Siberian cedar: a description of what it looks like, where it grows. Cedar - in fact, is it another cedar flowering plant or not?

Sem. pine; genus includes 4 species
Cedrus deodara

Himalayan cedar- a coniferous tree, its homeland is the northwestern Himalayas, the mountains of Afghanistan. It has a powerful spreading crown, long (up to 40 mm) bright green needles, rather soft and elastic. It blooms in October-November and then a gust of wind knocks down unnecessary pollen into light golden clouds. Cones ripen in November-December next year. In shape, they resemble barrels or large thick candles, which greatly adorn the tree, until ripe ones crack and crumble into graceful wooden scales, scattering around light small seeds with lionfish. The cedar is huge, but it reproduces like a dandelion: the wind blew - everything flew away.

The famous Siberian "pine" nuts are the seeds of the Siberian cedar pine. The confusion of names occurred largely thanks to Peter I. After all, he studied sciences in Europe, the art of shipbuilding great king mastered at Dutch shipyards. The Dutch used, as a rule, cedar planks for sheathing the bottom of the ship, delivering expensive timber by a roundabout sea route from North Africa: Atlas Mountains are the birthplace of the Atlas cedar.

Cedar wood is valuable because it does not rot in water, does not undergo fouling with algae and molluscs.

Returning to his homeland and wanting to build a powerful mobile fleet, Peter I sent several expeditions to Siberia to look for his cedar. For the sample I gave a saw cut of wood, and people also knew that the tree was coniferous. Very soon they discovered huge reserves of magnificent "mast" Siberian pine trunks. By technical specifications the wood turned out to be similar, the tree was coniferous, Peter I, in joy, issued a decree: "to call this tree Siberian cedar." And after him, the entire dynasty of the Romanov Tsars had gigantic profits from the trade in "Siberian cedar" in European markets.

Real cedar wood has another unique property: it is not exposed to termites. That is why the ancient Indian temples of the 4th-5th millennia have survived to this day! India cedar sacred tree: "Deodar" literally "gift of the gods", this is reflected in the Latin name - Cedrus deodara.

In Asia, they love cedar so much that even temples-pagodas, in their shape, repeat the structure of the crown of the Himalayan cedar, recalling it.

In Crimea in Nikitsky botanical garden grown since 1847. There are now over 1000 adult specimens, some reaching a height of 40 meters.

It tolerates local drought and frost well enough (down to -20 ° C).

Cedar at their summer cottage

Cedar, interesting facts

• Cedar (Cedrus) is an oligotypic genus of trees of the Pine family (Pinaceae).

• On the southern coast of Crimea, cedars have completely naturalized in the area from Sevastopol to Kara-Dag, in areas where the absolute minimum temperature does not reach -25 ° C, and self-seeding.

• In nature, the range of the genus covers the southern and eastern mountainous regions of the Mediterranean and the western regions of the Himalayas.

• All types of cedars grow well on lime-poor soils (slate and others).

• The seeds, due to their resinous content, are not eaten by rodents.

• Representatives of the genus are monoecious, evergreen trees up to 40-50 meters high, with a spreading crown.

• Shoots are shortened and elongated, the latter have spirally arranged needles.

• The bark is dark gray, smooth on young trunks, cracking, scaly on old ones.

• Spikelets are erect, surrounded at the base by bunches of needles, located singly at the ends of shortened shoots.

• Female spikelets, with numerous, spirally arranged, almost sessile stamens, each of which has two fused and cracked along the anther; pollen with air sacs. The spikelets are about 5 cm long.

• Cedar cones ripen in the second or third year. They are solitary, erect, barrel-shaped or ovate-elongated.

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Now autumn is the time to plant cedars, and any other trees too. Today we will tell you exactly how to grow cedars from pine nutssince many people already know what the CEDAR tree is for our Earth, for humans, and in general for the entire Universe.

Planting cedars is best done in autumn - this is natural for them, because in winter in the cold they need to go through the so-called stratification - this is when the nuts freeze, fall asleep, and in spring they wake up and sprout.

If the situation does not allow planting cedars in the fall, then you can plant them in the spring, but for this, the nuts must lie in the refrigerator or in the cellar all winter to undergo artificial stratification.

Cedars do not like waterlogging, but like well-drained soils, i.e. those where water does not stagnate. Therefore, if water can stagnate in the place where you are going to plant pine nuts, we recommend sprinkling the bed with sand on top (about 1 cm thick, but then you need to reduce the depth of planting nuts)

Himalayan cedar. Deodar

You need to plant nuts to a depth of 1.5-2 cm. It is not at all necessary to make holes - we just take a nut and stick it into the ground with our finger, pushing it a little). Better to plant with the sharp tip down. The cedars sprout up unusually and very cute)) From the nut, the spine first goes down, and then the sprout begins to hatch from the spine, raising the nut to the top, i.e. small green sprouts with nuts at the top will be visible from the ground. And this is very popular with birds, especially crows. Therefore, in the spring, when the cedar trees begin to sprout (or it is possible immediately after planting), it is MANDATORY TO COVER WITH THE BRANCHES, otherwise feathered friends will bite them.

