Alder breeding. Alder is a valuable and healing plant. landscape use
A deciduous tree or shrub belonging to the birch family, with entire leaves of a rounded, serrated or serrated-lobed shape. Both genders of flowers develop on the same shoot: male - earrings, female - spikelets located in the upper part of the crown. The fruits of the tree are small nuts, slightly flattened, bordered by narrow wings.
A rather moisture-loving plant, which often grows along the banks of rivers. Alder belongs to the species that improves the composition of the soil, grows rapidly, and in the fall retains green foliage for a long time. In places where wild alder grows, there are underground waters. And, besides that, they scare away the bear with it, sticking branches into the ground, in those places where the pest is seen. The bark is an unusual gray-green color.
Alder is planted with seeds, cuttings and shoots.
Different types of alder treat soils differently. For example, black alder prefers wet soils with stagnant water, and it also grows well in fresh, moist soils. It does not tolerate dry soils well: it grows slowly and dries quickly. Alder can grow well in humid climates and dry soils, as well as sandy ones.
A light-loving plant, moreover, black alder is more demanding of light.
Materials on Alder
In this section you will find posts on the care, cultivation, watering, reproduction Alder. Community users share tips and secrets among themselves. A huge number of photos.
The purpose of our project is the exchange of experience so that each project participant can learn how to care for a plant at home. .
Alder is a widespread deciduous tree or shrub from the Birch family. The largest population is concentrated in the temperate climate zone of the Northern Hemisphere. Individual species are also found in South America and Asia. Alder grows in mixed deciduous forests on moist, well-fertilized soils. Prefers neighborhood with oak and beech. The scientific name of the plant "Alnus" is translated - "by the shore". It is not surprising that most plants are found on the banks of fresh water bodies and rivers. The people also call the tree “Valkhal”, “Forester”, “Olekh”, “Yelshina”. Alder is famous for its wood and medicinal properties. It looks great on the site, used in traditional medicine and woodworking industry.
plant description
Alder is a perennial deciduous shrub or tree with a developed but superficial rhizome. Because of this, large varieties are often blown by the wind. Over time, small swellings form on the roots, filled with nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Processing nitrogen from the atmosphere, alder very effectively saturates and enriches the soil with it. The shoots have a rounded section and are covered with a smooth grayish-brown bark. In places where new branches appear, horizontal wrinkles form. Triangular or heart-shaped lenticels are noticeable on the bark of young shoots.
Alder leaves are oval or obovate, with a wide, rounded end and serrated or wavy edges. The leaf surface is smooth, wrinkled between the veins. The foliage grows alternately on short petioles. Stipules fall early.
At the end of spring, same-sex flowers bloom on the alder. Stamens are concentrated at the ends of young shoots in long flexible inflorescences (catkins). They are red-brown or yellow-brown in color. Catkins with pistillate flowers are shorter and denser spikes at the bottom of the shoot. Flowering begins with the blooming of the leaves.
Pollination occurs with the help of wind. After it, fruits ripen - miniature cones with woody scales. Ripening is completed by mid-autumn. Inside each nut there is a single nut with wings (rarely without them). The valves of a mature cone open and the seeds spill out. The release process may be delayed until spring. The wind carries the seeds over fairly long distances, and spring streams complete the migration process for many kilometers from the mother plant.
Alder species
Today, 29 species of plants are assigned to the alder genus. However, scientists cannot yet come to a consensus, since the plant itself is prone to modification and hybridization, so some of the species are classified as hybrid varieties others.
