How to distinguish aspen from poplar? Features and value of an aspen tree How to identify an aspen in winter.

Common aspen is a deciduous plant belonging to the genus Poplars of the Willow family, widely distributed in the temperate and cold climate zones of the Eurasian continent. This is a large, tall tree, the height of which can reach 35 m with a trunk diameter of 1 meter. It grows quite quickly and lives long enough: up to 80-90 years. At the same time, aspen is susceptible to the development of various diseases, which is why high-quality specimens of large sizes and solid age are extremely rare.

According to the structure of its woody part, aspen belongs to non-core rocks of the scattered vascular type. The wood of this tree has a whitish color with a slightly greenish tint. At the same time, the texture of aspen does not differ in particular expressiveness and showiness.

Annual rings and heart-shaped rays are practically invisible on it. Compared to other representatives of deciduous trees used on an industrial scale, it can be called rustic, therefore, it is practically not used to create decorative products.

At the same time, this material has good resistance to abrasion, lends itself well to turning and cutting. It is quite homogeneous, and due to this, in the manufacture of blanks, it can be cut in any direction, without the occurrence of dents and chips.

In the photo-picture - an aspen tree and some of its features

Where does aspen grow and its differences from poplar

The common aspen is one of the important forest-forming species of Russia and is found in almost the entire territory of the country, including European part, as well as regions Far East and Siberia. In addition, this tree can be found in Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Korea, China and many European countries.

She feels great on soils of any type in forest-steppe and forest areas, mainly along the banks of rivers and ravines, as well as on the edges and areas with elevated relief.

As a rule, this tree grows in a group, forming aspen forests, or is part of mixed forests, combined with alder, larch, pine and birch. Due to the deep location of the roots, the aspen is not very sensitive to small forest fires.

Otherwise, this plant is usually called a trembling poplar, but there are a number of certain differences between these trees.

So, what is the difference between aspen and poplar:

• Budding of poplar in spring occurs much faster, with the release of a characteristic odor and the appearance of stickiness. Aspen buds "come to life" more slowly.
• Aspen flowering is taking place in early spring until the leaves are fully expanded. Poplar blossoms in summer, spreading fluff around it, while aspen inflorescences are long brunchi earrings.
• The leaves of these trees vary in shape.
• Aspen branches are more fragile than poplar.

On the left are aspen leaves, and on the right are poplars.

Density, strength and moisture

One of the important indicators that have a direct impact on the quality and final form of processed wood raw materials is the density of wood. This term refers to the ratio of the mass of wood of a certain moisture content to its volume.

At the same time, the more moist the woody part of the tree is, the greater the density it has. In addition, when evaluating wood, an indicator of the conditional density of wood is also used, which is the ratio of the mass of the test sample in a completely dried state to its volume at the limit of hygroscopicity.

The indicators of density and conditional density of aspen are as follows:

Density coefficient at different humidity levels:

Thus, it can be seen that aspen wood has an average density of 490 kg/m3. The natural moisture content of this material when freshly cut is on average 82% with a maximum moisture content of 185% water absorption.

The determination of the compressive strength of wood is determined using prototypes of a prismatic shape, subjected to gradual loads until complete destruction.

For common aspen, these indicators will look like this (according to the research of S.I. Vanin):

• The compressive strength in the direction along the fibers (at a moisture content of 15%) is 374 kg/cm2.
• When stretched in the direction along the fibers - 1450 kg / cm2.
• When chipping in the radial plane - 44 kg / cm2.
• During the operation of static bending (at a humidity of 15%) - 673 kg / cm2.
• When performing impact bending in the tangential direction - 0.37 kgm/cm3.

According to the "Handbook of mechanical properties of wood", the average strength of wood will be as follows:

• The strength limit for static bending is 76.5 MPa.
• Tension along the fibers - 121 MPa.
• Compression along the fibers - 43.1 MPa.
• Splitting along the radial plane - 6.15 MPa.
• On the tangential plane - 8.42 MPa.
• Impact strength - 84.6 kJ / m2.
• The modulus of elasticity of aspen wood in static bending is 11.2 GPa.

Aspen wood has good ductility to various types processing, including cutting, bending, painting and polishing. In addition, she peels well.

Specific and volumetric weight of wood

Among the important indicators on the basis of which the quality of the used wood is assessed are its specific and volumetric weight. To calculate the specific or relative weight of wood material, its weight is divided by the same amount of water.

In aspen wood, it is, at a moisture content of 12%, 510 kg / m3. At the same time, in contrast to , the values ​​of this indicator in aspen are not constant, but can vary quite widely.

This is due to the structure of the fibers of the material, which are characterized by high porosity. In other words, aspen commercial wood always contains a certain amount of moisture, which it easily gives off when dried and gains it with the same ease when placed in a more humid environment.

Except specific gravity it is also customary to distinguish between the volumetric weight of wood or the weight per unit volume, the measurement of which occurs at a moisture content of the raw material of 15%.

