Pinus koraiensis |
Native Region: Mountainous forests from Japan, Korea to Russia
Zone Range: 4-8
Preferred Climate: Full sun; well draining sandy loam soils
Harvest Date: Tuesday 21 September, 2010
Seed count: 15-20
Description:
One of the five species used and sold as PINE NUTS. Resistant to White Pine Blister Rust. An extremely cold hardy 5 needle pine that reliably produces oil and protein rich excellent tasting nuts, delicious raw or toasted. Fist sized cones produce 50-70 of 2cm sized seeds. Can start producing when 2-3 metres tall. The tree itself is very ornamental with soft 18cm long blue-green needles and pyrimidal form. Grows 30 cm or more a year. Drought tolerant when established. Mature height: 11-22 metres. Essentially pest free.
Notes:
All new pines benefit from having a little soil from under established pines mixed in their soil as an inoculant for better growth. Detests waterlogged soils.
Cultivation:
Seed requires 60 days warm moist stratification followed by 90 days cold moist stratification. Seed germinates best in the presence of light. Even if the seed starts to germinate (begin to crack open) during the warm stratification cycle, immediately return the sprouters to a 30 days cold stratification cycle for proper growth (either sow them or keep them in the baggie). Alternately you can sow them in a cool greenhouse/site when you see 15% of them cracking open in the warm stratification cycle. Don't let the seed freeze. Check out our 'Garden Jargon' article for stratification definitions.
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