Among all varieties of coniferous trees, Japanese pine occupies a special place. Under natural conditions, it grows in Japan, on the Kuril Islands, is found in the Caucasus and on the Black Sea coast. A characteristic feature of this variety is a cone-shaped crown, dark green or blue needles.
This is an unpretentious plant that can be grown in your backyard or even in a city apartment and created from such a bonsai plant.
General Description
A tree can grow up to 20 meters high. The crown of the plant is long in the form of a cone. The needles have a dark green color with a silver coating below. The needles themselves are soft and thin, the tips are curved.
Flowering occurs in May. Then small cones appear, up to 12 centimeters long. They remain on the tree up to 7 years, and fully mature in 2-3 years.
Japanese pine can live 150-200 years. The plant is not afraid of urban dirty conditions and extreme cold, down to -34 degrees. The tree can be single-stemmed or multi-stemmed. The bark is smooth, but scales appear with age.
Variety variety
In general, there are about a hundred varieties of Japanese pine. But on our territory, there are several of the most popular:
- "Glauka", with characteristic blue needles: trees grow to medium size;
- Tempelhof, a dwarf plant, but in only 10 years it can stretch up to 2 meters;
- Negishi, a small tree that grows only 1 meter in 10 years, also has blue needles;
- Blauer Engel, does not grow above 1.5 meters, but has a spreading and wide crown.
Growing in the natural environment
Naturally bred varieties are not recommended for planting in areas where winter temperatures can drop to -28 degrees. If the variety is bred artificially, then it will also tolerate lower temperatures. Numerous reviews confirm this.
How to grow Japanese pines and where to plant them? This coniferous tree perfectly tolerates both the cold and the scorching sun. It is also unpretentious to lighting conditions.
There are also no special requirements for the soil, it tolerates s alty soil well. But it does best in well-drained and moist soil. Expanded clay or broken brick can be added to the soil.
It is thanks to these properties that pine is planted even in rocky areas.
Planting a seedling, watering and fertilizing
You can plant young plants from late April to September. It is during this period that the root system adapts best.to new growing conditions.
It is necessary to choose seedlings that have reached 3-5 years. During planting, a hole is dug to a depth of approximately one meter, covered with nitrogen or complex fertilizer. Then a tree is placed (together with a lump) and covered with a pre-prepared filling, which is prepared from the following components:
- turf land;
- clay;
- river sand.
Components are added in the ratio 2:2:1. If several trees are planted at once, then a distance of 1.5 meters should be left between them. If larger varieties are selected, then - 4 meters.
After planting, the seedling is watered, and in the future, the need for watering is determined depending on the weather. If there are sunny days, then more water is needed. On average, young growth does not require regular watering, if it is not very hot outside, it will be enough to carry out the procedure only once a week.
Sprinkling is carried out from spring to summer: it is recommended to wash the twigs. In the first year, it is desirable to carry out the procedure every other day.
There are no special requirements for Japanese pine fertilizer. However, judging by the reviews, in the first two years it is advisable to apply complex fertilizer every six months. When a plant matures, it receives all the useful substances from its own fallen needles.
Japanese pine: how to grow from seed?
There are three options for tree propagation: cuttings, seed method and by grafting.
Seeds are extracted from the cones of the plant. They ripen 2-3 years afterpollination. If a pyramidal thickening appears on the opened cone, then you can collect the seeds. Reviews from amateur gardeners confirm the excellent germination of seeds planted immediately after harvest.
You can store the material in a glass container, but always in a cool place. This is a prerequisite for the seeds to sprout next year.
Before planting the seeds, immediately after harvesting or storage, it is recommended to place them in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, then rinse with warm water.
Pre-prepared containers (with holes) are covered with soil and sprinkled with peat. It is not even necessary to deepen the seeds into the ground, you can simply scatter them on the surface and loosen them.
Between the seeds should be left at 5 millimeters of distance. Watering is carried out using a spray gun. As soon as small sprouts appear, they are seated in separate containers.
This method is also suitable for obtaining Japanese pine seeds for bonsai.
Growing a tree at home
This variety is the most popular for the formation of trees in the ancient Japanese style - bonsai.
Plant seeds in early spring. To achieve active growth, you need a lot of sun. To assess how much a tree needs watering, the soil must be checked 2 times throughout the day. Japanese pine does not like excessive watering and does not like soil that is too dry.
To make the tree on the windowsill happy, you will need to fertilize it regularly. In the spring it is recommended to fertilize with low-nitrogenfertilizers. More such additives are not given until the needles become hard. This is done so that the needles do not grow too long.
After that, the plant is fertilized with nitrogenous fertilizers more often, approximately every 2-3 weeks, until autumn comes. In winter, the tree has a dormant period and it is not required to feed it.
It is recommended to lubricate saw cuts after pruning branches with petroleum jelly to stop the release of resin. The older the plant, the harder it tolerates pruning. Old trees that have reached 30 years or more should not be pruned more than once a year.
With a great desire, growing a tree from Japanese pine seeds at home is not difficult, it just takes a lot of patience.
Pests and diseases
Despite the unpretentiousness of the Japanese pine, it should still be regularly looked after. Dry, diseased and damaged branches should always be removed. We must not forget that the plant has pests.
- Pine hermes is an aphid that feeds on needles. Aphids appear in the form of a white fluff, diseased needles become short and light.
- Pine aphid.
- Scutellum, a dangerous pest that causes needles to fall off.
- Pine root bug that causes the top of the tree to dry out.
Regardless of whether Japanese pine is grown from seed or cuttings, the plant can suffer from Schutte disease. A cancerous disease may also occur, in which the needles acquire a reddish-brown hue, dry out and fall off.
In any case, the Japanese pine, as soon as it appears on the plot or in the apartment, will always please the eye, although it will require a little attention.
