Five Year Native Tree Challenge: RJG2's Pinus rigida (pitch pine)

[RJG2]

This one might be a bit difficult, but I got permission from the town, so I'll give it a shot...

Growing through the bottom of a curling chain link fence on the edge of an old cemetery. I think I can bend it open to remove.

 

[RJG2]

This will be my first attempt at collecting a pine.

Suggestions on how far out from the trunk I should start digging?

It's in pretty average soil; not sandy. Trunk is 2-3" thick.

 

[LittleDingus]

I love the bark! And the acorns! You sure it's not an oak?!?

I can't answer the "how far" question except to say start much further out than you think you need! Once you cut through roots...you can't glue them back. And holes have a way of expanding outward that might encroach further on the trunk than you think when the spade first hits the soil.

 

[parvae_arbores]

This thing will probably have a pretty decent tap root on it. I would start maybe 12 inches away and see if you hit any lateral roots, then trench down about the same and dug under it to cut the taproot.

 

[RJG2]

This thing will probably have a pretty decent tap root on it. I would start maybe 12 inches away and see if you hit any lateral roots, then trench down about the same and dug under it to cut the taproot.

Funny, just saw your post. Yours looks pretty nice for a free, already dug tree!

 

[parvae_arbores]

It was totally worth getting my wife mad.

 

[Bu-Jetjet]

This will be my first attempt at collecting a pine.

Suggestions on how far out from the trunk I should start digging?

It's in pretty average soil; not sandy. Trunk is 2-3" thick.

Awesome! I too am entering collected pines for the 5 year native challenge. I usually dig a foot out radially once I locate the direction of the roots (or if a nebari is present). Then I use all pumice substrate once I repot it in a grow box.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Sweet, I missed this thread. I'm growing a bunch from seed.

As for the tap root, judging from the soil it's going to be a big and deep one. I can recommend digging down in stages, you might not find roots in the first foot of depth, and all of them just below. So instead of digging in a typical V shape underneath the tree, I'd dig a trench straight down and work your way inwards from there to find the biggest root mass. Rigida sparked my interes because of their backbudding capabilities, so a super long taproot would just be a trunk to work with; not that much of an issue compared to any other pine.

 

[RJG2]

Awesome! I too am entering collected pines for the 5 year native challenge. I usually dig a foot out radially once I locate the direction of the roots (or if a nebari is present). Then I use all pumice substrate once I repot it in a grow box.

Sweet, I missed this thread. I'm growing a bunch from seed.

As for the tap root, judging from the soil it's going to be a big and deep one. I can recommend digging down in stages, you might not find roots in the first foot of depth, and all of them just below. So instead of digging in a typical V shape underneath the tree, I'd dig a trench straight down and work your way inwards from there to find the biggest root mass. Rigida sparked my interes because of their backbudding capabilities, so a super long taproot would just be a trunk to work with; not that much of an issue compared to any other pine.

Thanks guys.

At least it's not in sand like where you normally find them!

 

[RJG2]

Forgot to update this.

Collected it, but there weren't a ton of feeders very close. The soil was much sandier than I expected.

Candles are pushing, but not sure how long it will last; I'll do my best to baby it.