The plant Cryptomeria is a member of the cypress family. It is also known as Japanese cedar, although it does not belong to this genus. The tree is compared to cedar because of its high growth and majesty.
Cryptomeria includes only one species that lives only in the mountainous regions of China and Japan, where such a tree is considered a national symbol. The Chinese call cryptomeria "shan", and the Japanese call it "sugi".
Due to its beauty, this coniferous plant has long won the love of gardeners. It was brought to European countries in the middle of the 19th century. Today, cryptomeria are grown both in gardens and at home. But for this you need to study well all the features of an unusual tree.
Description of cryptomeria
Cryptomeria can live in nature for many centuries, during this time reaching impressive sizes - up to 60 m in height with a 2-meter diameter of the trunk. It is believed that the oldest cryptomeria in Japan, the Jomon-sugi tree, is over 7 thousand years old. In the decorative culture, such trees have a more modest appearance and usually grow to only 3 m. The plants have a straight cylindrical trunk covered with red-brown peeling bark and a spectacular pyramidal crown. The bark has a characteristic pattern formed by dark resin. The needles on the branches are slightly curved and arranged in a spiral. Young needles are soft to the touch, but gradually become stronger and harder. Their size depends on the variety - from needles about 2.5 cm long to miniature needles from 3 mm. By autumn, the green color of the needles often changes to brownish, crimson or silver. Yellow flowers appear singly or in bunches at the ends of the shoots. Cones are round and small (up to 2-3 cm) in size. Ripening in the first year, after dropping the seeds, they continue to hang on the tree until spring.
Cryptomeria wood has a pleasant aroma, it is light and almost not subject to decay, but due to its softness it is more often used for decorative items or small household items.
Indoor cryptomeria has many beneficial properties. The plant gives off not only a pleasant, but also a healing coniferous aroma. The oils it contains have bactericidal and antiviral properties. In the whole room where cryptomeria grows, a favorable and healthy microclimate is created.
Cryptomeria care at home
At home, cryptomeria can be grown in a pot or tub based on the size of the variety. The roots of small trees may well fit in such a container. The features of their content in this case will be somewhat different from the garden ones.
Lighting
Indoor cryptomerism will also require good lighting. Small specimens can be placed between window frames, if the design of the window allows it.But they do not keep the pot in bright light - the plant can get burns and will take a long time to recover. For uniform development of the crown, the container is periodically turned towards the light on different sides.
Temperature
In the spring and summer of cryptomeria, the usual room temperature is suitable, but in winter the tree should be kept cool - about 12 degrees. Houseplants will need an influx of fresh air, so the room with them will have to be systematically ventilated. In the summer, you can move the pot of cryptomeria to the garden, balcony or loggia. If the temperature is suitable for the tree in winter, you can leave it on the balcony for good.
Watering
Cryptomeria watering is carried out without waiting for the soil to dry out. In addition, spraying will be required. They are carried out up to 2 times a day, choosing the hours when the sun does not shine on the branches. The amount of watering must be calculated so as not to flood the plant. Constant waterlogging can lead to root rot. For irrigation, use clean and slightly warm water, filtered or settled. Due to the trees' dislike for an alkaline environment, it is better not to use ceramic containers - their walls are gradually covered with lime. If cryptomeria hibernates in a warm place, the irrigation regime is not changed. If the pot is cool, watering is reduced by about 2 times.
Top dressing
Potted cryptomeria should be fed in the summer, at the beginning and at the end. For this, mineral supplements are used in a dosage that is half of the recommended. Young plants can be fertilized a little more often.
Transfer
Cryptomeria growing in capacity will have to be transplanted. Young trees are transferred to a new pot once a year, adults (from 3 years old or more) - once every 5 years. In this case, the pot should be replaced only if the roots no longer fit in it. Transplants stimulate growth, therefore, to maintain dwarf forms, they should be moved less often. In addition, this procedure is stressful for the plant. To keep the potting soil fresh, it is recommended that you replace the top layer every year.
Cryptomeria should be transplanted with a soil clod, carefully transferring it into a new container. An exception is made for diseased specimens that need a complete soil change.
