Gardeners often approach the choice of seedlings very responsibly, striving to plan the planting with maximum accuracy in order to get the maximum benefit from the plants. They take into account not only the climatic conditions in their region, but also the lighting and soil features. However, sometimes the owners of suburban areas are interested in how to water the tree so that it dries quickly. This method, of course, can hardly be considered humane, but sometimes there is simply no other way out.

For example, if there is an old tree with a trunk diameter of more than 30 cm on the site, but it cannot be cut, because there are other structures or plants nearby. The only way out in this situation is to dry the tree using special chemicals.

There are many ways to ensure that the tree on the site quickly withered. However, the most common of them are those that involve the use of chem. preparations intended for the destruction of plants. And no matter how harmful these tools can be, they nevertheless allow you to get the job done as quickly as possible.

More specifically, there are such chemical methods for destroying trees:

• watering plant tissues with chemical compounds;
• covering the leaves with special preparations;
• grafts that kill trees;
• placing the drug in the ground next to the trunk;
• complete destruction (including the stump);
• applying a chemical agent to the bark.

Important information! Note that most of the chemicals described below affect the root system of trees. When choosing a specific composition, be sure to consider the composition of the soil. There are drugs that affect the bark or living tissues of plants.

Ideally, the tree should be cut down altogether, and the remaining stump properly treated. So you can get rid of the tree as quickly as possible. Be that as it may, for starters, let's get acquainted with the most effective means and features of their application.

Popular Tree Killing Chemicals

If you intend to use chemicals, you must choose the most suitable option. Below is a list of the most effective (according to summer residents) chemicals.

1. sodium nitrate. As a rule, it is used to destroy stumps, but in our case it should be applied not only to the tree trunk, but also to the ground. To get the desired effect as quickly as possible, it is advisable to introduce sodium nitrate into the hollow. In about a year, the tree will dry out completely - then it can be burned. And if you water the earth with this saltpeter, then the tree will dry out only after a few years.

. It strongly resembles the previous remedy, but still differs somewhat from it. For example, ammonium nitrate is made from urea, which is extremely dangerous for plants and can greatly accelerate the decomposition of wood. This contributes to the fact that the root system is quickly transformed into a good fertilizer. The trunk, which is already clearly drying or dried up, it is advisable to uproot, and once again treat the opened root system with this chemical.

Picloram. A very effective tool that is used to spray or water the soil in order to destroy plants. When exposed to picloram, the root system is inhibited, and the tree, as a result, dies.

"Mikado RK". Clopyralid and picloram - substances of systemic action

"Roundup", "Tornado". These herbicides are used more often than others, if you want to quickly destroy the tree. Effective for the elimination of both deciduous and coniferous plantations.

Arsenal, Arbonal. These drugs differ in that they penetrate directly into the wood, so they are recommended for thinning the forest. At the same time, these funds are actively used in agricultural plantations.

Note! A tree is still a living organism, which must be killed only in extreme cases. Do not get carried away with this procedure too much.

Now, having familiarized ourselves with the main chemicals that can quickly dry a tree, we will consider which processing methods are most popular. Some of these methods involve the use of certain drugs described above.

Prices for ammonium nitrate

ammonium nitrate

The main ways to destroy trees with chemicals

Immediately make a reservation that there are many such methods, so we will consider only the most effective of them.

Method number 1. Applying chemicals to living tissue

The bark of the tree is an obstacle due to which herbicides cannot penetrate into the vascular tissues of the plant. Therefore, in order for the remedy to reach its destination, make downward cuts on the surface of the trunk, but do not tear off the bark. Use a small ax for this. As a result, notches and cuts should be around the entire circumference of the trunk.

The herbicide you have chosen, use the cut after making the cuts - apply it to the tissue of the tree.

Note! Do not use herbicides in the spring, as the juice that will ooze from the cuts will prevent the chemical from being absorbed.

Method number 2. Watering the soil with herbicides

Separate preparations can be used for uniform application to the soil surface. After rain or artificial irrigation, the herbicide will enter the root system. To concentrate the chemical in one place, you can resort to the installation of barriers in the ground (for example, concrete).

Note! This method is advisable to use in cases where it is required to destroy several or many trees at the same time.

