Mass examinations of the root systems of pine and spruce (56 pine and 52 spruce trunks) in natural stands showed that the structure of the root system of these species is in many ways similar to the structure of the root systems in pine and spruce plantings.
The main mass (75-85%) of large and small fibrous pine and spruce roots is concentrated in the two upper horizons (0-40 cm).
The first horizon is dominated by spruce roots, and the second by pine trees. In the underlying horizons, the number of roots is sharply reduced (10-15 times). The roots of spruce and pine penetrate through compacted soil horizons mostly along the passages of old roots, sometimes through cracks or worm passages.
In the 90-year-old planting under study, spruce roots penetrate into the soil to a depth of 180-200 cm, pine - 220-250 cm, birch - 350 cm, aspen - 310 cm. It is characteristic that in 27-year-old pine-spruce crops, individual the roots of pine and spruce reached almost the same depth. It follows from this that root growth in depth is intense in the first years of the plant’s life and reaches its maximum depth by the age of 30 years. Subsequently, there appears to be a quantitative increase in the roots of these rocks in the soil at the reached depth.
In the horizontal direction, the roots of spruce spread 10-12 m, pine - 8-10 m.
Massive observations of the structure of roots in the soil profile showed that the roots of pine and spruce in deep soil horizons penetrated mainly through the tubes of decayed aspen or birch roots. Whole scrolls of thin roots sometimes rush along these ready-made passages, forming powerful root ropes.
The wood of aspen and birch roots rots completely, but their bark in the form of well-preserved hollow tubes remains in the soil for many years. Long hard tubes of preserved birch or aspen root bark were often extracted from compacted subhorizons. When sampling trench profiles, many cases were observed when the extracted pine and spruce roots were encased in aspen or birch bark.
In cases where pine roots penetrated into compacted subhorizons not along the paths of old roots, they made multiple turns, quickly decreased in size and disappeared.
Sometimes the pine roots, having reached dense loamy soil, turned sharply upward again.
Thus, the presence of old roots in the soil, especially in its compacted horizons, creates favorable conditions for the development of pine and spruce root systems. They improve soil aeration and promote the penetration of moisture and nutrients from the upper layers into deeper soil horizons.
Studies of birch and aspen roots in the same planting showed that their root systems are more active and significantly (1-1.5 m) deeper than those of pine and spruce, penetrating into the soil, independently making passages in compacted soil horizons. Thus, aspen and birch are the first species to colonize deep layers of soil. Their roots, densely intertwined in the soil, form compacted horizons and thereby create more favorable conditions for the successful growth of a future pine or spruce planting.
Consequently, the productivity and stability of pine and spruce plantations largely depends on the presence in the soil of old root passages laid by the previous generation, mainly birch or aspen.
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Pine (Pinus) is an evergreen coniferous tree, shrub or dwarf tree, belongs to the class Conifers, order Pine, family Pine, genus Pine. The lifespan of a pine tree ranges from 100 to 600 years. Today there are single trees whose age is approaching 5 centuries.
It has not yet been established exactly what word formed the basis of the Latin name of the pine Pinus. According to some sources, this is the Celtic pin (rock or mountain), according to others - the Latin picis (resin).
Pine - description and characteristics of the tree
The pine tree grows very quickly, especially in the first 100 years. The height of a pine trunk varies from 35 meters to 75 meters, and the diameter of the trunk can reach 4 meters. On swampy soils and under unfavorable growing conditions, the height of century-old trees does not exceed 100 cm.
Pine is a light-loving plant. Flowering time occurs at the end of spring, but the process occurs without the appearance of flowers. As a result, pine cones are formed, which are distinguished by a variety of shapes, sizes and colors.
Male cones of most pine species have an elongated, cylindrical-ellipsoidal shape and up to 15 cm in length. Female pine cones are mostly round, broadly ovate or slightly flattened, ranging from 4 to 8 cm in length.
The color of the cones, depending on the type, can be yellow, brown, brick red, purple and almost black.
Pine seeds have a hard shell and are either winged or wingless.
Some species of pines (pine pines) have seeds that are edible.
Pine is a tree whose crown has a conical shape, turning into something like a huge umbrella in old age.
The structure of the cortex also depends on age. If at the beginning of its life cycle it is smooth and almost without cracks, then by the age of one hundred it acquires considerable thickness, cracks and acquires a dark gray color.
The appearance of the tree is formed by long shoots that become woody over time, on which needles and needles grow. Pine needles are smooth, hard and sharp, collected in bunches and have a life span of up to 3 years. The shape of pine needles is triangular or sectoral. Their length ranges from 4 to 20 cm. Depending on the number of leaves (needles) in a bunch of pine trees there are:
- two-coniferous (for example, Scots pine, maritime pine),
- three-coniferous (for example, Bunge pine),
- five-coniferous (for example, Siberian pine, Weymouth pine, Japanese white pine).
Depending on the type, the pine trunk can be straight or curved.
Shrub varieties of pine have a multi-peaked, creeping crown formed by several trunks.
The shape of the pine crown depends on the species and can be
- round,
- conical,
- pin-shaped
- creeping.
In most species, the crown is located quite high, but in some varieties, for example, the Macedonian pine (lat. Pinus peuce), the crown begins almost at the ground.
The plant is unpretentious to soil quality. The pine root system is plastic and depends on growing conditions. In sufficiently moist soils, the roots of the tree spread parallel to the surface for a distance of up to 10 meters and go down shallowly. In dry soils, the tap root of the tree goes 6-8 m deep.
Pine reacts poorly to urban, polluted and gassed air. Moreover, almost all representatives of the genus tolerate low temperatures well.
Where does pine grow?
Basically, pine trees grow in the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere, the boundaries of growth extend from northern Africa to areas beyond the Arctic Circle, including Russia, European countries, North America, and Asia. Pine forms both pine forests and mixed forests together with spruce and other trees. Currently, thanks to artificial cultivation, this type of pine tree, such as radiata pine, can be found in Australia, New Zealand, Madagascar and even South Africa.
There are 16 wild pine species widespread in Russia, among which the common pine occupies a leading position. Siberian cedar is widespread in Siberia. Korean cedar is often found in the Amur region. Mountain pines grow in the mountainous regions from the Pyrenees to the Caucasus. Crimean pines are found in the mountains of Crimea and the Caucasus.
