By 212nic
Hong Kong 
I've bought a pine tree (not sure of its species), and can anyone tell me if it is dying or just shedding? The branches are drying up though as you can see from the picture. I've watered it on alternate days and it still looks dry. I kept it in my office, is the environment too dry?
17 Jan, 2014
Answers
I agree with Moon grower. unless its a bonsai in which case it is still too dry for it. put the pot on a tray of gravel that you keep permanently wet, that may help. But I'm not certain of the success you will achieve.
17 Jan, 2014
It's almost certain it won't survive indoors. I used to have a Christmas tree in a large pot that I brought into the house for the Christmas period. It started to look a sorry state near the end of Christmas and it was put outside for another year to recover. Eventually it got too big to bring inside and now lives permanently outside in the ground where it's happy.
As MG said, they are native to colder climates, so even outside where you live wouldn't be an ideal environment for it.
17 Jan, 2014
Whilst I hesitate to be at variance with Mg, some species of pine trees do grow in sub-tropical regions of the Northern hemisphere. I know that Mg has seen them growing in Mediteranean countries, including Morroco. That said, they do need to be outdoors and would hate an air conditioned office in HK. Do you have a north facing balcony to keep it on, Nic?
17 Jan, 2014
True some pine species do grown around the Med. and in Morocco but that is not the heat of Hong Kong… I well remember wing there in December 20 years ago and just how hot it was even then.
17 Jan, 2014
Thank you guys for all your knowledgeable comments. No Bulbaholic, I have no north facing balcony for my tree to place. As you know, apartments in HK are really crowded and small, so I guess neither my apartment nor my office is a suitable place for my tree to grow healthily, just like you all said. Such a pity that HK's not a place to grow these fine trees, I like them a lot.
Thx a lot for commenting!
23 Jan, 2014
Hi 212nic and welcome to GoY. A pine tree needs to be outdoors in a, for Hong Kong, cool environment, they are native to Scotland so this gives you an idea of the environment they require. A dry, air conditioned, office is not going to make for a happy tree. From your photos I can't see the size of the container so can only hope it is large… you need to water and mist every day and even then I doubt the tree will survive.
17 Jan, 2014