Plant and care for winter linden

Plant winter linden properly

Spring or autumn is the time for planting Winter linden. Loosen the soil deeply to remove stones, roots and weeds. Dig out a spacious planting pit with twice the volume of the root ball. Put the excavation in a wheelbarrowto make him compost and Horn shavings(€ 32.93 at Amazon *) to mix. Place the young tree in the middle of the hole and open the ball of the towel. With a helping hand holding the trunk in place, drive a support stake into the ground without damaging the roots. Now fill the cavities with the enriched substrate so that at the end of the root ball is flush with the surface of the earth. Now connect the trunk and the support post with a rope in eight-shaped loops. Under no circumstances should the material cut into the young tissue. Before you water the tree, make a small watering edge. Plant pruning is not required on stone linden trees.

Care tips

The care program for a winter linden tree is easy to manage without extensive horticultural experience. The following brief overview conveys all important aspects:

• Water a young tree regularly when the soil is dry
• Only water adult specimens in summer drought; Penetrating 1-2 times a week
• In the first 2-3 years in March / April give a start fertilization with compost and horn shavings
• Pruning and thinning during the deciduous period between November and March

The tree does not need winter protection because it is completely frost-hardy. Since this winter hardiness only develops gradually, cover the root disc thickly with leaves and brushwood in the year of planting. In the following years, leave the fallen leaves lying around as natural winter protection, which at the same time releases valuable nutrients to the roots.

Which location is suitable?

The winter linden finds excellent living conditions in a sunny to partially shaded location. The powerful heart root system spreads optimally in well-drained, nutrient-rich and humus soil. A sandy-loamy, fresh and not too moist structure meets the wishes of the generation tree in the best possible way.
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The correct planting distance

In order to properly measure the planting distance of a winter linden tree, various aspects are relevant. The distance to buildings ideally corresponds to the expected height. If a limitation of the height by means of regular cutting measures is planned, this desired value applies as the basis. Otherwise we recommend a distance of 15-25 meters. In a spacious garden or park, half the growth width has proven to be a suitable plant spacing. For this type of tree, a distance of 5 to 8 meters in each direction applies. The appropriate distance to the neighbor is determined by the neighborhood law, which is regulated separately in each federal state. Ask the building or public order office about the regional regulations.

What soil does the plant need?

The winter linden tree prefers a soil that is not too moist and well drained. A high content of nutrients is beneficial for vitality and abundance of flowers. So keep an eye out for a place with sandy-loamy and loose-humic soil. A weakly acidic to slightly alkaline pH value of 6.5 to 8 is desirable; does not, however, represent a mandatory requirement for the nature of the soil.

When is the flowering time?

Anyone who has such a long tree life ahead of them takes their business leisurely. This applies not least to the flowering period. It takes 10 to 20 years before a winter linden tree presents itself for the first time in its yellowish-white flower dress. This test of patience is nevertheless rewarded with a summer flowering period from June to July, when other trees have long withered. In addition, the countless umbel-like flowers give off a wonderful honey scent, much to the delight of bees. Bumblebees and butterflies.
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Cut winter linden properly

Their cut tolerance is legendary. A winter linden tree accepts a radical cut back into the old wood without complaint. How to cut the tree with expertise:

• Choose a date between November and March, on an overcast, frost-free day
• Cut back branches that are too long, each cut being made just above an outwardly directed leaf knot
• Then thin out the crown thoroughly by adding deadwood to it Astring is cut off
• Also remove diseased, rubbing and inward-facing branches

Thick branches saw In the first step, start about 10 cm from the trunk from above, and then cut it off completely from below. To remove the remaining stub, do not cut into the trunk bark, but leave a small collar.

Watering the winter linden tree

Freshly planted winter linden trees are thirsty companions. Therefore, water a young tree regularly and thoroughly. The water requirement decreases with increasing age. Once the heart root system has established itself, ideally water it during a hot summer spell. Otherwise the splendid tree is satisfied with the natural rainfall.

Fertilize winter linden properly

In the first 2-3 years of standing, the young tree is grateful for a little organic power nutrition at the start of the growing season. Do compost and work in March / April Horn shavings(€ 32.93 at Amazon *) with the rake superficially into the soil of the root disc. Then pour generously. An adult winter linden then procures its nutrients on its own by means of its powerful roots.

Pests

Unfortunately, one of the most resilient pests is also targeting the winter linden tree. It is the Frost wrench, a brown, yellow speckled butterfly with a wingspan of up to 38 mm. It is not the adult moths that damage the tree. Rather, their larvae hatch in spring and feast on the tender leaves and flowers. An unmistakable symptom - in addition to the feeding marks - are the fine webs with which the brood binds leaves and flowers. Take action against the pests with Neudorff caterpillars, spruzite or Niemsamen. In addition, wrap rings of glue around the trunk and support pole.

Overwinter

The winter linden tree sheds its leaves in late autumn and gets through the cold season unscathed. Special precautions for winter storage are therefore not required. In the year of planting, the frost hardiness has not yet fully developed. We therefore recommend covering the root disc on a young tree with a thick layer of autumn leaves and brushwood.

Propagate winter linden

Generative propagation by means of sowing, proves to be time-consuming and delicate for Steinlinden. Since not every nut fruit actually contains seeds, the germination rate is at a low level. In addition, it requires additional measures to break the germ inhibition of the hard-shell cold germs. File the seed coat a little and place the seeds in a bag with moist sand for 6-8 weeks in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator. Then sow the seeds in small pots with poor substrate. On the other hand, breeding with the help of cuttings is much less complicated. To do this, cut non-blooming head cuttings in summer. These are defoliated in the lower half and either stuck directly into the ground or in a pot with Potting soil fed up for a few months.

How do I transplant properly?

In the first 5 years of standing, a change of location for the winter linden tree is possible without any problems. The tree initially develops a shallow root system in order to penetrate into the deeper soil later. In spring prick the root disc all around with the spade from, whereby the diameter is about two thirds of the current growth height. Fill in the resulting furrow with looser Humus soil and water regularly throughout the summer. By autumn numerous new fine roots had formed at the root ends, so that you can now lift the root ball out of the earth. At the new location, keep the previous planting depth as possible.

Is winter linden poisonous?

The winter linden is not poisonous. The tree poses no health risk to humans or animals. Instead, we owe the wonderfully fragrant flowers to the aromatic linden blossom honey. Prepared as a tea, the flowers alleviate colds, whereby an agonizing urge to cough is explicitly alleviated.

Winter linden does not bloom

In the first 10 to 20 years we have to be patient, because the winter linden tree very rarely puts on its flower dress beforehand. If the tree still does not bloom, there is a high probability that there is competition for roots from older trees. These remove nutrients and water from the soil, so that the stone linden tree has to be content with the scanty rest. In this case, water regularly and administer a mineral-organic Slow release fertilizer in March / April and June.

What is the difference between summer linden and winter linden?

For hobby gardeners there are two obvious differences between the two tree species. Summer linden trees reach a height of up to 40 meters, which is significantly higher than winter linden trees, which stretch a maximum of 25 meters towards the sky. Furthermore, the heart-shaped leaves of a summer linden tree with a length of 10-18 cm are noticeably larger than the winter linden leaves that are 6-12 cm smaller.
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Trivia

The winter linden is considered a mythical symbol of love not only thanks to its heart-shaped crown. In addition, the tree symbolizes hospitality in its most beautiful form. So it is hardly surprising that the most common name of inns is 'Zur Linde'. In addition, countless names of people, places and streets refer to the linden tree, such as the legendary boulevard in Berlin 'Unter den Linden'.