with seeds itself is stored at temperatures from +4 to + 6 ° C, in a cellar, basement or refrigerator.

You can sow cedar seeds directly to a permanent place or to a school. Make a regular bed, adding peat or sand as needed. The best soil for seedling growth is light to medium loam. Sowing depth - 2-3 cm.

Bioenergy experts recommend holding the cedar seeds in your mouth for one or two minutes before sowing to convey to the growing tree all the necessary information about you and your family.

From above, the seeds are covered with peat or sawdust (1-2 cm) until the shoots appear, and so that the seedlings do not damage the birds, they stretch gauze or loose burlap at a height of 5-10 cm above the soil. Approximately 30-40 days after the start of germination, protection from birds is removed.

At first, the cedar grows slowly - at the age of 5 years the seedling reaches a height of 25-35 cm, at the age of 10 years - 0.8-1.5 meters. Starting from 15-20 years, the cedar grows quite quickly, gives annual increments of 15 to 35 cm. Fruiting begins at the age of 15-25 with good care and proper placement. When shaded, in the forest, in competition with other plants, the cedar enters the fruiting season 40-50 years after planting.

There is, however, a way to speed up the appearance of nuts - this is vaccination. Experts graft a stalk taken from an adult fruiting cedar tree onto a small seedling (stock). Grafted cedar seedlings can give nuts 5-7 years after planting. Some nurseries offer grafted seedlings, however, they are much more expensive and require careful maintenance.

Anyone can grow a cedar who wants it and shows care and patience. And the cedar will not hesitate to reward the person and his descendants. To live not only for today, but also for the future, not only for oneself, but also for future generations - such is the edification of man carried through the centuries by this Siberian giant tree.

The article was prepared by the leading specialist of the "Ringing Cedars" company

Dmitry Marinichev

Tel .: (495) 783 9237, (499) 978 7748

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