Data on the volumetric weight of aspen with a change in its moisture content are given in the following table:

Chemical composition, hardness and strength properties

The bulk of aspen wood consists of various organic matter, which includes four main elements: oxygen, hydrogen, carbohydrate and nitrogen. In addition, it contains a certain amount of mineral substances, which form an ash residue during their combustion.

In the course of research in the composition of the woody part of this plant, 17 chemical elements, such as aluminum, silicon, magnesium, calcium, chromium, titanium, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, molybdenum, zirconium, zinc, strontium, manganese, lead and barium.

At the same time, it was noted that chemical composition aspen wood varied depending on its age: in older aspens, the content of titanium increased and the amount of copper, aluminum, silicon, iron, nickel, strontium and zirconium decreased. The quantitative ratio of other elements remained unchanged.

Of the organic compounds in the composition of aspen wood are: ash - 0.26%; pentosans - 27.47%; lignin - 21.81%; cellulose - 41.77%. The impact hardness index of aspen wood is 640 gmm/mm2. That is, it can be attributed to the number of soft rocks.

Aspen combustion temperature, thermal conductivity

Like a number of other coniferous and deciduous tree species, as a raw material for isothermal processes accompanied by heat release. In this regard, such an indicator as the calorific value of this tree is of particular importance.

In accordance with this criterion, which is defined as the amount of heat released by one weight unit of wood material during combustion, aspen can be classified as a low-heat species. That is, the amount of heat generated by it will be very small.

The burning temperature of aspen is 612 degrees. The combustion of firewood from this tree occurs quite quickly, without the formation of coal residue. Because of this, they are not very well suited for heating purposes, since it is impossible to maintain a constant operating temperature in the firebox with their use.

However, such firewood is well suited for burning soot and cleaning the chimney after using softwood raw materials that emit a large amount of soot and pollution.

The characteristics of aspen wood as a source of thermal energy are given in the following table:

It is also worth noting that, compared with trees of other species, aspen has a high ability to absorb moisture. Its limit of hygroscopicity is 21.8 - 22.9%.

Despite its obvious shortcomings, aspen wood also has a number of positive qualities that deserve a five-point rating on a five-point rating scale. Namely:

• Decorative. Due to its pleasant silvery hue, it has been used by craftsmen to cover the roofs of temples since ancient times.
• Ease of use. Soft and pliable aspen is used to make many products, including dishes.
• The absence of resin. Because of this, it is often used to make baths.
• Environmental friendliness and safety for humans.

Norms according to GOST

Since aspen wood is a building material with various uses, it is subject to a number of requirements and standards that it must comply with.

standards for quality and appearance semi-finished products, profile parts and other elements for construction are contained in GOST 8242-88. When using wood raw materials from aspen for the purpose of pyrolysis and charcoalization, GOST 24260-80 is applied.

At the end of the article, you can watch a video about the collection and non-standard use of aspen bark:

1. Tree Description
2. Basic properties
3. natural medicine
4. soil improvement
5. Application in construction
6. Aspen on the plot
7. What options exist?

Aspen mainly grows in the central strip of Russia, Transbaikalia, the Vologda region. Medicines and animal feed are made from some parts of the tree. Aspen is used in landscape design. An adult plant is a good honey plant, building material.

Tree Description

Common aspen, or trembling, reaches a height of 35 m. Usually the trunk is straight, columnar. up to one meter in diameter. The bark is thin, smooth to the touch, gray-olive in color. With age, lenticels form on it, resembling a black rhombus in shape (see photo). The tree is frost-resistant, grows well on moist acidified soils, in shady places.

From other genera, species, for example, it differs in the shape of leaves, flowers that appear in early spring. The leaves are rounded-rhombic, with a serrated frame, the width is greater than the length. The cuttings are thin, flattened, so the leaves easily touch each other. Aspen trembles in the wind. Front side the leaves are shiny, bright green, the back is matte, but slightly lighter. Leaves of the lower order are larger, up to 15 cm in length, have a pointed top, heart-shaped, serrate-toothed framing along the edge, pubescent on the underside. The leaves of young shoots are more like the leaves of poplars.

Flowers appear on the trees in spring. The shape is similar to earrings, bisexual. Women's light green, men's bright purple. Seed pods form in autumn. After maturation, the boxes open, the seeds, which have a crest, are carried by the wind.

Application

The bark can be harvested for the winter, used for food. Helps relieve fatigue.

In famine years, aspen bast, well dried, ground into powder, was added to the flour.