Method number 3. "Killer" injections

They are very similar in principle to method No. 1, and differ only in that special devices are used to introduce chemicals into tissues. The maximum efficiency of the methods is achieved if a point action is taken along the circumference of the trunk in increments of 5-10 cm. Injections are made at a height of about 1 m from the ground. The method is used for trees whose trunk diameter exceeds 5 cm.

Step 1. First, prepare a drill, as well as a drill for it, the diameter of which is 5-10 mm.

Step 2 Make holes 4-5 cm deep as described above. It is important that the drill is at an angle of 45-50 ° relative to the ground during operation.

Step 3 Take a simple pharmacy syringe, fill it with a product whose active ingredient is glyphosate (for example, "Ground", "Tornado", etc.), or, alternatively, pour the chemical directly into the holes. The concentration of glyphosate in the product must be at least 200 g/l.

Herbicide "Ground"

For example: to dry a tree with a trunk diameter of 35 cm, you need 35-40 ml of a product in which the concentration of glyphosate is 360 g / l.

Step 4 Seal the holes with earth to hide the injection marks, remove the chips and see if the drug flows out (the latter is good because it dries for a long time and is clearly visible on the bark). Soon enough, the plant will begin to dry out.

Note! You can use other herbicides, but it is still better to give preference to preparations with glyphosate, because they are immediately inactivated by soil microflora after the root system dies off.

Heavier herbicides based on sulfometuron-methyl or imazapyr, on the contrary, penetrate the soil after the death of the trees and often kill nearby plants. Although you can take care of the barriers described earlier.

Method number 4. Treatment of leaves with preparations

This method is very popular for the destruction of shrubs, the height of which does not exceed 4 m. It can be used from the beginning of spring to the end of summer (more exact time depends on the specific herbicide). The effectiveness of drugs is markedly reduced if the weather is dry and hot, and the tree suffers from a moisture deficiency.

If the preparations are applied to the leaves of crops with a large annual growth, this can lead to the appearance of excessive shoots (with the exception of some extremely susceptible species). If you use this method, then it is not necessary to impregnate the barrel with chemicals.

Method number 5. Simultaneous destruction of the trunk and stump

Here, first, the tree itself is removed with an ax or a chainsaw, and then a chemical is produced. stump removal (more on this at the end of the article). If using this method, apply the herbicide only to the fresh stump. If the trunk diameter is large, process only the outer edge of the stump (no more than 5-10 cm), including the cambium - the internal tissues of such trees are mostly already dead.

If the trunk diameter is less than 10 cm, apply the chemical to the entire cut surface. Apply the drug immediately after you cut the tree - so the effectiveness will be maximum.

Method number 6. Tree bark processing

Measure 30-35 cm from the ground, make a mark on the trunk and treat the area below this mark with a chemical preparation. It is advisable to hold the event in the spring or summer. Before applying, mix the product with oil, then process the bark until it is completely saturated. Tellingly, this method is applicable to all trees, regardless of what type they belong to and what sizes they have.

Greenhouse cleaning work begins with cleaning debris and washing the structure. And the first stages are carried out even before the start of frost. Read more about this in.

Herbicide prices

herbicides

The following are useful tips to help you with the destruction of an unwanted tree.

1. The person who destroys trees with chemicals is solely responsible for the final effect.
2. Remember that the accuracy of processing can be improved by adding a coloring agent to the herbicide. Trees are much easier to track after processing, so you are unlikely to miss them when reprocessing (if any).
3. Trees can "cork" cuts and damage, thereby protecting themselves. In other words, a protective layer is formed around the damaged tissues, which can reduce the effectiveness of the drug used. For this reason, when using Method #1, the chemical must be applied immediately after the incisions have been made.

The herbicide released from the tree can be absorbed by neighboring plants. This should not be forgotten either.

Some trees may have one vascular system (this is a consequence of the fusion of roots). Often this happens between members of the same species, but not always. Be that as it may, the herbicide can be transferred from the destroyed tree to the one that is not subject to destruction.

Note! It is believed that on the eastern side the root system grows to the height of the crown, while on the western side it grows to ½ of this height. You can use this rule of thumb.

Alternative Methods

There are also several alternative ways to make the tree dry quickly. Consider the most effective, and therefore popular ones. For the convenience of visitors, the information below is presented in the form of a table.

