How to Grow Pines From Pinecones
- 1). Collect pine cones in late summer and early fall. Look for dark-colored cones with closed scales. Pine cones whose scales have opened have most likely released their seeds. Lay the cones to dry on a wire rack or large platter. As they dry, the cones will release their seeds. Store the seeds in paper envelopes in a cool, dry place until late winter, approximately 30 to 60 days before the beginning of spring.
- 2). Soak pine seeds in a glass of water. Viable seeds will sink to the bottom of the glass. Seeds that will not germinate will float on top of the water. Discard the floaters.
- 3). Mix the viable pine seeds with damp sand, and place the mixture in a plastic bag. Loosely close the top of the bag with a twist tie. Place the bag in a refrigerator at approximately 36 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 to 60 days.
- 4). Prepare a spot for planting the pine seeds in early spring, either a nursery garden bed or in the spot where your want the tree to grow. Ensure that the location has protection from harsh winds. Add 1 to 2 inches of peat moss to the surface of the soil. Sprinkle 12-20-0 granulated fertilizer on top of the peat moss, following the manufacturer's rates of application. Incorporate the peat moss and fertilizer into the soil by turning the soil over with a shovel. Smooth the surface of the soil with a garden rake.
- 5). Sow pine seeds at the rate of approximately 50 seeds per foot in rows 12 inches apart when planting in a nursery garden. When planting in the tree's final location, plant 10 to 12 seeds in a small circle at the planting site. Plant seeds about 1/2-inch deep, cover them with soil and lightly firm the ground by hand.
- 6). Water the seedbed with a fine mist from a hose nozzle sprayer. Monitor the growing bed, and mist before the soil dries out. If the soil around the seeds dries out, it may return to a dormant state and not germinate. When the seeds germinate in approximately 20 to 30 days, water enough to keep the root zone from drying out.
- 7). Thin pine seedlings when they are about 3 inches high so the remaining plants stand about 8 to 12 inches apart. The thinned seedlings can be transplanted into a nursery bed and grown to a size suitable for transplanting to their final desired location. Thin pine seedlings planted in their final location to the strongest three seedlings; thin again two months later to the strongest of the three. The remaining two can be discarded or transplanted to another location.
- 8). Mulch pine seedlings during the winter months with a 3- to 4-inch layer of straw, hay or pine needles. This will protect them from harsh winter winds and temperature fluctuations.
- 9). Dig up and transplant pine seedlings growing in a nursery bed the third spring after initially planting the seeds. Transplant them into their final location without improving the soil. This will ensure the root system develops fully by seeking out water and nourishment from the surrounding soil instead of remaining in the small planting hole where the soil was improved.
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