Indoor Norfolk Island Pine

Where I live, NIP will really only survive inside.

I have a 10+ year one that is over 6' tall. It has been trouble free from the get-go. It is planted in the largest container I could find...very large...

Each year it has dropped inner needles? off the limbs but this year it is REALLY dropping them....all the way to the top. It doesn't seem to be adding new growth as another I have is.

Is this tree dying? Does it need something I don't know about? Can I save it?

I have fed it diluted Peter's water soluable but that was about two months ago.

Sure could use some advice to keep this old guy going....he was a gift.

I lost a lot of lower branches on mine, which is about 7 or 8 yrs old, last year. I put them all in the pot as mulch, its never lost another branch or needle, and its growth rate has been better. Also, when I notice dry, brown needles at the end of a branch, I pinch it off with my fingers and crumble it into the pot. I think it has helped balance out the acidity of the earth. Mine is strictly indoors too. I keep it on the right side of a north facing window. I let it tell me when to water - not watering until I can't feel dampness to about 2" down. I only fertilize from March to Oct with dilute Miracle Grow. Hope that helps!

I know it's difficult to do with such a large tree, but mine was doing the same thing last year, and I just took it out of the pot , tapped most of the soil off of the roots, put fresh soil back in the same pot, and put it back, and watered the heck out of it for a week or two, and it came back. I would scrape off the drying needles, there is no way that I know to bring those back.(Short of being a magician, anyway) I keep mine indoors as well (it's only about 5 years old though), and some years it just seems to go through a bit of a drying cycle, even though it's spot in the window doesn't change or anything...

I just re-read your post, BingsBell, and noticed you said that your NIP is in a very large pot. When did you plant it in the large pot? How big was the pot before this one? I ask, because the pot could be too large for the root network, and too much of the plant's energy is going into growing roots to fill the pot. Just a thought.

Thank you sweet Canadians...for answering my post.

I should have explained that the NIP was actually four plants to the pot. When I re-potted the first time...8 years ago....I found I couldn't divide them without the possibility of killing all. I wasn't into gardening like I am now and maybe could have after all. Now...it is definitely impossible. I re-potted it for the last time 4 years ago. I don't think the huge container was too big for the whole group.

Ceedub, you may be right about the feeding. I use the same schedule (March-October) you do and I don't know why I decided to feed when I did. Duh!! My NIP is also placed on the north/right side.

I noticed yesterday that the ends of all the branches are NOT dying (yet, anyway) and show a little new growth. The tops of all 4 trees are showing new growth. Not nearly the growth my three year old pot is but...new growth.

This tree is funny looking now. Bare from the trunk out to about 6-8 inches from the limb tips...then green little wings. LOL..

Good luck BingsBell. I also have four of them in my pot, and think this may be why I lost all the lower branches. But you're right about splitting them up, its just too much of a gamble. Giving them lots of pot space may be an important key when they're crowded like this. As long as its recovering, just cross your fingers nd hope for the best...as funny looking as it is right now...lol.

Can you put it outside during summer? I dunno if it would help or not- just wondering.

Crimson...They grow outside down here. Look around, you don't have any in your area?

In the southern tip of FL we have them all over and they grow to about 50" They do loose their needle and usually, if left alone, the needles stay under the tree. They make quite a bed for themselves. So, maybe that is what you need, to put back the branches and leave the needles in the pot. Remember, God does not houseclean down here.

Nancy Lee

Bings, one thing to add: I recently read in one of my books that NIPs like a dose of high acid azalea-type food once in awhile. I've begun giving mine some, w/its preferred natural rainwater, about every 3 months, and occasionally dump my leftover coffee into its pot too!

Mine doesn't gain much height (3 yrs old now), but it DOES get really thick and bushy! =)

MKJ