What is made of spruce story. Wooden construction. Folk recipes for using spruce

Spruce ( Picea) is an evergreen coniferous tree, a symbol of the New Year. Belongs to the pine order, pine family, spruce genus. Spruce height can reach 50 meters, and the life span of a tree can be 600 years, although usually a tree lives up to 250-300 years.

Spruce - description, appearance, photo

At young tree during the first 15 years of growth, the root system has a rod structure, but then it develops as a superficial one, since the main root dies off as it grows older. In the first years of life, the spruce grows up and practically does not give lateral branches. The straight spruce trunk has round shape and gray bark, exfoliating into thin plates. spruce wood low-resinous and homogeneous, white in color with a slight golden hue.

The pyramidal or cone-shaped crown of spruce is made up of whorled-arranged branches growing almost perpendicular to the trunk. short spruce needles located on the branches in a spiral order and has a tetrahedral or flat shape. The color of the needles is usually green, blue, yellowish or dove. The needles remain viable for 6 years, and the fallen needles are renewed annually. Some insects are not indifferent to spruce needles (for example, nun butterflies) and eat the needles so much that brush shoots form on damaged spruce branches - very short and hard needles that look like brushes.

spruce cones have a slightly pointed, slightly elongated cylindrical shape. They can reach a length of 15 cm and have a diameter of at least 4 cm. A spruce cone is an axis, and a lot of covering scales grow around it, in the axils of which seed scales are located. On the upper part of the seed scales, 2 ovules are formed, endowed with a false wing. Spruce seeds ripen in October, after which the seeds are dispersed by the wind and remain viable for 8-10 years.

Types of fir trees, names and photos

Today, more than 45 species of spruce trees have been studied, growing in natural conditions and having a trunk height from 30 cm to 50 m, a different crown structure and various colors of needles. Among all representatives of this genus, the most famous are the following varieties:

• European (ordinary) spruce (Picea abies)

An evergreen coniferous tree, the average height of which is 30 m, but there are instances of 50 m in height. The crown of the spruce is cone-shaped, whorled branches of a drooping or prostrate type, the bark of the trunk is dark gray, begins to peel off with age in plates of small thickness. Spruce needles are tetrahedral, arranged in a spiral on spruce legs. Common spruce forms huge woodlands in the north-east of Europe, it is found in the mountainous regions of the Alps and the Carpathians, in the Pyrenees and the Balkan Peninsula, in North America and central Russia, and even in the Siberian taiga.

• Siberian spruce (Picea obovata)

Tall, up to 30 meters tall tree with a pyramidal crown. The diameter of the Siberian spruce trunk in girth can exceed 70-80 cm. The needles of the Siberian spruce are somewhat shorter than those of the common spruce, and more prickly. Siberian spruce grows in the forests of the northern part of Europe, in Kazakhstan and China, on the Scandinavian Peninsula and in Mongolia, in the Urals and in the Magadan region.

• Oriental spruce (Picea orientalis)

The height of the tree varies from 32 to 55 meters, the crown is conical, with densely arranged branches. The bark of the spruce trunk is low-resinous, gray-brown in color, scaly. The needles are shiny, slightly flattened, tetrahedral, with a slightly rounded tip. Oriental spruce is widespread in the forests of the Caucasus and in the northern territories of Asia, forms pure massifs there, or is found in mixed forests.

• Korean spruce (Picea koraiensis)

Quite a tall coniferous tree, reaching 30-40 m in height, with a grayish-brown trunk in color of the bark, with a girth of up to 75-80 cm. Under natural conditions, Korean spruce grows in the regions of the Far East, in China, in the Primorsky Territory and the Amur Region, in North Korea.

• Ayan spruce (small-seeded, Hokkaido) (Picea jezoensis)

Outwardly, this type of spruce is very similar to the European spruce. The pyramidal crown of the Ayan spruce has bright green, almost non-resinous needles with a sharp tip, the height of the trunk is usually 30-40 meters, occasionally up to 50 m, the girth of the trunk reaches a meter, and sometimes more. Spruce grows in the Far East region, in Japan and China, on Sakhalin and the territory Kamchatka Territory, in Korea and the Amur Region, in the Kuril Islands, along the coast of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk and in the Sikhote-Alin mountains.

• Tien— shan spruce (Picea schrenkiana subsp. tianschanica)

Spruces of this species often reach a height of 60 m, and the trunk is 1.7-2 meters in diameter. The crown of the Tien Shan spruce is cylindrical, less often pyramidal. The needles are diamond-shaped, straight or slightly curved. A distinctive feature is the presence of anchor roots that are able to bend and cling tightly to stones or rocky ledges. Spruce grows in areas Central Asia, is widespread in the Tien Shan mountains, especially common in Kazakhstan and the mountainous regions of Kyrgyzstan.

• spruce glen (Picea glehnii)

A coniferous tree with a very dense, cone-shaped crown. The height of the trunk is from 17 to 30 meters, the diameter varies from 60 to 75 cm. The bark is covered with scale plates, has a beautiful chocolate tint. The long tetrahedral needles are slightly curved, sharp in young trees and slightly blunt in mature specimens. The needles are dark green, with a bluish bloom, has a tart spruce aroma. Spruce Glen grows in Japan, in southern regions Sakhalin, in the south of the Kuril Islands.

• Canadian spruce (gray spruce, white spruce) (Picea glauca)

Slim evergreen tree, most often not exceeding 15-20 meters in height, the diameter of the Canadian spruce trunk in diameter is not more than 1 meter. The bark on the trunk is quite thin, covered with scales. The crown is narrowly conical in young specimens, while in adult fir trees it takes the form of a cylinder. The needles of spruce are long (up to 2.5 cm), blue-green in color, have a diamond-shaped cross section. Canadian spruce grows in the states of North America, often found in Alaska, Michigan, South Dakota.