If room cryptomeria is purchased in a store, you should contact only trusted companies and immediately choose a healthy tree. When it is acclimatized at home, it is transplanted, and then kept in the shade for several days, trying not to move unnecessarily. Watering is carried out a couple of hours after transplanting, and feeding is not carried out for at least a month.
Pruning
Bushy specimens will need shaping. To do this, their shoots are periodically pinched. In the spring, sanitary pruning of cryptomeria is carried out - dry or too loose branches are removed from the plants.
Cultivation of cryptomeria in the open field
Caring for garden cryptomeria has its own characteristics. In warm and humid climates, plants can be used to decorate the garden. For example, such trees can be found on the shores of the Black Sea. For cryptomeria to look good, grow and develop properly, the following growing conditions must be observed.
Landings will require moderate lighting. Cryptomerias prefer sunny (but not too hot) or semi-shady places. Preferences may vary depending on the characteristics of the variety. In summer, the optimal temperature for a tree is 25 degrees, and in winter - about 12 degrees. The plant does not like heat, like severe cold.
For the cultivation of cryptomeria, neutral or slightly acidic soil is used. The roots go deep enough that trees should not be planted in areas with high groundwater. Calcareous, waterlogged and poor soils should also be avoided. Manure or compost can be added to the soil before planting, and the tree can be well drained. For planting, select a place closed from a cold draft.
Cryptomeria is hygrophilous and needs regular watering in the warm season.By autumn, their volumes are reduced. If the summer is dry, sprinkler irrigation is carried out using lukewarm water. Mulching with a layer of peat or coniferous bark will help keep the trunk circle moist.
The trees should be fertilized periodically. In the spring, organic matter or complex mineral compositions are introduced into the near-stem area. If the soil on which cryptomeria grows is too poor, feeding can be repeated towards the end of autumn, adding potassium and phosphorus or wood ash to the soil. This will help to strengthen the wood before wintering.
Reproduction of cryptomeria
Cryptomeria can be propagated by seeds, cuttings or cuttings. Each of the listed methods has its own subtleties. The most difficult thing is to get new plants from seeds, so they are rarely used.
Growing from seeds
Seeds older than one year lose significantly in germination, so fresh seed should be used. It is preliminarily stratified to improve the percentage of germinating seeds and increase their winter hardiness. Wet seeds on a plate, in a sandy-moss mixture or in a coconut substrate (1: 3) are placed in the refrigerator compartment, where they keep no more than 5 degrees for 2-3 months. To obtain seedlings, you will need cups filled with a mixture of peat and river sand. Seeds are placed in them one by one, the substrate is watered and the cups are covered with foil. They should be kept in a warm and bright place. At a high (about 26-28 degrees) temperature, seedlings will appear faster, but even in this case, germination will take from a couple of weeks to 2-3 months. Like all conifers, cryptomeria seedlings are slow in development.
Reproduction by layering
Garden cryptomeria is easy to propagate by layering. To do this, select several lower branches on the tree. They are cleaned of needles, pressed to the ground, slightly incised, fixed and lightly covered with soil. When young plants form their own roots, they can be separated from the main cryptomeria and transplanted to a new location. It usually takes about 2-3 months for rooting.
Cuttings
The simplest method for obtaining new cryptomeria is considered to be cuttings. It is usually held at the end of the summer. Strong, but not stiff, apical shoots are cut from the tree. Their lower part is cleaned of needles and the cuttings are kept in a solution of a root formation stimulator for up to a day. After that, the seedlings are placed in water or immediately placed in a light peat-sandy soil. For plants create greenhouse conditions, covering with a jar or bag, and put in heat and light. Caring for cuttings consists of periodic watering and regular airing. When new shoots are formed on them, the plants can be considered rooted and planted in their own pots.
Both seedlings and seedlings will need to be formed - they are regularly pinched.
