Under natural conditions, pines reproduce generatively or by seed. If you dig up a tree in the forest and plant it on the site, the likelihood of its successful rooting is minimal. Instead, you should take the grain and grow the crop in a pot, after which it can be transplanted to the chosen place on the site. So, how can you grow a pine tree from a cone? To do this, you need to take into account a number of features.
Preparing the site and seeds
To grow pine from seeds at home, you need to select an adult tree with old cones under the crown in advance in the forest or park.This indicates that the plant has entered reproductive age and is actively forming planting material.
It will be necessary to observe the growing season of the fruits for some time. Mature cones are dark brown in color and covered with woody scales.
How to select suitable seeds
To get a strong tree at home, it is recommended to collect pine seeds in late autumn. This is done before the arrival of frost. It is necessary to remove ripe cones from the target tree. At the same time, you should not take fully opened fruits - it is likely that the seeds have spilled out of them. It is best to use voluminous infructescences that have loose scales. You can also collect several cones from the ground or pick from branches, which differ in the degree of opening and carefully place them in a bag.
Their subsequent processing
In order for the seeds to produce many sprouts, they need to be properly prepared. For this purpose, a stratification procedure is carried out. It represents the hardening of planting material in the cold. This will help you get a tree with strong immunity.
To prepare seed material, you can resort to the following methods:
- Keep the seeds at negative temperatures for 2.5 months. To do this, you need to place the seed in a sterilized jar, cover with a lid and put it in the freezer.
- Make a composition based on sawdust and wet sand. Mix this substrate with seed material, place in a container, cover and place in the basement.
- Dig a hole in the area and place dry straw at the bottom. Place the seeds in a paper bag, place them on straw and sprinkle with sawdust. Cover the hole with a board and cover it with snow.
Soil preparation
To grow pine, seeds can be planted in containers, mini-greenhouses or directly into open soil. The latter option is suitable exclusively for the southern regions. In a temperate climate, you first need to get a seedling from a seed and only then transfer it to the site.
If it is necessary to obtain a large number of seedlings, it is recommended to plant seeds in large containers. To aerate the roots, side holes are made in the containers. For coniferous plants it is worth using light soil. Growing crops in loam is quite difficult. If required, the composition can be lightened by adding river sand.
Instructions for landing
To grow pine when planting, you need to take into account a number of important nuances. The culture needs to maintain constant humidity, a balanced composition of the substrate and a temperature of +22-40 degrees.
If necessary, young plants should be moved to large containers once a year. This need arises if the root system has filled the container in which it grew. The seedling must be carefully transferred into a large container, trying not to destroy the lump of soil. After planting, the crop should be watered and sent for growing.
The first shoots should be expected 2-4 weeks after placing the crops in a warm place. To care for them, constant watering and maintaining an optimal temperature regime of +24-30 degrees are required.In addition, it is recommended to ventilate the sprouts every day.
After germination, the film must be removed and the seedlings placed in a well-lit and warm place. It is important to ensure that they are not exposed to direct sunlight. It is permissible to transplant seedlings to a permanent plot only 3 years after planting - only at this stage do their roots become strong enough.
In open ground
When growing pine trees, seeds can be sown directly into open soil. May is ideal for this - at this stage the soil warms up sufficiently and the threat of return frosts disappears. The soil must be taken from a pine forest or you can make the substrate yourself. To do this, you need to mix peat, sand, dry pine needles and turf.
To plant a crop, it is recommended to make a special hole, compact the soil in it, then lay the seeds and sprinkle with peat and sawdust. The thickness of this layer should be approximately 1 centimeter. The interval between grains should be 4-6 centimeters. The planting area must be carefully watered and covered with film. It is recommended to remove it after the sprouts appear.
In the pot
It is recommended to replant pine seedlings to a permanent location after 2-3 years. To do this, they need to be moved with a lump of soil into spacious containers. In this form, the grown seedling can be placed on an open veranda, in recreation areas, or in summer cottages. This tree will be an excellent interior decoration.
Pine tree care
To get a strong and healthy tree, seedlings need to be provided with complete and high-quality care. Young plants require constant watering and fertilization. They also need to be protected from pests and diseases.Regular cleaning of the tree trunk from weeds is of great importance. Otherwise, it will begin to stifle the development of the seedling. Twice a year, the culture needs to be supported with stimulating agents that strengthen and activate the growth of the root system.
When growing pine in open ground, it needs to be fed with organic fertilizers once a month. In this case, you should not use manure, since it contains too much nitrogen. This substance activates the growth processes of the seedling and makes it less resistant to frost. Compost can be used instead of manure.
Among mineral supplements, preference should be given to preparations that contain magnesium. This substance helps strengthen the seedling's immunity.
Maintaining constant soil moisture is of great importance. To preserve useful elements and maintain moisture, the tree trunk circle needs to be mulched with dry pine needles.
During the first year of development, the culture needs protection from sunlight. Prevention of pathologies is of no small importance. The use of special means will help with this - in particular, “Fitosporin” and “Fundazol”.
Growing pine from a cone has a number of features. In order for the plant to develop normally and maintain its decorative properties, it is important to strictly adhere to the rules of agricultural technology.
