Description of the cedar plant, rules for growing in the open field, tips for reproduction, the most common diseases and pests, interesting notes, species.
The cedar (Cedrus) is part of the genus, which unites a small number of species (oligotypic) and is included in the Pine family (Pinaceae). In the genus, botanists have identified all 4 varieties. The natural area of distribution falls on the lands of the southern and eastern regions of the Mediterranean, as well as the western regions of the Himalayas. However, today you can find such plants on the southern coast of Crimea, and Lebanese cedar (Cedrus libani) feels great in the climate of Odessa. In nature, these majestic plants reproduce beautifully by self-sowing. They prefer to settle in forests, next to firs, spruces, oaks and pines.
| Family name | Pine |
| Growth cycle | Perennial |
| Growth form | Tree or shrub |
| Reproduction type | Using seeds or vegetatively |
| Transplant time to the garden | In early spring or after leaf fall |
| Disembarkation scheme | Leave at least 6 m between seedlings, about 3-4 m from buildings |
| Substrate | Loamy, drained, nutritious and fresh |
| Indicators of soil acidity, pH | 5-6 (slightly acidic) or pH 6, 5-7 (neutral) |
| Lighting level | Always sunny location |
| Recommended humidity | Moderate permanent soil moisture, without moisture stagnation |
| Special Requirements | Carefully adjusted watering and warmth |
| Height indicators | Up to 40-50 m |
| Color of flowers | Green |
| Inflorescences or type of flowers | Erect spicate |
| Flowering time | Autumn |
| Fruit color and shape | Barrel-shaped or ovoid-elongated bumps |
| Fruiting time | Autumn |
| Decorative period | Year-round |
| Places of application | As a single tree or in alpine plantings |
| USDA zone | 3–8 |
There is different information about the origin of the scientific name for cedar. One of them is the term that is called the European cedar - Cedar, thanks to this, the name was given to all plants of the genus. But according to another version, icons were painted on the wood boards of the Lebanese cedar, in Russian they began to be called "cedar", and such boards - cedar, and, accordingly, the tree itself - cedar.
All cedars are evergreen representatives of the flora. Their height varies in the range of 40-50 m. The cedar crown has spreading outlines and its diameter can be 3 m. But when the cedar becomes an adult, the crown takes the form of an umbrella. Plants are monoecious. The bark covering the trunk is dark gray in color, young branches are smooth, but on adult branches the bark cracks, becoming like scales. Shoots of cedars are short and rather long, needles are formed on them in a spiral order. It is the needles of the representatives of the pine family that represent modified foliage.
Cedar needles are shaped like needles with three or four edges. The length of each is 5-10 mm. The needles are hard and prickly to the touch. The color of the needles can be dark or blue-green, and also reach a silvery-gray shade. On either side, the cedar needle has stomata. The needles are located on leaf cushions and are formed in bunches, in which the number of needles reaches 30–40 pieces. The life of each needle is 3–6 years.
During flowering, which occurs in autumn, spikelets are formed on the cedars, crowning short shoots. The shape of the spikelets is erect, they are surrounded on all sides by coniferous bunches. The length of female spikelet inflorescences is 5 cm. Cedar cones are erect, growing singly. They look like barrels or can take on ovoid-elongated outlines. The diameter of the cones varies from 4 to 6 cm. There are many seed scales in them, they are arranged in a spiral. After their formation, cedar cones ripen only for 2-3 years, then scatter around the tree throughout the autumn and winter months.
Cedar seeds, even when they spill out on the ground, do not become prey for rodents, since they have a high resin content. Each seed has a triangular shape, but its surface is covered with a thin skin and large wings spliced to the upper side. The wing can weigh almost 10% of the entire mass of the seed itself. The seed is 12–18 mm long. Nuts are not used for food.
Although many people associate cedars with forests and pine forests, you can grow such a large tree in your garden. However, if you live in northern latitudes, this will be difficult, because you should not confuse ordinary cedar with Siberian (Siberian cedar pine), which grows in Siberia.