Table. How else can you process a tree so that it dries out.

Methods, illustrations	Description of actions
	It has long been known that when salt enters the soil, it destroys vegetation. Therefore, salt can easily destroy the roots and the tree itself. It is advisable to use a salt solution if you are afraid that the vegetation near the tree may also be destroyed. Water the soil with the solution while it absorbs it. The concentration of salt depends on the size of the tree (the larger it is, the more it should be).
	You can block the flow of moisture and oxygen to the roots - for this you just need to fill them with concrete to the very base of the trunk. After 2-4 weeks, the roots will die, and the tree itself, accordingly, will begin to dry. This method is advisable if a path is planned in place of the tree.
	The method resembles the previous one, but is more attractive and environmentally friendly. Lay a layer of mulch (from 15 cm) over the roots and up the tree itself. So you partially block the flow of nutrients, and the tree will slowly die.

Note! By the way, if the roots are blocking the sewer pipe, you can use the Root Destroyer (if you can find it), which you just need to flush down the toilet. So you will only kill the roots that have penetrated the network, but do not harm the tree.

When the tree dries up, it is cut down and burned. But after that, roots remain in the ground, which can also cause a lot of trouble. Below is a small instruction on the mechanical removal of a stump.

Video - How to remove a stump chemically

1. Tree Description
2. Basic properties
3. natural medicine
4. soil improvement
5. Application in construction
6. Aspen on the plot
7. What options exist?

Aspen mainly grows in the central strip of Russia, Transbaikalia, the Vologda region. Medicines and animal feed are made from some parts of the tree. Aspen is used in landscape design. An adult plant is a good honey plant, building material.

Tree Description

Common aspen, or trembling, reaches a height of 35 m. Usually the trunk is straight, columnar. up to one meter in diameter. The bark is thin, smooth to the touch, gray-olive in color. With age, lenticels form on it, resembling a black rhombus in shape (see photo). The tree is frost-resistant, grows well on moist acidified soils, in shady places.

From other genera, species, for example, it differs in the shape of leaves, flowers that appear in early spring. The leaves are rounded-rhombic, with a serrated frame, the width is greater than the length. The cuttings are thin, flattened, so the leaves easily touch each other. Aspen trembles in the wind. The front side of the leaves is shiny, bright green, the back is matte, but slightly lighter. Leaves of the lower order are larger, up to 15 cm in length, have a pointed top, heart-shaped, serrate-toothed framing along the edge, pubescent on the underside. The leaves of young shoots are more like the leaves of poplars.

Flowers appear on the trees in spring. The shape is similar to earrings, bisexual. Women's light green, men's bright purple. Seed pods form in autumn. After maturation, the boxes open, the seeds, which have a crest, are carried by the wind.

Application

The bark can be harvested for the winter, used for food. Helps relieve fatigue.

In famine years, aspen bast, well dried, ground into powder, was added to the flour.

Twigs of the first tier are still placed in sauerkraut. This prevents fermentation processes, helps to keep the blanks until spring.

natural medicine

Pine leaves contain a lot of organic acids, easily digestible carbohydrates, carotene, vitamin C, anthocyanins, flavonoids. The infusion, brewed from the leaves, has a mild expectorant property, helps to increase the intensity of sweating. Using aspen, you can quickly recover from a cold. The leaves are used to combat hemorrhoids. Tinctures from the bark help to remove phlegm, stimulate the immune system, treat diseases of the joints, the genitourinary system, reduce blood sugar levels, pain in pancreatitis, improve digestion, stimulate appetite. Young shoots are used to stop bleeding, burns, eczema, and other skin diseases are treated with alcohol ointments. Aspen decoction baths are soothing.

soil improvement

Aspen sheds a lot of leaves in autumn. They decompose in the ground faster than the leaves of other trees. The roots grow, capturing a plot of 160 m 2. When the plant dies, passages remain in the ground, into which other tall trees go deep. Aspens are often planted on clayey degraded soils. After some time, favorable conditions are formed for the growth of other more capricious plants.

