Is there such a thing as wooden plumbing? 23.12.2024 18:47:57

What is wooden plumbing and how is it possible? It is actually possible if you use larch wood. This is the type of plumbing that was used in Siberian cities 200 years ago.



Larch is a coniferous tree, and even though it is called 'larch,' it doesn't have leaves. Instead, it has soft, fluffy needles that turn yellow and fall off every autumn, just like autumn leaves. The tree itself is very hardy, growing in almost any conditions and on any type of soil – it’s a pioneer tree. Once it takes root, it grows rapidly - up to one meter per year. It is also wind-resistant and is often used in permaculture forest gardens as a windbreak.

The lifespan of the tree is relatively short – up to 500 years, but its wood is very durable. There are known larch wood artifacts that are several thousand years old. Venice and St. Petersburg were built on larch piles, which are still in use today.



Unlike pine and spruce, larch does not spread its seeds on its own. The cones remain on the tree for several years with the seeds inside, unless a catastrophe occurs or birds come and drop the cones to the ground. Once on the ground, it decays quickly and sprouts.

Shaking a larch cone is difficult, as the seeds are firmly seated inside. How many times I've had to deal with these cones – even well-dried larch cones hold onto their seeds tightly. In spring or summer, when the cones are dry, you can simply turn them over and shake them.



In nature, larch forests occupy the areas of clearings, when, after a forest fire, the cones fall to the ground and germinate. The most beautiful type of larch is the Japanese larch, with its long, soft, drooping branches, often referred to as the weeping larch. At our estate in the central part of Russia, we also have European larches, Siberian larches, and false larches.

Growing larch from seeds is easy. They grow very quickly and start bearing fruit in 5-6 years. I already have several beauties that I planted from seeds, and they are now producing their own seeds.

Galina Martynova
https://vk.com/galka.zazhigalka
With my husband Alexander, we are developing our 2.5 hectare Kin Domain in the Tula region.

#ringingcedars #gardening #Megre #VMegre #RingingCedarsofRussia