It is necessary to find or make yourself a wooden box with a side height of about 25 cm, there must be holes below for the free passage of water. Sawdust (any, but ideally, of course, conifers), mixed with coniferous needles, are placed in the box. We stick pine nuts 0.5-1 cm. They can be planted frequently, 1 cm apart. (cedars grow best in such an environment, so don't worry, everything will be enough for them). Pour 1 cm thick peat on top (you don't have to do this, but without it you will have to water much more often in summer). The box is outside in winter.

In the spring of planting, it is necessary to shelter something from birds (branches, a rigid mosquito net, etc.). For the first year, cedars cannot be transplanted. The transplant is performed for 2-3 years of life. On the 4th - it's already too late. When digging out small cedar trees with the last method of planting, their roots are not damaged or broken.

Elena Happy (Source - Life Movement)

Growing from Lebanese cedar seeds

Where does the cedar grow?

Of course, almost everyone knows that there is a tree called "cedar". Moreover, many have probably tried delicious and very healthy pine nuts. But where, in what natural area this very cedar grows, not everyone can answer. Our article will help to fix this small defect.

Where does the cedar grow?

Botanists distinguish 4 types of cedars:

• lebanese;
• atlas;
• cypriot;
• himalayan.

The first two varieties of cedar can be found most often in the mountainous regions of North Africa, Cypriot on the island of Cyprus, and Himalayan in Pakistan, India, Afghanistan. In addition, the Lebanese and Atlas cedars have taken root well on the southern coast of Crimea, as well as in many Mediterranean countries, where winter temperatures do not fall below -25 degrees. And where does Siberian cedar grow and why it was not included in the list of 4 known to science species? The point is that, strictly speaking, Siberian cedar is not a cedar at all. When talking about Siberian cedar, they usually mean Siberian cedar pine - a powerful tree that reaches about forty meters in height and about two and a half meters in girth.

Where does Siberian cedar grow in Russia?

Wild cedar forests in Russia can be found in Transbaikalia, Siberia and the Urals. Cedar cultivation in other regions also proved to be quite successful.

Himalayan cedar (Cedrus deodara)

For example, planted in the Moscow region, Leningradskaya and Yaroslavl regions Siberian cedars have not only taken root successfully, but also bear fruit regularly. True, it takes a long time to wait for the first harvest - from forty to seventy years in natural conditions and about twenty-five years when grown on summer cottage... Siberian cedars reach their peak of fruiting at the age of one to two hundred years. The average life of this tree is usually from three hundred to five hundred years.

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Adult Lebanese cedars produce seeds from numerous cones that grow beautifully and densely vertically on flat branches.

While in the park, you can still feel wonderful aroma Lebanese cedar, which saturates the air especially strongly in hot sunny weather.

Perhaps the Lebanese cedar is most often mentioned in the Bible.

Himalayan cedar

In those distant times, Lebanese cedar wood was equated in value with precious metals and served as a rich booty as a result of military campaigns of conquest. Ancient rulers built temples and palaces from Lebanese cedar. Unfortunately, today the number of these beautiful mighty trees has been greatly reduced. It is difficult to grow Lebanese cedar quickly, but its life expectancy is calculated in thousands of years.

The Lebanese cedar is not only a record holder for longevity, it surprises with an unusually wide crown span, and its roots go into the ground at a depth three times greater than its height. Lebanese cedar grows in warm areas, being a prominent representative subtropical climate... Many Crimean parks are decorated with Lebanese cedar, always becoming the most attractive coniferous tree in park architecture. Its wide, spreading branches provide excellent protection from heat and fill the air with a wonderful aroma.
Cedar can also be grown at home. The main enemy indoor plants - dry hot air from heating radiators. If you do not protect plants from its effects, then their health deteriorates sharply. Lebanese cedar can lose all its needles due to too hot and dry air.

The growing Lebanese cedar on the windowsill in winter must be protected from the heat of the battery. In this case, already in February, together with the first bright sunbeams Lebanese cedar will give young shoots of a delicate light green color. To protect the Lebanese cedar on the windowsill from the heat of the battery, you can use a special protective screen made of plexiglass or polycarbonate during the heating season. In this case, the temperature in the protective zone will be 12-15 degrees, which is also optimal for wintering other plants on the windowsill.

