Natalia Dudareva, landscaping engineer:
In autumn (and sometimes in May) any pines turn yellow - ordinary, mountain, black, cedar and others. It is easy to understand whether a tree is dying or, despite its yellowness, it feels great.
The expression: “Conifers are evergreens” is just a figure of speech. In fact, they periodically change their needles - and this is an absolutely normal process. Only, unlike deciduous ones, they do this not annually, but about once every 2-4 years. This means that a needle "born" this year will remain green from 1 to 4 years. If the tree is well, it will change needles less often, and if it has just been transplanted or has experienced other stress, more often.
We go from the top
Looking at a pine branch from top to bottom, it is very easy to see how it has grown. You can calculate how old she is in places where the side branches depart from the main branch - the so-called whorls. From the top to the nearest whorl - the growth of this year, then - the past, the year before last, and so on. And literally everything depends on where the yellowness appears!
On healthy pine branches, the youngest needles (i.e., on the growth of the current year) are always green. In addition, a bud (or several buds) should be laid at the tip of each shoot. Outside, they are covered with gray-brown scales and resin, and inside, if they are broken, they are green and fresh. The larger and fatter the buds, the better the tree feels.
If your pine is exactly like this, great. On the contrary, if the needles turn yellow precisely at the ends of the shoots, and the buds dry up, this is a very bad sign: either a separate branch or the entire tree dies.
The needles on the growth of the previous (second) year in pine, as a rule, should also be green. But if it begins to die off, this is simply a sign that the tree is weakened for some reason and is shedding "ballast" that the roots are unable to feed. Next year, it is desirable to water such a pine on time and properly, and in the spring to feed it with complex fertilizer for conifers. But she's not going to die, don't worry!
If the needles of the year before last turn yellow, this is completely normal. But if it suddenly remains green - your pine feels just fine and thus thanks you for the good care.
What about pests and diseases?
And the last. Take a look at the needles themselves. Suspicious objects such as white cotton flakes, cobwebs, black soot, or rust spots may indicate the presence of pests or common conifer diseases. They are moderately dangerous and can be eliminated with systemic insecticides and fungicides. But with one exception.
Carefully inspect the stems and thick branches of pines, especially near the whorls. Are there holes on them, is there under these holes the so-called drilling flour - brown smallest chips, does the bark fall off? If there is, the tree is most likely doomed to die, even though its shoots are alive and well. After all, these signs indicate the presence of, perhaps, the most dangerous pest of conifers - the bark beetle. Such a spruce or pine tree must be immediately cut down and the bark must be removed from the log so that it does not become a breeding ground for new hordes of beetles.
What kind common signs conifer class? Let's try to highlight the characteristic features of conifers
Characteristic features of conifers
Coniferous plants have a number of common features:
a) life forms - trees, shrubs, no grasses;
b) the leaves are modified in the form of needles (spruce, pine) or scaly (cypress, thuja)
c) well-developed wood. The stem of conifers has a thin bark and massive wood, which is 90% tracheids and, unlike angiosperms, includes very little parenchyma.
d) In most conifers, a strong tap root is developed, from which long lateral roots extend. In addition to long roots, there are short, shallow roots that are highly branched and perform a suction function and are often mycorrhizal.
e) reproduce by seeds, but the seeds are open, there is no ovary, therefore conifers are classified as gymnosperms;
g) conifers are of great economic importance. Wood is used in the woodworking, paper industry, in the manufacture of furniture, musical instruments. Conifers emit substances - phytoncides, which have useful properties, so many resorts are located in coniferous forests.
variety of conifers
Approximately 1/3 of all types of conifers are pines. Pines differ from each other in the number of needles and their length. For example, in Siberian pine, gives pine nuts, five needles. In Siberia and the Far East, where they grow, the population calls them cedars, which is wrong.
Spruce. It grows wild in the temperate zone of Eurasia and North America. This is the most important forest species. The trunk is straight, the crown is cone-shaped. The needles are tetrahedral, sharp. Cones hanging down, up to 15 cm long.
Fir. It grows wild in Siberia, the Urals, the Caucasus, and the Carpathians. It looks a bit like a spruce, but the needles are flat (they have a four-sided shape), and the cones stand like candles (they hang down from the spruce).
Larch. In the wild, it is found only in Siberia, where it forms larch forests. The needles are collected in bunches, soft, changing annually. Larch is often bred in cities.
Juniper ordinary. A protected, slow growing and in many areas endangered wood. Cones with very juicy scales, similar to berries. Fragrant wood.
Cypress. Needles in the form of scales. Grows in the Crimea and the Caucasus.
Thuya. It occurs wild in mid-latitudes, but cultivated and ornamental species are also common. It looks like a cypress, but the shoots seem to be flattened.
Interesting facts about coniferous plants
Among conifers there are real champions. So, evergreen sequoia (USA, areas near the Pacific Ocean) - the tallest tree in the world - reaches 120 m, trunk diameter 10-12 m), life expectancy - 3-4 thousand years.
Fir Nordmann (Caucasus) - the tallest tree in Russia, up to 60-70 m.
