The White Pine is a beautiful plant to grow. I started mine from seed. It is now 4 months old. I harvested a pine cone from a cultivated pine tree off of the parking lot of one of the stores in my area(so I got a FREE start). Find a white pine tree and harvest the pine cone straight off the tree when ripe. It's ripe even on the tree when it's open. Place all the seeds in a bowl of
water for 24 hours. After that, take out any seeds that are afloat and toss them outside so mother nature can germinate them on her own if the seeds are still viable. Take the seed(s) that sank and place them in a ziploc bag, and mark Pine Nuts. Place all seeds into the bag except for one. Place the seed in some loose soil, and make sure it drains well. If it is to hard, or doesn't drain well, mix some beach sand in with the soil. Plant the seed pointy end down. Keep the soil moist but not soggy and keep the temperature above 68°F. The seed should germinate in 1 1/2 months, but CAN take 3 months.
Here are some pictures of my white pine:
 February 4, 2012 |  February 15, 2012 |
 June 19, 2012  April 5, 2013 (ANALYSIS) |  April 5, 2013 More pictures coming soon |
Appearance:
White Pine has long 1-3 inch needles that give this pine a furry appearance when viewed at a distance.
Availability:
It's not too rare, you can get yours at some local garden centers. You can easily get it from a pine cone straight off the tree.
Trunk height:
The White Pine can reach heights of between 50-80 Feet with a 20 to 40 foot spread.
Growth rate:
It is one of the fastest growing pines that can grow between 2-3' every year.
Cold hardiness:
Cold hardy to zone 3-9(-40°F to 20°F : -40C to -7C).
Light needs:
It needs full sun. This pine can tolerate moderate shade every now and then but prefers full sun.
Water needs:
It likes well drained soil but can handle some very minor floods.
Ground covers:
You will have a hard time growing ground covers around your pine but it is manageable depending on the nutrient availability and the canopy thickness of your pine.
Fertilizer:
This pine doesn't need to be fertilized for when it sheds it's needles, it creates a natural mulch. When the winter hits every year, the snow decomposes the needles and as the snow seeps under ground, it brings the nutrients of the needles with it, all the dead insects and dead burrowing animals that are underground get used as nutrients for the white pine.
Flowers:
Flowers are followed by large 5-6in pine cones that open when ripe and let the seeds fly away with the wind.
Other information:
This pine can live for hundreds of years! It is easy to take care of, and can be used as a Christmas tree for many years to come. I will keep adding pictures of my pine tree as time goes on.
White Pine has long 1-3 inch needles that give this pine a furry appearance when viewed at a distance.
Availability:
It's not too rare, you can get yours at some local garden centers. You can easily get it from a pine cone straight off the tree.
Trunk height:
The White Pine can reach heights of between 50-80 Feet with a 20 to 40 foot spread.
Growth rate:
It is one of the fastest growing pines that can grow between 2-3' every year.
Cold hardiness:
Cold hardy to zone 3-9(-40°F to 20°F : -40C to -7C).
Light needs:
It needs full sun. This pine can tolerate moderate shade every now and then but prefers full sun.
Water needs:
It likes well drained soil but can handle some very minor floods.
Ground covers:
You will have a hard time growing ground covers around your pine but it is manageable depending on the nutrient availability and the canopy thickness of your pine.
Fertilizer:
This pine doesn't need to be fertilized for when it sheds it's needles, it creates a natural mulch. When the winter hits every year, the snow decomposes the needles and as the snow seeps under ground, it brings the nutrients of the needles with it, all the dead insects and dead burrowing animals that are underground get used as nutrients for the white pine.
Flowers:
Flowers are followed by large 5-6in pine cones that open when ripe and let the seeds fly away with the wind.
Other information:
This pine can live for hundreds of years! It is easy to take care of, and can be used as a Christmas tree for many years to come. I will keep adding pictures of my pine tree as time goes on.
Questions and Answers
Q) My white pine tree is outside with full sunlight and it's not growing. What could be the problem?
