Pine trees are a very popular coniferous plant. It is unpretentious, it will decorate both a city park and an ordinary suburban area. Everyone can grow pine trees, but for a longer life span of the plant, the gardener needs to observe the subtleties of care, as well as feed the pine trees to grow in time. How fast do pine trees grow?
Pine trees will perfectly fit into any household plot. If you decide to plant this beautiful pine tree, it is better to buy a seedling in a special nursery. In any case, do not dig up the plant in the forest.
HOW MUCH DO PINE TREES GENERALLY GROW EACH YEAR?
Pine trees grow quite quickly, but in the first 4 years, the plant can only stretch up to 10-50 centimeters. Further, the annual increase will be about 40 cm. The time it takes for a pine tree to grow may be different. It all depends on the care, climate, and variety.
Many pine trees can actively develop for 300 years. However, this is not the final figure, since some organisms have lived for 50 centuries.
Five years after germination, the pine trees need regular watering. And you also need constant solar illumination of young pine trees so that they get stronger. Young trees have an immature root system, and therefore it is impossible to touch them for about 2 years since they take root very poorly on the street.
WHAT ARE THE LONGEST LIVING PINE TREES?
Pine trees grow slowly, as well as the principle, and are considered the most long-lived trees. The pine is sharp and also Pinus aristata tree prefers – 2 from the most long-lived pines in society, any of which, as well as it is told, has existed for thousands of years.
The striking pinecone is able to hold its own needles for more than 3 decades, first of all, they will need to be developed, in this case, the period is the same as most of the growing pine trees grow to renew their own needle-like leaves for any 2 years.
The longest-lived prickly scotch pine tree due to a whole epic of research increases in Snow-white Slides in New Hampshire, and also its years is 5062 years.
WHICH PINE TREE GROWS THE TALLEST?
Lambert pine (Pinus lambertiana Douglas), characterized by huge cones (on average 25-50 cm, in rare cases up to 66 cm long), is also common in the western part of North America.
It is also the tallest of all the scotch pine tree grows, reaching 82 meters in height. The resin of this species is rich in sugar, which is why it is called sugar pine in America.
HOW LONG DO PINE TREES TAKE TO REACH MATURITY?
Starting from the age of 5, seedlings of pine trees grow much slower. Most breeds are fast-growing and this must be taken into account because some species become giants in 20-30 years.
In the period from 5-10 years, scotch pine trees grow by 50 cm per year, and more “adult” trees by 1 m or more. With the beginning of the appearance of fruits, their growth slows down. From the age of 30, trees begin to grow in breadth, developing their crown. Many fast-growing pine trees with diseased or damaged branches can grow intensively for up to 300 years, and this figure is not final, since there are centenarians who have reached the age of 5000 years.
For growth rate on a small plot, it is better to choose dwarf fast-growing pine trees, such as mountain pine of the Gnome variety, which growth rate of up to 2 m and has a pyramid-shaped crown. The growth rate also depends on the planting site of the pine tree, soil composition, climatic conditions, and the level of groundwater.
CAN I FORCE MY PINE TREES TO GROW FASTER?
Complementing the question, of how fast do pine trees grow, we want to note the following. But there are also those who would like to see an adult spruce on their site as soon as possible. In this case, it is worth choosing varieties of fast-growing trees. These include seedlings that actively grow in the first years after planting, and then growth slows down.
There are rules that promote the accelerated growth of Christmas trees.
1) Do not buy large scotch pines seedlings. The larger the seedling (2.5-3 m), the longer it will take to get used to new conditions, that is, to get sick. As a result, a meter-long Christmas tree planted nearby can overtake its overgrown neighbor.
2) Conifers are planted in spring. The landing place should be sunny. But the needles are afraid of the active spring sun, so young bristlecone pines are recommended to cover with natural light fabrics from spring until the heat subsides in order to protect the Austrian pine from burns.
3) During the period of active growth (over two feet), Christmas trees need regular weekly watering. But in order to avoid an overabundance of moisture, it is recommended to check the soil moisture before each watering by slightly stirring the alkaline soil.
4) In order to rid the seedling (1 foot tall) of competitors of moisture consumption and fertilizing, as well as to free the root system from unwanted interference, it is necessary to regularly remove weeds around the medium fast-growing pines trunk at a distance of about 1 foot tall. Fallen foliage and needles help to avoid unwanted competitors in the forest with well-draining soil.
5) Any damage to the bark will lead to the fact that the slow-growing pine trees will spend energy fighting the wound. This means that it pine species will grow more slowly. If rodents, dogs, rabbits, or roe deer feel at ease on the site, then the trunk must be protected (with mesh, roofing material, plastic, and burlap oval canopy shape).
6) Already in the nursery, seedlings pine species will receive the first portion of bristlecone pine growth accelerators. Such stimulants will help the pine cones to adapt better to a new place and will start their active vegetation on alkaline soil types.
CAN I FORCE MY PINE TREE TO GROW SLOWER?
Complementing the question, of how fast pine trees grow, we want to note the following. The growth of pine trees in height can become a real problem because the tree grows very quickly, and this is not always good, especially for a small suburban area. It is quite possible to limit the growth rate of a canary island pine if you know how to do it correctly. You can get a spreading crown and a shorter canary island pine trunk by adjusting the central shoot.
Pine growth adjustment is made simply by pinching the upper shoot, popularly referred to as a candle. This can be done on seedlings that have already formed 3 levels of longleaf pine branches. Very young plants should be pinched only in cases of extreme necessity, and it is better to wait until they are 4-5 years old. The procedure is carried out in spring or autumn without full sun.
