Himalayan pine: description, varieties and cultivation

The Himalayan pine has several different names. This tall tree is called the Wallich pine. The distribution area of ​​ephedra: in the forests of the Himalayas, in the eastern part of Afghanistan, in China. This tree is highly decorative, therefore it is quite widespread in different countries.

The Himalayan pine belongs to the pine family. The height of this tree varies from 35 to 50 m. Outwardly, this plant is quite spectacular:

• the crown is wide, in the form of a pyramid, not too dense in structure;
• branches of an elongated type, bend well, decorate the trunk from the ground itself;
• the beauty of the needles is amazing - thin, flexible, long - up to 20 cm, up to 1 mm thick;
• the needles are assembled in a bundle-like manner, 5 pieces per bundle;
• at an immature age, the needles resemble ordinary pine ones, but over the years they take on a form similar to a willow - hanging;
• coniferous shade of green with blue, may have a bloom of gray or silver;
• the life of the needle is from 3 to 4 years;
• fruits are yellowish, elongated;
• the shape of the cones resembles a curved cylinder;
• seeds have elongated wings - up to 35 mm;
• the rhizome is at the top of the soil, and as for the central root, its depth reaches 1.5 m;
• in young animals, the bark has a dark gray color, the bark is smooth, in mature pine the cracked bark of an ashy tone can flake off;
• shoots have a greenish-yellow tint, shine, there is no bark on them.

The flowering of this representative of the flora occurs in the second half of April, however, it often varies, adjusted for the region of growth. Cones ripen in the second year, in the middle of autumn. The Wallich pine lives for about three hundred years, the growth every year depends on many conditions, external factors. If they are comfortable, then the growth can be up to 60 cm per year in height, and up to 20 in width. After 30 years, the height of a pine tree can be either 12 m in the middle zone of the country, or 24 m in the south.

Pine wood is fragile, it does not withstand bad weather conditions - heavy snowfalls, strong winds. It is not suitable for cultivation in the north, despite its good frost resistance down to -30 ° C. Branches quickly break under the weight of the snow. In the event that even the tree manages to survive, then it will not bloom, since it will take a lot of time and effort to heal wounds. The bright sun combined with white snow is also dangerous for the pine - the likelihood of burns is high.

There are many species, varieties and hybrids of this plant.

Weymouth Pine is a beautiful ornamental plant from 7 to 15 m in height, with soft, long needles. The crown is conical, does not differ in symmetry. This species has many bright varietal representatives:

• Angel Falls, Niagara Falls - catchy, luxurious trees with weeping needles of a light green hue;
• "Fastigiata" - has a dense crown in the shape of an egg, with elongated needles of an unusual gray tone.

The Bosnian Geldreich pine is a species found in the Balkans. Possesses good qualities of temperature resistance, is immune to attack of pests, has good immunity. Perfectly adapts to any growing conditions. Popular varieties include:

• "Compact jam" - a dwarf variety with a small crown, conical shape, a beautiful shade of green needles, tolerates drought and infertile soil types;
• "Malinki" - a variety with a dense crown structure, undersized, slow-growing.

Italian pine "Pinia" has a luxurious crown in the form of a sphere or flat type. Popular varieties:

• "Silver cross" - a small mountain tree of the elfin type, it grows well in pots, its crown is asymmetrical, grows slowly, has purple or red cones;
• "Glauka" - grows up to 3 m, has beautiful blue needles with a tint of silver, a high degree of decorativeness, unpretentiousness and excellent immunity makes this variety popular.

Mountain pine "Mugus" does not grow above 3 meters in height, but its trunk is quite strong. Differs in red-violet fruits and a juicy green tone of needles. Unpretentious to soil and weather conditions. The following varieties-varieties of "Mugus" are widespread:

• "Mugo Mugus" - high decorativeness, dwarf type and unpretentiousness contribute to its popularity among gardeners;
• "Pug" - another low-growing mountain pine with a sphere-shaped crown has shortened emerald needles, tolerates drought and frost well;
• "Varella" - this mountain tree resembles more a hedgehog bush, has a crown in the form of a sphere, wavy needles of a bright green color.

Series of varieties "Pumilio" also applies to mountain varieties. This group includes low-growing coniferous shrubs that can be formed by pruning. Popular varieties of the group:

• "Winter Gold" - rarely grows more than 2 m, the needles are green with a yellow tint, seasonal, in winter - golden, in spring - light lime;
• "Dwarf" - has a rounded crown of a dense type, needles of a dark green tone, slow-growing, well pinched and pruned, therefore ideal for a bonsai tree.

Common pine is a species that grows up to 40 m in height, but withadovods grow shorter options:

• "Globoza viridis" - no more than 1.5 m, frost-resistant variety;
• "Vaterery" - up to 4 m, has bluish needles and a crown in the form of a sphere.