• red spruce (Picea rubens)

Evergreen tree, 20 to 40 meters high bad conditions growth can have a height of only 4-6 meters. The diameter of the red spruce trunk rarely exceeds 1 meter, and is usually 50-60 centimeters. The crown is cone-shaped, significantly expanding towards the base of the trunk. The needles are quite long - 12-15mm, practically do not prick, as it has a rounded tip. This type of spruce is common in England and Canada, grows in the highlands of the Appalachians and in Scotland, occurring almost along the entire Atlantic coast.

• Serbian spruce (Picea omorika)

evergreen representative coniferous trees, with a height of 20 to 35 meters, Serbian spruce trees reaching 40 meters in height are very rare. The crown was pyramidal, but narrow, and closer to columnar in shape. The branches are short, sparse, slightly raised upwards. The needles were green, shiny, with a slightly bluish tint, slightly flattened above and below. This type of spruce is very rare: in natural environment grows only in Western Serbia and Eastern Bosnia.

• Blue spruce, she is prickly spruce(Picea pungens)

a very popular type of spruce, often used as an ornamental plant. Blue spruce can grow up to 46 meters in height, although the average tree height is 25-30 m, and the trunk diameter is up to 1.5 m. Needles 1.5-3 cm long come in different shades - from grayish green to bright blue. Spruce cones 6-11 cm long can be reddish or purple, becoming light brown when ripe. Blue spruce grows in western North America (from Idaho to New Mexico), where it is widely distributed on wet soils along coasts. mountain rivers and streams.

Dwarf spruce, varieties and types, names and photos

Among the huge variety of species and varieties of spruces, dwarf spruces are especially popular - amazing elements of landscape design and a wonderful decoration for every garden. Dwarf spruce is durable, unpretentious, easy to care for. These miniature trees amaze with the magnificence of shapes and colors and fit perfectly into rock gardens, rockeries, flower beds, Japanese gardens. Here are some types of dwarf firs:

Dwarf spruce Nidiformis (Nidiformis)

one of the forms of Norway spruce, a dense nest-like shrub with light green needles, grows up to 40 cm in height and no more than 1 m in width.

spruce mutation result common variety Acrocona is an unusual plant of uneven shape, 30-100 cm high and 50 cm in diameter. Small pink cones, formed on shoots of different lengths, look especially picturesque.

Dwarf Blue Spruce Glauka Globoza (Glauca Globosa)

one of the popular types of blue spruce with a dense, wide-conical crown and light blue crescent-shaped needles. By the age of 10, the tree grows up to 3 m in height and gradually becomes almost round.

a very decorative conifer with a symmetrical pyramidal crown and two-color needles: the needles are dark green above and light blue below. The tree grows up to 3-3.5 m in height, and the diameter of the crown at the base is 2.5 m.

Prickly spruce dwarf Bialobok (Bialobok)

a unique spruce variety of Polish selection with blue, silver and golden shades of needles. The Christmas tree acquires a special decorative effect in spring, when young shoots of a whitish-cream color appear against the background of mature dark green needles. The height of the dwarf spruce is no more than 2 meters.

Where does spruce grow?

The distribution area of ​​this tree is quite wide. Different types fir trees grow in Europe, America and Asia. The largest number is the common spruce, which grows on the territory of Western European countries, central Russia, the Urals, up to the Amur watershed. In the expanses of Siberia and the Far East, Siberian and Ayan spruce grows, and in the mountains of the Caucasus - oriental spruce. There are species that grow only in certain climatic conditions, for example, Glen's spruce, common on the southern coast of Sakhalin, the Kuril ridge and the island of Hokkaido.

spruce breeding

Spruce is a gymnosperm plant and reproduces with the help of heterosexual cones. Pollen from male cones ripened in May is carried by the wind and fertilizes large female cones growing at the ends of branches. A spruce cone with ripened seeds falls to the ground, from where it is picked up by the wind and carried away for considerable distances. Spruces reach the ability to reproduce by the age of 15.

How to grow spruce at home?

IN Lately spruce cultivation has become popular household plots or in city parks. To achieve success, it is better to purchase tree seedlings 3-5 years old in specialized stores or nurseries. High quality planting material is supplied in containers with a closed earth root system.

For a good engraftment of seedlings, a site is selected without a high occurrence of groundwater, with light neutral or slightly acidic soil, good drainage is ensured when planting. At first, it is necessary to cover the young plant from the scorching rays of the sun.

Seedling care is quite simple: water once a week, loosen the surface soil layer and remove weeds.

The chemical composition of all trees from the spruce genus is almost identical, and all above-ground parts of the plant are valuable medicinal raw materials due to the presence of many useful substances:

• vitamins B3, K, C, E, PP;
• essential oils;
• phytoncides;
• tannins (tannins);
• carotenoids;
• polyprenols (natural bioregulators);
• resins;
• bornyl acetate;
• copper, iron, manganese, chromium.

The highest concentration of useful substances was found in young spruce shoots, spruce buds and cones, therefore, infusions and decoctions based on them are widely used to treat many diseases, such as:

• bronchial asthma and viral diseases of the respiratory tract;
• infectious diseases of the kidneys and urinary tract;
• neurological diseases (neurosis, plexitis, sciatica);
• purulent wounds and fungal skin lesions;
• vascular and heart diseases (hypertension, atherosclerosis).

Spruce oil is an excellent tonic that helps relieve fatigue, fight stress, and normalize activity. nervous system. It is also widely used as a remedy for strengthening hair and fighting dandruff.

Regular use of a decoction of spruce needles (1 tbsp of raw materials per 1 glass of water) strengthens the immune system, cleanses the blood and has a general strengthening effect on the body, especially during the cold season.

