Cedar is a fairly powerful and strong tree, which is considered a real symbol of the taiga. This plant is long-lived. Its age can reach 800 years. At the same time, not every person knows exactly how cedar reproduces. This process in natural conditions largely depends on random circumstances. At the same time, you can propagate the crop yourself by seeds, cuttings or grafting.
Natural reproduction
Under natural conditions, cedar reproduces through the distribution of cones and seeds by birds and rodents. In addition, the fruits of the tree can roll down forest slopes or spread in streams. The process is chaotic, so there is a high probability of cedar shoots appearing in unexpected places.
Cuttings
It is quite possible to propagate cedar by cuttings. In this case, the result directly depends on the methods of harvesting planting material. To get a strong and healthy plant, it is important to take shoots of young cedar, which has a symmetrical crown and thick needles.
It is important to consider that cuttings that break off from the shoots on the sides will not be able to become a slender and beautiful tree. They will have all the characteristics of shoots.
Cuttings must be harvested from the top of the tree. To do this, it is recommended to pinch off the young shoot. The branch size should be 10-15 centimeters. When cutting off a shoot, it is advisable to leave a so-called heel - a small fragment of bark that is adjacent to the branch. This will help improve the rooting of the cedar.
When to prepare cuttings
The root system on cuttings begins to grow before frost or in the spring. Therefore, it is worthwhile to prepare material for planting at home in the second half of summer. With the arrival of autumn, it is recommended to place the container with seedlings in a greenhouse or greenhouse. It should be in a well-lit place. At the end of spring, it is permissible to move the sprouts into the soil for growing.
How to do it
It is recommended to take cuttings from a young, healthy cedar. To do this, you need to tear off a fragment of a branch that tends upward by hand. The closer the branch is located to the top of the tree, the better the trunk and crown of the future plant will be formed. If it is not possible to immediately move the planting material into a container for germinating roots, you can put the branches in a bag and keep them in a cold place. It is also permissible to use a bag made of natural material for this, which must be moistened from below.
Caring for planted cuttings
To plant cuttings for rooting, it is recommended to adhere to the following scheme:
- Pluck a shoot from the mother tree so that a little wood with bark remains.
- Remove the needles from the lower third of the branch and treat the heel with powder or solution of a root growth stimulator for several minutes.
- Take a container 5 centimeters high and fill it halfway with peat. A layer of sand needs to be placed on top. Then pour it with a saturated solution of potassium permanganate.
- Make holes in the substrate at an angle of 45 degrees. Their depth should be 2-3 centimeters. The interval between the indentations should be 5 centimeters.
- Carefully press the planting material into the holes and compact the sand around with your fingers.
- Water each cutting with a small amount of warm water.
- Cover the container with a transparent cap or use an ordinary plastic bag.
- Move the container to a dark place.
If all conditions are met, roots will appear on the plants within 2-3 months. It is recommended to open containers with cuttings every 3 days. It is important to moisten the soil and spray the needles.
Propagation by seeds
Cedar can be propagated at home by seed. It is best to import grains from the low-mountain or plain regions of Western Siberia. It is recommended to cultivate in the spring. However, first the seed material needs to be stratified.
How to collect seeds
In order for cedar propagation by seed to be successful, it is important to properly collect and prepare the grains for planting. The following features should be taken into account:
- In the autumn season, collect ripe cones. Of these, it is worth choosing the largest and highest quality nuts.
- Place the seeds in a jar or cup for 3 days and add water. However, it needs to be changed every day. Swollen seeds will sink to the bottom, while empty ones will remain on the surface.
- Place high-quality nuts in a strong solution of potassium permanganate and leave for 2-3 hours.
- Place the seeds in a nutrient substrate. For this, it is permissible to use sawdust, sphagnum or peat. Stratify nuts for 3 months.
- Before planting seedlings, soak the seeds again in a strong solution of potassium permanganate. It is recommended to do this throughout the day.
Soil preparation
It is recommended to plant cedar seeds in a greenhouse or greenhouse. In this case, you need to use a non-acidic nutrient soil. Before planting grains, the soil must be carefully prepared. It needs to be dug up, watered and furrows made 2-3 centimeters deep. It is worth adding a special nutritional composition to them. To do this, you need to mix superphosphate, ash and peat in a ratio of 1:2:20.
Landing instructions
Prepared seeds need to be placed in the grooves. In this case, the interval between nuts should be 5-7 centimeters.If the grains are planted too close, the sprouted seedlings will have to be thinned out. At the same time, large gaps are considered not very rational and complicate subsequent care.
How to care
Before the sprouts emerge and immediately after the first shoots appear, all care comes down to watering the plantings. Moreover, for this purpose it is necessary to use either water or a weak solution of potassium permanganate. The interval between soil moisture should be 3-5 days. Thanks to such measures, it will be possible to cope with possible parasites even before the sprouts appear.
It takes 2 years to grow cedar in protected soil. After this, the protection must be removed and seedlings grown in open ground for up to 6-8 years. Then the young plants can be transplanted to a permanent site.
Tree transplant
Before planting a crop in open ground, it is important to choose the right place for this and pay attention to preparing the site. If you plan to move the cedar into its natural environment, no additional preparations are required. When growing a crop in a summer cottage, it is worth preparing the soil and choosing a place for planting.
Preparing the site
The young plant can withstand slight partial shade. At the same time, adult culture requires high-quality lighting. Therefore, only an open place that receives enough sun is suitable for planting.
Primer for wood
When planting young cedar in a park area or garden plot, you need to pay attention to soil preparation. Forest soil can be used for this plant. If this is not possible, it is worth reducing the acidity parameters of the substrate that is present on the site. For this purpose, you can use calcium-magnesium fertilizers. It is also permissible to use dolomite or lime. In addition, the soil needs to be fed with manure, dug up and a hole prepared for planting.
Step-by-step transplant guide
Cedar is a fairly powerful plant that is difficult to damage when moving to a permanent location. In this case, planting is best done with a lump of soil from the place where the seedling was grown. Thanks to this, it is possible to avoid drying out of the root system.
When planting a cedar with bare roots, you need to install it in a hole, carefully straighten it and cover the tree with soil. This should be done a few centimeters above the root collar. After which the soil must be compacted, watered and covered with a mulching layer of sawdust.
Reproduction by grafting
Cedar is rarely propagated by grafting. This is done if rooting is impossible or problematic. In order for the vaccination to take root better, it must be done in warm weather. On rainy days, this procedure is not recommended. In this case, the manipulation will not give the desired results.
In order for crop propagation by grafting to be successful, it is imperative to choose the right method. The optimal option for such propagation is in the butt with the core of the cutting on the cambium of the rootstock.
Cedar is a very common coniferous plant that can be grown in park areas and garden plots. To propagate a crop, it is permissible to use different methods. Most often it is propagated by seeds or cuttings. Sometimes cedar is propagated by grafting. However, this method has many disadvantages and is used much less frequently.
