How to grow a cedar at home from a nut?

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Cedar is one of the most beautiful conifers. The duration of its life is 450-500 years, and the cedar pine reaches maturity by 80-85 years. This long-liver pleases not only with its sprawling long needles, but also with delicious pine nuts, rich in vitamins, microelements, fats and protein.

Cedar can be grown from a nut

You can meet cedars both in summer cottages and on the territory of country houses. Most often they are planted with annual seedlings, but not many people know how to grow a cedar from a nut at home.

Planting material

Growing a cedar from a nut is not an easy task, since there are no high-quality planting raw materials on sale. The nuts that you can buy in the store are absolutely not suitable for growing cedar at home. Most often they are shelled and fried. Not many people decide to sprout seeds on their own, because it is much easier to buy a one-year-old seedling and plant it in the ground.

Hand-buying pine nuts is also not a good idea. The seeds retain their germination for 1 year, in the second year it decreases by 50%, and after that the seed will not germinate at all.

In addition to the shelf life of nuts, its conditions can also be violated, which negatively affects the planting material.

To grow cedar from seeds at home, you have to collect pine nuts yourself. This can be done in places where cedar pine grows at the end of October, November. At this time, the collection of ripe cones begins. You can take seeds or buds with seeds that have fallen to the ground, but they can be damaged by mold or rodents, and there is a high probability that this will be last year's harvest.

It is better to pick the cone directly from the tree, but this is not easy due to the height of the cedar pines. Pickers use long sticks with mallets at the ends, knocking the buds off the very tops. These seeds have a higher chance of germinating.

To collect seeds, it is best to pick the cone from the tree yourself.

Preparing seeds for germination

To plant seeds, you need to remove them from the bud. This is done quite simply. The cone is placed near heating appliances or quickly burned with a flame from all sides. Under the influence of temperature, the scales open up, releasing the seeds. On an industrial scale, special devices are used that crush the pine cone without damaging the pine nuts.

After removing the seeds, you need to take care of their disinfection. To prevent many fungal diseases, pine nuts are soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate for 2-3 hours before planting.

Planting seeds

An important point in the cultivation of cedar from seeds is stratification - the creation of conditions as close as possible to natural ones. In the forest, pine nuts, falling into the ground in November-December, winter under the snow and germinate only in spring. It's pretty easy to create something like this at home:

1. After soaking in potassium permanganate, pine nuts are planted in a specially prepared substrate to a depth of 1–2 cm. Too deep planting prevents seeds from germinating.
2. The seeds planted in a container are watered so that the whole earth is wet, but not sour from excess moisture. Otherwise, the nuts will start to rot.
3. 5-7 cm of snow is laid on the surface of the substrate.The container is covered with polyethylene and placed on the lower shelf of the refrigerator for 3 months. If the weather conditions do not allow immediately covering the plantings with snow, then this can be done later.
4. Once a month or as the soil dries, the nuts are watered with water at room temperature. It is advisable to use melted snow.

After 3 months of stratification, the container with the cedars planted in it is taken out of the refrigerator and placed on the south window. Most often, the first shoots appear already in the second week.

Cedar sprouts well on the south window

Seed planting substrate

The quality and composition of the soil play an important role in the cultivation of cedar at home. Seeds should be germinated in a mixture:

• river sand;
• small crumbs of gravel;
• peat.

Sand and gravel are calcined before planting. This prevents the development of many diseases, kills mold spores. Sometimes cedar seeds are germinated in a mixture of coniferous sawdust and fertile soil. Such a composition is very similar to the soil of a cedar forest, but it dries up quickly enough, so you need to carefully monitor the watering of the sprouted nuts.

Before planting nuts, the soil should be calcined

Transplanting seedlings

When the cedar sprouts have reached 3 cm, they must be planted in separate containers, where they will grow for the first year. The main thing when transplanting is to carefully handle the delicate roots so as not to damage them.

Drainage is placed at the bottom of the pot, you can buy it at the store or use pine cones. The second option is better, because it brings the growing conditions closer to natural ones. The substrate is made from river sand, fertile soil and coniferous sawdust.

A month after transplanting, you can start hardening the seedlings. First, they arrange airing, and after a while they take it out into the street.

You cannot leave a young tree under the scorching sun, but the shade does not suit it either. You need to put the cedar pot in a place with a diffused shadow - under another tree or canopy.

For the first 10 years, cedar pine grows very slowly, but with good care it will grow sharply. It is better to plant a seedling in the ground up to three years. Such a tree is well accepted and easily tolerates winter.

