White Pine Growth Rate – Are They Fast Growing?
Pinus Strobus commonly called the white pine, eastern white pine, northern white pine, Japanese white pine, or the soft pine, are long-lived, fast growing, evergreen pines native to North America. In some places, they are also called the ‘Tree of Peace’.
These trees are an important timber tree. White pines are specially valued for their straight-gained and lightweight wood. These trees work excellent for lawns or parks.
Areas with adequate space are best suited for the future growth of these trees. They are good to be planted as a hedge and may be sheared on regular basis for controlling growth.
Right from providing shade to providing habitat for birds and animals to live in, pine trees offer a host of benefits. They are considered the most well-rounded and versatile trees. Pine trees are perfect windbreaks that protect your house and surroundings.
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Their lush eye-catching clusters of needles make the tree look attractive with its evergreen foliage. These species grow in pyramidal shape like a Christmas tree.Though there are other identifying features of a white pine, these are the vital ones.
The young trees grow at a rapid rate if planted in an appropriate location. White pine size and growth rate is highly affected by the environment that they are planted in. They need a lot of room to grow.
Although different species of pine trees react to natural conditions differently, the best condition for pine trees are mostly dry soils with lots of sunlight and rainfall. These trees are one of the best choices for providing privacy.
White pines may produce single trunk or they usually split into two trunks and so they are highly popular among bonsai enthusiasts. The young trees have gray bark that becomes rough and sheds in scales which provides natural mulch around the tree.
How Fast Do White Pines Grow?
White pine is a fast growing evergreen and white pine growth rate is 2 to 3 feet more per year. Its needles grow from 3 to 6 inches long. They are arranged in bundles of five on a stem.
When white pines are planted out in the open, their branches can grow and reach up to the ground. But, when these trees are grown in windbreaks they lose their lower branches.
White pine is a windbreak tree with its quick growth and adaptability. Gardeners with a small garden should avoid planting this tree.
White pine grows up to 80 feet tall and more than 25 feet wide. Occasionally, white pines can grow over 150 feet. Its roots are very wind firm, but branches are very brittle and can break by ice, snow and windstorms.
White pines can live up to more than 100 years in windbreaks, but has a shorter lifespan as they are broken due to ice storms and wind.
If you plant your white pine on a well-drained, acidic, moist soil, this species can outgrow any other pine species. They do not like too wet soil; they do well on clay or heavy soils.
White pines do well in sandy conditions. It adapts to dryer areas. However, it is susceptible to huge number of insects and disease problems. There are two diseases that affect white pines – blister rust and white pine weevil. It is intolerant of air pollutants like sulphur dioxide, ozone, salts and alkaline soils.
Now when it comes to the question, how fast do white pines grow, if planted in good soil, with adequate sunlight, moisture and weed control, a 2 feet tall white pine can grow over 12 feet in 5 years.
How Can I Make My White Pine Grow Faster?
White pine is one of the fastest growing pine trees. White pine growth rate is remarkable as compared to other pine species.
Figuring out how quickly do white pines grow requires looking at the growing conditions of the tree. Like any other tree, p1. ine trees also need specific environment requirements to grow faster. Factors such as soil nutrient levels, four hours of direct sunlight each day and soil pH can influence the growth of the plant.
Let us look at some of the factors that can help understand how fast do white pines grow and help white pines grow faster:
1. Test nutrients of soil
It is recommended to test your soil where your tree is growing. Send your soil for testing or test it yourself by using soil test kit and determine the levels of micronutrients like phosphorous, nitrogen and potassium. According to the test results, apply fertilizer.
2. Examine the needles
If the needles of your pine tree are turning yellow, then your pine tree is suffering from iron chlorosis which happens due to lack of chlorophyll. Poor growing conditions such as improper drainage, alkaline soil, and compacted soil can affect the growth of your tree. Correcting these problems can help solve the problems in long term.
3. Test pH levels of soil
Test the pH levels of your soil and adjust it accordingly. Optimal pH levels for your eastern white pine should be 6 or less. If the pH level is above 7, the soil is too alkaline. Take garden sulfur and apply it on surface of the soil around the tree.
If the pH level is below 6, your soil is too acidic. For this, you would need surface application of dolomitic lime.
4. Check soil moisture content
Test your soil for excessive dryness. White pines grows the best in moist soil. If the limbs of the tree look droopy, then the tree needs proper watering. Establish a proper watering schedule on a daily basis.
5. Inspect the area
Check the area around the tree. If your tree is shaded by the limbs of other trees or by tall weeds, then your white pine lacks adequate sunlight.
Remove the limbs of the other tree that is creating shadows or pull out the weeds. It is recommended not to use any chemicals to kill the weeds at this time as your tree is already under pressure.
6. Prune when needed
Remove broken and diseased branches from your tree for healthier growth. The best time for pruning is late winter. However, if there is any damage, it is better to prune it right away to save the tree from any additional damage.
Pruning the needles in spring season also encourages healthier growth. Trimming the needles halfway using hand pruners and trimming can also encourage new growth.
7. Observe changes in your tree’s growth
Within few weeks, you will be able to notice the changes in the growth of your white pine. If you notice green color reappearing or limbs appearing less droopy or new growth commencing, then your white pine is on the way to a fast recovery.
White pine size and growth rate depends on its habitat conditions. If all these factors are present, then the annual height increase can be expected close to 24 inches and can even go up to 34 inches.
Red Pine Vs White Pine Growth Rate
The growth rate of red pine is very uniform if planted in right environment. It increases in height by 10 inches every year.
White pine grows around 2 feet every year. The height of eastern white pine is 65 to 100 feet, whereas that of western white pine is 98 to 164 feet. Eastern white pine is the fastest growing pine species.
Related: Indoor pine tree types,Types of pine bushes
FAQs
Q. How big do white pine trees get?
A. Usually white pine tree growth rate is 80 feet. It has a potential to reach more than 150 feet in maturity.
Q. Are white pines good for privacy?
A. White pines are great options for privacy. They can give a protective natural shield around your house as they reach up to a height of 20 feet and 14 feet in width, making them ideal as screens. As white pine is a forest tree, it grows fast.
Q. Do white pines fall easily?
A. White pines are fast growing trees that do well in medium-moisture, well-drained, acidic soil. It does well in full sunlight, but some shade in warmer environments are good for the tree. These trees do not survive in clay soils and hot climates. White pines commonly suffer from two disease problems- blister rust and white pine weevil.
Q. Is eastern white pine tree growth rate different from western pine?
A. Eastern white pine can grow up to 80 feet and as wide as 40 feet, whereas the Western white pine regularly grows to 30-50 meters and sometimes to 70 meters tall.
Q. What is weeping white pine growth rate?
A. With early pruning, weeping white pine can grow into a small tree up to 12 feet. But, weeping white pine’s canopy spread can be twice the height of the tree.
Q. How longdo white pines live?
A. If grown in right conditions, white pine is a long-lived tree that can live as long as 200 years. Some of them have been found to survive over 450 years.
Q. How far apart do you plant white pine trees?
A. White pines need lot of space as they quickly mature into a large tree. While planting these trees, it is recommended to leave 20 to 30 feet between white pine trees in your yard. If the trees are grown for timber, then they should be planted 600 to 1000 trees per acre.
Q. Can you call Japanese white pine growth rate quick?
A. Japanese white pine is a slow-growing tree that grows 2-3 feet annually. They could grow up to 80-100 feet high in a regular natural setup. On the other hand, it can only grow up to 25 feet in a garden setting.
We hope that you now know how fast do white pines grow. We also tried to cover the important points to that help white pines grow faster.