How to grow a cedar in the open field - planting and care
- Landing place. Cedrus is a light-loving and thermophilic plant, so they look for a place with a high level of lighting and protection from cold winds. It is better that this is the southern location. The cedar cannot stand the sea wind at all. In shade, such trees will suffer, although at a young age they prefer partial shade. As you grow older, the lighting level should become high.
- Watering. When caring for a cedar, this moment is the most difficult. Since in the summer months it is necessary that the soil in which the tree grows never dries up, but the moisture does not stagnate in it. This should be foreseen immediately when planting a plant. In this case, watering should be abundant.
- Priming when planting cedar trees, fresh is preferable, should have good drainage and high nutritional properties. It is best used for growing loamy or clay substrates. On dry and calcareous soils, on slopes, the plant will suffer from a lack of iron and there is a risk of chlorosis. Since cedars are very fond of organic matter in the soil, some gardeners cover the near-trunk circle with a substrate brought from a pine forest. If the soil on the site turns out to be very heavy, a small amount of river sand is mixed into it, which will ensure lightness and drainage properties of the soil mixture.
- Planting a cedar carried out with the onset of spring, until the buds begin to bloom on the branches. You can plant in open ground in the autumn, when deciduous representatives of the flora end in leaf fall. When planting cedar trees, many gardeners prefer nine-year-old seedlings. However, if a seedling is purchased from a nursery, it can be 2-3 years old, such a plant is easier to transplant and adapts to new growing conditions. If the tree is taken from the forest, then it is recommended to dig it up directly with an earthen clod so that the root system is not damaged. When moving, this lump must be wrapped with a damp cloth or cardboard, as it dries very quickly. Polyethylene is often used as a wrapping material. After the seedling is removed from the soil, planting is carried out in a short time so that the earthen lump does not dry out, and the needles do not turn yellow and take on a withered appearance. Landing pits are prepared in advance. All the excavated soil must be combined with fertilizers, which are humus, rotted manure, wood ash and peat. When calculating the distance, it must be remembered that the cedar is a large plant and for an adult tree it is recommended to leave about 6 m in the projection zone of its future crown. It is better to retreat from buildings and fences when digging a hole of at least 3 meters, since the cedar root system is so powerful that over time it will begin to destroy the foundation. If there is a lot of space on the garden plot, then it is good to plant 2-3 cedar specimens nearby. Before digging a hole for planting, the soil must be dug within a 3-meter radius from the planned site. The size of the pit for planting should be 1.5–2 times larger than the size of the earthen ball of the cedar seedling. If the plant is in a shipping container, it is carefully removed and planted immediately, being careful not to destroy the earthen lump (transhipment planting). If a cedar seedling with an open root system, then the roots must first be soaked in a "clay talker", into which, if desired, you can add any root formation stimulator (for example, Kornevin). The consistency of such a solution should resemble thick sour cream. The seedling is installed in a pit, but a peg is inserted there before that, to which the trunk is tied. Such an adaptation will support the plant for the first time. Tie a cedar to a peg with a soft strip of fabric or twine. Then the soil is poured to the top of the seat and squeezed a little around the tree trunk. After planting, young cedar trees are abundantly watered, and the trunk circle is mulched with a layer of peat or compost.
- The use of cedar in landscape design. If there are cedar seedlings of blue or silver forms, then it is customary to decorate garden and park areas, forest plantations with them. As a source of phytoncides, it can be planted as a central figure on the lawn or in group plantings. All due to the fact that the unusually colored needles will stand out favorably against the background of other representatives of the flora. It is beneficial to form alleys with the help of such plantings.
Breeding tips for cedar
Most often, in nature, cedar trees reproduce by self-seeding, but you can get a young plant by grafting.
Seed propagation in this case is the most accessible method that does not require much effort. Stratification is not required for cedar seed material, unlike most representatives of the pine family (for example, the same Siberian cedar, fir or pines). However, to simplify germination, it is recommended to soak the seeds for 2-3 days in warm water, which is changed several times a day.
