The Blue Atlas Cedar can be found in many parks in Central Europe. But it can also be planted in the garden. However, there are a few things to consider.
The Blue Atlas Cedar, whose technical name is Cedrus atlantica 'Glauca', belongs to the pine family and the cedar genus. The name of this cedar species already reveals a lot about its origin. It comes from the mountains of the same name in Algeria and Morocco. In the home of the cedar, very hot summers are the order of the day. In addition, the cedar is exposed to a lot of snow in winter, which is due to its altitude of 1,000 to 1,800 meters.
In addition to the blue, there is also the green Atlas cedar, which is due to the needle coloring of these two cedar species. The needles of the Blue Atlas Cedar are characteristically steel blue. As an ornamental plant, this pine tree can also make a great impression in your own garden. The Atlas cedar feels particularly at home in the Rhineland, on Lake Constance and on Rügen.
By the way, the Atlas cedar can not only be planted as a large conifer in your own garden. Rather, the blue Atlas cedar offers itself as a decorative bonsai, whereby a lot of patience is required to cultivate the Atlas cedar to bonsai size. The blue Atlas cedar is also very good as an ornamental plant in parks, in urban areas and as a tree to protect birds.
| Blue Atlas Cedar (Cedrus libani 'Glauca') | |
|---|---|
| Growth Speed: | 30 - 50 cm a year |
| Growth: | 1000 - 2000 cm |
| Growth: | 600 - 800 cm |
| Root system: | Herzwurzler |
| Location: | Sun |
| Floor: | rich in nutrients, not too dry, mostly undemanding |
Distribution of Atlas Cedar
The blue Atlas cedar can be found in many parks in Central Europe. In its homeland, however, the Atlas cedar has been considered endangered since 2013 - at least as far as the distribution of the plant in the wild is concerned. Since then, the Blue Atlas Cedar has been included in the Red List, which means that theWorld Conservation Union lists cedar as an endangered plant species.
Classification of this cedar species
There are only four types of cedar, including the Atlas cedar. The other cedar species have the following names:
- Cyprus Cedar
- cedar of Lebanon
- Himalayan Cedar
Compared to the green Atlas cedar, the blue variant is much more hardy and therefore better suited for the local climate. Therefore, the conifer can also be planted in the colder regions of Northern Europe. It takes a very long time for this cedar species to bloom (if at all) - usually between 25 and a good 30 years. If the Atlas cedar flowers, this is only in autumn.
With good care and ideal site conditions, conifers of this type can reach an age of up to 900 years! The diameter of the trunk in such an old plant specimen is a total of two meters. In addition, the Atlas cedar sprout up to 40 meters in height.
This evergreen cedar keeps its needles even in winter, as they are extremely hardy due to their small surface. In addition, the needles only need a few nutrients and can therefore be saved over the winter. A special layer of wax also ensures that dehydration or frost do not pose a problem for the Atlas cedar needles.
Detailed Description of Atlas Cedar
The Atlas cedar is a species of pine, which forms cones on its short shoots, which are characterized by the following properties:
- male cones: 3 - 5 centimeters long/cylindrical/pale yellow coloring
- female cones: green to red/rather inconspicuous/1 centimeter long/ovoid
Only when the cones of the Atlas cedar are ripe do they take on a much more impressive shape. Then they have a length of 5 to 7.5 centimeters and the diameter of the cones can be up to four centimeters. They have either a flat or a slightly dented tip and a barrel shape. Only in the second year do the then light brown cones stand upright.
It takes two to three years for the Atlas cedar cones to fully mature. Then the cones disintegrate so that from now on only the woody cone spindle remains. The easily germinating seeds of the Blue Atlas Cedar are 1 to 1.2 centimeters long.
Use of Cedar Oil
As with the Himalayan cedar, can also be offcedar oil can be obtained from the wood chips of the Atlas cedar. This is done using what is known as steam distillation. The oil is important not only as an essential oil for home use, but also in the perfume industry. Cedar oil is generally considered to be the first vegetable oil ever to be extracted by human hands. The oil exudes a pleasant scent that can be described as tart, which bears a certain resemblance to the scent of sandalwood.
