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| Pinus mugo http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_Pine |
Introduction:
The Mugo Pine (Pinus mugo) also known as the Swiss Mountain Pine is a very popular
evergreen shrub used for landscaping (1). It is native to the mountains of
central and southern Europe (1). Some of the wild types can grow to be 80 feet
tall, but the most popular varieties are the dwarfs (1). However it is hard to
propagate vegetatively. Propagation by seed is the best known method even
though it can produce highly variable offspring. Two good cultivars known to be used for seed
propagation are the “Slowmound” and the “Mops” (1). The pine is a favorite
choice for home security. Because of its size and the sharpness of the needles
it is planted under windows to deter trespassers from breaking and entering (1).
Seed Propagation:
Propagation by seed is the primary way of regeneration for
most woody plants (2). It allows for the recombination of genetic material from
parents to offspring which results in variation, unlike cutting or clonal
propagation. A seed forms when pollen fertilizes the ovule of the plant. There
are three parts to a seed, the embryo, the seed coat, and the endosperm. The
embryo is the immature plant that remains dormant until the proper conditions
have been met (2). The seed coat is the hard outer covering that protects the
embryo and endosperm inside of it. And the endosperm is stored food for the
embryo that is rich in oil, fat, and protein (2). The seed of a pine like the
Mugo Pine is found within a cone that is the female structure of the plant.
Seeds stay dormant until conditions are optimal for growth. The key to seed
propagation is to create those perfect conditions for the seed. Certain seeds
need specific lengths of daylight, moisture, or they may need help breaking
through their seed coat in order to germinate. Depending on what you are
propagating you should have some knowledge of what the seeds need to overcome
dormancy.
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| Anatomy of a Seed http://biologyplantlife.wikispaces.com/Seed+Structure |
Propagating the Mugo Pine by Seed:
·
Step
1: Find a seed distributor that will sell the specific variety that you want.
Preferably dwarf cultivars that do not grow too slowly. Or if you already have
a tree collect seed from the pine cones of the tree. An easy way to do that is
to harvest the cones when they are ready, and shake, drop, or step on the cones
to dislodge the amount of seed you want to use (3).
·
Step
2: The seeds should be planted in the spring so that they have the whole
growing season to establish themselves before winter. However pine seeds need
to go through a process called stratification before they can germinate. This
means that the seeds need to be exposed to cold temperatures such as the frost
of winter in order to be stimulated into germination (3). You can either do
this by planting them outside earlier in like December or January which should
expose them to the proper temperatures depending on where you live. Or you can artificially
recreate the stratification by exposing the seeds to cold temperatures in a controlled
environment for a period of 1-3 months. Apparently if the seeds are soaked in
cold water for 6-12 hours before they are placed under cold temperatures this
may lessen the time it takes for stratification. Usually if you are purchasing
the seed online this process has already been done(4)
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| Potted Mugo Pine http://www.wabisabigardens.com/sculptedpine.html |
·
Step
3: Pot the seeds in whatever you want to use. Fill the containers with a well-drained
media of your choice. Placing more than one seed in a container is wise since
not all of the seeds are going to germinate. They should be placed just below
the surface, not too deep, and then completely covered by the media. (3)
·
Step
4: Water the media often but don’t soak the seeds completely, just keep it
moist. The key to this process is patience because the Mugo Pine is a slow
growing plant it may takes a month or so to see any changes with the seeds.
Another method is to germinate the seeds by covering them with a wet paper
towel and keep it constantly moist. This way you can see when the seeds
germinate and plant them in the media as soon as they do. (3)
·
Step
5: Keep watering the plants. As soon as the empty seed coat falls off of the
leaves the plant will be able to be planted outside. Each one should be put in
about a gallon sized container so that it has room to grow. Keep up with the
watering and if you take good care of the tree, it may be able to grow close to
a foot in length by the end of the first year. (3)
Other Methods of Propagation:
The only other method used to
propagate the Mugo Pine is by taking cuttings. However the success rate is very
low, it is not a very popular way to propagate the plant. To propagate the
plant by cutting, you would take a cut from an already grow Mugo Pine. Make
sure the cut is juvenile tissue, and then plant the cutting in a pot. Keep the
media moist until it can grow roots which will take a long time since the plant
grows very slowly. Rooting hormone is typically used to help cutting produce
roots. The cutting is dipped into the hormone which can be a powder or a liquid
before it is planted in the media to grow roots. Oregon State University did
trials with cuttings of the Mugo Pine. In these trials they tested the effects
of different rooting hormones. Usually rooting hormone aids in the process of a
cutting growing roots. However in this case it helped certain cuttings root, but
was very obviously harmful to the rooting of other cuttings. So depending upon
the plant variety you are taking cuttings from it may be a gamble to use
rooting hormone before planting the cutting. (5)
Works Cited:
(1) – "Iseli Nursery." Iseli
Nursery. N.p., 2000. Web. 14 Apr. 2013.
<http://www.iselinursery.com/index.php?option=com_content>.
(2) - "Seed." Wikipedia.
Wikimedia Foundation, 04 Feb. 2013. Web. 14 Apr. 2013.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seed>.
(3) - "Grow a Pine Tree from Seed." Grow
a Pine Tree from Seed. DesertMud, 2004. Web. 14 Apr. 2013.
<http://www.desertmud.com/articles_details/ArticleID/1>.
(4) - "Stratification (botany)." Wikipedia.
Wikimedia Foundation, 29 Mar. 2013. Web. 14 Apr. 2013.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratification_(botany)>.
(5) - Roberts, A. N., and F. W. Moeller.
"Propagation of Mugo Pine Successful." Oregon Ornamental and
Nursery Digest 12.1 (n.d.): 1-2. Print.