The plant lives in the temperate climate of Western Asia, North Africa and throughout Europe. It is a tree up to 35 m in height, often with several trunks up to 90 cm in diameter. The branches perpendicular to the trunk form a dense pyramidal crown with a diameter of about 12 m. The maximum growth rate is reached at the age of 5-10 years. The life cycle is 80-100 years. Single specimens live up to 3 centuries. The developed rhizome is located in the upper layers of the soil and is covered with nodules. The leaves are almost round in shape with pinnate venation. Their length is 6-9 cm, and their width is 6-7 cm. In early spring, 4-7 cm long earrings bloom at the ends of the branches. They have a yellowish-brown color. Pistillate catkins are almost black, they grow on an elongated flexible stem and are 1.2-2 cm long and up to 1 cm wide. The fruits do not exceed 3 mm in length. In autumn, their flattened notched surface becomes wrinkled, reddish-brown.
very decorative and beautiful tree up to 20 m in height. Its trunk and branches are covered with almost smooth light gray bark, and young sprouts are dark red. At first, the green growth is densely pubescent, and then becomes bare. The ovate dark green leaves have a pointed edge and serrated sides. On the reverse side, the leaf plate is covered with reddish villi. Staminate inflorescences cast red-brown. Egg-shaped cones grow up to 15-25 mm in length.
An unpretentious spreading shrub or tree up to 20 m in height has a narrow ovoid crown. The cylindrical curved trunk reaches a width of 50 cm. Longitudinal outgrowths and depressions are clearly visible on it. The variety at an early age grows very quickly. The rhizome is located at a depth of up to 20 cm. The bark is dark gray, not sticky. The oval or lanceolate leaves have a smooth leathery surface above, and are densely covered with a silvery pile on the back. Their length is 4-10 cm, and their width is 3-7 cm. Flowering occurs in early spring, before the leaves bloom.
Alder wood
Alder is actively used in the woodworking and furniture industries. And although the wood of the plant is not distinguished by its high density and strength, it is popular for its lightness, resistance to decay and water. At a low cost, wood is quite light. It behaves well when dried (does not warp or crack). The advantage is the uniform color of the heartwood and sapwood.
Alder is used to make parts for wells, ships, interior decoration premises. It is with her that woodcarvers love to work. Thread spools and other small items are also made from this tree.
Alder firewood burns without excess soot and exudes a pleasant smell. This is best material bath or cooking.
Reproduction methods
Alder is propagated by seeds, cuttings and basal shoots. The most common is the seed method and especially self-sowing. By autumn, ripe cones begin to open and release seeds. During November-March, they fall into the ground and undergo natural stratification. After that, during the period of snow melting, the seeds are saturated with moisture and hatch. When planting, the seeds are embedded in the melted soil to a depth of 2.5-3 cm. In the first year, only a small sprout is formed and a rhizome develops. Gradually, the seedlings become stronger and quickly turn into a lush bush or small tree. Every year it will add 50-100 cm in height.
Often young sprouts appear from the trunk. In just a year, their height can reach 1-1.5 m. In the spring, the offspring can be dug up and transplanted to a new place. It is recommended to save com old earth on the roots and do not let it dry out.
In spring and summer, cuttings 12-16 cm long are cut from young shoots. They are rooted immediately in open ground. The best survival rate is shown by plants treated with a root formation stimulator. Cuttings need to be watered regularly. By autumn, the plants will take root and become strong enough to overwinter without shelter.
Landing and care rules
Alder is very unpretentious to the location and composition of the soil. It grows well in partial shade and in the open sun, on gummed loams and poor sandy soils. Thanks to its ability to enrich the earth with nitrogen, the alder itself will create a nutrient layer for itself and other representatives of the flora. The exception is black alder, which can grow normally only on nutritious and moist soil. It is suitable for ennobling and strengthening coastal zone or beams where groundwater comes close to the surface.
For planting, it is recommended to use soil with a neutral or slightly alkaline reaction. Lime, humus and fertilizer ("Kemira") are preliminarily introduced into the ground. Planting is best done during the growing season. A layer of drainage material (sand, gravel) is laid out at the bottom of the landing pit. Then straighten the roots and fall asleep free space fertilized soil. The root neck should be flush with the surface. The earth is plentifully watered and tamped, and the surface is mulched with a layer of chopped straw, peat or wood chips.
