When and how to plant pine nuts?

pine nut plantation

If you are one of those who would like to have a stone pine in your garden, and also have room for it, do not hesitate to plant pine nuts. Watching them germinate and grow is a very nice experience, because not only do they have a high germination rate (that is, practically all the seeds germinate) but they also reach adulthood quite easily.

So if you need to know when and how to plant pine nutsNext, we will explain everything you need to know to be successful.

Key features

stone pine

El stone pine It has its origin in the Mediterranean area. It is found practically along the entire length of the coastline and reaches China. Despite the fact that it has this wide area of ​​distribution, in Spain there are the areas with the highest production of these pine nuts. Some of the most prominent areas for this high production are Andalusia and Castilla y León. Stone pine has multiple values ​​apart from sowing pine nuts. One of the values ​​of the crop is the economic value that the specimens and the ornamental possess.

Keep in mind that pine nuts are highly valued and are part of many desserts and typical dishes in many European places. Being part of human nutrition for millennia, it is a resource that is widely used today. We also add to the trends of introducing nuts in healthy and varied diets. The husk of the pineapples is being used as biofuel for a better use.

Another of the uses that stone pine has is that of wood, resin or bark used for the extraction of tannins. We highlight the ornamental value since in some areas of Europe, such as Italy, there are a large number of pines that you can find forming decorative arboreal masses in cities.

Stone pine requirements

stone pine leaves

We are going to see what the needs of this tree are so that we can plant the pine nuts well. It is a fairly rustic tree, so it is able to withstand times of drought and high temperatures. It manages to withstand temperature values ​​above 40 degrees quite easily. You might think that the cold is one of its weak points, but it also resists frost with temperature values ​​down to -20 degrees. It is true that with -10 degrees it already begins to have some type of damage, but it can last for a while. This all depends on the age of the tree.

These capacities and rusticity have allowed it to spread over wide regions in which we have a very different climate. For example, it is found both in continental climates and in areas with a coastal climate. It also varies in altitudes. We can find the stone pine at altitudes that vary between 0-1200 meters above sea level.

As for the soil, it is a variable that shows its range of rusticity. Although it can grow in clay and limestone soils it has a great preference for those soils with an acidic pH and pulling a more sandy texture. By having this ability to adapt to different types of soils, it allows its distribution over a multitude of edaphological landscapes. If we take into account its nutritional requirements, it does not need large amounts of organic matter, so it can be sown in nutrient-poor soils. The only thing it does not tolerate well is waterlogging. Those soils that are easily puddled in with irrigation or rain water can cause serious root problems.

Important aspects

One of the important aspects in the production of pine nuts is that the introduction of stone pine is very late. Hence, they are quite expensive nuts. And it is that the tree will need approximately between 20-30 years to be able to begin the period of mass production of pine nuts. This makes its production is slower since it must wait until the trees are mature and can produce on a large scale.

Finally, we must bear in mind that flowering occurs in late spring and early summer. This means that pine nuts are ripe after 3 years after flowering. This aspect is also essential when producing.

For all these reasons, pine nuts are highly demanded nuts, not only for their nutritional richness, but for their value. They are high in healthy fats that make them perfect for any type of healthy diet.

What do I need to plant pine nuts?

tips on how and when to plant pine nuts

Before starting, it is always a good idea to have everything you will need ready, which in this case is:

  • Pots deeper than wide, about 10,5cm in diameter by 13 or 14cm deep.
  • Substratum of universal culture mixed with perlite in equal parts.
  • Watering can with water.
  • Fungicide. If it is spring, it can be copper or sulfur, but if it is summer, a synthetic fungicide spray must be used.

And, although it is not anything material, it is also very important to take into account that in order to have a good development we must live in an area where at some time of the year the temperature drops below 0 degrees, since otherwise it will not be able to grow all right.

How are pine nuts planted?

how and when to plant pine nuts

Once we have everything ready, it will be time to follow this step by step:

  1. The first thing to do is buy pine nuts in spring or summer.
  2. Then, they are placed in water for 24 hours.
  3. The pots are then filled with the substrate.
  4. Then a maximum of a pinion or two is placed in each.
  5. Finally, they are covered with a thin layer of substrate and watered.

To avoid the proliferation of fungi it is recommended to treat with a fungicide.

When they are sown, they are placed in an area where the sunlight gives them direct sunlight, and the substrate is kept moist. In a matter of fifteen days we will see the first germinate.

I hope that with this information you can learn more about how and when to plant pine nuts.


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  1.   Carmen A. Gonzalez said

    What is substrate?

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Hi carmen.
      The substrate is growing soil for plants. In the nurseries they sell many ready-made mixtures: substrate for orchids, for seedbeds, for vegetable gardens, ... They are highly recommended.
      A greeting.

      1.    Stella said

        Hello I planted araucaria seed Widwilli with the pint down covering the seed in the middle, after a few weeks I removed it from the ground to see what had happened ...... it germinated as a white root, what I want to know if I have to leave it bye or turn it around?

        1.    Monica Sanchez said

          Hi Stella.
          First of all, congratulations on that germination 🙂

          Regarding your question, no, you have to leave it as is. She alone will grow in the right direction.

          Greetings.