Many gardeners, after the seeds are soaked, put them in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for a couple of hours, and then mix with moistened river sand and place them on the lower shelf of the refrigerator. There, the pre-sowing preparation of seeds lasts no more than a month. That is, in fact, stratification is carried out - holding at a temperature of 4-6 degrees for a long period. But in this case, it happens that the seeds begin their growth while still in a closed container on the shelf of the refrigerator and you will have to urgently plant them in the ground or containers with soil mixture.
For planting, you can take seedling boxes or individual pots. The container is filled with a peat-sand mixture and the swollen seeds are spread on the surface of the substrate and sprinkled with the same soil a little. If they have sprouted, then it is necessary to place them with special care in the grooves made with a pencil in the soil mixture. It will be necessary to organize greenhouse conditions of detention, wrapping containers with crops in plastic wrap. When leaving, you should ensure a high level of lighting, increased humidity indicators, timely soil moisture and daily ventilation. Germination temperature should be room temperature.
When the cedar seedlings germinate, the shelter is not removed yet. If you remove the plastic wrap right away and just leave the seedlings on the windowsill, then most likely they will not survive. Greenhouse cultivation continues for 2-3 years. In this case, it is necessary to carry out the following procedures:
- illumination should be mandatory and high illumination;
- the normal year-round temperature regime for growing cedar seedlings is a range of 10-25 degrees Celsius;
- it is imperative to organize the difference between day and night temperatures;
- the crown is being molded.
Planting seedlings in open ground is possible only if you live in a warm climate, otherwise this future giant will not tolerate a drop in temperatures.
Also, some gardeners practice grafting cedar cuttings on common pine, but this process requires experience and skill, and a beginner lover of garden flora may not be able to cope with it.
The most common diseases and pests in the cultivation of cedar
Botanists have identified more than 130 species of harmful insects that pose a problem in the cultivation of cedar. The most dangerous is considered pine cone moth (Dioryctria abietella) or, as it is also called - spruce moth … The larvae of this pest damage the cones of the plant, since this dirty-red butterfly lays its eggs under the scales of only formed cones, while the seeds will not be able to ripen. To fight the pest, it is recommended to spray cedar at the very beginning of flowering with Lepitocide from Aurora. This product helps to kill the caterpillars of lepidoptera insects. After a week, it is required to repeat the processing of cedar trees.
A disease that damages old specimens of cedars (more than 40-50 years old) is mottled red trunk rot, which is also found in the literature under the name pine sponge … The disease is provoked by a mulberry mushroom, which looks like a solid brown body. Its surface is covered with dense sprouted moss. Most often, such formations are visible on the lower and especially valuable part of the cedar trunk. To fight, it is necessary to remove the body of the mushroom with the arrival of summer days. It is recommended to lubricate the places on the cedar trunk where the mushrooms were attached with any antiseptic or creosote oil.
The roots of all varieties of cedar trees can be affected by the disease root sponge, which leads to decay of the trunk and subsequent windfalls. There are no effective methods of combating this fungus; the affected plant must be removed immediately in order to avoid infection on other plantations.
To prevent cedar plantations from being exposed to these diseases, it is recommended not to violate the cultivation technique, not to thicken both the crowns and the group arrangement. Purchase only trees with high immunity for planting.
Curious notes about the cedar
Often, ordinary people confuse cedar and cedar pine, since these representatives of the flora have a similar description of the bark, needles and cones. Cedar or cedar, which is called the European cedar (Pinus cembra - European pine), in ancient times the Romans called similar majestic trees growing in their lands. But when the Roman troops seized the island of Crete by storm, when they saw such green "giants", which reminded them of pines, they began to call them cedar, that is, similar to cedar. This is how all the varieties of Cedrus were later called. Today there are many versions according to which the plant began to bear its current name.
