Many people decorate it as an indoor Christmas tree.
Others simply value it as a statuesque touch of the tropics.
It’s that “statuesque” part that’s often the problem.
Credit: DEA / G. CIGOLINI/Getty Images
See, in the wild Norfolk Island pine wants to grow 80 feet tall.
It still wants to do that inside your house.
This poses difficulties for folks who don’t have 80-foot ceilings.
That’s when people turn to Grumpy, seeking solutions.
The first solution is obvious.
Throw it away and start over with a small one.
The second solution is just as obvious.
Reduce it to a more manageable size bypruning.
Here’s how to do this.
First, decide how tall your want your tree to be.
Then cut back the top to that height just above a complete whorl of branches.
The tree will resume growing from that point.
Now, shorten the side branches to restore the tree’s symmetrical shape lost by shortening the top.
Whatever you do, don’t cut a hole in the ceiling.
You’ll soon regret it and take your resentment out on the tree.
And you’ll still have a stupid hole up there.
Growing Tips
Norfolk Island pine needs bright light.
Place it near the sunniest windows in your house.
The plant also likes humid air, as most tropical plants do.
People don’t, however, so indoor air is typically bone dry.
attempt to keep it away from AC and heating vents.
check that the soil is well-drained.
Fertilize monthly from spring to early fall with a liquid houseplant fertilizer.
