The structure of aspen. Aspen: tree care and life expectancy

Despite the fact that aspen looks like a nice and harmless tree, people compare it to hydra.

The fact is that the “offspring” of aspen grow from its roots, “scattering” over a distance of 30-40 m throughout the area.

It turns out that if you cut down a tree, ten new ones will grow in its place. A real hydra.

Description of the tree

Another name for aspen is “trembling poplar.” Many legends are associated with the amazing property of aspen to tremble at the slightest breath of wind. One of them, the most famous, explains this phenomenon by the fact that the cross on which the Son of God Jesus Christ was crucified was made from its wood. The aspen trembles with horror, and in the fall it turns red with shame.

Aspen is found most often in forest-steppe zones, sometimes on the border of tundra and forest. You can see aspen not only in a vast area Russian Federation, but also in Europe, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia and the Korean Peninsula.

Unpretentious aspen is found on the banks of ravines, reservoirs, along forest edges, in swamps, and mountains. Due to its deep root system, it can survive fires. It can spread at a high speed - up to 1 m per year, occupying an area of ​​​​several hectares for several years.

Aspen is considered a pioneer tree. More fastidious plants use underground tunnels left by rotted aspen roots to displace the aspen from its “habitated” place. The soil, which is enriched by aspen, also contributes to this.

Its leaves, falling to the ground, quickly decompose, turn into humus, making the soil fertile and attractive to other plants.

Beneficial features

In times of famine, the bark of the tree was dried and ground into flour, which was used as baking. Taiga hunters still use crushed tree bark as a food supplement in order not to get tired and to be more resilient during long and difficult treks.

In which countries do pistachios grow and where is their homeland?

The bark contains many healing substances: higher fatty acid, carbohydrates (fructose, sucrose, glucose), tannins, salicin, a whole range of microelements (copper, zinc, iodine, iron, etc.). A decoction of young bark has been used for a long time:

The beneficial properties of the bark are used in complex treatment tuberculosis, pneumonia, malaria, syphilis, dysentery, rheumatism and genitourinary diseases.

Aspen leaves do not lag behind the bark in their beneficial properties. They contain: vitamin C, carbohydrates, carotene, organic acids, tannins, etc. A decoction of the leaves has an antipyretic, expectorant and stimulating effect. T It is also used in folk medicine for:

• diseases of the genitourinary system;
• pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract;
• diabetes mellitus;
• hemorrhoids;
• pancreatitis, etc.

How to make a decoction of leaves

Populus tremula
Taxon: Willow family ( Salicaceae)
Other names: aspen, trembling poplar, shaking tree, whispering tree
English: Aspen Poplar, European aspen, Aspen

Botanical description of aspen

Tree up to 30 m high and up to 50-100 cm thick. The crown is ovoid or broadly cylindrical, the bark is greenish-olive, smooth, dark gray on old trees, cracked. The leaves are round, on long petioles, jagged, the petioles in the upper part are flattened, and therefore the leaves tremble at the slightest breath of wind. The flower buds are ovoid, large, and bloom in the spring in the form of earrings 4 to 15 cm long. Aspen blooms in April-May before the leaves bloom. The seeds ripen in 35 days and are dispersed by the wind. In moist soil they germinate in 1-2 days. Aspen reproduces not only by seeds, but also by root suckers. The tree's root system is very powerful.
Leaves on mature aspen appear 20 days after flowering. In autumn, the leaves acquire a beautiful color from golden yellow to brown-red. Aspen begins to bloom at 10-12 years of age. Blooms and bears fruit annually.

Aspen growing places

Aspen is exceptionally frost-resistant and spreads far to the north, reaching the forest-tundra. It grows very quickly and by the age of 50 it produces up to 400 cubic meters of wood per hectare. Lives up to 150 years. Widely distributed in the forests of the European part of the country, in Western and Eastern Siberia, the Far East, Crimea, the Caucasus, and Kazakhstan. Grows in Western Europe, Mongolia, China and Korea.

Collection and harvesting of aspen

Aspen is a valuable medicinal plant. ethnoscience uses bark, young shoots, buds and leaves as medicinal raw materials.

Chemical composition of aspen

Aspen leaves contain up to 2.2 percent glycosides, including salicin, 43.1 mg/% carotene and 471 mg/% ascorbic acid, protein, fat, and fiber.
The bark contains up to 4.4% glycosides (salicin, salicorotin, tremulacin, bitter glycosides, populin), essential oil, pectin, salicylase enzyme, and up to 10 percent tannins. In addition, a whole range of microelements was found in aspen bark (in mg/kg of dry matter): 23-28, 0.03 molybdenum, 0.06 cobalt, 138-148, 83-90, 0.1-0.3 iodine, 0.7-1.0 nickel.
Aspen buds contain the glycosides salicin and populin; benzoic and malic acids, tannins, essential oil and other compounds.
Aspen wood contains cellulose, nectasan, and resin.

Pharmacological properties of aspen

Aspen has hemostatic, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antirheumatic, expectorant, astringent, diaphoretic, and anthelmintic effects. An aqueous extract of aspen bark is used to treat opisthorchiasis.