Spiny pine (USA. California) is a long-lived tree, life expectancy is almost 5000 years.
Coniferous trees and shrubs are gymnosperms. The leaves of most coniferous plants are needle-shaped, narrow, perennial or falling for the winter (in larch), called needles, or scaly (in cypress).
"stamens", more precisely microsporophylls, are collected in male cones (spikelets). The "stamens" have from 2 to 20 microsporangia, from which "pollen" is ejected when ripe, or rather microspores, which in most species are equipped with two air sacs. The female cones are composed of megastrobils bearing ovules, or megasporangia. The ovules are not covered by anything and are more often located in pairs at the base of the seed scales (in pine, spruce) or singly at the ends of the shoots (in yew). The ovules are pollinated by the wind. Fertilization of the egg occurs a long time after pollination - from several months (in larch, spruce, fir) to a year (in pine, cedar).
Ripe seeds sit openly at the base of the seed scale (pine family) or singly at the ends of the shoots and are surrounded by a fleshy seedling (yew family). Hence the name - gymnosperms.
Cones consist of an axis and seed and covering scales. The latter are usually invisible and only in fir and some species of larch protrude from under the edge of the seed scales in the form of tongues. Coniferous seeds are equipped with transparent wings (pine, spruce, fir, larch) or without them (cedar, yew). Most of our conifers are monoecious plants, less often - dioecious (yew).
Grape
In gardens and household plots, you can choose a warmer place for planting grapes, for example, on the sunny side of the house, garden pavilion, verandas. It is recommended to plant grapes along the border of the site. The vines formed in one line will not take up much space and at the same time will be well lit from all sides. Near buildings, grapes should be placed so that water flowing from the roofs does not fall on it. On level ground it is necessary to make ridges with good stock through waterways. Some gardeners, following the experience of their colleagues in the western regions of the country, dig deep planting holes and fill them with organic fertilizers and fertilized soil. Pits dug in waterproof clay are a kind of closed vessel that fills with water during the monsoon rains. In fertile land, the root system of grapes develops well at first, but as soon as waterlogging begins, it suffocates. Deep pits can play a positive role in soils where good natural drainage is provided, the subsoil is permeable, or reclamation artificial drainage is possible. planting grapes
You can quickly restore an obsolete grape bush by layering (“katavlak”). To this end, healthy vines of a neighboring bush are placed in grooves dug to the place where the dead bush used to grow, and sprinkled with earth. The top is brought to the surface, from which a new bush then grows. Lignified vines are laid on layering in spring, and green ones in July. They are not separated from the mother bush for two to three years. A frozen or very old bush can be restored by short pruning to healthy above-ground parts or pruning to the “black head” of an underground trunk. In the latter case, the underground trunk is freed from the ground and completely cut down. Not far from the surface, new shoots grow from dormant buds, due to which a new bush is formed. Grape bushes that have been neglected and severely damaged by frost are restored due to stronger fatty shoots formed in the lower part of the old wood and the removal of weakened sleeves. But before removing the sleeve, they form a replacement for it. Grape care
A gardener starting to grow grapes should study the structure well. vine and biology of this most interesting plant. Grapes belong to liana (climbing) plants, it needs support. But it can creep along the ground and take root, as is observed in Amur grapes in a wild state. The roots and the aerial part of the stem grow rapidly, branch strongly and reach large sizes. Under natural conditions, without human intervention, a branched grape bush grows with many vines of various orders, which comes into fruiting late and yields irregularly. In culture, grapes are formed, give the bushes a form that is convenient for care, providing high yield quality grapes. Vine
Lemongrass
In the literature on climbing vines, the methods of preparing planting pits and the planting itself are unnecessarily complicated. It is proposed to dig trenches and pits up to 80 cm deep, lay drainage from broken bricks, shards, install a pipe to the drainage for food, cover it with special earth, etc. When planting several bushes in collective gardens, such preparation is still possible; but the recommended depth of the pit is not suitable for the Far East, where the thickness of the root layer at best reaches 30 cm and it is underlain most often by impervious subsoil. Whatever drainage is laid, but a deep hole will inevitably turn out to be a closed vessel, where water will accumulate during the monsoon rains, and this will entail damping and rotting of the roots from lack of air. Yes, and the roots of actinidia and lemongrass vines, as already noted, are distributed in the taiga in the surface layer of the soil. Planting lemongrass
Schisandra chinensis, or schizandra, has several names - lemon Tree, red grapes, gomisha (Japanese), cochinta, kojianta (Nanai), kolchita (Ulchi), usimtya (Udege), uchampu (Oroch). In terms of structure, systemic relationship, center of origin and distribution, Schisandra chinensis has nothing to do with the real citrus plant lemon, but all its organs (roots, shoots, leaves, flowers, berries) exude the aroma of lemon, hence the name Schisandra. A clinging or winding liana of lemongrass, along with Amur grapes, three types of actinidia are original plant Far Eastern taiga. Its fruits, like a real lemon, are too acidic for consumption in fresh, but they have medicinal properties, pleasant aroma, and this attracted a lot of attention to it. The taste of Schisandra chinensis berries improves somewhat after frost. Local hunters who consume such fruits claim that they relieve fatigue, invigorate the body and improve eyesight. In the consolidated Chinese pharmacopoeia, compiled back in 1596, it says: "Chinese lemongrass fruit has five tastes, classified in the first category of medicinal substances. The pulp of lemongrass is sour and sweet, the seeds are bitter-astringent, and in general the taste of the fruit is salty. Thus, It contains all five tastes. Grow lemongrass
They do not lose their attractiveness and decorativeness throughout the year, and, as a rule, live longer than many hardwoods. They are an excellent material for creating compositions due to the diverse shape of the crown and the color of the needles. The most widely used in professional and amateur landscaping are such coniferous shrubs like junipers, yew, thuja; from wood - pine, larch, spruce. Therefore, information about their main diseases seems to be relevant. The issue of treating conifers is especially acute in the spring, when you have to deal with burning, winter desiccation and infectious diseases on plants weakened after winter.