Lebanese cedar is a rather exotic object of indoor plant growing and, no doubt, will decorate any interior. You can buy Lebanese cedar for home breeding in specialized centers, of which there are a lot, especially in the southern regions, where the price of small plants is purely symbolic.

It is possible to grow Lebanese cedar from seeds, but it is worth noting that it will take quite a long time.

“A noble, pure tree,” our ancestors used to say about the cedar. But what kind of cedar? Although, objectively, both our domestic “cedars” and foreign ones, without any quotation marks, are truly cedars - equally clean trees marked with the seal of special nobility, near which “greatness, tranquility and timelessness” reign.

Siberian cedar is nothing more than a pine tree with edible seeds. The extremely unfortunate fate of her has long been worrying our compatriots and is discussed in the pages of magazines and newspapers. Another thing is the bright and cloudless existence of the ancient Tauride invaders - Lebanese, Himalayan and Atlas cedars.In Crimea, they are among the green guests of honor, and not a single logger would ever think to put them on door frames or a container board.

The birthplace of the Lebanese cedar is Asia Minor. The head of the Lebanese Christians, in order to protect the remains of this valuable plant from final destruction, called it "divine", ie. a tree that cannot be cut down. The homeland of the Himalayan cedar is the northwestern Himalayas and the mountains of Afghanistan. In India, this sacred tree is known under the name deodar, which means “the gift of the gods”. The third cedar is Atlas, a native of North Africa.

In the Nikitsky Botanical Garden, the first plantings of cedars were made in the first half of the 19th century. In 1860, the seedlings of these trees are already listed in the Garden's catalog among the plants offered for sale. The cedar is becoming available for public city parks, for private owners - lovers of foreign flora.

A detailed botanical description of cedars can be found in many special books and manuals, but here we note that the common features for all three species are evergreen needles in bunches, barrel-shaped erect cones crumbling when ripe, inedible seeds, great height trees (at home 40-60 m), thick-bore.

There are also differences. At the Himalayan cedar,for example, thin, long (up to 5 cm) needles, large cones, hanging apical shoots and a low-cut crown.

Lebanese cedar can be recognized by the huge horizontally outstretched paw-shaped branches, pyramidal in youth and flat top in old age. At the Atlas cedar bluish tough needles and a conical, majestic crown, located as if in floors.

Lebanese, Atlas and Himalayan cedars are included in the lists of tree species recommended for green construction in the area of \u200b\u200bthe Crimean resorts, and these trees are planted everywhere from Sevastopol to Kerch. Drought-resistant and frost-resistant foreigners are the pride of the peninsula. In Crimea, cypresses and cedars retain the Mediterranean flavor of the South Coast, the beauty of many well-known parks - Alupka, Livadia, Gurzuf, etc.

On the Crimean peninsula, cedars are also used in forest plantations. The beginning was laid by the Crimean forester A.F. Skorobaty, who in 1905-1915. carried out a great work on acclimatization in the east of the peninsula of Numidian fir and Himalayan cedar. Time has shown that the most promising in most types of plantings is the Himalayan cedar.

Many cedars in Crimea have been bearing fruit for a long time, give viable seeds, and the Himalayan and Atlas cedars have become so accustomed to the Crimean land that in separate years give self-seeding of cute tiny cedar chicks.

The information that has come down to us about the use of cedar by humans refers mainly to the Lebanese cedar. There was a time when its timber, along with precious metals, was considered first-class war booty. Thus, the king of Babylonia, Nebuchadnezzar, dictated to his scribes: “I went on campaigns to distant lands ... along impassable roads, along thorny paths, where there was nowhere to put my foot ... I brought silver, gold and jewels ... a cedar tree ... fruits of forests and seas to my city of Babylon , before the eyes of Morduk. "

The Egyptians, Phoenicians, Jews, Arabs, Indians highly appreciated the cedar wood. The Lebanese cedar was used to build the Temple of Jerusalem, the Temple of Diana at Ephesus and other places of worship.

This type of cedar has several distinctive features:

• flat top;
• a barrel-shaped bump;
• dark triangular protrusion at the upper edge of the seed scale.

The plant lives at an altitude of 1000-2000 m above sea level in the Turkish mountains of Taurus and Antitavr, in Lebanon and Syria. In Russia, this tree grows on the Crimean coast.
The Lebanese have a lifespan of 2000-3000 years. Crimean representatives of the species live less - 150-200 years. This is due to the calcareous soil not suitable for the plant.

Himalayan

The crown of the plant looks like a wide cone. The branches are horizontal, bent down at the ends. In its natural environment lives in East Asia: in the northwest of the Himalayas, in the mountains of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, India. It grows up to 3500 m above sea level.