Possibilities for landscape design

Application:

• Creation of wind protection lines.
• Strengthening the banks of ravines, rivers, lakes.
• Formation of an aspen natural fence on the border of the steppe and forest to protect against the penetration of representatives of the steppe fauna.
• Landscaping of streets in a short time.
• Arrangement of fire-fighting plantings.

Highly decorative properties. In spring and summer, the tree is covered with a thick green cap, in autumn it is bright red. There are varieties with weeping tiers, pyramidal forms. Used to create a backyard landscape.

Application in construction

Wood aged 40–45 years has the greatest value. In an adult tree, it is white, the texture of the pattern is weakly expressed. The structure is soft, but homogeneous, dries out moderately, practically does not crack. According to the scale of the European standard (EN 350-2:1994) it belongs to the class of unstable rocks, therefore it is not used in the construction of residential premises. Lumber is used to create. During the construction of wooden churches, a plowshare is used - aspen planks necessary to cover church domes.

Due to its low density, wood tolerates moisture well. The material is suitable for the construction of wells, cellars, baths.

Due to the low density, low resin content, and the absence of a large number of knots, it is used for the manufacture of interior decoration elements for Russian baths and Finnish saunas. The match industry for the production of its products takes aspen wood as a basis. At arts and crafts fairs, you can also often find beautiful products from this plant.

Aspen on the plot

Aspen can be planted with seeds, but growth and development will be long. It is better to find a wild grove in the neighborhood, dig up already grown seedlings there. You need to place them at a distance of two meters from each other. If you plant trees closer, they will grow, become like a dense shrub.

Aspen has a highly branched root system. Therefore, a tree cannot be planted closer than 12 m from buildings. Otherwise, the roots will damage the foundation, drainage system, communications.

The seedlings are unpretentious, grow on any soil, but mineral fertilizers are added to the dug holes before planting. They make a drainage layer by pouring a ten-centimeter layer of rubble into the hole. Plant plants in early spring, immediately after the snow melts from the ground.

Aspen is a dense but moisture-loving tree. If the seedling grows in dry soil, it will die. Therefore, as the soil dries, it is necessary to moisten it abundantly.

Tree care is simple, it comes down to watering the plant in the first four years of growth. Top dressing is required only at the time of planting. A solution of cow dung is poured into the hole, prepared in a proportion of 1 kg per 20 liters of water. The widely spread root system of an adult tree will find everything it needs for growth and development.

Aspens, which are more than fifty years old, need to be cut down, processed: over time, the trunk becomes rotten, and can break with a strong gust of wind. Overgrowth quickly grows around the stumps, it is easy to form a hedge from it.

Varieties

There are trees not with green, but with gray bark. The base of their trunk is noticeably darker than the upper part. There are early, late varieties that differ from each other in the time of appearance of the leaves.

There are aspens up to 140 m in height. They have a triploid set of chromosomes. There is a rounded barrel. It is used to make furniture. For planting on personal plots, decorative forms are used that have a weeping, pyramidal crown. They get along well with conifers.

Aspen is suitable for landscape design only if there is a large area. The tree grows quickly, is unpretentious in care, forms a green volume well. It is possible to make shrubs from ornamental species, form hedges.

I associate the word "aspen" with an aspen stake and vampires)) I wonder why these bloodsuckers from folklore could only be destroyed with a sharp aspen stake? I searched for information on the Web and found out that aspen can absorb “evil” negative energy and return it to the world through earth and water in a pure free state. Therefore, since ancient times it has been considered a magical tree that can save a person from all evil spirits.

Many of us know that each tree has its own bioenergy. Since ancient times, it has been believed that next to aspens you can get rid of bad thoughts, cleanse your aura and protect yourself from damage and the evil eye. It is not for nothing that aspen talismans have been so popular for a long time and to this day. Moreover, in the old days, the clothes of seriously ill people were hung on its branches, believing that aspen can free a person from illness.

Aspen Features

Aspen is a slender deciduous tree from the Willow family of the Poplar genus with a trunk covered with light green (very healing) bark. Aspen is frost-resistant, perfectly tolerates shading, is not afraid of waterlogging and highly acidic soils. It is often called the trembling poplar, because at the slightest breath of the breeze, its bright green jagged leaves immediately set in motion. Swinging on long thin cuttings flattened on both sides, they touch each other and it seems that the tree lives its own mysterious life, and the leaves whisper among themselves about the unknown...