Twigs of the first tier are still placed in sauerkraut. This prevents fermentation processes, helps to keep the blanks until spring.

natural medicine

Pine leaves contain a lot of organic acids, easily digestible carbohydrates, carotene, vitamin C, anthocyanins, flavonoids. The infusion, brewed from the leaves, has a mild expectorant property, helps to increase the intensity of sweating. Using aspen, you can quickly recover from a cold. The leaves are used to combat hemorrhoids. Tinctures from the bark help to remove phlegm, stimulate the immune system, treat diseases of the joints, the genitourinary system, reduce blood sugar levels, pain in pancreatitis, improve digestion, stimulate appetite. Young shoots are used to stop bleeding, burns, eczema, and other skin diseases are treated with alcohol ointments. Aspen decoction baths are soothing.

soil improvement

Aspen sheds a lot of leaves in autumn. They decompose in the ground faster than the leaves of other trees. The roots grow, capturing a plot of 160 m 2. When a plant dies, passages remain in the ground, into which others go deep. tall trees. Aspens are often planted on clayey degraded soils. After some time, favorable conditions are formed for the growth of other more capricious plants.

Possibilities for landscape design

Application:

• Creation of wind protection lines.
• Strengthening the banks of ravines, rivers, lakes.
• Formation of an aspen natural fence on the border of the steppe and forest to protect against the penetration of representatives of the steppe fauna.
• Landscaping of streets in a short time.
• Arrangement of fire-fighting plantings.

Highly decorative properties. In spring and summer, the tree is covered with a thick green cap, in autumn it is bright red. There are varieties with weeping tiers, pyramidal forms. Used to create a backyard landscape.

Application in construction

Wood aged 40–45 years has the greatest value. In an adult tree, it is white, the texture of the pattern is weakly expressed. The structure is soft, but homogeneous, dries out moderately, practically does not crack. According to the scale of the European standard (EN 350-2:1994) it belongs to the class of unstable rocks, therefore it is not used in the construction of residential premises. Lumber is used to create. During the construction of wooden churches, a plowshare is used - aspen planks necessary to cover church domes.

Due to its low density, wood tolerates moisture well. The material is suitable for the construction of wells, cellars, baths.

Due to low density, low resin content, lack of a large number knots are used for the manufacture of elements of interior decoration of Russian baths, Finnish saunas. The match industry for the production of its products takes aspen wood as a basis. At arts and crafts fairs, you can also often find beautiful products from this plant.

Aspen on the plot

Aspen can be planted with seeds, but growth and development will be long. It is better to find a wild grove in the neighborhood, dig up already grown seedlings there. You need to place them at a distance of two meters from each other. If you plant trees closer, they will grow, become like a dense shrub.

Aspen has a highly branched root system. Therefore, a tree cannot be planted closer than 12 m from buildings. Otherwise, the roots will damage the foundation, drainage system, communications.

The seedlings are unpretentious, grow on any soil, but mineral fertilizers are added to the dug holes before planting. They make a drainage layer by pouring a ten-centimeter layer of rubble into the hole. Plant plants in early spring, immediately after the snow melts from the ground.

Aspen is a dense but moisture-loving tree. If the seedling grows in dry soil, it will die. Therefore, as the soil dries, it is necessary to moisten it abundantly.

Tree care is simple, it comes down to watering the plant in the first four years of growth. Top dressing is required only at the time of planting. A solution of cow dung is poured into the hole, prepared in a proportion of 1 kg per 20 liters of water. The widely spread root system of an adult tree will find everything it needs for growth and development.

Aspens, which are more than fifty years old, need to be cut down, processed: over time, the trunk becomes rotten, and can break with a strong gust of wind. Overgrowth quickly grows around the stumps, it is easy to form a hedge from it.

Varieties

There are trees not with green, but with gray bark. The base of their trunk is noticeably darker than the upper part. There are early, late varieties that differ from each other in the time of appearance of the leaves.

There are aspens up to 140 m in height. They have a triploid set of chromosomes. There is a rounded barrel. It is used to make furniture. For planting on personal plots, decorative forms are used that have a weeping, pyramidal crown. They get along well with conifers.

Aspen is suitable for landscape design only if there is a large area. The tree grows quickly, is unpretentious in care, forms a green volume well. It is possible to make shrubs from ornamental species, form hedges.

Have you ever wondered what kind of wood is used to make durable furniture? Or why in all the legends it is the aspen stake that kills vampires? It seems to be such a familiar name - aspen, and many cannot even describe this tree. Some confuse it with poplar. We will talk about what an aspen is, a photo of a tree and leaves will help to further identify it by outward signs. The article contains information about where the aspen tree grows, its photo and description, as well as what kind of furniture is made from aspen wood.
Aspen branch with leaves

What is aspen - botanical reference

Sometimes someone gets confused, coniferous aspen or deciduous. Answer: it is fast growing deciduous tree up to 35 m tall from the Willow family of the Poplar genus. The Latin name is Pópulus trémula. The diameter of an adult tree is 1 m. How many years does an aspen live? Botanical encyclopedias answer this way: her average life expectancy is 80 years, although there are specimens that have “celebrated” the 150th anniversary. Usually, in old age, this representative of the Poplar genus is prone to woody diseases.

