Eastern white pine, or Weymouth pine, or Pinus Strobus in Latin, is a plant belonging to the Pinaceae family, the genus Pine. This is a large tree, often exceeding 30 meters in height. The tallest trees reach 60 meters or more. Dwarf forms of Weymouth pine are rare; they look like ornamental shrubs.
The natural habitat of the tree is the eastern part of the North American continent. Plants are common in the USA and Canada. Europeans and residents of other continents became acquainted with this plant at the beginning of the 17th century. It happened thanks to the navigator, an English lord who bore the surname Weymouth, who gave the name to the tree.
What does Weymouth pine look like?
Photos of the Weymouth Pine tree taken in its homeland are not at all similar to those taken in our latitudes. In their native North America, the trees can reach heights of 50 to 80 meters. That is why trees of this type are often used there more in construction than in landscape design. In Canada, pine is primarily a valuable source of timber.
In Europe, Weymouth Pine reaches an average height of 25-30 meters and has a crown with a diameter of up to 1.5 meters. Most often it resembles a cone or has rounded features. The trunk of the tree is straight, the bark is light gray. But the older the tree gets, the darker the bark becomes.
This type of pine is considered very lush. This is due to the fact that the needles on the Weymouth Pine grow in bunches not of two, but of five at a time. All of them are dark green in color and medium in size - up to 10 centimeters in length.
Weymouth pine has both female and male cones. They look different from each other. Female cones have a narrow, elongated shape. Male cones are smaller in size and vary in color, having a yellowish tint.
Features of the Pinus strobus species
Weymouth pine belongs to the Pine family. Pinus strobus translated from Latin means “pine with cones.” The tree of this species is decorative and tall, reaching 50 m in height. The trunk diameter varies from 10 to 15 m. An adult plant has a branched, lush, rounded crown . The bark has a gray tint, which tends to darken with age.
In the first years, there are no cracks on the bark; it is smooth and light green in color. They appear at a more mature age. The buds are brown and resinous. The tree has sparse branching. Conifer bunches are collected from 5 needles. The needles are soft, up to 10 cm long, and have a slightly curved shape. The color of the needles can range from green-blue to bright green. The needles are rotated every 2–3 years.
The tree reproduces by seeds, which are contained in cones 8–20 cm long. Male cones are shaped like an ellipse, light brown in color. The female ones look like a cylinder, and when they open, they become slightly ovoid. The wings of the seeds are 1.5–2.5 cm long.
Did you know? The valuable amber stone is produced from the hardened resin of old pine trees.
The tree develops rapidly during the first 40 years of its life. At this age, the average height is 19–20 m. The plant is resistant to cold and frost, and is in the 5th frost resistance zone. Strong winds and gusts of snowstorm will also not interfere with the plant. The average age of Weymouth pine is about 400 years.
Varieties of Weymouth pine
The description of the Weymouth pine tree may differ not only because this species in the wild has different characteristics.
There are quite a few forms and varieties of Weymouth pine. The most popular of them:
- Minimus or Minima. The decorative form is very small in size. It is characterized by the fact that the diameter of its crown is greater than the height of the tree itself. Most often, the crown diameter of the tree is up to 1.5 meters, and the height of the tree is less than 1 meter. The needles of this variety have a blue tint.
- Fastigiata. It grows quickly and reaches up to 15 meters in height, and the crown is up to 1.5 meters wide. The branches of this tree look up, and the needles are slightly curled.
- Makopin. A low ornamental plant up to 1.5 meters in height. has a regular spherical crown with bluish needles and long, twisted cones up to 20 centimeters in length.
- Nana. A low ornamental plant from 1 to 3 meters in height, which has an unusual crown shape. its lower branches grow parallel to the ground, and the upper ones are directed in different directions.
- Himmelblau. A low decorative coniferous tree up to 3 meters in height, which, of all varieties of Weymouth pines, has a pronounced blue color of needles.
- Pendula. An ornamental coniferous plant that grows up to 4 meters in height. A special feature of this variety is that its branches fall down like those of a willow. The average diameter of the crown is difficult to measure, since it has an asymmetrical shape.
- Reinhaus. A dwarf coniferous plant up to 1 meter in height, which has a spherical crown.
- Radiata. Decorative coniferous plant up to 4 meters in height. has a cone-shaped openwork crown with a large number of small shoots.
- Blue Shag. An ornamental coniferous plant up to 1 meter in height with a bluish crown up to 1.5 meters in width. Often planted in containers or large pots.
Other varieties
In addition to the Weymouth pine varieties presented above, there are others in the world:
- Alba - a slow-growing tree of a pyramidal shape, about 20 m high. The color of the needles is gray or bluish. The variety loves bright and sunny places.
