Which plant is called a pump tree. Plants for draining the soil of the site. Eucalyptus is the tallest tree in the world

Last year I went on vacation with my boyfriend to . We just rented an apartment, so there were no all-inclusive options. But we explored everything Black Sea coast, wherever the train could take us. We even got there. But most of all I remember the Sochi arboretum. Especially the cable car! A unique feeling when you “swim” over the raging green sea. It was there that for the first time in my life I saw a huge living eucalyptus, not his nasty gargle.

Australian eucalyptus - a natural pump

He is originally from Australia, but as I already said, these trees (imported) can be found in our native lands, among our closest neighbors in Abkhazia or in distant France, Africa and America. In general, wherever it is warm enough and swampy, because it is precisely for its high water consumption that this tree is called " natural pump"(one eucalyptus can evaporate up to 180 liters of water per day). Evergreen eucalyptus belongs to Myrtaceae genus and can reach 150 meters high. Its Latin name "Eucalyptus" translates as "well hidden" - this is due to the buds being completely hidden in green "capsules" until the very beginning of flowering. And the bark regularly falls off the eucalyptus in such rags, and the tree looks as if a huge cat had sharpened its claws on it.

Application

Eucalyptus trees have found use not only in draining areas. Due to the fact that they have dense, durable wood, this type of wood is used in shipbuilding, for the manufacture of sleepers and beams and other products that require increased strength. Eucalyptus leaves contain large number essential oils (up to 5%), this determines its antiseptic properties. Most for use in medical purposes are suitable the following types:

• eucalyptus globulus (Eucalyptus globulus);
• eucalyptus cinerea (Eucalyptus cinerea);
• Eucalyptus viminalis (Eucalyptus viminalis).

Due to such high content active substances tree poisonous for all types of animals. Only koalas are able to feed on eucalyptus leaves, their digestion and metabolic processes are slow, it is this delay that allows their body to cope with the “poison”.

This is also the first tree that I managed to smell at a distance of several meters. It was not the flowers that smelled, as is the case with poles, but the whole tree!

Well, what other tree, if not a wonderful one, could have been born on amazing land Green continent. Eucalyptus has now spread all over the world, but nowhere is it loved as much as in its homeland.

Well, what other tree, if not a wonderful one, could have grown on the amazing land of the Green Continent. Eucalyptus has now spread all over the world, but nowhere is it loved as much as in its homeland. Of course, koalas have special feelings for it, as they take nothing else but the leaves of this pump tree into their mouths. He is both food and water for them.

These trees are called pumps for their exceptional ability to absorb moisture - they not only consume it in large quantities, but also evaporate it. An adult tree can “pump” and evaporate more than 300 liters of water per day (for comparison, a birch tree only 40). Therefore, eucalyptus trees are often planted in swampy areas for drainage. And then it will be possible to make something useful from the wood.

The wood of eucalyptus trees is wonderful - dense, smooth, resinous and heavy (heavier than water), almost impossible to rot. It is often used to make cladding for ships, supports for bridges, and handles for carpentry tools. The bark makes excellent paper.

But you won’t get any shade from the miracle tree. Even under the largest representatives (and they can be truly gigantic - up to 100 meters in height and up to 20 meters in girth) there is no hiding from the heat - its leaves always turn edge-on towards the sun, apparently afraid of burns. But in such a forest it is light and easy to breathe - the air is filled with the fresh smell of essential oils. And they are known to kill various harmful bacteria. True, for this, the leaves still need to be processed; the disinfected air of eucalyptus forests is most likely a myth.

Australians also respect eucalyptus for its extraordinary love of life - frequent fires that occur in the country's dry climate are not capable of destroying green spaces. Eucalyptus trees crack in the fire, and after a few days shoots begin to grow wildly from the cracks (the olive was revered by the Greeks for approximately the same properties). And some botanists claim that in a number of eucalyptus species the fruits do not burst unless there is a fire. That is, they don’t just tolerate fire, they simply need it.

