I use systemic when they start growing, lime sulfur over the winter (didn't do it this year as trees were outside until late).

Repotting Ponderosas is an interesting topic. I will guarantee this- fail to repot your ponderosas out of the gunk they come from the mountains in, and you live in warm humid place (even just summers) and you will have a tree planted in a septic mess before you know it. The trees grow in the mountains in a mix of granite dust and rotting pine needles and junk (duff). It is dry most of the time (either frozen or drought) and is wet for only short, generally cool, times. There is a faction of folks out there who don't repot or ever work their trees roots, especially collected trees, they will say "leave them alone, never touch the roots", they will also tend to have trees spontaneously die from time to time, after just being a little "peaked" or slow growing.

The best way I have found to kill collected trees is to collect them, pot them up, and then throw them in to a vehicle and drive them somewhere that year. Doesn't always work, but does from time to time. I would rather do the bareroot bonanza, repot the tree at home, and then not move it for a year or two so that it can get its roots well established and hardened off.

 

I have a pine from andy I got in Jan. (collected in 2010) its back budding, nice green new needles, but the old needle are getting pretty light green and some dying off. This discussion of the PP not liking humidity is making me nervous. The soil seems to have alot of granite dust. It drains slowly and seems to retain moisture much longer than my other trees, which are planted in mainly haydite and a little pine bark. I really dont want to take a chance and loose the tree. I was planning on repotting next year but maybe should I go ahead and repot and a better draining soil mix. Is it to late in the season? Oh and I live in oklahoma so our summers are very hot and humid. Thanks for any advice.