How to Care for a Dying Italian Stone Pine
- 1). Remove all dying and ailing branches from the Italian stone pine with sharp, sterile pruning shears. Cutting away the dying branches redirects the pine’s energy to more viable areas. Make clean, flush cuts to promote rapid healing.
- 2). Inspect the stone pine carefully for signs of pests and insect infestations. Look for signs such as spider webs, bitten pine needles and white scales, as the Italian stone pine is often targeted by pests such as aphids, armored scales, sawflies, mealybugs, beetles and spider mites. Treat the infested Italian pine immediately with an insecticide designed for pine trees.
- 3). Irrigate your Italian pine regularly throughout the growing season. Provide the pine with deep irrigation so the deepest roots receive water. Allow the soil to dry before the next irrigation.
- 4). Prune the ailing Italian pine heavily toward the end of its dormancy period, from late winter to early spring. Remove any remaining dying branches. Thin the interior branches to increase the amount of sunlight and air that flow through the tree and to promote healthy cell development. Remove the branches from the lower third of the tree to promote top growth but do not top off the tree as this will promote unsightly and unhealthy development. Complete this hard pruning process to promote vigorous and healthy growth during the following growing season.
- 5). Keep the Italian pine’s tree’s planting area free of weeds and vegetation so the pine is not forced to compete for nutrients. Feed the stone pine as it enters its growing season during the spring. Fertilize the pine with a well-balanced, slow release fertilizer, such as a 10-10-10 or 20-20-20 combination. Distribute the feed equally around the planting area. Keep the fertilizer about a foot away from the trunk of the tree to prevent burn. Water the fertilizer thoroughly into the soil.
- 6). Keep an eye on the dying Italian pine tree to see if its health improves. Continue to remove any dying branches as they appear and keep the tree properly irrigated. Allow this moderate grower at least one growing season to show improvement. Remove the tree from the location if its health shows no signs for improvement.
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