Around the common aspen, you can see numerous root shoots. The roots go deep into the ground, but there are many of their processes.

In the photo below, pay attention to the smooth greenish bark of a young aspen. Inside the wood is a pleasant white-green hue. The leaves resemble a rhombus up to 7 cm in size, the top of the leaf can be either sharp or blunt, but the base is always rounded. Interestingly, the leaves of the shoots are always larger and look like a heart.

Aspen is dioecious, both sexes have hanging catkins. In the male aspen they are red, and in the female they are greenish. Flowering occurs in early spring before the leaves open.

Where does aspen grow: areas of growth

This tree is quite common in Russia: aspen can be found in the central strip of the country, the Arkhangelsk, Vologda regions, in Transbaikalia, the middle Volga region. The favorite place of growth is the forest and forest-steppe zone, the banks of the reservoir, swamps, ravines.

The tree is not very picky about the choice of soil. Once in any soil, the aspen will eventually spread in different directions, where a young aspen forest is formed. What trees grow in aspen? It can be pine, spruce or birch. One or more aspens can be found among the birch grove, in the alder forest and next to the oaks.

It is more difficult to grow in the steppe, and the aspen sends out root shoots up to 40 m in different directions from the mother tree. After a few years of such a capture, an aspen forest is formed in the steppe, which will occupy many hectares in a few decades.

After a fire, aspen forests recover very quickly due to their deep root system.

This interesting representative The willow family is distributed not only in Russia, it also captured the forests of Europe, the Mongolian and Kazakh steppes, and the peninsula of Korea.

Why is the aspen trembling

Anyone who has seen an aspen immediately notices the trembling of its leaves. This is a completely normal process for such moving foliage. It's all about the petiole of the leaf: it is thin and long, flattened from the sides, so it bends easily. The leaf easily fluctuates from the slightest breeze on such a thin petiole. Another name for aspen is trembling poplar.

The main properties of aspen

Aspen has been loved since ancient times for its beneficial features. Valuable is not only wood for the manufacture of furniture and baths, but also the bark. In times of famine, aspen bast was ground into flour and baked bread. Branches of the lower tier are used in our time to prevent spoilage of sauerkraut during harvesting. Such cabbage can be stored without problems until late spring. Crushed bark is added by foresters and hunters to food to relieve fatigue.

medicinal properties

To understand why aspen is considered healing, consider its chemical composition. The bark of the tree contains glucose, sucrose, and fructose. In addition, it contains a lot of aromatic acids, tannins, higher fatty acids, as well as salicin and populin.

Aspen bark is used for medicinal purposes

The kidneys are rich in raffinose, fructose, the same aromatic acids, tannins, triglycerides of phenolcarboxylic acids.

The leaves are also a storehouse of organic acids, carbohydrates, vitamin C, carotene, anthocyanins, flavonoids and some other substances.

On the basis of such a rich composition, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antitussive, choleretic and anthelmintic properties of aspen parts were revealed. Apply infusions of buds, leaves and bark, water extracts of tree bark.

wood properties

The wood is homogeneous, so it does not bring problems either when cutting or when processing. Abrasion resistance noted. Aspen wood is dense (490 kg/m³) and moderately hard (1.86 Brinell).

The wood structure is straight-layered, light. Summer hats are made from thin aspen shavings by weaving. The use of shavings is not limited to hats. It is dyed with aniline dyes to make flowers. It is known to use pressed chips for packaging.

When working with aspen wood, it is noticeable that it splits easily and cracks quite a bit.

The use of aspen is wide: they make dishes, the aspen plowshare was used for roofing domes, making matches, wood carvers also like to work with this tree.

What does aspen look like - photo gallery

Aspen undergrowth is attractive for walking. To get to know this tree closer, we picked up a number of photographs. Now you can be sure that you will not confuse this tree with any other.

Aspen tree photo

aspen leaf photo

What does aspen look like in winter

winter aspen

Lonely aspen in winter dress

In the photo, the aspen tree looks fabulous in winter

The benefits of planting aspen in a summer cottage

In the villages, aspen outside the yard is a frequent visitor. She is not much bothered by the shade, she also grows well in the sun. The beliefs of the people speak of the ability of this tree next to the house to protect residents from evil spirits and negative energy. This belief is based on lesions of the tree trunk by diseases. Since the tree is sick, it means that it attracts everything bad to itself - such conclusions were made in the villages.

Today, this value of aspen goes down in history, and this tree is planted in the country for beauty and improving soil fertility.

soil improvement

All the leaves that this tree drops in the fall decompose very quickly, increasing the friability of the soil and turning into humus. Experienced gardeners know that aspen should be planted on clayey infertile soils, because with its strong deep roots, the tree helps other plants and trees to subsequently develop such soil.

