Cedar wood is expensive, prestigious and beautiful. Largely due to the fact that this tree was mentioned in the Bible and expensive products have been made from it from time immemorial, cedar is often called any coniferous wood. The Mediterranean countries are considered the birthplace of this tree, whose height does not exceed 50 meters. In Russia, cedar of various types grows on the southern coast of Crimea, as well as in Siberia. We do it in construction, as well as in furniture production.
Cedar, this is the second name for cedar, has a light core with a yellow or pink tint. It is practically no different from sapwood. The resin passages of cedar are smaller than those of pine. But at the same time they are more clearly expressed.
GOST 20022. 2-80 classifies cedar as a resistant species that very rarely rots. But at the same time, cedar wood is very soft and can be processed perfectly in all directions.
In Siberia, houses are still built from cedar. Moreover, as practice shows, they can last more than a hundred years.
They also make from cedar:
- pencils;
- plywood;
- veneer;
- furniture;
- racks for mining production;
- hives;
- musical instruments;
The life expectancy of cedar is quite high. So, it can exist up to 4 centuries. In the Baltics there is a long-lived cedar, which is 1,500 years old. Therefore, it is impossible to unequivocally answer the question of how many years a cedar tree lives.
It is worth mentioning the beneficial properties of cedar:
Varieties
In total, 2 types of cedar form 9 subspecies. All trees do not grow very quickly, but their wood is very valuable, largely due to the fact that it is resistant to decay. It is surprising that cedar grows in Asia, Africa, Siberia, Crimea, and Transcaucasia. It is believed that this tree is heat-loving. Nevertheless, Siberian cedar tolerates harsh winters well.
Siberian
Some experts still claim that there is no Siberian cedar, there is pine, which is similar to cedar. Therefore, this tree is classified as a pine species. However, Siberian pine pine is a frost-resistant evergreen tree.
It grows successfully in the Moscow region, Leningrad and Voronezh regions, as well as throughout Siberia, Altai (Altai) and the Urals. The lifespan of a tree reaches 800 years. In size, Siberian cedar is second only to sequoia. The diameter of its trunk reaches 2 meters.
The growing season of cedar is only 45 days; the rest of the time the tree remains dormant. The most valuable product of cedar is its nuts. They are rich in vitamins, healthy fats and minerals. Nuts are eaten raw and oil is made from them. Siberian cedar is a very beautiful tree, valuable to humans.
Photo of Siberian cedar
Siberian cedar Siberian cedar cones
Lebanese
An evergreen coniferous tree with a trunk up to 2.5 meters. This cedar grows slowly. It can withstand temperatures down to -30°C. Its bark is dark gray with small scales. This type of cedar is a symbol of Lebanon, where it comes from. It feels best at an altitude of 1,000 to 2,000 meters above sea level. In Russia, Lebanese cedar grows on the Black Sea coast.
Cedar propagates by seeds. In youth it has a conical crown, in old age it has the shape of an umbrella. The cones are shaped like a barrel. By the way, earlier essential oils were obtained from pine needles, but now from Lebanese cedar wood. This tree is depicted on the state symbols of Lebanon. And Lebanese cedar is often mistakenly called Libyan.
Photo of Lebanese cedar
Lebanese cedar cones Lebanese cedar
Canadian
The oldest Canadian red cedar grows in Washington's Olympic Park. Its age is 1,200 years. An ordinary Canadian cedar reaches a height of 75 meters, and the diameter of its trunk can be up to 6.5 meters. The tree has very soft, pliable wood.
Despite its name, Canadian red cedar has wood that ranges in color from light beige to brownish-red. When heated, Canadian cedar wood does not release resin. The wood does not crack during processing.
Photo of Canadian cedar tree
Himalayan
This cedar grows up to 50 meters, the maximum width of its trunk is no more than 3 meters. Its needles are soft and light green in color. It lives up to 1,000 years, but under favorable conditions it can live up to 3,000. The cones ripen within a year and a half. Himalayan cedar tolerates darkness well.
The cedar crown is conical, but very wide. It loves high humidity, including soil, so it feels great in the conditions of the southern coast of Crimea. Although this species is frost-resistant, which means it may well exist in the conditions of central Russia.
Photo of Himalayan cedar
Himalayan cedar Cones of the Himalayan cedar
Far Eastern
This is the most frost-resistant cedar. Its lifespan reaches 600 years. Far Eastern cedar grows in a mixed forest. Next to him there is always a linden, birch, and fir tree. Its cones, like those of the Siberian cedar, have edible nuts. The cedar begins to bear fruit after its twentieth birthday.
The tree respects moderate watering and dry soil. Where Far Eastern cedars grow, there are always healthy trees and shrubs, and the air is fresh and even healing. Turpentine and rosin are obtained from cedar resin.
Photo of Far Eastern cedar
European
Scientists classify the tree as a member of the pine family. This cedar likes to grow on south-facing slopes at altitudes of 1,500 to 2,500 meters above sea level in Central Europe and Russia. The maximum tree height is 25 meters. European cedar is very similar to Siberian pine. Only its growth is lower and the trunk is thinner, and the bark is more beautiful and stronger.
And this is what a European cedar tree with cones looks like in the photo
Korean
The tree can grow up to 40 - 50 meters with a trunk diameter of up to 1.5 meters. Scientists also classify this species as a pine tree. The bark has a reddish tint, in youth it is gray, and in more mature age it is brown. Young cedar has large cones of red color with a purple tint, but there are few of them. The old one has many times more, but the size is small.
