Do you want to know the best fertilizers for a Norfolk Island Pine? Well, we have researched this topic and have answers for you. Knowing the best fertilizers for a Norfolk Island Pine is essential to ensure a healthy plant.
Any well-balanced fertilizer will work great for a Norfolk Island Pine. Be sure to only fertilize a Norfolk Island Pine for the healthiest plant during the spring or summer.
Some good options include:
- Pendelton Turf Triple 10 All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
- Complete Crop 9-5-15
- Jacks Classic 20-20-20 All Purpose Fertilizer
- General Hydroponics MaxiGro 10-5-14
- EZ-gro 20-20-20 fertilizer
In this article, we will learn what the best fertilizers are for a Norfolk Island Pine. We will also learn the answers to other interesting related questions like, what soil should I use for a Norfolk Pine, and do Norfolk Pines like the sun? Keep reading to learn more.
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5 Best Fertilizers For Norfolk Island Pine [And How Much To Use]
Many different plant fertilizers are on the market today, but most have something in common. Most fertilizers deliver the three primary nutrients that plants need to grow. These essential nutrients for plant growth are nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium.
The best fertilizer for Norfolk Island Pines is any fertilizer that delivers a balanced mix of these nutrients. We have found some of the most popular fertilizers that provide a balanced blend of these nutrients and will explain how much of each you should use to make your Norfolk Island Pine happy.
Pendelton Turf Triple 10 All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
You can find this product here on Amazon.
This all-purpose liquid fertilizer has an even mix of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium. This fertilizer will supply all the nutrients your Norfolk Island Pine will need to grow.
When using this liquid fertilizer, mix one to two ounces of fertilizer with a gallon of water. Pour one gallon of fertilizer water around the base of your plant every month during the spring and summer.
Complete Crop 9-5-15
You can find this product here on Amazon.
This product has all three essential nutrients your Norfolk Island Pine needs.
When using this product, mix 1tsp of fertilizer into a gallon of water and pour around the base of your tree once a month during the spring and summer.
Jacks Classic 20-20-20 All Purpose Fertilizer
You can find this product here on Amazon.
This product has nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium, perfect for Norfolk Island Pines.
When using this product, add 1tbsp of fertilizer to a gallon of water and pour it around your tree once a month in spring and summer.
General Hydroponics MaxiGro 10-5-14
You can find this product here on Amazon.
This product has nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium to ensure a healthy Norfolk Island Pine.
When using this product, mix 1tsp of fertilizer into one gallon of water. Pour this water around your tree once a month during spring and summer.
EZ-gro 20-20-20 fertilizer
You can find this product here on Amazon.
This product has an even mix of all three essential nutrients your Norfolk Island Pine needs.
When using this product, mix 7oz of liquid with a gallon of water and pour around the base of your tree once a month during spring and summer.
Should I Fertilize My Norfolk Island Pine?
A few factors affect how much fertilizer you give to your Norfolk Island Pine. Whether your Norfold Island Pine needs a lot of fertilizer or a little, you definitely should be fertilizing your tree.
Giving your Norfold Island Pine fertilizer will ensure all the nutrients it needs for healthy growth. You can, however, over-fertilize your Norfolk Island Pine. Follow these fertilizer recommendations to ensure you don't over-fertilize your Norfolk Island Pine.
Fertilizer Recommendations
When you fertilize your Norfolk Island Pine, you should only apply the recommended amount of fertilizer outlined on the packaging. If you over-fertilize your Norfolk Island Pine, it will get sick, and the needles will start turning yellow. Stop fertilizing your tree until it returns to a healthy green color if this happens.
Norfolk Island Pines also like to go dormant in the winter. Do not apply fertilizer in the fall or winter to accommodate your tree. This will allow the tree to go dormant in the winter.
A Norfolk Island Pine in a pot will also need more fertilizer than one planted outside. A full-grown Norfolk Island Pine planted outside may only need to be fertilized once or twice a growing season.
Norfolk Island pines naturally don't need much fertilizer, so always start fertilizing with lower recommended amounts and slowly increase, looking for signs that the tree is stressed.
If you follow these recommendations, your Norfolk Island Pine will be healthy and have a productive growing season.
What Soil Should I Use For A Norfolk Pine?
It is essential to have the proper soil for a Norfolk Island Pine to grow healthy. On their native island, there is a lot of sand in the ground. This sand allows water to drain efficiently. If you want to give your Norfolk Island Pine the best soil, you should ensure that water can drain properly.
One of the best soil compositions for Norfolk Island Pines is an equal parts mix of potting soil, peat moss, and sand. These two additions to the soil will help create the ideal mixed soil for a healthy Norfolk Island Pine. Let us explain why peat moss and sand should be added to the soil.
