Description of Geldreich pine, planting and caring for the tree, pros and cons of the variety

Geldreich's pine is an evergreen coniferous plant that grows in Southeast Europe. This crop is also often called whitebark or Bosnian. It has an attractive appearance and is used to decorate garden plots. In order for the tree to retain its decorative properties, it must be properly cared for. Compliance with the rules for planting work is of no small importance.

Description of the tree

Geldreich pine comes from the mountainous regions of the Balkan Peninsula. This species got its name in honor of Theodor Heldreich, a botanist who has German and Greek roots.In this case, the plant is often mistakenly called Heydrich's pine.

This culture is characterized by the following distinctive features:

1. Powerful root system. In this case, the roots of the plant are located in deep soil structures.
2. Straight barrel. The height of the tree can reach 15 meters. Moreover, under natural conditions it even grows up to 20 meters. However, in Russia such dimensions are extremely rare. Typically, pine trees no taller than 1.2 meters grow in garden plots and park areas.
3. Young trees have light bark that has a smooth and shiny surface. After the needles fall, the trunk becomes covered with scales and resembles snake skin.
4. The crown has a cone-shaped shape. It persists with age.
5. Shoots can grow to the surface of the ground. At the same time they hang down a little.
6. The needles have a rigid structure and a high degree of density. The needles are characterized by a pointed shape and dark green color.
7. Male inflorescences are golden yellow in color and form tufts.
8. The fruits are presented in the form of elongated cones, which are shaped like an egg. They reach 8 centimeters in length. At first, the fruits are blue in color, and then become black or dark brown.

Geldreich pine has a significant life expectancy. The oldest plant that has survived to this day is over 1,300 years old.

This culture is actively used in landscape design. It is used in single plantings or complements rock gardens. Pine of this variety looks great in group compositions and in heather gardens. The plant can easily withstand transplantation, so it can grow in a large city or in an industrial zone.

Advantages and disadvantages

Bosnian pine has the following advantages:

• attractive appearance;
• the ability to bring freshness to any landscape composition;
• undemanding to the composition of the soil;
• ease of care;
• drought resistance.

At the same time, the culture differs and has a number of disadvantages:

• slow growth;
• intolerance to stagnation of water in the soil;
• average winter hardiness parameters.

Popular varieties

Today, quite a few varieties of Bosnian pine are known, each of which is characterized by its own characteristics. Below are descriptions of the main varieties of culture:

1. Nana is an adult plant 10 years old and does not exceed 1.3 meters in height. The needles have a shiny structure and dark green color.
2. Compact Gem - the variety is characterized by a wide crown and reaches a height of 50-70 centimeters.
3. Raspberries are small in size and more closely resemble a shrub. Its growth does not exceed 15 centimeters per year. The five-year-old plant has a height of no more than 75 centimeters. In favorable conditions, the maximum plant size is 5 meters. The pine tree is decorated with numerous shoots that stretch upward. The top of the tree is covered with smooth and shiny bark, which eventually becomes covered with cracks. The needles reach a length of 7-10 centimeters and have a pointed structure. The needles form bundles of 2 and are dark green in color.
4. Dolce Dorme is a fairly attractive ornamental plant whose height reaches 1.8 meters.

How to plant correctly

In order for the plant to adapt well to new conditions, it is important to carry out planting work correctly.First you need to choose a strong and healthy seedling from the nursery. In this case, it is worth paying attention to the bark, needles and condition of the roots. It is important to ensure that the soil is not too wet, as this will lead to rotting of the roots from excess water.

Compliance with planting deadlines is of great importance. It is best to do this in spring or autumn, when the average daily temperature is not too high and the sun is not very hot.

The next step is to decide on the landing site. In this case, you need to choose an area that is well lit by the sun. The spacing to neighboring trees is determined by the size of the variety that is planned to be planted.

When preparing a hole for planting, it is important to adhere to certain dimensions. In this case, the diameter of the hole should be 60 centimeters, and the depth – 50. A drainage layer of 10-15 centimeters in size must be poured onto the bottom. It may consist of crushed stone or expanded clay. This will help prevent moisture stagnation in the root area.

To plant a plant you should do the following:

1. Prepare a nutrient substrate. To do this, you should mix humus, turf soil and sand in a ratio of 2:2:1.
2. Pour complex fertilizer into the bottom of the hole. After which the pit needs to be filled 2/3 with nutrient substrate.
3. Make a depression in the center, remove the pot from the root part and position the plant so that the root collar is flush with the surface of the ground.
4. Fill the hole with soil and compact the surface thoroughly.
5. Water the plant generously. The amount of water depends on the size of the tree and the moisture content of the soil. On average, you need to use 1-3 buckets of water.

How to care

In order for the plant to develop normally and maintain its decorative properties, it needs to be provided with high-quality care. Pine needs proper watering. If there is no rain for more than 2 weeks in the spring, it is recommended to water the plant with a small amount of moisture. In summer, it is worth moistening the soil only in hot and dry weather. It is also important to consider that the ephedra perfectly accepts sprinkling of the crown.

Another necessary agrotechnical technique is loosening the tree trunk circle. In the spring, this procedure begins immediately after the soil warms up. It is important to loosen the top layer of soil and get rid of weeds. The depth of processing should not exceed 10 centimeters.

In summer, it is recommended to loosen the soil after every rain. If it is not possible to cultivate the land so often, this must be done at least once a month to destroy weeds.

Recommendations for beginners

When growing Geldreich pine, you must adhere to the following rules:

1. In early spring, carry out preventive treatment of the plant against parasites and diseases. Then you need to inspect the crown and remove damaged and broken branches.
2. In summer, inspect the crown for diseases. If signs of pathology are detected, the wood must be treated.
3. In the fall, formative pruning is required. This will help give the tree the desired appearance.

Geldreich pine is a fairly common and sought-after crop, which is often used for decorative purposes. At the same time, it is important to carry out planting work correctly and provide the crop with comprehensive care.