How to Grow Pines in Pots
Pine trees are particularly well suited for growing in pots because, like junipers, they are adapted to dry soil conditions -- which is what they'll face when you go on vacation and the neighbor forgets to water. Dwarf conifers such as mugo pine (Pinus mugo) are obvious candidates for container cultivation. You can grow larger pines, though containers will restrict their root growth and total size. You can grow unusual pines -- even native species -- in pots by growing trees from seed. Starting pines from seed is a simple and inexpensive way to propagate new trees. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Sphagnum moss
- Sealable sandwich bags
- Clean sand
- Germination flat
- 4-inch pots
- Soil-based compost or potting soil
- Pumice or perlite
- 1-gallon and larger pots
- Slow-release 10-10-10 fertilizer
- Water-soluble 10-10-10 fertilizer
- Hand pruners
Instructions
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Collect viable seeds for most pine trees in the fall. Remove wings of seeds by rubbing them between your hands.
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Stratify seeds, providing the "moist cold" that seed embryos need to mature before germination. Mix seeds with moist sphagnum moss. Place the mixture in sealed sandwich bags, and refrigerate at 41 degrees Fahrenheit for 90 days.
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Fill the germination flat with a light mixture of sphagnum moss and sand. Plant the stratified pine seeds at a depth that equals their largest diameter.
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Water the germination flat thoroughly, allowing all excess moisture to drain out. Place the flat in a warm room with bright light. Keep the planting medium evenly moist until the seeds germinate.
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Transplant seedlings into 4-inch pots when they are 4 inches tall. Use soil-based compost, rich in organic matter, mixed with pumice or perlite to make the mix more porous. Water thoroughly, then keep the soil evenly moist.
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Continue to "pot up" the tree as it grows, increasing pot size gradually. Containers should be twice the root system's width and depth. Heavy pots weather storms and wind better than lightweight plastic. Pots as wide as they are tall offer the best root insulation.
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Water consistently -- watering deeply and thoroughly -- but let soil dry some between watering times. Water again when the top 2 inches of soil are dry. Never let your tree sit in drain water and get "wet feet."
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Replace the top 2 inches of soil every spring, and fertilize with slow-release fertilizer. Water with water-soluble fertilizer monthly as the tree gets larger. Prune only to shape the tree and remove dead or damaged branches.
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Tips & Warnings
When your pine needs watering almost daily, it needs a bigger pot -- about 4 extra inches in diameter.
As your tree grows, increase container diameter by a foot for every 4 feet of increased tree height.
When your pine outgrows the largest container you have room for, you can either plant the tree in the ground, or prune its roots by 1/3 and keep it in its existing pot.
References
Resources
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