[Arid_gardener] Italian Stone Pine

[Tyler Storey]

Hi Gary,
The Italian Stone Pine (Pinus pinea) is one of the finest pines for this
area and should do well in Litchfield Park.

A couple of tips for getting it off to a good start.  If you're planting it
now (November), pay attention in the late Winter for any forecast hard
freezes, and consider giving it some protection.  By the time it has been in
the ground for a year or so you should find it reliably hardy. 

The Italian Stone Pine, as with most trees, requires deep but infrequent
watering -- more frequent though in its first year.  Be certain to water it
widely to establish a strong and secure root system.  

Resist the temptation to prune your new Italian Stone Pine up into a tree
shape while it's young.  Italian Stone Pines pruned up high while young will
always (for the life of the tree) have a spindly and awkward-looking trunk.
Instead, let it develop naturally for a year or two, then, as it grows
upward, you can gradually remove low branches, starting at the bottom and
working upwards over the years.  Consider taking off no more than the lowest
tier of branches each year.  By gradually raising the canopy over the course
of years, you will end up with a good-looking, strong, and healthy tree.  As
with all pine trees, always prune a branch at it's point of origin at the
trunk; stubbed branches (those cut only part-way back) will die back and
provide a point of entry for diseases and insects.  

And, lastly, as you look around for a good place to plant an Italian Stone
Pine, do keep in mind that it will, in time, become a large tree, so give it
plenty of room to grow.  Italian Stone Pines are frequently seen as tiny
table-top Christmas trees about this time of year -- but that tiny tree is
going to get big in very short order.

Hope this helps,
Tyler


tyler at tylerstorey.com
http://tylerstorey.com
602-738-2978

-----Original Message-----
From: arid_gardener-bounces at CALS.arizona.edu
[mailto:arid_gardener-bounces at CALS.arizona.edu] On Behalf Of gblake7 at cox.net
Sent: Saturday, November 10, 2007 3:36 AM
To: arid_gardener at Ag.arizona.edu
Subject: [Arid_gardener] Question from Home-Hort WWW page

gary blake
85340
gblake7 at cox.net

Will the Italian Stone Pine grow well in my area (Litchfield Park)?  Thank
you.


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