Characteristics of the alder plant, tips for planting and caring for the garden, breeding rules, methods of pest and disease control, interesting notes about alder, species and varieties.
Alder (Alnus) belongs to the rather extensive family of Birch (Betulaceae). This genus, which combined the tree-like and shrub representatives of the flora, has from 23 to 40 different species. All of them are mainly found on the territory of the Northern Hemisphere with a temperate climate. However, some varieties grow on the South American continent and in Asia, but in the latter case, preferring mountainous regions. And there are those who feel great in the tundra or in northern Africa.
| Family name | Birch |
| Growing period | Perennial |
| Vegetation form | Shrub or tree |
| Breeding method | Seed and vegetative (by cuttings, jigging of root shoots) |
| Landing period in open ground | During the growing season |
| Landing rules | The placement of seedlings is recommended no closer than 2-3 m |
| Priming | Nutritious, drained not too dry |
| Soil acidity values, pH | 7-8 (slightly alkaline) or 6, 5-7 (neutral) |
| Lighting degree | Any location will do |
| Humidity parameters | Watering only in heat and drought, if the place is not near waterways |
| Special care rules | Does not tolerate overdrying of soil |
| Height values | Up to 10 m |
| Inflorescences or type of flowers | Small spikelets are collected from pistillate (male), from staminate (female) long earrings |
| Flower color | Greenish, crimson |
| Flowering period | Spring or Autumn |
| Decorative period | Spring-autumn |
| Application in landscape design | Coastal areas and slopes, solitary plantings as tapeworms and decorative groups, alleys, spectacular hedges |
| USDA zone | 3–8 |
Since the plant can often be found on the banks of river arteries, this is reflected in the name. The words from which it sounds like in the Celtic language "al", "alis" and "lan" are translated as "at", "water" and "shore", respectively. Among the people you can hear how alder is called volder and elkhoy, elshina and leshinnik, olekh and oleshnik, spruce and wilkha.
All varieties of alder are deciduous plants. Depending on the place where they grow, the form of their growth can vary from shrub to tree-like. If the plant looks like a tree, then its height is about 10 m. The trunks are usually thin and characterized by curved contours. The bark of a plant, no matter how old it was, is always smooth. The branches have a cylindrical cross-section and a core that takes the shape of an irregular triangle. The core color is green. On the shoots, there are rounded or oval lenticels. The kidneys are formed on the legs. Alder leaf plates grow on the branches in the next order, they are attached to the shoots by means of petioles. The leaves are simple and solid, in rare cases there are small lobes. The edge of the foliage is jagged, the stipules flying very early. The shape of the lamina can vary from nearly round, ovate and obovate to lanceolate. On the surface of the leaves, venation in the form of pinnation is visible. In the genus there are species characterized by pubescence and iron content. The color of the leaves is a pleasant green shade.
Interesting
Since alder leaves contain a large amount of nitrogen, they very quickly succumb to rotting, while improving the condition of the soil onto which they fall.
Alder has monoecious flowers, which are divided into pistillate (male) and staminate (female). From the first, as a rule, small spikelet inflorescences are collected, located in the lower part of the branches. From the staminate, elongated catkins are formed, growing in the upper part of the shoots. Most of the varieties bloom in early spring, but there are some that bloom in the autumn-winter period (October-December). Usually flowers are formed before the leaves unfold, or simultaneously with this process. Because of this, pollen is better carried by the wind and thus pollination occurs. Interestingly, the female flowers are found in two pieces in the axillary fleshy scales. The latter, by the period when the fruits are fully ripe, become lignified and at the same time form a cone that characterizes alder species and so resembles cones of conifers.
The fruit of the alder is a single-seeded nut, which has a pair of lignified stigmas. Also, there may be leathery wings, in rare cases having a membranous appearance, but there are also wingless fruits. Seeds fully ripen by mid-autumn, the period from pollination and fruiting is approximately 2.5 months. Seed material begins to fly out from autumn days, and this process can stretch until spring. Seeds are spread by water or wind. Cones that are lignified can remain on the wilch for a long time, even after the fruits from the branches have flown around.
Due to its many beneficial properties, gardeners are engaged in growing alder in their backyard. At the same time, we can note the particular non-capriciousness of the plant and the ability to grow in those places where other "noble" trees simply cannot develop. It is also important to remember about the medicinal properties of oleshnik, which have long attracted folk healers. You can find out about all this further.
Tips for planting and caring for alder outdoors
- Landing place any will do. The plant feels great in an open and sunny location or in the shade. Such a representative of the flora can grow even on swampy soil, which corresponds to natural preferences or sandy soil.