Possibilities for landscape design

Aspen trees are actively planted within the city as landscaping. These trees hold back gusts of wind well, strengthen the banks near the reservoirs. Even the fauna steppe zone they are not particularly willing to penetrate the forest if aspen grows on its border. If aspen is used as a material for landscape design of a holiday village, then this is done not only because of the decorative qualities of the tree, but also because a number of aspens are a fire-fighting plantation: the tree does not burn well.

Decorative features come down to the tree's quick foliage after pruning and beautiful fall foliage. Breeders have bred several hybrids that have a pyramidal shape or weeping tiers.

The use of aspen in construction

The tree, even after a long stay in a humid environment, does not crack or warp. Aspen wood retains heat well.

The use of aspen today:

• lining;
• board for baths and saunas;
• shingle;
• ploughshare for wooden churches;
• matches;
• carved decorative items.

The use of aspen in the manufacture of furniture

We found out the qualities of aspen wood above, based on them, the use of aspen in the manufacture of furniture is clear: it is recommended for high humidity in room. In combination with the fact that there will be no burn from touching hot wood, aspen furniture fits well into the decor of a bath or sauna.

The price of aspen furniture is low, but it gives off a pleasant smell of calmness. In addition, such an interior item is difficult to stain. However, some people think furniture made from this type of wood is unpresentable. If a diseased tree was used, then there is the possibility of furniture rotting from the inside. Aspen furniture is recommended to those who have chosen country style for their home.

We hope that information about the aspen tree, its application and properties was useful.

Leisure

Where is the poplar, where is the aspen?

In summer, when all plants are covered with leaves, it is not difficult to distinguish one tree from another. It is much more difficult to determine the type of tree or shrub in winter, when you see only bare branches, so similar to each other.

Of course, it is easy to distinguish a white-bark birch from a golden-bark pine at any time of the year. And how, for example, to recognize very close “relatives” - poplar and aspen by leafless branches? These trees not only belong to the same botanical family, but also belong to the same genus. After all, the Latin name of aspen, translated into Russian, means “trembling poplar”. But it turns out that even these close “relatives” in winter period time have their own distinctive features.

To see this, you do not need to go somewhere far outside the city. The forest “alphabet” can be recognized right here, at the city ski track, which runs along the protective dam on the right bank of the Aba River from the sixteen-story Gipromez building under construction towards the mouth of the river. (Recall that B. Rudaev began writing his notes back in the distant years of socialism. - Ed.) And here is the object for our “research” - literally at the ski track there is a small grove of two to three dozen young trees.

For control, I ask my schoolgirl daughter walking in front: “What trees grow in this forest?” “Poplars,” my companion determined, briefly glancing over the woods. But is it really so? Let's take a closer look at each tree. Pay attention first to the difference in the shape of the tree crowns. This tree has branches directed at an acute angle to the trunk. This is poplar. Other trees have branches almost horizontally. This is already an aspen. There are differences in the color of the bark. In poplars, it is usually gray, in the lower part of the trunk - dark gray. The color of the aspen's bark is greenish-olive, and when looking at young aspens, one gets the impression that their trunks are tightly covered with elegant green silk.

Finally, the kidneys deserve special attention. In poplar, they are sticky, very fragrant, pointed at the end, as if thousands of small peaks are strung on poplar branches. Aspen buds are rounded, ovoid, after the unexpected January thaw they began to bloom, and now the hairy tips of future earrings looking out of them look like little gray mice.

Acquired skills by definition hallmarks winter outfits of poplar and aspen can be checked and fixed by moving further on skis along the protective dam, where these trees are more often found already in their adult state. On them, the difference in the “architecture” of the crowns is especially clearly visible. Along the way, also try to recognize maple, elm, ranetka, willow, elderberry, raspberry in the trees and shrubs growing along the dam ...

Aspen

In terms of shear strength, aspen is similar to linden and surpasses conifers in this, 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, coniferous trees. This indicates the viscosity of aspen. Aspen is cut elastically, even tight, with effort, but the surface is good in all directions, it is perfectly ground and polished. Considering the indicated properties of aspen, it is especially advantageous to use it for crafts with blind carvings, for making complex, one-piece 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 plowshares (figured carved planks).

General view of the tree

Aspen fruits on the branches

aspen leaves

ASPEN FORESTS

Arrangement of stresses: AXIS`NEW FORESTS`

ASPEN FORESTS, aspen forests, deciduous small leaves. plantations with a predominance of aspen in the composition of forest stands. Widespread in the North. hemisphere throughout the West. Europe and North. America. In the USSR, O. l. are not formed everywhere, but only on the richest soils in a favorable climate. 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 forest stand of primary forests and belong to derivatives. In steppe conditions, along saucer-shaped depressions, aspen forms small areas of pure nature. forest stands, called aspen pegs.

