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I don’t understand why my pine seedlings aren’t getting any bigger. I… | Anything about plants | Planta-Community

SJ

I don’t understand why my pine seedlings aren’t getting any bigger. I planted them as seeds January ‘25, they sprouted about this time last year, and now are kinda stuck in this 2-3in height. This was labeled as a very slow-growing species, but I’ve tried different lights/locations to no avail. Any advice? I’ve contemplated putting them in big baskets outdoors this summer so they have tons of resources to bulk up, but also I could be super wrong and kill them. I’m scared 😟

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  1. Waspinator

    Bristlecone pines are a ridiculously long-lived species (some wild specimens are in the 4,000-5,000 year old range), so it's just genuinely that slow of a grower. Resist the urge to repot them and be very gentle when they eventually need it; in my experience pines are very delicate about transplanting. Also protect them from any squirrels or critters that might try to dig in thier soil

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  2. Waspinator

    (I assume you're keeping them as bonsai starters?) As for bulking up thier trunks, when you give them thier first decent size pot, give the roots plenty of soil to spread out in and put a wood board or flat rock under the base of the trunk/top of the roots to make the roots spread more outward instead of downward. As they get older, planting them at an angle can help encourage root buttressing to widen the initial root spread, and you can use sacrificial branches to gain trunk girth faster. Until you get the trunk to a size you like, use large training pots to encourage more growth; bonsai pots slow down growth. If you're going to plant them in the ground, then you can be gradual about introducing them to winter for thier first few years to ensure they get a higher survival rate (so like simulate thier first winter by putting them in a fridge, second winter bury or insulate thier pot and monitor them closely for water needs, third winter you don't have to monitor as closely, fouth year or once they're a good size, plant them and insulate with some mulch, and after that they should be established well enough to leave to nature.)

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    • SJ

      Wonderful! Thank you so much. I’ve been watching and reading tons about them, but rarely do any sources discuss the very early stages.

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