Further care for the alder is practically not needed. In the year of planting, the plants must be watered more often, while avoiding stagnation of water in the upper layers of the soil. For better aeration of the roots, the earth is regularly loosened and weeds are removed. It is not necessary to wield the tool too deeply so as not to damage the roots.
Also in the first year, plants should be fed with compost or organic fertilizers. From next year, the need for this procedure will disappear.
On the eve of wintering, no special events need to be carried out, since alder is highly winter-hardy. She is not afraid of even harsh and snowless winters.
Medicinal properties
Alder can be called a useful and even healing plant, which has great benefits for human health. Cones, leaves, bark and roots contain tannins, flavonoids, minerals and vitamins. Alcoholic and aqueous infusions, as well as decoctions, are made from medicinal raw materials of black or gray alder. The drugs help with colds, bronchitis, irritations and ulcers on the skin, inflammation of the mucous membranes, bleeding. Alder has anti-inflammatory, astringent, hemostatic, expectorant effects.
A decoction of cones is drunk for colitis, dysentery, diarrhea, bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract, nose and mouth. They rinse their mouth with stomatitis and periodontitis. Root tinctures are recommended for women to normalize reproductive function and the menstrual cycle, to combat inflammation of the genital organs.
Usually, alder preparations have no contraindications, with the exception of an allergic reaction. However, everything needs a measure, it is not recommended to abuse and exceed the recommended dosages, since certain components tend to accumulate in the body.
landscape use
The oval, openwork crown of an alder with moving branches and fluttering leaves looks very lively. Plants do not suffer from urban air pollution, so they can be planted along the road. As a hedge, low trees or lush shrubs up to 3 m high are usually used. They are planted in a tape way rather densely and regularly shaped.
Large single-trunk trees are used in single plantings or in groups on large area. They are planted along paths and alleys. Also, alder can be used in compositions of shrubs and trees, combining plants with different colors and structures of foliage.
A deciduous tree or shrub belonging to the birch family, with entire leaves of a rounded, serrated or serrated-lobed shape. Both genders of flowers develop on the same shoot: male - earrings, female - spikelets located in the upper part of the crown. The fruits of the tree are small nuts, slightly flattened, bordered by narrow wings.
A rather moisture-loving plant, which often grows along the banks of rivers. Alder belongs to the species that improves the composition of the soil, grows rapidly, and in the fall retains green foliage for a long time. In places where wild alder grows, there are underground waters. And, besides that, they scare away the bear with it, sticking branches into the ground, in those places where the pest is seen. The bark is an unusual gray-green color.
Alder is planted with seeds, cuttings and shoots.
Different types of alder treat soils differently. For example, black alder prefers wet soils with stagnant water, and it also grows well in fresh, moist soils. It does not tolerate dry soils well: it grows slowly and dries quickly. Alder can grow well in humid climates and dry soils, as well as sandy ones.
A light-loving plant, moreover, black alder is more demanding of light.
Materials on Alder
In this section you will find posts on the care, cultivation, watering, reproduction Alder. Community users share tips and secrets among themselves. A huge number of photos.
The purpose of our project is the exchange of experience so that each project participant can learn how to care for a plant at home. .
Alder black, or sticky(Alnus glutinosa) is a frost-resistant and fast-growing deciduous tree that, in favorable conditions, lives up to 300 years and grows up to 35 meters. Black alder begins to bloom at the age of 10.
Black alder does not tolerate calcareous soils, likes moist fertile soil and grows well in a sunny or slightly shaded place. Alder feels especially good near water bodies, in wet areas. Alder belongs to plants that improve the soil: nodules are formed on its roots with microorganisms that absorb nitrogen from the air.
Black alder is used for medicinal purposes (decoctions of cones and bark, infusion of fresh leaves have bactericidal, astringent and hemostatic properties, help with gastrointestinal diseases); its beautiful pink wood is easy to work with. Alder is also good for decorating the garden - its foliage remains green until late autumn. Varieties of alder with decorative pale yellow leaves have been bred. Alder is also used to protect the garden from cold winds (as a backstage or hedge).
