Planting and Growing Pine Trees

When to Plant Pine Trees

Pines are commonly bought either bare-root or as young containerized saplings. Bare-root pines can and should be planted as soon as you can work the soil in spring, after the frost is out of the ground.

Containerized pines can be held like a potted plant until you have time to plant them. While spring is traditional, they can be planted at any time in the growing season. If you plant them in the heat of summer, pay closer attention to watering until they become established.

Where to Plant Pine Trees

Most pines like full sun, although most are tolerant of partial shade. Likewise, all pines prefer good drainage, although a few will tolerate seasonally wetter sites. Avoid constantly wet or swampy locations.

Of prime importance is ensuring there is room for your pine to grow to maturity. A pine might be 2 feet tall now, but could be 20 feet tall in 10 years—and much wider. Avoid planting under overhead power lines, over septic fields, immediately next to driveways, sidewalks, or buildings, or near a swimming pool. Don’t plant a pine where it will someday shade your vegetable garden.

How to Plant a Pine Tree

Planting a pine depends on whether it is bare-root, plug, or containerized. While the method for planting each is different, the care afterward is the same.

For bare-root and plug pine seedlings

• Soak the roots for several hours in a bucket of water before planting.
• Using your shovel or a tree planting bar, make or open a deep slot in the soil, at least as deep as the roots of the pine seedling.
• Insert the roots into the soil cleft, avoiding bending them into a J-shape. They need to be straight.
• Close the planting slit tightly and step gently around the tree to firm the soil. Water well.

For containerized young pines

• Remove the sod.
• Dig a hole the same depth and twice as wide as the container. Make it bowl-shaped with shallow sides.
• Loosen the soil around the bottom and edges of the hole.
• Set the tree so the top of the rootball is level with the surrounding ground.
• Prune any girdling or circling roots.
• Backfill with soil, tamp firmly to avoid air pockets, water well, and apply mulch evenly around the stem—without touching the trunk.

Before you head to the nursery, though, it’s worth taking a moment to choose the right pine for your space. Not all pines grow the same way, tolerate the same climates, or fit comfortably in a typical yard. A little forethought now can prevent decades of regret later.

A Word About Choosing the Right Pine Tree

Since pine trees are a large and diverse group, it can be difficult to narrow down which one is a good fit for your yard. Start by answering these questions before you plant.

• How large is your space?
  Some pines remain small trees, even when mature. Others grow into full-sized forest trees and may, in 10–15 years, be taller than the house. As the tree grows, will it shade out gardens, block access, get too close to power lines, or drop sap on your car? A pine might look modest when planted, but it won’t stay that way.
• Is it cold-hardy in your location?
  While pines are generally tough trees, some are less tolerant of severe cold, and others don’t do well in the extreme heat of the South. Check your USDA plant hardiness zone (or Canadian equivalent) and choose a tree suited to your winters and summers.
• Is it regionally appropriate?
  Red pine (Pinus resinosa) is a fairly fast-growing tree found in colder regions of the eastern United States. However, it will struggle or fail when planted in the South—even if winter temperatures there fall within its tolerance. Keeping to regionally appropriate pines improves long-term success.
• Are there disease considerations?
  Some pines are part of disease cycles involving other plants. For example, white pine (Pinus strobus) is a beautiful yard tree, but plants in the genus Ribes (currants and gooseberries) can host white pine blister rust, which damages young white pines. If you grow currants or gooseberries, consider a different species.
• Are deer a problem in your area?
  While deer will eat almost anything when hungry, they are often selective about browsing young pines. Some species are preferred snacks; others are rarely touched. Your local forestry office or extension service can advise which pines tend to be less appealing to deer in your region.