The use of aspen in medicine

Aspen bark and leaves have a mild, expectorant and stimulating effect.
Aspen bark, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic. It is used for rheumatism and relieves menstrual pain.
Young shoots, buds, bark, and leaves of aspen are used as a hemostatic agent.
A decoction of buds, young leaves, and aspen shoots is used as an antipyretic and anti-inflammatory agent for febrile conditions and gastritis.
An infusion or decoction of aspen buds is a popular remedy for fever, chronic fever, pneumonia and pulmonary tuberculosis.
Alcohol tincture, ointment (aspen bark with fat), fresh juice are used externally to treat burns, eczema, and boils.
Aspen ash from the trunk and bark of a tree, mixed with fresh pork fat, is used externally as an ointment for eczema: the leaves are burned, fumigated with smoke, and boils are sprinkled with ash.
Steamed buds and aspen leaves are applied for joint pain.
Aspen is included in drugs for the treatment of chronic and disorders Bladder.
Aspen leaves are used for treatment. They are applied to the hemorrhoidal cones for 2 hours, after which they are removed and after 1 hour replaced with fresh ones, again for 2 hours, and then washed off with cool water. During the week, the procedure is repeated 3-4 times with breaks of at least a day.
There is an original folk way dental treatment: take a freshly cut short aspen log, drill its core, but not all the way through, pour table salt into the resulting hole and plug it with something (the density of the cork is important), put the log on the fire and, without allowing it to burn out completely, pour it out holes salt, already saturated with juice. This salt is either directly placed on the aching tooth, or diluted in a ratio of 1:10 for rinsing the mouth.

Aspen is widely used in the medicine of many nations; it helps well with inflammation and in cases where you want to quickly get rid of mental turmoil. Prolonged contact with aspen may cause headaches, drowsiness, difficulty breathing, nausea and even loss of consciousness. Aspen is active from 14:00 to 18:00 and in cool weather. The energy of aspen can be compared to a strong cold shower.
Aspen is used in, the elixir is prescribed for “vague fears of unknown origin,” “anxiety” and “premonition.”

Medicinal preparations of aspen

Decoction of young bark: Brew 3 cups of boiling water 1 cup of crushed bark, boil it for 30 minutes, leave under a cloth heating pad for half a day, strain. Drink 3 tbsp. l. 1 hour before meals.
It is used for kidney diseases, cystitis and other bladder diseases, urinary retention and salt deposition in joints, gout, urinary incontinence, colitis, pancreatitis, diabetes, cold cough, nephritis. This decoction is recommended to be taken for poor digestion, dyspepsia, cough, and also as an appetite stimulant.
Decoction of buds, leaves or bark: 1 tbsp. l. raw materials in a glass of boiling water, boil for an hour, strain and drink 1-2 tbsp. spoons 3 times a day.
Bud tincture with 70% alcohol or vodka and a water infusion of the kidneys has pronounced antimicrobial properties and is used as a diaphoretic or anti-inflammatory for.

Use of aspen on the farm

In the old days, aspen branches were always placed in barrels with sauerkraut so that it would not ferment. Aspen bark is used for food. To do this, it is prepared in the form of ribbons 40-50 cm long, dried, ground into powder, then added to flour for baking bread. Taiga hunters add aspen bark to their food in winter to relieve fatigue and increase endurance during long and difficult treks.

A little history

Aspen is the strongest representative among trees that absorb bioenergy. Apparently, it was not for nothing that in the old days an aspen stake was associated with the spirit of the restless dead. According to legend, the aspen absorbed part of the bioenergy of the deceased and he could no longer actively remind himself of the living. To those who died mysterious death or was killed, and also for suicides, an aspen cross was placed in the coffin and an aspen stake was placed on the grave. There are many other superstitions associated with aspen. It was declared a cursed tree; firstly, because it trembles, which means it is afraid of something, secondly, it gives almost no shade, although it has a lush crown, thirdly, although it burns brightly, it provides little heat. Although all this has scientific explanation. For example, the trembling of aspen is explained by the special structure of its leaf - it has a very long shard, and the leaf itself is dense and not as flexible as that of other trees.

Used Books

1. Maznev N.I. Encyclopedia medicinal plants. 3rd ed. - M.: Martin, 2004
2. Edmund Launert. Guide to Edible and Medicinal Plants of Britain and Northern Europe. Hamlyn, 1989. ISBN-13: 978-0600563952
3. Simon Mills. The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism. Healing Arts Press, 1985. ISBN-13: 978-0892812387
4. Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. 1995, ISBN: 978-0888503343
5. P.M. Chancellor. Handbook of the Bach Flower Remedies. The C. W. Daniel Company LTD, 1971
6. Johnson, C.P. Useful plants of Great Britain. 1862

Photos and illustrations of aspen

Women tree Poppulus tremulus; most of all it is used for chipped (carved and turned) wooden dishes, which is why it is also called baklushey, lower. Bitter aspen, in the song. The aspen is a cursed tree, Judas hanged himself on it, and since then the leaf on it has been trembling. On the… … Dictionary Dahl

Judas tree, aspen, (trembling) poplar Dictionary of Russian synonyms. aspen noun, number of synonyms: 6 tree (618) ... Synonym dictionary

aspen- trembling (Balmont); liquid (Pleshcheev, Turgenev); shy (Fofanov); restless (Machtet); tender (Bogolyubova); sad (Merezhkovsky); timid (Belousov, Fofanov); stately (Turgenev); thin (Balmont); tremulous leaf (Aksakov) Epithets... ... Dictionary of epithets

ASPEN, a tree of the poplar genus. Distributed in northern Eurasia, in coniferous and deciduous forests; in the steppes it forms aspen spikes. Grows quickly. Lives 80-90 (rarely up to 150) years. Used in protective plantings. The wood is resistant to rotting during... ... Modern encyclopedia

Tree of the poplar genus. Grows in northern Eurasia in coniferous and deciduous forests; in the steppes it forms aspen spikes. Used in protective plantings, wood in the production of matches, pulp, containers, various crafts... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

