Siberian cedar is a great treasure of Russia. Healing and protective properties of cedar and cedar oil

It is no coincidence that the Siberian cedar, a photo of which can be seen in this article, is called the king of the taiga. This powerful and majestic long-liver is described in fairy tales and epics in the form of a wise old man. Cedar pines reach such sizes that against the background of fir or spruce they seem like giants with huge paws. In height, cedar is second only to sequoia, and the benefits of this giant for humans can hardly be overestimated. Houses built from cedar will last for centuries, and pine nuts, soft pine needles and healing resin not only feed the inhabitants of the forest, but have also found their use in folk medicine. Cedar seedlings are sold in nurseries. Having become familiar with the peculiarities of cultivation, you can try to grow this hero on your own plot. How the cedar pine bears fruit, where its seeds are used, how to care for it - read in today's article.

image of Cedar

A mighty old man stands on the edge of a taiga forest. With a thoughtful look from under thick eyebrows, he looked around his possessions. The harsh region appeared before the discerning gaze. This unbending king of the forest is Cedar .
Since ancient times, Cedar has been a symbol of greatness and dignity. Being sacred to many peoples, the Cedar was and remains the embodiment of courage and courage. The shamans of Siberia believed in its magical power and decorated ritual staffs with a cedar branch.

In Russia, the Cedar has always been a symbol of the vast, harsh Siberia.

Does the intensity of growth depend on the type and variety of cedar?

In the genus Sosna there are Siberian and Korean species growing in Russia, as well as dwarf cedar (Pinus pumila). The latter is a creeping plant. Growing in valleys sheltered from the wind, such a tree reaches a height of 4–7 m, and at the age of one hundred years the trunks grow up to 12 m with a thickness of 25 cm. The dwarf pine grows slowly. Its average lifespan is 300 years.

The Korean species (Pinus koraiensis), listed in the Red Book, is fast-growing and reaches a height of 40 m, and at the age of ten - 1.7 m. It bears fruit from the age of 20. However, in the first years the young plant grows slowly, the growth is 10–15 cm.

Did you know? Ten thousand years ago, the distribution of Pinus sibirica was enormous - from Western Europe to Eastern Siberia.

Often, varieties of pine cedars are distinguished by early and intense fruiting, while their growth rate is low. But there are representatives whose growth is noticeably different.

Plants with a growth of 50 cm:

Plantation;
He and she.

The Emerald and Subalpine varieties add 40 cm in 12 months.

Cedar names

The giant, which we used to call Cedar , is one of the types of Pine , namely the cedar Pine or Siberian Cedar. Its Latin name is "Pinus Sibrica". It is this name that appears in ancient chronicles.

Unfortunately, accurate information about the origin of the word “Cedar” has not survived to this day. There are several theories.

It is quite possible that the Russian Cedar owes its name to its Lebanese counterpart. In the past, when making icons, the base was taken from Lebanese Cedar, which had to be exported.

In the northern regions of Russia, the most popular species for making bases for icons were conifers. Being very soft for carving and not brittle, Siberian Cedar wood was well suited for such purposes.

Another theory of origin suggests that the name "Cedrus" is originally European and has its origins in ancient Rome.

The subtleties of growing cedar from a nut

Russian gardeners grow Siberian cedar pine, out of habit calling it cedar. No one would refuse to have a fluffy Siberian beauty with fragrant needles and medicinal nuts on their plot, and for modest properties there are low-growing varieties that do not take up much space. Let's learn how to grow cedar by purchasing a seedling from a nursery.

When choosing a location, it should be taken into account that with age the tree’s need for sunlight only increases, so you should choose places without shading. If possible, purchase cedar seedlings with a closed root system. Specimens that take root best are those whose root system has not had time to dry out, so it is advisable to choose a seedling that has just been dug up. The earthen ball must have dimensions of at least half a meter in diameter and be packed in damp burlap and a plastic bag.

How to plant a cedar pine seedling correctly

Before planting, it is necessary to dig up the entire area of the garden where the seedlings are planned to be planted. Planting pits are prepared a little more than a ball of earth. The distance between the holes should be at least 8 m. Young cedars are planted immediately in light soils, and sand and peat are added to heavier soils.

A little soil is poured into the bottom of the hole and the seedling is placed, straightening the roots. The root collar should be no lower than ground level. If this does happen, the seedling is removed and a little more soil is added. Then a peg is dug in next to the tree and the hole is filled with earth, slightly compacting it. The planting hole is watered abundantly, the soil in the tree trunk circle is mulched with pine litter, sawdust or chopped bark.

For two weeks, while the seedling takes root, it is watered every 2-3 days if there is no rain.