Types of pine trees, photos and names
- Scots pine(Pinus sylvestris)
grows in Europe and Asia. The tallest pines can be found on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea: some specimens have a height of up to 40-50 m. Other pines grow up to 25-40 m and have a trunk diameter of 0.5 to 1.2 m. Scots pine has a straight trunk with a thick gray-brown bark, cut by deep cracks. The upper part of the trunk and branches are covered with thin flaky orange-red bark. Young pines are distinguished by a cone-shaped crown; with age, the branches take on a horizontal arrangement, and the crown becomes wide and rounded. Scots pine wood is a valuable building material due to its resin content and high strength. Ethanol is produced from pine sawdust, and essential oils and rosin are produced from resin. Scots pine varieties: Alba Picta, Albyns, Aurea, Beuvronensis, Bonna, Candlelight, Chantry Blue, Compressa, Frensham, Glauca, Globosa Viridis, Hillside Creeper, Jeremy, Moseri, Norske Typ, Repanda, Viridid Compacta, Fastigiata, Watereri and others.
- Siberian cedar pine, she's the same (Pinus sibirica)
the closest relative of Scots pine, and not true cedars, as many mistakenly believe. A tree up to 40 m high (usually up to 20-25 m) is distinguished by thick branches and a dense crown with many tops. The straight, even trunk of the pine tree has a gray-brown color. The needles are soft, long (up to 14 cm), dark green, with a bluish bloom. Siberian cedar begins to bear fruit at about 60 years of age. It produces large, ovoid-shaped cones that grow up to 13 cm in length and 5-8 cm in diameter. At the beginning of growth they are purple in color, when mature they turn brown. The ripening period of the cones is 14-15 months, falling begins in September of the next year. One Siberian pine pine produces up to 12 kg of nuts per season. Siberian cedar is a typical inhabitant of the dark coniferous taiga in Western and Eastern Siberia.
- Swamp pine (long-coniferous) (Pinus palustris)
a massive tree that grows up to 47 m in height and has a trunk diameter of up to 1.2 m. Distinctive features of the species are yellow-green needles, the length of which can reach 45 cm, and exceptional fire resistance of the wood. Longleaf pine is native to southeastern North America, from Virginia and North Carolina to Louisiana and Texas.
- Montezuma pine (white pine)(Pinus montezumae)
grows up to 30 m in height and has long (up to 30 cm) grayish-green needles, collected in bunches of 5 pieces. The tree received its name in honor of the last Aztec leader, Montezuma, who decorated his headdress with the needles of this pine tree. White pine grows in western North America and Guatemala. In many countries with temperate climates it is grown as an ornamental plant, as well as for collecting edible nuts.
- dwarf pine, she's the same cedar dwarf(Pinus pumila)
a type of low bush-like trees with widely spread branches, characterized by a variety of crown shapes, which can be tree-like, creeping or cup-shaped. Tree-like specimens grow up to 4-5 m, rarely up to 7 m in height. The branches of creeping pines are pressed to the ground, and their tips are raised by 30-50 cm. The needles of dwarf pine are bluish-green in color, from 4 to 8 cm long. Pine cones are medium-sized, ovoid or elongated. The nuts are small, up to 9 mm in length and 4-6 mm in width. In a good year, up to 2 centners of nuts can be collected from 1 hectare. Elfin cedar is an unpretentious plant, adapted to the harsh northern climate. Widely distributed from Primorye to Kamchatka, in the north of its range it extends beyond the Arctic Circle. Varieties of dwarf pine: Blue Dwarf, Glauca, Globe, Chlorocarpa, Draijer’s Dwarf, Jeddeloh, Jermyns, Nana, Saentis.
- , she's the same Pallas pine(Pinus nigra subsp. Pallasiana, Pinus pallasiana)
a tall tree (up to 45 m), with a wide, pyramidal, umbrella-shaped crown in old age. The pine needles are dense, prickly, up to 12 cm long, the cones are shiny, brown, oblong, up to 10 cm long. Crimean pine is listed in the Red Book, but is used as a valuable building material, in particular for shipbuilding, and also as an ornamental tree for park landscaping and creating a protective forest belt. Crimean pine grows in Crimea (mainly on the southern slopes of Yalta) and in the Caucasus.
- Mountain pine, she's the same European dwarf pine or zherep (Pinus mugo)
tree-like shrub with a pin-shaped or creeping multi-stemmed crown. The needles are twisted or curved, dark green, up to 4 cm long. Wood with a red-brown core is widely used in carpentry and turning. Young shoots and pine cones are used in the cosmetics industry and medicine. Zherep is a typical representative of the alpine and subalpine climatic zone of Southern and Central Europe. Mountain pine and its varieties are very often used in landscape design. The most famous varieties are Gnome, Pug, Chao-chao, Winter Gold, Mugus, Pumilio, Varella, Carstens and others.
- Whitebark pine, she's the same white trunk pine(Pinus albicaulis)
It has smooth light gray bark. The straight or twisting trunk of the pine tree grows up to 21 m in height and looks almost white from a distance. In young trees the crown has the shape of a cone, becoming rounded with age. The needles are curved, short (up to 3-7 cm in length), intense yellow-green color. Male cones are elongated, bright red, female cones are distinguished by a spherical or flattened shape. The edible seeds of the whitebark pine are an important source of food for many animals: the American butternut squirrel, red squirrel, grizzly and baribal bears. Golden woodpeckers and blue siales often nest in the treetops. White-trunked pines grow in the mountainous regions of the subalpine belt of North America (Cascade Mountains, Rocky Mountains). Popular pine varieties: Duckpass, Falling Rock, Glenn Lake, Mini, Tioga Lake, Nr1 Dwarf.
- Himalayan pine, she's the same Bhutanese pine or Wallich pine(Pinus wallichiana)
a tall, beautiful tree, widely cultivated throughout the world as an ornamental tree. The average height of pine is 30-50 m. Himalayan pine grows in the mountains from Afghanistan to the Chinese province of Yunnan. Varieties of Himalayan pine: Densa Hill, Nana, Glauca, Vernisson, Zebrina.
- (Italian pine) ( Pinus pinea)
a very beautiful tree 20-30 meters high with a dark green, compact crown, which with age takes the shape of an umbrella due to outstretched branches. Pine needles are long (up to 15 cm), elegant, dense, with a slight bluish tint. Pine has almost round large cones up to 15 cm long. Pine seeds are 4 times larger than pine nuts; up to 8 tons of nuts are obtained from 1 hectare. The famous pesto sauce is prepared from crushed pine seeds, called pinoli in Italy. Due to its exceptionally beautiful crown shape, pine pine is a valuable ornamental plant, actively used in the art of bonsai. In its natural environment, pine grows along the Mediterranean coast, from the Iberian Peninsula to Asia Minor. Cultivated in Crimea and the Caucasus.