If we renounce the magical charms of the aspen, then we will see a beautiful tree with an elegant oval crown, usually of an irregular shape. In favorable conditions, aspen can grow up to 35 m in height. The natural distribution area of ​​​​aspen trees is the central strip of Russia, as well as Transbaikalia, the Arkhangelsk, Vologda regions and several others. Aspen is very decorative. Even in early spring, abundantly strewn with fluffy catkins of inflorescences. Though in the summer - with quietly rustling juicy foliage. Although in autumn - iridescent crimson-yellow shades of fading foliage.

It grows quickly, and lives in one place for up to a hundred years. As soon as the early spring sun warms, the aspen shows the world charming inflorescences-earrings. Women's - light green and men's - bright purple (dioecious tree). This is an unforgettable sight! When snow still lies around in places, the aspen is already strewn with a fluffy cloud of flowers. In late autumn, seed pods are formed in catkins, which open, sending small seeds with a "tuft" on their way, easily picked up by the wind.

Aspen is a completely picky tree. Stick its branch into the damp ground, and in a month you won’t pull it out - it will sprout)) It has several powerful main roots that freely spread over all four cardinal points by 30-40 m. Therefore, do not be surprised if you see young aspens at a decent distance from an extrovert mother tree))

Aspen planting

In Russian villages, aspen has always been planted outside the outskirts, in a spacious, well-lit place, although it grows well in the shade. It was believed that in this way she was able to protect the house from evil spirits and be able to take on the negative energy blow of the ill-wisher. And such a sign is provoked by the fact that the trunk of an aspen tree is rarely healthy. If you cut down an aspen, you can see rot inside the trunk, and this just corresponds to the belief that it takes on negative energy and, as a result, gets sick. But not always. Now scientists have bred several hybrid species of aspen to obtain solid wood, the trunk of which does not rot. A striking example of such a tree is the triploid aspen, which is now massively planted in the Moscow region.

If you decide to plant a magic tree in your dacha, then it is best to dig out a few young trees from the aspen forest and, trying not to damage the earthen ball on the roots, transfer the seedlings to the site where they plant them in the place you have chosen. But, of course, not everyone has an aspen forest nearby)) In this case, you can purchase ready-made aspen seedlings from the nursery. Many will ask: is it possible to plant aspen with seeds? - can! But this is an extremely long and ungrateful business)) Therefore, let's better plant it with seedlings.

Make the distances between the landing pits at least 2 meters, given that in the adult state, the aspen grows 20 meters in height. Why only 20 meters? But because only in nature can aspen have more impressive dimensions. When planting aspen in the country, keep in mind: if you plant seedlings too close to each other, you will get a charming aspen ... shrub))

Aspen seedlings, as well as young shoots taken from the forest, are very unpretentious to summer cottage soils. But ideally, add some organic matter and mineral fertilizers to the ground. And at the bottom of each landing hole, pour a drainage layer - pebbles or crushed stone - to a height of 8-10 cm.

Aspen is planted in early spring, as soon as the snow melts and the earth warms up slightly, so that the tree has time to adapt to a new place during the growing season. Aspen is so picky that it makes no sense to give detailed instructions for planting it. Just keep in mind one nuance - aspen is very water-loving, and drying out of the soil is like death for it. Therefore, do not forget to water the seedlings as the soil dries up.

Aspen care

Aspen care is not at all problematic and consists only in regularly moistening the soil for seedlings and young trees (up to 4 years old). It is necessary to fertilize aspen only when planting and transplanting, with mullein (1 kg per 20 l of water) and superphosphate (20 g per 20 l of water). An adult tree does not need to be fertilized. Thanks to a powerful, widely spread root system, the aspen will find water and food itself))

Trees that are more than 50 years old are usually cut down to avoid falling from strong winds. But young shoots quickly form around the stumps, from which you can form a new hedge or aspen grove.

Types of aspens

The common aspen, the description of which you read in the article, looks like this:

The new generation of this remarkable tree is the triploid aspen, whose rounded trunk is used in the sawmill industry and for the manufacture of furniture. In appearance, it is not much different from common aspen, but in terms of the quality of wood - yes!