Growing cedar from a nut

If you couldn’t find a seedling in the nursery, but ripe pine nuts in a vase suggest a certain idea, feel free to choose the largest ones with intact shells - let’s try to grow cedar from seeds at home. The process of germinating nuts is not entirely simple, but very exciting:

the seeds are placed in water and kept for 3 days, changing it periodically;
the floating nuts are removed, and the rest are kept for several hours in a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate;
disinfected seeds are placed in a moist substrate and subjected to stratification for at least 3 months;
then the nuts are soaked again in potassium permanganate for a day and dried;
sow in closed ground (greenhouse or film shelter) in prepared soil that contains 20 parts of peat, 2 parts of ash and 1 part of superphosphate to a depth of 2–3 cm;
The furrows are watered before emergence.

Seedlings are grown indoors for 2 years. After this, the cover is removed. 6–8 year old trees are ready to be transplanted to a permanent location.

Caring for young Siberian cedar consists of regular watering, mulching the tree trunk, surface loosening in the absence of mulch, and applying potassium fertilizer three times a season. To do this, 20 g of potassium sulfate is diluted in a bucket of water and watered on each tree.

Two varieties of cedar pine are popular among gardeners - “Rekordistka” and “Icarus”. Both are highly decorative, compact in size, relatively unpretentious and bear fruit abundantly.

The cedar, which was grown from a nut, will soon turn out to be one of the most beloved trees on the site. And when it grows up, and you can relax in its shade, it will give you many pleasant moments, bringing coolness and refreshing the air with a subtle resinous aroma.

Where does Cedar grow?

Under natural conditions, Siberian Cedar grows only in Altai, Siberia and the Urals. There are many varieties of it, growing in the Crimea and the Caucasus. This is mainly Lebanese Cedar.

Siberian Cedar is of great importance in the national economy and food industry. Nutritious cedar seeds are an irreplaceable source of microelements and vitamins.

Thanks to their nut-bearing reputation, Cedar and its brethren have earned special attention from biologists and breeders. Industrial nut plantations have existed in our country for decades. These plantations are designed to stop the barbaric methods of extracting cedar seeds from natural sources without restoring forest productivity.

Description of appearance

Cedar is a giant evergreen coniferous tree that grows up to 60 meters in height. The plant has a wide spreading crown, a slender trunk, and dark gray bark, which is smooth on young trees and cracked on old ones. The wood is very aromatic and resinous, strong and does not rot. The needles are short, hard and prickly, dark green or silver-gray. Needles live from 3 to 6 years. The roots are located close to the soil surface, so strong winds can knock down even a powerful tree.

Cedars live for a very long time - up to 3000 years!

What does Cedar look like?

There are a considerable number of representatives of Cedar. Let's focus on the Siberian Cedar.

Despite the fact that this species belongs to the “pine” species, the diameter of the Cedar trunk can reach 2 meters.

Cedar lives up to 3-5 centuries. Between the ages of 20 and 70, it begins to bear fruit. The tree is distinguished by a dense green crown and brown-gray bark.

The famous pine cones are bluish-purple when unripe and turn dark brown when ripe. Cedar cones are large in size and can reach a width of 8 cm and a length of 13 cm.

Types of cedar pine

Despite the fact that, according to the latest scientific data, the Canadian, Korean and Siberian species are only close relatives of real cedar, the names familiar to everyone remain among the people. Canadian cedar belongs to the Thuja genus of the Cypress family.

Korean cedar pine

Korean, or Manchurian cedar is a coniferous tree of the pine genus, common in eastern Asia, China, Korea, Japan and the Russian Far East. The tall, powerful tree has a dense cone-shaped crown and shallow roots. The needles are bluish-green, long, and grow in bunches of 5 pieces.

The cones ripen within a year and a half and fall off in autumn or early winter. Each cone contains many nuts. The Korean species bears fruit once every few years.

Siberian cedar pine

Siberian cedar, or Siberian pine, is an evergreen tree, only slightly smaller in size than its famous relative. It lives up to 500–700 years and is distinguished by a dense, often multi-peaked crown with thick branches. The needles are soft, long, with a bluish bloom. The tree grows a powerful root system, and on light sandy soils it develops anchor roots that penetrate to great depths. Compared to cedars, it is shade-tolerant, with a short growing season.

The plant has male and female cones. They ripen within a year and a half and fall off in early autumn. Each cone contains up to 150 nuts. One tree produces up to 12 kg of pine nuts. Siberian cedar begins to bear fruit late, on average at 50–60 years of age.

The settlement of the tree involves nutcracker squirrels and chipmunks, which carry seeds over long distances.

Medicinal properties of Cedar

Cedar seed kernels contain a huge amount of vitamins and fats, so they are widely used in medicine and the food industry. Microelements contained in Cedar seeds help improve memory and are a valuable source of vegetable proteins and fats.

Moderate consumption of seeds improves immunity and restores the nervous system, strengthening the heart and blood vessels.

It is known that Cedar wood kills microbes, so they tried to make the bottom of the famous birch bark tues from Cedar.

Cedar milk from ground seeds is used in the treatment of tuberculosis diseases.

Cedar resin, like pine resin, promotes wound healing and is used in the fight against colds and lung diseases. Cedar needles are recommended as a means of combating asthma.