The tree grows in Korea and the adjacent Russian territory. Korean cedar is a monoecious tree. Male spikelets are yellow. But the needles are bluish-green.
Photo of Korean cedar
Physical properties of cedar wood
Cedar is a core tree species. It resembles pine in texture, but has more pronounced lines. The physical properties of cedar allow the tree to be classified as elite and therefore all products made from its wood have a high price.
Density
The higher the humidity, the higher the density of the wood. The density of cedar in a completely dried state is 410 kg/m3. At a standard humidity of 12%, the density is 435 kg/m3, and the conditional density (the ratio of the mass of absolutely dry wood to the mass of the same volume of wood at the hygroscopicity stage) does not exceed 350 kg/m3.
Strength
Such an indicator as strength is standard, and its increase or decrease depends on the humidity of the environment and the defects of the wood.
The tensile strength of cedar can be as follows:
- Compression along the fibers ranges from 33 to 40.6 MPa.
- Static bending - 54.1 to 79.9 MPa.
- Tension along the fibers is 90.2 MPa.
- Chip along the fibers - 5.64 - 6.39 MPa.
- Along the radial or tangential plane it ranges from 5.64 to 7.15 MPa.
For different types of cedar, these indicators differ slightly from each other and, in general, only Altai cedar has higher figures for physical and mechanical parameters.
Humidity
In freshly felled cedar, the humidity exceeds 100%, and with maximum water absorption it can double and reach 220%. The humidity of absolutely dry cedar is 420%. A distinctive feature of any type of cedar is that it is not afraid of moisture and therefore can be used where the humidity is quite high.
Cedar wood weight
The structure of the cellular tissue, as well as its quantity in its pure form, plus the water level and the content of organic and inorganic substances, are responsible for the weight of the wood. Roots weigh the least, branches and twigs weigh more. The specific gravity of wood always depends on the type of tree. And these average figures for cedar vary in different reference books from 360 to 570 kg/m3.
The generally accepted indicators of the volumetric weight of 1 m3 of cedar are as follows:
Chemical composition
Cedar phytoncides disinfect the air, while its needles contain a lot of vitamin C and provitamin A. The cedar kernel contains 17% protein; 12% starch; 4% fiber; up to 20% carbohydrates; at least 60% oils. Wood contains organic acids, hydrocarbons, stilbenes, and flavonoids. In aromatherapy, cedar oils have a special place. Assessment of the chemical characteristics of wood 5.
Color and texture
All types of cedar wood are very similar in color. They have a light core with a brown or yellow tint. The wood has a pronounced cedar aroma and an oily surface. The contrast between the early and late zones is clearly visible.
The grain of cedar wood is medium in size. Middle-aged cedar has straight grain. Himalayan cedar has brown lines on a longitudinal section. The appearance of cedar wood has distinctive features that make it extremely interesting and beautiful.
An example of cedar wood texture
Mechanical properties of cedar wood
According to its physical and mechanical properties, cedar wood occupies a place between fir and spruce. Although it is more resistant to the processes of suppuration. Although soft, cedar wood is at the same time very durable.
Hardness
The hardness of the side surface of cedar is 40% lower than the end surface. According to the Brinell scale, this wood is classified as soft and its hardness is 4 HB. Although its strength is rated quite highly.
Due to its softness but strength in carpentry, cedar wood is used to make products that will be subject to significant loads in the future. The cedar is rated 5 for these properties.
Combustion temperature and calorific value of cedar
Cedar does not make the best firewood. They don't produce much heat, and their resinous nature can also ruin the chimney. But at the same time, cedar firewood takes a very long time to smolder. Although they have a low calorific value and its indicator is 4.3 kW/hour.
In terms of flammability, cedar belongs to the category of unstable wood. The fire resistance index does not exceed 1.1 - 1.5. The specific calorific value of cedar is close to that of pine. The more moisture there is in the wood, the harder it burns. The average calorific value of cedar, which has been dried as much as possible, can be from 4907 to 4952 calories.
Ash content
Cedar is a beautiful, powerful tree that, while growing, heals other trees and the air around it. And as wood it brings invaluable benefits to humans and is used by them practically without a trace. Rating of wood, taking into account its appearance and all characteristics 5.
Cedar belongs to the large Pine family, genus Cedar, or Siberian cedar pine. This genus is of particular interest because of the universal value of its wood, needles and seeds. Cedar is also in demand in landscaping.
Cedar in the photo
The cedar tree looks like a real giant: it has a powerful trunk, reaching a height of 25 to 45 m, depending on the type.
Unlike Scots pine, cedar needles are surprisingly soft, long, triangular, and collected in whorls of 5-6 pieces. And pine has two and very rarely three needles.
There are two types of shoots - elongated vegetative and shortened generative. The tree is monoecious. Male buds are in the form of spikelets looking up, red or yellow. The female ones - cones of 2-4 pieces - are located at the top of the shoot and are purple in color.
The description of cedar roots is akin to the tree itself: the root system is as powerful as the above-ground part, which allows the plant to withstand all natural disasters and be unpretentious in cultivation. An adult cedar does not require agrotechnical care.
Its antimicrobial properties are also very valuable. The air around these trees is practically sterile. Many cedars have been planted by amateurs in summer cottages, household plots and garden plots in central Russia. It cannot grow in dry sandy places, but prefers sandy loam or loamy, moist, fertile soils.