First of all, it should be mentioned non-communicable diseases, caused by a negative effect on the growth and development of coniferous plants adverse conditions environment. Although conifers are demanding on high humidity soil and air, excessive moisture associated with natural waterlogging, raising the level ground water, spring floods and heavy autumn precipitation, leads to yellowing and necrosis of the needles. The same symptoms very often appear due to lack of moisture in the soil and low air humidity.
Tui, spruce, yew are very sensitive to drying out of the roots, therefore, immediately after planting, it is recommended to mulch their near-stem circles with peat and grass cut from lawns, if possible, maintain mulching throughout the entire time of their growth, and water regularly. Pines, arborvitae and junipers are the most drought-resistant. In the first year after planting, it is advisable to spray young plants with water in the evening hours and shade them during the hot period. Conifers in the vast majority are shade-tolerant, when grown in open sunny places they may be stunted, their needles may turn yellow and even die. On the other hand, many of them cannot stand strong shading, especially light-requiring pines and larches. To protect the bark from sunburn, it can be whitewashed with lime or special whitewash. in early spring or at the end of autumn.
The condition and appearance of plants largely depend on the availability of nutrients and the balance of their ratios. The lack of iron in the soil leads to yellowing and even whitening of the needles on individual shoots; with a lack of phosphorus, young needles acquire a red-violet hue; with a nitrogen deficiency, plants grow noticeably worse, become chlorotic. Best growth and the development of plants occurs on drained and well-cultivated soils provided with nutrients. Slightly acidic or neutral soil is preferred. It is recommended to fertilize with special fertilizers intended for coniferous plants. On the summer cottages conifers can suffer from frequent visits by dogs and cats, causing an excessive concentration of salts in the soil. On thuja and juniper in such cases, shoots with red needles appear, subsequently drying out.
Low temperatures in winter and spring frosts cause freezing of the crown and roots, while the needles become dry, acquire a reddish color, die off, and the bark cracks. The most winter-hardy are spruces, pines, fir, arborvitae, junipers. The branches of coniferous plants can break off from the necklace and snow break in winter.
Many conifers are sensitive to air pollution from harmful industrial and automotive gaseous impurities. This is manifested, first of all, by yellowing, starting from the ends of the needles and their falling off (dying off).
Conifers are rarely severely affected infectious diseases, although in some cases they can suffer greatly from them. Young plants are generally less resistant to a complex of non-infectious and infectious diseases their resistance increases with age.
Types of soil-dwelling fungi genera Python(pitium) and Rhizoctonia(rhizoctonia) lead roots of seedlings to decay and die off often cause significant losses of young plants in schools and containers.
The causative agents of tracheomycotic wilt are most often anamorphic fungi. Fusarium oxysporum, which are soil pathogens. The affected roots turn brown, the mycelium penetrates the vascular system and fills it with its biomass, which stops access nutrients, and the affected plants, starting from the upper shoots, wilt. The needles turn yellow, redden and fall off, and the plants themselves gradually dry out. Seedlings and young plants are most affected. The infection persists in plants, plant debris and spreads with infected planting material or infected soil. The development of the disease contributes to: stagnant water in low areas, lack of sunlight.
As a protective measure, it is necessary to use a healthy planting material. Timely remove all dried plants with roots, as well as affected plant residues. For preventive purposes, short-term soaking of young plants with an open root system is carried out in a solution of one of the preparations: Baktofit, Vitaros, Maxim. At the first symptoms, the soil is shed with a solution of one of the biological products: Fitosporin-M, Alirin-B, Gamair. For the purpose of prevention, the soil is shed with Fundazol.
Gray mold (rot) affects the aerial parts of young plants, especially in unventilated areas with a strong thickening of plantings and insufficient lighting. Affected shoots become gray-brown, as if covered with a layer of dust.
In addition to these diseases, which are widespread on hardwoods, there are diseases that are characteristic only for conifers. First of all, they are shute, the causative agents of which are some types of ascomycete fungi.
|
|
Common Schutte Pine |
real schütte Lophodermium seditiosum- one of the main causes of premature fall of pine needles. Mostly young plants are affected, incl. in the open field of nurseries, and weakened trees, which can lead to their death due to strong fall of needles. During spring and early summer, the needles turn brown and fall off. In autumn, small yellowish dots are noticeable on the needles, gradually growing and turning brown, later on dead, crumbling needles, dotted black fruiting bodies are formed - apothecia, with which the fungus is preserved.