White pine Japanese grows not only in Japan, but also in China, the height is not less than 15 m. The crown has a wide conical shape, bunched needles. Used in landscape design. The varietal Japanese group includes:

• Miyajima - a bonsai has a crown in the form of a ball, gray needles;
• "Negishi" - can grow up to 2.5 m, has short green needles with a silver tint, is used as a bonsai;
• Ogon janome - a rare variety, beautiful, of medium height, characterized by variegated needles with a yellow stripe.

Himalayan Griffith pine grows in mountains, valleys, has a cone-type crown. The branching starts from the ground, in the natural environment it reaches a height of 50 m. The needles of a hanging type, bluish-green in color, may be blue. Fruits are narrowish, curved type.

Common varieties and varieties often used for decorative purposes:

• Zebrina - has blue needles and yellow transverse stripes;
• Black austrian pine - fast-growing, tall;
• "Pyramidalis" - grows quickly, has the shape of a pillar with upright shoots;
• "Nana" - has a crown in the shape of a sphere, grows slowly, low-growing. undemanding;
• "Densa Hill" - grows up to 7 m, has dark green needles with a blue undertone, loves light, undemanding to the soil, common in landscape design.

This type of tree can be grown both in the south and in the middle latitudes of our country. Planting a Himalayan pine is a very important step. There are certain requirements and rules that must be followed. Only in this case can you get a healthy and well-developing tree. First of all, you need to prepare the seedling and the planting site.

How to choose a place:

• it must be protected from drafts, since gusts of wind can harm the plant, a place near a building, a fence is well suited;
• good illumination is required, but direct sunlight is not an optimal option, diffused light is preferable;
• the soil should be light, drained, water stagnation is contraindicated;
• marshy and alkaline soils are not suitable.

How to plant correctly:

• a pit is being prepared to a depth of 1 m, it is best to focus on a clod of earth, the depth should be 2 times its size;
• pines are not planted closer than 4 m from each other;
• drainage is located at the bottom - broken bricks, gravel, pebbles, stones;
• the drainage layer should be at least 20 cm if the soil is of clay type;
• peat, soil and sand are introduced into the pit in equal parts;
• after that, the seedling is placed in a hole and sprinkled with soil mixture.

Caring for pines at home is simple, but requires regularity and accuracy.

Moistening in the first 2 years is carried out regularly, as well as top dressing - the tree develops and needs support. Mature trees can safely tolerate drought provided they are mulched. In the spring and early summer, the tree is fed with nitrogen fertilizers; from the middle of summer, nitrogen is excluded and replaced with potassium-phosphate mixtures. Early spring is the best time for superphosphate fertilization.

To prevent the roots from freezing and drying out, mulching with a layer of at least 10 cm is necessary. Can be used:

• sawdust:
• shavings;
• small bark;
• peat.

It is important to properly prepare the tree for winter:

• young seedlings are covered, but the branches are not rolled up, as they are extremely fragile;
• the ideal option is a frame and insulation on top;
• this process is done at the very end of autumn, when the temperature is set at -5 ° C;
• you can remove the frame in the spring, as soon as the temperature steadily goes to plus.

Diseases that often affect this type of tree:

• drying out;
• rust;
• shute.

Treatment of any ailments is rather complicated, fungal diseases, in general, are practically hopeless. The stake should be made on preventive measures by treating the crown and trunk with fungicides:

• Horus;
• "Quadris";
• "Speed";
• "Maksim".

And also drugs with copper are effective:

• bordeaux liquid;
• copper sulfate;
• "Hom";
• "Oxyhom".

Pests are also dangerous, most often they are aphids, hermes. It is necessary to carry out spraying in the spring and summer, using the means:

• Aktara;
• Actellik;
• Angio.

The Himalayan pine is propagated by the seed method. Fruiting begins after spring flowering, cones are formed. The seeds ripen in them in the second year, in the autumn. The home environment for growing this tree from seed is laborious and risky. It is necessary to provide rather serious conditions for growth: the level of air humidity, temperature regime. Therefore, gardeners do not recommend propagating pine on their own. Most of the seedlings may not be viable. This process takes many years.

Let's see how beautiful the Himalayan pine is on any site:

• the beauty of the Himalayan pine is undeniable, its long needles look amazing;
• this tree is great both for decorating summer cottages and park areas;
• pine looks perfect both alone and in a group of trees;
• dwarf varieties are well suited for neighboring flower beds and flower beds;
• the elongated type of needles is one of the distinctive features and the reason for the high decorative effect of this pine species.

For an overview of the Himalayan Weymouth pine, see the next video.