- Black pine, she's the same Austrian black pine ( Pinus nigra)
grows in the northern part of the Mediterranean, less common in certain areas of Morocco and Algeria. The tree, with a height of 20 to 55 meters, prefers to grow in the mountains or on rocks of igneous origin and often grows at an altitude of 1300-1500 meters above sea level. The crown of young trees is pyramidal, becoming umbrella-shaped with age. The needles are long, 9-14 cm, a very dark shade of green; depending on the variety, they can be either shiny or matte. The species is quite decorative and is often used by conifer lovers for landscape plantings. Popular varieties of black pine are Pierik Bregon, Pyramidalis, Austriaca, Bambino.
- , she's the same eastern white pine ( P inus stro bus)
Under natural conditions, the species grows in the northeast of North America and the southeastern provinces of Canada. Less common in Mexico and Guatemala. A tree with a perfectly straight trunk, reaching a girth of 130-180 cm, can grow up to 67 meters in height. The crown of young pines is cone-shaped, with age it becomes rounded, and more often irregular in shape. The color of the bark is slightly purple, the needles are straight or slightly curved, 6.5-10 cm long. Weymouth pine is widely used in construction, as well as in forestry due to its numerous varieties. The most popular pine varieties: Аurea, Blue Shag, Вrevifolia, Сontorta, Densa.
- is an ecotype of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris)
The species is widespread in Siberia, in the area of the Angara River basin, and occupies quite large areas in the forests of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, as well as the Irkutsk region. Angara pine can grow up to 50 m in height, with the trunk girth often reaching 2 meters. The crown of the pines is pyramidal, with a sharp crown; the bark has an amazing ash-silver hue.
White fir, or European fir. The range of white fir within the USSR is limited to the Carpathians and Belovezhskaya Pushcha.
It grows in the belt of dark coniferous forests together with Norway spruce. In terms of shade tolerance, fir is slightly superior to spruce. The root system of white fir has been poorly studied and is almost not described in the literature. White fir develops a tap root to a depth of more than 1 m. The root system of white fir on brown mountain forest soil of medium thickness is represented by horizontal roots of the first order of branching with branches of the fourth and fifth orders and a well-developed tap root. In the total length of skeletal roots, horizontal roots occupy 99.1-99.4%; in the total mass of the root system, the relative participation of the taproot is 32.7-40.7%. The total length of the skeletal roots of fir is significantly less than that of spruce. The largest relative contribution to the total length of roots is made up of second-order roots. Unlike spruce roots, the root system of white fir has well-developed taproots up to 2.0 m long, penetrating to a depth of 120 cm, which is 3 times the maximum penetration depth of the root system of Norway spruce.
It is of interest to compare the structure of root systems on brown mountain forest soils with their structure on deep gray forest soils underlain by loams, where fir taproots penetrate to a depth of 150 cm. The branching is intense. Unlike the root system of spruce, fir does not have vertical branches from horizontal roots.
The crown projection area of the fir model with the best growth was 3.1 m2, the average one was 2.5, and the one with the slowest growth was 1.9 m2, i.e., the same as for spruce under these conditions. However, the projection area of the roots of fir is significantly smaller than that of spruce, and amounts to 28.3; 13.4; 6.0 m2 depending on the tree growth group. The volume of soil space occupied by fir root systems is also much smaller - 12.2, respectively; 5.7; 2.5 m3. The more developed root system of fir occupies less soil space than the root system of spruce. In this regard, the coefficient of compactness of the root system increases, which is 36.6 m/m 3 for the tree of the best growth, 31.5 m/m 3 for the average and 30.2 m/m 3 for the lagging tree (for spruce, 11.6; 14.1, respectively) and 17.1 m/m 3).
Norway spruce. has its own biological and morphological characteristics. Spruce is known as a species that is relatively demanding on soil fertility. It grows well on deep and medium-deep soils, for example on brown mountain-forest soils in the Carpathians. Here on steep mountain slopes at an altitude of 800-1200 m above sea level. m. The current growth of wood in 60-80-year-old stands of Norway spruce is 11-18 m 3, the height of the trunks reaches 50 m. The range of Norway spruce includes the northwestern, western and central regions of the European part of the USSR and the Ukrainian Carpathians. The diversity of edaphic conditions within such a vast area also determines significant changes in the structure of the spruce root system. On deep sandy loam soils, spruce forms a fairly deep root system.
In the conditions of the European North of the USSR, on drained, relatively deep soils, vertically oriented spruce roots penetrate 1.5-2.0 m or more. On shallow, highly moist and heavy soils, Norway spruce has a shallow root system.
There is no other tree species like spruce whose root systems would be described with such conflicting assessments. The reason for this is explained by the relative ephemerality of the taproot and the ability to form well-developed vertical branches from horizontal roots.
The root systems of Norway spruce in the conditions of the Ukrainian Carpathians are represented by well-developed skeletal horizontal roots of the first order with branches up to the fourth and fifth orders and a small number of vertical branches. The tap root is absent; it has transformed into a thickening 10-15 cm long, from which horizontal roots extend.
The data indicate a superficial location of the spruce root system, when more than 99% of the length of the skeletal roots falls on horizontally oriented roots located at a depth of 0-20, 0-30 cm.
The root system of spruce in pure cultures of 5, 10 and 14 years of age, I-II quality classes on loamy soil and 18 years of age on gray forest soil is also located in the upper 30-centimeter soil horizon, going deeper by the age of 14 with the roots of the horizontal orientation due to branches of the third and fourth orders by 40-45 cm. The taproot is absent already at the age of 5, it has transformed into a short 15-20-centimeter thickening, from which horizontal roots of the first order extend. At 10 and even more so at 14 years of age, the position of the tap root could not be detected at all, since it was completely covered with wood of horizontal roots of the first order.
At the age of 5, first-order roots predominate in spruce, and at 10 and 14 years of age, the second and third orders of branching predominate. The highest (seventh) branching order was recorded in trees with the best growth at 14 years of age in the amount of 0.3-0.5% of the total length of skeletal roots.
The depth of penetration of the vertical branches of spruce on gray forest soils is 1.6 m. However, as on brown mountain forest soils, the absence of a taproot was also found here, despite the presence of favorable conditions for its development. In similar conditions, white fir has well-developed tap roots, penetrating to a depth of 100-148 cm.
