Okay, so I’ve been messing around with this Norfolk Island Pine, trying to figure out the best temperature to keep it happy outside. Here’s what I did:
My Norfolk Island Pine Outdoor Temperature Experiment
First, I got my hands on a decent-sized Norfolk Island Pine. It wasn’t a baby, but it wasn’t a giant either. I wanted to see if I could keep it thriving outdoors, but I live in an area that, you know, actually has seasons.
I started by putting the tree outside in the late spring. Things were pretty mild then, with daytime temperatures mostly in the low 70s Fahrenheit, I think like around 20 in Celsius . Nights were cooler, dipping down into the low 60s( around 15-16 Celsius) sometimes.
The tree seemed pretty chill with that. I watered it regularly, making sure the soil didn’t dry out completely. It was getting plenty of indirect sunlight, too – not blasted by the full sun all day.
As summer rolled in, things heated up. We started getting days in the high 70s and even low 80s(that’s 25-27 Celsius). I noticed the tree seemed a little less perky during the hottest parts of the day. I made sure to give it extra water, especially on those really scorching days.
- Observation 1: Seemed happiest in the 65-70°F (18-21°C) range.
- Observation 2: Started to look a little stressed above 80°F (27°C).
I kept a close eye on the temperature, because I’d read that these pines don’t like it too hot or too cold.I have a simple thermometer to monitor the outside temperature, and I will move my pine tree to shadow if the termperatue is too high.
When the day temperature is 65°F to 70°F (18°C to 21°C), my pine tree grows best, and it is the happiest range for it.
So, my totally non-scientific conclusion? This Norfolk Island Pine seemed to do best when I kept the temperature in that “sweet spot” that I read about – around 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Anything much hotter, and I think it would need some serious shade and extra care. I didn’t even try to test it in colder weather because I definitely wanted to bring it inside before any frost hit!