In my opinion, planting aspen trees is more suitable for huge country plots than for giving a very modest size (I'm talking about our notorious "6 acres"), but for the cultivation of a decent area, it is more than appropriate: aspen grows rapidly, unpretentious and capable " score" nearby growing plants. And yet, planting an aspen grove, you will eventually get a wonderful mushroom place! - after all, strong aspen mushrooms are born in aspen thickets, and not only)

In preparing the article, photographs from sites were used.

The fire that brought the titan Prometheus a cruel test, and provided life and prosperity to mankind, is now very easy to get. True, this simplicity was not easy.

The forerunners of modern matches, the so-called phosphorus matches, were invented in 1831 by the 19-year-old Frenchman Charles Soria and after 5 years they came to Russia, but they cost fantastically expensive for that time: a penny apiece. On November 29, 1848, matches were mentioned in Russian legislation: "during the fires that happened this year ... arsonists very often committed crimes with matches." Nicholas I ordered that henceforth match factories “were allowed in some capitals, and matches released from factories for sale were sealed in a thousand pieces in tin boxes with the last parcels glued to this, which should be issued from city councils, with a penalty for every parcel ruble silver.

Such paternal concern for the prosperity of the new industry soon led to the fact that in Russia there was only one match factory left, and the lack of matches began to be compensated for by all sorts of artisanal substitutes like seryanok - torches covered with sulfur. Only 21 years later, Alexander II issued a new decree, allowing "everywhere, both in the empire and in the kingdom of Poland, to manufacture phosphorus matches and sell them without special restrictions."

In Balabanovo, Kaluga region, you can not only hear the most flattering reviews about aspen, but also see its wonderful transformations. The first meeting will take place at the station, where tall stacks of logs are waiting for their turn.

At the experimental match factory of the institute, machines will first remove the bark from the aspen before your eyes, then cut the logs into one and a half meter blocks and lay them on the main “surgical table”. Tightly clamped chumps slowly rotate on a special machine, and huge sharp knives carefully remove layer by layer in thin strips. This process is called veneer peeling. Next, the veneer is chopped into matchsticks, which are immediately picked up by a stream of air and carried away to the bathhouse. In the bath, straws are impregnated with synthetic substances, after impregnation they are dried and sent to a grinding machine to eliminate burrs. Then the aspen straw is sorted, and only after that another machine puts an elegant brown head on it.

Strict requirements are imposed on a thin stick with a sulfur head: it must not contain resinous substances and its surface after processing must be perfectly clean, it must ignite easily, burn with an even, calm, non-smoking flame; an indispensable condition is considered and its ability to be easily impregnated.

Of the many types of wood, only aspen corresponds to all these rules, although it requires very delicate handling. For example, you can cut it for matchmaking only in winter, when it contains the least amount of moisture. Aspen does not tolerate long-term storage, it dries up. For about 2 years, her logs are able to wait their turn, but later they are unsuitable for match production.

Aspen grows in our country on an area exceeding half the territory of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The match kings have long envied our aspen riches. German and British factories had to pay 35 rubles in gold to our country for every cubic meter of aspen. Later they started breeding aspen on special plantations. One British match company, Brimay, having bought seedlings from the USSR after the Second World War, occupied about 4,000 hectares for aspen.

In our country, only birch is inferior to aspen in terms of area occupied among hardwoods. Its slender trunks with greenish-gray bark above and ash-gray below can be seen next to spruce and pine, birch and oak, linden and maple. Pure aspen forests are also often found. Where only aspen does not grow with us! Unless she favors the harsh tundra and arid steppes, she settles very willingly in the rest of the regions.

At the end of April, even before the appearance of the first leaves, it already blooms. As with poplar (aspen and poplar belong to the same botanical genus), the crowns of some trees are covered with fluffy catkins (males), while others are hung with green catkins of female flowers. One and a half to two months after pollination, female trees already scatter countless seeds. Their seed is so small that it is barely noticeable to the naked eye, but it is well adapted for long-distance air travel: each has its own parachute fluff.

Aspen trees of seed origin are usually healthy, although finding them among the vast aspen forests is not an easy task. The fact is that, relying little on their seeds, aspen has adapted to multiply by root shoots. Only somewhere on an abandoned arable land or a damp bare slope can its seeds give friendly, viable shoots. In the forest, due to the thick and loose bedding of leaves, they very rarely manage to germinate.

