Arolla pine, Swiss stone pine, Pinus cembra

The stone pine (Pinus cembra) can be recognized by its characteristic growth, which makes it a highlight in your green oasis. The easy-care conifer is easy to cultivate and can be used for a variety of garden concepts. Since it can be beneficial to health, especially in terms of improving sleep quality, it is used in the furniture industry. A variety of pine furniture such as beds and bedroom cupboards can be found at beds.de. The essential oils found in pine wood are said to have a calming effect and can promote breathing, which can contribute to deeper and more restful sleep.

Location

When choosing a location for the Swiss stone pine, make sure that it has enough space. Ideally, it grows as a solitary plant with a sufficient distance of at least five meters from other trees and building structures. A full sun location is recommended as it does not tolerate shade. Half-shady spots are only suitable for short periods. Furthermore, the location of the conifer (Coniferales) should be cool and airy. She doesn't like it warm and stuffy.

Plant

If you want to plant out your stone pine, the period from the beginning of October to mid-April is ideal. It is important that the ground is not frozen so that it can establish itself immediately. Then dig a planting hole twice the size of the root ball. The Bottom is covered with a layer of gravel equipped to improve permeability. Since stone pines are not demanding, conventional garden soil is perfectly adequate for planting. Depending on your needs, you can add quartz sand and lime to improve the soil quality.

substrate

If you decide to keep a stone pine in tubs, you will have to reckon with a higher level of maintenance and provide a suitable substrate. Since it is not demanding on the quality of the substrate, it is sufficient if you mix garden soil with a part of quartz sand and some lime. This provides sufficient permeability, which Swiss stone pines depend on. The substrate itself does not need to be mulched or enriched with humus.

repot

The stone pine is repotted every two to five years, depending on age, in the spring up to the ice saints. It is important that you choose a pot that is slightly larger than the previous one so that the Pinus cembra can develop. When repotting, proceed as follows:

• choose a new pot with a drainage hole
• Equip the bottom with a 2 cm drainage layer
• Gravel or lava chips are suitable
• fill in some substrate
• Remove Swiss stone pine from old pot
• remove dead or dried roots
• put in new bucket
• fill up with soil
• press carefully
• Use conifer fertilizer

Don't be surprised if you find a mushroom mycelium on the roots. Arolla pines often form a symbiosis with mushrooms, which are important for vitality. As long as the conifers are not wet, the fungus is not a problem. Part of the mycelium is also repotted.

Pour

Planted stone pines do not need to be watered. They can easily withstand even longer periods of drought. Young specimens require less watering when it is very hot in the summertime. If you are cultivating a potted specimen, you will need to water regularly. Check the substrate with the thumb test. If the soil is dry, water thoroughly. However, do not put the Swiss stone pine under water, as they do not tolerate waterlogging very well.

Fertilize

Stone pines are just as undemanding when it comes to fertilizing as they are when watering. If necessary, trees that have been planted out can be mulched with horn shavings in the spring. Alternatively, you can use mature compost. Tub larvae are fertilized every two weeks from mid-March to mid-August. Ideally, you should use liquid conifer fertilizer for this. Give this sparingly as the trees do not need as much nutrients.

Cut

A big advantage of the stone pine is the low cutting effort. Like many other species of pine, it only needs minor pruning. Pruning is not really recommended for the stone pine, as it would otherwise take too long to maintain its characteristic growth habit. Although it tolerates pruning well, excessive pruning has a negative effect on natural growth. In the worst case, there are clear branches that no longer resemble the upright pyramid. Pruning measures are only advisable in May after the ice saints when the branches and shoots are injured, diseased or withered. The following points must be observed:

• Remove branches completely
• Put the scissors directly on the trunk
• Wound sealant not necessary
• derive smaller shoots
• never cut old wood
• prevents new shoots at the interface

Potted specimens need to be trimmed regularly to keep them from getting too big. Here it is enough to remove young shoots in the spring. If you prefer pyramid growth, try to keep the shape as much as possible.