ASPEN, aspens, women. Deciduous tree from the willow family. Ushakov's explanatory dictionary. D.N. Ushakov. 1935 1940 … Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary

ASPEN, s, female. A deciduous tree related to poplar. Into the language of native aspen (translate) what (jokingly) to say simply and clearly what n. complex. | adj. aspen, oh, oh. How about. the leaf is trembling who n. (finely and often, usually about a state of fright, fear) ... Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary

The semantics of the mythopoetic image of O. is motivated by two features of this tree: the trembling of the leaves even in calm weather (the scientific name of O. Populus tremula, i.e. “shaking poplar”; cf. French tremble, etc.) and the reddish tint of the wood... Encyclopedia of Mythology

Trembling poplar (Populus tremula), a tree (up to 35 m high with smooth gray bark) from the poplar genus. The leaves are round, irregularly toothed. Their long thin petioles bend in the wind (the leaves tremble easily). At the base of young leaves... ... Biological encyclopedic dictionary

No top. Gorky Joking. iron. An inept, stupid person. BalSok., 48. May you (him, etc.) be on the aspen tree! Razg. Outdated Wishing death to someone. BMS 1998, 424. Damn you! People's The same as being on an aspen tree for you! DP, 750. May you... ... Big dictionary Russian sayings

Books

• Aspen Factory, Ian M. Banks. Sixteen-year-old Frank is an extraordinary lad who lives with his father on a remote Scottish island. On the hill next to Frank there is the Aspen Factory - a device that, in addition to what it means... eBook
• Detailed long-term planning according to the program edited by Vasilyeva. Preparatory group, Osina I.A.. The manual offers detailed long-term planning, compiled according to the “Program for the upbringing and education of children in kindergarten"edited by M. A. Vasilyeva, V. V. Gerbova, T. S.…

Aspen

In terms of chipping strength, aspen is similar to linden and is superior in this to coniferous species, as well as poplar.

Aspen: what it looks like and how it differs from poplar

And in terms of resistance to splitting from impact, it stands next to birch and ash, even ahead of beech, oak, maple, walnut, linden, and coniferous trees. This indicates the viscosity of aspen. Aspen is cut elastically, even tightly, with effort, but the surface is good in all directions, sanded and polished well. Considering the indicated properties of aspen, it is especially advantageous to use it for crafts with blind carvings, for making complex, solid-carved ornaments or such decorations. Let us also mention the famous property of the silvery glow of aspen, which we observe on the roofs of the cathedrals of wooden architecture of the North of our country covered with ploughshares (curly carved planks).

General view of the tree

Aspen fruits on the branches

Aspen leaves

ASPEN FORESTS

Accent placement: AXES`NEW FORESTS`

ASPEN FORESTS, aspen forests, deciduous small leaves. plantings with a predominance of aspen trees. Widely distributed in the North. hemisphere throughout the Western Hemisphere. Europe and North America. In the USSR O. l. are not formed everywhere, but only on the richest soils under favorable climate conditions. The largest areas of O. l. concentrated in the south. parts of the forest zone of Europe. parts, in the forest-steppe, in the south of the West. Siberia, where they replace the stands of indigenous forests and are classified as derivatives. In steppe conditions, along saucer-shaped depressions, aspen forms small areas of pure nature. stands of trees called aspen stakes.

In the USSR among soft leaves. forests O. l. make up 16% of forest stands and occupy 2nd place (after birch plantings). Area O. l. approx. 18.5 million hectares with a timber reserve of 2.6 billion m3. In typological In relation to them, the most characteristic are the complex, oxalis and blueberry groups of forest types, characteristic of spruce, pine or oak forests. Tree stand O. l. forest zones contain an admixture of tree species characteristic of indigenous forests (spruce, fir, pine, oak, linden, etc.), and sometimes also birch and gray alder. Aspen forests, diverse in composition and complex in structure, grow on fresh soddy-medium podzolic loamy soils on cover loam. Many O. l. have 3 tiers: main. the canopy of the 1st tier consists of aspen and partly of birch, the 2nd tier - of spruce, oak, gray alder, the 3rd tier - of undergrowth. The living ground cover in these forests is mainly consists of maynika, zelenchuk, sow, sorrel, fern, meadowsweet, nettle.

Floodplain aspen forest (Sumy region)

In rare cases (usually in burnt areas) O.

Aspen, or trembling poplar: medicinal properties and use in folk medicine

l. are renewed by seed, but more often, especially in clearings, vegetatively, by root shoots and stump shoots at a young age. Such vegetative stands are characterized by different clones. Thanks to its ability to reproduce by root suckers, aspen quickly takes over the vacated area in clearings. Already in the 2nd year after felling, a large number of root shoots appear. Due to the very large number of trunks per unit area and the light-loving nature of aspen, the tree stand of O. l. have been intensely experienced since early age. At the age of 10, the supply of stem wood per 1 hectare is 40-50 m3, by the age of 30 it increases 3-4 times (150-200 m3), and by the age of 70 it reaches 500-550 m3. In plantings growing in particularly favorable conditions, cf. reserve at 70 years of age is 650 m3/ha. Quantity ripeness occurs at 25-30 years, technical ripeness at 35. Maximum avg. growth is noted by the age of 40; it is 2.9-3.9 m3/ha in plantings of class I bonitet. O. l. provide wood, which is widely used in various industries. industries farming (see Aspen), including in the production of liquid fuel substitutes. O. l. are often faucous (due to the susceptibility of aspen to infection with heart rot) with low commodity structure forest stands. There are forms and ecotypes of aspen that are weakly affected by the aspen tinder fungus.

