John wrote:

A local nursery has some Japanese White Pine (5 needle) that are
under
a foot tall and have a two inch diameter trunk. They are asking
$90.

I love the look of mature Japanese White pine but I am a
beginner.
I've been told these trees are not for beginners because of the
complexities of watering them.

I haven't killed any of my 10 trees yet including the two that I
started with - the dreaded Serissa (in full bloom for the third
time
since I got it) and the Juniper mallsai. Everything is
flourishing
under lights/near a window with 30% humidity and a circulating
fan at
around 68 degrees F. The Pine would have to be kept at the 32
degrees
F that the nursery has it at and I have a place for it in the
basement
until Spring.

Should I give it a shot? Is it worth $90?

==============================

No. Not if you are planning on keeping it inside.

If you can keep it outside ALL year, take Nina's advice to heart
and look hard at the trunk. It probably IS grafted. Is the
graft obvious? It (probably) can only get worse.

I like 5-needle pine, too -- MUCH better than Black pine! -- but
an ugly graft is an UGLY graft.

Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL - Our life is
frittered away by detail . . . . Simplify! Simplify. -- Henry
David Thoreau - Walden

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