2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Black birch (lat.betula nigra) - a representative of the Birch genus of the Birch family. Another name is river birch. The homeland of the species in question is the United States of America. In nature, it occurs in wetlands, flood plains, river valleys and other places with damp sandy soils. It grows in union with poplars, willows and maples. Fast-growing, thermophilic short-lived species.
Characteristics of culture
Black birch is a deciduous tree up to 30 m high with an openwork egg-shaped crown. The bark is pink-brown, gray-brown or black-brown, thick-scaly, flaking in layers or curls. Young shoots are silvery-gray, smooth. The lateral branches are arcuate-deflected, the main ones are located at an acute angle. Leaves are dark green, alternate, short-petiolate, oval or ovate-rhombic, broadly wedge-shaped at the base, obtuse or sharp, serrated along the edge, up to 12 cm long. On the inside, grayish or gray-white, pubescent along the veins. In autumn, the foliage becomes dark yellow in color.
Inflorescences are oblong-cylindrical catkins, equipped with a stem, the length of which varies from 2.5 to 5 cm. Bracts are pubescent, scaly, with equal lobes of a linear-oblong shape. The fruit is a wide ovate winged nut, pubescent in the upper part. Currently, several cultivated varieties have been bred, differing in shade of wood and resistance to pests. They are often used for landscaping personal backyard plots.
Growing conditions
In nature, black birch grows on cool, moist substrates. Plants have a negative attitude even to short-term drought. On dry soils, trees develop slowly and are often affected by pests. Despite the fact that the culture is thermophilic, it denies the scorching sun, plants are best placed in semi-shaded areas where sunlight is present for most of the day. Planting culture from the northern or eastern side of architectural buildings is not prohibited. Since black birch reaches a rather impressive size, it is necessary to take into account the location of the electrical wires, otherwise they cannot be cut off during strong winds.
Soils for black birch should not be compacted, since the superficial root system on them feels defective. Slightly acidic, loose, moist, humus-rich soils are optimal for the culture. Heavy clay, strongly acidic or alkaline soils are not encouraged. The fact that black birch is a moisture-loving crop has been said more than once, this factor is considered one of the most important conditions for the successful cultivation of plants. But in comparison with other representatives of the genus, black birch is more tolerant of drought, however, only short-term. Without damage to health, trees will endure light flooding by melt water.
Seed propagation
Black birch, like all other species, propagates by seeds. In addition, it gives abundant self-seeding, so plants are able to capture new territories on their own. In the first few weeks, seedlings develop very slowly. They are vulnerable to lack of sunlight, watering, and weed shading. The area for sowing should be prepared carefully, removing all the rhizomes of unwanted vegetation.
Seeds do not need preliminary preparation when it comes to autumn sowing. When sowing birch seeds in black spring, stratification is necessary, it will increase the percentage of germination. This procedure lasts about 5-6 weeks at a temperature of 0 - + 5C. Before sowing, the seeds are dried to a loose state, and immediately sown. It is impossible to store wet seeds in room conditions, they will begin to germinate and die as a result.
Sowing can be carried out both in open ground under a shelter and in greenhouses. Seeds are sown in a row method, the distance between the lines should be at least 15-20 cm. Deep planting is prohibited. For a week, the crops are covered with plastic wrap or any other covering material. The soil is kept moist, a spray bottle is used for irrigation, an ordinary watering can can wash out crops.
If all conditions are met, seedlings appear in 2-2, 5 weeks. By autumn, the seedlings reach a height of 30-50 cm. For the winter, young plants are insulated with a thick layer of fallen leaves. The following spring, the plants dive into the schools. In schools, the distance between plants should be about 5-7 cm, between rows - 30-35 cm. In late summer or early autumn, mature seedlings are transplanted to a permanent place, underdeveloped specimens are left to grow.
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