How the mountain pine is cultivated
The mountain pine (Pinus mugo Turra, 1764) is a species of perennial leaf, with a prostrate shrub habit, belonging to the Pinaceae family.
This plant has been included in the list of spontaneous medicinal plants subject to the provisions of the law of January 6, 1931 n. 99. As moan essential oil is extracted from its green branches, not yet lignified.
In Italy it is found in the Alps from 1,500 to 2,700 meters above sea level and on some peaks in the Apennines of Liguria, Tuscany-Emilia, Abruzzese and Campania.
Its reproductive structures are: numerous yellow male cones, smaller female cones and purple-red; They appear in April May depending on the altitude on the same plant. The fruits are oval-conical in shape and 3-5 cm long; they contain small blackish winged seeds.
Crop –
The mountain pine is a shrub that grows spontaneously in mountainous areas, specifically above 1,500 meters above sea level, although there are numerous varieties that adapt to lower altitudes and that can be purchased and transplanted. in our gardens.
To grow well, this plant needs a lot of light and a lot of water: so that the water reaches all the roots, it is advisable to create a groove around the trunk about ten centimeters deep and fill it with water. In this way the plant will absorb the water very slowly and it will be able to reach the deepest roots.
The first thing you should do if you are buying a mountain pine plant is to transplant it as soon as possible, since this plant suffers a lot in a pot.
It is a plant that needs rocky soil and must be transplanted in a sunny area and watered regularly. Being a very hardy shrub, it does not require special care, but it is good to place it in a spacious area, as it will spread in width both above and below the ground.
For transplanting, it is recommended to choose areas where water is available, even if the plant can live even in arid and rocky soil, but it cannot survive if it does not have enough water.
It grows well in calcareous soils but not excessively alkaline or too wet; under these conditions the plant will begin to suffer nutritional deficiencies.
Planting must be carried out in the period from late winter to early spring: it can also be transplanted in autumn, but only in the coldest period. To transplant it, it is necessary to dig a hole, in which to put a good dose of organic substance, in which the bush must be placed following the natural inclination of the roots, to avoid damage in positioning. Once the plant is in place and the hole covered, it is helpful to cover the area around the trunk with a mulch made up of pine needles and bark.
Usos –
There was a time when the wood of Pinus mugo was used as firewood, for the production of charcoal and for the extraction of resin. Also highly appreciated for the preparation of liqueurs (essential oil with balsamic action, used in the treatment of respiratory ailments), syrups and liqueurs using young pine cones and resin-rich buds.
From an ecological point of view, it is a pioneer plant that stabilizes sterile, incoherent and stony soils, where, by breaking up the winter snow cover, it also helps to protect the bottom of the valleys from avalanches, making it very useful, although ecologically tied only to mountain altitudes. It offers shelter and shelter to many animal species, among which are the black grouse and crossbill, among birds, and the chamois, among hoofed mammals, which is almost semi-symbiotic with the species, whose buds and needles it feeds throughout throughout the seasons. .more ungrateful.
A mountain pine forest is called lily of the valley and as it is a protected species it should be remembered that the bush must not be damaged.
