Worth knowing:
Holidaymakers of the Mediterranean region know all too well the feeling of resting in the shade of a pine tree and taking in the harsh spicy fragrance of the soft, dark-green needles. You may not be able to sit under your bonsai, but you can enjoy the mediterranean scent in your home. Because of its eatable seeds, the pine kernels, the Stone Pine is being cultivated since ancient times. A single tree can produce up to 60 kg of seeds.
Natural Location:
The natural habitat of the Stone Pine is the northern Mediterranean region from the Iberian Peninsula to Anatolia.
Cultivation:
Seed propagation indoors is possible throughout the year. To increase the germinability, you can place the seeds for 24 hours in warm water for priming. Then, plant the seeds about 1 cm deep into moist potting compost and cover the seed container with clear film to prevent the earth from drying out. Don’t forget to make some holes in the clear film and take it every second or third day completely off for about 2 hours. That way you avoid mold formation on your potting compost. Place the seed container somewhere bright and warm with a temperature between 20°C and 25°C and keep the earth moist, but not wet. Usually it will only take one or two weeks until germination.
Place:
The Stone Pine likes to be kept in a full sunny spot. From May until September it can also be placed outdoors.
Care:
Even though the Stone Pine tolerates dry periods, a consistent watering without waterlogging is advisable. From April until October you can provide your plant with fluid fertilizer for bonsai plants every four weeks.
During the winter:
During winter you should not fertilize your bonsai plant and water only sparsely. The Stone Pine still wants to be kept in a bright place, but somewhat cooler with temperatures between 5° and 14° Celsius. In warmer places, it is necessary to spray the needles of the plant from time to time and provide a light air circulation.
Picture credits:
- © © Cliff from Arlington - CC-BY-2.0 - http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0
- © Frank Laue - © Saflax - http://www.saflax.de/copyright
- © Frank Laue - © Saflax - http://www.saflax.de/copyright
- © Cliff from Arlington - CC-BY-2.0 - http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0
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