Pine Death Wish

[Eric Group]

Here are two pines I have. The first is a weeping Jack Pine I bought at a nursery this season. It's in typical garden soil you'd find at a garden center. I water it once a week. Next year I'll start the process of getting it into good Bonsai soil.
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The second tree is an old Ponderosa. It is an old established tree in this pot for 7 years or so. I have watered it twice this summer. It is in pure chicken grit.

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Pines like it dry. The color of the soil has more to do with the need to put more water on it than watering it daily, every other day, etc. when I repot the Jack pine next year, it's going to go from weekly water to daily water and as the summer goes on I need to figure out the change.

Enjoy the learning curve.

I have to respectfully disagree man.. No tree LIKES it dry. They DIE. Some trees TOLERATE it better than others. Pines do tolerate dry conditions better than most, but in 100 degree heat with no rain for days/ weeks at a time, the watering schedule you laid out is a 100% guaranteed death sentence- unless you have them planted in the ground maybe or in very large pots... Obviously your trees are doing fine with it in your environment! You have many very nice trees Fourteener and I hope you do not take offense to me disagreeing with you on what is a semantics argument at it's core as I know YOU know a completely dry tree is a dead one... So, no disrespect- I am just saying I think the dramatic climate differences between your area, my area and the OP's area... Must be creating dramatically different watering needs for the trees.

For years, when I used to "worry" about over watering, I could not keep pines, Juniper... Or most any tree alive. About 4-5 years ago, I switched to making sure I error on the side of over watering and my trees have not only survived at a DRAMATICALLY improved rate, they are thriving. I have multiple Pines of all different types in pots of a similar size to the OP, many in "nursery" type soil (peat, perlite..) and I water them 1, sometimes 2-3 times a day and they are all thriving and even growing like weeds. Pretty much All I have had at least 2 years or more, being watered at a similar frequency and I have never lost a tree due to over watering. Just my experience, in my TOO DAMN HOT climate!

 

[fourteener]

I have to respectfully disagree man.. No tree LIKES it dry. They DIE. Some trees TOLERATE it better than others. Pines do tolerate dry conditions better than most, but in 100 degree heat with no rain for days/ weeks at a time, the watering schedule you laid out is a 100% guaranteed death sentence- unless you have them planted in the ground maybe or in very large pots... Obviously your trees are doing fine with it in your environment! You have many very nice trees Fourteener and I hope you do not take offense to me disagreeing with you on what is a semantics argument at it's core as I know YOU know a completely dry tree is a dead one... So, no disrespect- I am just saying I think the dramatic climate differences between your area, my area and the OP's area... Must be creating dramatically different watering needs for the trees.

For years, when I used to "worry" about over watering, I could not keep pines, Juniper... Or most any tree alive. About 4-5 years ago, I switched to making sure zi error on the side of over watering and my trees have not only survived at a DRAMATICALLY improved rate, they are thriving. I have multiple Pines of all different types in pots of a similar size to the OP, many in "nursery" type soil (peat, perlite..) and I water them 1, sometimes 2-3 times a day and they are all thriving and even growing like weeds. Pretty much All I have had at least 2 years or more, being watered at a similar frequency and I have never lost a tree due to over watering. Just my experience, in my TOO DAMN HOT climate!

Ok.

 

[Paradox]

I came to the conclusion in the last year or so that I am a chronic over waterer. This realization, lead me to finally believe that my original soil mix of sand, gravel and pine bark was not a good thing in the long run. I was finally able to locate better soil components and last year, I started switching my trees to more open mix of pumice, lava, gravel (and pine bark for some trees). Now I can water until the cows come home and it will be hard to have problems with that. I should have them all switched by next summer.

So far the trees that are in the new mix seem to be loving it. I find I need to water every other day even in during the real hot days with no rain, lesser intervals if we have rainy weather.

 

[petegreg]

Here are two pines...

The second tree is an old Ponderosa. It is an old established tree in this pot for 7 years or so. I have watered it twice this summer. It is in pure chicken grit.

View attachment 80535

@fourteener , Did you mean twice a day this summer?

 

[fourteener]

@fourteener , Did you mean twice a day this summer?

No, I meant, other than rain, I only watered the tree just a few times in the entire season. It is a very established tree in a pot that is too big. I wouldn't suggest that with many trees. I also have a cool climate and a decent amount of rain. Someone in the desert south west should not take this advice. But people overwater their pines and junipers all the time.

 

[petegreg]

Thank you, now I understand, the rain does it often.