Almost all types of cedar pines in forest plantations begin to bear fruit at 30-60 years, sometimes later, and in gardens where care and feeding with fertilizers are carried out in a timely manner - at 15-20 years and continue to bear fruit up to 250-300 years. A good harvest of large pine nuts occurs in those areas where 2-3 cedars grow in a group, since conifers are cross-pollinated trees. The seed development cycle of cedar lasts one and a half years.
Four types of cedar grow in Russia - Siberian, European, Korean and Siberian dwarf cedar.
You can familiarize yourself with the varieties of cedars and their photos on this page.
Growing cedar from seeds and caring for the tree
To give your garden a complete, mature look, you need to plant an evergreen, long-lasting tree. Cedar with its appearance will give your estate solidity and power, confidence and optimism. In addition, this tree does not require systematic care. When growing and caring for cedar, forget about pruning, shaping the crown, and removing fallen leaves.
Cedar is not only beautiful, but also useful. It heals the air with the aroma of pine needles.
Seedlings should be planted on the site immediately in a permanent, well-lit place at a distance of 5-6 m from each other. Low-growing fruit trees and berry bushes can be grown between young cedars. The crown should be formed on a low trunk, spreading, multi-peaked. Pruning or breaking out lateral buds is carried out in early spring, before the start of the growing season. Successfully established trees in the first years produce 5-10 cm of growth with dark green needles.
The place for this tree should be open and spacious, the soil should be loamy and well-drained.
Video: How to grow Cedar seedlings
The germination of nuts lasts for 2 years. Immediately after collection it is quite high, 85%. It is better to sow in autumn. In this case, seedlings appear in early spring. But you can stratify the nuts in damp sand, soak them for a day and sow them in the spring. Shoots appear 2-3 weeks after sowing. They are dark green, with 10-12 cotyledons, up to 30 mm long. In the second year, paired needles appear from them, and only in the 4-5th year do whorls appear. Plants that have emerged from seedlings need a shade that lasts throughout the hot months for 2-3 years, that is, for the cedar that you decide to grow, you need to equip a shade.
The growth characteristics of cedar include the ability to grow in sphagnum bogs, and powerful adventitious roots are formed. Root growth begins simultaneously with shoot growth. After 5-6 years, the demands of cedar on soil sharply decrease.
Cedar is also undemanding to air temperature. Tolerates continental climate, frost and drought. The only thing is that the buds may die during late spring frosts, which coincide in time with the flowering period.
However, this threatens trees that have already begun to bear fruit, which will only happen at 30 years of age or older. You have to wait a long time for the nuts to appear, but the tree itself can live up to 500 years, producing abundant harvests every 4-5 years.
Siberian cedar in the photo
Siberian cedar- the most common and best studied. Its distribution area is extensive. Starting from the northeast of the European part to the southern slopes of the Urals, this species is an unshakable native, growing both in the lowlands and on the mountains. In Central Altai it grows at an altitude of 2300-2400 m above sea level.
The crown is conical from youth, and then becomes flat-topped. It can be either acute pyramidal or widely spreading. It all depends on the place of growth. In groups, in the forest, with a small feeding area, cedars are stretched upward, and when planted alone, they are spreading and have 2-3 peaks.
As you can see in the photo, the Siberian cedar has strictly whorled, tiered branching:
Annual shoots are yellowish with a rusty coating, pubescent. The needles are triangular, up to 13 cm long, jagged along the edge and sit in tufts of 5 on short shoots. The needles remain on the branches for 3-6 years.
Cedar blooms in the spring, immediately after pine, and the cones ripen in the fall, the next year after flowering. They do not crack and fall to the ground.
Pay attention to the cedar cones - on a mature tree they are very picturesque (light brown, elongated ovoid, up to 13 cm long and 8 cm wide):
The cone contains from 100 to 140 nuts - shiny, dark brown and very tasty.
The taste of the nuts was appreciated by the inhabitants of the forest and cedar taiga. Nuts are the main food of the nutcracker bird, which often destroys up to half the crop. From one tree you can get up to 1500 cones.
But thanks to the nutcracker tree, the cedar reproduces. The bird carries the nuts over long distances, hiding them in moss and old stumps, forgetting and losing them. The nuts sprout, and thus the cedar growing area expands.
In addition to nutcrackers, nuts are eaten by wood grouse, hazel grouse, squirrels, chipmunks, and sables. The bear is also a hunter for tasty nuts in the taiga. It often climbs into the crown of a tree, breaks it, causing great harm.
Video: Collecting cones on a cedar
When describing Siberian cedar, special attention should be paid to the chemical composition of its nuts - they explain the reason for such a high popularity of this tree. Pine nuts contain up to 61% fat, up to 17% protein, and more than 12% starch. Pine nuts are rich in vitamin A (growth vitamin), B vitamins, which improve cardiac function and are very necessary for the normal functioning of the nervous system. They are especially rich in vitamin E (tocopherol, which in Greek means “bearing offspring”). It is not without reason that in years of good cedar harvests the fertility of sable and squirrels increases significantly.
It is known that pine nuts contain substances that help improve blood composition, prevent tuberculosis, and anemia.
From a kilogram of nuts you can get up to 150 g of oil and 200 g of cake for feeding pets.