A three-year-old seedling can already be planted in the ground

Young tree care

If it was possible to plant a cedar in the country and the tree took root, then all the requirements for growing pine were carefully observed. Now you can start caring for the seedling. Remember the following guidelines:

1. For full development, forest trees enter into symbiosis with myceliums. This useful neighborhood will help the cedar grown in the country to grow stronger. To do this, take 5 handfuls of forest litter and pre-chopped caps of ripe forest mushrooms, soak it all in a bucket of warm water. After a day, the cedar is watered with the resulting mixture.
2. It is impossible to loosen the ground around the tree, since the roots are located very close to the surface, there is a possibility of damage.
3. The soil around the seedling is mulched to retain moisture and control weeds. Shredded pine or other coniferous cones, sawdust, pine nut shells are used as mulch.
4. Water the plant as the soil dries out, but the cedar reacts painfully to waterlogging and may die. Every year in the spring and autumn, you need to apply fertilizer for conifers. If you take good care of the cedar for the first 10 years of its life, then it will actively grow and bear fruit well.

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Cedar is a beautiful and slender tree, which can be called majestic without exaggeration. The unforgettable aroma of its pine needles, which many people like, also deserve attention. Therefore, it is natural that many gardeners are interested in how to grow a cedar from a nut at home, especially since it is much more economical than planting from a seedling.

Cedar can be grown from a nut. This is a cost-effective task

Choosing a nut and preparing it for planting

Growing a cedar from seeds is not the easiest, but quite realistic task.

The first thing that provides for its solution is a careful selection of nuts:

1. Seeds to be grown should not have an unpleasant odor.
2. Nuts with a moldy surface are not suitable for planting.
3. To avoid fungal infections, all seeds are treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate (a 0.5% solution of potassium permanganate is sufficient). The average duration of the procedure is 2 hours.
4. For planting, nuts collected on the slopes of the Sayan or Altai are best suited.

The most suitable age for pine nuts used for cultivation is no more than three years. Practice shows that germination in such cases is maximum, and therefore young seeds should be the priority. If there are no such nuts, then others will do, the age of which does not exceed 8-10 years.

To grow a healthy tree, nuts must be carefully selected.

Having decided on the seeds, you can proceed to the implementation of the sequence of actions, which is presented below:

1. Soaking selected nuts for 72 hours (water must be changed daily).
2. Mixing seeds with sand and moistening them.
3. Place the nuts in a cloth bag that is placed in a wooden box with ventilation holes.

The final step in this step is to place the seed container in the refrigerator. There they have to spend about 5 months at a temperature of 3–6 ° C, that is, in conditions close to winter, but not harsh.

In the future, pine nuts should be regularly checked, maintaining moisture and preventing mold from forming. If it appears on some seeds, then you need to get rid of them, and replace the sand with a new one.

Pot and soil requirements

While the seeds are in the refrigerator, you can do another important thing - preparing a place for their future planting. It should not be large in size: it is quite possible to germinate pine nuts in a pot containing about 200 g of soil mixture, which can be:

• natural forest;
• loamy;
• containing a large amount of humus.

If a gardener cannot spend time looking for a suitable soil in which to plant a cedar, then he can always buy a ready-made composition for conifers in a specialized store. The choice of soil should be approached responsibly, since the future of the plant directly depends on its composition.

Cedar needs potassium, and a high nitrogen content is contraindicated for it due to the depressing effect on its root system.

Planting and watering rules

The likelihood of growing a cedar at home increases if you plant a nut in March or April. There are other useful recommendations to help you solve this problem without errors:

• the optimal depth of planting seeds is from 0.5 to 2 cm;
• you can place nuts close enough to each other (10 mm or more);
• sprinkle the seeds with sawdust or needles on top;
• it is necessary to place the maximum possible number of nuts in the pot.

The latter point is explained by the fact that in most cases only 10–15% of seeds can germinate, that is, one of seven or even ten nuts.

Particular attention must be paid to watering. Despite the fact that the cedar belongs to moisture-loving plants, it perceives flooding negatively, and therefore it is extremely important to adhere to the following rules:

1. It is advisable to spray nuts planted in the ground from a spray bottle. This makes it possible to reduce the leaching of substances useful for plants in the upper layer of the soil.
2. Before you start watering, you should determine the degree of soil moisture. To do this, you just need to stick a match into it: if it turns out to be wet, then you need to postpone the planned procedure.
3. The recommended frequency of watering the seeds after planting is once every 2 days.If moistening is carried out less often, then the cedar grows much more slowly - experiencing great difficulties in reaching the surface and characterized by poor development of the root system.

The temperature should be room temperature, ie between 18-22 ° C. It is advisable to exclude the presence of the pot in direct sunlight, it is much better to place it in the shade.

Provided that all of the above points are taken into account, the seeds germinate relatively quickly: about a month after planting. True, many gardeners call other terms - up to 90 days, explaining this by the difference in the quality of the selected nuts. Further, the pot can be placed in a brighter place, provided that the exposure to sunlight is moderate.