The Healing Powers of the Atlas Cedar
Many pine plants are known to be lung remedies. This is no different with the Atlas cedar. The vapors from these conifers, for example, are said to have an invigorating effect on the bronchi. This is not only good for colds. In fact, inhaling these vapors may also have a beneficial effect on breathing difficulties caused by asthma.
Meaning of the Atlas Cedar in Antiquity
In ancient times, special importance was attached to the wood of the Atlas cedar. At that time, especially in the Middle East, people built a number of temples and decorative elements in sacred buildings from the wood of the Atlas cedar. In ancient Egypt, on the other hand, Atlas cedar wood was used for building ships and furniture, for processing decorative pieces of jewelery and as part of the sarcophagi of the deceased pharaohs.
Planting Atlas Cedar - How to do it right
The perfect location:
Hobby gardeners should keep the Atlas cedar outdoors - this also applies to the bonsai version of the conifer. A bright location, where the cedar is sufficiently supplied with sun, ensures that the cedar can form a particularly thick and robust trunk. Rain and wind also contribute to hardening of the needles, which in turn makes them particularly resistant to many common diseases and pests. The ground conditions should be as follows:
- sandy-dry
- deep foundation-humos
- pH value: slightly acidic to alkaline (approx. 6 to 7)
- normal to loose soil
Planting Instructions:
Fall is the perfect time to plant the Atlas Cedar. Do this as follows:
❶ Place the root ball in a bucket with enough water.
❷ Dig a planting pit. It should have twice the root ball volume.
❸ Lay a drainage layer of gravel, chippings and broken pottery in the area of the bottom of the planting pit.
❹ For ideal nutrient conditions, now cover the excavated soil with a mixtureEnrich leaf soil, bark humus, compost and plenty of horn shavings.
❺ Now insert the Atlas cedar into the planting hole, place a support stake in the pit and attach the tree to it with a coir strap.
❻ Now fill in the excavation again and compact the earth well.
How big should the planting distance be?
If you want to plant an Atlas cedar tree in your own garden, you should make sure that the distance to the street and to the neighbor's property is four or more meters. A minimum distance of 50 percent of the expected final height should be maintained from any building, which can amount to 30 to 40 meters for the Blue Atlas Cedar. A lateral distance of half the growth width of six to ten meters must be maintained to neighboring plants.
How to properly care for the Blue Atlas Cedar
❍ casting:
In general, the blue Atlas cedar has a rather low water requirement. However, the coniferous tree must not dry out completely. This could otherwise possibly lead to the roots dying off. Especially in strong sunlight and high temperatures, the water requirement of the Atlas cedar increases accordingly. Both the mature conifer and Atlas Cedar bonsai should be watered more often in such conditions.
During the vegetation phase, however, excessive watering is not recommended. Nevertheless, the Atlas cedar prefers moist soil all year round. Stale tap water is ideal for watering the bonsai variant of the Atlas cedar. You can also use a sprinkler to water the bonsai without bloating the soil too much. In this way, you can also remove dust from the Atlas cedar needles.
❍ Fertilize:
If it is an atlas cedar bonsai, it must be fertilized sufficiently. From spring to autumn, which corresponds to the growth phase of the plant, fertilization is a must. There should only be a short fertilization break immediately after repotting the Blue Atlas Cedar. A spherical, organic spread fertilizer is generally recommended.
In the case of the Atlas cedar conifers, fertilization is only recommended for young plants. Organic fertilizers such as compost, horn shavings and horse manure are ideal for this. Older Atlas cedars, on the other hand, no longer need this additional supply of nutrients.
❍ Wire Atlas Cedar:
The look of the Blue Atlas Cedar can be changed by wiring the conifer. GraspThe best way to do this is to use an aluminum wire. Now it is time to wrap the trunk and the affected twigs and branches in a spiral with the aluminum wire. Work your way up from the bottom, being careful not to let the wire be too loose. You must then remove the wire again by May at the latest, since the blue Atlas cedar is showing its growth in thickness at this time. If you do not remove the wire in time, it would leave clear marks on the trunk, branches and twigs.