Cedar oil is one of the highest quality. It belongs to the fatty drying oils. Light yellow in color and pleasant taste, the oil is in demand not only in the food industry, but also in the paint and varnish industry, in perfumery, medicine, and canning.
Nut milk and cream, which are high in calories, are made from nuts.
Siberian cedar needles have essential oils, resins and vitamin C. It contains a lot of calcium, potassium, phosphorus, manganese, iron, copper, cobalt. When cutting growing cedar trees, cedar resin is obtained, containing up to 19% turpentine.
Resin has embalming properties. In folk medicine it is used to treat purulent wounds, cuts, and burns.
In relation to light, Siberian cedar is shade-tolerant, especially in youth, when growth is slow. Despite the fact that it is a close relative of the light-loving pine, light is not decisive for an adult tree.
European cedar in the photo
European cedar is a species close to Siberian. It grows wild in the mountains - the Carpathians and the Alps at an altitude of 1300-2500 m above sea level. There, together with larch and spruce, it forms impassable thickets.
Its height reaches 20-25 m. The crown is always wide and ovoid. The needles are thin, graceful, and short. The cones are 6-8 cm long, the nut-seeds are also not as large as those of the Siberian cedar.
When describing European cedar, it is especially worth noting its great endurance, it is frost-resistant and shade-tolerant, drought- and wind-resistant, and is not picky about soils and air humidity. But it does not have the advantages inherent in Siberian cedar.
As shown in the photo, European cedar is often used in landscaping:
In Europe, this species is popular as a solitary plant (tapeworm) in parks.
Korean cedar in the photo
Korean cedar is the most majestic tree. In terms of beauty of description, Korean cedar is not inferior to any of the known species. This tree reaches 45 m in height and 2 m in diameter with a broadly conical and multi-peaked crown.
Young shoots with thick rusty pubescence. The needles are bluish-green, up to 20 cm long. Along the edge it is finely toothed, rough, unlike other types of needles. It stays on the shoots for only 2 years.
The male cones of Korean cedar are yellow, and the female cones are first reddish, then purple. Blooms in June.
Pay attention to the photo - Korean cedar has ripe cones that are cylindrical, 10-15 cm long, larger than those of the Siberian species.
They ripen in the second year after flowering. They fall to the ground without opening in November.
The seeds are twice as large as those of Siberian cedar and contain more fat - up to 65%.
It bears fruit from the age of 40-50 to a ripe old age in 1-2 years. But the number of cones on the tree is significantly less than that of Siberian cedar. Seed germination lasts only a year, although it is 85%. They need to be sown in the fall. Shoots appear the next year in early spring. They have 10-14 succulent cotyledons.
In terms of taste qualities of nuts, pine needles - in terms of vitamin C content and wood - in technical properties it is not inferior to Siberian cedar.
It is difficult to include low, creeping species in the family of tall, mighty cedars; nevertheless, they exist.
Cedar elfin wood in the photo
Cedar elfin wood- a low branching shrub with branches creeping along the ground, and sometimes a tree up to 4-5 m in height. The shoots are densely pubescent, the needles are hard, up to 4-8 cm long, 5 needles in a bunch. Female cones are violet-purple.
As you can see in the photo, dwarf cedar has mature cones up to 4 cm in length, light brown, shiny:
The nuts, of which there are up to 40 pieces in a cone, are smaller than those of Siberian cedar, but also edible and tasty, although they contain less oil. Fruiting begins at 25-30 years.
Elf wood grows slowly, everywhere - on mountains and coasts, swamps and lowlands. Very winter hardy. An interesting fact that is worth noting when describing dwarf cedar is that this plant has the property of “hibernating,” that is, the branches overwinter on the ground, covered with snow. It begins to vegetate only in spring. Propagated by seeds, layering, adventitious roots. Valued as a nut-bearing and ornamental crop for rock gardens.
Himalayan cedar has recently become widespread in Europe. It is more of a decorative form than a species. It has cascading branches and a protruding top. The tree grows quickly, but does not grow higher than 25 m in height.
Himalayan cedar in the photo
Atlas cedar, or blue, is also a decorative form. Particularly noteworthy are its “Weeping” and “Golden” forms. All these trees are not tall, but very spreading, requiring a lot of space
Cedar, thanks to its bark, has a decorative appearance at any time of the year. It has healing properties, and the pronounced aroma of cedar wood gives a good mood and relieves stress and depression. The non-sweet aroma is effectively used in the manufacture of cosmetics. Also used for the treatment and prevention of various diseases. In ancient times, cedar was considered a sacred plant and was a symbol of longevity and greatness.
Cedar looks like an evergreen tree, up to 50 meters high. On average, he lives up to 250 years. They begin to bear fruit between the ages of 20 and 70. It has soft, long needles, which are collected in bunches of four or five needles each. The needles can be dark blue, green and even grayish. Her life expectancy is 9−11 years. Due to its structure, it retains maximum moisture in the plant.
The bark is dark gray and very dense. Due to its strong resin content, it is avoided by insects and is resistant to rotting. It has a powerful root system that allows the tree to withstand adverse weather conditions.
Cedar cones are barrel-shaped, up to ten centimeters long. Both male and female cones can grow on the same tree. Pollinated by wind. They mature two or three years after emergence. Cedar seeds are triangular in shape, ten to seventeen millimeters long. They are highly resinous and unsuitable for consumption.