Christmas tree, tradition and photo

The beautiful and noble tradition of decorating a Christmas tree for the New Year is rooted in ancient times, when people deified nature, worshiped the forest and believed that spirits live in trees, on which the future harvest and well-being depend. To win the mercy of powerful spirits, on the fir, sacred tree, personifying life itself and rebirth, people hung gifts at the end of December. According to legend, the decorated branches of spruce drove away evil spirits and evil spirit, and also gave the house well-being for the whole next year.

The fashion trend of the 20th and 21st centuries, the artificial Christmas tree, is no more worthy alternative a living tree, and a good imitation will by no means replace a real forest beauty. A plastic tree is another business industry, and real live Christmas trees for the New Year are the tradition of our ancestors, the true spirit of the New Year and Christmas. Therefore, despite all the convenient innovations, most Russians still want to buy a live Christmas tree for the New Year, and state forestries and private nurseries care about the quality of the most important New Year's product.

• Thanks to the ability of firs to give new shoots from the roots of a dead tree in Swedish national park is the oldest root system on the planet of Norway spruce, which has an age of more than 9500 years.
• Spruce wood has long been made the best musical instruments: harp, guitar, cello. Spruce for their creations used Amati and Stradivarius.
• Spruce forest - the most shady and dark because of the "shaggy", densely dotted with needles spruce paws. Even in the heat in the spruce forest is always cool.
• For some peoples of Europe, spruce was considered a totem tree: the warriors of the ancient Germanic tribes “caused” the spirit living in the crown, decorating the spruce with flowers and uttering ritual spells before the conquest campaign.
• Spruce needles are an excellent vitamin remedy that is used to make "green" flour for livestock feed, and tree wood is sometimes used for tanning leather.

Spruce forests occupy 16.5% of the total forest area; spruce grows mainly in the northern regions of the country. The wood of these conifers is light, soft, with a significant number of whorled and scattered knots, the hardness of which is much higher than that of the surrounding wood. Spruce is less resinous and bends better than pine, but it is more difficult to work because of the abundance and hardness of the knots. The texture of spruce wood is the same as that of pine, but its color is lighter, the dark-colored late zone of wood of the annual layers is narrower.

wood properties

The main tree species for the construction of individual - pine, spruce and larch. Lumber from them has the most optimal properties for structural wooden elements of walls, windows, doors, ceilings, beams, rafters, etc.

Pine. Most commonly used in construction. The presence of resin makes its wood relatively resistant to moisture. Suitable for machining. The lower part of the pine trunk is usually without branches, and, accordingly, without knots, in this way it compares favorably with spruce. On the cut of the trunk, the heartwood and sapwood are clearly expressed.

Spruce. Wood does not have a clear boundary between the core and sapwood. The uniformity of the structure and, accordingly, properties is its advantage. Due to the large branchiness, it is more difficult to process pine. The resin content is less than that of pine, resistance to decay under the influence high humidity worse.

Larch. The wood has a high density and strength almost 30% higher than that of pine wood. Possesses high resistance against rotting and beautiful texture.

It can cause difficulties in processing, it is hard to saw, it pricks well; but it also cracks easily when dried, including in places where nails are driven in, therefore it is not recommended to use it for nail structures. Larch lumber is usually more expensive than pine and spruce lumber.

Spruce construction Spruce wood has increased knotting and hardness of knots, so it is more difficult to process by planing; dark tarred (horn) knots are especially common and interfere with processing, which are so hard that they cause crumbling of the blades of the machine or tool. On the other hand, spruce has many advantages: its wood has a low density, uniformity and low resin content.

Spruce is suitable for staining and painting. Since spruce wood rots quickly, it should be treated with an antiseptic.

Application of spruce materials

Spruce is processed in the form of round timber, various lumber, veneer. We, at the Gamma Trade enterprise, make eurolining, block-house, imitation of timber, boards of different sizes, various moldings from it: platbands, plinths, overlays. You can use spruce anywhere, both as structural timber and in construction. It is excellent for interior and exterior trim work. Spruce wood can be used together with fir, since these species are similar in quality and appearance.

Spruce Guitar BodyThe white color, low resin content of the wood, as well as sufficiently long fibers make spruce wood especially valuable for pulp and paper production. Spruce is generally often used in wood chemical production - and methyl alcohol, turpentine, wood vinegar, rosin, and tar are made from it. Various volatile fractions are isolated from needles and spruce wood, which consist mainly of terpenoids - these are essential oils, their main constituent component is pinene.

Musical instruments are made from some types of spruce, since the fibers of the wood are evenly spaced. Of course, wood is carefully selected and processed. Then, under the same conditions, it dries for about 10 years, as a result of which the resin dries out, and small resonant chambers form in its place. Such wood is called resonant, it perfectly conducts sound. The violins of the greatest masters were made of spruce.

Coniferous wood

Pine occupies about 1/6 of the area of ​​all forests in Russia. The most common species is Scots pine. It grows in the Crimea and the Caucasus.

Pine wood is a fairly soft material. Well handled. It is used for the manufacture of window, door blocks, furniture, flights of stairs.
Spruce occupies 1/8 of the forested area. Spruce wood is processed somewhat worse due to greater knotiness. Its advantages are the uniformity of the structure, White color and low resinity. It is used in construction for the manufacture of window and door blocks, boards for flooring, skirting boards, platbands, trim and layout, for the manufacture of household furniture. Spruce is used to obtain shingles, shingles, shavings for egg packaging. From the bark of spruce, tanning materials for the leather industry are obtained. Larch occupies about 2/3 of the area of ​​all forests in our country. Larch wood has high physical and mechanical properties: the density and strength of its wood is almost 30% higher than that of pine wood. It has a high resistance to decay.

