The Many Advantages of Planting Pine Trees
Dendrologists say silviculture is perhaps the least labor-intensive and aesthetically pleasing form of agriculture. Yet the gentleman farmer and homeowners may not know what varieties to pick. This may be one of the most controversial topics in earth sciences. We all have a responsibility to learn more about trees. Plan a visit to a local nursery to talk with very experts. But for a quick privacy fence or instant landscaping, there is nothing better than fast-growing Pine Trees.
First, though, there is a decision regarding which varieties of these Pine Trees to use. Consider White Pine (pinus strobus) for a hardy tree that may grow to 180 feet. White Pine is native to the eastern and southeastern United States of America. There are several old-growth stands. Smaller trees of about six- to eight years of age are famous for Christmas trees. Mature northern and eastern White Pines are used for lumber. These and other uses make White Pine a good choice for silviculture.
American foresters refer to many pines as Yellow Pine. Among these Yellow Pine are loblolly, Jeffrey, ponderosa, shortleaf, and slash. The ponderosa pine has four different sub-species with slightly different ranges in the western United States of America and Canada. The tallest known pines are both ponderosa pines. One is 238 feet tall and 27 feet in diameter. The other is 268.29 feet tall. The ponderosa pine is cultivated in park-like settings for ornamental purposes. The similar Jeffrey pine is a fragrant, shorter, long-needled variety growing at higher altitudes, primarily in the Sierra Nevadas of California. Gardeners grow it ornamentally.
One Southern Yellow Pine that seems to thrive on adversity is the Loblolly Pine (pinus taeda), which grows in poor, acidic-clay soil and benefits from higher carbon dioxide levels. Also, this is among the first to grow after the disruption of other vegetation. Most will top out at around 100 feet tall but occasionally reach 160 feet tall. These Loblolly Pine trees appear spindly when old, with a diameter of only a little over a foot to nearly five feet. The lumber industry uses these fast-growing Loblolly Pine trees, which are prized for their high resin content.
Is it any wonder that to dress something up is to "spruce it up"? The 35 varieties of Pine Trees are among the most popular landscaping trees in use. Spruce Pine trees have a very proper-looking form, naturally. The Colorado Blue Spruce Pine (Picea pungens)is charming in snowy landscapes. Although this nearly 200-foot-tall tree at old growth is grown ornamentally, this is done with caution about its height. Many Spruce Pine trees are used for lumber, paper, pitch, and medicinal purposes.
Planting tree crops may be very rewarding in both personal and financial terms. Christmas trees are the most labor-intensive of these tree crops but provide a reasonably good profit in as little as six years on marginal land. There is work and monetary investment in each of these tree crops, but there are some advantages that others don't provide. Tree crops may aid soil erosion control, and wildlife concerns may be benefited from growing trees. Trees also provide some privacy and have a cooling effect.