Next steps

It is worth noting that the cultivation of cedar from a nut is a rather lengthy process, and therefore the appearance of sprouts should not be considered an unconditional success. In terms of development rate, cedar is noticeably inferior to most conifers and deciduous trees. Observant gardeners have found that cedars grown from seeds at home add only 6-7 cm per year in the first few years.

During the first 12 months, it is recommended to water the plant according to the tips in moderation, avoiding drought or overflow.

In the first year, small cedars cannot be planted in open ground in the country or in the local area, since this time is needed for them to strengthen and adapt. The latter will pass faster if you take the pot outside during the warm season.

Transplanting small cedar trees can be carried out for 2-3 years of their life. The procedure is tolerated by them without much difficulty, especially if the gardener takes into account the following points:

1. Plant roots must be handled with care. When replanting cedar shoots in open ground, bends and fractures of its roots should be avoided.
2. The best transplant option is with a lump of earth from the pot. This way the microflora to which the plant is accustomed is preserved, which means that the chances of its successful adaptation in a new place are significantly increased.
3. It is not worth refusing to feed the cedar - even if the land in the country house or the local area is fertile enough. For this purpose, nitrogen-potassium-phosphorus fertilizers are optimal.
4. It makes sense to place several stones around the trunk of a growing tree. Gradually, their lower surface will be covered with fungal growth, which has a very beneficial effect on the cedar.

Another useful procedure for growing cedar is soil mulching. With its help, you can minimize soil drying, stimulate the growth of grass around a young tree, and create an optimal microclimate for cedar. It is recommended to include coniferous needles, fallen leaves and cut grasses in the mulch.

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Cedar is an evergreen coniferous tree. It personifies strength, health, beauty, longevity and purity. Cedar cultivation is a noble business, but extremely laborious. Of course, the easiest way is to buy ready-made seedlings, because after planting they practically do not require maintenance, except for regular soil moistening. But it is much better to grow a cedar from a nut - this way you will be next to your tree from the first minutes, and when after many years it will spread its rich crown above the ground, the pleasure will be incomparable.

How to grow a cedar from a nut at home?

1. Nuts bought at the grocery store or at the market are not suitable for growing cedar, as they are prepared for consumption by boiling in boiling salted water. Your best bet is to find a smooth, pleasant-smelling cedar cone with no signs of mold or staleness.
2. Remove the nuts from the cone and rinse with warm water. Additionally, you can rub the shell with a toothbrush or sponge - this will wash off the resin, which blocks moisture from accessing the core itself.
3. After you have cleared the nuts from excess resin, it is necessary to stratify, that is, keep them in cold (about 0 ° C) water for three days, changing the water once a day. After this time, you will notice that some of the seeds have risen to the surface of the water, and some have sunk to the bottom. Emerging nuts are empty or of poor quality, even with proper planting, they will not sprout, but drowned seeds can and should be planted in the ground.
4. After three days, drain the water and mix the nuts with peat, forest soil or coarse washed sand, then slightly moisten the mixture and place it in a wooden box with air holes or a perforated flower pot. After all the manipulations, the container with nuts can be removed to a dark, cool place - now the seeds should lie for several months (from 3 to 6 to simulate natural winter) at a temperature of about + 4 ° C. Take out the seeds every couple of weeks and moisten the soil. Try to guess the time so that the planting of the seeds falls on March-April.
5. After a long preparation of the seeds, you can finally start planting. It is better to use natural forest soil, but in the absence of such, you can buy special soil for conifers at a flower shop. The volume of the pot should be small, about 200 grams, and the planting depth is about 2 cm. Seeds can be sprinkled on top with needles or sawdust. Protect the sown seeds from high temperatures and bright sun: it is better to put the pot with the future tree in a shaded place with a temperature of 18-20 ° C. And, of course, the soil should be periodically moistened, while at the same time avoiding "flooding" of the seeds.
6. It is best to plant the maximum number of seeds, because only 10-15% of them will sprout. Depending on the quality of the seeds, the first shoots will sprout in 2-3 months and will be barely noticeable - up to five years, the cedar grows very slowly, and the growth is up to 6-7 cm.By the third year of life, the sprout can reach 15 cm, and after five to six years, it can be planted in an open space.
7. Cedar likes well-drained stony or loamy soils. Therefore, it is advisable to mix the soil in the place of the proposed planting of cedar with sand and gravel.

There is one more interesting nuance: they say that before planting pine nuts, you need to hold them in your mouth for a few minutes - so the future tree will absorb your energy and information about you, and only then will it really grow into your truly grateful cedar. Of course, this moment is very similar to superstition, but in the first years of life, the cedar definitely needs your love and care.

Ornamental conifers captivate with their grace and beauty. Since it is possible to grow various forms for our climatic zone, the question arises, how to grow a cedar from a nut? A few facts about the cultivation and properties of the plant will help to answer the problem.