Larch wood is heavy. Larch wood is used in cases where high strength and resistance to decay are required (hydraulic structures, piles, poles, ties, sleepers, mine rack). In car building, larch wood is sometimes used instead. It is used in furniture production, as it has a beautiful texture.

Fir. Fir wood has the highest physical and mechanical properties and is not inferior to spruce wood. Fir wood is used along with spruce wood.

Cedar. In terms of physical and mechanical properties, wood occupies an intermediate position between Siberian spruce and fir wood, but exceeds them in resistance to decay. Cedar wood is well processed in different directions; used for the production of pencils, in carpentry and furniture production, for the manufacture of sleepers, mine racks, etc.

Yew. Yew wood has a beautiful appearance and therefore is valued in the furniture industry, is used for interior decoration, the manufacture of turning and carved products, small art products.

Spruce forests occupy 16.5% of the total forest area; spruce grows mainly in the northern regions of the country. The wood of these conifers is light, soft, with a significant number of whorled and scattered knots, the hardness of which is much higher than that of the surrounding wood.
Spruce is less resinous and bends better than pine, but it is more difficult to work because of the abundance and hardness of the knots. The texture of spruce wood is the same as that of pine, but its color is lighter, the dark-colored late wood zone of the annual layers is narrower.

If you choose between pine or spruce, pine is more likely to be recommended: it is drier, harder and less prone to mold and fungus.

So, if in one batch there are logs (profiled timber) and pines, and spruces, then in the wall it is the spruce crowns that are covered with a fungus (if the log house is not sufficiently ventilated). If the log cabin of the house or bath is not clogged and the ventilation is properly organized, then neither spruce nor pine will have problems with the fungus.

Continuing to compare spruce and pine, it should be noted that pine blushes over time. So if you want to see white walls - you need to use spruce. In addition, spruce wood is more homogeneous than pine and is less prone to cracking during drying and shrinkage of the log house.

spruce wood properties

Spruce is a coniferous evergreen tree of the pine family. This is a riddle about her: "Winter and summer in one color." The message will take a closer look at this interesting tree, talk about where it grows and how it is used in the national economy.

Description

A Christmas tree is a slender tree that can grow up to 35 meters high. The first 10 years it grows very slowly - a few cm per year, then the growth rate increases, but after 100-120 years it slows down again. It has a pyramidal (triangular) crown with a sharp top. The branches are located densely along the entire trunk. It is often difficult to see behind spruce paws.

In a young tree, the bark is smooth gray-brown in color; in an old tree, the bark becomes gray and peels off in thin plates. The needles are dark green and shiny, sharp and prickly. The needles are much shorter than those of pine, up to 3 cm long.

They firmly hold on the branches for 7-10 years. But in urban conditions, with strong smoke in the air, the life expectancy of the needles is greatly reduced: it falls off after 3 years.

The root system of spruce is located close to the surface, so a strong wind can knock down a tree.

Spruce is a long-liver, she lives 250-300 years.

Where does it grow

She grows throughout the Northern Hemisphere. It can be found, Central and Northern Europe. It is ubiquitous in Russia: in Siberia, the Urals, Far East, in the Caucasus, in the steppe zone. It also grows in China and Japan.

In total there are 50 kinds oil. The most common: Siberian, European, Caucasian, Canadian, white, red, black.

The Christmas tree is the basis of the taiga. It grows in mixed forests, adjoining well with pine, oak, linden, aspen, hazel. It also forms pure spruce forests, which have a number of features:

• it is damp and dark here;
• the soil is completely covered with moss;
• dense thickets of blueberries, lingonberries, oxalis, cuckoo flax grow under spruce paws.

Growing conditions and reproduction

In order for spruce to grow well, it needs the following conditions:

• Shadow. This is a tree not very fond of the sun, young Christmas trees often get sunburned in open places.
• Sufficient hydration. Christmas tree does not tolerate drought well.
• Temperate climate. The wood is cold hardy not afraid of frost but it does not grow well in the southern regions, where the summer is too hot and long,
• The soil should not be too dense, moderately fertile.

Spruce is a monoecious plant. This means that male spikelets and female cones grow on the same tree. Propagated by seeds whose germination is very good. Cones open in late November - early December, the seeds fall out, they are picked up by the wind and spread far around the neighborhood.

In early spring, the seed awakens and begins to grow. The main condition for the sprouts to take root and develop well is a warm spring, because they die during spring frosts.

Use in the national economy

Spruce plantations can often be seen in sanatoriums. Because their needles emit phytoncides that purify and disinfect the air. Also, spruce often becomes the basis of landscapes in personal plots.

Quality musical instruments are made from this tree. Soft wood is used to make paper, rayon, and smokeless powder. Get resin, tar, rosin, turpentine.

Fir cones are widely used in folk medicine. Healers believe that the tree is a donor tree, if you lean against it and stand like that for several minutes, it will give a person energy and strength.

forest guest waiting for the new year kids.

How much joy she brings, filling the house with a special forest smell and pleasing the eye with her beauty!

If this message was useful to you, I would be glad to see you

Norway spruce, from the point of view of a biologist, is a direct relative of pine. This plant is one of the most ancient. The physiology of this tree determines many qualities of spruce.

Biological characteristics of spruce

The familiar Christmas tree is a gymnosperm plant that forms high (25-30 meters) woody forms. On the territory of the Northern Hemisphere, this tree species formed entire forests, common spruce is one of the main components of the taiga.

The tree is evergreen, its green parts are transformed leaves, the nature of the changes of which is aimed at reducing evaporation and thus preserving moisture. From the trunk, in the adult state covered with brown bark, whorls of branches depart, while the tree forms a pyramidal crown.

Spruce loses part of its needles annually, which is associated with the accumulation of substances toxic to the survival of the tree in the needles. The water-repellent properties of needles determine the fact that spruce forests are very dry. Reproduction occurs by transferring seeds formed in cones - megastrobiles. Fertilization occurs within the same tree, since male and female strobili are located on the same individual. Seed maturation takes place in autumn season i.e. September-October.