Common Schutte Pine, which has similar symptoms and development cycle causes Lophodermium pinastri. In autumn or more often in the spring of the next year, the needles turn yellow or become reddish-brown and die off. Then, the fruiting bodies of the fungus are formed on it in the form of small black strokes or dots, blackening and increasing by autumn. Thin dark transverse lines appear on the needles. Moderately warm weather, drizzling rains and dews contribute to the dispersal of spores and infection of needles. Weakened plants in nurseries and cultures up to 3 years of age and self-sowing pines are more often affected and die.
|
|
|
Called by a fungus Phlacidium infestans, which affects mainly pine species. It is especially harmful in snowy areas, where it sometimes completely destroys the renewal of Scots pine.
It develops under snow cover and develops relatively quickly even at temperatures around 0 degrees. Mycelium grows from needle to needle and often further to neighboring plants. After the snow melts, dead needles and often shoots turn brown and die. Diseased plants are covered with grayish mycelial films that quickly disappear. During the summer, the needles die off, becoming reddish-red, later light gray. It crumbles, but almost does not fall off. At the twisted pine ( Pinus contorta) dead needles are more reddish than those of Scots pine. By autumn, apothecia become visible, like small dark dots scattered over the needles. Ascospores from them are distributed by air currents to living pine needles just before they are usually covered in snow. The development of the fungus is favored by drizzling rains, snowfall and melting in autumn, mild snowy winters, and long spring.
Brown Shutte, or brown snow mold of conifers affects pines, fir, spruces, cedars, junipers, is caused by a fungus Herpotrichia nigra. It occurs more often in nurseries, young stands, self-sowing and young undergrowth. This disease manifests itself in early spring after the snow has melted, and the primary infection of needles with bag spores occurs in the fall. The disease develops under snow at a temperature not lower than 0.5 ° C. The lesion is detected after the snow has melted: on the brown dead needles, a black-gray cobweb coating of mycelium is noticeable, and then dotted fruiting bodies of the pathogen fungus. The needles do not fall off for a long time, thin branches die off. The development of the disease is facilitated by high humidity, the presence of depressions in the sown areas, and the thickening of plants.
Signs of defeat juniper schütte(causative agent - fungus Lophodermium juniperinum) appear at the beginning of summer on last year's needles, which acquire a dirty yellow or brown color and do not crumble for a long time. From the end of summer, round black up to 1.5 mm fruiting bodies are visible on the surface of the needles, in which marsupial sporulation of the fungus persists in winter. The disease develops intensively on weakened plants, during wet conditions can lead to plant death.
Protective measures against schütte include the selection of planting material that is resistant in origin, giving the plants as much resistance as possible, timely thinning, and the use of fungicidal sprays. Shaded plants are most susceptible to the disease. The harmfulness of shyutte increases with high snow cover and its long-term melting. In forests and parks, instead of natural regeneration, planting is recommended necessary origin. Planted plants are more evenly distributed over the area, making it more difficult for mycelium to infect one plant from another, in addition, they quickly reach a height above the critical level. In those areas where schütte damages Scotch pine, you can use lodgepole pine or European spruce, which is extremely rarely affected. Only healthy planting material should be used. It is recommended to remove fallen diseased needles and cut off dried branches in a timely manner.
Fungicidal treatments must be used in nurseries. Spraying with copper and sulfur preparations (for example, Bordeaux mixture, Abiga-Peak or HOM, lime-sulfur decoction) in early spring and autumn effectively reduces the development of diseases. With the manifestation of the disease to a strong extent in the summer, spraying is repeated.
Of particular importance for conifers are rust diseases, caused by fungi of the department Basidiomycota, class Uredinomycetes, affecting the needles and bark of shoots, virtually all of their pathogens are heterogeneous, and from conifers they pass to other plants, causing their defeat. Let us describe some of them.
Cone rust, spruce spinner. On the inside spruce scales, which is an intermediate host of rust fungus Puccinia strumareolatum, rounded dusty dark brown aetiopustules appear. Cones are wide open, hanging for several years. The seeds are inconsistent. Sometimes shoots are bent, the disease in this form is called spruce spinner. The main host is bird cherry, on the leaves of which small round light purple uredinio-, then black teliopustules appear.
Summons a Rusty Miscellaneous Fungus Melampsora pinitorqua. The aecial stage develops on the pine, as a result of which its shoots bend S-shaped, the top of the shoot dies off. Aspen is the main host. In summer, small yellow urediniopustules form on the underside of the leaves, spores from which cause mass infection of the leaves. Then, by autumn, black teliopustules are formed, in the form of which the fungus overwinters on plant debris.
