Specialty Gardening: perennials and shrubs under pine trees -windy z5?, 0 by Emelle

Emelle wrote:
It depends what sort of pine you have there .In 1950 ,Pinus radiata (monterey pine ) were imported to NZ from California -they grow very rapidly -3 times as fast as their American relations ..They were originally planted as a timber tree ,but are now pests that have spread ...The ground around them becomes toxic and NOTHING will grow underneath them . The roots are indeed near the surface ..Sorry to be so gloomy ,but that is a NZ's experience with them ,and we cut them down as soon as they appear (wind born seeds )
The photo is of one being cut down on our beach property -it had been allowed to grow enormous -as seen by the two in the background.
Emelle

This message was edited Mar 10, 2007 10:51 PM