In the USSR, among softwoods. forests O. l. make up 16% of forest stands and occupy the 2nd place (after birch plantations). Area O. l. approx. 18.5 million hectares with a timber reserve of 2.6 billion m3. In the typological in relation to them, the most characteristic are complex, oxalis and blueberry groups of forest types, characteristic of spruce, pine or oak forests. Tree stand O. l. forest zone contain an admixture tree species inherent in primary forests (spruce, fir, pine, oak, linden, etc.), and sometimes also birch, gray alder. On fresh soddy-medium podzolic loamy soils, aspen forests grow on mantle loam, diverse in composition and complex in structure. 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. Living ground cover in these forests in the main. consists of a mink, zelenchuk, goutweed, sour, fern, meadowsweet, nettle.

Floodplain aspen forest (Sumy region)

In rare cases (usually on burnt areas) O.

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

l. are renewed by seed, more often, especially in clearings, - vegetatively, by root offspring and stump growth in young age. Such vegetative stands are characterized by different clones. Due to the ability to reproduce by root offspring, aspen quickly captures the vacated area in clearings. Already in the 2nd year after felling, a large number of root suckers appear. Due to the very large number of trunks per unit area and the love of light of aspen, the stand of O. l. experienced intensely from early age. At the age of 10, the stock of stem wood per 1 ha 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 plantations growing in particularly favorable conditions, cf. stock at the age of 70 650 m3/ha. Quantity. ripeness occurs at 25-30 years, technical - at 35. Maximum cf. growth is noted by the age of 40; it is 2.9-3.9 m3/ha in plantings of class I. O. l. give wood, to-paradise is widely used in decomp. industries x-va (see Aspen), including in the production of substitutes for liquid fuels. O. l. are often faut (because of aspen's susceptibility to heart rot infection) with low stand structure. There are forms and ecotypes of aspen that are weakly affected by aspen tinder fungus.

Ripening aspen forest in autumn (Moscow region)

In aspen plantations, clear-cutting is carried out (starting from the age of 41) with different widths of cutting areas, depending on the forest group and protection category. At the same time, the direct adjacency of cutting areas provides nature. renewal of aspen forests in clearings. If available in O. l. viable spruce undergrowth and the 2nd tier of coniferous species, cutting is carried out taking into account the obligations. conservation of conifers. In aspen plantations, where intensive cuttings were 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. parts of the USSR in high-quality forests are recommended to be reduced to 31 years. It gives meaning. increase in the allowable cutting area and where there is spruce undergrowth and the 2nd tier, allows you to harvest two harvests of wood per unit area (one aspen, the other spruce). Aspen young are natural. feeding grounds for elk, deer and other mammals (rodents).

(Mikhailov L. E-, Osinniki, M., 1972; Gurov A. F., Mikhailov L. E., Growing high-quality stands of aspen and birch, in the book: Felling and forest restoration, M., 1980; Mikhailov L. V., Storozhenko V. G., Diagnosis of resistance of aspen forests to rot diseases, "Forestry", 1980. No. 10.)

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

The cost of equipment for the confectionery shop www.svcraft.ru.

Aspen

Aspen(populus tremula) - Aspen is the second largest hardwood in terms of area (1/10 of this area), grows almost everywhere. Aspen is a nuclear-free breed. Wood white color, with a greenish tint; annual layers are poorly visible, medullary rays are not visible. Aspen wood has a homogeneous structure, is easily peeled, impregnated and does not give a very smoky flame (raw material for the match industry).

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

Aspen magic

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

Aspen has another completely unexpected property - a strong increase in strength during exposure. With her 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 of aspen many years ago still amaze with their strength, whiteness and purity. The ax bounces off such wood, at best it sticks only shallowly. It is not for nothing that aspen is now used in villages for the manufacture of shelves and benches in baths, for facing their walls - it is hygienic, bright and clean, is 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 juice, and allow it to dry well in the shade - to dry out. Then it will become both light and strong, like a bone. Obviously, the aspen does not just dry out, some kind of polymerization occurs under the action of the components of its juice. Oral legends say that they did the same with the harvesting 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 did not rot during drying, and the necessary juice was preserved in moderation. For the same reasons, when drying an unskinned aspen trunk, some branches were sometimes left on its top, which pulled excess moisture out of the wood. To obtain the ideal aspen wood, its trunks were harvested along with the birth of a son in the family, and it dried up until the son was separated from the family and a house was built for him. The best ax for a carpenter and joiner, as well as for a home craftsman, is also made from well-aged aspen. It is not only light, but it also does not bruise the hand, does not fill corns, which usually happens when working with a birch ax handle, polished and slipping out of the hands (although it is better to buy an ax handle for an ax for chopping firewood from birch: its fracture strength does not depend slept from the time of year).

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

Any wood that is not protected by varnishes or paints turns gray and gradually collapses and rots. Unpainted aspen also turns gray, but unlike other types of wood, it is more resistant to weathering and, having acquired its silver with a metallic tint grey colour for several years (according to some sources, for 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). She, like the white poplar, has a smooth greenish-gray bark, brownish at the base, cracked (in old trees). But the aspen leaf, unlike poplar, is ovoid.

