Growing Pine Trees From Seed

You may be wondering how to grow a pine tree from a pine cone. Well, you're in luck because growing pine trees from seed is an easy way to produce lots of trees economically.

Reader Contribution by Vicki Mattern
Updated on January 5, 2023
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by AdobeStock/Mark Ross

You may be wondering how to grow a pine tree from a pine cone. Well, you’re in luck because growing pine trees from seed is an easy way to produce lots of trees economically.

Is it possible to propagate pine trees from seed?

Yes — trees can be propagated from seed and cuttings, or by grafting, budding or layering. Fruit and nut trees are usually grafted or budded, which assures high-quality fruit, helps trees mature faster, and allows the rootstock to control tree size and add disease resistance. According to horticulturist Alan Toogood in the American Horticultural Society’s book Plant Propagation, many named ornamental varieties are grown from cuttings because they rarely come in true to type if grown from seed. But for certain tree species, starting from seed allows you to produce lots of trees very economically.

To start growing pine trees from seed, gather large brown (or slightly green) cones in the fall. The cones should be closed; if open, they probably have already released their seeds. Toogood says trees that have a lot of cones are more likely to have viable seeds. Lay the cones in an open box at room temperature. When dry, the cones will open and release their seeds. If they don’t open, place the box in a hot spot (104 to 113 degrees Fahrenheit) until they do. Use tweezers to remove any remaining seeds inside the cones.

To improve odds of germination, stratify the seeds: Mix them with moist peat or sand, place them in a clear plastic bag, and refrigerate them for three to seven weeks. (If the seeds germinate in the refrigerator, sow them immediately.) Sow the seeds in 3-inch pots, and provide bottom heat of about 60 degrees. Seedlings can be transplanted outdoors into larger pots in spring when they’re about 2 inches tall (six to eight weeks after they germinate).


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