Growing Cedar from Nuts at Home: Secrets and Recommendations

The cedar is truly the king of the Siberian forests. It is largely thanks to this tree, and the clean air and aroma it imparts, that the forests of this frosty region have gained their popularity.

The cedar is a beautiful coniferous tree that's frost-resistant, so it's often tempting to have one in your garden, turning it into a little piece of Siberia. How realistic is it to grow a cedar tree indoors? How do you grow a cedar from a nut at home? Or is it better to use special seeds from a gardening store? There are answers to all these questions. But first things first.

Plant characteristics

The cedar is a fairly large and powerful plant with a thick trunk. In its natural habitat, this conifer can reach a height of 40 meters. And if you add the tree's lush crown to this height, the question arises: how large a plot is needed to grow a cedar? Yes, if you use natural-looking saplings, you should keep in mind that the tree will take up a considerable amount of space. Not everyone can afford that.

It was for such cases that a low-growing cedar species was bred, which will fit into a compact area and will grow no less beautiful and luxurious than a tree in a Siberian forest.

There are five species of Siberian cedar in the wild. There are many more ornamental varieties, and some of them produce fruit—pine nuts. These varieties will be discussed below.

Why do many people want to grow cedar at home?

Cedar is an unusual ornamental plant that will delight you with its attractive appearance both in summer and winter. This is one one of the reasons why gardeners They so passionately want to grow a tree on their property. In winter, the cedar's green crown stands out above the snow-white drifts, giving the property a unique aesthetic appearance.

Secondly, the cedar tree produces pine nuts, which are not only delicious but also can be used to make cedar oil, which has healing properties. The tree's resin also promotes wound healing. And many people know firsthand the benefits of pine needles. They can be used to make various infusions, inhalations, or simply enjoy the pine scent while relaxing in the shade.

Considering all these advantages and the benefits this tree provides, many people want to grow a cedar tree from a nut at home.

How to grow a cedar tree

There are two ways to grow cedar: either buy seedlings or use the tree's seeds, or nuts.

Instructions for growing cedar

When signing up to grow a cedar tree from a nut, remember that this process will take a lot of time and effort, and, of course, you'll need to invest your love and care.

Cedar seeds should be collected in the fall. The most suitable seeds for planting are the ripe cones, which can be collected in the forest. The most nutty nuts should be selected from the cones.

The collected nuts should be dipped in a weak solution of potassium permanganate and soaked for about three hours. After this, the nuts should be placed in warm water for three days, changing the water daily. After the water treatment, the nuts should be buried in peat or coarse sand. Wooden boxes filled to the brim with peat or sand are best for this. The nuts should be buried about 1.5 centimeters into the soil; to test the depth, it's best to bury the seeds with your fingers. Once the seeds are buried, you can cover them with wet sawdust.

To ensure the nuts have constant access to oxygen, holes should be made in the boxes: one on each side and one in the bottom.

In this condition, the seeds will overwinter until spring. The boxes should be placed in a location with a temperature of no more than 3°C (3°F) and no more than 5°C (43°F). The seeds will remain in this location until spring. Remember to periodically rehydrate the water in the boxes.

The nuts should be planted in the ground by the end of May. Fourteen days before this, the boxes with the seedlings should be moved to a warm place.

It is not necessary to germinate pine nuts throughout the winter and spring, but then the chances of the seeds sprouting will be slim.

A brief guide on how to grow a cedar from a nut at home (photo) will help you grow a beautiful cedar. However, it's important to remember that the tree only bears fruit in its 30th year. Not everyone has that kind of time and patience. The fruiting process can be sped up.

How to speed up the fruiting process of cedar

So that the tree begins to bear fruit Much faster. It takes a full 30 years to graft a cedar seedling onto a mature tree. However, in this case, the tree won't grow very tall, reaching a maximum height of 5 meters. However, this miniature tree will bear fruit as early as its fifth year from planting.

How to care for a cedar tree

Cedars are low-maintenance. Watering is only necessary during periods of drought, when the tree can't obtain sufficient water from the soil.

The tree does require fertilization once a season. Suitable fertilizers include sawdust, potassium-phosphorus fertilizers, and peat.

It's also worth noting that a young tree thrives in the shade during its first few years. The best place to plant this beautiful conifer is deep in the garden. Alternatively, you can create shade for the tree using additional shade-casting devices.

Here are some more tips on how to grow a cedar tree from a nut at home.

By following the instructions given above, you can count on success in growing cedar from a nut. However, a couple of practical tips certainly won't hurt:

• Before planting, you can begin taking the boxes with seeds outside (in sunny weather) so that the tree can gradually get used to the fresh air and sunlight.
• Mature seedlings require mulching. This can be done using fallen pine needles and weeds.
• Good nuts for planting are those that do not have an odor and are free of mold or other plaque.
• If you don't have any boxes to bury nuts in, 200-gram containers from store-bought salads work well.
• Immediately after planting, the cedar does not need watering; the soil is already moist enough for this plant.
• The soil should remain loose as long as possible, this has a beneficial effect on the growth of the tree.
• To avoid over-watering the soil in which the nuts are located, you can use spraying instead of watering.

The key to success in this difficult task is care, love, attention, and, of course, patience. Although cedar is an unpretentious plant, it won't grow without some effortGrowing cedar from nuts at home takes a little more time than growing a tree from store-bought seeds. However, the results are certainly worth the effort. A mature cedar not only produces healthy fruit but is also a long-lived tree that will delight the eye all year round!