Examining the aspen forest, here and there you will meet young low plants with straight and thin stems. This is that coppice, or vegetative, offspring, to which almost all aspen forests owe their existence. Dig a few times around such a midget, and you will see that he is sitting on a not thick horizontal root, and if you are not too lazy to work with a shovel, then make sure that the root originates from an adult tree. At a distance of up to 50 meters, coppice aspens from mother trunks are sometimes located along the roots-ropes. Up to two dozen of these offspring plants can settle on one root. No less happens in an adult aspen and roots. So, it is not in vain that foresters consider it a malicious forest weed. One has only to cut down an oak forest, for example, and it is unlikely that the oak will be able to renew itself here without the help of a person. Aspen quickly captures the entire vacated area, oppressing the shoots of oak, its recent patron. And to restore the rights of the oak here, say, by cutting down the aspen growth, which densely occupied the entire cutting area, blowing against the wind. Nothing will come of it. Instead of the felled coppice, dozens or even hundreds of new coppice will appear.

It is possible to survive the aspen from the plantation only by frequent repeated cuttings, which will enable the seedlings or shoots of the main species to get stronger, or by banding old aspens before cutting them. Now chemistry has become an ally of the arborist.

But foresters are so merciless only to low-value, rotten aspen trees. For healthy aspen trees, they do not spare labor. Soviet forest scientists under the guidance of Academician A. S. Yablokov have been successfully hybridizing rot-resistant aspen for many years. Identified several forms of gigantic aspens reach 50 meters in height and have a trunk almost a meter thick. These fast-growing giants, not at all damaged by aspen's eternal enemy - rot, are the pride and hope of foresters.

In addition to giants, beautiful decorative forms of aspen grow in our forests with falling, weeping branches or slender pyramidal crowns. The original aspen was bred by a corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR F. JI. Shchepotiev, naming it in honor of the outstanding Soviet forester Sukachev's aspen.

Aspen forests, with their constant coolness, create favorable conditions for aspen mushrooms that delight the heart of the mushroom picker. From spring to the end of summer, the greenish-white foliage of aspen shimmers in the wind, and summer ends, and it is painted with almost all the colors of the rainbow: carmine, minium, lemon-yellow leaves with various shades give amazing picturesqueness to trees.

However, aspen leaves also owe the notoriety that accompanies it, perhaps, from time immemorial. Its leaves constantly tremble and rustle, causing a feeling of inexplicable anxiety in a traveler passing through the aspen. Many nations gave her unflattering nicknames. Even in ancient times in Ukraine, the aspen was called the sworn tree. The Belarusians dubbed the aspen a whisper-tree, the Poles - awe. And among the Germans and in Russia, they believed that Judas Iscariot hanged himself on an aspen, and with disgust it tries to shake off the memory of the traitor, shaking the leaves. And so the name "Judas tree" stuck to it.

Meanwhile, everything is explained very simply. The petioles of aspen leaves are flattened in the upper part, which is why they begin to move and tremble at the slightest movement of air. This feature of the aspen is reflected in its name: botanists call this tree trembling poplar.

However, the peasants in everyday life never disdained the "Judas tree", using aspen rods for weaving baskets, and wood chips (roofing shingles) for roofs. They were even treated with the “cursed” aspen. Now its wood is used in paper production as an admixture to spruce wood and to obtain cellulose - the raw material for rayon. But the most important business of the aspen is fire.

• S. I. Ivchenko - Tree Book

The aspen tree is common in temperate climates. This species must be distinguished from poplar, its closest relative. With a slight breath of wind, its crown starts to move, so this plant is also called the "trembling poplar". However, it is valued not only for its decorative qualities. Different parts of the tree are used for construction purposes and medicine, and the shoots are fed to animals.

Description of the species

The aspen tree grows up to 15-20 m in height, some representatives can reach 30 m. This species has a straight columnar trunk up to 1 m in diameter and a gray smooth bark with an olive tint. On average, the life of an aspen is from 80 to 100 years, but some centenarians can grow up to 150 years or more.