Alder is propagated by cuttings (in autumn in open ground), as well as by sowing seeds.
Alder blooms in March-April (even before the leaves appear), throwing out catkins; pollinated by the wind. Female flowers are combined into dark red spikelets, and then cone-shaped seedlings are formed from them. At first, alder cones are green, then they turn brown and ripen in autumn, but do not open until the end of winter and the beginning of spring. Therefore, ripe alder cones can be harvested for a very long period of time: from the moment of ripening until the moment the seeds fall out of the cones. Black alder seeds are small, flattened black nuts, equipped with two "antennae". To find out if the seeds are ripe, you need to rub the bump in your hand: ripe seeds will easily fall out of it.
A part of an alder branch with ripe cones is cut off and hung in a dry and warm place over a cloth. Warmth and dryness encourage buds to open and seeds to scatter. Then the alder branches with cones are additionally shaken over the cloth in order to remove the stuck seeds that did not fall out on their own. Dried and cleaned of debris alder seeds are recommended to be stored in a closed glass bottle for no more than 2 years.
Full-fledged alder seeds have good germination without any stratification. Black alder seeds are recommended to be sown less frequently (no closer than 5 mm apart) to provide seedlings with good conditions on the initial stage growth. Alder plantings should be regularly and well moistened, but water should not be allowed to stagnate in them.
Gray alder is unfairly considered by many foresters to be a weedy tree, a waste tree, a tree that needs to be tormented rather than planted. This opinion is associated with low commodity value alder wood: it is too small, crooked and of little use. But gray alder, due to its ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen (with the help of bacteria living in nodules on its roots), is able to grow on the most depleted and degraded soils, gradually restoring the fertility of these soils. Alder is a very fast growing and hardy tree, so it is quite suitable for the cultivation of new forests (especially for use as an admixture with plantings of other trees).
Growing gray alder is practically no different from growing birch. Alder seeds do not need cold treatment: they sprout well without it. Another difference is due to the fact that alder cones do not crumble when collecting seeds, like birch catkins, and therefore the seeds are clean, without impurities. Sowing alder seeds in rows should be carried out in such a way that there are 200–500 seeds per 1 m of the bed length (i.e., seeds are located on average every 2–5 mm).
It should be noted that black alder, also widespread in the European part of Russia, differs significantly from gray alder in terms of growing conditions. This is a tree that is much more demanding on the richness and moisture of the soil, which requires very frequent watering and less frequent sowing when grown in nurseries. According to the requirements for permanent planting sites, black alder also differs significantly - it does not grow well on poor and depleted soils with poor moisture and is suitable for planting mainly on rich and wet soils along river banks. Black alder is more capricious and can hardly be recommended for cultivation in amateur forest nurseries.
What could be more trivial than an alder? Most of us perceive it as an ordinary plant, hardly able to decorate the site. However, its golden and cut-leaved forms are decorative and unpretentious: they are resistant to bad weather, pests and diseases.
Alder gray "Laciniata"has been present for a long time, often under other names (‘ Acutiloba', 'Pinnatifida’), but they are actually the same form. In our climate, the plant grows up to 5-6 meters, which allows it to be used on plots small size. This tree looks especially impressive up close, when strongly dissected dark green leaves are clearly visible.
And if you want to admire the openwork alder from a distance, it is better to plant black alder ‘Imperialis'. It's funny, but some catalogs present it as a novelty, although it has been in culture since the end of the 19th century. Even more dissected than gray alder "Laciniata"", the leaves make her crown unusually openwork. She looks amazing in the sun - consider this when choosing a landing site. Young multi-stemmed specimens or bouquet planting black alder ‘Imperialis’' resemble bamboo, which can be used in gardens of the appropriate style. True, you will have to limit their size by regular landing on a stump, which means that only own-rooted specimens are suitable for these purposes.