Cedar, like many members of its family, is a useful plant. Cedar wood is distinguished by its durability and from this it is considered highly valuable. It is used for making furniture, building ships, and in many other industries. There are even references to the use of wood from these plants in the Bible. This material is a symbol of prosperity and well-being.
Since cedar trees are distinguished not only by their decorative appearance, but also by their high growth rate, they are often used for landscaping park areas, both as group plantings and as a tapeworm.
It is important to note
Real cedar, unlike cedar pine, whose nuts are considered useful and expensive, does not have seeds for food.
Cedar trees are commonly used in the perfumery industry, as their scent helps to get rid of feelings of anxiety, helps to restore mental balance and relieve irritation.
During the entire existence of human civilization, about 16 species of cedar trees have been lost, and only four have survived to this day.
Types of cedar
Lebanese cedar (Cedrus libani)
occurs in nature on the lands of Asia Minor. It does not exceed 40 m in height. The trunk is large, branches are branched. When the plant is young, its crown with wide-spreading outlines looks like a cone, but over time it takes on an umbrella-shaped shape. The trunk is covered with a dark gray bark in the form of scales. Shoots can be bare or slightly pubescent. The color of the needles is dark green, the length of the needles is 4 cm. Its shape is tetrahedral, the needles are hard to the touch, they are collected in bunches, in which there are 40 needles. Needles do not fly around for two years.
The formed cones are light brown, located singly, in length they can grow by 10 cm with an average diameter of about 5 cm. Their shape is in the form of a barrel. It is characterized by a slow growth rate.
Atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica)
Natural growth occurs in the lands of North Africa (Algeria and Morocco), where it is found on the slopes of the Atlas. The wood of this plant has a high resin content, strong aroma and durability. The height of this evergreen tree is 40–50 m. The trunk diameter does not exceed 1.5–2 m. The outline of the crown is loose, pyramidal. Tough needles, painted in a bluish-green tone, grow on the branches. The needles measure 2.5 cm in length. Ripening cones take an ovoid or cylindrical shape. The surface of the cones is glossy, dense, painted in a light brown color. The length of the cone is 10 cm, while the length of the seed is in the range of 10–12 mm, and the winglet reaches 15 mm in length. The growth rate of this type of cedar, while it is young, is quite fast, the vegetation process in spring begins late. The plant is not hardy and will not be able to survive frosts greater than -20 degrees. There are a large number of its decorative forms. It is believed by scientists that this species originates from the Lebanese cedar.
Himalayan cedar (Cedrus deodara)
also found under the name Deodar … In nature, it is found in Afghan lands and in the Himalayas. The tree trunk can be extended up to 50 meters in height. The crown of the plant is broadly conical. When the tree matures, its outline becomes flat from above, branches are clearly visible on the branches. Young shoots have pubescence. The needles have a light green color with a clear bluish tint. In length, it surpasses other varieties of cedars and is 5 cm. Bunches of about 30-40 needles are collected from the needles. The needles are soft and thin to the touch. The formed bumps are ovoid. Until they are fully ripe, their color is bluish, changing to reddish brown. The ripening period takes one and a half years. After 2-3 years, the cones begin to crumble. By the way, their size is 10 cm. The seeds are whitish, they reach 16-17 cm in length, the wing color is grayish-brown. They differ in resinousness, practically are not used in food. In the southern territories of Crimea, it is a particularly valuable breed.
Cypriot cedar (Cedrus libani var.brevifolia)
also found under the name Short-coniferous cedar … Many scholars believe that this species is a subspecies of Lebanese Cyprus. It is clear that the territory of natural origin falls on the lands of the island of Crete. There, the plant prefers mountainous areas. Its height is no more than 12 m with a trunk diameter of about two meters. The crown has an umbrella-shaped outline. The needles are colored gray-green, their size is very small, only 5–8 mm in length. The cones are oval-cylindrical, and the length does not exceed 6-7 cm.
Video about growing cedar:
