Yellow pine is also a large plant that belongs to the Pinaceae family. In nature, this culture is found in western North America. At the same time, this crop is increasingly grown in garden plots and used to decorate parks. This is due to the unusual appearance of the plant. For a crop to remain decorative at all times, it needs proper care.
Botanical description
Contrary to popular belief, yellow pine did not get its name because of the color of its needles. This crop has traditional green needles.At the same time, it is characterized by an unusual yellowish bark. There are also many other names for yellow pines - Oregon, bull, heavy, large. In botany, the crop is called yellow pine or ponderosa - Pinus ponderosa.
An adult tree reaches a height of 18-39 meters. Some plants even grow up to 80 meters. In this case, the trunk diameter is 80-120 centimeters. The culture has a conical or oval shape. It is not too thick and has a diameter of up to 3 meters.
The shade of the bark varies. It varies from yellow to red-brown. In this case, the tree trunk is covered with many grooves. As the tree ages, it becomes covered with wide scaly plates. Near the base the tree has descending branches. However, as it approaches the crown, the tree has an ascending growth pattern.
Particular attention should be paid to the cones of this culture. In appearance they are similar to cedar. The fruits of yellow pine are distinguished by strong scales and brown-brown color. They reach 15 centimeters in length. The cones have a wide conical shape. At the same time, there are winged seeds inside the fruit.
The fruits on the pine branches are arranged in groups of 3. Due to their impressive size and attractive appearance, the cones are often used to make various crafts and decorations. Full ripening of the fruit takes 2 years.
Requirements for planting pine trees
Poderosa pine is recommended to be planted in spring or autumn. To do this, you should use a seedling no older than 5 years. Before planting, it needs to be placed in a bucket of water for 2-3 hours. Then you should prepare a recess measuring 100x80 centimeters. At the bottom of the hole you need to place a drainage 20 centimeters thick.
It is recommended to reduce the acidity of the soil removed from the hole. To do this, you need to add 200-400 grams of wood ash. Heavy soil should be diluted with sand in a 2:1 ratio.
To plant a crop, it is recommended to do the following:
- Place a mound on top of the drainage layer.
- Place the seedling on the mound. As a result, the root collar should be above the surface of the earth.
- Cover the seedling with soil, straightening the roots.
- Lightly compact the soil and water the plant. For 1 seedling it is worth using 5-7 liters of water.
Care and its features
In order for a culture to grow and develop normally, it needs to be properly cared for. In this case, it is necessary to follow a number of rules.
Watering frequency
During the first few months after planting, the plant should be watered 1-2 times a week. The exact frequency depends on precipitation. The soil should be moistened to a depth of 30 centimeters. After the rooting process is completed, the plant needs to be watered once a month.
An adult crop needs to be moistened only in the absence of natural precipitation. Otherwise, there is a risk of rotting of the wet root system.
Loosening
After each watering, the soil needs to be loosened. This will help saturate the root system with oxygen. This procedure should be combined with weeding the soil around the trunk.To prevent moisture evaporation and overheating of the roots, the tree trunk circle must be covered with a mulch layer. Its thickness should be 6-8 centimeters.
Organic materials are used as mulch - tree bark, straw, sawdust. In northern regions with harsh winters, mulch must be laid in a thick layer of up to 25 centimeters. This helps prevent the roots from freezing.
Crown formation and pruning
Every year in spring, yellow pine requires sanitary pruning. In this case, it is necessary to remove broken and frozen shoots. It is also important to get rid of branches affected by fungi. To restrain the development of a young crop, skeletal branches that deviate greatly from the contour are cut to the required size.
After the pine tree reaches ten years of age, there is a need for anti-aging pruning. In this case, you need to remove old and large branches that grow in the lower part of the trunk onto the ring.
Pest and disease control
Schutte is considered one of the most dangerous cultural diseases. This disease has different types and leads to damage to the needles. The main reason for the development of the disease is considered to be high humidity. Therefore, the key preventative measure is adequate care.
To combat this pathology, it is recommended to spray the tree with a solution of Bordeaux mixture. Its concentration should be 3%. For preventive spring treatments, it is worth using a 1% solution.
The fungicide "Hom" also helps to cope with fungi. To prepare a solution for spraying pine, it is recommended to mix 40 grams of the substance with 10 liters of water.
Yellow pine is also susceptible to attacks by various pests, which lead to a number of negative consequences. The most common parasites include:
- Pine sawfly – causes the destruction of pine needles. Actellica solution will help cope with the pest. To do this, take 2 milliliters of the substance per 1 liter of water. Repeated treatment is performed after 1 week.
- Bark beetle - makes holes in the bark of a plant and leads to its weakening. In addition, the parasite opens the way for other insects - in particular, for subcortical bugs. If measures are not taken in time, there is a risk of crop destruction. To cope with parasites, intra-stem injections of the drug “Clipper” are required. To do this, you need to inject 100 milliliters of the product into the trunk if the tree does not exceed 15 meters. For larger crops, use 200 milliliters. You can also prepare a composition of 100-120 milliliters of product and 5 liters of water. The resulting product must be sprayed on the plantings.
- Brown aphid - absorbs the juice of needles and shoots. With a small number of pests, you can use folk remedies - tobacco dust or a solution of potassium soap. In more complex cases, it is necessary to use Agravertin. To prepare the solution, you need to take 2 milliliters of product per 1 liter of water and spray the tree with the solution.
Application of wood
According to the description, the tree can be used to solve various landscape problems. Yellow pine will make an excellent hedge or help divide the area into several zones. It can be combined with any ornamental or fruit crops. The plant goes well with thuja, apple, and pear trees. It can also be planted next to juniper and spirea.
It is worth considering that the tree goes well with flowering perennials. It can be combined with poppies, violets and primroses. Also great additions include sedum and bellflower. The combination of plants with flowers and herbs allows you to create spectacular rockeries, rocky gardens and alpine slides.
Yellow pine is a showy ornamental plant that combines well with a wide variety of plants. This conifer is considered very undemanding to care. However, to preserve its decorative properties, you still need to adhere to certain rules.