- Soil for alder. Although the plant differs in unpretentiousness in the choice of soil, the best growth is observed on a substrate with neutral or slightly alkaline acidity, when the pH is in the range from 6.5 to 8 units. If the soil on the site is acidic, then it is recommended to prepare it - add slaked lime or dolomite flour. For nutritional value, you can mix it with a small amount of a complete mineral complex, for example, apply Kemiru-Universal.
- Choosing an alder seedling. When you want to get a plant on the site, not only famous for its medicinal properties, but also helping to improve the soil with its foliage, then you can buy a deer tree sapling in a garden store or in the market. The seedling is selected young, with a root system with good development. The root collar should show a slight bend with traces of the cut rootstock. If the cut does not look tightening, then there is a possibility of damage to the alder seedling with a mulberry fungal infection. The condition of the seedling should be excellent, its trunk should be even and fully formed, there should be no traces of mechanical damage or manifestations of fungal diseases on it. Roots of small sizes should be characterized by pomp and density.
- Planting an alder. For this, the best time will be the entire growing season (from early spring to early autumn). The size of the pit for planting should be such that an earthen ball with a root system can easily fit into it without destroying it. It is recommended to lay a layer of drainage material at the bottom of the planting pit, which can be crushed stone or coarse sand. Although the deer is distinguished by its moisture-loving nature, fungal infections can become active at low temperatures and waterlogged soil. An alder seedling is placed in a hole and the root shoots are carefully straightened, after which all the remaining free space is covered with a fertilized substrate. When planting, make sure that the root collar of the plant is located on the same level as the new one on the site. After planting, it is necessary to water it abundantly, and tamp the soil a little. Then it is recommended to lay a layer of mulch on top of the substrate, which will protect it from drying out too quickly. Such mulching material can be peat chips, crushed chips or straw. If several seedlings are planted next to each other, then the future dimensions of the elha crown should be taken into account. In any case, the distance should not be closer than 2-3 meters.
- Watering. Since the plant in nature prefers the proximity of water and when caring for alder they try to take this aspect into account, then the alder will not need frequent moistening of the soil. In any case, it is recommended to monitor the condition of the soil so that it never dries out. After watering or rain, it is necessary to loosen the trunk circle and weed from weeds.
- Fertilizers when caring for alder, it is not necessary, since the plant is able to saturate the soil with nitrogen on its own. However, you should still mulch the soil on which the deer tree grows with crushed peat, wood chips, or even crushed stone. The thickness of such a layer should not be less than five centimeters.
- Pruning such alder plantations are carried out regularly, as this will serve as protection against the possibility of infection by fungi or pests. With the arrival of spring, you need to remove all dried up shoots and those that have been damaged during the winter period.
- Winter hardiness in a plant such as alder, it is tall, but some varieties can be subject to freezing during particularly severe winters. This aspect is recommended to be taken into account when choosing seedlings for growing in a certain region. To prevent frosting of young twigs, gardeners are advised to use a shelter made of spruce branches or agrofibre (for example, spunbond) for the winter. The best choice for northern areas is to plant such alder plants among the conifers.
- The use of alder in landscape design. Since some species of deer have rather large parameters in height, they are grown as a tapeworm. Others, not so tall, can be combined in group plantings with trees and shrubs. An alley or hedge formed from wilha looks good. A pond will be a good neighborhood, because of the plant's great love for moisture.
Read more about the features of caring for a birch when growing on a site.
Alder breeding rules
To get new plantings of deer, it is recommended to sow its seed material or use vegetative methods, including cuttings and jigging of root shoots.
Alder propagation by cuttings
This method is one of the simplest, and the results can be seen already in the first growing season, since the wilch has a high growth rate. On the stumps of the shoots, after a short period of time, sprouts are formed, which until spring turn into a bush of lush outlines.
In the spring-summer period, you can engage in cutting blanks for grafting. The length of the branches should be within 12-16 cm. The cuttings are planted directly in the open ground, but before that the sections are treated with any root stimulator. Already by autumn days, such seedlings have formed full-fledged root processes, the plants will be strong enough to survive the winter period without any shelter.
Alder propagation by root shoots
There are species in the genus, next to the mother tree or bush of which, over time, you can see young offspring, therefore they can be used as seedlings. However, such seedlings are located quite close to the parent specimen (no further than 5–6 meters). They are carefully dug up in spring, separated from the root system of the mother alder and transplanted to a new place of growth. At the same time, it is recommended not to destroy the earthen lump surrounding the root system, so as not to expose it to unnecessary injury. Planting should be done immediately so that the roots do not dry out. The planting hole should be slightly larger than an earthen coma in size. The seedling is placed in the hole, fresh soil is poured around it and watering and mulching is performed.
Alder propagation by seeds
is the most common way. In the autumn, while the cones are not yet ripe, they are cut off along with the shoots and brought to a dry room with good ventilation. There, the cones ripen and open until the end, and the seeds can be easily obtained. The material is then sieved to separate the seeds from the debris. The resulting seeds can be immediately placed in seedling boxes filled with nutritious soil mixture (for example, peat-sand) or stratified. Then you will need to keep the seed in cold conditions (at a temperature of 0-5 degrees) for 3-4 months. Alder seeds in the substrate should be no more than 2, 5–3 cm deep.