A notice: You can also use stone pine as the basis for an outdoor bonsai. The good cut compatibility is ideal for this if you are not striving for the natural growth habit.

hibernate

Since the stone pine is an absolutely winter-proof conifer, it does not need winter protection. Even young specimens do not need to be protected from the cold, as they can withstand temperatures as low as -40°C. Just make sure that young trees are not permanently covered with a thick layer of snow, as this increases susceptibility to disease and negatively affects growth. If you cultivate the Swiss stone pine in a pot, you must wrap it in bubble wrap. This will prevent the substrate from drying out. Nevertheless, you should check the substrate on frost-free days and water the pine trees carefully. In this way, dry damage can be prevented.

A notice: Do not overwinter the Swiss stone pine cultivated in pots in the greenhouse, basement or conservatory. They are not suitable for this and permanent damage can result.

multiply

In order to propagate the "Queen of the Alps", you need Swiss stone pine seeds. If you don't have a stone pine in your garden or nearby to get the cones, you can order the seeds from specialist retailers or online. Depending on the provider, you have to reckon with three to five euros per package. Once you have the seeds on hand, you need to stratify them. Without the cold treatment, the seeds will not open. The stratification proceeds as follows:

• Fill foil bag with sand
• add seeds
• mix well
• Slightly moisten the mixture
• put in the vegetable drawer
• Do not close bag

Now wait four to six weeks. Moisten the mixture in the foil bag weekly so that it does not dry out. The germination inhibition of the stone pine seeds is lifted during the waiting period, which increases the success of the sowing. A good time for this is mid or late winter. After stratification, strain the mixture to get the seeds. Luckily, their size makes them easy to pick out. The sowing as follows:

• one seed pot per seed
• Fill the container with potting soil
• moisten well
• Place seeds on substrate
• Lightly press
• Spread 3 cm of potting soil on seeds (dark germs)
• cover with foil
• alternatively place in a mini greenhouse
• Keep substrate moist
• air daily

Once the seedlings are two to four inches tall, they can be acclimated to either a suitable outdoor spot or a window spot. It is only important that they are not exposed to direct midday sun or snow. The young plants do not tolerate this yet. The young plants can be planted out after about three to four years. Until then, cultivate the small conifer in the pot.

A notice: Alternatively, you can sow the seeds directly in a suitable spot in your garden in late October or early November. With this method, the seed is stratified and, with a bit of luck, will germinate in the spring.

pests

The stone pine is a fairly resilient plant and is hardly attacked by pests. The reason for this is the contained pinosylvin, which is responsible for the characteristic smell of the resin. There are primarily two beetles that cause damage to the stone pine if an infestation occurs:

• Gray larch moth (Zeiraphera griseana)
• European pine weevil (Pissodes pini)

Both beetles are secondary pests. This means that they only infest the stone pines when the actual source of food is no longer available. These are larches (Larix), which are often found together with stone pines in mixed alpine forests. For this reason, it helps if you don't have any larches in the area that could migrate to your stone pine. An infestation usually does not lead to problems for the trees.

bite

Significantly worse pests for stone pines are roe deer and deer if you live in the immediate vicinity of a piece of forest. Deer browsing and sweeping damage are a big problem for young stone pines, as they can lead to long-term damage and growth disorders. To contain the damage, the following are available protection methods at:

• Game protection fence or thorn hedge (at least 200 cm high)
• tree guard
• tree shelters
• Spray pine with blood meal (deterrent)
• free-roaming dog in the garden

Diseases

The only significant disease affecting the stone pine is caused by the Swiss stone pine fungus (Phacidium infestans). It mainly attacks young Swiss stone pine specimens, as these are not yet as resistant as adult trees. The Swiss stone pine fungus can be recognized by the following symptoms:

• Needles discolored reddish brown
• weaken
• turn gray in summer
• die off
• dark fruit bodies recognizable on needles
• form spores in late summer

The symptoms are only noticeable in the spring when the snow melts. The trigger for this is the fungus, which only attacks the branches and needles if they are permanently covered with snow. The stone pine snow fungus can only be combated with the following measures:

• Plant Swiss stone pine as a solitaire
• optionally with sufficient distance
• Clear snow cover regularly in winter
• remove affected shoots
• do not dispose of in the compost
• protects against further fungal spread

frequently asked Questions