One of the most amazing plants on our planet is plane tree, or oriental plane tree. This type of tree is one of the most ancient on our planet. The culture of plane trees dates back several millennia. The culture of spreading this tree began after the development of new territories by the Romans, Persians and Greeks. These peoples considered the plane tree to be one of the most beautiful plants of the East. Plantations of these trees, wild, formed huge groves and became an integral part of the landscape. Because of this, it is almost impossible to determine the original area of plucking the plane tree. There are no wild plane trees on the territory of our country.
Oriental plane tree: description
The tree is a favorite shade plant in the Balkan Peninsula, as well as in the countries of the Far and Middle East. The plane tree is planted near houses, temples, wells and springs.
Grappleyou can use this plant with your hands only if their span reaches 18 meters. The eastern plane tree has a greenish-gray bark, and the shape of its trunk is cylindrical. Palmately lobed leaves alternately on rather long cuttings. The fruits of the eastern plane tree - polynuts - winter, and in the spring they break up into separate nuts, which are carried by the wind over considerable distances. These trees are long-lived: they can live up to two thousand years.
The appearance of the tree
A photo of the oriental plane tree cannot convey all the splendor of this plant. Everything is decorative in it, from wedge-shaped leaves to golden-colored bark. The oriental plane tree is a handsome man, what else you need to look for. The plant is a favorite of many gardeners.
These long-lived ornamental plants grow in the Caucasus. Their height can reach 55-60 meters. Two thousand years is the approximate life span of a plane tree. These trees have a dense and wide crown and light green bark, which tends to exfoliate into large plates. Their foliage is truly decorative - about 10-20 cm wide.
Like the birch, the oriental plane tree is a fast growing tree. Young trees can rise up to two meters annually. They are very fond of deep moist soils and light. Plane trees are not afraid of frosts down to -15 degrees. The seeds of these plants must be stored in a dry and cool place. In this case, the germination of plane trees will last up to one year.
On hard soils, a tree is preferred to be planted in spring, but in autumn it is better to plant them on light soils. Before sowing nuts, they are soaked for a day. Half a meter is the ideal planting depth in light soils. 32-57% - the germination of plane tree fluctuates in this range in laboratory conditions, while on the ground it is about 9%.
Oriental plane tree VS maple
Since the leaves of the eastern plane tree are very similar to maple leaves, in the old days botanists called plane trees "eastern maple". And in Ukraine and Crimea, like maple, it was called sycamore. However, if you put a sheet of sycamore and maple next to each other, you will see that their width is not the same: for a plane tree - 2-5 centimeters, and for a maple - 5-6.
Chinar can safely be called a contemporary of dinosaurs: it is much older than maple.
The differences between these two plants are best seen when they are in bloom: there is a significant difference between their flowers.
In addition, the oriental plane tree stands out for its longevity and huge size. Its crown in diameter reaches 40 meters. Chinar is one of the largest trees on Earth.
The plant is very much appreciated in hot countries, as it gives life-saving coolness.
Plane tree in culture
The most ancient plane tree grows in Turkey. Its age is more than 2300 years, its height is 50 meters, the circumference of the trunk is 42 meters, and its diameter is 13.4 meters.
In Persian and Turkish, the oriental plane tree was called plane tree. Names were given to these mighty plants, legends were made about them. Oriental poets sang slender and elegant trees.
In the south of Europe, a large number of love signs and beliefs were associated with eastern plane trees.
It was considered a sacred tree in the Caucasus. In the countries of Islam, plane trees can be found on many mosaics in mosques, as well as on Iranian miniatures.
The plane tree was revered in Azerbaijan as well. To date, there are more than 1,000 long-lived plants in this country.
Greek mythology also considers the plane tree to be sacred. Elena, the ancient deity of vegetation and fertility, also possessed this tree.
The plane tree also left its mark on Christianity.
Irrigation
Readers are probably wondering how to take care of a giant. Well, even a child can take care of such a tree as an oriental plane tree.
The first thing to take care of is humidity. Eastern plane tree a priori needs watering. Rational watering of the plane tree will help you stand out from the background of other inhabitants of your garden.
Humidity and light are the main requirements in agricultural technology. The long-lived oriental plane tree is no exception.
Feeding
Oriental sycamore does not need to be fed as much as houseplants. It is needed only at the beginning of the tree's life. However, if the soil is fertile initially, then no fertilizer is required at all.
Wet substrates rich in mineral and organic elements are needed.
If you decide to feed an oriental plane tree that is slowly growing or sick, then you should initially determine whathe lacks. Any complex universal fertilizers are suitable for a he althy plant. The most important thing is not to overdo it. Follow instructions.
Landing
Eastern sycamore seeds have the ability to germinate even after a long time: 6-12 months. The most important thing is to save them correctly. Seeds need a dry and cool place. Landing is carried out in accordance with the instructions. In the spring they are planted in heavy soils, but in the fall they can be planted in light soils. Remember to soak the seeds in water before planting.
Further transplant does not have any features.
Vegetative propagation
The tree of the plane tree genus - the eastern plane tree - breeds quite standardly. At a shallow depth - 50 centimeters - seeds are laid in the substrate. Since the oriental plane tree grows very fast, you will be able to enjoy its beauty very soon.
You will not be able to confuse this plant with other specimens of wildlife. It has a striking feature: exfoliating bark. However, this is only one of the many distinctive features of the sycamore.
As you know, majestic trees are less attacked by various parasites. It is necessary to ensure that the integrity of the bark of the eastern plane tree is not violated, as parasites and diseases will penetrate through these wounds.
In addition to seeds, layering and cuttings can be used. The sowing method depends on the grower's preference as well as the time of sowing. It's best to use whatever method you can.
