The European larch. Larix decidua

European larch.

To plant larch, choose an open, well-lit place. The soil intended for it consists of sheet earth, sand and peat. If the soil site is heavy clay or too swampy, drainage is required for planting larch seedlings, it is better to use broken brick (layer about 20 cm). In acidic soils, first liming with slaked lime or dolomite flour. Seedlings should be planted at a distance of 2-3 meters from each other. The root system is deep, which provides the tree with excellent wind resistance.

Larch grows very quickly, outlives most other trees. Larch will be more suitable as an individual tree, or to have itself or some bushes in the neighborhood. Elms, birches, oaks - will suppress each other in competition for moisture.

When choosing a planting site, remember that larch is very photophilous and demanding of lime content in the soil. She does not like poor, sandy or marshy soils. To properly develop the root system, it needs well-drained, humus-rich soil, where compost or humus is additionally added.

All larches are very sensitive to transplanting: at first it is difficult to take root, but then they start to take root and grow in size during the year. The optimal age for planting saplings is two years, although there have been successful cases of transplanting even twenty-year-old trees.

The young shoot of larch is very sensitive when young. Any mechanical damage, and even touching it with hands, can lead to the larch changing its shape, twisting. It is very difficult to detect such a defect, but interesting shapes can be formed by chance.

Larch seeds are sown in April in pots or boxes. A loose substrate containing neutralized peat, leaf soil, sand is prepared for sowing. The pot is filled with it, the top layer is leveled and lightly pressed, watered. A thin layer of sand is spread on top of the substrate, seeds are sown and the sand is sifted. Carefully fill the box so as not to wash away the seeds. The seeds are kept in a container, at home they can also be covered with glass. To maintain a uniform humidity regime, the boxes should be kept in semi-shade. When the seeds have germinated (about a couple of weeks after sowing), start to ventilate by inserting a slit between the edge of the box and the glass. During growth, the crops are weeded and watered. In the summer of the following year, after the shoots have matured, the seedlings are planted in a bed or transplanted into pots (if the seedlings are not planned to be planted in beds during growing, but immediately in a permanent place, it is preferable to plant them in deeper - rose - pots). After 2-4 years, depending on growth, it is exhibited in a permanent place. Bare-root seedlings dug out of the bed are planted before flowering. Seedlings grown in pots can also be planted later - in deeply drained, sufficiently moist, fertile sandy loam or loamy soil (pH 5 - 6.5), in a sunbed, placing them at a distance of 5 - 10 m (if you plant more often, you may need to thin later).

The package contains 5 seeds.