The Italian Stone Pine Thread

[Ruddigger]

Is anyone else playing with these trees? I’ve seen a few threads on here that never gained any traction, or had much in the way of updates.

If you have a Stone Pine, post it here!

I’ll start it off, heres one I bought at the beginning of 2021. It was one of those miniature living xmas tree decorations on clearance after the holiday. Looked like this…


I hacked it all up and repotted it in spring. It’s funny to look back and see how much I’ve improved since then.


January 2022


September 2022


November 2023


I’ve learned that I can pinch the tips like a spruce during the growing season, sometimes even twice. Doing so causes a ton of backbuds and ramification, and allowed me to push the foliage back towards the trunk. It also helps keep the foliage juvenile, which I prefer. It almost looks like a larch.

The trunk is all lumpy and flawed, but they all seem to grow that way, so I just embrace it.

Who else has one of these?

 

[Wulfskaar]

Here's mine!
https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/pinus-pinea-for-a-beginner.47215/

I've been very wary of doing too much to it and have had some people here tell me to get over it. A big part of that is the lack of long term information out there, so I'm really happy you posted this! I'll be following it for any updates and lessons learned.

BTW.... yours has to be one of the best I've ever seen!

I'm going for a different style with mine, more of an umbrella style.

 

[snowman04]

Now I'm going to have to watch for these.

Are you going to put lights on yours this Christmas?

 

[Ruddigger]

I'm going for a different style with mine, more of an umbrella style.

A naturalistic style. Could be pretty cool.

 

[Ruddigger]

It’s a Christmas tree again!

 

[MaciekA]

Beautiful tree! @Ruddigger , possibly odd request, but do you have any pictures of this tree from directly above? (I'm always looking to learn from others' canopy construction).

 

[Ruddigger]

I can get one tomorrow for ya.

 

[snowman04]

HoHoHo! Looks great! Any little Italian lites getting hung?

 

[Srt8madness]

I have one I stuck in the ground to fatten up. Back buds don't seem to be an issue. It's getting some mature foliage, I'll let it rip next season and dig in the fall to start transitioning to a pot.

Yours looks amazing!

 

[Hartinez]

You’ve done so well with this tree Rudd. Question though. How would you feel about Jinning and or removing that lower right branch?

 

[Ruddigger]

You’ve done so well with this tree Rudd. Question though. How would you feel about Jinning and or removing that lower right branch?

I can see it. I think I’ll move it up and in a little to cover up that ugly section of trunk though. Maybe it’ll go down the road though, good eye.

 

[Hartinez]

The apex is my favorite part. Looks so mature for being a nursery style Christmas tree. The apex does that.

 

[Adamski77]

It’s funny to look back and see how much I’ve improved since then

oh boy... if you improved a lot since than... hats off and respect. This one is already looking really good!

 

[Ruddigger]

Beautiful tree! @Ruddigger , possibly odd request, but do you have any pictures of this tree from directly above? (I'm always looking to learn from others' canopy construction).

Not sure how much it helps, but here ya go.

I tend to bend the leader over to make a side branch and use the side shoots from the leader to form the new apex.

 

[Hartinez]

I tend to bend the leader over to make a side branch and use the side shoots from the leader to form the new apex.

That’s how ya do it right there!

 

[MaciekA]

Thanks for sharing the top view! Much appreciated! Helpful for understanding the 3d volume of the tree and how the branches/shoots are distributed.

 

[Deleted member 47471]

Is anyone else playing with these trees? I’ve seen a few threads on here that never gained any traction, or had much in the way of updates.

If you have a Stone Pine, post it here!

I’ll start it off, heres one I bought at the beginning of 2021. It was one of those miniature living xmas tree decorations on clearance after the holiday. Looked like this…
View attachment 516510

I hacked it all up and repotted it in spring. It’s funny to look back and see how much I’ve improved since then.
View attachment 516501

January 2022
View attachment 516502

September 2022
View attachment 516503

November 2023
View attachment 516504

I’ve learned that I can pinch the tips like a spruce during the growing season, sometimes even twice. Doing so causes a ton of backbuds and ramification, and allowed me to push the foliage back towards the trunk. It also helps keep the foliage juvenile, which I prefer. It almost looks like a larch.

The trunk is all lumpy and flawed, but they all seem to grow that way, so I just embrace it.

Who else has one of these?

STUNNING

 

[Deleted member 47471]

That’s how ya do it right there!

Captured the apex in one sentence. I’m saving this statement.

 

[ShadyStump]

After a few years local hiatus, these are back as potted Christmas trees again. I've avoided them in the past because they won't survive our winters outdoors, but I'm wondering if anyone has successfully overwintered them indoors without extreme measures.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

After a few years local hiatus, these are back as potted Christmas trees again. I've avoided them in the past because they won't survive our winters outdoors, but I'm wondering if anyone has successfully overwintered them indoors without extreme measures.

My mom has. She bought a couple as christmas decoration, together with some dwarf alberta spruce and they survived a winter in the living room.
They didn't come out looking great, but they lived.
My own italian stone pine survived two winters in the open, died the third.