This evergreen tree is often called the Japanese cedar, although by mistake. Cryptomeria has nothing to do with pine, being one of the representatives of the cypress family. However, the gigantic size of adult trees and the majestic strict look really give them a resemblance to cedars.
Japanese cryptomeria (Cryptomeria japonica) is an endemic plant that makes up pure stands in only a few areas of the Japanese islands and in China, never found anywhere else in the wild. At home in Japan, the tree is called Sugu, the Chinese name for coniferous giants is Shan.
Botanical Description
The height of cryptomeria trunks reaches more than 50 m, in diameter many of them exceed 2 m. The bark is reddish-brown and fibrous, with age it can peel off and fall off with plates. Shoots form a conical narrow pyramidal, very dense crown. The kidneys are small, without scales. Needle needles or linear-awl-shaped, trihedral, about 25 mm long, quite soft. The needles have a 5-row spiral arrangement, slightly curved and bent inward. On branches remain up to 7 years. The color of the needles is light or dark green in the summer, in winter it acquires a yellowish or brown hue.
Cryptomeria is a monoecious tree, male and female small yellowish flowers are formed separately, at the ends of young shoots. Single buds are more common, sometimes bundles of 2-3 flowers appear. Cones of small size, about 2 cm, brown, spherical, with lignified wedge-shaped scales. After opening and dispersing the seeds, the cones remain on the branches.
Tree Facts
The lifespan of these cypress relatives is more than 1000 years. In Japan, a tree is a national symbol and is listed in the state register of cultural property. This species has long been planted near shrines and temples, tied around a rope of rice straw - Simenava, signs of divine affiliation. On the island of Yakushima, cryptomeria forests have received the status of national parks and are under protection. Many of the trees growing there are over 2000 years old, and the main local attraction, the symbol of the island - Dzemon-sugi - crossed the threshold of 7300 years.
Residents of nearby cryptomeria plantations of cities in the spring are forced to not only enjoy their majestic views, but also suffer from severe hay fever. Flowering trees fill the air with caustic pollen, from which watery eyes, twist in the nose and tickle in the throat. Even gauze dressings help a little. Children, people with respiratory ailments suffer more than others. It is interesting that almost no blooming conifers bring any problems to visitors.
Sugu wood has a light brown color and a clear contrasting pattern due to the dark resin filling the parenchyma cells. The surface of the array on the slices is drawn with dark strokes and flickers slightly in bright light. The fibers of the wood are straight, the density is about 400 kg / cubic meter. Oiling prevents rotting of the material. Cryptomeria lends itself well to manual and mechanical processing, holds nails. It is suitable for the construction of wooden frames, walls of buildings, gates, bulky furniture, various carpentry. In the mid-20th century, tree populations in Japan and China became very thin due to active logging.
Decorative varieties of cryptomeria
Breeders have been breeding new varieties of plants for over 170 years. They tried to plant and breed it in Western Europe and Russia. Trees took root in a mild and humid climate on the Black Sea coast: in the Crimea and the Caucasus. Temperate and northern latitudes with prolonged severe frosts and dry air were fatal to her. But the valuable decorative qualities of the tree prompted scientists to develop compact varieties for landscaping gardens, parks and greenhouses. In the southern regions they can be grown in open ground, in the middle lane it is an indoor potted culture.
There are several dozen decorative varieties of cryptomeria. Among them:
- Araucarioides: a low tree with a wide, pint-like or irregular crown, long shoots, several trunks, dark-green needles about 10 mm long;
- Вandai-sugi: shrub form with a rounded crown, about 1.5 m high, leaf blades short - about 3 mm, bluish;
- Monstrosa: a slender tree up to 2 m in height, a pyramidal crown, young shoots are curly, the needles are long, light green in color;
- Spiralis: a dwarf tree with shoots originally twisted around the trunk and twisted needles;
- Globosa nana: a dwarf tree with a spherical dense crown and bent branches, needles unevenly long, bright green in summer and blue in winter;
- Nana albospica: shrub with long drooping shoots and whitish or pale green needles;
- Cryptomeria japonica Yokohama: a bonsai breed with a height of not more than 30 cm, with a pyramidal crown and soft thick needles, changing color from dark green to brown in winter.