Ripening aspen tree in autumn (Moscow region)

In aspen plantations, clear-cutting is carried out (starting from 1941) with different widths of cutting areas depending on the forest group and protection category. At the same time, the direct adjacency of cutting areas ensures natural regeneration of aspen forests in cleared areas. If present in O. l. Viable spruce undergrowth and the 2nd tier of coniferous species are felled taking into account the obligatory conservation of conifers. In the aspen plantations where intensive felling was carried out (in 2 stages - at the age of up to 15 years and at 20-25 years), the age of felling of aspen forests in most economic regions of Europe. In parts of the USSR in high-grade forests, it is recommended to reduce the age to 31 years. This means it gives. An increase in the estimated cutting area and where there is spruce undergrowth and a 2nd tier allows for two harvests of wood per unit area (one aspen, the other spruce). Young aspen trees are natural. feeding grounds for elk, deer and other mammals (rodents).

(Mikhailov L. E., Osinniki, M., 1972; Gurov A. F., Mikhailov L. E., Cultivation of highly commercial aspen and birch stands, in the book: Felling and forest restoration, M., 1980; Mikhailov L. V., Storozhenko V.G., Diagnostics of resistance of aspen trees to rot diseases, “Forestry”, 1980. No. 10.)

1. Forest encyclopedia: In 2 volumes, volume 2/Ch. ed. Vorobyov G.I.; Editorial team: Anuchin N.A., Atrokhin V.G., Vinogradov V.N. and others - M.: Sov. encyclopedia, 1986.-631 p., ill.

Cost of equipment for a confectionery shop www.svcraft.ru.

Aspen

Aspen(populus tremula) - Aspen is in second place in terms of area among deciduous species (1/10 of this area), grows almost everywhere. Aspen is a kernel-free species. Wood white, with a greenish tint; the annual layers are faintly visible, the medullary rays are not visible. Aspen wood has a uniform structure, is easily peeled, impregnated and does not produce a highly smoky flame (raw material for the match industry).

Aspen is used in agriculture (wells, cellars, roofing shingles, etc.)

Magic of aspen

etc.), as well as for the production of fiberboards, cellulose, cardboard, plywood, in the wood chemicals and other industries. Application is limited due to heart rot, which is often found in growing trees. Aspen wood is not favored as an ornamental material in the specialized literature on woodworking: it ranks one of the last places in terms of the percentage of output of parts of excellent and good quality during processing - planing, milling, turning, drilling. And woodcarvers love aspen, like linden, for its ease of processing, light tone, fine fiber texture, and because it is accessible and even more common than linden. In the handicraft industry, aspen is also “respected” for the fact that it is not afraid of moisture and for its low density. Only Siberian fir and poplar have a density less than that of aspen, and linden has the same density. Therefore, aspen is used to make lightweight toys and dishes. Previously, troughs, tubs, and gangs were made from it. In addition, it does not crack or prick from impact. In addition, aspen peels well - it is used to make shingles and matches.

Aspen also has one more completely unexpected property - a strong increase in strength during aging. With its lightness! The practice of our ancestors confirms what has been said, although it does not fully reveal all the reasons and secrets. It turns out that the walls of the huts, built from aspen many years ago, still amaze with their strength, whiteness and cleanliness. The ax bounces off such wood, in best case scenario It only penetrates shallowly. It is not for nothing that aspen is now used in villages for making shelves and benches in bathhouses, and for lining their walls - it is hygienic, light and clean, not afraid of moisture, does not warp or crack. It also turns out that experienced villagers make handles and handles for agricultural implements, when the combination of lightness and strength, just from aspen, is worth its weight in gold. Only for this purpose it is necessary to cut down a young aspen in the spring, when the wood is filled with sap, and give it the opportunity to dry well in the shade - to wither. Then it will become both light and strong, like bone. Obviously, the aspen does not just dry out, some kind of polymerization occurs under the influence of the components of its juice. Oral legends say that they did the same thing with the preparation of aspen logs for construction, only on each of them two or three grooves were made along the log on the bark so that the wood would not rot when drying, and the necessary juice would be preserved in moderation. For the same reasons, when drying an unsanded aspen trunk, some branches were sometimes left on its top, which drew excess moisture from the wood. To obtain ideal aspen wood, its trunks were harvested together with the birth of a son in the family, and it dried until the son separated from the family and a house was built for him. The best ax handle for the carpenter and joiner, as well as for the home craftsman, is also made from well-seasoned aspen. It is not only light, but also does not crush your hand or cause calluses, which usually happens when working with a birch ax handle that gets polished and slips out of your hands (however, it is better to buy an ax handle for an ax for chopping wood from birch: its breaking strength does not depend I slept depending on the time of year).

Another property of aspen deserves attention, which is a defect in woodworking. This is the presence of hollows and rot in the middle of large trunks.

Any wood that is not protected with varnishes or paints becomes gray and gradually collapses and rots. Unpainted aspen also turns gray, but unlike other types of wood, it is more resistant to weathering and, acquiring its silvery, metallic gray color within a few years (according to some reports, within 8-10 years), retains it for many decades . By appearance aspen can only be confused with its related poplar (aspen has a second name - trembling poplar). It, like the white poplar, has a smooth greenish-gray bark, brownish at the base, cracked (in old trees). But the aspen leaf, unlike the poplar leaf, is ovoid.

General view of the tree

Aspen fruits on the branches

Longitudinal and cross cuts

Botanical illustration from the book by O. V. Thome “Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz”, 1885

Aspen growing north of the Arctic Circle in Norway

Aspen leaves

Recently, much attention has been paid to the propagation of aspen by summer cuttings as one of the promising methods vegetative propagation.

