You have in your hands the beauty and strength of the Siberian Cedar – a seed of the century-old cedar.
The seed was selected from the cones of cedars more than 400 years old, growing in the heart of the Siberian taiga of the Tomsk region.
If you are ready to plant this unique tree of the Siberian Taiga and let your grandchildren and great-grandchildren remember the Person who planted and grew this majestic tree, be patient and go through several simple stages of growing Siberian cedar from seeds.
- Stratification (cold stay).
Siberian Cedar seeds in natural conditions have deep rest and they melt only after a winter stay in the cold for at least 3-4 months and spring moistening with melting snow.
All the seeds are harvested from mid-August to the end of October. So what we do:
- manual grinding of cones and extraction of seeds.
- visual and weight control. Moldy, externally damaged and weighing less than 0.25 gr. nuts are rejected.
- putting in cedar pallets. The seeds are placed in slightly moistened heated sand and pallets are covered with snow.
In this state, stratification is carried out in natural conditions until mid-late April
- If you received a cedar nut earlier than April, then you need to continue stratification:
- open the package;
- add calcined, slightly moistened sand;
- put the package in the bottom of the refrigerator until the end of April (beginning of May).
- Growing a cedar seedling at home.
The best time for planting is the end of April, the beginning of May.
3.1. Soaking
Keep the seeds in a tincture of potassium permanganate for the purpose of disinfection from pathogenic microflora during one day.
3.2. Preparing soil
You can purchase any soil that is suitable for planting coniferous plants. You can prepare the soil yourself. This will require calcined river sand and peat. These two components are mixed in one-to-one proportions.
3.3. Choosing a planting pot
The height must be at least 8 cm, and the minimum volume is approximately 300 ml
3.4. Preparing the pot
Put drainage on the bottom of the pot (small pebbles, coarse sand …) at least 1 cm high, the remaining part is covered with soil.
With a pen or marker make a clearly visible mark on one of the sides of the pot. It will help to control a cardinal direction when the seedling being moved to another place.
3.5. Planting the seed
Put the nut with the sharp part down into the prepared pot to a hole of 2-3 cm depth and water abundantly
The next watering should be done as the soil dries. Check the degree of moisture by pressing your finger on the ground and if there is no stuck soil, it is necessary to water again.
Proper lightning and temperature 
An ambient temperature of at least 20 degrees with minimal fluctuations during the day is required. A place must be in shade.
Conditions after the appearance of the sprout
Usually the sprout appears 2-3 weeks after planting. After it has appeared, put the pot in a permanent place and orient the mark on the pot to the most illuminated place.
THE FIRST TWO YEARS OF THE SEEDLING
Before planting it in the open ground, you need to grow a seedling up to about 10 cm height; at home, it will take up to two years. At this time, follow the recommendations:
– do not release the sprout from the shell yourself, it will fall off as it is not needed
– do not put the seedling under the scorching rays of the sun; remember that its natural habitat is shady
– water in a timely manner
– starting from the second month of the seedling’s growth, gradually tame it to the conditions of natural growth. In the daytime, take the pot outside with a gradual increase in the stay time from 1 hour to a full day. Choose the time of the smallest temperature difference, no more than 5C.
– in autumn and winter, coniferous trees go into a state of rest, so that create conditions as close to natural as possible. The best temperature for it is from +5 to + 10C, it can be lowered to zero, but not lower. The ideal place for wintering cedar seedlings is glazed balconies. If this is not possible, place it close to the window frame.
– periodically feed, following the generally accepted methods of feeding coniferous trees
When the seedling grows up to 10 cm, you need to decide whether you grow it at home using Bonsai technology or transplant it into the open ground for growing real Siberian cedar.