Diseases and pests
Cryptomeria can throw off needles from a lack of moisture in the soil. But because of the tree's love for moist soil, the soil is sometimes waterlogged. Constant presence in damp soil can lead to root rot and the development of diseases. The risk of overflow of domestic specimens is especially high, although garden cryptomeria sometimes suffers from this. Such plants begin to turn yellow and die without taking measures. To avoid this, it is necessary to remove all affected parts from cryptomeria by treating the sections with crushed coal or another antiseptic. The tree cleared of diseased areas is transplanted into fresh disinfected soil. The crown is sprayed with a fungicide solution, carrying out several treatments with a week break, and the area near the trunk is also watered with the same agent.
Along with the overflow, bright light is also capable of harming cryptomeria. If a tree stands in constant sunlight, its needles begin to turn yellow. Noticing this, it is necessary to correct the position of cryptomeria by rearranging or shaking it in some way. If the needles began to dry out in the depths of the crown, this is not a sign of illness, but the natural process of their aging - the needles have a lifespan of up to 7 years.
Cryptomeria has no special pests, but occasionally trees can be annoyed by spider mites or scale insects. Against them, systemic insect control agents should be used, acting strictly according to the instructions.
Types and varieties of cryptomeria with photos and names
The only type of cryptomeria - Japanese (Cryptomeria japonica) - has two varieties (japonica and sinensis), as well as many decorative varieties. These include both tall and miniature plants, allowing the selection of Cryptomeria to suit almost any growing location. Among the most common varieties of cryptomeria for horticulture are:
Elegans
Slow-growing high (up to 2 m) and unpretentious drought-resistant variety, characterized by soft long needles. Fully adapted to urban conditions and different climates. This variety of Cryptomeria is not only frost-resistant, but also able to grow in arid conditions. He is not afraid of city dust and smoke. Practically nothing can affect its decorative qualities and development. Trees can even be planted in partial shade plots.
Throughout the year, the color of the needles pleases with different colors. In summer, it turns brown-green, and in winter, coniferous branches delight the eye with green-purple and bronze-red tints. Cones form only on young specimens.
Elegans Viridis
Along with Elegance, this variety is resistant to temperature extremes, therefore it is ideal for growing in regions with unstable weather. This cryptomeria has a wide cone-shaped crown.
Among the plants suitable for home cultivation, the following varieties are distinguished:
Bandai-Sugi
The variety is well known to European gardeners and landscape designers. Such dwarf trees have sprawling coniferous branches of a bluish-green hue.
Nana albospica
An original variety with white needles gradually changing color to light green.
Yokohama
These plants are especially appreciated by bonsai lovers. The height reaches only 30 cm, they have a pyramidal crown. The needles are deep green in color, and turn brown by autumn.
Vilmoriniana
Dwarf variety. It is often preferred by gardeners, since the plant does not take up much space on the site, but decorates it perfectly. In winter, the decorative qualities of the plant are especially noticeable. The reddish-lilac shade of the needles stands out from the rest of the plants. Great for bonsai formation. Its annual growth is only 3 cm. Such plants are considered very hardy and attract with a neat and elegant crown.
Spiralis
Small bushy variety with needles, spirally twisted around the branches.
Arauicarioides
This plant is distinguished by short, bright green needles. Its numerous shoots are randomly arranged and have an impressive length. A tree may have several trunks.
Compressa
A small tree with many neat short shoots covered with needles. In summer, the plant acquires a bluish-green color, and in winter it becomes reddish.
Montrosa
Trees up to 2 m tall, with a columnar crown and straight trunks.
Globosa nana
The variety is distinguished by its rounded shape, forming a dense bush. The color of green needles changes to bronze-purple by winter. This is a frost-resistant cryptomeria that tolerates frosts down to -12 degrees. In the southern regions, this allows you to grow it outdoors or on a glazed loggia.
Cryptomeria in landscape design
Cryptomeria is often used to decorate gardens and parks. Numerous varieties, differing in external characteristics, allow you to choose a plant of the required size and color. Trees can often be found in recreation areas; they are also used as part of protective forest belts.
Cryptomeria can be planted in groups, forming green hedges or beautiful compositions from specimens of different sizes. Such trees will look no less good in the company of decorative deciduous plants and species with beautiful fruits (euonymus, barberry). You can combine cryptomeria with other coniferous plantings.
Due to its decorativeness, cryptomeria can become a decoration of any garden, which pays for the relative difficulties of caring for such a tree.
