About 50 diverse species that grow in the Northern Hemisphere in the temperate zone belong to the genus Fir. If you do not look closely, then most people associate such a tree with a pine. The difference is that there are slender and symmetrical crowns.
Smooth, thin and shiny bark contains tannins. Therefore, it is often used for skin dressing. If there is a type of fir with a thin bark, then under it you can find a large accumulation of nodules. They are thickenings that contain a clear, thick and tarry liquid.
A species with a thick bark can do without them. Balsam and Siberian fir are leaders in the number of nodules. They are used in production in the medical field. For example, liquid from nodules serves as the basis for special adhesives, and if you mix castor oil and fir, you get a good antifungal mass.
Sap
For the production of resin, they are mined with special pointed-nosed vessels, which puncture nodule. Then the liquid drains into the container. If you make a blank for your personal use, then you need a cut in the nodule, from which you need to squeeze a small amount into the container. If everything is carried out correctly, the tree will remain intact, and the cut will quickly recover.
At one time, you can collect about 30-50 g of fir balm. To avoid damage to the tree, the next assembly of resin is desirable after 2-3 years.
Features
It is worth attributing fir to dark coniferous species. It is shade-tolerant, so you can freely plant trees in places with low light. But if you select a site with good lighting, then the tree will not grow worse from this.
For fir, the wind is not terrible, because it is resistant to its effects. But the plant will not be suitable for landscaping the city, since the tree will not survive in the gas-polluted environment. The ideal place for planting will serve as garden plots, cottages, country houses.
With the help of fir trees, garden plots are decoratively decorated, on which emphasis is placed in the form of plants. There are many variations: the creation of a live and high hedge, the arrangement of paths, which over time will turn into shady alleys. The crown of the tree, which is lowered almost to the ground, of dark green color, creates a wonderful visual effect. Branches located near the base can produce accessory processes, the so-called roots.
To care for the fir does not require special skills, cutting or pruning branches is completely painless. By the way, small trees are very popular in Europe, they are used as a Christmas tree and decorate for the holidays.
Fir is bred using cuttings, layering or grafted to another coniferous tree. In the wild, reproduction occurs by seed. The germination percentage is low, not more than 40-50%. If you sow the seeds collected after a year, then the indicator will be 20-30%, and after two they will not sprout at all.
Recommendations
To achieve maximum growth, it is advised to plant seeds immediately after harvest. For rodents, they are uninteresting, because they do not eat them. Only the hermes pest damages the tree, and if we take into account the disease, then stem rot is considered the main problem.
A large number of species of firs are frost-resistant, but there are those that do not have such properties. Therefore, do not forget about this when buying seedlings. Such varieties as Norman (a variety of fir bred in the Caucasus), European or Comb (white) and others should be considered weak in relation to frost, therefore, it is recommended to take into account the place of planting.
Description
Black, or whole-leaf fir, according to the description grows up to 50-60 meters high. The tree in girth reaches about 2 m. The color of the wood is white, uniform, it is resistant to pests.
In young trees, the shade of the bark is gray-brown, with a flaky surface. Fir, which is already old, have a bark thicker, darker in the color palette from brown to black, with cracks. Year-old trees are yellow-gray in color, with branches that grow perpendicular to the trunk.
The crown of the whole-leaf fir has a conical shape, thick and wide. Those trees that grow in open areas are so massive that the lower branches touch the ground. Needles are sharp, undifferentiated, stiff. Fir blossoms in the first half of June from 8 to 11 days.
The whole-leaf fir (in the photo in the article) has cones of a cylindrical shape, with a blunt end, about 14 cm long. As the color grows, the color changes from green to brown.
The type of cone is scaly, jagged edges are characteristic. Fruits are revealed on trees from September to November, which complicates the collection of whole-leaf fir seeds. The latter weigh a little, the main thing is not to let them settle down, otherwise you can’t wait for the shoots.
A powerful root system is characteristic, it is highly branched, penetrates deeply. Whole-leaf fir at a young age is thermophilic and very sensitive to early frosts. But here adult trees become frost-resistant and less prone to natural disasters.
Recommendations
When planting young seedlings and the onset of the winter period of time, it is necessary to cover them, and in drought - to water and spray the crown of the tree with water in the evening.
Trees are very dependent on humidity, do not tolerate wetlands. Ideal for fir is considered loose, fertile soil with good drainage. Loam is ideal. In general, difficulties with landing do not arise, the main thing is to prevent drying.
Habitat
Whole-leaf fir grows in mountainous terrain, at an altitude of not more than 500 meters from sea level. Most often present in the group of first forest stands. In the wild, it grows predominantly in mixed forests or conifers.
Primorsky Krai, some parts of the Korean Peninsula - the place of growth of whole-leaf fir in the natural environment. In addition to wildlife, this species is preserved in various nurseries, reserves or special reserves:
- Ussuri Nature Reserve.
- Suputinsky Reserve.
- Borisov plateau.
- Vladivostok Botanical Garden.
Wood use
Whole-leaved Manchurian fir black has a uniform color and high strength, very similar to spruce wood. The builders are not used, because the volume of tree planting is small, in addition, there is a rarity of wild plantations.
The main problem of this species is that poachers destroy wild fir. For the New Year holidays, trees are cut for sale due to the fact that they are very similar to spruce.
In the spruce branches and bark there is a specific essential oil, which is used in cosmetology (used in the manufacture of skin and hair care products), the medical field and folk recipes.
Given the uniqueness of the crown, young shoots of the tree are used in the construction of parks, for landscaping, in the design of various landscapes.
Conclusion
Reproduction of fir is carried out using seedlings, seeds, or is carried out by grafting a wild shoot. For landing, it is worth choosing a gentle slope with a choice of direction to the north-west.
Plants at a young age are very demanding on the soil and weak to all negative natural factors. The grown trees are unpretentious and, with proper care, the quality and decorativeness of the crown will please the whole year.
We can say that it is worth a little courting of a seedling at the beginning of its planting, and in the future it will please with its coolness and unpretentiousness. Therefore, whole-leaf fir in decorative forms is considered one of the most convenient trees for the refinement of various territories.