Since ancient times in Siberia, cedar needles were considered an excellent remedy for scurvy, and were also the basis for healing tinctures.

Chemical composition of the pine nut kernel

Calorie content: 875 Kcal;

Proteins: 13.7 g.

tryptophan: 3.4 mg
lecin
valine
lysine: 12.4 mg
methionine: 5.6 mg
glutamic acid
histidine
proline
serine
glycine
threonine
alanine
aspartic acid
phenylalanine
cystine
arginine: 21 mg
tyrosine

Fat: 68.4 g.

saturated: 4.9 g.
monosaturated: 18.7 g.
polyunsaturated 34.1 g.

Carbohydrates: 13.1 g.

starch
glucose
sucrose
fructose
dextrins
pentosans
cellulose

Vitamins:

Vitamin A (retinol): 1 mcg
b-carotene: 17 mcg
vitamin B1 (thiamine): 0.4 mcg
vitamin B2 (riboflavin): 0.2 mcg
vitamin B3 (niacin): 4.4 mcg
Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid): 0.3 mcg
vitamin B6 (pyridoxine): 0.1 mcg
Vitamin B9 (folacin): 34 mcg
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid): 0.8 mcg
Vitamin E (tocopherol): 9.3 mcg
vitamin K: 53.9 mcg

Microelements

calcium: 16 mg
iron: 5.5 mg
magnesium: 251 mg
phosphorus: 575 mg
potassium: 597 mg
zinc: 6.4

Also contains copper, manganese, silicon, vanadium, molybdenum, nickel, iodine, tin, boron, barium, titanium, silver, aluminum, cobalt, sodium iodides.

Application of Cedar

Cedar seeds are used in the production of high-calorie cream, butter and cedar milk. In addition, table oil is obtained from the seeds, and halva is obtained from the cake.

Science has also found a use for this magnificent tree. When cutting Cedar, resin is extracted, from which immersion oil is obtained. A drop of immersion oil is placed between the microscope objective and the object of study. Oil improves the quality and clarity of images of objects by directing and concentrating light at the required point.

Moderately soft and dense, Cedar wood is used in making pencils.

Cedar wood is a favorite material for carvers, cabinetmakers and joiners. Skillfully crafted chests and cabinets also have a practical purpose. Insects, including moths, will never live in such a product.

Planting Cedar trees in parks and gardens helps clean and disinfect the air.

Literature

Zabelin I.I.
Genus 8. Cedrus - Cedar // [herba.msu.ru/shipunov/school/books/der_i_kust_sssr1949_1.djvu Trees and shrubs of the USSR. Wild, cultivated and promising for introduction.] / Ed. volumes S. Ya. Sokolov and B. K. Shishkin. - M.-L.: Publishing House of the USSR Academy of Sciences, 1949. - T. I. Gymnosperms. — P. 176-184. — 464 p. — 3000 copies.
[herba.msu.ru/shipunov/school/books/flora_sssr1934_1.djvu Genus 40. Cedar - Cedrus Link] // Flora of the USSR: in 30 volumes / ch. ed. V. L. Komarov. — M.—L. : Publishing House of the USSR Academy of Sciences, 1934. - T. I / ed. volumes M. M. Ilyin. - P. 159. - 302 + XVI p. — 5000 copies.

Gallery

Male cone of Cedar of Lebanon.JPG
Male spikelet, or cone (microstrobilus) of cedar.
Male cones (microstrobiles) of cedar..JPG
Read also: Roofs of wooden houses: their types and stages of construction
Male cones (microstrobiles) of cedar. Crimea. Zander.
Cedrus 04.JPG
Self-seeded cedar, less than a year old. Crimea. Miskhor.
Cedrus 07.JPG
Samosey cedar, more than a year old. Crimea. Miskhor.
Cedrus wood.jpg
Cedar wood.
Pollen from male cedar cones.JPG
Pollen from male cedar cones. Crimea. Zander.

Spreading

In their natural habitat, cedars grow in the southern and eastern regions of the Mediterranean territory and in the western Himalayas . In the south of Crimea, trees have “taken root” in the territory from Sevastopol to Kara-Dag, that is, where the minimum temperature values do not reach -25°C. Lebanese cedar also grows in the botanical garden in Odessa, self-seeding and withstanding temperatures down to -27°C (just like the Crimean specimens).

Find out also the structural features of the Siberian pine root system.

Theoretically, you can find cedar in other countries, where all conditions for optimal growth and development of the plant will be created: loose, permeable soils, with a minimum lime content, sufficient humidity and the absence of very frosty winters . On dry, southern slopes with a high level of lime in the substrate, Himalayan cedar often suffers from chlorosis and eventually dies. This applies to Atlas and Lebanese cedars, but they are less susceptible to this disease. In the middle zone or in the Ural territory (from 400 m above sea level), cedars can grow successfully even in steep, lime-covered areas, but only if there is a sufficient amount of fresh soil and high air humidity.