Siberian cedar (Siberian cedar pine, Pinus sibirica) is a coniferous tree from the Pine family, belonging to the valuable evergreen perennial crops. Its fruits (they are also seeds), pine nuts, have numerous useful and healing properties. The most favorable conditions for the cultivation of cedar are in the taiga regions. In the wild, the tree begins to bear its first fruits only at the age of 40, and with cultivated planting and proper care, this can happen much earlier, at about 15-20 years.
Growing cedar from seeds
For planting, it is advisable to purchase proven varietal seeds. The most favorable time for sowing is the last week of April or the first week of May.
Seed preparation for planting begins about ninety days before sowing. Stratification is one of the main points of seed preparation, without which seedlings may not appear at all in the first year. Presowing treatment includes sorting, culling, hardening and disease protection.
Seed processing begins with three soaks.
- The first is in cold water for about three hours to identify empty and damaged nuts. The highest quality seeds are saturated with moisture and sink to the bottom of the container, and empty and unsuitable for planting float to the surface (they are not used for sowing).
- The second soaking is in a weak solution of potassium permanganate (light pink), for about two hours in order to prevent various fungal and infectious diseases.
- Third - in hot water with a temperature of about 50 degrees for a period of up to three days. Every day, the water must be drained and replaced with fresh water.
After "water procedures" seeds (one part) must be mixed with river sand or moistened peat crumb (three parts). The finished mixture is placed in a wooden container with holes on the bottom and on each side. The thickness of the layer of seeds with sand is about 20 cm. The container should be placed on wooden blocks in a dark and cool room with a temperature of 4 to 6 degrees Celsius.
For each square meter of land, about 30 g of seeds and mandatory fertilization will be required. It prepares the soil and enriches it with essential nutrients. The nutritional supplement consists of superphosphate (1 g), potassium (0.5 g), wood ash (2 g) and peat soil.
The soil in the selected area should be dry sandy or wet loamy.
Sowing seeds
First, the seeds must be separated from the soil mixture, kept for some time in a manganese solution, and then dried and planted in the soil. Sowing depth - 2-3 centimeters. It is recommended to cover the soil surface with a small layer of fine sawdust. This mulch will protect the soil from drying out and compaction after heavy rainfall.
Protection of crops from birds is carried out using special shields. They can be built from willow rods, laid on wooden blocks, approximately at a height of 6-7 cm from the surface of the earth.
Preventive treatment of crops from fungal and infectious diseases is carried out with a solution of potassium permanganate, which needs to be watered grooves with planted pine nuts.
Planting Siberian cedar seedlings
Seven or eight-year-old seedlings are transferred to a permanent place along with an earthen clod wrapped in a damp cloth. The distance between the holes is from 4 to 8 meters. The size of the planting pit should be slightly larger than the size of the root part of the seedling. The tree is planted in soil mixed with humus or manure.
It is not recommended to plant lonely seedlings, as this will negatively affect the formation of the ovary, fruiting and the quality of the fruit.
Fight disease
White bloom on the stem of the seedling must be treated twice with soap foam obtained as a result of foaming a small amount of water and liquid laundry soap.
Grafting seedlings
A grafted cedar seedling begins to bear fruit as early as the fifth or seventh year of life, in contrast to an ordinary seedling, which will bear its first fruits only at the age of 15-20 years.
You can get tasty and healthy cedar fruits only with a lot of patience and daily care of the coniferous plant. The full development of the cedar and the abundance of the harvest depends on quality care and good living conditions.
