Question
Rick
We live in the Cincinnati Ohio area. When our house was built aprox. 8 years ago the owners planted white pines down both sides of the property for privacy screens. The trees on one side were fertilized yearly (muracid) and are much taller and larger than the others. Since purchasing the house 2 years ago we have planted another 25, 6 ft tall white pines. I would like to fertilize them. Is it best to do it in February? What fertilizer mix should I use (like 10 10 10?)? How much should I apply to each? Should we continue with something to acidify the soil? This is standard Ohio clay soil. Thanks for your help. Kevin

Answer
i went to college in athens,OH and graduated from OU in 1971. those were good years. while white pines are smaller (15' or less) they are very pruneable. you can keep them smaller by hedge shearing every year. you can prune in the spring after the new growth candles open. i've seen them kept at 6-8' tall for 20+ years by using this pruning method. you could also prune the older ones to allow the newer (& or smaller) ones to catch up. keep them pyramidal in shape (cone shaped). try to keep a single leader. if you don't prune yearly they will eventually get 100' tall and about 30'wide.
the best fertilizer on the market for them & all acid loving plants (evergreens, dogwoods, etc.) is hollytone by Espoma. it's granular. sprinkle 1-2 coffee cupfulls under the trees 2x's per year. once in early spring & once in the fall. get it at your local garden center. the rain will deliver it to the roots. fertilizer will keep them darker green & healthier. it is a necessity if you want good looking plants. by the way, pruning is the only way to make them look alike, otherwise they will all grow to different shapes & heights, just like people.