Earlier studies of aspen propagation by summer cuttings allowed us to draw the following conclusions.

1. Successful propagation is possible only when cuttings are taken from young queen cells, preferably from one-year-old offspring; this conclusion is also contained in works devoted to other tree species.

2. top scores Rooting of summer cuttings in comparison with rooting in an open field was obtained in a greenhouse and under a synthetic covering. For example, in Germany, rooting of 68% was achieved under synthetic covering, and 34% without covering. Therefore, an important precondition for rooting summer cuttings is the required optimal temperature. In the USA, this temperature is 24.4-29.4°, at which rooting occurs within 14 days. In Finland, the optimal temperature is 20-25° with a relative humidity of more than 90%.

3. In special studies, sand or a mixture of peat and sand in a ratio of 1:2 was recognized as the best substrate for rooting. According to another experience, this is a mixture of sphagnum peat and coarse sand (diameter of sand grains 3-5 mm).

4. Regarding the time and method of preparing cuttings, you must be guided by the following instructions. The cuttings must be mature, with two buds (the upper oblique cut is 1 cm above the upper bud, the lower cut is 0.5 cm below the lower bud). The leaf blade is reduced as needed (by about half). The cuttings are planted in a substrate 0.5-1.0 cm deep. According to the results of experiments in Poland, the cuttings should be 5-8 cm long with at least one leaf and two buds; harvesting time is the first half of July, when the shoots have matured and lost pubescence. When cuttings are treated with pyrogallol, rooting does not depend on the time of their preparation.

Summer cuttings are taken from root shoots when they have reached a height of approximately 10 cm (8-15). The immature top of the root cuttings is cut off, and summer cuttings are harvested in their basal part. The size of the cuttings does not affect the rooting result.

5. Rooting is largely determined by the aspen clone. For example, in Germany it was found that, depending on the clone, the percentage of rooting varies from 40 to 100 under film and from 10 to 80 without it (in greenhouse conditions).

6. The use of various growth stimulants and chemicals gives positive results. For example, in Finland, in the subgenus Leuce, the best rooting results (94%) were achieved when indolylbutyric acid was used as a stimulant.

7. It is necessary to create queen cells (for a specific property or trait of aspen) in order to obtain summer cuttings for their mass propagation.

Sometimes, when propagating aspen by summer cuttings, you can use methods developed for other species of the poplar genus (in the subgenus Leuce).

Common aspen: what the tree looks like, leaves and fruits

This, for example, is the method of vegetative propagation of hybrids of white poplar with aspen, developed at UkrNIILHA. It consists of the following steps:

Harvesting roots from elite trees for forcing out shoots and preparing them for planting in greenhouse conditions;

Planting root cuttings and forcing shoots;

Obtaining varietal planting material by green cuttings from root shoots;

Planting a mother plantation from rooted green cuttings of root shoots for subsequent vegetative propagation.

In 1981-1982 in Latvian Scientific Research Institute of Forestry and Chemical Industry they studied the propagation of aspen by summer cuttings in laboratory conditions. For this purpose, a growing cabinet measuring 75x160x240 cm with automatically controlled lighting, temperature and water supply was used. The substrate was neutralized sphagnum peat, perlite or sand over a drainage layer of expanded clay. Summer cuttings were harvested: 1) in the spring - from root shoots grown in boxes in a greenhouse; 2) in summer (late June or early July) - from annual root shoots on a seed plantation. In these experiments, when a temperature of 24-28°C with artificial light or 18-20° without it, relative air humidity of 95% and artificial fine fog were provided, rooting was 77-88%.

The preliminary best substrate for rooting turned out to be neutralized sphagnum peat (rooting 88%), mainly because the cuttings developed a strong compact root system, which facilitated survival after transplantation into the nursery. Good rooting results also corresponded to the sandy substrate (77%), but the roots here were long, elongated, and difficult to preserve during transplantation.

It is too early to judge the suitability of perlite; research in this direction continues. The best results are obtained from shoots grown in a greenhouse from root cuttings.

Experiments in Latvia have confirmed that for successful rooting of summer cuttings, equipment is needed that automatically regulates temperature, moisture and the supply of artificial fine fog.

Rooted cuttings, after being transplanted into beds in a greenhouse with a synthetic covering, successfully took root (86%) and in the first year reached an average of 120 cm in height and 7 mm in thickness at the root collar (maximum 210 cm and 14 mm, respectively).

According to data on aspen flowering in the forests of the USSR, depending on climatic conditions (from the Arkhangelsk region to the foothills North Caucasus) average aspen flowering dates vary from north to south from April 25 to March 17, the latest from May 29 to March 23, and the earliest from April 2 to March 10. This should be taken into account when exchanging aspen pollen and seeds from different climatic zones.

In Latvia, aspen in most cases blooms in the second ten days of April. The seeds ripen at the end of May or the beginning of June, but most often in the third ten days of May. Their departure occurs in a very short time - within 2-8 days, depending on weather conditions. Therefore, for collecting seeds, it is very important to accurately determine their ripening period. Experience confirms that you should start collecting fruit catkins at the moment when the first fruit capsules begin to open in them, that is, the ends of the white hairs - the flies - appear.

In order not to harm the tree, it is recommended to collect the earrings directly, without branches. To obtain a high-quality harvest on time, the necessary measures must be taken to destroy pests, especially caterpillars of the moth-frog butterfly (Batracherda praengusia), and prevent their mass spread. Warm and dry weather is especially conducive to the spread of pests.

