How to Grow Norfolk Pines Indoors

Norfolk pines give your home brightness and color all year.

Norfolk pines grow native in the subtropical conditions in Australia and New Zealand. These warm-weather evergreens feature soft, bright green needles and develop a traditional Christmas tree shape. These characteristics make them ideal for living Christmas trees. For the rest of the year, you can enjoy them "au naturel" as healthy, thriving indoor plants. These small trees grow well indoors, especially in climates with harsh winters. They scent your home with piney freshness and offer fresh green foliage year-round.

Things You'll Need

• Norfolk pine sapling
• Flood tray
• Water
• Balanced houseplant fertilizer (10-10-10)
• Humidifier
• Pruning snips

Instructions

1. Place a planted Norfolk pine sapling near a window that receives bright, indirect sunlight for most of the day and direct sunlight for up to three hours per day. If none of your windows receive this combination, place the sapling in a window that receives indirect sunlight. The pine can adapt nicely to these conditions.

2. Place the sapling on a flood tray so excess water can drain away. Slip your finger in the soil to check for moisture. If the top inch of the soil feels dry, water until the excess drains into the flood tray. Empty the flood tray to prevent algae growth.

3. Dress the top of the soil with approximately 1 cup of balanced fertilizer every month during the spring and summer. Water immediately after fertilizing. Cut fertilizing back to once during the autumn and not at all during the winter.

4. Keep the temperature in the pine's space around 72 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and 60 to 65 degrees at night. These temperatures should be constant through all the seasons.

5. Place a humidifier in the room with your Norfolk pine in the winter. Set the humidifier to 50 percent humidity. Norfolk pines prefer moist, humid conditions.

6. Prune away dead branches from the bottom of the tree only. Never prune new or living growth. Dead branches will bear only brown needles.

References

• Purdue University Horticultural Extension; Norfolk Island Pine Needs TLC; Rosie B. Lerner; January 2011
• Plant Talk Colorado: Norfolk Island Pine
• Hort Chat: Norfolk Pine