Loss of needle as self-protection
The annual loss of needles is an important survival measure of the larch. Otherwise, the needles would cause this magnificent tree to literally die of thirst in winter. Different from others Conifer species their stomata are fully open even in winter and allow a lot of moisture to escape.
also read
- Larch - unusual conifer that loses its needles
- The blossom of the larch - a pink feast for the eyes
- Larch topiary - when a certain shape is necessary
While the moisture loss is easily compensated for in summer, the roots cannot absorb water in frozen earth. That is why it is an intelligent move by nature that the larch first removes the chlorophyll from its needles in autumn and then discards them completely.
Tips
Only put larch needles in small quantities on the compost heap, as they reduce the pH value significantly. Very few garden plants like it when they are fertilized with acidic compost.
New shoots in spring
The larch says goodbye every year of life with bare branches, while yellowed and dried up needles around the
Tree trunk lying on the floor. In the new year, however, it does not take long before the first tender shoots appear.- starts in warmer weather
- when the big frosts are over
- sometime between March and May
In the so-called mast years, when the larch is in bloom, the flower buds appear before the needles.
The appearance of the needles
Light green, dark green and yellow, this is the sequence of colors that the larch uses for its needles over the course of the year.
- rosette-like clusters on short shoots
- consisting of 20 to 40 needles
- occasionally needles on long shoots
- Needle length varies between 10 and 30 mm
- 0.5-0.8 mm narrow, flattened shape
- blunt and flexible
Use of the fresh needles
The green crown of the larch is not only a soothing and relaxing sight for our eyes, its needles can also pamper our palate:
- the needles are aromatic and edible
- especially the tender young shoots
- ideal picking time: March to May
- can be made into tea or syrup
- in small quantities also in smoothies