The lifespan is 1000 years. In favorable conditions, it can live up to 3000 years.

Cypriot (short-coniferous)

This species differs from its congeners by short needles up to 1 cm, short growth up to 12 m and smaller cones. The shape of the crown changes with age. At first it looks like a cone, then it takes on a wide-spreading shape, in old age it becomes like an umbrella.

The Cypriot cedar lives in the lower belt of dry coniferous forests islands of Cyprus. Some biologists classify it as a type of Lebanese cedar. The plant lives up to 500 years.

Atlas

It has a pyramidal crown. The tip becomes flat with age. The leaves and cones are smaller than those of the Lebanese variety, but larger than those of the Cyprus cedar. Some botanists attribute the tree to the Lebanese species.

The lifespan is 800 years. IN wildlife grows at an altitude of 1300-2000 m above sea level on Mount Atlas in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia.

Thanks to artificial breeding, all types of plants, except for short-coniferous, now grow in Russia on black Sea coast and south Central Asia.

Where cedar pines grow

Siberian pine is a much more common species. In the wild, it lives in the taiga, in the mountains and in swamps. Occurs in Mongolia and North China.

In our country, it grows mainly in Western Siberia. IN Eastern Siberia grows closer to the southern border. Grows in Central and Southern Altai. West of Ural mountains the tree is widespread up to the Timan ridge.

Cedar pine is also found in the European north of Russia. In these parts it prevails in the Arkhangelsk and Vologda regions. Several trees remained in the Kostroma region.

Pine nuts

What we used to call cedar nuts has nothing to do with cedar. Real cedar seeds are inedible. They eat Siberian nuts
Pine nut shells are widely used. Their oil has found application in cosmetology.

Cedar pine seeds are rich in vitamins and microelements.

They have many useful properties:

• increase physical and psychological tone;
• improve brain function;
• slow down the aging process;
• reduce the risk of cancer and cardiovascular diseases;
• strengthens skin, hair, and nails;
• have a beneficial effect on the nervous and reproductive system;
• increase potency;
• normalize blood clotting;
• stimulate the independent production of vitamins;
• maintain normal hemoglobin;
• promote the production of collagen necessary for joints and skin;
• normalize water-salt balance;
• strengthen bones;
• increase attention;
• improve memory.

Infusions and decoctions are made on the shell of cedar seeds. Due to their anti-inflammatory effect, they are used to treat wounds, ulcers and other manifestations of skin diseases. When taken orally, the work of the digestive tract improves.

Oil in medicine is used in the composition of ointments and inhalations. As a cosmetic product, it helps in the restoration of hair, eyelashes and skin. It is added to creams and masks.

Is it possible to grow a real cedar in the middle lane

It is believed that true cedar can withstand frosts down to -30 C. But this is only true for short-term temperature drops. The tree will not endure winter.
In our country, real cedar is found only on the Black Sea coast.

In colder regions, dwarf breeds are grown at home. Enjoy the mighty handsome man on personal plot, unfortunately, will not work.

Features of growing cedar pine

But Siberian in Russia is successfully grown in any climate. The main thing is to take a responsible approach to the choice of a site for planting and properly care for the plant.
For the first 5 years, the tree is grown at home in a pot. Only upon reaching a height of 1 meter is the plant transplanted into open ground.

The sprout or seed is planted in a spacious container so that the root system is comfortable. In the pot, drainage holes and a tray for removing excess liquid are required.

The soil should be chosen loose and fertile, without peat. To protect against pests, oxidizing agents are added to the soil.

Root growth biostimulator is used as a top dressing. Preference is given to special fertilizers for conifers. Excessive use of additives will damage the pine tree.

Siberian pines love abundant in the hot season. In summer, the soil around the tree is moistened as it dries. In autumn, watering is reduced, in winter they stop altogether.
In order to bring the conditions of detention as close as possible to their natural habitat, for the winter the tree is put on a balcony or on the street. You do not need to cover the plant.

When planting in open ground, site selection is important. It should be borne in mind that the pine has a spreading crown. An adult tree will need enough space.

When planting in a group, a distance of at least 7 m is observed between the plants.It is necessary to retreat from the walls of the buildings by at least 3 m.

Cedar pine loves sunlight... At the same time, it is resistant to cold and winds. A well-lit hill will be optimal for planting. It is worth giving preference to loamy loose soil without an excess of groundwater.

Siberian pine is hardy. In winter, it is not covered or mulched. She does not need top dressing and watering.

The tree is pruned in the spring. It is enough to remove dried branches. Decorative shaping is usually not required. For the procedure, use a sharp pruner, disinfected with alcohol. Places of cuts must be treated with a pitch.

