White Pine Production

Pinus strobus
by Mark Halcomb
UT Area Nursery Specialist

Liner Selection
Conifer seedlings are produced as 1-0, 2-0, 1-1, 2-1 or 2-2's. The numbers refer
to the number of years in the seedling bed and transplant bed respectively. A 1-0 is only
1 year old and is too small to go straight to the field. A 2-2 is 4 years old.

A list of conifer liner sources is available. The Tenn Div of Forestry offers a much
better quality liner than they use to. Their 2-0's will be 8 to 12 inches tall. When larger
seedlings are not available, consider planting the (1-1, 2-0, 2-1) seedlings into a liner
row or transplant bed for 1-2 years with irrigation. Let the seedlings grow a larger root
system before being spaced out to ball. This frees up some land. It also allows the
expected mortality to occur without tying up land for 5 years.

Site Selection
White pines require a deep, very well drained soil, like dogwood and peach.
Select a site without a fragi-pan; where water never stands.

Field Spacing
Spacing of White Pines in the field depends upon the size expected to be
harvested. Pines are sold as conical or pyramidal coniferous evergreens and properly
grown material should not be less than a 5 to 3 height to spread ratio, according to the
ANLA Nursery Standards. For example, a 5 foot White Pine should be at least 3 feet
across at the base. A 7 foot White Pine should be at least 4 feet wide at the bottom. The
height of coniferous evergreens is measured midpoint between the upper-most whorl
and the tip of the leader.

Plant a minimum of 5 feet apart within the row to harvest a 6 foot White Pine and
6 feet apart to produce a high quality 8 foot White Pine. Middles should be at least
(width of widest tractor or implement used in middles plus 2.5 feet per side = 3'
implement + 5' = 8' middle. It is critical that sunlight reach the lower branches to keep
them vigorous and strong, so they will remain long.

Spacing examples of trees on 1 solid acre:

5x5 = 1,742 6x6 = 1,210 4.5 x 5 = 1,936

5x6 = 1,452 6x7 = 1,037 4.5 x 6 = 1,613
5x7 = 1,245 6x8 = 908 4.5 x 7 = 1,383
5x8 = 1,089 4.5 x 8 = 1,210

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 Remember to skip a row or leave a 10-12 foot roadway to load and spray from.
Consider 4-6 rows per block. If hand dug, how far do you desire to carry 500 pounds?
An air blast sprayer will be required for pest control. An air blast sprayer should be able
to penetrate the foliage on 4-6 rows of dense pine foliage. A tree spade will also require
space to maneuver without damaging adjacent plants. A 4 row block offers 50 percent
of its plants immediately accessible to a spade.

Fertility
Soil test early enough so that any lime, phosphate or potash can be broadcast
prior to planting. White pines grow best with a soil pH of 4.5-6.0. A low or medium level
of phosphorus and potassium is more desirable than a high level. Some producers don't
fertilize if they get decent growth and color. They fertilize the last year for color.

Fifty pounds of actual nitrogen per acre is sufficient for the conifers. More will
only stimulate excessive plant and weed growth, requiring more growth pruned off and
greater weed control efforts. Sidedress Feb-March and late June. Examples of 50 lbs.
of actual nitrogen per acre: 150 lbs. 34-0-0 or 250 lbs. 20-10-10 or 385 lbs. 13-13-13 or
333 lbs. 15-15-15 per acre.

Insects
Refer to UT Ext. pub. 1589 for a complete list of potential insects and the
recommended controls. Frequent insect pests in Middle Tennessee are bagworm and
pine bark adelgid. The adelgid looks like a white cottony lint on the trunks, branches and
terminals when highly infested. Dormant oil is the best defense in Feb-March.

Effective spraying does not remove the pest residue or cause it to change colors
to indicate that it has been controlled. Spray success can be determined by rubbing the
trunk or branches with a hand. Living adelgids leave your hand sticky. Dead ones will be
dry and powdery when rubbed.

Disease
Refer to UT Ext. pub. 1234 for a complete list of potential diseases and the
recommended controls.

Herbicides
Refer to UT Ext. pub. 1226 for a complete list of labeled pre and post-emergent
herbicides. Weeds must not be allowed to shade out lower foliage. Devrinol,
Factor/Barricade, Gallery, Kerb, Pendulum WDG, Pennant, Princep/Simazine and
Surflan are labeled for pre; and Envoy, Fusilade T/O, and Vantage are labeled for post
use presently.

Pruning
White pines should be pruned in late June or early July, (a little later at higher
elevations.) The job must be completed in time for the buds to set for next year.

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 White pines can be grown and sold as natural (no pruning), sheared, semi-
sheared or semi-pruned. Most white pines are planted for a screen, to hide an ugly view
or to provide privacy. Natural white pines don't serve this purpose well, because they
are too open. But natural pines are easier to grow and cheaper to buy.

A sheared, semi-pruned or semi-sheared white pine offers much more privacy

and screening ability than a naturally grown pine. Pruning increases plant value and
quality. These trees must sell for more money, due to the increased labor. Shearing
requires the most time, effort and ability; but commands the higher price. The
instrument used may be manual hedge shears, knife, or powered shears.

