Skip to main content

Why loblolly pines are great for privacy (and how to grow them)

Follow these tips to grow loblolly pine trees

Adding trees to your yard can give you and your plants some much-needed shade in the summer, provide you with flowers and fruit, and even make your garden more popular with wildlife. One excellent tree you can plant today is the loblolly pine. This pine tree is native to the Southeastern U.S., and it’s a low-maintenance, quick-growing tree that makes a great privacy screen. Here’s what you need to know about growing your own.

Difficulty

Easy

Duration

1 hour

What You Need

  • Compost with peat moss or garden sulfur

  • Pruning shears

  • Beetle spray containing permethrin

A close-up of pine needles

Planting loblolly pine trees

Loblolly pines don't need much care as long as you plant them correctly. Here's what to do:

Step 1: Plant your loblolly pines in full sun.

Step 2: Use acidic, well-draining, rich soil.

Adding compost can enrich poor soil and improve drainage, while peat moss or garden sulfur can help make your soil more acidic.

Step 3: Space your loblolly pines 14 to 20 feet apart.

This ensures they are close enough to serve as a privacy screen or windbreak, but far enough apart to grow and thrive.

Step 4: Plant them in a row parallel to, but not directly on, the edge of your property to form a privacy screen.

It’s important to plant them at least a few feet from the actual property line to ensure they don’t grow into your neighbor’s property. This is especially true if you’re shielding your property from a street or sidewalk or you’re planting them near your neighbor’s driveway.

Step 5: Plant them well away from structures.

Loblolly pine trees quickly grow tall. They can grow up to 90 feet tall, at a rate of 2 feet per year! So make sure to plant yours far away from structures and power lines.

A young loblolly pine tree

Caring for loblolly pines

Once they're fully established, loblolly pines are low-maintenance trees. Here's how to care for yours:

Step 1: Water them regularly.

Step 2: Prune your loblolly pines in the fall or winter when they are dormant and not actively growing.

Step 3: Remove any damaged or diseased branches when pruning, as well as those that are growing in a hazardous position (such as over your car or near a power line).

Some trees can be pruned to control their height, but this is generally not effective for loblolly pine trees, due to how quickly they grow.

Step 4: Watch for pine beetles and wood-boring beetles.

Small, chewed holes in the tree is a sure sign of beetles.

Step 5: Apply preventative beetle spray containing permethrin to your loblolly pines in the early summer.

Unfortunately, pine beetles and other wood-boring beetles are difficult to treat after they infest a tree. Preventative care can stop them before they become a problem.

Loblolly pine trees aren’t ideal for everyone, but if you want a privacy screen or are interested in growing native trees, then they might be a good fit for your garden or yard. With proper care, these trees can live for over 200 years. Add one or more to your garden today, and they can be living family heirlooms for generations!

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Cayla Leonard
Cayla Leonard is a writer from North Carolina who is passionate about plants.  She enjoys reading and writing fiction and…
Loofah plants are unique and interesting vegetables – here’s how to add them to your garden
How to grow and care for your own loofah plants
A ripe loofah gourd on a vine

Summer vegetable gardens are often filled with tomatoes, cucumbers, and beans, but there are other options for more adventurous gardeners. The loofah plant, sometimes also spelled luffa, is a prime example. Loofahs are tasty, useful, a great conversation starter, and even make wonderful gifts. Want to know more about growing this unusual vegetable? Here’s your simple guide to growing loofahs.
What are loofah plants?
When you hear the word loofah, your first thought is likely the sponges — and you’d be right! Loofahs are a member of the cucumber family native to South and Southeast Asia. When the vegetables are young, they’re edible and have a flavor similar to zucchini. If the vegetables are left to mature and dry, then they can be harvested and turned into sponges.

Loofahs are warm-weather vegetables, and they don't tolerate the cold. Additionally, they are annuals. If you want to keep growing them, you’ll need to plant more each spring.

Read more
How to grow a Meyer lemon tree indoors
Guide to successfully growing and caring for an indoor Meyer lemon tree
Indoor lemon tree in yellow pot

Love having lemons on hand in the kitchen? Maybe you’ve experienced the annoyance of being out of lemons right when you need a bit of that zest or a tart squeeze of juice for your delicious meal. Well, with this delightful fruit tree right in your home, you’ll never have to face those woes again. Let’s talk about why this delicious citrus fruit is so popular and how to grow a Meyer Lemon tree indoors.

Read more
How to grow a cinnamon tree for delightful homemade cinnamon sticks
Here's how to care for your own cinnamon tree
Bundles of cinnamon sticks tied together

There are many tasty plants you can grow at home, from easy-to-harvest fruit trees to more involved ones, like growing maple trees for maple syrup. One delicious plant you might not have realized you can grow at home is a cinnamon tree. Cinnamon is made from the bark of a cinnamon tree, and with patience and some hard work, you can have homemade cinnamon sticks.

Read more