Peat Moss
Peatmoss is known for its ability to hold water. With peat moss added to your soil, your Norfolk Island Pine will always have the water it needs. If your tree runs low on water, it will begin to stress. When a tree stresses it stops growing.
Scientists have found that peat moss trees in their soil grow 15% more each year than trees that don't. This extra growth is due to the tree being less stressed throughout the year. Adding Peat Moss to your tree's soil isn't just helpful for Norfolk Island Pines, but all trees.
Sand
Sand is best known for its ability to drain water. Since Norfolk Island Pines' natural environment is sandy, they are adapted to soil that can drain water quickly. A Norfolk Island Pine should never be left sitting in water.
With sand in your Norfolk Island Pines' soil, your tree will not be choked by water sitting around its roots.
Soil Peat Moss And Sand
With your soil containing equal parts peat moss and sand, water will be absorbed by the peat moss, always keeping the roots moist, while excess water will be able to drain away quickly.
This blend of soil is perfect for Norfolk Island Pines or any tree that likes constant water but is also sensitive to having water sitting on its roots.
We will now cover the proper way to care for your Norfolk Island Pine.
How Do You Care For A Norfolk Island Pine?
When taking care of a Norfolk Island Pine, you will want to replicate its natural environment. Norfolk Island Pines are native to Norfolk Island in the south pacific.
To best replicate this environment, you will need to mimic the humidity, frequent rainfall, and indirect sunlight that they are used to.
Humidity
Being surrounded by the ocean, Norfolk Island has lots of moisture in the air. To replicate this for your Norfolk Island Pine, you can place a tray of pebbles under your tree pot. Then fill the pebbles with water. This will allow water to evaporate around your tree and increase the humidity.
Another solution is to mist the tree water once or twice a week. This misting will help to keep the environment around your tree humid. You can also buy a humidifier for the room you keep your Norfolk Island Pine.
If you want your Norfolk Island Pine outside, you must live in an environment that isn't too dry. Deserts don't make good homes for Norfolk Island Pines.
Frequent Rainfall
Since Norfolk Island is in the ocean, it experiences frequent rainfall. This rainfall keeps the soil on the island moist.
To best replicate this for your Norfolk Island Pine, you should add some water when you notice the top of its soil getting dry. Allow the water to drain completely through the soil until it reaches the tray underneath.
Make sure to drain this water in the tray. Do not let your Norfolk Island Pine sit in water; this will cause it to suffocate.
Indirect Sunlight
Norfolk Island, being in the ocean, often has cloudy weather. This overcast weather gives the trees there lots of indirect sunlight. Norfolk Island Pines do not like too much direct sunlight. Too much sunlight will start to cause your tree to stress and eventually die.
Inside your home, you should place your Norfolk Island Pine in a room with lots of sunlight to ensure it is healthy. Outside your Norfolk Island, Pine should be kept in the shade of a larger tree or at least out of direct sunlight.
Do Norfolk Pines Like To Be Root Bound?
Norfolk Pine Trees have weak root systems, making them particularly susceptible to becoming root-bound.
When a tree is root bound, its roots curve back on themselves, forming a large knot of roots. When this happens, a tree may not anchor itself to the ground well and may fall over in a storm or strong wind.
To keep your tree from becoming root bound, be sure to plant it in soil similar to the surrounding soil. If the potting soil is much softer than the surrounding soil, the roots will not enter the surrounding soil and may become root-bound.
Do Norfolk Pines Like Sun?
Norfolk Island is known for being cloudy most of the year. This has caused the Norfolk Island Pine to become accustomed to indirect sunlight.
If you plant a Norfolk Island Pine in a location that gets intense direct sunlight, it will likely be stressed. If the tree gets too much sunlight, it may die. Be sure to plant your Norfolk Island Pine in a location that gets indirect sunlight.
One solution is to plant your tree under another tall tree. You can also plant your tree in the shade of your house. If your Norfolk Island Pine receives less than four hours of direct sunlight a day, it will be fine.
Final Thoughts
This article taught us that any fertilizer with an even balance of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium would work great for a Norfolk Island Pine. We also learned that Norfolk Island Pine prefers indirect sunlight to better simulate their natural environment.
We hope you enjoyed this article. If you want to learn more, check out these other posts.
Why Is My Norfolk Island Pine Dying? [And What To Do About It]
My baby Norfolk island pine has started drooping on only one side of the tree. I am unsure of why this is happening, but my dad suggested to turn that side towards the sunlight. I make sure to move it a little when watering.