When sowing in spring, you will have to expect the appearance of shoots, almost a year from the moment the seeds are placed in the ground. At first, only a small sprout will be visible, which will grow the root system. Each year, alder seedlings will grow 0.5–1 m in height. If sowing was carried out in seedling boxes, then with the appearance of the third leaf, it is recommended to dive in separate containers, and only after a year can such plants be planted in open ground.
The process of seed reproduction is presented in more detail in the video posted at the end of the article.
Pest and disease control in alder cultivation
Although the deer tree is a rather resistant plant, if the above rules of agricultural technology are systematically violated, it is exposed to diseases, among which stands out:
- White mixed stem rot, arising from the activation of the mulberry mushroom. Plants that are weakened or that are subject to drying out are usually affected. Under the influence of the disease, a part of the trunk, namely its nucleus, decomposes. Symptoms are a changed color of the wood - whitish with yellowish tones. For the fight, treatment with fungicides is recommended, such as Bordeaux liquid, when the foliage has already unfolded; if not, then spray the alder with a solution of ferrous sulfate in a 5% concentration.
- White fibrous rot. Already shriveled branches suffer, but then the disease spreads to all healthy parts of the deer tree. Subsequently, if measures are not taken, the whole tree dies off. The above methods of struggle are applied.
- Light yellow trunk rot arises from the activation of the fungus of the false mulberry. The fungus reaches the stem core and appears in the early stages as whitish stripes on the woody surface. This symptom indicates a loosening of the wood, as a result of which even hollows may appear on the trunks. Spraying with copper sulfate and Bordeaux liquid will also help here.
- Deformation of sheet plates it is clearly visible due to swelling on the surface, the formation of folds and wrinkles. The foliage may become curly, but it does not lose color. Such a fungal disease does not cause noticeable harm.
- Earring deformation, composed by female flowers. When the fungus enters the earrings, they begin to increase in length and width. In this case, the disease affects the germination properties of alder seeds. It is recommended to remove the affected parts of the plant.
The following are recognized as pests that can spoil the plantings of the deer tree:
- Corrosive arboreal - a butterfly whose caterpillars penetrate, hatch, into wood and feed on it. Shoots that have been defeated begin to dry out immediately, although the process itself stretches for a couple of years. The signs of the presence of the pest are foliage, acquiring a brown color and crumbling from the tops of the branches. To combat, all branches with such signs are cut and burned.
- Ringed moth - also a butterfly, the hatched caterpillars of which feed on alder flowers and buds, and when they mature they gnaw at the foliage. It is recommended to use insecticidal agents - Actellik or Aktaru.
- Alder cider - is a beetle, the larvae of which gnaw through the bark and remain there for the winter. The bark, when the larvae leave it in the form of beetles, dies off in such a place. If the damage is quite significant, then the alder may simply die. It is recommended to regularly prune damaged branches and even small shoots, feed on time and take proper care of the alder. When the stage of emergence of beetles comes, spray trees and bushes with insecticides against bark beetles (for example, Clipper).
- Chafer or beetle, which not only eats alder foliage, ovaries and fruits, but its larvae infect the root system, which causes the plant to quickly die. Spraying is used both with folk remedies (onion broth) and chemical (Fitoverm or Boverin).
You can also specify such pests as blue alder leaf beetle and toothed wing, the fight against which is carried out with insecticidal agents (Karbofos, Aktellik or Aktara).
Read more about diseases and pests that occur when caring for juniper
Interesting notes about the alder tree
The alder plant has long been appreciated by people for its qualities. Although its wood is not particularly strong, it has a uniform structure, which greatly facilitates the processing of the material, and also pleases the eye with a reddish color. If the trunks have a fairly even shape and thickness, then crafts, as well as carpentry, are made from them. However, most of the wood from wilha is intended for firewood, the price of which is 10–30% lower than that of birch. If we talk about the use of alder coal, then it is indispensable in the manufacture of gunpowder for hunting.
Interesting
On the territory of Scandinavia, there is a legend that a woman originates from an alder, and a man - from an ash tree.
Since deer wood does not lose its properties under water, it is used for small underwater structures. In cooking, alder sawdust and shavings are recommended for smoking meat and fish products. Wilha wood is also indispensable in the manufacture of body parts for electric guitars. In addition, it is possible to obtain paint in black, red and yellow colors, which gives a woody alder material. These properties have long been used in tanning and dyeing leather goods.
