Soon after 33 decades writing a gardening column for the Put up-Dispatch, Chip Tynan is retiring from the Missouri Botanical Yard. We are rerunning some most loved columns for a several months, but the backyard will resume the column before long. You should keep on to send out inquiries to the handle under.
Q • I obtained an Italian Stone Pine as a dwelling Christmas tree reward. I have been retaining it indoors, but I question if it can be planted outside?
A • The Italian Stone Pine (Pinus pinea) is not hardy in the St. Louis spot and ought to not be puzzled with the Swiss Stone Pine (Pinus cembra), which will survive in our local weather. Italian stone pines are native to northern Mediterranean areas in Europe. In this country, they are principally developed in California and places of the western states that are not matter to freezing temperature. Though they will not survive our winters if planted outdoor, neither can we look at Italian stone pines to be houseplants. If saved indoors in ordinary warm situations, they will at some point lose their vigor and decrease.
Offer your plant with great evening temperatures in the 40s and a vivid sunny window. A cool greenhouse or a sunporch would be excellent. For the remainder of the winter, allow the soil to dry relatively concerning waterings. Spot your plant outdoors for summer season, with some security from the hottest afternoon sunlight. Preserve the soil evenly moist and fertilize about as soon as a month until finally fall. Bring it back indoors in fall when evening temperatures drop into the reduce 40s.