Monterey Pine Data Sheet

• Common name: Monterey pine

• Latin name: Pinus radiata

• Genus: Pinus

• Height: 65 m (213 ft)

• Type: Evergreen

• Hardiness: Zone 7–8

• Conservation status: Endangered

Pinus Radiata, commonly known as the Monterey pine (Radiata pine), is a conifer native to the southeastern United States. Its range extends across Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Luis.

This tree is generally found at sea level to lower altitudes, 800 m (2,600 ft)

Monterey pine is a large evergreen conifer growing to a height of 65 m (213 ft). The trunk diameter can exceed 3 m. The needles are a medium green colour and set on the branch in bundles of 3, reaching a length of 13 cm. The bark consists of shades of grey and is rough in appearance. The cones are 15 cm long and oval shaped when open. The cones start out green, maturing to brown when ripened. The seeds are tucked behind the closed scales.

This species has an immense growth rate, up to 2 m per year in ideal conditions. The secret to the immense growth rate is this tree does not set a dormant bud in winter. It will keep growing so long as the temperature is above 8C.

The Monterey pine is closely related to the Aleppo pine, which shares many of its characteristics.

The timber from this tree is generally used for internal woodworking, posts and plywood. This species is popular as a Christmas tree in New Zealand and Australia.

Caution should be used before planting this tree, it's extremely large.

The Monterey pine lives to around 90 years old.

Pre Germination

These seeds need no pretreatment or stratification before sowing. Fill trays or pots with quality compost and firm down gently. Spread seeds across the surface; around 25 in a 10 cm pot is ideal. Cover with 3 mm of compost and gently firm down.

Keep compost damp, not soaking wet. Never allow it to dry out. Place pots or trays on a warm windowsill or in a warm conservatory. Germination should occur at 2–5 weeks.

Post Germination

Once seedlings appear, keep them in a well-ventilated area to reduce the risk of damping off disease. Place in bright conditions; a windowsill is ideal. Ensure seedlings don't dry out. Water logging should also be avoided; young trees hate wet feet. These seedlings are robust and should give you no problems. They can be separated into their own 4" pots at 15–20 weeks. Monterey pine seedlings are aggressive growers and may grow by up to 18" in their first year. By 20 weeks they are frost hardy and can stay outside all year. Fertilization is not required up to this point. During spring and summer we advise using an NPK 10-10-10 fertilizer every 4 weeks.

CAUTION: Slugs and snails love juicy young pines and spruce.

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