How to plant a linden tree in a summer cottage?
To transform the site, you need to carefully plan where these or those trees will be. Therefore, before planting a linden, you should take into account its dimensions. This is very important, since the tree is capable of covering neighboring plants with its spreading branches. Thus, slowing down their growth.
Linden: description of the tree and its types
There are linden trees that are over 300 years old.
Main types:
- Caucasian. The tree reaches 40 m in height. The crown is round enough, neat. Young shoots differ from adults in bark color. They have a reddish tint. This species grows in Asia and the Caucasus.
- Manchu. This type of linden most often grows multi-stemmed. In height, an adult specimen does not exceed 20 m. This is a frost-resistant tree that perfectly tolerates sharp drops in temperature. Linden grows in the Amur region and the Far East.
- Silver or felt. The type of deciduous plates differs. In silvery linden, they are covered with a fine down. A tree grows up to 30 m tall. Most often it can be found on the lands of Russia.
- Small-leaved. This is the most popular species that can be found in all regions of our country. Small-leaved linden is also frost-resistant. It grows up to 30-40 m. It all depends on the place of planting.
- Large-leaved (broadleaf). The tree has a spherical crown. The leaves are small. Their width does not exceed 25 cm. It grows very quickly. Mature trees reach 40 m in height. The broadleaf species grows on slightly acidic and alkaline soils.
The large-leaved linden can grow 45 cm in height in one year.
Choosing a landing site
Linden belongs to unpretentious trees. But despite this, it should be borne in mind that she loves a lot of light. It is recommended to choose a site for planting with drained soil. In this case, the soil may not be fertile. The tree develops well on sandy soils and soils fertilized with humus.
When planting a linden, it should be borne in mind that its durability is curled from the quality of the procedure performed.
The best seedlings take root in a new place if they were planted on a cool and fairly humid day.
Therefore, the optimal time to plant linden is autumn.
How to plant a linden tree in autumn
For planting, you can use purchased trees or dig them up near an adult tree. Most of the shoots can be seen in the forest belt or in the forest. They easily tolerate movement over long distances, so the likelihood that seedlings do not take root is minimized.
Stages of planting a tree:
- The first thing to do is to dig a hole. The width and depth of the dimple should be within 50 cm.
- Before planting a linden tree on the site, it is necessary to lay on the bottom of the recess drainage... It can be pebbles, crushed red brick. It is also good to use small pieces of slate. The drainage layer should not exceed 15 cm.
- Sprinkle the drainage on top with humus and superphosphate. For each seedling, it will be enough to use from 50 to 60 g of the drug.
- Then pour the prepared substrate on top. They make it from 1 part of sod land and 2 parts of sand with humus. It is important to ensure that the acidity of the soil does not exceed 7.5 pH.
- The distance between seedlings should be 3 to 4 m. To create hedge from linden, the distance is halved.
When placing a seedling, you must be extremely careful. The root collar of the tree should be above the soil surface. If it is sprinkled with soil, then this is not critical for linden, but in rare cases it can lead to a slowdown in growth.
To prevent water from lingering near the trunk, it is necessary to form a near-trunk hole.
Linden tree care on site
The tree will be beautiful and healthy if you adhere to the minimum maintenance rules. It is enough to water, fertilize, remove weeds, and cut off branches in a timely manner.
Irrigation rules
Only planted trees need abundant watering. Use water at room temperature. It is better not to irrigate seedlings with cold liquid, as this can slow down their growth.
Top dressing
The first fertilizer is applied in early spring. To do this, make a solution from mullein (1 kg), urea (15 g), nitrate (25 g). Mix all components thoroughly and pour 10 liters of clean water. In the autumn, it is recommended to bring nitroammofosk. For one tree, about 20 g of the drug will be enough.
Mulching
This is an important procedure when growing linden. The trunk circle is covered with mulch after each weeding. For this you can use peat, dry tree leaves, wood chips or peat compost. Thickness mulch should be within 12 cm.
Pruning
Linden is pruned in spring and autumn. The first procedure can be carried out the next day after planting. In the spring, remove all damaged and dry twigs. Sanitary pruning will help keep the tree looking good and prevent disease.
In order to form a beautiful green ball without a trunk out of linden, radical pruning is carried out. In this case, all the branches are cut down, and sometimes even the trunk, leaving a stump.
It is also recommended to thin out the crown periodically. If this is not done, the branches will begin to dry out. Improper application of fertilizer leads to excessive density. Also, the number of shoots on linden increases if it grows in open areas.
Pests
Linden, like all other trees, is affected by various insects. Most often, perforated spotting is observed on the leaves. You can get rid of it by spraying the trunk and twigs with a Bordeaux mixture. To combat white rot, products are used that contain more copper.
In addition, aphids, scoops, ticks, bark beetles, leaf rollers can appear on the tree. Fight these insects with insecticides. Birds and rodents, which like to feed on bark, also affect trees.
Reproduction of linden
To plant a tree, you do not have to buy expensive planting material in the store. You can also grow a seedling at home.
Breeding methods:
- stem layers;
- root layers;
- seeds;
- cuttings.
It will take a lot of time and effort to propagate linden by seeds. In order for the grains to germinate and quickly increase in growth, they must be stratified. Linden is sown to a depth of 2 to 3 cm. In this case, the soil should be nutritious and allow air to pass well. When the seedlings reach 15 cm, they can be planted in open ground.
Before planting a linden tree with a shank, you need to prepare the planting material. Only cut branches from mature trees. Their length should be from 8 to 15 cm. The upper cut is made at right angles, and the lower cut is oblique.
As you can see, planting and caring for a linden tree does not require special skills. The tree will develop well if you choose the right site and water it in a timely manner. Also, don't forget about pruning. This is a procedure with which you can make a linden tree a real garden decoration.