The Linden It is an imposing tree that grows in the forests of the Northern Hemisphere. With a height of up to 30 meters and a crown diameter of up to 10m, it is a perfect plant to have as an isolated specimen in large gardens. It does not require special care, so if you do not have much experience in green care, this plant will give you great satisfaction.
Get to know this amazing tree in depth.
Basswood characteristics
The linden is a genus of trees that includes about 30 species, the best known being the tillia cordata and tillia platyphyllos. All of them have deciduous leaves, which reach incredible sizes as we mentioned at the beginning, and can live up to 900 years.. The leaves are light green, have serrated edges, and are up to 20cm wide. The flowers are aromatic, and are shaped like yellow clusters.
They are very beloved plants, as they provide very good shade and are very decorative. Let’s know how to take care of them.
Care
If we want to have a linden, we will need a garden with a lot of space available so that it can grow and develop properly. But it is also advisable that we take into account the following:
Location
We have to plant it full sunat a minimum distance of 33 meters from another high floor. It is very important that we plant it at a minimum distance of 10m from any construction, as its roots could damage it.
Land
It grows in all types of soilsbut prefer those that stay cool and moist.
Irrigation
Frequent in summer, somewhat rarer the rest of the year. We have to avoid waterlogging, but keep the soil moist. Thus, for example, if the weather is dry, we will water it up to 3 times a week in summer, but if it rains frequently, 2 weekly irrigations will be sufficient during that season. The rest of the year we will water it no more than 2 times / week.
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During the growing season, that is, in spring and summer, it is highly recommended that we fertilize it with Organic fertilizerssuch as horse manure or guano.
Pruning
It’s not necesaryalthough if it grows a lot we can cut its branches in autumn or at the end of winter.
Rusticity
Withstands frosts up to -15ºCbut excessive heat (over 30ºC) hurts it.
Multiplication
If we want to have new copies, we can sow your seeds in spring. But we have to know that during the first year it is very difficult for them to germinate, since they are protected by a very hard cover. To soften it, we can subject the seeds to thermal shock, which consists of placing them in a glass of boiling water for 1 second and 24 hours in another glass with water at room temperature.
The next day, we will sow them in pots with universal growing substrate mixed with 20% perlite, and we will keep it moist.
Plagues and diseases
The most common problems are the following:
- Roya: it is a fungus that attacks green leaves and stems. Orange bumps will appear on the affected plant. It is fought with Oxycarboxin.
- Cottony mealybug: If the climate is hot and dry, the mealybugs will feed on the tree’s sap. In principle, they are not capable of ending it, but you have to keep them at bay. To do this, it is highly recommended to treat the plant with an anti-scale insecticide, such as paraffin oil.
- Drills: they are larvae that feed on the wood of trunks and branches, as they excavate galleries. They are fought with Fenvalerate, Bifenthrin or Deltamethrin.
Uses and properties of linden
This is a tree that is planted in gardens for its incredible ornamental value. But it must also be said that it has many and very interesting medicinal properties. And, how many times have you heard that a linden can help you sleep better? Some other, right? Well then. In addition to being a natural remedy against insomnia, for which it will be enough to take an infusion with 4-5 leaves, it is often used to:
- Soothe the headache: If you have this type of pain, prepare an infusion with 5-10 leaves.
- Relieve foot pain: prepare an infusion of 7-10 leaves, and wash your feet.
- Rheumatism: you can prepare an infusion with up to 10 leaves, or a poultice made with crushed leaves and flowers.
- Colds, colds, flus: prepare an infusion with 10 grams of leaves in a liter of boiling water, and drink it three times a day.
- Colic: to relieve them, take infusions made with 10-15 leaves several times a day.
Curiosities
Being an imposing looking tree and having such a long life expectancy, it has been regarded as a sacred element among several of the ancient Indo-European tribes.
Also, it should be noted that when the leaves fall in autumn, provide a high mineral and nutrient content hummus decomposing, which is very useful for improving poor land.
And so far the space on the linden. We hope it has helped you to learn more about this interesting tree species .