Rust pine needles cause several species of the genus Coleosporium. It mainly affects biconiferous species of the genus Pinus, is found everywhere in their ranges, mainly in nurseries and young stands. The eciostage of the fungus develops in spring on pine needles. Yellow vesicle-shaped aetsiopustules are arranged in disorder on both sides of the needles, urediospores and teliospores are formed on coltsfoot, ragwort, sow thistle, bluebell and other herbaceous plants. With a strong spread of the disease, the needles turn yellow prematurely and fall off, and the plants lose their decorative effect.
Miscellaneous mushroom Cronartium Ribicola causes pine spinner(five-coniferous pines) , or columnar rust of currant. First, the infection of the needles occurs, gradually the fungus spreads into the bark and wood of the branches and trunks. Resin is observed in the affected areas, and aesiopustules appear in the form of yellow-orange vesicles from the ruptures of the cortex. Under the influence of the mycelium, a thickening is formed, which eventually turns into open wounds, the overlying part of the shoot dries up or bends. Currant is an intermediate host, gooseberries can also rarely be affected, numerous pustules form on the underside of their leaves in the form of small columns, orange, then brown.
Mushrooms of the genus Gymnosporangium (G. comfusum, G. juniperinu, G. sabinae), pathogens juniper rust affect cotoneaster, hawthorn, apple, pear, quince, which are intermediate hosts. In spring, the disease develops on their foliage, causing the formation of yellowish outgrowths (pustules) on the underside of the leaves, and round orange spots with black dots are noticeable on the top (aecial stage). From the end of summer, the disease passes to the main host plant - juniper (teliostage). From autumn and early spring, yellow-orange gelatinous masses of sporulation of the pathogen fungus appear on its needles and branches. Fusiform thickenings appear on the affected parts of the branches, and the death of individual skeletal branches begins. On the trunks, more often on the root neck, swellings and swells form, on which the bark dries out and shallow wounds open. Over time, the affected branches dry out, the needles turn brown and crumble. The infection persists in the affected juniper bark. The disease is chronic, almost incurable.
Rust of birch, larch - Melampsoridium betulinum. Small yellow pustules appear on the underside of birch and alder leaves in spring, yellowing, shoot growth decreases. In the larch, which is the main host, the needles turn yellow in summer.
As protective measures against rust diseases it is possible to recommend spatial isolation from affected plants that have a common causative agent of the disease. So, you should not grow poplar and aspen next to pines, five-needle pines should be isolated from blackcurrant plantings. Cutting out affected shoots, increasing resistance through the use of microfertilizers and immunostimulants will reduce the harmfulness of rusts.
causative agents drying of juniper branches there may be several mushrooms: Cytospora pini, Diplodia juniperi, Henderson notha, Phoma juniperi, Phomopsis juniperovora, Rhabdospora sabinae. Drying of the bark and the formation of numerous brown and black fruiting bodies on it are observed. The needles turn yellow and fall off, the branches of the bushes dry out. The infection persists in the bark of affected branches and unharvested plant debris. The spread is facilitated by dense plantings and the use of infected planting material.
Tui can often also appear drying, drying of shoots and branches, caused more often by the same fungal pathogens. A typical manifestation is yellowing and falling of leaves from the ends of the shoot, browning of the young growth of branches; in humid conditions, sporulation of fungi is noticeable on the affected parts.
The causative agent of which is a fungus Pestalotiopsis funerea causes necrosis of the bark of branches and browning of the needles. On the affected tissues, olive-black sporulation of the fungus is formed in the form of separate pads. With a strong drying of the branches in hot weather, the pads dry up and take on the appearance of crusts. With an abundance of moisture, a grayish-black mycelium develops on the affected needles and bark of the stems. Affected branches and needles turn yellow and dry out. The infection persists in the affected plant debris and in the bark of drying branches.
Sometimes appears on juniper plants biorelloma cancer. Its causative agent is a fungus Biatorella difformis, is the conidial stage of the marsupial fungus Biatoridina pinastri. With mechanical damage to the branches, over time, pathogenic microorganisms begin to develop in the bark and wood, causing necrosis of the bark. The fungus spreads in the tissues of the bark, the bark turns brown, dries, cracks. The wood gradually dies off and longitudinal ulcers form. Over time, rounded fruiting bodies are formed. The defeat and death of the bark leads to the fact that the needles turn yellow and dry out. The infection persists in the bark of the affected branches.
Pathogen juniper nectar cancer is a marsupial Nectria cucurbitula, with conidial stage Zythia cucurbitula. Numerous brick-red sporulation pads up to 2 mm in diameter are formed on the surface of the affected bark; over time, they darken and dry out. The development of the fungus causes the death of the bark and bast of individual branches. The needles turn yellow and fall off, the affected branches and entire bushes dry up. The infection persists in the bark of affected branches and plant debris. The spread of infection is facilitated by dense plantings and the use of infected planting material.
In recent years, many cultures, incl. conifers, mushrooms of the genus Alternaria. Pathogen juniper Alternariosis is a mushroom Alternaria tenuis. On the needles affected by it, which becomes brown, a velvety black coating appears on the branches. The disease manifests itself when plantings are thickened on the branches of the lower tier. The infection persists in the affected needles and bark of branches and in plant debris.
