All about small-leaved linden

Linden is a beautiful and unpretentious tree that grows both singly and together with other trees. It is especially good during the flowering period. Found in almost every region of Russia. Small-leaved linden grows best of all.

Small-leaved linden (in Latin Tilia cordata) has about 45 varieties. It also has a second name - “heart-shaped linden”.

A very resistant tree that can live for more than one hundred years, while maintaining the density of the crown. The life form of the linden is a tree with a crown diameter of 19 m and a height of 30 m. The crown has a tent-like shape. Leaves are dark green, heart-shaped, pointed, toothed. Each leaf is no more than 4 cm in size. It blooms with yellow-white small inflorescences from late June to early July for about 2 weeks, the fruits ripen in August or September.

Linden root system is very developed, fibrous. It is the root system that provides the tree with nutrition and moisture. Linden grows on almost all types of soil, but prefers a well-fertilized soil. The density of the crown and the beauty of the tree as a whole directly depends on the soil on which it grows.

The trunk is covered with dark gray bark, thin and smooth in young trees. On old trees, the bark is rough, thickened, all covered with cracks. The anatomical structure is white wood, which has a pink or reddish tint. On the sections, you can see the annual layers, which are slightly different. The naked eye can see the difference in the core rays. Wood is easy to process, it is good to use it for crafts.

For the first few years, the culture grows rather slowly. After about 5 years, the growth rate increases. Linden grows not only in the wild, it is also very good for decorative plantings. In this case, small-leaved linden is used on a trunk - a tree with a pyramidal crown, which can be easily given any shape, for example, a ball or a cube.

The cordate linden occupies an area stretching from Europe and Southeast Asia to the North American continent.

Heart-shaped linden is a common culture in Russia (even beyond the Urals and in Siberia, since it is not as demanding on conditions as other cultures), in the Caucasus, in Spain, Italy, Norway and in many other countries and regions.

It can adapt to almost any environment. Linden loves fertile soil, especially grows well on moist nutrient soils. It easily tolerates any weather conditions - both frost and periods of drought, but it grows better in warm areas with high humidity.

Currently, there are many different varieties of small-leaved linden, which takes root in the city, is not afraid of bad weather and is an excellent honey plant.

A tree with a dense spherical crown, which over the years can become 6-8 m in diameter. The height usually does not exceed 5 m and directly depends on the trunk. The leaves are heart-shaped, have a dark green color, they are smaller than those of other varieties.

Can adapt to all conditions, but prefers fertilized and moist soil. Dislikes drought. It is best to plant the plant in a well-lit place and provide additional watering - then the crown will be beautiful and symmetrical. It is recommended to prune the crop every 5 years.

A plant that grows up to 20 m in height and 12 m in width. It has a branched, oval-shaped crown, which ends with a spire at the top. This variety is very popular in Europe. Often found as a hedge, and also used for landscaping squares and parks. Unpretentious, grows well on any soil, is shade-tolerant. Suitable for planting in big cities.

Linden variety with a dense but compact oval-shaped crown. Very easy to cut, suitable for creating a garden that requires little or no maintenance. It will look good in alley plantings. Small trees of the same height and crown of the same shape in a row will look spectacular.

Also suitable for planting on a narrow street or in a small yard. The tree takes up little space and does not completely shade the courtyard with its crown.

A tree with orange shoots that stand out very clearly in winter. The crown is dense, pyramidal, but becomes rounded over time. It grows rapidly and reaches a height of up to 20 m. Begins to bloom in late June or early July in small yellow-white flowers with a pronounced aroma. Fruits are small nuts, ripen in August or September. It is an excellent honey plant.

The variety is unpretentious to the soil, but develops best on fresh and fertile loams. In urban conditions, it also takes root well. Easy to cut. If a decorative shape is needed, it is recommended to prune the tree every winter.

Suitable for creating hedges, as well as for the formation of alleys. Will look equally good in single and group plantings. It is often used for landscaping city and school yards and parks; it is planted around playgrounds, as well as medical institutions. It tolerates even the coldest winter.

A small tree with a compact crown, reaching 12 m in height. Suitable for small summer cottages and gardens - wherever it is impossible to plant a large tree. Differs in bright green shiny leaves. Begins to bloom and bear fruit after 5-8 years. It depends on the conditions in which the tree grows.

It blooms very profusely, it is the best honey plant of all varieties. The variety is picky about the quality of the soil. Does not grow on damp and sandy soils. It is best to plant it in a well-lit area where additional watering will also be possible.

There is another type of small-leaved linden - bush. It is a cross between small-leaved and large-leaved linden, which has the properties of both types. It grows much faster and begins to bloom much earlier than other varieties. Its branches are quite spreading, which gives the dense crown a beautiful shape.

Flowering begins in May, many small inflorescences appear. It is considered the best honey plant. It is equally good for landscaping large areas, and for decorating private gardens, and for creating landscape compositions.