❍ Pruning:
The Blue Atlas Cedar can be cut back by about a third immediately after planting. If all branches are shortened by the specified length, this contributes significantly to the vitality of the conifer, whose branches now branch out even more. If the blue Atlas cedar shows harmonious growth, pruning is usually only necessary in height. Shoots that are too long are best cut off in the spring, leaving a piece of fresh wood. Because the coniferous tree can only sprout out of old Atlas cedar wood with difficulty. The following tips will also help the blue Atlas cedar survive pruning as well as possible:
- prune only on frost-free days when it is overcast
- use very sharp scissors that have just been sharpened
- Always cut off any dead wood from the Atlas cedar immediately in the area of the base
If you want to cultivate the Atlas cedar as a bonsai, you have to cut back the coniferous tree at regular intervals. You have to cut back the roots as well as the shoots, twigs and branches. However, the pruning may only take place in the period from May to September, with the interval between the individual prunings should be between six and eight weeks.
❍ Repot:
The Atlas cedar bonsai in particular has to be repotted at regular intervals. The ideal time for this is either September or spring. This should happen every four to five years. Then you need to cut the roots of the Atlas cedar before repotting, so that the root system of the steel blue conifer can branch better afterwards. However, the roots must not be pruned too hard, as this could mean the end of the Blue Atlas Cedar.
It is time to transplant the Atlas cedar at the latest when it is visible that the tree threatens to burst the limits of its plant pot. Be sure to grab onelarger planter back. When repotting, it is always necessary to replace two thirds of the old soil with the new bonsai soil mixture in order to provide the plant with plenty of new nutrients for he althy growth. The new soil mixture should consist of one third each of pumice, lava granules and Akadama. You shouldn't add hummus, however, as it stores water for too long, which is not good for the Blue Atlas Cedar bonsai.
❍ Overwintering:
The hardy conifer can overwinter outdoors without any problems. Only the Atlas Cedar bonsai and the young plants of this cedar require special precautions. For example, it makes sense if you use the bonsai pot in peat. You can then cover the surface of the planting bowl with substrate, which should be a good five centimeters thick to provide adequate winter protection. You can also cover the Atlas cedar bonsai with a suitable plastic film to prevent the plant from drying out in severe frost.
You should also protect the Atlas Cedar tree from frost during its youth. Otherwise, frost-related damage can occur from temperatures of -15 degrees Celsius. It can take eight to twelve years for the Blue Atlas Cedar to become fully hardy. Therefore, planting in a sheltered location makes sense. The following protective measures are useful:
- cover the lower part of the tree with a layer of brushwood and leaves (approx. 30 centimetres)
- protect the crown by wrapping it in a straw mat, jute ribbons and thatch
- In winter water the plant only on days when there is no frost
❍ Diseases and pests:
As long as you follow the care instructions mentioned, the Atlas cedar itself as a bonsai is relatively less susceptible to various diseases and pests. Should the Atlas cedar bonsai nevertheless suffer from a pest infestation, it is advisable to use commercial pesticides. This is especially true when the Blue Atlas Cedar is affected by the following damage and tree diseases:
Pear rust:
An infestation of the blue Atlas cedar with pear rust can be recognized by the intense red discolouration. You should then cut back the affected parts of the plant. Here are some more tips to combat pear rust.
Hawthorn rust & juniper rust:
With hawthorn rust, on the other hand, unsightly thickening occurs on the plant, which sooner or later dies off the affected twigs and branches to let.In addition to cutting back the affected parts of the plant, it also makes sense to use a special anti-rust agent. The same applies to the treatment of juniper rust, which is also noticeable through wart-like thickening and orange-red discolouration.
Damage from road s alt:
Fortunately, damage from road s alt can usually be avoided in hobby gardens. Should such damage nevertheless occur, it makes sense to replace the soil along with sufficient fertilization and watering of the Atlas cedar. In a coniferous tree, drought damage can also be recognized by the following symptoms, which sometimes occur with a delay and are therefore not always easy to classify for the layperson:
- Yellowing of the needles
- pine blush
- Premature failure of needles
Black snow mould:
In contrast, snow mold infestation only occurs at high altitudes from 1,400 meters and only under a dense snow cover. Thus, most hobby gardeners are not affected by this problem. Incidentally, the black snow mold leads to brown needles, which then fall off in tufts.
Pestalotia Branch Dieback:
Pestalotia branch dieback is also a fungal infection associated with brown branch tips. Unless the Atlas cedar is already severely weakened, an infestation is unlikely. If an infestation occurs, you must remove the relevant parts of the Blue Atlas Cedar.