Real cedars love warmth and are common in subtropical latitudes. In northern countries, all growing cedars are pine trees. There are such types of cedar trees:
Viburnum buldenezh: description, planting and care in open ground
Cedar is a beautiful tree that can easily be grown at home. To do this, you need to select a fresh cone and extract the nuts. They should smell good, not have mold and be intact. In order to germinate nuts, you need to choose a box with a hole. Place dry grass at the bottom, place a seed and cover with a layer of grass. Leave it on the snow in winter until spring. If this cannot be done, you can place the box in the refrigerator.
In spring, plant the grain in a pot with peat soil and sand (1:1). The tree must receive enough water. Place on a windowsill with sufficient lighting.
You can transplant into open ground from the age of three. It is necessary to prepare the landing site in advance:
European or Siberian cedar is better suited for planting at home. You should not use means to increase soil fertility: this will lead to the appearance of a large number of earthworms.
Beneficial features
Cedar has useful biological substances that are found in cones, nuts, resin, bark and needles. Cedar kernels are rich in fats, proteins, carbohydrates, and contain glucose, lecithin and ash. Protein is rich in amino acids. Nuts also contain vitamins B, D and E. The needles contain the following beneficial properties:
- vitamin A;
- essential oils;
- phosphorus;
- copper;
- iron;
- ascorbic acid.
Wood resin and pine needles emit a substance that kills microbes.
People have long noticed the beneficial properties of cedar and began to use it for various purposes. Houses are built from wood and furniture is made. Also used in folk medicine and cooking. Main uses of cedar:
Apricots black velvet Lugansk and Melitopol
Used in cooking, added to salads, cold appetizers, desserts and baked goods. There are the following traditional medicine recipes using cedar:
The use of cedar is contraindicated for adults and children with individual intolerance. The cedar tree has its own characteristics, but growing it is not difficult.
Cedar is a tree of the first magnitude. Its usual height is 25 meters. Cones are located exclusively in the upper part of the crown. Their prey is hard physical labor, always fraught with the danger of falling from a tree and breaking their necks. Real “full-size” cedar is hardly suitable for homestead farming. After all, even when grown in full light, the height of an adult plant will be about 20 m, and the area of the horizontal projection of the crown will be more than 100 m2. The relevance of breeding low-growing varieties, which in all other respects would be in no way inferior to ordinary cedar, is obvious.
Natural, “wild” cedar grows relatively slowly, begins to bear fruit at the age of 25-30 years, and reaches its maximum yield (10-15 kg of nuts per tree) at 100-150 years. It is recommended to grow such a cedar only for those who are not in a hurry. An ordinary cedar has a yield, i.e. The mass of a nut per unit area is not that great - no more than 500 kg per hectare. It is known that for many fruit trees, for example, apple trees, varieties have been bred that, despite their relatively slow growth, bear fruit abundantly and have a yield several times higher than that of varieties with a normal growth rate. The question is, why not develop the same varieties of cedar?
The selection of decorative varieties of conifers in the West and Far East has a thousand-year history. Dwarf varieties with unusual crown shape and needle color are considered especially prestigious. All plants used in landscaping have them: pine, spruce, thuja, cypress, juniper and many others. Alas, these varieties were bred in a relatively mild maritime climate. They are of little use even for the European part of Russia, not to mention Siberia. At the same time, Russian conifer species are no different from any others in their genetic polymorphism, therefore, on their basis, it is possible to develop exactly the same wide range of ornamental varieties, which, for all that, will be absolutely stable in our climate. So we set ourselves the task of carrying out this work using the example of Siberian cedar.
All three listed sets of characteristics - slow growth, early and abundant fruiting, unusual shape and structure of the body - are caused by mutations that are harmful “from the point of view” of nature: the genotypes “burdened” by them in natural ecosystems cannot withstand competition with ordinary plants and die. Consequently, in nature it is almost impossible to find a tree that has at least one of the characteristics we need, and then simply propagate it by seeds or grafting. How to be? We use two main methods.
The first is a search in nature not for whole trees, but for their individual branches with interesting and at the same time genotypically determined properties (in scientific terminology - somatic mutations). Yes, this happens, but very, very rarely, in about 1 tree out of several tens of thousands. The second method is controlled crossing of genotypes contrasting in some characteristics, mass cultivation of seed offspring in conditions that exclude competition and natural selection, followed by artificial selection of valuable plants.
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Controlled pollination. The natural diversity of "wild" species is not that great. To expand genotypic polymorphism, it is necessary to cross genotypes that are contrasting in geographical origin and properties. On a branch with cones there is a paper insulator, in the teeth there is a bag of tracing paper with pollen, in the right hand there is a pipette - the main tool of the breeder (above) |
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From the previous photo it is not noticeable that this is happening at a height of 25 meters from the surface of the earth. Yes, the cones of natural cedar are located exclusively at the top. There is also a breeder’s workplace. The cone cannot be pollinated from below: it is oriented vertically. Therefore, you need to not only climb to the top, but also slightly “soar” above it. Circus + science - this is the formula for success in the selection of forest woody plants. |
Testing of scion varieties. One of the most effective ways is to graft experimental (right) and control (left) cuttings onto a 2-barrel rootstock. Already a year after vaccination, the differences are visible to the naked eye. In this case, the scion under test is the predecessor of variety 08 "Biosphere". |
We are currently testing hundreds of genotypes obtained in one way or another. For at least several dozen of them, the stability of the selected traits during vegetative propagation can be considered proven. Therefore, these genotypes can be conventionally designated as varieties. The characteristics of varieties consist of several characteristics that are combined differently in each of them:
- the presence of fruiting (fruiting and sterile; the first bear fruit 1-2 years after grafting, the second are bred specifically for landscape design in places where it is not possible to properly protect the plants: alas, hooligans break off the ripening cones along with the branches, or even the entire graft at once );
- abundance of fruiting (all fruiting varieties bear fruit very abundantly, but among them there are “record holders” who, if grafted onto a powerful rootstock, produce one and a half to two dozen cones within a year);
- the size of the cones (large ones are impossible on these varieties; ordinary, small and very small ones are possible, essentially decorative);
- crown density (in all varieties the crown is much denser than that of ordinary cedar, this creates the main decorative effect; however, the differences between varieties are quite large: from super-dense (looks very exotic, but much more difficult to care for) to simply compacted (almost no special care required));
- crown shape (the main shape is spherical, but in some varieties there is a clear tendency towards a cone and a cylinder);
- the color of the needles (most have a normal color, but there are varieties with some tendency towards blue (blue, dove) and yellow.