To plant seedlings, you need to make a hole with a diameter and depth of at least 50 cm. A drainage layer is poured at the bottom, which can be used as crushed stone, pebbles or broken brick. Then a layer of humus mixed with superphosphate is placed. After that, a seedling is placed in the prepared soil and covered with turf, humus and sand.

After that, the seedling needs regular watering and fertilizing with nitrogen fertilizers at least 3 times a season for 2 years.In the first winter, it is better to make a shelter so that the tree does not die.

It is necessary to plant a linden, given its attitude to light - it is shade-tolerant, but photophilous and develops better in well-lit places. It is also important how the tree treats moisture, namely, it prefers moderate moisture.

A few years after planting, linden no longer requires special care, but still it is worth following some rules so that the tree decorates the site for many years.

• In the second year after planting, you can start trimming the crown for its formation, as well as for sanitary purposes. For the first time, it is better to do this in early spring, before the buds bloom and new shoots appear. If the crown has grown a lot, you can prune it a little in the fall.
• Mature trees do not need constant feeding, but it will be useful a couple of times a season.
• Watering the trees is also not required, unless during a severe drought.
• For the winter, linden must be mulched with peat, sawdust and fallen leaves.
• It is recommended to carry out treatment every spring in order to prevent diseases and prevent the appearance of pests.

There are several ways to breed small-leaved linden.

• Planting seeds. This is a very long way, this process can take up to 10 years. First, the seeds are collected and placed for six months in a place with a temperature of no more than 0 ° and high humidity. Instead of soil, they take sawdust or sand. Seeds may not sprout immediately, but only in the second or third year. Seedlings need to be watered every day and weeds should be prevented. They are sheltered for the winter.
• With the help of root shoots. You need to find an old tree that grows in a dimly lit place. New seedlings grow from its roots. It is better to choose seedlings that are at least 2 years old. In the spring, when it is wet outside, you need to chop off the main root and then take care of the shoots all summer long - water, fertilize and loosen the soil, and plant in the right place in the fall.
• By layering method. Quite unusual, but common way. A young tree needs to be cut down and wait for new shoots to appear on the stump. After that, the young branch is bent and fixed in the ground so that its end comes out of the ground. In summer, the cuttings need to be watered regularly. Usually in the third year, roots will appear on this fold. They must be carefully separated and transplanted into a young plant.
• The easiest way is to buy (or dig up) and plant seedlings. With proper care, the tree will take root perfectly.

Like any other crop, linden is susceptible to attack by insect pests, especially when the tree does not grow alone, but in an alley.

• The most dangerous and common enemy of the linden is the scabbard, which can easily be mistaken for a plaque on the bark of a tree. Females lay eggs, and when the larvae hatch, the branches begin to die off, and the leaves and fruits fall off prematurely. The scabbard is also dangerous in that it emits honeydew, which contributes to the development of a sooty fungus, which is very harmful to linden.
• Another dangerous pest is the gall mite, which, during reproduction, covers the leaves with red thorns, from which new mites appear, feeding on the contents of the buds, which leads to deformation and death of the shoots.
• Very often linden is attacked by many species of butterflies, which also reproduce on the leaves, and the hatched caterpillars devour them, entangle them in cobwebs and cause diseases such as powdery mildew.

Also, both young and old trees are periodically exposed to various diseases, such as:

• tinder fungus;
• white marble rot;
• thyrostromosis.

Spraying trees with insecticides helps fight pests and diseases. This is rather difficult, since insects often live on the top of the crown, which is very difficult to reach with a motorized sprayer, since a manual sprayer cannot cope with the processing of the entire crown. Special wood injections are a good alternative.

The main difference between small-leaved and large-leaved limes is size. Large-leaved reaches 40 m in height, and its leaves are up to 14 cm in size. It opens later than small-leaved, for about 2 weeks. Its flowers are much larger than that of the cordate, but there are fewer of them in number (no more than 5). Large-leaved is not so frost-resistant, but it tolerates drought better.

Heart linden is not only used as a medicinal plant and as a melliferous plant, but also has become widespread in landscape design. Ideal in shape, it is easy to cut, it blooms beautifully, filling the air with the scent of its small inflorescences. Suitable for the formation of alleys, parks and hedges. In this case, the trees are cut in the same way. The dense crown easily turns into a dense fence. A trimmed linden tree keeps the shape that was given to it for quite a long time.

Linden gets on well with other types of trees and shrubs, which allows you to create unique landscape compositions. You can carry out a group planting and focus on the linden tree, or, on the contrary, it can shade the showiness of other cultures with it. Especially harmoniously combined with conifers. Mixing colors will look great anywhere.

Linden is a unique culture that will be a wonderful decoration for any site. With minimal maintenance, it will serve as a source of shade, as a remedy, and as an element of landscape design for many years.

How to plant and grow linden, see the video.