General view of the tree

Aspen fruits on the branches

Longitudinal and cross cuts

Botanical illustration from O. V. Tome's book "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 aspen propagation by summer cuttings as one of the promising methods. vegetative propagation.

Earlier studies of aspen propagation by summer cuttings led to the following conclusions.

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

2. The best results of rooting of summer cuttings in comparison with rooting in an open field were obtained in a greenhouse and under synthetic cover. For example, in Germany, under synthetic coating, rooting was achieved in the amount of 68%, without coating - 34%. Therefore, an important prerequisite for the rooting of summer cuttings is the right optimum temperature. In the USA, this temperature is 24.4-29.4 °, at which rooting takes place within 14 days. In Finland, the optimum temperature is 20-25°C with a relative humidity of over 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, it is a mixture of sphagnum peat and coarse sand (sand grain diameter 3-5 mm).

4. Regarding the time and method of harvesting cuttings, you must be guided by the following guidelines. The cuttings must be mature, with two buds (the upper oblique cut is 1 cm above the upper bud, the lower one is 0.5 cm below the lower bud). The canvas of the leaves is reduced as needed (about half). The cuttings are planted in a substrate with a depth of 0.5-1.0 cm. 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 are ripe and have lost pubescence. When cuttings are treated with pyrogallol, rooting does not depend on the time of their preparation.

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

5. Rooting is largely due to 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 the 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 using indolylbutyric acid as a stimulant.

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

Sometimes, when aspen is propagated by summer cuttings, methods developed for other species of the poplar genus (in the subgenus Leuce) can be used.

Common aspen: what a tree, leaves and fruits look like

Such, for example, is the method of vegetative propagation of hybrids of white poplar with aspen, developed in UkrNIILKhA. It consists of the following steps:

Harvesting the roots of elite trees for forcing outgrowth and preparing them for planting in greenhouse conditions;

Planting root cuttings and overgrown forcing;

Obtaining a varietal planting material by green cuttings from root shoots;

Bookmarks of a uterine plantation from rooted green cuttings of root shoots for subsequent vegetative propagation.

In 1981-1982 in LatNIILKhP investigated the reproduction of aspen by summer cuttings in laboratory conditions. For this purpose, we used a growing cabinet with dimensions of 75X160X240 cm with automatically controlled lighting, temperature and water supply. The substrate was neutralized sphagnum peat, perlite or sand over the expanded clay drainage layer. Summer cuttings were harvested: 1) in spring - from root shoots grown in boxes in a greenhouse; 2) in summer (end of June or beginning of July) - from one-year-old root suckers on a seed plantation. In these experiments, when a temperature of 24-28°C was provided with artificial lighting or 18-20°C without it, relative humidity air 95% and artificial fine fog, rooting was 77-88%.

Previously, neutralized sphagnum peat proved to be the best rooting substrate (88% rooting), mainly because the cuttings developed a strong compact root system that promotes survival after transplanting to the nursery. Good rooting results also corresponded to the sandy substrate (77%), but the roots formed here are long, elongated, and it is difficult to preserve them 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.

Experiences in Latvia have confirmed that successful rooting of summer cuttings requires equipment that automatically regulates temperature, moisture and the supply of artificial fine mist.

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

According to the data on flowering of aspen in the forests of the USSR, depending on climatic conditions (from the Arkhangelsk region to the foothills of the North Caucasus), the average timing of aspen flowering varies 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 pollen and aspen seeds from different climatic zones.

In Latvia, aspen blossoms in most cases in the second decade of April. Seeds ripen at the end of May or early June, but most often in the third decade of May. Their departure takes place in a very short time - within 2-8 days, depending on weather conditions. Therefore, for the collection of seeds, it is very important to accurately determine the period of their ripening. Experience confirms that it is necessary to start collecting fruit earrings at the moment when the first fruit boxes begin to open in them, that is, the ends of white hairs - flyers appear.

In order not to harm the tree, it is recommended to collect earrings directly, without branches. To obtain a quality harvest, timely must be taken necessary measures to the destruction of pests, especially caterpillars of the frog moth (Batracherda praengusia), and to prevent their mass distribution. The spread of pests is especially facilitated by warm and dry weather.

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

It is impossible to recognize as a rational method of collecting seeds in the Oboyansky forestry enterprise, according to which females are cut down 10-12 days before the expected ripening of seeds, pollinated abundantly to kill pests, pollinated again after 2-3 days and after the appearance of the first down, earrings are collected.

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

An important and time-consuming process is obtaining seeds from collected catkins, as well as cleaning them from voles and carpels. Usually for this, the earrings are rubbed through a sieve with holes of 2-3 mm. This is a long process, and some of the seeds remain in the mashed bats. 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 boxes begin to fade and white fluff appears on their tops, it's time to harvest the seeds. The latter are removed from the boxes, first rubbing for 2-3 minutes between the palms, then through a sieve; get about 30-40% of the possible number of seeds.