Thus, one of the biological features of spruce is the ephemerality of its taproot, which stops growing in length already at 2-3 years of age. This feature was formed in Norway spruce during the process of phylogenetic development in mountain conditions, on poorly developed soils, where the development of the surface layer of soil by horizontal roots is of decisive importance for the livelihood of trees.
The root system of spruce, not having the ability to penetrate deeply into the soil, is capable of intensive branching. The average branching coefficient of spruce roots reaches 5.47, i.e., for every meter of a first-order skeletal root, 4.47 m of second- and third-order branches are formed. In terms of the intensity of branching of skeletal roots, spruce is almost 2 times greater than Scots pine and almost 4 times greater than pedunculate oak.
Unlike other tree species, spruce already at 10 years of age does not have first-order roots with a branching coefficient of 1.0, i.e., roots that do not have branches, and the largest number of roots have a branching coefficient of 2.1-3.0 .
The camber of spruce roots is characterized by shape coefficients at relative lengths: 0.1 - 63.6±1.3; 0.2 - 43.2±1.3; 0.5 - 24.8±0.8; 0.7 - 12.9±0.4; 0.9 - 6.4±0.3. The root volume coefficient (Kvol), obtained from the given shape coefficients, is 0.01392. This indicator for spruce is higher than for pine, i.e. the roots of spruce are less runaway than the roots of pine.
The intensity of the average annual growth of first-order roots of spruce at the age of 18 is 4.6 mm in diameter and 26.7 cm in length. The crown projection area of trees of the best growth at this age reaches 31.0 m2, roots 46.9 m2 . The volume of soil space occupied by the root system of a tree of best growth is 15 m 3 , average 8, lagging in growth 2.8 m 3 . The compactness index of the spruce root system is respectively 11.6; 14.1; 17.1 m/m3.
Scots pine. Growing in a wide range of soil and hydrological conditions, pine actively adapts to their characteristics, changing its morphological characteristics within certain limits.
The root system of a pine tree, depending on soil and hydrological conditions, can have a well-developed taproot and a large number of vertical branches extending deep from horizontal roots, but can be typically superficial on soils with a high level of groundwater or in arid conditions with an impermeable water regime. Due to this feature, the pine root system is most often used, compared to other species, in developing classifications of the types of structure of root systems.
However, with any type of structure of the pine root system, the bulk of its roots are located in the surface layer of soil up to 60 cm, and the closer to the soil surface, the more intensively the root population is expressed.
On soddy-slightly podzolic soils of the Western forest-steppe, the structure of the root system of Scots pine is characterized by an increase in the relative participation of roots of higher orders with age. For horizontally oriented roots, the highest branching order is eighth, for taproots it is fifth. The greatest extent is made up of horizontal roots of the second order. In the structure of the taproot and other roots, the relative participation of branches of the corresponding orders changes with age. At the age of 14, the roots of the first order take the greatest share here; at the age of 41 - the second; at the age of 90 - the third order.
The structure of the root system of Scots pine is characterized by the relative participation of horizontally oriented roots in the range of 52.5-71.4%. The relative participation of tap roots can reach 15.6%, and vertical branches from horizontal roots - 31.9% of the total length of roots. With increasing age, the total number of vertically oriented roots increases from 28.6 to 47.3%.
The depth of penetration of pine taproots depends on soil-hydrological conditions and age. The maximum depth was recorded on soddy-podzolic sandy loam soils with no signs of gleying, where it reaches 450 cm. On soddy-medium podzolic soils with the presence of ortstein layers or a gleyed horizon, tap roots reach a depth of 107 cm at 14 years of age, at 41 and 90 years of age. in summer - 120 cm.
The intensity of branching of the skeletal part of the pine root system is average. The average branching coefficient of pine roots is 2.53, i.e. for every meter of first-order skeletal roots there are 1.5 m of second, third and subsequent orders of branching. The intensity of branching of pine roots changes with age.
Under the same growing conditions in a humid subori, with an increase in the age of pine from 23 years to 41 years, the branching coefficient increased by 10.4%. The largest number of roots have slight branching (1.1-2.0). With age, the relative participation of roots with a higher branching coefficient increases. Thus, at 12 years of age, there are 44.3% of roots with a branching coefficient of more than 2.0, at 23 years old - 58.5, at 41 years old - 69.6% of the total number of roots.
The camber of pine skeletal roots, i.e., the intensity of the decrease in their diameter along the length, is characterized by the following shape coefficients: 0.1 - 55.4 ± 1.15; 0.2 - 37.2±0.03; 0.5 - 20.8±0.75; 0.7 - 14.0±0.58; 0.9 - 8.3±0.45. Compared to other tree species, pine roots are distinguished by the greatest intensity of camber.
In terms of root volume coefficient, pine ranks last among other species, i.e., its first-order skeletal roots are the most descending compared to the roots of other tree species. As the order of branching increases, the camber sometimes decreases, i.e., the higher the order of branching, the more full-woody, or more cord-like, the roots become. In the root systems of a 90-year-old pine, the root volume coefficient is: for first-order roots 0.01101, second-order 0.2711, third-order 0.3401, fourth-order 0.4430.
The average annual increase in length of horizontal and skeletal pine roots during the period of their most intensive growth (up to 25-30 years of age) on sod-podzolic sandy loam soils is 16.0-32.5 m. However, in some favorable years the increase in length can reach 65-100 cm. The ratio of the intensity of growth of tap roots to the intensity of growth of the largest horizontal roots in these conditions is 0.44±0.008, and to the intensity of growth of the average horizontal root is 0.70±0.02. The excess of the area of projections of root systems over the area of crown projections is on average 11.8±0.7.
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Plants are a kind of “lungs of the planet”. Coniferous plantings play a special role in purifying the atmosphere. Pine and spruce trees immediately come to mind here. Even at school, children learn about the properties of these trees, their types, shapes, and agricultural techniques for planting and cultivating. A comparison of spruce and pine deserves your attention. Plunge into the fascinating coniferous world. After all, not everyone can immediately answer the difference between pine and spruce.
You know that essential oils of coniferous trees kill pathogenic microbes, treat infections, and purify indoor air. You have probably noticed that they are trying to plant conifers along roads and in environmentally unfavorable places. This reduces the harmful effects of hazardous pollutants in the air.
All people have admired the smell of fresh pine needles since childhood. It is this tart aroma that fills the house on the eve of a magical New Year's evening. It is on New Year's Eve that coniferous trees or spruce and pine branches are decorated.