Features of the cedar tree

You need to know the characteristics of the plant in order to understand how to grow a cedar. This evergreen plant attracts the eyes of gardeners due to its appearance features:

• lush paws;
• densely planted abundant covering with needles;
• rich green color;
• beautiful cones;
• high straight trunk;
• bright bark;
• nice smell.

Growing a plant requires patience and careful adherence to all instructions. But the result can amaze the most demanding esthete. Because the cedar can ennoble any area.

The cedar has a high, even trunk

The root system of the tree is very pronounced. The main root is surrounded by strong lateral branches, it keeps well in the soil. Which makes it possible for the plant to keep the lump. Covering the area around the trunk with its needles, the cedar creates a special temperature and exchange regime.

Seed collection

One of the sources of seed material may be its natural growing conditions.To do this, it is not necessary to visit the cedar forest; for the necessary samples, you can go to the nearest botanical garden or order seeds from the forestry.

You need to get the seeds in the cone. Since during transportation with a nut, various processes can occur:

• drying out;
• frostbite;
• damage by various insects;
• loss of surface integrity;
• debate.

In the cone, they are protected from external mechanical and climatic influences. You should not buy nuts in the store or in the markets, since the seeds are treated with hot oil for culinary purposes. This means that they are no longer suitable for disembarkation.

You need to get cedar seeds in the cone

Where to get the necessary seed composition

For a novice gardener, an important question is where to get the necessary material. Buying samples from unverified sources does not guarantee seed germination and viability. You can write out cedar seeds through:

• garden societies;
• botanical gardens;
• Departments of Botany and Horticulture of Universities;
• thanks to independent sellers;
• from the forestry;
• through the seed almanacs.

Any of the methods will make it possible to obtain the required amount for germination and planting. To be sure of the result, it is worth ordering several cones at once. Pay attention to the date of collection of cones, they should have been taken in the period from October to November. The age of collection matters, the average duration of seed germination is 2 years.

Pay attention to the timing of harvesting your buds

On what soil does it grow

When preparing, it is necessary to take into account an important fact when planning to undertake germination. One of the most significant factors in the successful obtaining of resistant planting material where cedar grows. Knowing this question increases the likelihood of getting normal seedlings.

In nature, cedar trees love gray podzols. It is a soil consisting of:

• humus;
• silica;
• silt;
• trivalent metals;
• sulfonic acids;
• loam;
• orstein grains;
• forest litter.

Such soils are considered characteristic of:

• Siberia;
• Southern Canada;
• Northern Europe;
• Far East;
• Central United States.

They have a pronounced shape. Gray loose composition from the upper horizon, more dense reddish lower one. Accordingly, the seed germinated material should be planted in similar conditions.

Requirements for preparation for germination

To germinate pine nuts, you can carry out preliminary preparation:

• soak the seeds in an aqueous solution with the addition of Kornevin;
• withstand a three-day period;
• change the aquatic environment once a day;
• mix with refined river sand;
• place in a canvas bag;
• the container must have air holes;
• put in the refrigerator;
• remove moldy samples.

Better to use small seedling containers

The next step will be planting the material:

• after 6 months, plant it in the ground;
• the substrate must contain a large amount of sand;
• hole depth 1 cm;
• the storage location of the container must be at room temperature;
• the germinated material is placed in the light.

Thus, seedlings suitable for further planting are obtained.

Growing container

Many people wonder how to grow a cedar from a nut in home pots. First rule, it shouldn't be too old. Even after being treated with manganese, mold is likely to appear.

It is better to use small containers for seedlings, connected in pallets. They have a shallow depth, making it easy to extract the plant. Moreover, in this version, it is easy to observe them. Any material will do, since the plant is only temporarily enclosed in a container.

Water a cedar seedling from a spray bottle

Watering mode

You need to water the plant from a spray bottle. To avoid washing out the necessary substances from the soil. The most common method is to check how dry the soil is with a match.Moisturize as needed, at intervals of no longer than one day.

Moisture requirements are necessary as the sprout has to break through the thick rind. The gradual soaking of the surface gives a kind of swelling effect, after which the sprout can violate the integrity of the cover.

Successful germination can be achieved by adding one serving of various growth stimulants. The dosage guide is indicated on the package. This will make it possible to more efficiently obtain the necessary planting material. You should not flood the plant, since this way you can achieve its decay.

When planting a nut in the soil, it should have an average temperature

Temperature regime

When planting a nut in the soil, it should have an average temperature, since under natural conditions the seed has similar conditions. After the first shoots appear, it is necessary to add surface heating. This can be done with a lamp, turning it on for a few hours. Or by placing palettes with sprouts in a brighter place. During this period, you should carefully monitor watering, you will have to moisturize every day.