Gymnosperms, a typical representative of which is the common spruce, have come down to our times from Cretaceous mesozoic. In those days, angiosperms (flowering) plants had just emerged. Later, angiosperms, due to their adaptability, became cosmopolitan and spread throughout the globe.

Meanwhile, gymnosperms, due to the peculiarities of their growth, in some places can displace trees belonging to the angiosperm department. A typical example is the joint growth of spruce and birch. First, the birch crown gives the shade necessary for a small Christmas tree, and when it grows, it obscures the territory and acidifies the soil, so the birch dies off.

The ancient Germans revered the spruce tree as the source of forest life and worshiped it. Of course, the tradition of decorating a tree dates back to pagan times. However, Christianity is known to have adopted many pagan rites. Therefore, the fir tree began to decorate for Christmas.

Fashion to install and decorate spruce under New Year in Russia, the reformer tsar Peter I introduced it. The German tradition quickly became popular in our country, and to this day we put this pretty tree in our apartments, houses or household plots.

Chemical composition

In general, common spruce, like any other plant, is formed by a complex of organic and mineral substances. However, the proportions of some substances fluctuate depending on the season. Therefore, there is evidence that there are more useful substances in winter spruces than in trees of other seasons of the year.

The organic component of the composition is represented by a large number of phytoncides, resinous and tannic components, vitamins, polyprenols, as well as carbohydrates, fiber and some other substances.

Various mineral salts are dissolved in the cell sap of the Christmas tree, which are donors of substances such as iron, magnesium, manganese, and aluminum. It is known that different parts of this plant contain different elements, for example, the bark of a tree contains tannins, which are practically absent in other parts of the tree.

This phenomenon is associated with aspects of the life of spruce. Features of the seasonal composition determine the time of collection of medicinal raw materials, for example, it is better to collect cones in the summer, and take needles from young spring twigs.

Application in traditional medicine

Norway spruce has a lot of useful properties, so even official medicine recognizes it.

Currently, there are several pharmaceutical preparations that are used to treat various diseases. A typical example is medicine"Pana-Bin", which is a mixture essential oils spruce needles and peach oil, mixed in a 1:1 ratio. This preparation is used to treat urolithiasis, because the substances that make up the needles affect the smooth muscles of the ureters.

The medicinal qualities of common spruce are widely used in various recipes folk medicine. For the treatment of various diseases, specialists in the field of homeopathy use different raw materials from spruce.
Phytoncides included in the composition different parts spruce, determine its therapeutic effect on respiratory system person. Many problems associated with the area of ​​specialization of the ENT doctor can be solved through the use of infusions and decoctions on spruce. In folk medicine, a decoction of spruce cones is used for this purpose.
Ingredients: finely chopped cones - 1 tbsp. spoon, water - 2 tbsp. Preparation and reception: the components are mixed and boiled for about 0.5 hours. Strained broth is used for inhalation, which should be carried out for at least 10-15 minutes. The liquid can be reused, preheated. The shelf life of the decoction is 3 days if stored in the refrigerator.

With the help of inhalation decoction fir cones treat respiratory diseases such as bronchitis, pneumonia, asthma. Also, a decoction can be used to gargle with sore throat, laryngitis, tonsillitis, pharyngitis. In case of diseases of the nasal passages - sinusitis, rhinitis, sinusitis - washing them with salted infusion on spruce cones is useful.

In addition to spruce cones, spruce resin is used to treat the internal respiratory tract - bronchi. To do this, it is mixed with beeswax, having previously melted, in a ratio of 1: 1. After cooling, the viscous mass is rolled into balls, which can be stored for a long time. Application occurs by burning (smoldering) one ball and inhaling the resulting smoke.

For treatment various diseases The human musculoskeletal system uses spruce needles. The composition of this plant element includes vitamins, tannins and essential oils. Together, they have an analgesic, diaphoretic and antimicrobial effect on a person. These mechanisms underlie the use of spruce as a medicinal raw material in the treatment of arthritis, rheumatism and sciatica. There is a recipe among the people that has been used since ancient times.

Ingredients: finely chopped spruce needles - 1 tbsp. spoon, hot water -1 glass. Preparation and reception: the needles are brewed with boiling water and simmered over low heat for about half an hour. The infusion is filtered and used to rub the affected joints.

Also, for the treatment of pain in the joints, especially at the stage of the process, when the shape of the joint is transformed, resin helps, otherwise - spruce resin. To do this, it is placed in a damp warm gauze, heated to a temperature of 30-40 degrees and the gauze (or bandage) soaked in resin is applied to the diseased joints of the arms or legs. In some cases, even spruce wood can be used to treat diseases of the spine and back. For example, from sciatica among the people there is the following recipe:

Ingredients: wood chips or finely chopped spruce needles - 0.5 kg. Preparation and reception: vegetable raw materials are calcined in the oven or in a frying pan and transferred to a woven bag. A hot bag is placed on a sore spot on the back, previously covered with a waffle towel or diaper.

At the same time, the therapeutic effect is achieved simultaneously from heating the affected area, and also, when cooling, the raw wood releases aromatic substances that have a psychological calming effect on the patient and disinfects the air. Warming up with this method is carried out for 15-20 minutes.

In folk medicine, the calming effect of spruce raw materials is used. For the treatment of chronic fatigue, stress, anxiety and even neurosis, it is useful to use lying, sitting and foot baths. For insomnia, spruce needles are used, placed in a woven bag, which is placed close to the pillow. However, it should be borne in mind that over time, such a handbag with needles loses its beneficial features, therefore, vegetable raw materials are recommended for replacement at least once every 2 months.