To combat desiccation and Alternaria, you can use preventive spraying of plants in spring and autumn. Bordeaux mixture, Abiga Peak, copper chloride. If necessary, in the summer, spraying is repeated every 2 weeks. Use of healthy planting material, timely pruning of affected branches, disinfection of individual wounds and all cuts with a solution blue vitriol and smearing with oil paint on natural drying oil significantly reduce the prevalence of diseases.
larch cancer causes marsupial fungus Lachnellulawillkommii. Its mycelium spreads in the bark and wood of larch branches during its spring and autumn growth dormancy. The following summer, new bark and wood are built up around the wound. As preventive protective measures, it is recommended to plant resistant larch species, grow them in favorable conditions, do not thicken, avoid frost damage.
On the stems of conifers, some types of fungi can settle tinder fungus, forming rather large fruiting bodies on the bark, annual and perennial, causing cracking of the bark, as well as rot of roots and wood. For example, pine wood affected by a root sponge is purple at first, then white spots appear on it, which turn into voids. Wood becomes cellular, sieve.
Tui stem rot is often caused by tinder fungi: pine sponge Porodaedalea pini, causing variegated-red rot of the trunk and tinder fungus Schweinitz - Phaeolus schweinitzii, which is the causative agent of brown central fissured root rot. In both cases, fruiting bodies of the fungus are formed on the rotten wood. In the first case, they are perennial, woody, the upper part is dark brown, up to 17 cm in diameter; in the second mushroom, annual fruiting bodies in the form of flat caps, often on stalks, are arranged in groups. Affected plants gradually die, and unharvested dried plants and their parts are the source of infection.
It is necessary to cut out diseased, damaged, dried branches in a timely manner, cut off the fruiting bodies of tinder fungi. Wound injuries are cleaned and treated with putty or paint based on drying oil. Use healthy planting material. It is possible to carry out preventive spraying of plants in spring and autumn with a Bordeaux mixture or its substitutes. Be sure to uproot the stumps.
On a nice summer day! Majestic coniferous trees with widely spread branches, creating a cozy shade, will not leave indifferent any lover of forest walks.
Coniferous plants are not only companions of a pleasant forest walk, but also full members of the plant community. Often, passing by, people do not even think about how many interesting things you can learn about this class of trees.
It's no secret that a person learns a significant part of the information about the world around him while sitting at a school desk. And how is the educational process being built now when children study the class of coniferous plants?
What are conifers? How are they classified by modern science? How does the acquaintance of children mastering the basic general educational program of primary general education with the class of conifers occur? The answers to these questions, many other interesting facts, as well as beautiful photographs await the reader in the article.
What plants are called conifers?
Most people of all ages, religions, nationalities and political persuasions know that trees are divided into coniferous and deciduous. FROM deciduous trees all clear. They have leaves that form foliage. Branches with foliage, in turn, form the crown of trees. Particularly sophisticated people even know that the leaves of trees and plants are involved in the process of photosynthesis, providing the planet Earth with oxygen and processing carbon dioxide.
But what about coniferous plants? Why are they called that? Can they, like their leafy counterparts, participate in the production of oxygen? Let's figure it out.
The name of the class "coniferous" comes from the word called the modified leaves of plants, which have an elongated narrow shape and a pointed end. With unsuccessful interaction with the needles of trees, you can even pierce your hand or seriously damage your eyes.
Conifers are vascular plants. This means that the transfer of nutrients and moisture within the tree occurs through a system of vessels.
The next sign is woody. It should be understood as the presence of wood on a tree trunk. All are perennial.
The hallmark of conifers is that they are evergreen. Yes, some of them shed their leaves (for example, larch) once a year. Some plants, at the same time, change their "wardrobe" once every fifty years.
Another unique sign of conifers is the presence of a cone in which seeds ripen. The cone is the one that plays a key role in the reproduction of these plants. Scientists have proven that some representatives of the Coniferous department can store seeds in their cones for decades.
Most representatives of conifers have a straight trunk and branches extending from it in different directions. A characteristic feature of many plants of this class are whorls - peculiar rings formed by branches extending from the main tree trunk. Counting the number of whorls on a tree trunk is one way to determine the age of a tree. Each ring of whorls corresponds to one year that has passed in the life of the tree. The straight trunk in the vast majority of cases ends with a pronounced crown.
An interesting feature of gymnosperms of the Coniferous class is that many of them begin to dry out from the crown. This is explained by the peculiar supply of nutrients along the trunk of trees. Such problems with conifers can occur due to poor ecology. Another common cause is damage to the root system of the tree or its bark.
Coniferous roots
Also peculiar. Most often, most of them keep main root throughout life. Smaller roots extend from it, running almost along the surface of the earth. Such a device of the root system is an advantage and a disadvantage of such trees. On the one hand, in this way the plant can collect more nutrients due to the larger area of soil covered by the root system. On the other hand, such a root arrangement makes Conifers extremely vulnerable to forest fires. It is not uncommon for entire hectares of forest to stand dead because the fire that destroyed the small undergrowth also destroyed the roots of the trees.
What is the needles like?
The length of the needles may vary depending on the species of a particular tree. Some specimens have giant needles, the length of which can reach up to thirty centimeters (for example, Engelman's pine). The smallest needles can reach a length of only three to six millimeters.