A) There could be many factors. If it's early in the growing season, the soil could be poor in nutrients, and if so, it needs to be fertilized. I said it doesn't need to be fertilized a little bit up, but that's only if you have it in soil already rich in nutrients. If it's late in the growing season, it could be falling into dormancy and it needs to be left alone. Don't worry, like 90 percent of the plants on earth, this plant will resume growing in the following growing season. Another factor could be a disturbance in the root system. Did you just come out of a heavy wind storm in the past 6 months where winds were sustained at at least 40 mph? Maybe that could have disturbed the trees root system (especially if you had prior to that, too much rain, because that would saturate the soil). If the soil is dry however, water it so that it's root system can readjust to the soil If the soil is wet, water a little bit. NEVER fertilize it if this is the problem, because the tree is already suffering from stress. Fertilizer forces the plant to grow. If you make the tree grow like this, then if there's a pending windstorm with winds even sustained at 25 or higher, the tree will most definitely fall. If it doesn't recover, I'm sorry, but you may have to remove the tree.
Q) My 10 foot white pine tree looks beautiful with Christmas decorations on it. I like to decorate it every Christmas. Does this pose danger to it?
A) No, not at all. White pine trees are very tough conifers. The only time it will cause harm to the tree is if you overdo it by giving it weight it can't handle, otherwise, feel free to decorate it. Do whatever you want with it.
Q) I have noticed termite damage in one of the dead branches. Will this kill my tree?
A) Absolutely not. Termites love dead wood. In fact, they are natures pruning shears. If you leave the dead branch on your tree, they will chew it right off. But, still, I would recommend removing the dead branch for the protection of your house. The termites won't kill your tree, but they will in fact destroy your house.
Q) I harvested the seeds off of a specimen in the wild. How do I germinate them?
A) Simple. Stick the seed in soil, and keep the soil moist. Keep it in cool temperatures but not below 50F(10C). Do not let the soil dry out once. Keep it in a nicely lit area and it should germinate within 2-3 months. I got mine in a month and a half because they were fresh.
Question not answered? Please contact me and ask your question. Your question may be posted for the public to see.
A) There could be many factors. If it's early in the growing season, the soil could be poor in nutrients, and if so, it needs to be fertilized. I said it doesn't need to be fertilized a little bit up, but that's only if you have it in soil already rich in nutrients. If it's late in the growing season, it could be falling into dormancy and it needs to be left alone. Don't worry, like 90 percent of the plants on earth, this plant will resume growing in the following growing season. Another factor could be a disturbance in the root system. Did you just come out of a heavy wind storm in the past 6 months where winds were sustained at at least 40 mph? Maybe that could have disturbed the trees root system (especially if you had prior to that, too much rain, because that would saturate the soil). If the soil is dry however, water it so that it's root system can readjust to the soil If the soil is wet, water a little bit. NEVER fertilize it if this is the problem, because the tree is already suffering from stress. Fertilizer forces the plant to grow. If you make the tree grow like this, then if there's a pending windstorm with winds even sustained at 25 or higher, the tree will most definitely fall. If it doesn't recover, I'm sorry, but you may have to remove the tree.
Q) My 10 foot white pine tree looks beautiful with Christmas decorations on it. I like to decorate it every Christmas. Does this pose danger to it?
A) No, not at all. White pine trees are very tough conifers. The only time it will cause harm to the tree is if you overdo it by giving it weight it can't handle, otherwise, feel free to decorate it. Do whatever you want with it.
Q) I have noticed termite damage in one of the dead branches. Will this kill my tree?
A) Absolutely not. Termites love dead wood. In fact, they are natures pruning shears. If you leave the dead branch on your tree, they will chew it right off. But, still, I would recommend removing the dead branch for the protection of your house. The termites won't kill your tree, but they will in fact destroy your house.
Q) I harvested the seeds off of a specimen in the wild. How do I germinate them?
A) Simple. Stick the seed in soil, and keep the soil moist. Keep it in cool temperatures but not below 50F(10C). Do not let the soil dry out once. Keep it in a nicely lit area and it should germinate within 2-3 months. I got mine in a month and a half because they were fresh.
Question not answered? Please contact me and ask your question. Your question may be posted for the public to see.