For baths, water extracts and decoctions of spruce needles are used. They are bred in the volume of warm or hot water poured into the bath. There is the following recipe based on needles.

Ingredients: spruce needles - 100g, warm water -1 liter. Preparation and reception: The components are mixed and allowed to boil in a saucepan with a covered lid for about half an hour over medium heat. The broth is filtered and poured into a lying bath (volume 200 liters).

Also, anxiety, restlessness and increased excitability can be fought with the help of young spruce shoots or the upper parts of the stem of the branch (where the needles are softest). On their basis, water extracts are made, which are mixed with warm water and taken in the form of sitz or foot baths. The shoot extract recipe is similar to that described for pine needles. The proportions must be kept the same, but the concentration of the therapeutic composition will differ, because for a foot bath you will need 250 g of medicinal raw materials, and for a sedentary bath - 750 g.

For the treatment of various wounds, suppurations, boils, abrasions or ulcers, treatment with spruce resin is widespread among the people. Numerous biologically active substances contained in this product cause bacteriostatic, bactericidal and anti-inflammatory effects on external lesions of the skin and mucous membranes.

In addition, the use of resin as an ointment relieves the pain that accompanies various external injuries, including pain from a burn. Among the people, there are quite a few ways to prepare medicinal components based on resin. Let's take a look at some of them.

Ingredients: spruce resin - 1 part, butter -1 part, beeswax - 1 part. Preparation and reception: the melted components are mixed and placed in a container with a lid. With the resulting ointment, lubricate the areas of skin affected by a boil, ulcer or abscess.

Ingredients: resin, flower honey, any vegetable oil (sunflower, hemp, linseed, olive). Preparation and reception: all components are taken in a ratio of 1:1:1, heated until a liquid state is obtained and mixed. The cooled mixture is lubricated with abscesses, ulcers, festering wounds. You can use this ointment in the form of patches.

Ingredients: spruce resin - 1 part, pork fat - 1 part, yellow wax - 1 part. Preparation and reception: these substances are melted in a water bath and mixed. This composition can treat such complex wounds as thermal and chemical burns, fistulas, as well as abscesses, abscesses and abscesses.

Norway spruce is popularly known as a source of vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Its antiscorbutic therapeutic effect is based on this property, because scurvy is an acute lack of vitamin C, leading to severe consequences for the human connective tissue. This property of spruce raw materials was widely used during the Great Patriotic War. Therefore, in cases of shortage of this most important vitamin for a person, the following recipe is used, based on spruce medicinal raw materials.

Ingredients: spruce needles - 30g, hot boiling water - 0.5 liters. Preparation and reception: The plant component is scalded in a container with a lid. The mixture is infused for at least several hours and, in a strained state, is drunk before meals 3 times a day.

In addition, spruce needles, buds, shoots and other parts of the tree are used to treat other vitamin deficiencies. The fact is that in addition to the described vitamin C, this plant also contains vitamin A (carotene), E (tocopherol), as well as some representatives of the vitamin family of group B. In this vein, the following multivitamin solution is taken.

Ingredients: needles or tops of spruce shoots finely chopped - 5 tbsp. spoons, wild rose (fruits) - 3 tbsp. spoons, onion peel (chopped) - 1 tbsp. spoon, hot boiling water - 0.7 l. Preparation and reception: vegetable raw materials are brewed with hot boiled water and kept at medium heat for another 5-7 minutes. Cool for two hours with the lid of the pan closed, in which boiling was carried out. The tincture is taken in the volume of half a glass 3 times a day, daily for a month, after which it is taken for a break for 10-12 days.

In addition, there is a recipe for monoinfusion on spruce. At the same time, needles and water are combined in a ratio of 1: 2, and honey or sugar can be added to the strained infusion to improve the taste. Tincture is taken in half a glass in the morning and before bedtime.

Contraindications to taking spruce medicinal raw materials

With the whole mass of useful substances that make up this plant, common spruce also has a negative impact on human health. In particular, doctors have found that the intake of spruce essential oils has a negative effect on the condition of people suffering from kidney diseases such as nephritis or nephrosis. In addition, spruce phytoncides are a fairly powerful allergen, so allergy sufferers should take spruce medicines with caution.

The intake of water extracts and infusions of spruce inside is contraindicated for people suffering from ulceration of various parts of the intestine, as well as gastritis.

Coniferous baths should be taken with caution for people suffering from cardiovascular diseases, in particular, hypertensive patients. Varicose veins and thrombosis are also a contraindication to taking lying or sitting baths with spruce infusions.

The condition of cancer patients can also worsen when taking coniferous baths.

'Cause she's natural natural medicine from so many diseases. In the forests, it is one of the most ancient trees. According to scientists, this tree has been growing here since the Cretaceous period of the Mesozoic era. Spruce needles have truly wonderful healing properties. They have not yet invented such pills that in a short time could produce such a powerful and complex healing effect on the human body that does not have any side effects. It is such a "pill" that spruce needles are.

Spruce and its extraordinary healing properties

It has antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, diaphoretic, analgesic, choleretic, antiscorbutic and diuretic effects. It is spruce needles that contain most amino acids, including essential ones, minerals, as well as salts of cobalt, manganese, iron, copper, chromium. Carotene in needles 140:320 mg/kg, vitamins E - 350:360 mg/kg, C - 300 mg/kg in winter and 250 mg/kg in summer. If needles are stored at temperatures below +5 °C, then all these substances remain unchanged for the entire storage period.

Needles can be harvested for future use , and it is better to do it in winter (more vitamin C). It is dried and stored tightly closed banks in a dark dry place. One kilogram of dry spruce needles contains the following substances (numbers are shown through the dividing line harvesting in summer / harvesting in winter): vitamins P - 900: 2300 mg / 2180: 3810 mg, K - 12 / 20 mg, PP - 142 / 29 mg, H - 0.06/0.15 mg, B1 - 8/19 mg, B2 - 7/5 mg, B3 - 16/28 mg,
B6 - 1, 1/2 mg, as well as minerals and trace elements.