The cedar is a beautiful and powerful plant. Unfortunately, only residents of the southern regions can become its owner in our country.

The rest of the gardeners are left to enjoy the Siberian in the garden. She has little in common with a true cedar, but she is also very beautiful.

You can get even more information about Siberian pine by watching the video:

He was and remains the embodiment of courage and courage. Shamans of Siberia believed in its magical power and decorated ritual staves with a cedar branch.

In Russia Cedar has always been a symbol of the endless harsh Siberia.

cedar names

The giant we used to call Cedar - one of the types Pines, namely cedar Pine or Siberian Cedar. His latin name Pinus Sibrica. It is this name that appears in the ancient annals.

Unfortunately, accurate information the origin of the word "Cedar" has not survived to this day. There are several theories.

It is quite possible that the Russian Cedar owes its name to its Lebanese counterpart. In the past, icons were made from the Lebanese Cedar, which had to be exported.

In the northern regions of Russia, the most popular breeds for making bases for icons were conifers. Being very soft for carving and yet not brittle, Siberian Cedar wood was well suited for such purposes.

Another origin theory says that the name "Cedrus" is originally European and originates in ancient Rome.

Where does the cedar grow

Under natural conditions, Siberian cedar grows only in Altai, Siberia and the Urals. There are many varieties of it growing in the Crimea and the Caucasus. It is mainly Lebanese Cedar.

Siberian Cedar is of great importance in the national economy and food industry. Nutritious pine seeds are an irreplaceable source of trace elements and vitamins.

Thanks to its nut-bearing reputation, Cedar and its brethren have earned special attention from biologists and breeders. Industrial nut plantations have existed in our country for more than a decade. These plantations are designed to stop the barbaric methods of extracting Cedar seeds from natural sources without restoring forest productivity.

There are many representatives of the Cedar. Let's stop at Siberian Cedar.

Despite the fact that this breed belongs to the "pine" species, the diameter of the Cedar trunk can reach 2 meters.

Cedar lives up to 3-5 centuries. At the age of 20 to 70, it begins to bear fruit. The tree has a dense green crown and brown-gray bark.

The famous cedar cones have a bluish purple hue when unripe and turn dark brown when ripe. Cedar cones are large and can reach 8 cm in width and 13 cm in length.

When the cedar blooms

Siberian cedar blooms in June. For the ripening of cones, he needs 12-14 months.

Under natural conditions, the cedar begins to bear fruit on average at the age of 40-50 years. Modern breeders have achieved results in which the fruiting of cedar occurs at 15 years.

Medicinal properties of Cedar

Cedar seed kernels contain a huge amount of vitamins and fats, therefore they are widely used in medicine and food industry. The microelements contained in the seeds of Cedarwood help improve memory and are a valuable source of vegetable proteins and fats.

Moderate consumption of seeds boosts immunity and restores nervous systemstrengthening the heart and blood vessels.

It is known that Cedar wood kills microbes, so they tried to make the bottom of the famous birch bark tuesques from Cedar.

Cedar milk from crushed seeds is used in the treatment of tuberculosis diseases.

Cedar resin, like pine, promotes wound healing and is used in the fight against colds and lung diseases. Cedar needles are recommended as a remedy for asthma.

Since ancient times, in Siberia, cedar needles have been considered an excellent remedy for scurvy, and also served as the basis for medicinal tinctures.

Application of Cedar

Cedar seeds are used to make high-calorie cream, butter and cedar milk. In addition, table oil is obtained from seeds, and halva is obtained from cake.

Science has also found a use for this magnificent tree. When cutting the Cedar, the resin is extracted, from which the immersion oil is obtained. A drop of immersion oil is placed between the objective of the microscope and the object of study. Oil enhances the quality and clarity of objects by directing and concentrating light at the desired point.

Moderately soft and dense, Cedar wood is used to make pencils.

Cedar wood is a favorite material for carvers, cabinetmakers and joiners. The chests and cabinets skillfully crafted by the master also have a practical purpose. Insects, including moths, will never start wearing such a product.

In parks and garden plots, planting of Cedar helps to purify and disinfect the air.

In Siberia, when laying a house, carpenters planted a young Cedar in the corner of the yard so that the hut was strong and durable.

In Russia, there is still cedar fishing, which is a rather dangerous and barbaric occupation. The fact is that the "pine cone" is carried out with the help of a large wooden hammer, which is used to beat the tree trunk to extract cones. This method is a relic, which is gradually being replaced by modern ways selection and cultivation of nut crops.

Mentions of the Cedar can be found in the Bible. For example, the wood of this mighty tree served as the material for Noah's ark.