TYPES OF FAST GROWING PINES
AFGHAN(PINUS ELDARICA)
The Afghan (Pinus eldarica) is a fast-growing, evenly proportioned evergreen garden, often used as a Christmas trunk. It reaches a height of 30 to 50 feet and a width of up to 25 feet at maturity. This Afghan pine tree is drought-resistant and copes best with dry soil. It makes excellent wind protection and is an ideal choice for gardeners who live near the ocean, as the salt spray does not have a harmful effect on the Australian pine.
ALEPPO PINE (PINUS HALEPENSIS)
Aleppo Pine (halepensis) can enhance your landscape if you live in a hot, dry place and you have a spacious yard. This native of the Mediterranean is an evergreen coniferous tree that has adapted to warm and arid conditions. Sometimes it is the annual growth rate of a live Christmas tree.
The tree, capable of an annual growth rate of about a foot per year, reaches a full size of 30 to 80 feet in height with a similar width; the size limit depends on growing conditions.
EASTERN WHITE PINE (PINUS STROBUS)
Eastern white pine with a height of 35 m and a width of 6-8 m; eastern white pine trunk diameter — 1.5 m. The crown is pyramidal, with age it acquires an ovoid shape. The bark is smooth, light gray, and cracked with age for trees growing.
The shoots are brown-green, naked, thin, and flexible, and the ends are directed downwards. The buds are ovoid, brown, and slightly resinous. Coniferous wrappers fall off quickly valuable timber. The needles are bluish-green, thin, soft, hanging, 8-14 cm long, fall with full sun off after 2-3 years.
LOBLOLLY PINE (PINUS TAEDA)
Loblolly Pines is a tall, beautiful evergreen western yellow pine with yellow-dark green needles up to 10 inches in length. The columnar trunk of loblolly is also very beautiful, covered with the reddish-brown bark of most pine trees.
You will have to wait about 18 months for the cone to ripen to collect the seeds. Identify mature cones by younger trees’ brown color. Read it to learn about the care of the loblolly pine.
MONTEREY PINE (PINUS RADIATA)
The Monterrey pine is a species of pine tree native to Mexico and the central coast of California. Although the spreading tree is used in various ways (including as a balanced wood) and is an annual growth rate all over the world for the production of lumber, in fact, it is considered rare and endangered in preferred habitats.
SLASH PINE ( ELLIOTTII)
Of the four main southern slash pine of the USA (loblolly, short-leaved, long-leaved, and oblique) – the smallest of the four main types of Virginia pine. Scots pine can grow, and it is often planted in the southern United States. The native range of the pine tree and other plants includes the entire state of Florida and the southern counties of Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina.
HOW TO PLANT AND GROW PINE TREES
Growing pine from seeds is the easiest way to get a large number of seedlings. The seed method of reproduction is often used to form a hedge or design a house territory, that is, in cases where it is necessary to obtain a large number of Austrian pines seedlings of the same height and age as most pine trees. However, this technique requires considerable time and a lot of patience, and any violation of the rules for slow-growing pines seeds can result in the death of young evergreen foliage plants.
STEP-BY-STEP PINE TREE GROWING GUIDE
GROWING PINE TREES FROM SEED
The pine tree’s growth is carried out in a container with earth when germinating at home or immediately in the open ground in garden sites. You can do this:
- maintaining optimal soil moisture
- drainage formation
- sufficient amount of ultraviolet light
- temperature from 22 to 40°
- balanced composition of the earth
The open ground must also be prepared before pine tree seed. To do this, a groove is made in the ground with a width of 25 and a depth of 30 cm, and a pre-prepared earth mixture is poured there.
Seeds of slow-growing pines should be sown to a depth of 2.5–3 cm, maintaining an interval of 15 cm. From above, the planting is mulched or sprinkled with a thin layer of sand and waits for the emergence of slow grower’s seedlings.
During germination, it is necessary to carefully monitor the moisture content of the soil and prevent it from drying out. To do this, every day for 2 weeks, the southern yellow pine is moistened from a sprayer and pets are not allowed to be present on it. The first shoots appear 15-21 days after sowing.
The sprouts that have appeared are covered with a transparent film that protects the red pine tree from attacks by birds, and it is removed only after the shoots shed the remnants of white pine seeds. In such planting of older trees, young pines can grow up to 3 years pine variety, after which they are planted at a distance of 90-100 cm from each other pine tree.
GROWING PINE TREES FROM SAPLINGS
Young pine trees grow at home in pots and can be transplanted into the open ground at the age of 2-3 years. By this time, the white pine tree root system of plants pine variety becomes stronger and tolerates transplantation quite calmly, and they themselves reach a height of 25-30 cm, have a woody pine tree trunk and several strong southern hemisphere branches at fastest growing pine trees.
Young pine trees grow fast and should be planted in a sunny place protected from side wind at a distance of 1.5 m from each other. If this rule is ignored and trees in cold weather are planted at a closer distance, then they will shade each other. At the same time, pine trees growing in the middle of planting drought tolerant will begin to stretch and lose their northern hemisphere.
When filling the soil, it is necessary to tamp it slightly, trying not to damage the root system. It is recommended to tie each seedling less than one foot to a support that will not allow the side wind to break or bend the young pine tree and allow it to form a smooth, beautiful fast growing pines trunk.
The weather for transplanting pine trees grow fast into the open ground is better to choose windless and not too hot, and the pine tree should be positioned in such a way that they are slightly shaded from the western side direct sunlight.
Conclusion
At the end of the question about, how fast pine trees grow, we want to note the following. Care is carried out for 2-3 years after transplanting pine trees into the open ground. During this time, the tree manages to grow a powerful and long root system and no longer needs human help.
