Pinus radiata (Bekele-Tesemma, 2007)
| Pinus radiata (Bekele-Tesemma, 2007) |
Pinus radiata Pinaceae California, USA
Common names
- English: Monterey pine, Radiata pine
- Amargna: Radiata
Ecology
Now widely introduced in Ethiopia in Moist and Wet Weyna Dega and Dega agroclimatic zones of Shoa, Kefa, and Arsi regions, 2,200-2,500 m. It does well on neutral to acid well-drained soils.
Uses
Firewood, timber (heavy and light construction), poles, posts, ornamental, windbreak, long-fiber pulp.
Description
An evergreen timber tree that grows to 50 m with a straight trunk and upcurved branches, developing an open, irregular crown as it matures.
- BARK: Thick, dark brown, deeply grooved with age.
- LEAVES: Bright blue-green needles, soft, sharply tipped, 10–15 cm long, in bundles of 3, forming dense tufts.
- CONES: Mature female cones very large, shiny grey up to 15 cm long, with an oblique base, in whorls of 3–6, remaining on the tree for many years.
Propagation
Seedlings.
Seed
33,000–50,000 seed per kg. Germination is rapid and uniform.
- Treatment: Pines live in symbiosis with mycorrhiza fungi. Inoculation may be required. A simple method is to mix the nursery soil with a part of soil where the pine species has grown before.
- Storage: Can be stored for several years if kept dry and cool and in an air-tight container.
Management
Can grow extremely fast. Thinning, pruning.
Remarks
Tolerates sand, wind, frost, and drought. Trees are attacked by woolly aphid and the fungus Diplodea pinea. Seedlings are also susceptible to damping-off fungus. The soft white wood is light and straight grained but it has a low resistance to decay and termite attack. This pine is planted worldwide for paper pulp.