The cedar does not obey biological rhythms. Depending on the weather and conditions, the tree itself regulates the movement of juices and biological processes, adapts to external conditions. This confirms the hypothesis that the Cedar has a Soul.

Photo credits: LesTa-10, bakamushi , kaikups , Beard , Nick Vasiliev

Cedar is a tree with evergreen needles from the Pine family. Botanical name - Siberian cedar pine. To cultivate a tree, you need grains - pine nuts. The plant lives in the Urals, in Eastern and Western Siberia.

Thanks to the nuts, the Cedar tree and its fellows have won the special interest of biologists and breeders.

Description

Root system powerful, which allows the plant to unbendingly withstand all natural disasters. Ripe cedar does not require agricultural care. Its antimicrobial properties are priceless. The atmosphere around the tree is practically sterile. It does not grow on dry sandy areas, but chooses moist and fertile soil from sandy loam or loam.

All types of cedar in forests bear fruit by the age of 30-60, and in gardens, where constant care and feeding, by 15-20 years and up to 250-300 years. A good harvest of cedar trees in those areas where two or three trees live, since they are cross-pollinated. The cycle of seed ripening in cedar lasts one and a half years.

• Shoots and needles... Shoots are coffee-colored and covered with reddish hairs. The needles are dark green in color with a bluish bloom, 6 - 14 cm in length. On the cut, it is trihedral and serrated. Plastic to the touch. Grows in bunches of five needles.
• Root system... It is represented by one central rhizome 40 - 50 cm long, from which small side ones with root hairs with mycorrhiza on the edges extend. If the soil is airy and sufficiently drained, then at the main root massive anchor roots are formed, extending 3 meters deep, designed with basal branches to ensure the firmness of the crown and trunk.
• Cones... The tree is monoecious, heterosexual: female and male cones grow on the same plant. Cedar is an anemophilic plant - wind produces pollination.

In total, the genus of cedars has 4 types:

Canadian thuja

Red Canadian cedar has no connection with real cedar, it is a folded thuja from the genus cypress. The plant is known for its strong wood properties. This ornamental plant is used to equip alleys, dwarf plants are planted on siliceous lands. White Canadian cedar - called western thuja. It is 12-20 m high, has a compact pyramidal crown and is similar to other plants of the cypress genus. The wood is reddish, with a characteristic strength and fragrance.

Cones and seeds

... Male and female cones coexist on the same tree. Male ones are concentrated at the base of the processes, female ones at the edges of the growth processes, near the apical bud. The shoots are pollinated by the wind. In appearance, the kidneys are conical. Mature cones are 15 cm in size, 8 cm in width. Young lilac cones, over the years acquire a coffee color, resemble an egg, then become in the shape of a diamond.

The scales of the cone are compressed, it takes 15 months to fully mature. Cedar kernels are ovoid, 1.5 cm long and 1 cm wide, dark, closer to brown. Giants bear fruit at 60 years of age.

Planting and leaving

perhaps. It needs intensive potassium supplementation. Nitrogen is not added to the soil, it has a bad effect on the roots. Young cedars are weeded in time. Cedars are planted in an open space, away from firs, lovers of shade from the spreading crown of a cedar. Cedars look great with birches, but birches have a detrimental effect on their growth. Therefore, they maintain the distance when landing. Before planting the cedar, they mark the territory ahead of time to give the trees the necessary expanse, maintain a distance of 9 m.

Siberian cedar is mulched for direct ventilation and oxygenation of the soil. Mulch protects from freezing in winter, retains moisture. Mulch is added every year to increase adventitious roots.

Growing from seeds

To give the garden presentability and power, firmness and vitality, a cedar is planted. This tree does not require regular maintenance, pruning, creating a crown, cleaning of the fallen crown. The cedar heals the atmosphere around it with the scent of pine needles. Seedlings are planted on a permanent well-lit area at a distance of 5-6 m from each other. Low fruit trees and berry bushes are planted between young cedars.

They create a crown on a low trunk, spreading, with many peaks. Cutting or lashing out the lateral buds is done early in the spring. Rooted cedars grow by 5-10 cm in the first seasons.

Germination of nuts for 2 years. After collecting it is 85%. The grains are sown in the fall. The sprouts are shown in early spring. But you can accelerate the germination of a nut in raw sand, soak it for a day and sow in spring. Sprouts are shown in 14-21 days. They are dark malachite, with 10-12 cotyledons, 30 mm long. In the next year, pairs of needles are born from them, and in the 4-5th season - whorls. The plants that appear from the seedlings shade all the hot months for a couple of years.