- Minima is a miniature plant with a height of 80 cm. Young specimens have a lemon-green tint, but with age they become turquoise with an admixture of white. The variety is whimsical to the planting site. It will not be able to fully develop in urban conditions. Highly susceptible to diseases and pests.
- Nana - a dwarf coniferous plant. The height of the tree is only 3 m. Designers are often attracted by the exquisite emerald color. In well-lit places the tree grows lush and bright.
- Edel - has a spherical shape and a dense arrangement of branches. The crown diameter is 80 cm. The needles are soft and oblong. Prefers to grow in well-lit places on any soil.
Planting Weymouth pine
Before planting a Weymouth Pine tree, you need to know all the requirements of a particular variety. Some grow well in dry areas, while others require shady areas and a humid climate. A general requirement for the site is the absence of gas and smoke in the area.
All varieties of Weymouth pine have one common property - they are not picky about soil. But if there is a lot of sand in the soil, then clay must be added to it.
Planting usually occurs at the end of April or as early as September. If the soil is heavy, then on the contrary, you should create drainage from sand or gravel.
The size of the planting hole will depend on the type of tree that was chosen. Its depth can reach from 70 to 90 centimeters. If the seedling was purchased from a nursery, then it should be planted along with the entire earthen ball in which the root system was located.
Cover the seedling with soil with a small amount of nitroammophoska. After planting, the tree must be watered with clean water and protected from the sun for several days.
Reproduction
Pine fruiting begins at 25 years of age. Varieties are propagated in three ways: grafting, cuttings, and seeds.
Propagation by seeds
The easiest way to propagate pine is by seeds.
The easiest way, requiring minimal investment. Reproduction is used to preserve the main type of plant.
The best results are achieved with preliminary stratification of seeds.
Seeds retain the ability to germinate for up to 2 years at room temperature. When sealed and at a temperature of 0 to 5 ° C, they remain alive for about 15 years.
To awaken the seed, low temperatures are used, so the material is sown in winter, at a depth of 2 cm.
It is allowed to use snowing in containers until spring.
Reproduction by grafting
This method is used to propagate decorative forms to preserve varietal characteristics. Without additional vaccination, the desired characteristics may not appear.
Reproduction by cuttings
This method is used extremely rarely, since cuttings take root very poorly.
In winter, the material practically does not take root if they are not treated with growth stimulants. With additional treatment with special means, the percentage of rooting increases significantly.
Weymouth pine care
Beginning gardeners are often afraid of working with coniferous trees and wonder how to grow a Weymouth Pine tree so that it meets all its usual characteristics. Weymouth pine does not require special care and will be easy to care for even for a beginner.
There are very simple rules to create comfortable conditions for the plant:
- watering: planting and caring for seedlings must be accompanied by proper watering; it will be enough to water every 2-3 weeks during the first months; adult plants are watered abundantly only in spring and autumn so that the tree becomes stronger before frosts
- mulching: carried out every autumn and helps prevent the appearance of weeds and slow down the evaporation of moisture
- fertilizing: necessary only during planting, as well as to support young trees; mature pine trees do not need fertilizers
- pruning: only needed for miniature varieties of ornamental pine to maintain their shape
How to care
Pine attracts attention not only with its interesting appearance, but also with its easy care.
Watering
The culture does not tolerate stagnation of moisture and excessive moisture.
Young seedlings after transplanting into open ground may need more frequent watering to take root in a new location.
For a good wintering, the procedure is performed 4 times: 15 liters per plant.
Top dressing
Traditionally, Weymouth pine is fed with nitroammophos when planting; 50 g of the substance is enough.
It is recommended to re-fertilize plants with special compounds for conifers for the first 2 years after planting.
Mulching and loosening
Mulch with sawdust, wood chips, bark, and peat. The procedure avoids drying out of the soil and protects against temperature changes.
The height of the mulch is up to 15 cm. In the spring, it is raked to check the condition of the soil and roots.
If the soil is too dense, it is necessary to loosen it to provide air access to the roots.
Trimming
Some varieties require formative pruning. There are several ways to do this:
- one-year-old shoots are pinched and shortened in summer;
- In the spring, growth buds are broken off;
In general, pine trees do not necessarily need to be trimmed. It is permissible to limit ourselves to removing dead branches. The procedure is carried out in early to mid-May.
Preparing for winter
The Weymutov variety tolerates frost well, but young seedlings require additional preparation for winter: they are covered with burlap or special. material.
If there is no snow in winter, an adult plant may also need shelter to prevent its needles from burning.
Threats and pests
Weymouth pine is considered resistant to various diseases and pests, but threats still exist. For example, one of the common fungal diseases is rusty fungus. To avoid it, you need to make the right choice of where to plant the tree.
There should be no rowan, gooseberry, currant or hawthorn next to it. These plants are considered carriers of “rust” and can infect pine and other coniferous trees.