If the openwork of dissected-leaved forms of alder does not appeal to you, pay attention to cultivars with yellow leaves. They are like gray alder, so do black, and in both cases are called " Aurea". Their leaves have a rather pleasant color - not lemon, like many other yellow-leaved ones, but a fresh yellow-green shade. Plants do not exceed 3-5 m in height, which is also a plus for small areas. In addition, yellow-leaved forms are bright yellowish-orange young shoots sprouting and orange-red catkins emerging in early spring before the leaves open.
Recently appeared on sale weeping form of gray alder "Pendula". Her drooping branches form a much more natural silhouette - unlike many other weeping forms, which often seem artificial.
All alders grow rather quickly and, alas, that is why they are short-lived. However, the period allotted to them is quite comparable with the duration of human life.
Shade-tolerant.
It is not particularly demanding on soils, but prefers moist loams, tolerates light waterlogging.
It is of great soil and water conservation importance.
Alder is quite difficult to breed. Its seeds do not require stratification, but they must be fresh, as they quickly lose their germination capacity or go dormant. If the seeds are too dry, stratification is required, variable temperatures work well. Before sowing, fresh alder seeds must be soaked for 2-3 days, washing and changing the water. Soaking must be combined with disinfecting treatments with potassium permanganate, hydrogen peroxide, zircon, etc. After that, the seeds are dried for twenty minutes until crumbly and sown superficially, on a breathing fertile substrate, and covered with a film. Spraying maintains moisture.
When shoots appear, you must either remove the film, or immediately dive the shoots into a separate container or in cups, since the high humidity required by the seeds will destroy the shoots. If the film is removed, the seeds will dry out and will not sprout. It is possible to sow several seeds at once in separate cups, but seed germination is low and this may be too labor-intensive. The most difficult thing is to save seedlings. Excess moisture with insufficient loose soil leads to root rot, a little more dryness - and the seedlings die too. The composition of the soil - breathable, light, moderately moisture-intensive and fertile - is the main thing to take care of when growing alder from seeds. If it is possible to disinfect the soil, this should not be neglected either.
Alder hairy
Alnus hirsuta (Spach) Turcz. ex Rupr.
Stable in the Altai Territory view, beautiful and frost-resistant. Sowing is standard according to the scheme described above.
PK384 Hairy alder - sprouting. 
PK384 The first true leaf of the fluffy alder.
In the second summer, hairy alder seedlings differed in size, but in general it can be considered that it grows quite quickly. In some specimens, shoots of two orders appeared during one summer:
PK384 Hairy alder for the second year Alder gray wrinkled
Alnus incana ssp. rugosa
According to Z. I. Archer, it is winter-hardy, but requires a snowy place of growth and is afraid of winter desiccation. Suitable for planting in wet areas.
The seeds of wrinkled alder, sown according to the above scheme, sprouted only in the second year, the whole year from sowing to germination, the box with crops was moistened, in winter it was in the cold. Germination was low.
The appearance of the first shoots:
PK244 Alder wrinkled - the first shoots hatch In order not to remove the film and give other seeds a chance to sprout, I plant seedlings in separate cups:
PK244 The wrinkled alder is picked into a separate cup. First true leaves:
PK244 Seedlings of wrinkled alder Alder black
Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn.
Z. I. Luchnik describes the behavior of black alder in the conditions of the Altai Territory as follows: "The winter hardiness of black alder is lower than that of many other species of this genus. In years with sharp fluctuations in temperature at the beginning of winter, its wood froze and burns appeared on some trunks, especially the most illuminated. ...... On rich and moist soils of low mountains, alder black alder developed very well, only slightly inferior in growth rate to gray alder and some fast-growing birches (Manchurian and paper). decorative look. .... How decorative tree black alder can be used in favorable places in the low-mountain zone of Altai for park groups, under the protection of local species.