As you can see, there are many signs. Naturally, not all combinations are possible. For example, varieties with a very dense crown, as a rule, bear little fruit or are completely sterile, etc. However, you will agree that there are some options to choose from.
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Variety 032 “Recordist”, unique in terms of abundance of fruiting. The picture shows a 1-year-old (!!!) grafting of this variety on a powerful rootstock with 25 cones ready for pollination. Thus, the most abundant production of cones in this variety occurs already in the year of grafting, and the first harvest ripens after approximately 2 years and 4 months. |
The same vaccination after another two years (top view). The number of cones ready for pollination is already measured in many dozens. |
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The same vaccination at the end of May next year. Some of the cones fell off, apparently due to a lack of pollen, but the number of cones that survived, you must agree, is impressive |
The same vaccination after another two weeks. As you can see, the bountiful harvest did not prevent the planting of new cones: their number not only did not decrease compared to last year, on the contrary, it increased significantly |
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Variety 02 "President". Rootstock age - 15 years, grafting age - 7 years, height - 50 cm, number of cones - 22 pcs. The picture shows the same plant that two years later was presented on behalf of the Tomsk region to Russian President V.V. Putin for his 50th birthday. There were exactly 50 cones on it |
Variety 03 "Oligarch": a copy prepared for presentation to M.B. Khodorkovsky. Rootstock age - 18 years, grafting age - 9 years, height - 90 cm, number of cones - 18 pcs. Note the asymmetrical shape of the crown | The same variety. Its cones are functionally complete, but small. Their shape is very original. They seem to be flattened: the length of the cone is significantly less than the diameter |
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The clones in question were simply listed in my test under certain numbers. However, the editors of the magazine "Homestead" (2004, No. 4), which published an article about these varieties, asked me to give each of them its own name. This task turned out to be very difficult, especially since we wanted to make the names both bright and meaningful. This is what happened in the end. The two oldest clones in terms of the start of testing received names associated with the status of their first owners. For example, the Tomsk region gave one of them to Russian President V.V. Putin for his 50th birthday. The other, shortly before his arrest, was handed to the main Russian oligarch at that time, M.B. Khodorkovsky. Some of the varieties received names that directly or allegorically characterize some of their properties: grace and sterility (Narcissus), upward direction (Icarus), unusual color of needles (Emerald), crown shape (Biosphere, which in translation from ancient Greek simply means “living ball” ), unique productivity (Record), ideal suitability for creating nut-bearing plantations (Plantation), the ability to be guaranteed to die without special care (Kamikaze). Finally, some varieties had to be named after the place where the source material for their breeding was found: Highlander, Subalpine, On-and-Ona (these are not masculine and feminine pronouns, but two rivers in the Western Sayan). In the magazine article, the varieties remained under numbers: the editors, apparently, did not dare to put the names of Putin and Khodorkovsky next to each other. However, it was not in vain that I “steamed”, inventing these names. Let them now act on a par with the numbers.
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Variety 06 "Narcissus". The age of the rootstock is 13 years, the age of grafting is 6 years, the height is 80 cm, there is no fruiting. And next to me is my daughter Margarita |
Variety 034 "Emerald". Combines the original color of the needles, a moderately dense crown and moderately increased fruiting |
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Variety 014 "Icarus". Rootstock age 20 years, grafting age - 11 years, height 150 cm, no fruiting |
Variety 014 "Icarus". The age of the rootstock is 9 years, the grafting age is 1 year. Pay attention to the clear manifestation of the varietal properties of the graft (leader dominance and vertical orientation of shoots) already at such a young age |
The names themselves to some extent demonstrate the diversity of varieties according to their functional purpose. There are varieties of a complex nature; there are those that are especially good as nut-bearing fruits (Recordist, Plantation); There are exclusively decorative ones, ideal for rock gardens and in general for elite landscape design (Narcissus, Biosphere, Emerald); there are very promising ones for bonsai culture (President, Oligarch, Highlander). Below is a table - the characteristics of some varieties in comparison with ordinary cedar (wild species), where possible - in % of it).