Places of growth
There are a lot of coniferous tree species, some of them are very similar to each other or completely different. So what is the difference between pine and spruce, do they have features unique to only one species? Well, let's start getting acquainted with the evergreen beauties. A comparison of spruce and pine should begin with a description of their habitats. Pine is listed in the pine family and the coniferous class. Vast areas are occupied by pine plantations in the northern hemisphere. Pines love cold and humid climates. These evergreen fluffy trees are considered long-lived; their lifespan can reach 350 years. Mature pines are quite tall - up to 75 m in height. In the southwestern United States there is a pine tree that is 6,000 years old, truly a long-liver. What is the difference between pine and spruce in terms of habitat?
Spruce is also classified as a member of the pine family, the coniferous class. This evergreen plant is quite tall and has a fluffy pyramidal crown. Spruce plantations have filled Eastern Europe, Central and Northeast Asia, China, and North America. A lot of forests consist of this species. The lifespan of spruce trees is slightly shorter than that of pines. But some species live up to 300 years and grow up to 50 m in height.
Soil requirements
Pine has no special soil requirements. Their growth zone can be swamps, dry sands, chalk slopes, granite rocks and ravines. Pines are not afraid of excessive amounts of moisture. At the same time, they can take root in sandy and rocky soils where the humus content is low. These plants are not afraid of frost, drought, wind, or hurricanes. The main thing that pine trees require is a sufficient amount of direct sunlight. Plants categorically do not tolerate shade and darkening. How does pine differ from spruce in terms of growing conditions?
Spruce plantings, unlike pine plantings, easily tolerate shade. Spruces often grow in mixed forests under the cover of other trees. Spruce trees also have no special soil requirements. Even stony, podzolic and calcareous soils that are poor in nutrients are suitable for them. In terms of moisture, spruce loves the middle, without extremes.
Root system
Pine has a powerful tap root system, one main root that goes deep into the ground. From this central root there are many lateral roots. With the help of such a powerful root system, pine trees easily draw water from the depths and penetrate into hard-to-reach areas of the ground.
What kind of root system does spruce have and how does it differ from pine? Spruce roots have a taproot type. It is characterized by a weak main root, which dies after 10 years of the plant’s life. After this, the main emphasis on maintaining the plant’s balance in the soil and feeding it with water falls on the lateral roots. Sometimes they fail to cope with this task, and a strong wind can uproot lonely spruce trees. The spruce root system resembles the above-ground part of a tree; the majority of roots are located on the surface.
Spruce and pine branches, pine needles
Pines are characterized by a whorled arrangement of branches. What does it mean? They have several central branches that form a skeleton, from which other branches radiate in different directions in the form of a fan.
Pine and spruce can be distinguished even visually. The spruce crown has a cone shape, with branches drooping down to cover the trunk. The spruce also has a whorled arrangement of branches. Every year a new whorl grows.
Pine needles are long and narrow, the needles are arranged in pairs. They fall in the same form in the fall, when the most abundant shedding of “needles” occurs. Pine needles on branches last 2-3 years and reach more than 4 cm in length.
Needle-shaped needles are attached to spruce branches. Spruce needles have a tetrahedral shape and a dark green color. Spruce needles stay on branches for 5-10 years. The spruce needles are small, sharp and dense. It consists of single needles (pine has two). Spruce does not have a clearly defined deciduous period. There is a gradual fall and replacement of spruce needles.
Spruce and pine cones
The cones of these two conifers also have their own differences. There are male and female pine cones. In spring, light yellow inflorescences grow on young branches. These are male bumps, they are very small, like a pea. Female cones are initially just as small, only located one at a time at the end of the branch. At first it is difficult to see them in the thick pine needles. An adult pine cone resembles a spinning top. The seeds ripen in the second year after pollination.
Spruce cones are also male and female. They develop differently. Female cones are initially bright red in color and the size of a hazelnut. They are located at the top of the crown. Male cones have a yellowish tint; pollen ripens in them. Mature cones hang downward and look like cigars. The first seeds ripen in trees 20 years old and older.
The use of spruce and pine in construction
Builders prefer to use pine wood. Its trunk is straighter, without defects and knots. Pine wood is soft and can be easily impregnated with antiseptics. It is also easy to machine.
Spruce has knotty wood and is more difficult to impregnate with antiseptics. It tends to strongly absorb water, so it is completely unsuitable for external work. Spruce wood is used for interior decoration.
Generalization
It is also worth remembering the bark of coniferous trees. Spruce has smooth gray-brown bark. Young pine bark is gray-greenish in color, and with age it takes on a reddish-brown tint. If we summarize all of the above, we can conclude that spruce and pine are visually easy to distinguish. The shape of the spruce resembles a cone. Pine branches stretch upward and begin to grow from the middle of the trunk. That is why it is always light in a pine forest, and dark in a spruce forest. Spruce has small and strong needles, and pine has long and sparse paired needles. For New Year's holidays, pine is often used. It has a strong scent and long lasting properties.
Pine (Pinus sylvestris) is an extremely attractive and familiar evergreen coniferous tree. It is the species that occupies the largest area among pine trees and accumulates the largest amount of biomass. Scots pine is distributed in Eurasia from Scotland to the Pacific coast, from Northern Norway (70° 29" N) to Portugal, Spain (37° N), as well as in Italy, the Balkans and Asia Minor. throughout this vast region, Scots pine occupies a variety of habitats on the endless plains of Russia and in the high mountains (Pyrenees, Alps, Balkans, Caucasus). Having such a wide range and growing in such different conditions, pine has many morphological forms and ecological types. In different In parts of its range, from 5 to 20 morphological forms and up to 10 ecotypes of pine are distinguished, with which these forms are often associated.Sometimes they are considered by some botanists as separate species.
Scots pine forms forests of the most varied composition, where different types of trees, shrubs and grasses grow together with it, pleasing to the eye in any plant community. White-moss burs are especially good. But pine is no less attractive in the form of a solitary tree with a powerful, often curved trunk and low-hanging crown. Such pines seem to emanate a heroic spirit.
Pine reaches a height of 35-40 m, sometimes up to 50-55 m (with a thickness of up to 1.5 m). In favorable conditions, it grows for more than 500 years. In the European part of Russia, pine trees aged 600-650 years are not uncommon (Nizhny Novgorod forests, Central Forest Reserve). In Siberia, with a sharply continental climate, the age of pine trees is much more modest, since harsh temperature conditions limit the mass distribution of pine, from which it is also replaced by dark coniferous species.
