Atlas cedar is a powerful evergreen giant that grows in Africa. This species is especially common in Morocco and Algeria. It was named after the native African mountains - Atlas. It has been cultivated in Europe since the middle of the 19th century.
Features of the Atlas cedar
Brief information about the species
- Colour: bluish green, gray-gray, silvery.
- Height: up to 55 m.
- Barrel diameter: 200 cm.
- In which regions is it growing: frost resistance zone 9-6 (southern regions).
- Landing features: in a sunny place, at a distance of 5-8 m from other seedlings.
- Immunity: middle.
- Life span: about 800 years old.
General characteristics
Atlas cedar is an impressively powerful tree up to 50-55 m high. The trunk diameter often reaches 200 cm. The crown is wide, pyramidal in shape with a slightly flattened top. Resinous wood smells like sandalwood.
The bark of the tree is dark gray. The needles can be bluish-green, gray-gray or silvery. The needles are hard, 20-25 mm long. Dense oval buds grow up to 10 cm, ripening within three years.
There are different forms of this type: columnar, weeping (branches hang down), pyramidal, golden, dwarf, etc.
Growing regions
In addition to natural habitats, this species is widespread on the territory of the Crimean Peninsula, the Caucasus and Transcaucasia.
The tree can withstand frosts down to -20 ° C, which makes it possible to grow it in frost resistance zones from 9 to 6. In Russia, these conditions correspond to the most southern regions (Krasnodar Territory, Volgograd Region, Arkhangelsk, etc.).
Medicinal properties
Almost all parts of the tree have useful qualities.
Vegetable oil is made from cedar seeds, essential oil is made from needles, shoots and wood. Both products contain many valuable substances: vitamins, trace elements, fatty acids, Omega 6 and 9, carotenoids, etc.
Cedar preparations have the following medicinal properties:
- disinfect, eliminate inflammation, heal wounds and burns;
- reduce pain and spasms;
- tone up, relax, strengthen the nervous system, relieve stress;
- help with infectious and viral diseases;
- have mucolytic properties (used for bronchitis);
- improve vision and immunity;
- eliminate insomnia;
- used to prevent diseases of the heart, joints, musculoskeletal system.
In treating cosmetology
Cedar needles are used in cosmetology
The use of essential oil is very popular in healing cosmetology and aromatherapy. It improves blood circulation and lymph exchange, cleanses, tones and regenerates the skin. It is often used to strengthen hair and to prevent hair loss.
Cedarwood preparations successfully eliminate youthful acne, acne and irritation.
Landing
The most suitable for planting in open ground are seedlings aged 6-7 years. It is worth buying only plants with a closed root system.
There are different varieties of Atlas cedar (as well as Lebanese, Himalayan, Cyprian), adapted to the climate and allowing you to grow a tree of the desired height and shape. They should be purchased only from trusted manufacturers. It is better to plant in autumn - in September or the first half of October.
Landing place
You need to plant a cedar in a well-lit place, at a distance of 5-8 m from other trees. He loves fertile, loose and moderately moist loams, does not tolerate dryness and excessive moisture. Reacts poorly to lime in the soil.
Landing technology
The landing hole is dug in advance. Its dimensions should be one third larger than the volume of the earthen coma. Peat, sand, leaf humus, ash, fertilizer complexes for conifers are added to the soil. Water is first poured into the hole and allowed to soak, and then the first layer of soil is laid out (if necessary, drainage).
The seedling is set so that the root collar remains at ground level, then sprinkled with a substrate, gradually tamping. Then the tree is watered again abundantly. From above, the trunk circle is mulched (with peat, needles, sawdust or bark).
Care
Cedar care measures are the same as for other conifers. However, they have some peculiarities. Regular watering, mulching and proper feeding are especially important for this tree.
Watering
The tree is watered weekly based on the condition of the soil. In dry season, make 2-3 waterings per week. For 1 m of growth, 10 liters of water are used. In the evenings, sprinkling of needles is carried out.
Top dressing
In the spring and summer, the cedar loves potash fertilizers (you can use oven ash). A universal option would be a complex of minerals for conifers with a minimum amount of nitrogen. Once a month, the tree needs foliar feeding containing phosphorus, iron, magnesium.
Mulching and loosening
Loosening will help oxygenate the roots
Cedar has a superficial root system, so shallow loosening is shown to it. The best care option is to mulch the trunk circle. This allows you to normalize the level of soil moisture: to avoid excessive dryness and waterlogging.
Peat, needles, dry foliage or bark are used as mulch.
Pruning
Without fail, the cedar needs only spring sanitary pruning - the removal of dry branches and cones, damaged and diseased shoots. Form it at will or with a strongly thickened crown. The wide pyramidal shape is preserved naturally. If cardinal shaping is necessary, the tree is cut in autumn - in September.
Preparing for winter
In warm regions where Atlas cedar is grown, winters are quite mild - a mature, strong tree does not need protection. But young specimens must be prepared for the cold: mulch with a thick layer of foliage or peat. The crown of the seedlings is wrapped in burlap and tied with twine or put on a special cover.
Reproduction
Cedar is propagated in several ways. The cuttings are rooted in the substrate or grafted onto a pine tree. In addition, the tree can be grown from the seeds that are found in the cones. Despite the duration of the latter option, it is perhaps the most popular.
Cedar seeds for sowing are pre-germinated in water and treated with potassium permanganate. In the spring they are sown in containers with a nutrient substrate, and in the fall - right in the garden. The soil mixture is usually prepared from peat from leafy soil.
The sprouted sprouts are watered with a weak solution of manganese and kept under a film until the shell comes off them.
Diseases and pests
Yellowing of the needles becomes a common problem when growing cedar. This could be a sign of sunburn or chlorosis (deficiency of iron and other trace elements). In the latter case, foliar feeding with appropriate minerals will help. The matter is more serious: if the cause of the yellowness is fungal infections or root rot. In these circumstances, special preparations are used - fungicides.
The best prevention of disease is proper care and maintenance of normal soil moisture. In addition, the tree should be regularly inspected for the presence of insect pests. The cedar has many such enemies, and the most frequent of them are sawflies, moths and pine cone moth. To combat them, insecticides are used.
Applications
In Africa, the area of application of cedar wood has long been shipbuilding. Now beautiful furniture is made of it. Due to the beneficial properties of needles, seeds, bark and resin, the plant is used in medicine and cosmetology (essential and vegetable oils).
Atlas cedar Glauka Pendula / Nikitsky Botanical Garden
This type is quite popular in landscape design. Tall specimens are planted in parks and large gardens, dwarf varieties can be found in common areas.
Atlas cedar effectively looks like a tapeworm or in small groups, harmonizes with spruces, thujas, pines and deciduous trees, creating a unique oriental atmosphere.
Gardeners reviews
Usually gardeners grow Atlas cedar in the southern regions, giving preference to dwarf varieties. In central Russia, it is not recommended to experiment with this species because of the cool climate.
However, it has been noticed that cuttings grafted on Scots pine are more resistant to cold weather and can grow in the 6th zone of frost resistance at temperatures down to -25 ° C.
Judging by the reviews, in warm regions, cedar does not cause much care. All he needs is moderately moist soil and a sunny spot. Some gardeners grow the tree in a temperate climate in a tub method, bringing it into a well-heated room for the winter. In this case, there are much more worries: frequent feeding, transportation, careful prevention of pests, maintaining climatic conditions, etc.