The use of spruce for medicinal purposes

For medicinal purposes, young tops of branches with buds, resin-rosin, immature seed "female" cones, needles and turpentine are used. Collection times vary. Young tops of branches are harvested after wintering in May, and immature cones and resin in June - September.

How to distinguish "male" (with pollen) spruce cones from "female" (seed)? After all, collect for use in medicinal purposes need precisely immature "feminine." In the spring, both "female" and "male" cones appear on the branches of the spruce. Usually this time falls on the period of flowering bird cherry. "Female" cones are extremely beautiful and very noticeable on the tree: they are bright red in color, the size of a thimble. The usual location of these cones is at the ends of the branches in the upper part of the spruce crown. They "look" up. An adult "female" spruce cone is large and brown.

"Male" bumps are even smaller than women's ones. They are red or greenish-yellow. Pollen ripens in them - a fine yellow powder. They are not suitable for medicinal purposes. Pollinated "female" cones ripen in the first year. But the cones open at the end of winter, and therefore they must be collected closer to autumn, unripe and unopened.

Needles are a source of biologically active substances. Coniferous greens contain valuable components: chlorophyll, vitamins, macro- and microelements, phytohormones, phytoncides. You are probably thinking: “Why should collect needles in winter ? But because immediately after the first frosts in green needles, the content of vitamin C rises sharply, and decreases in summer. And one more thing: keep the collected needles in a cool place. Storing spruce needles for a month at temperatures above 10 ° leads to a loss of 35% of nutrients.

Folk methods and recipes for treatment

Coniferous baths . They are used to relieve severe fatigue, nervous excitement, improve blood supply. internal organs, relieving inflammation of a different nature, as well as relieving pain syndromes in menopause, stomach ulcers, and pain in the joints. To prepare such a bath, two handfuls of needles are poured with one liter of boiling water and boiled for 10 minutes, the broth is filtered and poured into the prepared bath. The bath is taken for 12:15 minutes. The water temperature is 37:38 degrees Celsius. Full course of treatment 15:20 procedures. After the bath, you should take a shower.

Infusion of spruce cones. It is used for diseases of angina, laryngitis, pharyngitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, sinusitis, rhinitis and chronic tonsillitis. Unripe "female" spruce cones are crushed, poured with boiling water and boiled for 30 minutes with constant stirring. After removing from heat, the mixture is infused for another 15 minutes, then filtered through a three-layer gauze. The result is a liquid Brown with an astringent taste and a pleasant smell of needles. It is used for mouthwash and inhalation. When carrying out inhalation procedures, at least 20 milliliters of this mixture is used, preheated to 60 degrees Celsius. Inhalation time 10 minutes.

Pine tea. It is extremely useful for beriberi, frequent colds, lingering coughs and as a natural remedy for maintaining normal metabolism in the human body. It is an excellent expectorant, choleretic, diuretic and diaphoretic. Rinse a tablespoon of needles with boiled water, pour a glass of boiling water and boil for another 20 minutes. Strain the tea through a three-layer gauze, cool and drink throughout the day. You can add sugar, and honey is even better.

A decoction of spruce buds. It is used to improve the processes of hematopoiesis, with joint and muscle pain, with chronic bronchitis, for the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis. It is prepared and applied in the same way as coniferous tea.

Infusion of spruce buds on alcohol. It is used for inflammatory diseases of the upper respiratory tract in the form of external rubbing and warming compresses. This infusion in pharmacies is quite rare, as it is in high demand among a certain part of our population. It is easy to prepare at home. To do this, place 250 grams of young spruce buds in a dark glass vessel and pour half a liter of 40:45 degree vodka into them. Close the vessel tightly and place in a dark, dry place. Ten days later, the infusion is ready for use. In a dark place, such an infusion can be stored for up to a year or more without loss of medicinal properties.

To improve eyesight drink a decoction of pine needles: pour 5 tablespoons of crushed needles of pine needles into 500 ml of boiling water, soak in a water bath for 20-30 minutes, leave overnight. In the morning, strain and drink a tablespoon 3-4 times a day after meals.

Stroke - drink pine tea.

For a three-liter kettle, take liter jar spruce or pine needles with twigs, pour boiling water and boil for 15 minutes. You can add a few different herbs: knotweed, currant leaf, raspberry leaf. Leave the broth until the morning, so that it is infused. You can drink this tea as much as you like: with jam, sweets, honey, sugar, but always with lemon.
Such tea cleanses the cardiovascular system, removes radionuclides, heals the kidneys, restores the entire body. The full course of treatment is 4-5 months.
Juice from young pine needles
Medicinal juice can be obtained from the needles of cedar, pine, fir, spruce, cedar dwarf. To do this, young shoots that are harvested no later than May 15 must be washed well in cold water and lay out on a towel to dry. Then the needles are placed in a glass jar: a layer of needles, a layer of sugar, and so on, to the very top. The last layer should be sugar. A 5-liter jar consumes 1.5 kg of sugar. Leave the jar overnight, and in the morning mix the pine needles and sugar in the jar with a wooden spoon and, tying the neck of the jar with a clean cloth, put it in the sun. The contents of the banks insist 10 days. In this case, the needles will gradually begin to rise up, and the juice will be at the bottom. On the 11th day, the juice is poured into bottles, tightly closed with stoppers, and stored at room temperature.
In folk medicine, such coniferous juice is used to treat asthma, tuberculosis, inflammation of the lungs, bronchi, trachea, weakened blood vessels and the heart.

Folk recipes describe several ways to prepare healing drinks from pine needles.