| Variety | Speed growth | Presence and abundance of fruiting | Cone size | Density crowns | Crown shape | Needle length | Needle color |
| 02. President | 30 | 500 | 80 | 400 | Cone | 70 | Ordinary |
| 03. Oligarch | 25 | 750 | 50 | 500 | Cone | 70 | Ordinary |
| 06. Narcissus | 20 | 10 | 40 | 900 | Ball | 60 | Bl.-green |
| 08. Biosphere | 35 | 200 | 50 | 600 | Ball | 70 | Ordinary |
| 014. Icarus | 35 | 750 | 40 | 600 | Cylinder | 50 | Bl.-green |
| 020. Subalpine | 40 | 300 | 75 | 300 | Cone | 70 | Gray |
| 032. Record holder | 30 | 1000 | 75 | 600 | Ball | 70 | Ordinary |
| 034. Emerald | 40 | 400 | 65 | 400 | Cone | 70 | Bright green |
| 036. Kamikaze | 25 | 25 | 40 | 1000 | Ball | 60 | Gray |
| 038. He-and- ABOUT on | 50 | 300 | 70 | 200 | Ball | 80 | Ordinary |
| 046. Highlander | 30 | 750 | 70 | 800 | Ball | 60 | Ordinary |
| 054. Plantation | 50 | 400 | 100 | 200 | Ball | 90 | Ordinary |
In addition, slow-growing varieties require special care - removal of oppressed branches from the inside of the crown. Without this, they dry out from lack of light, and dead plant debris accumulates, which can lead to insect pests settling in the crown and damaging living branches. Therefore, at least once every 2 years, and for varieties with a particularly dense crown - annually (best in mid-July, after the end of shoot growth), it is necessary to clear fallen needles from the inside of the crown, and also cut off dry and drying branches facing inward with a sharp knife . It is also useful to slightly thin out the branches in the peripheral part of the crown.
All varieties are suitable for both container culture and open ground cultivation. All of them, bred by methods of intensive (mutational) selection, retain their properties (short stature, decorativeness and scroppiness) almost regardless of the climate (of course, within the forest and forest-steppe zones of the temperate zone). It is known that 10 thousand years ago cedar was distributed in a continuous strip from Western Europe to Eastern Siberia. Some climate warming led to a rupture in its range: cedar survived only in the middle (taiga) zone of the European mountains (Alps, Carpathians) and in Siberia. It is not present in the European part of Russia now only because, under modern climatic conditions, it could not successfully compete with other trees, mainly Norway spruce, and was gradually replaced by them. However, in cultivation it feels great in most of the forest and forest-steppe zones. This has been proven by many years of experience: there are quite successful plantings not only in the north and in the middle zone, but even in the Central Black Earth region. Of course, all the described varieties are quite suitable for use in the European part of Russia. Selection work continues.
Surely many are interested in the question: is it possible to somehow purchase planting material of our varieties? I represent an academic institution. It is quite natural that we are mainly engaged in the search for truth, and not at all in the production of planting material. More precisely, it was so until very recently. We started more or less active propagation of varieties only a couple of years ago. The demand for these plants is huge, and they take a very long time to grow. Therefore, relatively large plants with 5-10 year old grafts are now provided only at the request of the first persons and are used as a present for other first persons. There is also a high and stable interest in young 1-2 year old varietal graftings. These are the same varieties as in the photographs, only young ones. Selling seedlings with young grafts is common for varietal planting material. After all, few people buy an adult apple tree. People take a grafted seedling and grow a fruit tree from it themselves. Information for those interested in purchasing our products will appear on the website around mid-summer, when the young grafts have grown and replanting of plants becomes possible.
Cedar (Cedrus) is a genus of coniferous trees from the Pine family. Representatives of the genus grow in the mountainous regions of the Himalayas, Asia and the Mediterranean.
In nature, this is a majestic tree, reaching a height of 40 meters. It is characterized by long, stiff needles of different shades of green or bluish. The culture is durable and can live for hundreds of years.
Cedars are widely used in garden landscaping, most of them can withstand temperatures down to -25 °C. Due to their large size, the original natural species are rarely cultivated by gardeners.
But thanks to many years of selection, highly decorative varieties of very different shapes, heights, shades and lengths of coniferous needles have been obtained.
Types and varieties of cedar with photos
Cedar of Lebanon (Cedrus libani) is a symbol of this country. It is characterized by an intense gray-blue and even silver color of the needles. Sensitive to severe frosts.
"Glauka Pendula"
The most popular tree form that can be found in many conifers is "Glauca Pendula". Lebanese cedar of this variety has weeping, long branches with short silvery needles collected in bunches.
Adult specimens form a beautiful silver tent of shoots. Free cutting can be used to create different shapes. The disadvantage of this variety is its high sensitivity to harsh winters.
Variety “Nana” is a dwarf, round, green bush. "Katere" - a miniature variety with needles of a rich blue-green color and a horizontal growth habit, fits perfectly into the rocky landscape of rockeries.
"Katere" It is quite winter-hardy Atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica), whose homeland is Morocco and Algeria. The most popular varieties are:
Glauca Atlas cedar with a bizarrely twisted trunk and drooping branches with a cascading effect;
Dwarf form "Compacta Nana".
Himalayan cedar or deodara (Cedrus deodara) native to the Himalayan mountains. It is distinguished by a wide variety of varietal forms and is able to withstand severe frosts.
'Bushes Electra' is a small pyramidal tree with short, delicate, blue-green needles.
“Prostrate Beauty” is a tree with a horizontal growth habit and blue-green, delicate needles. In young specimens the crown is almost flat; with age it develops upward if not pruned.