To obtain high-quality offspring, seeds are collected from pre-selected plus trees. It is also important that there are plus males - pollinators - near the plus females. On plus trees, catkins are collected by climbing them using special tree-climbing devices that do not damage the tree.

The method of collecting seeds in the Oboyansky forestry cannot be considered rational, according to which females are cut down 10-12 days before the expected ripening of the seeds, pollinated abundantly to destroy pests, pollinated again 2-3 days later and after the appearance of the first fluff, earrings are collected.

In Czechoslovakia, it is recommended to collect seeds after flight at the site of fall. However, in Latvia this is only possible in a plentiful seed year, when during the period of seed ripening and emergence there are optimal weather conditions (sunny and no wind). The seeds, according to the observations of P. Reim, fly 400-500 m from the mother tree, and light rain, wetting the fluff, makes them impossible to collect. Ideal weather conditions in Latvia were noted only in 1964. If the collected fruit catkins are not processed immediately after collection, they are placed in a cellar on ice and stored in this form until processing.

An important and labor-intensive process is obtaining seeds from collected catkins, as well as cleaning them from volatiles and carpels. Usually, to do this, the earrings are rubbed through a sieve with 2-3 mm holes. This is a long process, and some of the seeds remain in the pureed flakes. Below is a description of one of the many methods successfully used in Poland. An elephant of 20 cm earrings is placed in the cellar; When the bolls begin to fade and white fluff appears on their tops, it is time to prepare the seeds. The last ones are removed from the boxes by first rubbing them between the palms for 2-3 minutes, then through a sieve; get approximately 30-40% of the possible number of seeds.

Within 2 hours, the seeds dry out and are wiped again. After repeated rubbing, 15-20% of the seeds still remain in the ball of fluff. If necessary, after repeated drying, wipe a third time.

The problem of cleaning seeds from fluff has been solved in the forest selection laboratory of the Latvian Scientific Research Institute of Forestry. To facilitate and speed up cleaning, as well as increase seed yield, a device of our own design was used. Cleaning immediately after collection is carried out as follows: the earrings are spread on a table in room conditions in a layer of about 5 cm; after a few days, when some of the boxes have already opened, a layer of fluff with seeds forms above them. A special device can be used to collect seeds and clean them from fluff.

When the fan is turned on, a forced air flow is created, which sucks the piled seeds and fluff through the sieve cylinder and tip. The presence of a sieve cylinder allows you to separate seeds and fluff from the heap, which flow through a flexible hose into the storage chamber. Upon entering this chamber, the seeds are separated from the fluff and sent through a separating mesh into an additional container, and the fluff, under the influence of the air flow, is collected in the rear part of the storage chamber. To clean the outer surface of the sieve cylinder from heap particles, the tip is rotatable.

If necessary, the reception can be repeated several times until all the seeds are collected. In 3-7 days, all the seeds gradually ripen (previously ripened ones are collected at the first doses). Thus, seed loss is minimal and seed yield is maximum. The device facilitates and speeds up the process of cleaning seeds and allows you to increase their yield (2-8% of the mass of freshly collected catkins), since significantly less seeds remain in the separated fluff. When manually cleaning seeds, their yield is only 0.5-2%.

Instead of the above-mentioned device, a vacuum cleaner can be successfully used in combination with sieves of the appropriate size; in this case, it is only more inconvenient to work and the seed yield is somewhat less.

The quality of aspen seeds was carefully studied by P.

How to distinguish aspen from poplar

Reim in Estonia. According to him, well-ripened seeds are yellow-brown with a purple tint, on average 0.9-1.2 mm long, 0.3-0.6 wide and 0.2-0.4 mm thick. Seeds ripened after collecting catkins, i.e. artificially, are slightly lighter in color and their weight is less than those ripened on the tree. naturally(for example, the weight of seeds collected a week before natural ripeness is half as much). The fewer seeds in the box (the worse the pollination conditions), the greater the mass of individual seeds. The weight of seeds from trees up to 15 years old is less than from older trees.

In Latvia, the color of aspen seeds ranges from greenish-yellow to various shades of brown; the weight of 1000 seeds, depending on the mother tree and other circumstances, ranges from 0.08 to 0.15 g, with an average of 0.12 g.

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Aspen

Aspen(populus tremula) - Aspen is in second place in terms of area among deciduous species (1/10 of this area), grows almost everywhere. Aspen is a kernel-free species. The wood is white, with a greenish tint; the annual layers are faintly visible, the medullary rays are not visible. Aspen wood has a uniform structure, is easily peeled, impregnated and does not produce a highly smoky flame (raw material for the match industry).

Aspen is used in agriculture (wells, cellars, roofing shingles, etc.), as well as for the production of fiberboards, cellulose, cardboard, plywood, forest chemicals and other industries. Application is limited due to heart rot, which is often found in growing trees. Aspen wood is not favored as an ornamental material in the specialized literature on woodworking: it ranks one of the last places in terms of the percentage of output of parts of excellent and good quality during processing - planing, milling, turning, drilling. And woodcarvers love aspen, like linden, for its ease of processing, light tone, fine fiber texture, and because it is accessible and even more common than linden. In the handicraft industry, aspen is also “respected” for the fact that it is not afraid of moisture and for its low density. Only Siberian fir and poplar have a density less than that of aspen, and linden has the same density. Therefore, aspen is used to make lightweight toys and dishes. Previously, troughs, tubs, and gangs were made from it. In addition, it does not crack or prick from impact. In addition, aspen peels well - it is used to make shingles and matches.