The needles of trees of the Coniferous class also differ in their hardness. Some species, such as larch, have soft and delicate needles, which are simply impossible to damage. Spruces, on the contrary, have hard needles that, under an unfortunate set of circumstances, can even pierce clothes and human skin.
The needles of individual tree species are abundantly covered with special wax. This was done by prudent nature in order to protect the plant from excessive ultraviolet rays, which are detrimental to it.
Young and mature needles also differ from each other. Young leaf-like organs of coniferous trees are softer than older ones. Old needles become rough to the touch. This is due to the fact that the special pores of the needles, which are responsible for the "breathing" of the plant, gradually become larger and begin to be felt to the touch.
Useful substances contained in the needles
The needles of most plants of the Coniferous class are sour in taste (especially spruce), tart. This is due to the presence of a significant amount of amino acids there. When chewing the needles, a slurry is formed that does not disintegrate in the mouth. Constant use of needles for food is not recommended, although it is not poisonous.
On the contrary, needles are often used for medicinal purposes. This is done because of the richest set of substances contained in it. There are many vitamins in the needles of trees (vitamin C, vitamin P, vitamin K, as well as iron, cobalt and manganese).
Pine needles are one of the most sought after sources of carotene (the substance that is found in large quantities in carrots). Its content reaches from one hundred and fifty to three hundred milligrams per kilogram of needles.
How long ago did conifers appear on Earth?
Coniferous plants are very ancient. Perhaps even the oldest of the higher plants on planet Earth.
Exhibits taken from the ground by archaeologists and paleobotanists are subjected to radiocarbon analysis to determine the most accurate age of the fossil. As a result of such procedures, it was established that individual representatives of the Coniferous class existed on our planet already three hundred million years ago. Think about these figures - three hundred million years ago! In this ancient time, there was not even a hint of a human in nature, and huge dinosaurs inhabited the planet.
The discovery of scientists is of interest. According to the research of the scientific community studying the history of this class of plants, a characteristic feature of the ancient conifers was that among them there were many shrubs and even herbaceous plants. Now, unfortunately, most of them have died out, giving way to modern representatives of the Coniferous class.
To date, the vast majority of conifers are trees covered with strong bark and not having grassy fibers.
The place of conifers in the systematics of plants
Each class of plants is systematized by scientists into a single system. Plants that have needles instead of foliage were no exception.
Conifers is quite simple and straightforward. If we give a simple classification of conifers, then it will look like this: eukaryotes, plants, conifers.
The eukaryote domain includes organisms that have cellular structure. In addition to plants, accounting also includes animals, fungi, protists and chromists.
The next level of classification is the kingdom. Conifers belong to the plant kingdom, as they meet all the inherent characteristics. This is the presence of a dense cellulose membrane of the cell, and growth throughout life, and the process of photosynthesis, and maintaining an attached lifestyle (they do not move independently).
The kingdoms are subdivided into departments. The department that interests us - Gymnosperms of the Coniferous class - is included here. He got his name because the plants included in this department do not have a seed coat.
Departments are divided into classes. The department of gymnosperms includes the classes Ginkgo (the only representative is Ginkgo biloba), Cycads, Gnetovye and finally Coniferous. There were two more classes of gymnosperms - Bennettite and seed ferns, but today they are recognized as extinct.
How are conifers classified?
The Coniferous class, in turn, is also subdivided into several smaller classification steps. Let's consider the main ones.
A class in botany is conventionally divided into subclasses. The plant class Conifers is divided into the subclass Cordaite (now extinct) and the subclass Coniferous. Yes, it's not a typo. The class and subclass names are the same.
The subclass of conifers includes 6 (according to other classifications 7) plant families. All of them form one order - Coniferous (Pine). These include Pine, Araucaria, Cypress, Taxodie, Podocarp and Yew plants.
Each family is divided into genera, in which specific species are already distinguished. For example, we classify a plant, starting with a class. For example, common pine. Class - Conifers. Subclass - Conifers. Order - Coniferous (Pine). Family - Pine. Genus - Pine. View - Scotch pine. Any coniferous plant lends itself to a similar classification.
Variety of species
In total, in the classification of plants, there are from six hundred to six hundred and fifty species of the coniferous class. Their characteristics are largely similar, but they also have differences. Let's get to know coniferous trees, often found in Russia, closer!
One of the most common plants in Russian latitudes is spruce. This genus of plants is characterized by a high trunk and a lush cone-shaped beautiful crown. A special property of this tree is the ability to live almost forever - spruce is able to put out living roots from a dead tree. On the the globe there are more than thirty species of this gorgeous plant.
Pine is also very common in our country. Researchers have recorded more than a hundred species of pines, the vast majority of which grow in the northern hemisphere of the Earth. A characteristic feature of pine is its high resin content. If you approach and hug a tree, then with a high degree of probability the clothes will have to be cleaned.
The next representative of conifers found on the territory of Russia is larch. This tree exceeds forty meters in height, and lives up to four hundred years. A feature of larch is the shedding of needles for the winter. The needles of the tree are soft, very pleasant to the touch.