"Girard's Weeping" with emerald needles and long weeping or slightly twisted branches. Shape similar to "Glauca Pendula"
“Snow Sprite” is a decorative form of dwarf cedar with a conical, dense crown and young shoots of a white hue.
"Blue Snake" is a unique Dutch variety with blue needles and creeping shoots. If you remove side growing shoots, you can create interesting tree shapes with a curved trunk and branches.
"Feelin Blue" is a dwarf variety with a blue-green crown. Ideal for creating cedar bonsai or.
The “Aurea” varieties are characteristic of all of the listed types of cedar wood. Their delicate golden needles are sensitive not only to frost, but also to direct midday, summer rays, which cause sunburn of the needles.
How to grow cedar seedlings from seeds
You can obtain young plants in several ways: vegetatively (grafting onto an ordinary pine tree, cuttings) or by seeds. The latter method has gained the most popularity.
Growing cedar from seeds is a real pleasure for gardening enthusiasts. Preparations for sowing begin at the end of December or January.
The seeds are placed in a jar and filled with water for 3 days, the water is changed once a day. After three days, at the bottom of the jar you will find seeds suitable for germination. Those remaining on top will not germinate.
In the fall, a month before the expected freezing of the soil, the seeds are sown in pre-prepared beds, after having been kept for a couple of hours in a solution of potassium permanganate that destroys fungal diseases.
To protect against rodents and birds, which also like to eat pine nuts, it is better to cover them with spruce branches. And the fragile shoots that appear in the spring should be kept under plastic film, which can be removed only when the shells fall off.
You can sow cedar in the spring, having previously carried out stratification. The seeds are left in warm water for 4-6 days, changing it after 1-2 days, then thoroughly ground with peat chips or river sand.
This mixture is kept at room temperature, periodically moistening and stirring. After 50-60 days, the seeds hatch, after which they should be transferred to the refrigerator, stored at temperatures close to zero until sowing in April-May.
To prevent fungal diseases, nuts are also soaked for a couple of hours in a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate before sowing. Sow in a mixture of leaf soil and peat. The first week is periodically watered with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. After some time, sprouts will appear in the form of a curved knee.
Cedar sprout When the cedar seedlings grow and become stronger, they can be planted in open ground along with peat bags. Keep the soil moderately moist, as seedlings may die from lack of moisture.
Even with the best intentions, you should not dig up or loosen the soil next to a cedar seedling - this will only cause harm.
2-3 years after picking, young plants will become good planting material, because growing cedar from a seedling with a powerful root system is much easier and faster.
How to plant a cedar seedling in a garden plot
The tree feels best in a sunny, warm place protected from the wind. You can plant cedar in both autumn and spring. Seedlings with a closed root system are ready for planting throughout the season. Bare roots are best planted in March or October.
The planting hole should be 25-30% larger than the root ball. Cedar prefers loamy or sandy loam soil with good water permeability.
To increase fertility, the soil from the hole is mixed with peat, ash or humus. At the bottom of the planting hole, experts recommend pouring a layer of pine needles, which stimulates good development of the root system.
After planting cedar in the garden, seedlings are well watered. Over the next few years, they are insulated for the winter with agrofibre. Insulation is especially important for frost-sensitive varieties.
Conditions for growing cedar in a garden plot
The plant is not suitable for growing in dry sandy soil. Sandy loam soils or moist loams, which are closest in composition to natural growing conditions, are suitable for it. It is advisable to water the soil along the perimeter of the crown from time to time, adding mineral and, in the spring, organic fertilizers.
Aurelia variety Golden-Horizon A 2 cm layer of peat mulch or pieces of pine bark is poured around the plantings. plays an important role in growing garden cedar. The procedure maintains the necessary acidity of the soil, protects it from frost in winter and drying out in summer.
We must not forget about the formation of the crown of tall varieties. Most often, the tree is given a spreading, low-pubescent form. During the first 10-15 years, you can remove the lower branches up to 2-2.5 meters, stretching the pruning time over several years. And so that destructive fungal spores do not settle at the site of the cuts, it is recommended to lubricate the wounds with garden varnish.
Causes of yellowing of cedar
All crop types are susceptible to fungal pathogens, which are most active during periods of high humidity. Cedars affected by the disease turn yellow and brown, and the needles may fall off.
For prevention and treatment, plantings are treated with fungicidal preparations containing chlorothalonil. If the cedar turns yellow and there are no signs of fungal infection, then the tree may have suffered from root rot due to waterlogged soil.
The yellowing of needles is caused by a lack of water in the soil during drought. In this case, the needles begin to turn yellow at the top of the tree and then fall down.
Sometimes yellowness of the needles is a sign of chlorosis due to iron deficiency. If the soil pH is too high, tree roots cannot absorb iron from the soil and require chelated supplements to correct the deficiency.
Application in the garden
When thinking about how to grow a cedar seedling strong and beautiful, you should not lose sight of its proximity to other garden crops.
When designing a site, it is important to take into account that planting it alone leads to the development of small and non-germinating seeds. Since coniferous plants need cross-pollination, it is better to plant them in groups of 3-4 trees, maintaining a distance of 5-8 meters.
Between the seedlings you can plant low-growing ornamental bushes or representatives of coniferous species.
Cedar trees respond well to proximity to, which becomes a biological fertilizer for it for a long time. Dwarf forms are perfect for forming rockeries. These beautiful coniferous plants create an atmosphere of oriental style and unity with nature in the garden.