The pine trunk is straight, highly cleared of branches, with reddish, sometimes even somewhat orange bark, usually with a small but graceful crown. Young pine trees have a pyramidal crown, while old ones have a wide, loose crown; young shoots are bare and greenish.
Pine buds are resinous, elongated-ovoid, densely covered with brown scales.
Scots pine is characterized by two rather short leaves-needles in each bunch, which remain on the tree for 2-3 years. The cones are small (2.5-7 cm long and 2-3 cm wide), often single, sometimes 2-3, on downward-curved stalks. The cones ripen in the second year.
Pine is undemanding when it comes to soil moisture and the richness of its nutrients. In this it is superior to all tree species of the taiga zone.
Scots pine is one of the most light-loving tree species. The photophilia of pine, like other tree species, changes with age. Pine is most shade-tolerant in the first years of life. At the same time, it is at this time that its shade tolerance is noticeably influenced by the characteristics of the soil, since with a better supply of water and nutrients, most of the light falling on the needles is absorbed. In pine this feature is especially clearly expressed. With the same illumination, pine regrowth under the forest canopy turns out to be more depressed the poorer and drier the soil.
Pine blossom
Pine is a monoecious plant, but with a predominance of “flowers” of one sex: some specimens usually have more female “inflorescences,” while others have more male ones.
This is hereditary in nature, but can vary depending on growing conditions and economic influence. Male "inflorescences" (strobili) are crowded at the base of the shoots. Female “inflorescences” look like cones located at the ends of the shoots. Pine blooms in late May - early June, when daytime temperatures reach 22 degrees. 
Pollination is carried out by the wind. In favorable weather, pollen dispersal lasts 3-4 days. Rainy weather lengthens this process by one and a half to two times. Fertilization occurs only in the spring of the following year. Mature pine cones are yellowish-gray, matte, and crack when the seeds ripen.
A lot of pollen is produced in pine forests, so that the surface of the bare soil becomes covered with a yellow coating. Pine pollen has large air sacs, which makes it very light and allows it to be scattered over long distances. The abundance and good scattering of pine pollen mislead polylogists (specialists who study the composition of vegetation of past periods by the amount and species composition of fossil pollen), who significantly exaggerate the distribution of pine in the past.
Pine needles, shoots and seedlings do not suffer from frost, but its reproductive organs are quite sensitive to low temperatures, at least compared to birch and spruce. The quality of pine seeds depends on the temperature regime during its flowering period: for its successful flowering, a larger sum of positive temperatures is needed than for birch and spruce. Therefore, a prolonged cold spring reduces the yield and worsens the quality of seeds next year. The temperature regime during seed ripening has a similar effect.
Pine seeds
Pine annually produces on average only 500-700 thousand seeds per hectare, that is, almost half as much as spruce and many times less than larch.
However, due to the hardness of the seed scales of the cones, the resinousness of the scales and the seeds themselves, their consumption by mammals and birds is the lowest of all conifers. This, together with the high quality of seeds, creates conditions for the rapid emergence of pine in cleared areas and burnt areas.
Pine seeds ripen in September of the year following pollination and remain in cones all winter. The massive emergence of seeds from cones occurs in March - April, when the daytime air temperature rises to +10 degrees. In central Russia, almost all the seeds fall out of the cones by the time the pine begins to bloom.
For the opening of the seed scales of cones, it is not the positive temperature itself that is important, but the decrease in relative air humidity with a rapid rise in temperature in spring. Therefore, in a continental climate, where daytime temperatures rise very quickly in spring, pine seeds usually begin to fall out of cones when there is snow cover. Therefore, pine seeds are partially distributed by the wind along the crust.
Seed production in free-standing pines begins at 10-15 years, in plantations - at 30-40 years and older, depending on the density of the crowns. In productive years, up to 500-1000 cones are formed on one hundred-year-old tree, with a large variation in their number in individual trees, depending on the predominant sex of the “flowers”. The cones sit singly (on trees with a predominance of male “inflorescences”) or in whorls of 3-4 (mainly on trees with a predominance of female “inflorescences”). Only on “female” trees sometimes clusters of 10-15 cones are formed.
The best time to collect seeds is October, when the seeds are fully ripe, their flight has not yet begun, and there is no snow cover and it does not complicate the collection of cones. At this time, seed germination usually exceeds 90 and even 95%. With proper storage of seeds, their germination capacity lasts 4-5 years, although it decreases over the years.
Pine root system
The root system of pine is taproot, making this tall plant quite wind-resistant. Due to the great plasticity of the root system, pine is able to grow on soils of very different fertility. The root system of pine is more thermophilic than that of other coniferous trees, its roots begin to grow at a temperature of +4 or +5 degrees Celsius (while the roots of Siberian spruce begin to grow at a temperature of 0 degrees, and the roots of Gmelin larch at a temperature of -0 .3 to -0.5 degrees Celsius).The pine root system is very sensitive to the level of soil water. When this level rises and falls by more than 20 cm, century-old pines begin to dry out. Younger people are more resilient. Therefore, when forests are flooded by hydroelectric reservoirs, pine forests are the first to dry out. For the same reason, digging ditches for underground communications, which lowers the level of soil water, is detrimental to pine.
Growing pine
Pine is the most light-loving of all coniferous trees. Its seedlings do not tolerate shading at all, and this circumstance must be taken into account when planting pine. Pine loves light soils. If it is necessary to plant pine on heavy, clayey soil, it is necessary to make drainage from sand and broken bricks. Since pine does not tolerate acidic soils, lime must be added to such soil before planting. Pines are most often planted in the spring. At other times, it will be difficult for the roots to take root. The tree should be covered with spunbond or spruce branches to prevent it from being burned by spring sun rays. The cover is removed in the second half of April, when the soil thaws.The hole for planting pine usually has a diameter of 1 m and a depth of up to 60 cm. For large seedlings, it can be larger so that the root system of a large seedling can fit freely in it. The best soil for planting pine is a mixture of soil, peat, sand and humus, which can be fertilized with nitrophoska (200-300 g). Pine should be planted with great care, trying not to damage the earthen ball, since successful development pine seedling depends on the condition of its thin roots and mycorrhiza on them. Pine trees should not be replanted with an exposed root system, which dies in air within 15 minutes.
A young tree needs watering. When planting several pines, a distance of 4 m is left between tall seedlings, and about 1.5 m between low ones. It is recommended to monitor the condition of the bark, since pine trees are very popular with pests.
Pine pests and diseases
Pines are affected by many pests and diseases.