In Australia and Tasmania, there are several hundred species of eucalyptus - scientists still have not decided how many. According to some sources - 150, in others their number reaches 800. But no matter how many different types of eucalyptus trees grow on hot earth Green continent, all of them will enjoy the attention and warm affection of local residents.

Of course, the most correct solution for draining the soil of a garden or personal plot is drainage device . Especially when we're talking about This is not a question at all about landscape design and site design. By the way, I have a good article about this on my personal website, describing the most proven methods of installing drainage in garden and summer cottage plots. If anyone wants, they can read “How to dry a summer cottage?” .

But sometimes a situation occurs when ideal drainage is simply impossible, for example there is no way to drain groundwater due to the built-up area or, as often happens, lack of finance. But I want to decorate the site and at the same time it would be nice to have a garden on the site, or at least fruit-bearing bushes.
To our rescue in in this case well-known ornamental or fruit plants may come. For example, using eucalyptus rid the Pitsunda region in Abkhazia of swamps and mosquitoes. Of course, eucalyptus does not grow here, but it turns out there are many other plants with which you can dry and at the same time .

Tatar maple - photo.

We will focus on the middle zone; what is suitable for it will naturally be suitable for more southern regions.
About poplars, of course, you all know, poplar is eucalyptus for middle zone Russia, but in lately and, probably rightly, they began to refuse it, because of the huge amount of fluff during the flowering period, and where there is fluff, there are allergies. There are also pyramidal poplars, but their shadows are smaller and they grow very quickly and at the same time have a low-lying root system. They dry out quickly and very often fall even with weak gusts of wind, thereby damaging our property. Therefore, let's forget about poplars. I advise planting only to those lucky ones who have a river in their garden. Ordinary poplar strengthens the coastline well and creates . Naturally, poplar is not suitable for our garden plots of six acres; its crown can cover a couple of acres.

And now about those plants that are ideal for draining a personal plot.

Birch is fluffy.

If you have personal plot perfect water drink for him fluffy birch. A couple of trees planted in the lower part of the site or the water drainage point on the site and the problem of flooding from spring to autumn will be solved. Despite the fact that the birch root system is very developed, the roots do not penetrate deep into the soil, so the trees can be subject to wind blows. Downy birch is the most cold-resistant of the birches.
Please note that in this article I am mentioning local drainage for the second time; if general drainage is impossible, or there is no way to drain groundwater outside the site, the site must still be planned with a slight slope and local drainage must be installed at the lowest point. And in the place planned for planting plants that will help you drain the soil, arrange drainage well, its optimal dimensions are 3x3 meters. It would be even better if there were several such wells, they would be connected by a system of pipes and a tree would be planted near each one.

Holes for planting trees To drain the area, it is also necessary to prepare it somewhat differently than for normal planting. As I already mentioned, the root system of trees for draining the site is very well developed and lies at a depth of 60-80 cm. In this regard, the planting pit for plants used in draining the site should be meter by meter in size and also at least 0.8 meters deep . The lower part of the planting hole should be filled 50 centimeters large stone, the simplest and cheapest way is to use a plaster mixed with soil; the stone (not brick) will support the roots and create additional drainage. This method of planting trees used to drain the site should be followed for any plants.

Red maple.

For draining and at the same time decorating a personal plot in landscape design also used alder, larch, ash and Tatar maple. Each of these plants has a separate page on the site; you can go to it by clicking on the corresponding highlighted word. I will dwell in more detail only on the ash tree at the end of the article; I have a separate story connected with it with landscape design.

What fruit plants are best to plant in the garden to drain the soil?

There is only one contender here - plum. Despite this, plum has so many subspecies that you can easily choose the one that is suitable for your garden. Do not forget that the main thing is not the variety or variety of plum, but the rootstock on which it is grafted. It is the roots that grow in the soil and respond to it.
But since an ordinary gardener who purchases plants in a nursery, and most often from hand, does not have the opportunity to influence the rootstock, we will do it simpler. Just believe my experience and take it for granted that it is best renclods drain the soil, but they are also more demanding on the soil, so you will achieve successful growth and abundant fruiting of plums by planting them using the technology described above.