Cedar grows well on sphagnum bogs, forming powerful adventitious roots. The roots grow along with the growth of the processes. After 5-6 years, the wood's legibility to the ground decreases. Cedar is not picky about the temperature of the atmosphere. Withstands continental climate, cold and land. But the death of the buds is likely with late spring frosts, which coincide in time with flowering. This threatens 30-year-old trees that have begun to bear fruit. For a long time, you have to expect the appearance of nuts, but the tree lives for 500 years and brings generous harvests in 4-5 years.

Cedar kernels are a storehouse of vitamins and fats; they are used in medicine and the food industry. Microelements contained in grains improve memory and are a source of vegetable proteins and fats. The abstinent use of grains increases immunity to disease, revives the nervous system, and strengthens the heart and blood vessels.

Cedar wood kills bacteria. Cedar milk made from ground grains is used for tuberculous ailments.

Cedar resin heals wounds, is used for colds and lung diseases. Needles are used as a medicine for asthma and scurvy. The needles are the basis for healing tinctures.

Diseases and pests

The main danger for cedars is bark beetles, especially ordinary engraver... In the first decade of May, the years of the engraver begin, the beetles identify a weak plant by its aroma and gnaw through the passages under the bark. Females lay eggs in them, from which larvae form. As a result, the trunk tissues die, and by the end of summer the tree dies.

If you overlook the beginning of damage to the bark by pests and do not protect the tree, then the battle with pests will be useless. The appearance on the bark of small holes with droplets of resin indicates that the tree is inhabited by bark beetles. Fighting beetles is very difficult and only experts can do it.

Another pest - siberian hermes... Hermes pierces the trunk with a pointed proboscis and sucks on the juice. Due to the hairy growths on the body, Hermes looks like white fluff on the bark and needles. When treating trees with drugs, the droplets are retained by "fluff" and do not reach the insect; as a result, the hermes does not die. In growths and beetles and eggs. Therefore, only those insecticides that act through the sap of the tree are used to combat.

As well as pests destroy the disease cedar. The most popular one is rusty needlesappearing in warm and damp seasons. Rust looks like the formation of orange with yellow bubbles on the needles. These droplets become a yellow powder; these are fungal spores that infect the tissues of the needles. As a result of the disease, rye needles are dotted with yellow with brown marks, and then crumble. To combat the disease, weeds are weeded: sow-thistle, coltsfoot, on which rust goes through a fraction of the formation cycle.

Using

People have long seen the useful properties of cedar and use them in different areas of life: they make housing, furnishings, wooden crafts from wood, use it in medicine and cooking: they make food and cedar oil from grains, and prepare medicinal decoctions from pine needles, resin, bark, essential oil.

Oil

Cedar oil is made by pressing from the grains of Siberian pine, it simultaneously contains the beneficial properties of olive, coconut, sea buckthorn and burdock oils. Cedar nut oil contains five times more vitamin E than olive oil. The essential oil is made from cedar, Siberian pine, thuja canadensis and other conifers. In terms of properties, it differs at least from each other, it differs only in the ratio of the components. Essential oil is made from crushed bark, wood, young shoots. The essential oil has antiseptic, soothing, antiviral properties, it is used in cosmetology. The essential oil is not used inside, it is inhaled, applied to the skin, and healing baths are prepared.

Sap

They also use oleoresin (cedar resin), pretreated, because it is not used in its present form, it rapidly turns to stone. Gum is used in solutions, they are made by themselves or bought in a store. It is not difficult to make a resin solution: the resin diverges into vegetable oil at a temperature of 50 degrees, it does not lose its healing properties and, if used correctly, heals.

Seeds

Pine nuts have nothing to do with real nuts, fruits of shrubs and trees of the walnut family. The grains of real cedar are not tasty, and the nuts we know are the grains of cedar pine. They are also used to make oil and tincture, used in medicine, dietetics, cosmetology, in aromatherapy sessions. Pine nuts are used to increase immunity to diseases, improve vision, prevent cardiovascular diseases, atherosclerosis, diabetes, anemia. Nuts are abundant in vitamins A, B, C, D, E, P, have minerals: manganese, copper, magnesium, zinc, iron, phosphorus, iodine.

The kernel contains fats, proteins and amino acids: tryptophan, methionine, lysine. Nut kernels are used for weight loss: they stimulate the hormone cholecystokinin, which sends a signal to the brain about satiety. Tincture of nuts treat diseases of the musculoskeletal system. Tinctures and balms are prepared from kernels and shells. The resulting drug is anti-inflammatory.

Pine nuts are also harmful. You cannot eat more than 50 g per day, it is forbidden to eat with meat and dairy products, the protein in nuts prevents the absorption of food. Do not give nuts to young children to avoid blockages in the airways.

