PECULIARITIES AND METHODS OF SEED PROPAGATION OF DWARF SIBERIAN PINE (PINUS PUMILA(PALL.) REGEL, PINACEAE) AT SAINT-PETERSBURG

Abstract

The Dwarf Siberian Pine ( Pinus pumila (Pall.) Regel) is being grown at Peter the Great Botanic Garden of the Komarov Botanical Institute RAS at Saint-Petersburg (Russia) since the beginning of the XIX century, and it is here it was firstly introduced into general cultivation. This is highly decorative evergreen conifer, suitable both for singular and group planting and promising for alpine gardens. It is winter hardy and stands the climate of North-West Russia well. As a result of experiments of seed propagation the new method of growing this species from seeds has been elaborated with usage of the seed germination regulators without long stratification. The use of new regulators of seed germination allows to simplify the well-known methods of growing the Dwarf Siberian Pine from seeds and to enlarge the ratio and the quality of the plants grown.