It's that time of year when people decorate pine trees. Many opt for a cut tree, but having a live one can be a great option for someone who wants a tree that keeps living and can be brought in year after year.
California has both native pine trees and ones that have come from similar climates like Australia and Asia. All together, there are over a 115 varieties of pine trees!
They are part of the conifer, cone-bearer, family, and are also evergreens, retaining their needles year round. Height wise they can range from a 4ft dwarf Mugo to an over 100 ft white pine. Besides height, pine trees can vary in their shape, needles, texture, and cones. They are easy to care for and can even live indoors.
Pine trees need lots of sunlight and rich, moist soil. If you have one in a pot, rotate it regularly and have it in a sunny spot. Pine trees in pots require more water to make sure it does not dry out. Good drainage is important whether it's in a pot or in the ground.
Can you grow a pine tree from a pine cone seed?
One has to have patience to grow a pine tree from a seed. Growing seeds from pine cones harvested from local pine trees will mean your tree will most likely do well in your climate. Seeds can be gathered from pine cones that are still closed, and if properly stratified, the process of natural or recreated natural conditions to insure germination will occur, a tree can grow!
Take pine cones that have not opened from pine tree in early fall and place in paper bag in warm spot. Shake the bag every few days. When the cone opens, the seeds will drop into the bag.
Place seeds in freezer for 2-3 months to mimic winter.
Thaw out to room temperature and then put in glass bowl with lukewarm water for 1 to 2 days.
Drain and put still moist seeds in ziplock baggie in fridge for 2-3 months
Now they are ready to plant in mixture of 3 parts potting soil, 1 part peat moss, 1 part sand (without salt), and 1 part pine bark. Plant one seed per 4" pot 1/4" deep and make sure there is good drainage.
Do not let soil get dry or be too wet. Replant when seedlings are 8 to 12" tall.
Sometimes a pine cone can sprout seedlings (pictured above) from seeds that did not fully release. If you happen to find one, plant in half dirt (do not cover pine cone fully), it might make it into a tree!
Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah from all of us at Pacific Vista Landscape Services!
Change can be good! Many people in Southern California are have a hard time giving up their lawn and going natural with native trees and plants. This can not only save water and money, the native landscape is more interesting and varied. It also takes less care overall and less water once the roots are established.
It takes a multi-pronged approach to maximize water utilization and conservation with landscaping. Removing turf grass is one of the most water conscious adjustments a property owner can make to reduce their water usage. Also, there are rebates available to help mitigate the cost, and the new landscape will save you water and money going forward.
Converting irrigation systems to drip, hand-watering or installing water efficient micro-spray systems or rotating nozzles ensures that landscape watering is as efficient as possible.
Finally, the addition of a sustainable approach in the new landscape works to reduce or prevent wasteful runoff through the use of a rainwater capture or filtration system.
There are many great native trees and plants that do well in our climate. Here are some good contenders from BeWaterWise.com for your native garden.
Are you ready to switch to a native garden? Contact us! At Pacific Vista Landscape Service, we can help you through the rebate process and are experts in all the essential elements, from turf removal to smart irrigation systems, it takes to create an efficient native garden.
Whether you are remodeling your home or starting completely over, mature trees add value to a property and need special protection during construction. It is not just the trunk that needs to be protected, most damage occurs below ground.
Heavy machinery can be detrimental to a tree's root system and depending on the type of tree, roots can be shallow and extend quite far. Rolling equipment, even if it passes only a few times, can compact soil and roots too densely and be harmful to the health of the tree. Excavating or adding too much soil can also damage roots.
A study done by forestry agents at the Alabama Cooperative Extension and mentioned in the National Garden Association's article 'Protecting Trees During Construction' came up with some low cost solutions:
"Fencing off the critical root zone -- the area around the tree where roots are most vulnerable to damage from soil compaction -- is key. But where constraints exist that make such fencing off impossible, the foresters discovered some simple ways to lessen the impact of heavy machinery. They found, for example, that simply spreading mulch 8 inches deep and covering it with 3/4 inch plywood distributed the weight of the equipment driving over enough to greatly reduce the amount of soil compaction below." Our Pacific Vista Tree Service' staff are experts with all types of trees. We can estimate a tree's root system diameter and depth as well as prepare the area with mulch for protection if fencing is not an option. Let us help keep your trees healthy for upcoming years of enjoyment long after the construction is over!
