On Apr 29, 7:35 pm, Max Jones no-email.please.com wrote:
Hi, a friend recently gave me a small bristlecone pine tree. I'm wondering
how it would do as a houseplant?

What soil should I plant it in? How often would it like to be watered? How
slowly will it grow?

Thanks!

Max

Wahoo! My favorite pine (And the White Mountains are my favorite
Hiking spot in the west).

It isn't too picky about what kind of soil it's in, aside from it must
be well drained. Whatever you do, don't overwater it or fertilize it.
If you use potting soil, add some washed sand to the bottom and the
soil mix. (1/3 sand, 2/3 potting soil)

One good soaking every month is better than a lot of small sips. It's
best to soak the pot in a tub of water if you can, but it does like
being watered through the needles as well.

If you can't get it Direct Light for at least six hours a day, then
try to get it indirect light as long as possible.

My experience with it in my (Pacific Northwest, Zone 8b) container
garden(s) has been that it's bulletproof- done well in an area with
direct light hideous reflected heat, as well as a fern garden with a
northern exposure. (Kept well drained in either case, and never
fertilized). In four years, it's maybe grown 6 inches, whereas my
container Sequoia has added 6-12 inches a year in height and three
inches in spread every year.