Here are just a few of them.
1. Finely chop 40-50 g of needles (spruce, pine, fir, juniper) with a knife, pour 1 liter of boiling water and insist in an enamel bowl for 15-20 minutes. Then add a liter of chilled boiled water, filter and keep for 5-6 hours in the cold. Drain carefully without shaking the sediment. IN
water, you can add citric acid, sugar and drink 0.5 tbsp. 4-5 times a day.
2. Pour 40-50 g of needles into 2 liters of water in an enamel bowl. Add 1 tbsp. chopped onion peel and 1 tsp. chopped licorice root, then boil over low heat for 20 minutes. Add 2 tbsp. mashed rose hips and boil for another half a minute.
The resulting broth insist in a thermos for 10-12 hours. Then strain, bring to a boil again, cool and refrigerate. You can drink up to 1 liter per day. This product will boost your immunity
and make up for the lack of vitamins in the body.

3. Take fresh spruce needles pass through a meat grinder, pack according to plastic bags 1 st. spoon (make sure that the juice does not flow out) and store in freezer.
To prepare a healing potion, take out a briquette with needles, pour a glass of boiled chilled water and leave for 3 hours in a dark place. Then stir, strain, wring out raw materials.
Drink 1/4-1/3 cup infusion 3-4 times a day before or after meals. This coniferous drink is rich in vitamins and microelements, useful for cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, infectious and inflammatory diseases, thrombophlebitis, atherosclerosis, prostate adenoma, prostatitis, diseases of the kidneys, liver, urinary and gall bladders, tinnitus, hernia, urolithiasis and cholelithiasis, helps with weakening of vision, mastopathy and uterine fibroids, treats hemorrhoids, perfectly relieves fatigue.

Recipe for external use : 5 bags of needles pour 0.5-0.7 liters of boiled cooled water, let it brew for at least 3 hours in a dark place. Then stir, strain, wring out the raw material.
Use the resulting infusion for compresses, lotions, washes, rinses for diseases of the oral cavity, larynx and nasopharynx, as well as for rubbing, preparing sitz baths for hemorrhoids, irritation, itching, inflammation and other skin problems, including acne, wounds and abrasions.
For the treatment of paralysis apply recumbent coniferous baths and poultices.
15 frozen bags with needles should be insisted in cool water, stir, strain, squeeze the raw material. Pour the infusion into a bath with warm water. The procedure should be carried out once a week for 15-20 minutes.
To make poultices, take half a glass of coniferous mass (defrost it first), heat it to a hot state, apply it to a sore spot, cover it with polyethylene on top and tie it with a warm scarf.
Treat like this until the appearance positive results. Poultices do at night, remove the bandage in the morning and wash the problem area of ​​​​the body with warm water.
Poultices with needles are effective for hernia, gout, varicose veins veins, osteoarticular and inflammatory diseases.
Hot poultices should not be made on the tumor, in which case only room temperature poultices can be used.
With a non-healing trophic ulcer soak a cotton swab with pine needles juice, apply to a sore spot, cover with compress paper on top and bandage.
Also with the help of juice they treat psoriasis, boils.

Remedy for a hundred ailments . As a preventive measure for many diseases, including oncology , wash the needles in warm, and then in cold water. Finely cut the needles with scissors and cover with sugar in glass jar 4:1. This spruce "jam" can be stored until the summer. From it you can prepare a coniferous drink: 2 tbsp. "Sweet needles" pour 4 tbsp. cold boiled water, insist for three days, strain and drink 0.5 tbsp. twice a day in courses of three to five days.

Vitamin infusion from spruce needles. It is applied as restorative and antiscorbutic. One tenth of a glass of spruce needles, together with a small amount of cold boiled water, grind in a mortar with a pestle. Pour this pounded needles with a glass of boiling water, add lemon juice or citric acid (slightly acidify) and boil for 20:30 minutes. The ratio of needles and water should always be 1:10. After boiling, insist for 3 hours, then strain. Take 1/3 of a glass twice a day after meals.

Spruce decoction with milk . Used to treat scurvy, intermittent body aches, skin rashes and inflammation of the respiratory system. 30 grams of young spruce shoots or immature unopened shoots are taken<женских>fir cones. They are finely crushed and poured with a liter of milk. Milk is brought to a boil and the whole mixture is boiled over low heat for 10 minutes. The broth is filtered, divided into three equal parts and drunk during one day: morning, afternoon and evening.

Spruce ointment. It is applied for rapid healing of ulcers, wounds, pustules. An equal amount of spruce resin, honey, yellow wax and sunflower or hemp oil is taken. All components are thoroughly mixed, heated on fire. In the process of cooling to the temperature of the human body, a viscous mixture is formed. This is spruce ointment. It is applied to the affected areas.

Recipes

Tuberculosis. Porridge from spruce needles (you can take pine and fir) mixed in equal parts with honey (by weight) and leave in a cool dark place for 2 weeks, stirring occasionally. Drain the honey-pine juice, squeeze out the rest, take 2 tablespoons in the morning on an empty stomach. Store juice in the refrigerator.

with prolonged cough make a mixture of spruce resin and yellow wax (one weight part of each component), melt the mixture, cool, put pieces of the mixture on hot coals, inhale the released vapors.

expectorant for children: 1 kg of young spruce cones, 1 liter of water, 1 kg of sugar, simmer for 30-40 minutes. Pour into jars and roll up. Take 1-2 teaspoons 3 times a day.

infusion of spruce cones: the cones are poured with boiled water (at the rate of 1: 5), boiled for 30 minutes, stirring, infused for 15 minutes, filtered through 3 layers of gauze. A brown liquid is obtained, astringent in taste, with the smell of pine needles. For inhalations, an infusion heated to 60-80 ° C is used: 20-30 ml per procedure for adults.