Damsons.

But it gives the least worries and a wonderful harvest of fruits damson . There are also a huge number of varieties; the trees are compact and can be planted three meters apart. At the same time, damson plums practically do not suffer from pests, unlike ordinary plums. And of course, cherry plum is suitable for very lazy summer residents. Her modern views have quite large and tasty fruits, unlike those that we are used to seeing everywhere.

And now about best plants, about which in Rus' they make up fairy tales and sing songs. Weeping willow. It is suitable for any site, be it a garden, cottage or personal plot. The weeping willow can look like a tree or shrub and has more than 600 species and varieties. Some varieties of willow, under certain conditions, grow to a height of only 20 cm. That is why the weeping willow is considered the best of plants that help drain the soil and at the same time it easily fits into any landscape project.

And finally, as promised, a true story about an ash tree, from the life of a landscape designer. .

The tallest trees!

• "Eucalyptus"
  Green "skyscrapers" that reach 100 meters in height with a trunk over 30 meters thick - these are eucalyptus trees, evergreen trees. Interesting feature eucalyptus trees is that they shed not leaves, but bark, after which their trunk acquires a light yellow or blue color and becomes smooth and shiny. This huge tree is native to Australia.

  "Eucalyptus" from Greek language translates as “I cover well,” which is not true, since trees of this type do not shade the area near them at all. This is explained by the fact that eucalyptus has a specific arrangement of leaves; they are turned towards the sun not with their surface, as we are used to seeing, but with an edge, therefore sun rays pass freely through the leaves of the eucalyptus and no shadow is formed.

  Eucalyptus trees grow very quickly; in the first year of their life they reach 3 meters in height. Over 20 years, one hectare of eucalyptus forest produces 800 cubic meters. m. wood. No other tree can produce so much material even in 140 years. Thanks to this feature, eucalyptus trees are very useful trees In addition, their wood is very strong and durable. Therefore, it is used for the construction of ships, dams, furniture, and houses. In addition, eucalyptus wood almost never rots. Another positive property of this tree is that it is almost impossible to light it, at the same time, charcoal extracted from it burns very well. Most types of eucalyptus (and there are more than 300 of them) have tannins for processing leather.

  In medicine, valuable essential oil extracted from eucalyptus tree. By the way, eucalyptus leaves contain a lot of it. It is also used to make ointments, varnishes, soaps and perfumes.

  Eucalyptus grows in moist soil near lakes, rivers and sea coasts. Residents of Australia say: “If you see tall trees with blue trunks, then there must be a river bed near them.” Eucalyptus is sometimes called a pump tree due to its ability to drain the soil. Root system This plant absorbs a lot of moisture from the soil, which then evaporates through the leaves. By drying out swamps, eucalyptus destroys malaria mosquitoes which brings enormous benefits to people. It is thanks to this property that eucalyptus trees are now planted in different countries peace. People use lands freed from swamps to grow crops.

• Sequoia
  Coniferous trees North America– redwoods, like eucalyptus, reach above 100 meters in height, but their trunks are thicker - 45 meters. These trees grew on Earth during the pre-glacial period. On average, their age is 3-4 thousand years. All large redwoods are protected by law and are even given names such as "General Sherman" and "Abraham Lincoln".

  The history of the name of the sequoia tree is quite interesting. This big tree first called California pine or mammoth tree, since the ends of the branches bent upward, resembled the fangs of mammoths. In 1859, the Swedish botanist Linnaeus decided to call it huge tree in honor of the English commander Wellington. The new name, “Wellingtonia enormous,” did not exist for long. The Americans decided that such a significant plant should bear their name national hero- George Washington. After which the tree received the name “huge Washingtonian”.

  Disputes over what should be the best name for this tree continued. After some time, it finally got its name - sequoia, in honor of the leader of one of the Indian tribes - Sequoia, it was he who led the liberation struggle against foreign invaders for many years. Some people still call this tree "mammoth".