The leader should be limited to 10 inches of new growth in a plant intended for
Christmas tree use. The leader of a sheared landscape plant should be left no longer
than 14 inches. Maintain only 1 central leader, regardless of the method.

I recommend considering the SAJE powdered device for speed and uniform
appearance. It shears hemlock and the upright hollies as well. The motor is carried on a
backpack frame and powers a 6 foot sickle bar held at an angle while the operator
walks around each tree. Uneven terrain can make the task more difficult.The SAJE is
heavy and most workers like to rest every hour or so. But the uniform quality is amazing
and makes the effort well worth the trouble. Several local producers like theirs. A source
is 1-800-530-7218.

A semi-sheared tree is only sheared the last year or two prior to being sold, to
produce a thicker outer shell of needles. A semi-pruned tree is pruned every year
except the first 2.

Semi-pruning takes 5-15 seconds per tree per year. Only one cut is required on
most trees. Cut the central leader 12-14 inches above the newest whorl of branches. (If
there is a double leader, remove one.) If the remaining central leader is still taller than
the new lateral (side) branches, then move to the next tree.

If the central leader is shorter than any of the new lateral branches, then cut the
taller lateral branches back enough to remain subordinate.

The central leader must be taller in order to maintain dominance. Otherwise, a

taller lateral will become dominant, take over as the new central leader, and produce a
major crook in the stem.

So, the height that the tree grows and the distance between branches is
controlled by how much the leader is allowed to grow per year. A more effective screen
is produced.

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 A person can walk down the row making 1-6 cuts per tree with hand pruners. All
of the cuts are in the top, requiring 5-15 seconds per tree and increasing the QUALITY
immensely over a natural tree.

Remember to be alert for snakes, wasps and hornets. Drink liquids and be alert
for heat exhaustion. Don't do this type of work alone in remote areas. Wear the proper
safety equipment.

Leg guards, boots and protective gloves are essential when shearing with a
knife. Carry a stick in the idle hand or hook a finger in your belt to keep it busy and
avoid cutting it.

Digging the Correct Size Ball

The American Standard for Nursery Stock was written by the American Nursery
& Landscape Assoc. (ANLA) (formerly the American Assoc. of Nurserymen, AAN). It
establishes techniques for measuring plants and rootball size for particular plant sizes
and different plant types. A copy of the Standards may be obtained by contacting the
ANLA at 202-789-5980 ext 3019 for a few dollars.

A naturally grown white pine that has never been pruned can be dug with the ball
sizes listed in Table 16 on page 21 of the Standards, in the Coniferous Evergreen
section. A portion of Table 16 is reproduced below. The minimum ball size is stated
based on the tree height. Rather straight forward, but how do you measure the height of
a natural white pine and be fair to the buyer? Afterall, the leader may be 24-30 inches
taller than the first side branch. Figure 18 on page 19 of the Standard states, "The upper
limit for determining average height for type 4 conifers (white pines) is midpoint between
the uppermost whorl and the tip of the leader."

Section 3.2.1, page 21 has an interesting statement: "Note: Where it has been a
cultural practice to shear, prune, disbud or otherwise impede the natural growth rate of
this group of plants, ... trunk diameter shall be used to determine the minimum ball size
of trees. Measurement of trunk diameter shall be made within 6 inches above ground
level. Minimum ball diameters shall be those established under Section 1.3.1 "Shade
Trees", Types 1 and 2 on Table 5. Ball depth shall also be established as in Section
1.3.4 (Ball Depths)." A portion of Table 5 is reproduced below. These specifications are
for hand dug or machine dug balls.

A 6 foot semi-pruned white pine with a 3 inch trunk would require a minimum of a
32 inch root ball; while a natural pine would require a minimum of a 22 inch root ball.
Sheared and semi-sheared white pine trees require a larger rootball than natural white
pines to survive. It makes sense because a sheared tree has more needles to be fed.

Producers are not legally bound to follow the ANLA Standards. Buyers should
ask if a nursery follows the Standards before placing an order or include it on the bid
sheet or Spec. Sheet.

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 Producers must be watchful of the plant QUALITY leaving their nursery. Ball size
and condition is a major consideration. If we strive to ship the same QUALITY that we
would expect to receive, then the Middle Tennessee Nursery Industry can only grow.
Integrity and honesty is extremely important in successful business dealings.

Table 16 Table 5

Natural Conifer Sheared or Semi-Sheared

Height Minimum Ball Caliper Minimum Ball
Diameter Diameter

4 feet 16 inches 1 1/4 18 inches

5 feet 20 inches 1 1/2 20 inches
6 feet 22 inches 1 3/4 22 inches
7 feet 24 inches 2 24 inches
8 feet 27 inches 2 1/2 28 inches
9 feet 30 inches 3 32 inches
10 feet 34 inches 3 1/2 38 inches
12 feet 34 inches 4 42 inches
14 feet 42 inches 4 1/2 48 inches
16 feet 46 inches 5 54 inches
18 feet 50 inches 5 1/2 57 inches
6 60 inches
7 70 inches

Pine crop March, 2002 crop disc