If the pine needles shorten and become lighter, white fluff appears, then it means that one of the varieties of aphids has settled there - pine hermes. To get rid of this pest, in May you need to treat the branches with a solution of Actellik or Rovicurt. Pine aphids (grayish in color) do not decorate the tree either. They get rid of it by spraying it with karbofos (30 g per 10 liters of water) in May. After 10 days, the treatment is repeated.
The falling of needles and branches can be caused by scale insects. It is very difficult to fight it, since the females are protected by a shield. You need to catch the moment when the larvae emerge (May-June), and at this time treat the plants with acarin (30 g per 10 liters of water).
Drying of the tops, decreased growth of branches, and fading of the needles can be caused by the pine subbark bug. It overwinters on coniferous litter, so in the fall and early spring the tree trunk circle should be sprinkled with dust (25 g per tree). In May, it is necessary to treat the hatched larvae with Actellik (15 g per 10 liters of water), spending a quarter of a liter on the tree.
If in May the needles become reddish-brown, dry out and fall off, the buds do not begin to grow, and in the summer the shoots begin to die off and become covered with grinding ulcers, then there are signs of cancer. Medicine - treatment throughout the season: at the end of April, at the end of May, at the beginning of July and in September. To prepare a working solution, you can use foundationazole or antio (20 g per 10 liters of water). It is advisable to spray the diseased tree during winter thaws (20 g of the drug Karatan per 10 liters of water).
Disease Schutte ordinary on pine it manifests itself as spotting of needles. Treat diseased plants
spraying in July - September with zineb, Bordeaux mixture or colloidal sulfur (200 g per 10 liters of water).
Application of pine
Pine wood
Pine is the most common coniferous tree.
Pine wood is sound, resinous, quite dense, and low-elastic. The color of its wood can be brown, reddish, yellowish and almost white with slight streaks of red. In young and middle-aged trees it is straight-layered. With age it becomes thin-layered.
Depending on the characteristics of the growing conditions of the tree, the density and specific gravity of pine wood change. On dry, infertile soils, pine forms a fine-layered dense hardwood, especially valued in construction. The best material is obtained from those trees that grow on hills, dry hills, and sandstones; their annual layers are located close to each other, and the wood has a dense structure. The structure of pine wood growing in humid places is more loose.
When dry, pine is a light and pliable species for carpentry. It is planed along the fibers well, across it is difficult, but sawed across it is good, along it is bad.
Pine wood glues well. Furniture is made from it (for this purpose, natural wood with a beautiful, pronounced texture is selected), lining boards, frames of carpentry structures and structures for facing with planed veneer of valuable species. Pine is widely used for making doors, windows, and flooring.
Wood is well processed with dyes and varnishes after deresining. Pine is also used for mosaic and carving work.
Pine tapping
Pine has the most active resin apparatus among conifers. Therefore, it is widely used for intravital production of tree resin - pine resin- by tapping ripe and overmature large-sized pine forests. The continental climate is not favorable for tapping: sharp daily changes in air temperature, low relative air humidity, low soil temperature and a short growing season are unfavorable for resin production. One pine tree can produce up to 1 liter or more of resin.Pine resin
Pine resin contains essential oil (up to 35%) and resin acids.Pine resin is used externally for sciatica, neuralgia, arthritis, rheumatism, and polyarthritis. Traditional medicine recommends lubricating cracks on the lips with pine resin. Wounds heal within 3-4 days. For furunculosis, resin is smeared on a cloth and applied to sore spots. After 3-4 days, the boil completely resolves.
Turpentine
Turpentine and other products are obtained by dry distillation of tarred pine stumps.The pharmacological properties of purified turpentine, or turpentine oil, which has a pronounced local and general effect on the animal body, have been studied in most detail. When applying (especially when rubbing) turpentine onto the skin, its locally irritating effect quickly manifests itself, which in small doses is limited to hyperemia of the affected area, and with increasing dosage of the drug and duration of exposure, blisters and erosions appear in these areas of the skin, followed by suppuration and necrosis.
Turpentine dissolves well in lipids and penetrates deeply into the skin, irritating its receptors and causing reflex changes in the body - general excitation of the central nervous system (increased blood pressure, anxiety, shortness of breath). In large doses, turpentine can cause poisoning, accompanied by convulsions and death of the animal.
Turpentine and less toxic drugs obtained from pine - resin and terpene hydrate - are excreted through the kidneys, while providing some antiseptic effect on the urinary system. The antiseptic effect also manifests itself when terpene drugs are released through the mucous membranes of the respiratory organs. In addition, terpene hydrate significantly enhances bronchial secretion, thins mucus and promotes faster evacuation from the respiratory tract.
If earlier turpentine was often used as an external distraction for respiratory diseases, now, due to the introduction of more effective means into medical practice, it is rarely used. Turpentine is used as a local irritant for neuralgia, rheumatism, gout and for inhalation.
Rosin
Pine rosin is obtained from resin; sometimes - from resinous substances of other conifers (spruce, cedar and Siberian larch, Crimean pine). Depending on the type of raw material and production method, gum rosin, extraction rosin and tall rosin are distinguished. It got its name from the ancient Greek city of Colophon in Asia Minor, where it was supposedly first obtained and used. Rosin is a brittle, glassy, transparent resin from light yellow to dark brown in color, highly soluble in diethyl ether, acetone, benzene, worse in gasoline, kerosene, and insoluble in water.Rosin is one of the most important products of the forest chemical industry, used in the production of synthetic rubber, in the pulp and paper (for sizing paper), tire, rubber and paint and varnish industries, lubricating oils, in the manufacture of soap, sealing wax, linoleum, putties, ointments, plasters, adhesives substances, insulation of electrical cables, plastics, fungicides, during soldering. Rosin is also that piece of resin that is used to rub the hair of the bow; without it, the violin does not sound.
Pine rosin is a flammable substance, prone to chemical spontaneous combustion, and according to the degree of impact on the body, it belongs to substances of the 3rd hazard class.
Rosin dust suspended in the air is explosive. Settled dust is a fire hazard. Pine rosin is packaged in wooden barrels, steel, cardboard or plywood drums; during storage it must be protected from moisture. Commercial rosin is characterized by color, softening temperature, acid number, content of mechanical impurities, and ash content. Gum rosin has the best consumer properties. Extraction rosin has a darker color.
Medicinal properties of pine
The medicinal raw materials of Scots pine are pine fruits (short apical shoots), resin and needles. Pine buds are harvested in February-March, before their intensive growth begins. They contain essential oil (up to 0.36%), tannins, resin, and panipicrin.Decoction, infusion and tincture of pine buds are used in medicine as an expectorant, disinfectant and diuretic. It is prescribed for inhalation for inflammatory diseases of the respiratory tract.
