Pinus Pinea - under the weather, pot and soil
By Shazziepx
Surrey,
United Kingdom 
I recently purchased a Pinus Pinea, which has been formed as a standard with a 5ft tall trunk. After a few weeks the needles started turning brown and dropping at a fast rate. I want to keep it in a container rather than in the ground to keep control of it. It is in a black plastic pot that is 12" in diameter.
Three questions please what could be wrong with needles dropping, what size diameter pot can anyone recommend and what soil shall I use please.
I appreciate your feedback.
Thank you
On plant
or Stone Pine
29 Jun, 2013
Answers
Old needles will drop at this time of year as the new 'candles' of growth form. However, pines in containers want a soil and sand mix, and will need plenty of water (without standing in it) or they will suffer and go thin. I've got many trees in pots, and you have to be Mother Nature at her best to care for them. But, simple rules followed and the trees will do fine.
29 Jun, 2013
Foliage looks more like a Scots Pine than an Italian Stone Pine.
29 Jun, 2013
I'd have said the needles were too long for Scots Pine.
30 Jun, 2013
Shazziepx you would do well to invest in a good book on growing trees in containers as you seem to have a lot of them. For the size that tree is the container is too small, when you bought did you ask for any advice or info on container growing? Same sort of compost as RHS suggest for olive tree, have you been keeping it and your other trees well watered.
29 Jun, 2013