White Pine (Pinus Strobus) tree thinning - Ask Extension
Good morning. In the early 1990s I propagated a couple of dozen White Pines from seed in my kitchen. I soon transplanted all of those to the yard wi...
Knowledgebase
White Pine (Pinus Strobus) tree thinning #868541
Asked May 15, 2024, 12:49 PM EDT
Good morning. In the early 1990s I propagated a couple of dozen White Pines from seed in my kitchen. I soon transplanted all of those to the yard with the intent of transplanting them again to other parts of my yard. Unfortunately, the re-transplanting never occurred. Today the remnants of the original White Pine plantings, about 6, are growing in the same rather small area (maybe 3 feet by 6 feet). The trees are very healthy, about 20-25 feet tall and about 5-6" in diameter at the base.
As you can imagine they are all growing close together and while not touching, they likely one day will start growing 'together'. So here is my question.
In the interest of the ultimate health of the trees:
1. Should I thin out the trees so no more than 1 or 2 are left standing?
2. Or, should I just allow them to grow 'together' ?
Thanks for your time on this!
Hennepin CountyMinnesota
Expert Response
I remember answering this question last month. Didn't the answer get sent? Linda G Tenneson