  2.   Jose Ballester Carrillo said

    Hello, I planted two pine nuts with the shell in December, and both have germinated but they have nothing to do with the image you have on, mine have wide leaves and not pinpoint like pines, so I doubt they are pines, although surely they have germinated where I planted them, could you tell me what they can be? And if I plant them again when spring comes I will do it again without removing the shell, right? Thank you

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Hello Jose Ballester.
      They might be cypress trees.
      Regarding your second question, yes, it is better to peel them off.
      A greeting.

  3.   Josep Ribas Ribas said

    QUESTIONS FOR PLANTING PINES

    + The pine where I harvest the pine cones carries, some green and closed and others ripe and open, which are the ones I collect, will the green ones be for next year?

    + This year I have collected the pineapples on August 20. Put to dry in the sun.

    + What is the best time to plant the pine nuts in the pots?

    + Are pine nuts from last year (2017) good for planting ?? or should I eat them.

    + I have the pine nuts in the fridge (1 or 2 months) (once they have passed through water and the ones that float have been removed), then I put them on a tray with a base of absorbent paper, cinnamon powder, and another kitchen paper on. I moisten them and cover the tray with aluminum foil. And I am moistening them every 3-4 days. Once they take out the cricket, I already prepare the plantation.

    + The soil that I put in the pots is basically "substrate" (sacks of garden soil) in the lower part of the pot a cheaper and apparently drier substrate and in the upper part one of finer and less textured dry or more humid. (This finer and more humid is the one I use to make the planting of tomatoes, beans ... etc)

    + I plant the pine with a small pot, yogurt or 1/2 brik. The soil I use is correct. The pinion, I have to plant it very to the surface or rather sunk.? With broken or unbroken shell. Water it before birth?

    + It gives the impression that after a few days after planting the pine nut, the soil in the pot seems to be dry and needs to be watered. yes ... no? ... .. with a shower ... ... or with a diffuser only on top?

    + How I water now: when I prepare the soil to plant, I water the soil in the pot with a watering can, especially the lower part of the pot well soaked and the upper part, where I have to put the pinion, a little damp. While waiting for the pinion to remove the leaves, I water the pots with a diffuser only the part above the pot. When the leaves come out and the stem grows, I water the pot, with a bottle with a spout, a few drops of water next to the born pine, being careful not to wet the stem or the leaves. I do not think that the little water with which I irrigate goes too low and I think it does not take it from the root.

    + When it has hatched and the shell has come off, do you have to water it often? Watering can or diffuser ??. Do I have to help him get rid of the shell ?. They say it is better not to water the leaves-

    + If the pot is small, I should transplant them to a larger one… when right after they are born….?

    + When will it be convenient to take them to the forest…. the same year or next year? In spring or autumn winter… ..

    + How can I buy the nets where the nurseries plant the pines. Or it is not necessary ...
    - Sorry if there is something not understandable…. it is a google machine translation.

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Hey.
      I say to you:
      -The green pineapples are for next year.
      -The pine nuts can be planted in a pot as soon as you take them from the tree. But they will germinate in spring.
      -The ones from last year you can sow them, but first of all put them in a glass of water to see if they sink. If it happens, it is because they are still viable.
      -The land is correct, yes. You have to cover it a bit, with a layer of less than 0,5cm of substrate.
      -Of course, the earth loses moisture. You have to keep it moist so that the pine nuts can germinate. You can do it with a spray bottle, but make sure that all the soil is well soaked.
      -For that you can put a plate under the pot.
      -No, the leaves should not be wet. Water about 3 times a week in summer and a little less the rest of the year. Sprinkle copper or sulfur in spring so the fungi don't appear.
      -They have to be in that same pot until roots grow out of the holes.
      -As soon as the roots come out, you can plant it in the forest, in spring.
      -I don't understand this last question. You mean the weed mesh?

      A greeting.

  4.   Alexandra Reyes said

    Hola!
    How often do newly sprouted pines have to be watered?
    How much water is necessary?

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Hi Alejandra.
      It will depend on how big the pot is, but you have to water until all the soil is well moistened.
      Being so young pines, two glasses will suffice, in principle.
      A greeting.

  5.   Hugo said

    Hello, a query I was gathering pinecones and I found a (I think that a surprise with a red flower) guy who joined a couple to plant since they were with their seeds my question is if it is some pine or syrup and if you can tell me what variety it is, thank you

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Hello Hugo.
      Can you send us a photo, through Facebook for instance? So we can help you better.
      Greetings and happy new year.

    2.    Hugo lopez cave said

      Hello, I am from Peru, I really want to know the stone pine seed.
      Where can I get.

  6.   ANTONIO MERIDA said

    THEY MUST BREAK OUT SO THAT THEY COME OUT BEFORE OR THEY CAN BE BURIED WHOLE WITH THE WHOLE SHELL

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Hello Antonio.

      They can be buried with the shell without problem.

      Greetings.

  7.   Bella said

    Hi, I'm from Chile and I got a lot of pine cones, I removed the seeds, but spring is ending since December 21 is the summer solstice, and we are already December 6. So the question is, can I still sow the seeds even if summer comes? I live in the south of Chile and it is usually quite humid here, and in summer the temperatures are not that high and but in autumn and winter it rains a lot. I sow them?

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Hello Beautiful.

      Yeah sure. It is a good time to sow the seeds. I would only recommend putting the seedbed in the sun from day one, so that the seedlings get used to it quickly.

      Greetings.

  8.   exequiel perez said

    Hello... consult the pinion is commonly sown with the tip upwards... for everything else thank you very much

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Hello Exequiel.
      It is best to place them lying down 🙂
      A greeting.