Buy only unpeeled kernels, when in contact with light and oxygen, they go rancid and absorb harmful substances. If the nuts and foods from them are bitter, then the food is thrown away. Rancid oil is the strongest poison and it will take from a couple of days to a couple of weeks to restore the body.

Cedar as a unique building material

Cedar wood is excellent heat and waterproofing, natural antiseptic, and it does not smolder. Housing made of cedar is durable, rooms are enriched with phytoncides, and resin and essential oil have a good effect on the health of the owner of the house.

Cedar is a strong and beautiful tree, but it needs maintenance. When proper care a tree can live for centuries. Siberian cedars are powerful giants, amazing with beauty and useful properties atmosphere next to them and their fruits.

We all ate pine nuts. But actually they are not cedar, but pine. However, we are so accustomed to "pine nuts" that if you ask somewhere "pine nuts", they will not understand you. What's the matter? And the fact is that there are no cedars in Russia and never have been!

"But what about the Siberian cedar ?!" - Ask a puzzled man in the street. So the fact of the matter is that there are no Siberian cedars in nature!

But let's start in order.

In the era of the sailing fleet, ships were built from cedar, because it was the best wood for shipbuilding. Cedar was a strategic raw material, and a country with cedar forests had a significant source of budget replenishment. Peter I was haunted by the fact that his state was great, but there were no cedars in it - only trees and birches. And a brilliant idea came to him. The Moscow tsar ordered his scientists to officially name the Siberian pine "Siberian cedar". And so it turned out that in one day the whole of Siberia became a nursery for some unique "Siberian cedar", which ... Right! Which began to be sold abroad at the price of a Lebanese cedar. And representatives of the Russian Academy of Sciences could confirm that it was indeed a cedar, a real Siberian cedar.

Of course, everyone now knows about this forgery, and the mystical “Siberian cedars” have disappeared from the international classification of plants, but the hoax was so strong that we still buy “pine nuts” in the store.

But Wikipedia reports: “Siberian cedar pine (lat. Pinus sibirica) is one of the species of the genus pine, an evergreen tree, reaching 35-44 m in height and 2 m in trunk diameter. In Russia, the plant gained fame at the turn of the 17th-18th centuries under the name "Siberian cedar", although from a scientific point of view this species belongs to the genus pine and is a close relative of Scots pine, and not real cedars (Lebanese, Atlas and Himalayan). "

Cedar (lat.Cedrus) is an oligotypic genus of trees of the pine family (Pinaceae). In nature, the range of the genus covers the southern and eastern mountainous regions of the Mediterranean and the western regions of the Himalayas. Cedars have completely naturalized on the southern coast of Crimea in the area from Sevastopol to Kara-Dag, in areas where the absolute minimum temperature does not reach -250C, and self-seeding. Also, the Lebanese cedar is found and gives self-seeding in the Odessa region (without damage it can withstand an absolute minimum of -270C).

This means that Russia is not a country of cedars, while in Ukraine the cedar grows just fine.

A professor from Kharkov, Gennady Alexandrovich Shandikov, writes in The Tale of the Siberian Cedar: “Cut your nose,” said our school biology teacher, “no cedars, especially Siberian ones, exist in Russian nature. Pines grow in Russia, and cedars grow in Lebanon or the botanical garden. This is how figuratively and clearly our "biologist" clarified my ideas about Russian forest handsome and about your favorite pine nuts ”.

What is called cedar in many European languages, botanists refer to the vast genus of pine (Pinos). So it turns out that the Russian cedar is the Siberian pine, the Korean cedar is the Korean pine, and the dwarf pine is the dwarf pine.

Real cedars (Cedrus) are southern evergreen conifers. They grow only in the mountains of Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, in the Western Himalayas, in Cyprus, in North-West Africa and even here in Ukraine. The most famous of them is the Lebanese biblical cedar, the one that flaunts the flag of Lebanon and from which the first temple was erected by order of King Solomon.

As for the famous "cedar" nuts, they have nothing to do with cedars. The seeds of cedars do not look like nuts at all - they are small, inedible and with wings designed for better dispersal with the help of the wind.

Having glanced through commercial advertisements on Russian websites (“The Siberian Cedar Company offers a cedar barrel, a cedar font, cedar furniture from Yekaterinburg,” “Medicines from Russian cedar,” etc., etc.), I realized that our neighbors continue to drive bullshit not only in propaganda, but also in biology.

If you have questions - write to my email (), I will answer through the newspaper or in a personal.

Vladimir Pechenyuk

P.S. In the Odessa region there is a park in which a lot of Lebanese cedars grow. Many of them look impressive - 60-90 cm in diameter and 15-20 m in height. Some trees are 50-70 years old.