Pine preparations
Terpinhydrate
Terpene hydrate, which is obtained from the pinene fraction of turpentine, is very popular. This drug is used as an expectorant, helping to thin sputum and release it more quickly. Terpinhydrate is prescribed in combination with other expectorants for chronic bronchitis, bronchopneumonia and other inflammatory diseases of the respiratory system.Turpentine baths
Turpentine baths based on gum have universal application, and recently this method of treatment has become widespread. The basis of this balneological procedure was developed at the beginning of the 20th century by Professor A.S. Zalmanov. During treatment, alternate white and yellow turpentine baths.Indications for the use of turpentine baths: diseases of the cardiovascular system (hypertension, angina pectoris, thrombophlebitis, obliterating endarteritis, atherosclerosis of the vessels of the lower extremities, Raynaud's disease, vegetative-vascular dystonia, hypotension); diseases of the musculoskeletal system (arthritis, arthrosis, osteochondrosis, rheumatism); diseases of the urinary system (glomerulonephritis, pyelonephritis, cystitis, urethritis); diseases of the liver and gall bladder (hepatitis, cirrhosis, cholecystitis); respiratory diseases (bronchitis, bronchial asthma, pharyngitis, sinusitis); diseases of the reproductive system (adnexitis, prostatitis); neurology (polyneuropathy, neuritis, sciatica, lumbodynia); diabetes; obesity; prophylactic for colds.
Turpentine baths can be taken all year round at home. There are three types of turpentine baths: white, yellow and mixed.
Contraindications to the use of turpentine baths: open form of tuberculosis, arrhythmia, stage 2-3 heart failure, stage II-III hypertension, skin diseases during exacerbation, scabies, acute inflammatory process or exacerbation of chronic diseases, malignant neoplasms, pregnancy, individual intolerance to turpentine bath
Increased pain in the joints, sometimes with a slight increase in body temperature, is not a reason to cancel baths.
Pine needles
Pine needles are a valuable vitamin preparation. Essential oil (up to 1.3%), resin 7-12%), ascorbic acid (0.1-0.3%), tannins (up to 5%), carotene were found in pine needles. The essential oil contains bornyl acetate, limonene, and pinene.Infusions and concentrates are prepared from it for the prevention and treatment of hypo- and vitamin deficiency. In addition, pine needles are included in the anti-asthma mixture used for bronchial asthma. Pine needle extract is used for medicinal baths (they have a regulating effect on the function of the skin and the central nervous system).
Needles are a source of vitamins and are used as an expectorant and disinfectant. Pour 1 tablespoon of pine needles into a glass of boiling water, it is better to do it in a thermos. Leave for 7-8 hours. Strain, and when it cools, keep in the refrigerator, but no more than two days. Take 0.3 cups 2-3 times a day, preferably between meals.
Pine tar
Tar is used as a disinfectant and insecticide for the treatment of skin diseases (eczema, lichen, scabies, etc.). It is part of many ointments widely used in medicine (for example, in the composition of Vishnevsky ointment).Pine buds
Pine bud extracts have a bactericidal effect on pathogenic microflora of the nasopharynx and oral cavity.Infusions and decoctions are made from pine buds, which have anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and expectorant properties. The glasses contain essential oils, bitter tannins, starch, ascorbic acid, and phytoncides. They can be used in the form of inhalations for inflammatory diseases of the upper respiratory tract.
Pine buds for inhalation
3 tbsp. Place pine buds in a saucepan or kettle, pour in 0.5 liters of boiling water, heat for 3-4 minutes, then remove from heat, put a paper funnel on the spout of the kettle and breathe in the hot steam. You can add a little eucalyptus leaf, or sage, or thyme herb to the pine buds.Decoction of pine buds
Pine buds are used as an anti-inflammatory and antiseptic. They help thin mucus and accelerate its release in diseases of the upper respiratory tract. Included in breast mixtures and teas. The buds of the plant have weak diuretic and choleretic properties.To prepare a decoction of pine buds: pour 10 g of buds into 1 glass of hot water, keep in a boiling water bath for 30 minutes, cool for 10 minutes and filter. Take 1/3 cup 2-3 times a day after meals as an expectorant and disinfectant. A decoction of pine buds is used in folk medicine for old rashes, chronic pneumonia, rheumatism, dropsy, and as a “blood purifier” and choleretic agent.
Pine buds are contraindicated for some kidney diseases and can cause allergic reactions.
Infusion of pine needles
To prepare an infusion of pine needles: 4 cups of fresh crushed pine needles are poured with 3 cups of cold water, acidified with whey or hydrochloric acid (5 ml of a 3% solution), placed in a dark place for 2-3 days, then filtered. Take 1-2 glasses a day after meals.To prepare the infusion using the hot method, pour 50 g of pine needles into 0.5 liters of boiling water, keep in a closed enamel container over low heat for 10 minutes, cool, let it brew for 2-3 hours and filter. Take during the day in three doses after meals.
Pine vitamin drinks
1) Take 30 g of fresh pine needles, rinse them in cold boiled water, then put them in a glass of boiling water and boil for 20 minutes in an enamel bowl, closing it with a lid. After the decoction has cooled, filter it, add sugar or honey to improve the taste and drink it the same day.2) Grind 50 g of young annual pine tops (which contain less bitter resinous substances) in a porcelain or wooden mortar, pour a glass of boiling water and leave for 2 hours in a dark place. You can add a little apple cider vinegar to the infusion, as well as sugar to taste. Strain the infusion through cheesecloth and drink immediately, since the infusion loses vitamins during storage.
Fresh pine needles are very rich in vitamins (C, B1, B2, P, K, carotene, tannins, phytoncides). The needles contain up to 0.36% essential oil, 12% resin, alkaloids and flavonoids. In branches with needles stored in snow, the vitamin C content does not decrease for 2-3 months.
Treatment with pine baths
For the treatment of functional diseases of the nervous and cardiovascular systems, as well as diseases of the joints, pine baths are recommended by traditional medicine. For baths, use a decoction of 0.5-1 kg of young pine shoots in 3 liters of water.There is no better remedy for the treatment of colpitis and cervical dysplasia than baths and douching with pine buds.
Finely crush a tablespoon of kidneys and pour a glass of boiling water. Dilute twice with boiled water at room temperature and douche in the morning and evening. Place a tampon overnight (every other day). The course of treatment is 14 days.