Aspen also has one more completely unexpected property - a strong increase in strength during aging. With its lightness! The practice of our ancestors confirms what has been said, although it does not fully reveal all the reasons and secrets. It turns out that the walls of the huts, built from aspen many years ago, still amaze with their strength, whiteness and cleanliness. The ax bounces off such wood and, at best, penetrates only shallowly. It is not for nothing that aspen is now used in villages for making shelves and benches in bathhouses, and for lining their walls - it is hygienic, light and clean, not afraid of moisture, does not warp or crack. It also turns out that experienced villagers make handles and handles for agricultural implements, when the combination of lightness and strength, just from aspen, is worth its weight in gold. Only for this purpose it is necessary to cut down a young aspen in the spring, when the wood is filled with sap, and give it the opportunity to dry well in the shade - to wither. Then it will become both light and strong, like bone. Obviously, the aspen does not just dry out, some kind of polymerization occurs under the influence of the components of its juice. Oral legends say that they did the same thing with the preparation of aspen logs for construction, only on each of them two or three grooves were made along the log on the bark so that the wood would not rot when drying, and the necessary juice would be preserved in moderation. For the same reasons, when drying an unsanded aspen trunk, some branches were sometimes left on its top, which drew excess moisture from the wood. To obtain ideal aspen wood, its trunks were harvested together with the birth of a son in the family, and it dried until the son separated from the family and a house was built for him. The best ax handle for the carpenter and joiner, as well as for the home craftsman, is also made from well-seasoned aspen. It is not only light, but also does not crush your hand or cause calluses, which usually happens when working with a birch ax handle that gets polished and slips out of your hands (however, it is better to buy an ax handle for an ax for chopping wood from birch: its breaking strength does not depend I slept depending on the time of year).

Another property of aspen deserves attention, which is a defect in woodworking. This is the presence of hollows and rot in the middle of large trunks.

In terms of chipping strength, aspen is similar to linden and is superior in this to coniferous species, as well as poplar. And in terms of resistance to splitting from impact, it stands next to birch and ash, even ahead of beech, oak, maple, walnut, linden, and coniferous trees. This indicates the viscosity of aspen. Aspen is cut elastically, even tightly, with effort, but the surface is good in all directions, sanded and polished well. Considering the indicated properties of aspen, it is especially advantageous to use it for crafts with blind carvings, for making complex, solid-carved ornaments or such decorations. Let us also mention the famous property of the silvery glow of aspen, which we observe on the roofs of the cathedrals of wooden architecture of the North of our country covered with ploughshares (curly carved planks).

Any wood that is not protected with varnishes or paints becomes gray and gradually collapses and rots. Unpainted aspen also turns gray, but unlike other types of wood, it is more resistant to weathering and, acquiring its silvery, metallic gray color within a few years (according to some reports, within 8-10 years), retains it for many decades . In appearance, aspen can only be confused with its related poplar (aspen has a second name - trembling poplar).

What does an aspen tree look like (photo)?

It, like the white poplar, has a smooth greenish-gray bark, brownish at the base, cracked (in old trees). But the aspen leaf, unlike the poplar leaf, is ovoid.

General view of the tree

Aspen fruits on the branches

Longitudinal and cross cuts

Botanical illustration from the book by O. V. Thome “Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz”, 1885

Aspen growing north of the Arctic Circle in Norway

This plant (Latin name Populus tremula) has another name - trembling poplar. It belongs to the willow family. Aspen can reach 30 meters in height, and the trunk can reach 1 meter in diameter. The crown of the tree, which has an ovoid or wide-cylindrical shape, is covered in the warm season with rounded leaves with denticles along the edges, which tremble at the slightest movement of air. This is where the second name for aspen came from. From early spring until autumn, the leaves are gray-green in color, and in the fall they change color, becoming golden yellow or brownish-red. The tree sheds its leaves for the winter. The aspen trunk is protected by greenish-olive bark, which, from completely smooth in young individuals, becomes dark gray and becomes covered with cracks as the tree ages. The trembling poplar lives up to 150 years.

In April, the first flowers begin to appear on the crown of the tree, which are collected in male and female inflorescences, which are large earrings reaching a length of about 15 cm. They evenly cover the entire crown of the tree. What is noteworthy is that aspen begins to bloom before the first foliage appears on its branches. The flowering period of trembling poplar lasts only a week. After a little more than a month, aspen seeds ripen in place of the flowers, which, thanks to the hairs on them, are easily transported by the wind through the air over long distances. Aspen very quickly takes up free space, so it is found almost everywhere. Aspen groves appear where forests have been cleared or the former forest (spruce, pine or broadleaf) was destroyed by fire. The habitat is distributed throughout Eurasia. In addition, this tree is also found in North Korea.

Harvesting and storage of aspen

Various parts of the tree have healing properties:

• bark (harvesting period - early spring, when the sap begins to move along the trunk);
• buds (harvested at the same time as the bark, as soon as they begin to swell);
• leaves (harvested during May - June).

The collection of bark occurs as follows: on young shoots of trees, the bark is cut in a circle in two places, and then a longitudinal cut is made between these cuts, and the bark is carefully removed from the branch. After this, all the harvested bark is laid out in a thin layer and dried in the fresh air in a shaded place. Harvested aspen leaves are dried in the same way. But the buds collected from the tree must be immediately dried in an oven heated to 60-70°C. You can store dried raw materials in a dry place, placing it in a linen bag or cardboard box, but no more than three years.