Landing conditions
Cryptomeria are more capricious in care than cedars or pines. They must be protected from winds and too hot sunlight, to ensure good drainage. For planting, you should choose areas with fertile slightly acidified soils. It is contraindicated to plant trees on limestone, in places where there is stagnation of water.
In regions where winter temperatures drop below + 8 ° C, seedlings are grown in pots or tubs, placed on warm loggias, in winter gardens. To control excessive growth, small ceramic containers are selected. A thick layer of stone or sand drainage is laid at the bottom. A soil mixture of peat, garden leaf and turf soil is poured on top. The roots of the plant are placed in a straightened form and covered with earth, then watered. In spring and summer, it is useful to put pots in the open air, especially in humid, warm weather.
Care
It is necessary to monitor the water regime, illumination and nutrition of young cryptomeria. Moistening requires moderation and frequency: the soil should not dry out. Soft, slightly warm water is useful for irrigation. In indoor conditions, especially in winter, it is worthwhile to sprinkle, spraying needles with scattered jets. Humidity in the surrounding atmosphere should be between 70–80%. You can put water vessels near the plants, indoor fountains. The indicator of a sufficient amount of water is juicy thick greens. Yellowed and chubby needles indicate a lack of moisture.
Optimum temperature: 18–22 ° С; regular changes of about 4–5 ° С are allowed in the direction of decreasing or increasing. Young plants cannot be placed under direct sunlight, they need to be slightly shaded. Adult trees tolerate a dense shadow well.
In winter, plants need a cool atmosphere, a temperature of 13–16 ° C will be sufficient, watering can also be less frequent. This will create the necessary peace for indoor crops by braking excess growth.
In open ground, cryptomeria care involves periodic top dressing with nitrogen-containing and organic fertilizers, which must be alternated every 3-4 weeks. In rooms in the absence of a large amount of free space, top dressing is reduced to a minimum. The first fertilizer is applied no earlier than 2 months after planting. The trees should be given extra food twice a year. Abundantly fertilize those specimens that require rapid growth.
Transplantation and reproduction
Potted plants are transplanted every year, picking up a large capacity and pouring new soil into it. This must be done in April, before the start of active vegetation. You need to carefully remove the trees, trying to preserve the earth clods on the roots - by the method of transshipment. After reaching 5 years of age, the transplant can be performed 1 time in 4 years.
Cryptomeria is used only in nurseries. Germination of them requires a lot of time, and it is problematic to revive decorative varieties in this way. But with a strong desire, you can sprout seed in a bowl with a mixture of sand and peat, covering the top with a film. Shoots appear within 6-8 weeks.
Indoor and greenhouse plants are planted with cuttings. In the spring, young ones who do not have time to wood the shoots are selected and cut with a disinfected blade. The length of the cuttings should be at least 12-15 cm. They are traditionally treated with phytostimulants and put in glasses with water for rooting. You can put the shoots in a moist substrate of peat and sand. A month later, when the roots appear, new plants are planted in permanent places.
In the garden, in addition to cuttings, you can propagate trees by layering. On a suitable branch, make an annular incision and strengthen it on the ground, sprinkling with soil so that the top remains outside. After rooting, the shoots are cut off from the mother trunk and planted separately.
Cryptomeria rarely gets sick, but pests can get on needles: spider mites or scale insects. Signs of defeat are dense brown plaques on the green or entwined with a thin cobweb of needles. In such cases, the tree needs to be treated with an insecticide, to check for pests in neighboring plants.
Cryptomeria growing in a house or garden release many volatile phytoncides into the air, which destroy bacterial and viral pathogens. The atmosphere near the plants is formed more healthy, filled with a gentle coniferous aroma.