Seedlings were obtained according to the basic scheme, picked out in cups:
PK13 Black alder in a separate bag On the second summer it looked like this:
PK13 Black alder for the second summer Alder does not please the eye with bright beauty, it is not planted in parks and front gardens, it is not mentioned in poems and songs. This is a constant headache for land reclamators, electricians, road services. With incredible speed, it fills roadsides, drainage ditches, clearings of power lines. But is it really that simple and useless?
WHERE THE FOREST DOES NOT GROW
The most common type of alder in our country is gray alder. It has a thin trunk covered with smooth gray bark. Oval, slightly serrated leaves of a dull green color by autumn do not bloom with bright colors, but fade and turn brown.
Often you can find the definition of alder as a weed tree. But is it? Does alder really take away a place from more valuable species? Not at all. Alder usually settles where no decent tree is able to grow: on lean clay and peaty soils, acidic, flooded by groundwater. Often alder grows in ditches, lowlands, in flooded river floodplains.
In other years, the bases of the trunks are constantly under water - and nothing, the trees do not get sick and do not get sick, but continue to grow! In more favorable places, alder is quickly replaced by birch, aspen, and spruce. On dry sandy soils, it practically does not grow at all, leaving the territory to pines.
So, if alder has settled on your site, this is a signal for the immediate start of work on diverting ground water and improve soil composition.
ALDER - THE GENIUS OF ADAPTABILITY
What allows alder to successfully live in such unfavorable conditions? The main secret- in the features of its root system, which can easily tolerate waterlogging. Like legumes, it enters into a symbiosis with nitrogen-fixing bacteria that provide it with additional nutrition. The roots hold together and drain the marshy soil, gradually making it more suitable for other plants to grow. Alder perfectly strengthens the banks of rivers, the edges of marshes, the slopes of ravines. Unlike willow, she willingly puts up with a lack of light.
In the first years, a young alder grows a huge amount of green leaf mass, which, after falling off, quickly rots and, along with root bacteria, enriches the earth with nutrients. Arborists know that after clearing a mature alder forest, more “noble” trees can grow in its place.
RENEWABLE RESOURCE
Gray alder is one of the fastest growing northern trees. At the age of 10 years, its trunk reaches 15-20 cm in thickness and 5-7 m in length. However, gray alder usually does not grow into a large timber tree. Even if the trunk is strongly extended in length, it is usually uneven and thin. Wood has no special value as a constructive and ornamental material and is mainly used for firewood.
It is not difficult to harvest them: the wood is easily sawn and pricked, there are no large branches. Usually, local authorities allow the population to cut alder along the edges of roads and fields as a sanitary measure. The alder is restored quickly, often entire villages are heated by the surrounding thickets for decades, without encroaching on a more valuable forest. Young trunks are willingly used as poles, props, stakes.
Despite its low cost, alder firewood is an excellent fuel. In terms of calorific value, they are only slightly inferior to birch ones, but, unlike them, they do not emit soot and tar during combustion, which clog chimneys. Recently, many northern countries are paying attention to alder as a rapidly renewable source of fossil fuel. Modern technologies The production of fuel cells makes it possible to use not only the trunk, but also the entire biomass: branches, branches, leaves.
ALDER NOT ONLY FOR FIREWOOD - ABOUT THE BENEFITS
Alder foliage contains a lot of nitrogen and minerals and is practically not affected by fungal diseases. Therefore, alder litter is an excellent raw material for compost, devices warm beds. You can also use it as mulch.
In winter, small black cones with seeds are clearly visible on the bare branches of alder. They have been used in medicine since ancient times as a remedy for diarrhea, both caused by intestinal dysfunction and bacterial infections. Leaves and bark also have a bactericidal effect, although weaker than, for example, willow bark.
Alder sap in the air acquires a brick-brown color, so the young bark in the old days was used as a natural dye for leather and fabric. By the way, if you work with a fresh tree with your bare hands, then your palms can also turn brown.