Use in everyday life

Currently, the use of aspen in everyday life is limited to the use of wood. In addition to aspen firewood, aspen lining, which has a reddish color, is very popular. This color gives the wood a large number of iodine contained in it. That is why aspen is highly valued for cladding the walls of baths and saunas.

But our ancestors never fermented cabbage without aspen twigs, which were placed in a barrel with pickling so that the product would not ferment. In addition, they also consumed the bark of this plant in winter. The powder obtained by grinding dry bark was added to food. This helped relieve fatigue and restore muscle performance. This property of aspen was especially valued by hunters making long hikes in search of prey.

Composition and medicinal properties of aspen

1. Aspen leaves are rich in: glycosides (their content reaches 2.2%), salicin directly; carotene; ascorbic acid(vitamin C); proteins; fats; fiber.
2. The bark of this tree is rich in: glycosides (their content reaches 4.4%), in particular salicin, salicorotin, tremulacin, bitter glycosides and populin; essential oils; pectin; salicylase enzyme; tannins (their content reaches 10%); minerals: copper, molybdenum, cobalt, zinc, iron, iodine and nickel.
3. Trembling poplar buds are rich in: glycosides (salicin and populin); benzoic and malic acids; tannins; essential oils.
4. Our official medicine does not use aspen preparations to treat diseases. However, Western European doctors use drugs produced by the pharmaceutical industry based on aspen to combat pathologies in the prostate and bladder.
5. Medicinal raw materials from aspen can be prescribed as an antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, diaphoretic, antirheumatic, diuretic and expectorant drug.
6. An infusion and decoction prepared from aspen buds will help with arthritis, gout, hemorrhoids, bladder, prostate gland, lungs.
7. An alcoholic infusion of aspen buds will help fight gastritis, dysentery, cystitis and hemorrhoids.
8. An ointment prepared using aspen buds will help speed up the healing of wounds, chronic ulcers, and also relieve painful sensations in the joints.
9. A decoction of aspen bark can be used if a patient has gastritis, diarrhea, or disturbances in the normal functioning of the digestive tract.
10. Fresh aspen leaves are indispensable in the treatment of hemorrhoids. They are also used for poultices for gout or rheumatism. The juice obtained by squeezing fresh aspen leaves can cleanse the skin of warts and lichens.

The use of aspen in folk medicine

Followers traditional methods treatments have been used for quite a long time and have been successfully used healing properties aspens to combat various diseases. However, before using a recipe for one or another healing remedy obtained from aspen raw materials, it is necessary to consult with a qualified specialist about the possibility of this. Only with his consent can one prepare aspen-based healing remedies at home for the purpose of their further use. Below are examples of recipes for such remedies.

Poultices made from fresh aspen leaves used to combat hemorrhoids

Fresh aspen leaves must be crushed, and then take 2-3 tablespoons of this mass, wrap it in gauze and steam it. After this, the poultice must be applied to the area affected by hemorrhoids. The same poultices will relieve pain in the joints when they are affected by arthritis. The procedure must be performed 3 to 4 times within one week. Please note that the break between poultices must be at least 24 hours.

A decoction of aspen bark prescribed for the treatment of prostate hypertrophy, gastrointestinal pathologies, bladder and fever

Dry aspen bark is ground to a powder in a mortar. Take one and a half tablespoons of this powder, pour half a liter of water over it and bring it to a boil, putting it on the fire. After the volume of liquid is reduced by half, remove the decoction from the heat and strain. Add honey to the broth according to your taste. You need to drink the composition three times a day, drinking 70-80 ml of the product at one time.

Alcohol tincture from aspen buds, used to combat gastritis, dysentery, cystitis and hemorrhoids

It is necessary to pour 1 part of aspen buds with ten parts of vodka. Let the vodka sit on the kidneys for 48 hours. Then the tincture must be filtered. Drink it in the amount of one teaspoon at a time three times throughout the day until you feel better.

A decoction of aspen buds used in the treatment of kidney diseases, bladder diseases, diabetes mellitus and cough

It is necessary to pour one tablespoon of aspen buds with 200 ml of boiling water, and then put the container on the fire and boil the buds for 60 minutes. After this, removing the broth from the heat, strain it and take 1-2 tablespoons three times throughout the day.

A decoction of aspen branches, its leaves and bark, used in the treatment of nephritis

Grind young aspen branches, its bark and dry leaves in a mortar. Then take 1 tablespoon of this raw material and pour a glass of boiling water over it. Place the container with the broth on the fire, bring the liquid to a boil, and let the broth simmer for another 10 minutes. Then remove it from the heat, let the liquid cool at room temperature and strain the broth. Take half a glass at a time. During the day you need to carry out three doses.

Ointment from aspen buds, used to relieve joint pain due to arthritis

Aspen buds must be ground in a mortar, and then mixed with vegetable oil in equal parts. The resulting ointment must be rubbed into joints affected by arthritis. This remedy relieves pain very well.

An infusion of aspen buds used for nocturnal enuresis (bedwetting)

Grind 2 teaspoons of aspen buds using a mortar. Pour them into a thermos and add 200 ml of boiling water. After this, close the thermos and leave it for 60 minutes to allow the broth to infuse. Then strain the infusion and carefully squeeze out the buds. Dosage for taking this product: 1 tablespoon of infusion half an hour before meals. It is necessary to perform 3 doses throughout the day.

Contraindications for use

• Since all aspen products have an astringent effect, their use is strictly prohibited for chronic constipation.
• It is necessary to limit the use of medicinal products from aspen for intestinal dysbiosis.
• It is quite rare, but still there is the presence of personal intolerance to aspen. In this case, the use of preparations from aspen raw materials is also strictly prohibited.