Types of conifers based on size and growth rate
In the scientific community, as one of the classification systems for conifers, classification is distinguished by the size of the annual growth of the tree. There are five types. The most "fast" plants add fifteen to twenty centimeters a year. The "slowest" - three to five centimeters.
World record holders
An interesting fact: conifers are "world champions in all categories."
In the nomination "The oldest tree" on the first step of the podium is Old Tikko - a pine tree in the mountains of Sweden. According to the most conservative estimates of biologists, the age of the tree is more than nine and a half thousand years. The secret of Tikko's longevity is that he managed to put down living roots from a tree that burned down in a fire. These roots serve the owner until now. By the way, the second and third places are also occupied by representatives of the coniferous class. These trees are more than five thousand years old, and they grew when there were no presidents, no kings, no Roman and Greek emperors, and most of the Egyptian pharaohs.
The Hyperion sequoia is considered the tallest tree in the world. A powerful tree with a straight trunk rises one hundred and fifteen meters above the American forests. The height of the giant is comparable to a house of forty floors.
The most massive tree is also a conifer. "General Sherman" - a sequoiadendron from California National Park - weighs about two million kilograms in total. According to the calculations of practical Americans, up to forty houses with five rooms in each of them can be built from its wood. The second largest tree in the world is "General Grant". This sequoiadendron has been declared a US national shrine and a monument to fallen soldiers.
The place of conifers in the educational program of elementary school
With the entry into force of the federal state educational standard of primary general education, it was revised and academic plan schools. The subject in which children get acquainted with wildlife is called " The world". To study it, the kids are allocated two hours a week.
As part of the study of the subject "The world around us", the guys get acquainted with coniferous trees. At the end of mastering the program of primary general education, teachers often resort to such a form of knowledge testing as the dictation "Coniferous Forest". In grade 4, children know the types of trees and are able to talk about them. Also an important evaluation criterion is the determination of the type of plant.
How is this topic studied at the beginning of training?
Coniferous trees in grade 1 begin to be studied by first graders from the simplest. The teacher usually asks the children about their personal experience. Were there children in the forest? What did they see there?
At the same time, it is very important to motivate the child to study, to create an educational situation. In order to achieve the cherished goal, primary school teachers often resort to various tricks: either they put a letter on the table from the Old Man-Lesovichok with an invitation to visit the Magic Forest, or they will be transported along with the class to unknown paths in Baba Yaga's mortar. The main thing is that the child has interested eyes.
The study of conifers by second graders
On the subject "The world around us" Grade 2 studies coniferous plants in more detail. The children begin to get acquainted with the most common families, learn to distinguish their characteristic features from photographs. As part of the study of the coniferous forest in the 2nd grade, the teacher is also tasked with instilling in children a careful and caring attitude towards nature.
To create educational situations, the technique of guessing riddles is often used, which is very effective in elementary school. About coniferous plants in the 2nd grade, children can make many different interesting riddles. For example, "For the New Year, everyone is happy with her, although her outfit is prickly" (the answer is spruce). This method achieves two results at once: the child's attention is concentrated and an educational situation arises.
Especially popular in elementary school is the system, the author of which is Zankov. Coniferous and flowering plants Grade 2 studies using interactive techniques. The class teacher often asks children to prepare reports on given topics. After preparing the report, it is imperative to speak with it in front of the class in order to convey information to other children. Important point- to teach children to listen to others, to be able to formulate and ask a good and interesting question, to support a discussion. This approach instills in students the ability to speak to an audience, communication skills. Children learn to argue and defend their position, to profitably present the results of their work.
Coniferous and flowering plants for grade 2 are an excellent occasion to distribute reports on various types such plants. By this principle, you can build the entire lesson, and it will be highly effective.
Zankov Leonid Vladimirovich - Russian psychologist who proposed in the mid-nineties unique system learning. The hallmark of the system is its humanitarian nature and personal development children. Work on such a system requires high skill and professionalism from the teacher.
What new things do children learn about conifers in the third year of study?
In grade 3, conifers also continue to be studied. Children get to know them in more detail, affect the representatives of conifers in their region, study the characteristics and characteristics of some species. The teacher begins to build with the students the simplest food chains in which conifers are involved.
As a current control of students' knowledge, teachers often conduct simple tests for grade 3 on coniferous trees. This method allows you to quickly assess the mastery of the material covered by the class, identify children who have poorly learned the information, and pay additional attention to working with them.
At the end of elementary school
In the 4th grade, completing the development of the basic educational program elementary general education, more sophisticated methods of working with children are used. One of these methods can be project activities. The essence lies in the distribution (or choice at will) among students or groups of students of topics for developing a project. This approach allows not only to develop the individual qualities of children, but also to teach them to work in a team, which is very important. After the preparation of the project, as well as with the reports, they are defended.
Conclusion
Now the reader has discovered new facts about gymnosperms of the Coniferous class, which will help him take a fresh look at conifers when he meets them, classify them according to the generally accepted system. It is important to take care of these plants, because, being evergreen, they all year round produce oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide. Thanks to conifers, the air on our planet becomes cleaner.