Pallas Pine, or Crimean pine (lat. Pinus nigra subsp. pallasiana) - endemic of the southern foothills of the Caucasus and Crimea. This is a typical representative of subtropical conifers: a tall, slender long-liver with a beautiful dense crown.
Botanical Description
Crimean pine grows up to 35 m. The bark in the lower part is black-brown, thick, with deep longitudinal furrows. Closer to the top lighter, smoother. Young shoots reddish, shiny. The needles are dark green in color, hard, slightly curved, larger than ordinary pine. The needles are 15–18 cm long and 1.5–2 mm thick. On the branches, the needles are arranged in pairs, lasting 3-5 years.
The buds are pointed, large, 1.5–2 cm long, white, with light brown scales.
Tree Flowering Period - May. Cones 6–10 cm long, elongated, conical, bluish-violet at a young age, with densely pressed diamond-shaped bristles. As they mature, in August or early September, they become light brown, embossed. Inside are small black seeds with thin wings. Cones are located singly or whorls of 3-4 pieces.
Branches arcuate up. Young trees have a clearly shaped pyramidal fluffy crown. With age, the lower shoots die off, exposing most of the trunk. The surviving upper branches grow in breadth, giving the tree a flattened umbrella shape. In open areas with strong winds, the crowns of adult pines become torn or flag-shaped.
The root system of the tree has a powerful central stem, multiple lateral roots. Under hard shale deposits or on exposed limestones, only surface roots are formed. Such plasticity provides high adaptability to any type of soil. Pallas pine is undemanding to the presence of nutrients, grows on heavy or podzolic loams, rocky soils, sandstones. It is a photophilous and drought tolerant subspecies.. It tolerates strong winds, heat, gassed air. In regions with sufficient rainfall, it develops faster.
Sensitivity to frost is moderate, withstands temperatures up to -20–25 ° С. In temperate climatic zones, the tree often freezes.
The life span is 450-550 years. The average annual growth is 35–40 cm.
Spread
In ancient times, Pallas pine covered all the slopes and mountain spurs on the territory of Crimea. Now the trees are preserved on the southern side of Yaila, at an altitude of up to 1000 m above sea level, near the cities of Alupka and Yalta. Solid plantations are found in the northern part of the Black Sea coast. There are light forests with a predominance of this breed in Asia Minor.
In mixed forests, it adjoins yew, juniper, hornbeam, aspen, maple, and ash.
Application
Crimean pine has a strong, heavy, crack-resistant wood of a light yellow hue, with a fine texture. The density of the array is 540-570 kg / m3. It differs from the ordinary species in a large number of resin passages. The material tolerates moisture well, is resistant to fungal damage, and is durable. Used as raw materials for rosin, turpentine, in carpentry, furniture production, less often in construction. Wood has no wide industrial significance, since this species is listed in the Red Book.
Living trees are used in landscaping the streets, to strengthen the slopes, create decorative garden landscapes.
Healing properties
Young needles, cones of the Crimean pine are used in folk medicine. Decoctions are prepared from them for the treatment of inflammatory diseases of the joints, respiratory organs.
Tree pollen - a strong natural biostimulant. It contains a complex of vitamins B, ascorbic acid, inulin, minerals, organic acids, antioxidants. It is used as a prophylactic, therapeutic and strengthening agent:
- with a breakdown, anemia, physical and nervous exhaustion;
- decreased immunity;
- digestive upsets;
- infectious diseases;
- cardiovascular pathologies;
- unstable blood pressure;
- elevated cholesterol;
- diseases of the liver and kidneys;
- disorders of carbohydrate metabolism, diabetes;
- oncological processes.
Pollen is used in its pure form, is part of dietary supplements.
Landing
In a temperate climate zone, it is not recommended to plant processes of the Crimean pine brought from the southern regions. The risk is great that they will die from frost in the first winter. For planting in the middle lane, it is advisable to use special material from nurseries aged 3-5 years. In high-quality seedlings, the roots are covered with an earthen lump, shoots are elastic and flexible.
For planting, it is optimal to choose light areas protected from wind from the north and west sides. Strongly acidified moisture with frequent stagnation or greasy soil transported are not suitable. In insufficiently loose garden soil, sand, peat, wood ash should be added. Lime is used for alkalization.
Work is carried out in late April or in the first ten days of September. Pits are prepared with a size of 80-100 cm in width and depth. In group plantings, plants are located two meters from each other. The bottom is lined with a drainage mixture of coarse sand or stones 20 cm thick. Leafy humus, nitroammophoska in the amount of 30 g per well are added to poor soil.
The roots are evenly covered with earth, placing them so that the plant’s neck is flush with the surface.
When growing Crimean pine seeds, boxes with a mixture of sand, garden soil and peat are prepared from seeds. The material is sown to a depth of 1 cm. Contain pots at a temperature of 20 ° C. Sprouts appear within 4 weeks. After six months, the seedlings are transplanted into more spacious containers. In spring and summer they temper, taking them to fresh air. At the age of two years, seedlings are transferred to open ground.
Care
Excessive moisture can damage the tree, so in the first 1-2 seasons it is watered no more than twice a month. So that the water does not evaporate, but leaves into the soil, previously the top layer of soil is loosened 5–7 cm in depth.
Trunk circles are recommended to be mulched with peat. This will protect against fungal diseases.
Twice a season, in the soil under the roots of young plants you need to make nitrogen fertilizers at the rate of 30 g per 1 m2. When the pine tree is 3-4 years old, it ceases to need additional nutrition, receives minerals from its own coniferous litter. Therefore, the trunk circle should always be covered with falling needles.
Crimean pine does not need forming pruning, only drying branches need to be removed. A sanitary haircut is carried out in early spring. If you want to stimulate the trees to grow or adjust the crown, pinch the shoots, tearing off ¼ of their length.
The pine is not sensitive to air pollution, it is enough to spray an excessively dusty crown periodically from a shallow watering can.
For the winter, the trees are wrapped in a porous, lightweight insulation or burlap. The root system is covered with spruce branches. At temperatures above -15 ° C, plants do not need additional protection.