Not only traditional medicine, but also the official one has long recognized the medicinal properties of alder. At the same time, black (Alnus glutinosa) and gray (Alnus incana) varieties are distinguished. The bark, foliage and seed (cones) of the deer tree are used. Such drugs can stop blood, eliminate inflammation, fight bacteria, have astringent and anti-cancer effects, promote wound healing and enhance immunity.
Even in the works of physicians dating back to the XII century, there were recipes for infusions on alder cones, prescribed to cure polyarthritis and dysentery. They helped with colds and colitis, helped to relieve the symptoms of not only acute, but also chronic enteritis.
However, there are a number of contraindications for the use of oleshnik medications. Although the plant does not have toxic substances in itself, it is still not worth abusing such drugs. Among the contraindications are: the period of pregnancy and lactation, individual intolerance.
Description of alder species
In our latitudes, among all the variety of species, it is customary to grow only 12 and the most famous among them are:
Gray alder (Alnus incana)
or as it is also called White alder, Eloha or Laciniata … Natural areas of distribution fall on almost all European lands, Asia Minor and the West Siberian region, the Transcaucasus and the North American continent. The reason for this specific name was the color of the bark of the plant trunks, which have a slight bend, the presence of humps and depressions. And also foliage, characterized by a grayish tint on the upper side, while the lower has a whitish pubescence. The outlines of the leaf plate have an oval, ovoid-rounded or oval-lanceolate shape, occasionally acquiring the contours of an ellipse, at the apex with a sharpness. The length of the leaf is 4–10 cm with a width of about 3.5–7 cm. The arrangement of the leaves is alternately in 3 rows.
It can take a tree-like or shrubby form of growth, while the height in the first case reaches 20 m, and the diameter of the trunk is equal to half a meter. Through foliage and branches, an ovoid or narrow ovoid crown is formed. The root system is located in the surface layer of the soil. The shoots, when formed, are distinguished by a green color, which gradually changes to blackish-gray.
During flowering, earrings of brown or crimson color are formed. The fruit is nuts with obovate outlines with wings. The length of such a nut is 10 mm, and the width is 7–8 mm. Nuts are placed in cones. After full ripening, they spill out and are carried by the wind on autumn days.
Differs in high frost resistance and growth rate. Recommended to grow as a specimen or in group plantings next to shrubs and trees. It does not differ in exactingness to the composition of the soil and perfectly tolerates urban polluted air and drought.
Alder gray Pyramidalis (Alnus incana Pyramidalis)
has a tree-like shape and a crown with pyramidal outlines. It prefers to grow in areas well lit by the sun, and is characterized by resistance to frost. The growing substrate needs to be nutritious and moist. With an average growth rate, it can easily tolerate urban conditions. Recommended for both single and group landings. With the help of such plants, alleys and hedges are formed. The color of the leaves is dark emerald, not changing with the arrival of the autumn-winter period. The resulting earrings have a purple hue. The maximum trunk height is 10 m with a crown diameter of 4 m.
Black alder (Alnus glutinosa)
occurs under the name Glutinous alder, European alder or Imperialis … The specific name is obtained from the sticky surface of young foliage, as in Latin "glutinosa" means "sticky", but the term "black" is given to the plant because of the color of the bark on the fractured trunks. It is the most common variety on Russian lands, it can be found beyond the Urals, as well as in Europe. The tree-like plant reaches 35 m in height, while the diameter of the trunk is almost 0.9 m. Often, many trunks are formed. The branches are located almost at an angle of 90 degrees to the trunk. The crown has ovoid or pyramidal outlines, gradually taking on a roundness. The root system is located on the surface, therefore, due to strong winds, the trunk can be knocked down.
Foliage with obovate outlines. In this case, there are depressions on the surface. The color of the leaves is green, the arrangement is in the next order. The length of the leaf plate is 4–9 cm with a width of 6–7 cm. At the base there is a roundness or its shape is broadly wedge-shaped. Before the leaves appear (April-May period), the flowering process begins and the formation of catkins and bumps - female and male flowers, respectively. The flowers are green at first, but then a brown tint appears. A variety is used for landscaping alleys as a tapeworm or in a group planting next to shrubs and trees.
Red alder (Alnus rubra)
naturally grows on the North American continent. The tree is small in size, not exceeding 15 meters in height. The wood has a brownish-red color. The leaf plate is elongated-ovate, with a sharp point at the apex and base of a wide-wedge-shaped shape. Small denticles run along the edge, and venation is visible on the shiny surface. The trunk is often straight in outline. The crown is thick. There are also shrub forms of the species, when their height is measured by 6 meters. The color of the bark of the trunks is grayish, and the branches have brown bark.
A distinctive feature is that the process of flowering and unfolding of foliage occurs at the same time. It can tolerate shaded areas, is frost-resistant, but quite hygrophilous. It is used to form hedges.
Related article: Rules for growing mimosa on the site
Step-by-step video about growing alder:
