Question
We just recently purchased a potted "Norfolk Pine"tree (so the store claimed)for Christmas.We want to keep it growing indoors for as long as possible but don't know how much water is too much water and what and how much(if any) plant food we should be giving to it. It gets indirect sunlight for about 5 hours a day and somewhat direct light for approx. 3-4 hours in late afternoon. We live in NW Pa. if that helps at all. I recently removed the dried up branches leaving ones with deep waxy green needles. Also, there seem to be 4 'trunks'? 2 are approx. 3/4 to 1" in diam. The other 2 appear small finger-width in diam. Do I need to remove any of these for my tree to thrive? Thank you for your time.

Answer
The ideal indoor climate for this species is cool and bright, responding well to daytime temperatures ranging from 60-70 F and slightly cooler at night. Although the Norfolk Island pine will adapt to bright indirect light, the plant will look its best with a couple of hours of direct sunlight daily. If the light source is coming from just one direction, you'll want to rotate the plant a quarter turn weekly to keep it from tilting toward one side.

When the plant is actively growing, feed it with a fertilizer formulated for indoor foliage plants. It is not unusual for the plant to be in a period of rest during the winter months, at which time there is no need to fertilize.

Water the plant when the top inch or so of the soil in the pot feels dry. Use enough water to allow a little excess to escape through the bottom drainage holes. Discard remaining drained water after about 15 minutes.

What is most challenging for the typical home gardener is giving this plant the high relative humidity it needs. Norfolk Island pine thrives at 50 percent relative humidity, yet it is not unusual for the average house to drop to 15 percent during the winter heating season, unless steps are taken to increase moisture in the air. Running a humidifier will increase both people and plant comfort and is the most effective way to adequately raise the humidity.

It is not unusual for a few needles on the lowest branches to turn brown and drop. If this happens slowly over time, it's likely just normal aging of the branches or possibly from lower light availability. However, if many needles are browning, or if the problem appears more widely distributed among the branches, look to problems of either too much or too little water or too little relative humidity.

I would not prune the "4 trunks" at this time. Let the tree grow and one or two should out grow the other "trunks' and if you want only one trunk you can prune then. However the four will not harm the tree and will give it a more full look.