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

In the laboratory of forest breeding LatNIILKhP, the problem of cleaning seeds from fluff has been solved. To facilitate and speed up cleaning, as well as increase the yield of seeds, a device of our own design was used. Cleaning immediately after collection is carried out as follows: the earrings are spread on the table in room conditions 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 seeds and fluff folded in a heap through the sieve cylinder and tip. The presence of a sieve cylinder makes it possible to separate seeds and fluff from a heap, which enter the storage chamber through a flexible hose. Upon entering this chamber, the seeds are separated from the fluff and sent through the separating mesh into an additional container, and the fluff under the action of air flow collected at the back of the storage chamber. To clean the outer surface of the sieve cylinder from heap particles, the tip is made rotatable.

Reception, if necessary, can be repeated several times until all the seeds are collected. For 3-7 days, all seeds gradually ripen (previously ripened ones are collected at the first receptions). Thus, seed losses are minimal and seed yield is maximized. 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 harvested earrings), since much less seeds remain in the separated fluff. With manual cleaning of seeds, their yield is only 0.5-2%.

Instead of said device, it is possible to successfully use a vacuum cleaner in combination with sieves of an appropriate size; in this case, it is only more inconvenient to work and the yield of seeds 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 in color with a purple tint, 0.9-1.2 mm long on average, 0.3-0.6 wide and 0.2-0.4 mm thick. Seeds that have ripened after collecting earrings, that is, artificially, are slightly lighter, and their mass is less than that of those that have ripened naturally on a tree (for example, the mass of seeds collected a week before natural maturity is less than half). The fewer seeds in the box (the worse the pollination conditions), the greater the mass of individual seeds. The mass of seeds from trees up to 15 years old is less than from older trees.

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

If you find an error, please select a piece of text and press Ctrl+Enter.

Aspen

Aspen(populus tremula) - Aspen is the second largest hardwood in terms of area (1/10 of this area), grows almost everywhere. Aspen is a nuclear-free breed. The wood is white, with a greenish tint; annual layers are poorly visible, medullary rays are not visible. Aspen wood has a homogeneous structure, is easily peeled, impregnated and does not give a very 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 fibreboard, cellulose, cardboard, plywood, in wood chemistry 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 special literature on woodworking: it occupies 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, for its light tone, fine fiber texture, and for the fact that it is affordable and even more common than linden. In the handicraft industry, aspen is also “respected” for the fact that it is not afraid of moisture, for its low density. Only Siberian fir and poplar have a density less than that of aspen, while linden has the same density. Therefore, aspen is used to make light toys and dishes. Previously, troughs, tubs, and gangs were made from it. In addition, it does not crack and does not prick from impact. In addition, aspen peels well - shingles are made from it, matches are made.

Aspen has another completely unexpected property - a strong increase in strength during exposure. With her 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 of aspen many years ago still amaze with their strength, whiteness and purity. The ax bounces off such wood, at best it sticks only shallowly. It is not for nothing that aspen is now used in villages for the manufacture of shelves and benches in baths, for facing their walls - it is hygienic, bright and clean, is 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 juice, and allow it to dry well in the shade - to dry out. Then it will become both light and strong, like a bone. Obviously, the aspen does not just dry out, some kind of polymerization occurs under the action of the components of its juice. Oral legends say that they did the same with the harvesting 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 did not rot during drying, and the necessary juice was preserved in moderation. For the same reasons, when drying an unskinned aspen trunk, some branches were sometimes left on its top, which pulled excess moisture out of the wood. To obtain the ideal aspen wood, its trunks were harvested along with the birth of a son in the family, and it dried up until the son was separated from the family and a house was built for him. The best ax for a carpenter and joiner, as well as for a home craftsman, is also made from well-aged aspen. It is not only light, but it also does not bruise the hand, does not fill corns, which usually happens when working with a birch ax handle, polished and slipping out of the hands (although it is better to buy an ax handle for an ax for chopping firewood from birch: its fracture strength does not depend slept from the time of year).

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

In terms of shear strength, aspen is similar to linden and surpasses conifers in this, 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, coniferous trees. This indicates the viscosity of aspen. Aspen is cut elastically, even tight, with effort, but the surface is good in all directions, it is perfectly ground and polished. Considering the indicated properties of aspen, it is especially advantageous to use it for crafts with blind carvings, for making complex, one-piece 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 plowshares (figured carved planks).

Any wood that is not protected by varnishes or paints turns gray and gradually collapses and rots. Unpainted aspen also turns gray, but unlike other types of wood, it is more resistant to weathering and, having acquired its silvery gray color with a metallic tint over several years (according to some reports, for 8-10 years), it 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)?

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

General view of the tree

Aspen fruits on the branches

Longitudinal and cross cuts

Botanical illustration from O. V. Tome's book "Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz", 1885

Aspen growing north of the Arctic Circle in Norway