Another dangerous disease for coniferous trees is shutte. To avoid it, young trees need to be fertilized on time.
A large number of varieties of Weymouth pine allows you to choose a variety of coniferous trees of this species to create landscape design. The size of the tree can be from 1 to 30 meters in height.
All varieties of these trees also go well not only with conifers, but also with deciduous ones. In order to turn a garden or park into a real work of landscape art, you will need just one Weymouth pine and a little imagination.
Possible diseases
In general, pine trees are resistant to pests, with the exception of a couple of situations. Possible diseases and treatment:
- Weymouth pines are susceptible to rust fungus . Therefore, you should not plant it next to currants, rowan, gooseberries and hawthorns - the main carriers of the disease. If a bright orange mushroom appears on the crown, it must be treated three times with rogor or Bordeaux mixture.
- Young trees are susceptible to shutte . With this disease, the needles turn yellow and fall off. For prevention, seedlings are watered and fed with organic fertilizers.
Rust fungus is the main enemy of Weymouth pines.
Photo of Weymouth Pine
Use in landscape design
Weymouth pines are highly prone to blister rust.
In this regard, landscape designers advise not to plant currants, rowan, hawthorn and gooseberries nearby.
It is used in different ways in the garden, it all depends on the variety. Eg:
- Nana looks good in group plantings; it is planted in Japanese and heather hills and forest edges.
- Pendula is suitable for creating a peaceful atmosphere in relaxation areas.
- Pumila usually decorates rocky gardens in the form of group plantings.
- Alba is planted singly in large open areas and lawns.
- Green Twist looks beautiful in small gardens and rock gardens.
- Liliput Kruger is formed into a bonsai.
Dwarf varieties are often grown in pots and containers on a trunk, after which they are used for landscaping gazebos, terraces, and driveways.
Care instructions
The Weymouth variety is undemanding to care. At the same time, it combines such qualities as resistance to pests and many diseases. They only resist rust poorly.
When planting, it is recommended to give preference to sunny areas, as most varieties are light-loving. The ideal time for planting is late April - early May. There are no special soil requirements, but it is better to avoid saline soils.
Eastern white pine can reproduce by seeds, but cuttings are the preferred method.
Watering
Mature Weymouth pines are drought-resistant and can do well without watering. Young trees require additional watering. It must be regular. Trees should be watered every 2 weeks.
Calculating the volume of water is easy: each plant requires about 10 liters of liquid. When watering, you need to ensure that there is no stagnation of water. This leads to the accumulation of salts in the soil, which leads to the exact opposite result: trees may begin to dry out.
During the hot summer months, you can water your Weymouth pine more frequently, weekly. In this case, the volume of water can be reduced. Trees respond well to the fine-drip method of watering, when the liquid is sprayed with a hose. This method is especially suitable for young plants.
Soil care
The main steps in soil care when growing eastern white pine are mulching and loosening.
Mulching is necessary in order to avoid drying out of the soil around the plant trunk, and also to help it withstand winter cold, smoothing out temperature changes. You can make mulch yourself by taking small sawdust, crushed bark, peat, and wood chips. You can use fallen needles and leaf humus. This composition provides the roots with a supply of nutrients.
Mulching the soil is done in the fall. Young seedlings especially need it. The mulch layer should be about 20 cm. Sometimes gardeners add dolomite flour to it to provide the pine with additional protection and at the same time make its growing conditions closer to natural.
Another important point is regular loosening of the soil. It saturates the soil with oxygen. It should be carried out as needed, when the soil is compacted, and before watering. After loosening, the mulch must be re-applied.
Top dressing
Eastern white pine is usually fed during planting. For these purposes, humus soil or nitroammophoska is used. It is permissible to feed young seedlings for several years with fertilizers intended for coniferous species.
If the growth of a tree and the development of the crown are slow, gardeners often resort to biostimulants, as well as special means that help increase the root system.
In general, coniferous species do not require the use of organic fertilizers or regular heavy fertilizing. In early spring, to facilitate the adaptation process, mineral fertilizers can be applied, but in small quantities.
Trimming
Ornamental coniferous plants, which include many varieties of Weymouth pine, require only so-called cosmetic pruning. Dwarf plants, which are bush-like trees with a wide, dense crown, can be given a beautiful, neat shape with the help of proper pruning. When carrying out work, it is important to pay attention to the fact that it is necessary to remove not only external, but also internal shoots. It is recommended to prune Weymouth pine in the spring, in April, or in the fall, in October.
These plants have become increasingly popular in landscape design in recent years. Beauty and extraordinary aroma make North American centenarians welcome guests in suburban areas.
Sources:
https://qlumba.com/landshaftnyj-dizajn/591-sosna-vejmutova https://fermoved.ru/kusty-i-derevya/sosna-vejmutova.html https://hvorast.ru/sosna/sosna-veymutova