The aspen has several characteristic features:

• the bark remains smooth even in mature trees, sometimes shallow longitudinal cracks appear;
• rounded leaves, which are light green at the beginning of the season, then darken, turn yellow and fall off;
• flat, but powerful and wide root system;
• the flowering period occurs in late July or early May.

The leaves have a rounded shape and are located on long flat cuttings.

In the photo, the aspen tree can be confused with poplar. To distinguish between these two varieties, it is enough to compare their leaves. They are rounded and have notches along the perimeter, and their width exceeds their length. Their peculiarity lies in the fact that they are fixed on flat cuttings. Thanks to this shape, they bend well, and with the slightest breath of wind, the crown starts to move. The front side of the plate is shiny, the back is matte.

In the description of the aspen tree, the shape and color of the flowers also matter. They are bisexual and form inflorescences - earrings. The female flowers are bright burgundy, the male flowers are light green. In autumn, they form boxes with seeds, which are then carried by the wind.

What is the value of a tree?

Aspen is grown commercially or parts of wild trees are used. The bark is harvested for the winter and eaten to tone the body and strengthen the immune system. Branches are added to sauerkraut to increase shelf life. Previously, flour was prepared from this plant, which was used in baking bread. Now this tree is valued for its quality wood, and also continues to be used in traditional medicine.

The sex of a tree can be determined by the color of the inflorescences.

In medicine

Different parts of the aspen tree are a source of organic acids, vitamins, carbohydrates and other useful substances. Decoctions and infusions are prepared from its leaves and bark, shoots are used to prepare tinctures and ointments. Funds can also be added to restorative baths. Depending on the method of application, aspen allows you to get rid of a number of problems:

• decoctions - from a wet cough and excessive sweating;
• leaves - against hemorrhoids, seasonal diseases of the upper respiratory tract;
• bark in the form of tinctures - for arthritis, cough, inflammatory diseases of the urinary tract, as well as to stimulate immune defenses and improve appetite;
• annual shoots - with bleeding;
• baths have a general strengthening effect, normalize the functioning of the nervous system.

Aspen-based medicines can be purchased at a pharmacy.

Aspen is popular exclusively in folk medicine. Such funds have a milder effect than pharmaceutical preparations, but before using them, you should consult a doctor.

For soil cultivation

Aspen improves the properties of the soil on which it grows. In the autumn period, one can observe abundant leaf fall, and trees also shed small branches. During the winter, this material undergoes a series of chemical transformations and becomes a useful fertilizer. In addition, the root system has its own characteristics. The roots are shallow, but spread over a considerable distance. In the soil in which aspen grew, there are multi-level passages that are used by more demanding crops. The cultivation of this species is practiced to improve clayey and insufficiently fertile soils with low moisture conductivity.

Aspen has a powerful root system and often crowds out other plants.

Aspen wood in construction

Aspen is also processed into boards. For construction purposes, mature trees that have reached the age of 40-45 years are suitable. The wood is light, almost has no pattern. It has several features:

• high resistance to high humidity and precipitation;
• soft, but homogeneous structure;
• long service life - over time it does not crack;
• low cost.

Aspen wood belongs to unstable species, therefore it is not suitable for the construction of residential premises. However, it is popular in the manufacture of wells, baths and other buildings, as well as in the production of matches.

In landscape design

It is important to understand where the aspen tree grows in order to use it in landscape design. She prefers well-lit areas and crowds out other plant varieties.
Representatives of this species grow rapidly, in the first years forming up to 3 m of young shoots. They are not afraid of heat and frost, quickly recovering after winter. However, they have one problem - the center of the trunk often rots.
With age, the trees become loose and brittle, so when growing them in cultivated conditions, it is important to check their condition annually.

Aspen is popular in landscape design not only for decorative purposes, but also due to its useful properties:

• aspen plantings protect well from the wind;
• on the banks, the tree prevents the soil from slipping;
• in large settlements it is used for landscaping and for air purification;
• rarely ignites.

Aspen is ubiquitous. In most cases, it forms separate plantings, displacing less robust trees. In nature, it reproduces by seeds, but it is more convenient to purchase and plant seedlings. These are strong trees with a wide root system, unpretentious to growing conditions. They are popular in construction and, and also continue to be used for the preparation of folk medicines.

Mythology about the aspen tree - video