Planting Your Pine Tree

Getting Started

To make pine tree care a snap later on, begin by choosing a good site and planting the tree properly. In fact, once established in a good location, it needs almost no care at all. Make sure the tree will have plenty of sunlight as it grows. It also needs moist, rich soil that drains freely

Planting Site

Seedlings should be planted in a location where they can thrive and grow with little competition from weeds, grass, brush, and other trees. Fields are usually good planting sites and generally require little treatment prior to planting.

Avoid these common tree-planting errors:

  • Tangled roots

  • Planting too shallow

  • Planting too deep

  • Air pockets

  • Turned up roots

  • Planting over rocks

 

Hand Planting

Take a tree out of the planting bag when the hole is ready. 

Begin by digging a hole about twice the size of the container or root ball. Save the dirt you remove from the hole and use it as a backfill after you have the tree in position. You want a hole that is exactly deep enough so that the tree sits with the soil line even with the surrounding soil. If you bury the tree too deep, you risk rot. Remove the tree from its bag and spread the roots so that they aren’t circling the mass of roots. If necessary, cut through them to keep them from circling. Make sure the tree is standing straight and with its best side forward and then backfill. Press down the soil to remove air pockets as you go. When the hole is half full, fill it with water and let the water drain before you continue. Flush with water again when the hole is full. If the soil settles, top it off with more soil, but don’t mound the soil around the trunk. Apply mulch around the tree, but don’t let it touch the trunk.

Follow-up Care

Water newly planted trees every few days to keep the soil thoroughly moist but not soggy. After a month, water weekly in the absence of rain. Once established and growing, pine trees only need water during prolonged dry spells. Don’t fertilize the tree during the first year. The first time you fertilize, use 2 to 4 pounds (1-2 kg.) of 10-10-10 fertilizer for every square foot (929 sq. cm.) of soil. In subsequent years, use 2 pounds (1 kg.) of fertilizer for each inch (2.5 cm.) of trunk diameter every other year.

Read more at Gardening Know How: Planting A Pine Tree: Caring For Pine Trees In The Landscape

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