Italian pine, or pine: description, features of cultivation and reviews

Today, many people have an idea to plant coniferous trees at home. Ornamental-deciduous plants - this is a beautiful decoration of the interior, but they do not equal the charming Italian pine. It can be seen on sale under the name of pine. In flower shops, it is found all year round, but it is best to buy and plant it in the early spring.

Growth in nature

Italian pine is found in the Canary Islands. Very showy, the young tree has a pyramidal shape. With age, the crown branches. Due to the powerful bitches, an umbrella crown is formed. At home growing, flower growers often use this feature to create an amazing garden of bonsai, unique and unrepeatable.

At home, the Italian pine reaches a huge size, 20 meters high. In pots, usually this plant is not more than a meter and a half, but for a small room it does not fit. But in the big hall it will look just magical. Its crust has a reddish-gray hue, which gives the pine a very decorative appearance. Needles in young trees are soft, silvery-green. The length of each needle is about 10-12 cm. Over time, it becomes stiffer and darker. In nature, the Italian pine periodically throws pine needles, which then covers the ground around the tree with a carpet. At home, old needles cut themselves, which stimulates the growth of fresh.

Why pines

Indeed, in nature there are so many varieties of pine trees that just your eyes are scattered. In addition, to date, decorative varieties and hybrids have been removed. But among them a special place is occupied by the Italian pine. A distinctive feature is an unforgettable coniferous aroma, surprisingly resistant. Pinea is grown in the garden in summer, and in winter it is brought to a warmed loggia. By Christmas, you will have your own "Christmas tree" at home, which you can decorate. This tradition allows you to save trees in nature.

Description of the species

Let's take a closer look at what the Italian pine (pinia) is. The tree is unbranched, highly cleared of branches, with a beautiful crown. The trunks are covered with a furrowed bark, which is separated by large plates, strongly curved. Young shoots are usually gray-green or light-yellow, densely covered with needles. The kidneys at the ends are quite spectacular, unsmooth. Needle length 10-15 cm, green or bluish. Mature female cones are single, symmetrical. Scalp scales curved, thick, hide edible seeds, which we call nuts. It is from them that you can grow a new tree.

View Properties

Pine is Italian, or pine is a resident of the Mediterranean, so it is difficult to bear frost. In the middle zone and in the south of Russia it can grow in the open ground (where frost does not exceed -20), but in Siberia it will not survive. Here, gardeners usually plant it in tubs, so that, with the onset of autumn, take it to a warmer room. Prefers dry and loose soils, mostly sandy. The breed is light-loving and drought-resistant, undemanding to the conditions of growth, except that it does not tolerate overmoistening. The tree gives large seeds resembling the nucleus of Siberian cedar. They are considered a delicacy and are regularly used for food. Useful properties are not inferior to those of the Siberian cedar. It is a product of longevity

Seedling or seeds?

It is most convenient to use a five year old seedling of the kind you like. In this case, you get a fully grown plant, which can be located on your dacha site. However, many are not interested in how to buy a ready seedling, but how to grow it. The Italian pine (pine) grows long enough, be patient. Growing a tree out of cones is a very interesting process, this technology is of great importance for the restoration of coniferous forests, and not just for decorating private household plots.

Choose the seed

We will talk in detail about how to plant seeds of Italian pine. First of all, you need a mature cone. To do this, she will have to live on a tree for three years. After that, the scales in her open and expose the seeds. Right now, the ready-made cone falls to the ground, where it can be harvested and used to grow a new plant. In each such house there are about 10 seeds. The optimal time for harvesting is the end of October.

Bringing home, it must be placed in heat, on the stove or to the battery. In a couple of days, the cone will open and allow the seeds to be harvested. In nature, they are subjected to natural stratification. All winter long, the cone lies under the snow, and with the onset of spring the seeds are absorbed by moisture and germinate. This should be repeated at home. To do this, lay the seeds on the sand, lightly moisturize, cover with snow and remove to the bottom shelf of the refrigerator.

With the onset of spring

Now the seeds can be placed in the landing boxes. They need to be filled with light peat soil (one part of turf, peat and sand), which must be burned in the oven. After the soil has been prepared, the seeds are sown to a depth of 2-3 cm. Pour well and close the glass. After the emergence of shoots, the covering material should be removed, and the box moved to a sunny place. For the prevention of seedlings sprayed with a solution of fungicide. In early summer, they can be planted in the open ground or tub, if the climatic conditions do not involve growing on the site.

Care of the plant

Now you have a young pine pine (pine) growing. The peculiarities of cultivation assume a regular transplant, approximately every five years. By this age they reach a height of about half a meter. It must be remembered that young pines need to be sheltered for winter period by lapnik. In the warm season it will be necessary to feed the seedlings 2-3 times. To do this, use mineral mixtures for coniferous trees. But with organic is better to be more careful, the fatty soils of the pines are not to taste. If these conditions are met, a sufficient number of seedlings can be obtained to decorate the garden plot with one cone.

About 7 years the plant acquires the crown, and by 20 the tree is covered with branches almost to the ground. By the age of 30, the lower branches begin to die, the crown acquires an ovoid shape. By this time, the process of growing up is almost complete, although growth will continue.

Pinnia in the winter garden

According to those who have a described tree on their site, this is one of the few pines that easily tolerates the home contents. And a satisfactory condition and form in her will be if in the period of growth the tree is in the open air. And in winter it is best to keep it in a cool place where growth stops.

The soil should be light, it is a mixture of granulate and sand, as well as gravel. The earth must be replaced every 2-3 years. Young plants require moderate watering, and in winter you can observe the temporary dryness of the substrate.

Crown formation

What you need to do to grow a beautiful and strong Italian pine (pine)? The use of modern synthetic fertilizers is not encouraged, it is enough to be forest humus. This kind of pine is great for creating a flat and wide crown, but you can implement other styles, if desired. The final height should be maintained at a level of one and a half meters. Young shoots are shortened and formed using wire. Do this until the branches are young and flexible, that is, until they reach the age of three. In places where the wire passes, you need to remove the needles. Make sure that it does not fit snugly against the branches, otherwise it can grow into the bark.

Delicious nuts

In addition to the decorative function, you can count on the fact that from about 12 years of life the pine will begin to bear fruit. One tree gives an average of 45 cones. A large plant can give about 7-9 kilograms of edible seeds. Many Italian dishes use a delicious pine nut. The Italian pine is a very fertile plant. If a number of trees grow on the plot, then you will be provided with a wonderful additive to food. Caloric content is quite high, about 630 kcal per 100 g of product. Nuts are rich in trace elements such as vitamins B, E and C, as well as phosphorus and magnesium, zinc and potassium, manganese and iron.

Beneficial features

To date, they are not fully understood, but it is well known that the nuts of Italian pine perfectly heal wounds and help cope with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Regular consumption of pine fruits helps to strengthen immunity and has an easy diuretic effect, improves kidney and liver activity, stimulates potency, promotes normalization of heart function.

Instead of concluding

Comments from owners of country houses claim that it is not a big problem to grow an Italian pine tree on site. This tree is not whimsical, the only condition is the absence of excessive moistening of the soil. To prevent fungal infection of plants, young seedlings should be periodically watered with manganese. Formation of the intricate crown is an interesting and fascinating work. And the appearance of your garden, decorated with Italian pines, will benefit greatly. Do not forget about the immediate benefits of conifers in your garden, and the aroma that reigns on a hot summer day will be the best reward.