Blue Spruce Care
- Soil. Soil should be well-drained and rich in organic matter. You can add compost while planting. ...
- Fertilizer. Conifer fertilizer is expensive (like 30-15-15 with minor elements) but very effective especially if your soil is sandy.
- Pruning. Do not prune these trees. They do best when their branches are allowed to grow all the way to the ground.
How do you care for a blue spruce?
Wrap the pot and roots in an insulating material such as fibreglass insulation. Check the soil from time to time and give it a drink if needed, but just enough to keep it moist, not wet. Come springtime, you can choose to keep it in its pot outside and reuse it next Christmas, or plant it in your yard permanently.
What is the best fertilizer for blue spruce trees?
The Best Fertilizer for Blue Spuce Trees
- Identification. The blue spruce is an evergreen tree variety that reaches a height up to 135 feet. ...
- When to Fertilize. The best time to fertilize a blue spruce tree is during the spring season prior to the flush of growth.
- Type of Fertilizer. Fertilize a blue spruce tree by applying a slow-release fertilizer rated for conifer trees. ...
- Considerations. ...
How to grow blue spruce from seed?
How to grow blue spruce from seeds at home, planting and growing from a cone
- Seed collection and preparation. The seeds of blue spruce are in cones, which are collected in late autumn. ...
- Growth conditions. An important step in growing blue spruce seeds is stratification. ...
- Features of soil for spruce. ...
- Step-by-step instruction for growing in a pot. ...
- Shoot Care. ...
- Open transplant. ...
- Follow-up care. ...
- Tips & Tricks. ...
How do you start a blue spruce tree?
How do you start a blue spruce tree? To plant a Colorado blue spruce, dig a hole that is as deep and two to three times as wide as the root ball of the tree. Next, place the tree in the hole, so that the top of the root ball is even with the surrounding soil. Fill the hole with dirt, then water the soil to remove air pockets.
What is the best fertilizer for a blue spruce?
The best spruce tree fertilizer is a high nitrogen fertilizer with a formula of 12-4-6. This formula is particularly good for spruce trees as it's more acidic. Higher nitrogen levels in your spruce tree can aid in faster growth and a more vibrant color overall.
When should you fertilize a blue spruce tree?
In late winter or early spring, before new growth begins to emerge, sprinkle a slow-release shrub & tree type fertilizer beneath and 1-foot beyond the canopy for every 5 feet of tree height. Keep the granules well away from the plant's trunk area.
Can you use Miracle Grow on blue spruce trees?
Answer: Yes, according to the manufacturer, Miracle-Gro Miracid Plant Food can be used on blue spruce.
How do you fertilize a spruce tree?
If you have a spruce tree, you should know how to properly fertilize it.Plan to fertilize in the early spring or late fall. ... Apply the fertilizer at a rate of one pound for every 3 feet of tree height. ... Till the soil near the base of the tree, taking care not to damage the roots. ... Dig holes in a circle around the tree.More items...•
How do you keep a blue spruce healthy?
Light and Water Needs. Colorado blue spruce thrives in full sun but also grows in partial shade. Once established, the tree needs a medium amount of water, with a deep soaking every two or three weeks. Even though the tree likes the soil to remain moist, especially while it's still young, it's also tolerant of drought.
Are coffee grounds good for blue spruce trees?
Expert Response. Yes, coffee grounds can be used as a fertilizer and organic materials source for plants.
How do I make my blue spruce more blue?
In general, positioning your blue spruce in full sun exposure can help the tree appear more blue. More sun allows for more photosynthesis to occur, making the blue spruce pigments more concentrated. Additives like fertilizers can also increase the hue of your blue spruce.
Is a blue spruce acid loving?
Soil pH: Colorado blue spruces prefer mildly acidic soils (pH 5.5 to 7.0). They grow more slowly if the pH is too high or if they are planted in heavy clay soils. In their native habitat their needles would fall to the ground to decompose and therefore make the soil more acidic.
How often should I fertilize my spruce trees?
every two to four yearsFor instance a spruce that measures 5 feet across would cover 25 square feet. A common "maintenance rate" of fertilizer is two to four pounds actual nitrogen per thousand square feet of soil surface, applied every two to four years. For mature, slower growing trees, one pound of actual nitrogen is probably enough.
Should I fertilize spruce trees?
Large, established spruce often require no fertilizer unless they demonstrate a nutrient deficiency and may suffer as a result of excessive or improper fertilizer application.
Is Miracle Gro good for evergreens?
Miracle-Gro® also has tree spikes specially formulated for evergreens and fruit and citrus trees. With all of these plant foods, you'll find the directions on the package label—so be sure to follow them!
How do you take care of a blue spruce tree?
1:002:06The Care of a Blue Spruce Tree - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThey prefer shelter from hot Sun and strong winds according to Utah State University plant them inMoreThey prefer shelter from hot Sun and strong winds according to Utah State University plant them in rich fertile soil and keep the soil slightly moist during periods of drought.
How do you make a blue spruce bluer?
Maintaining high light exposure and proper soil conditions also causes the needles to be shorter because they have to cover less area for the same amount of sun. This allows the waxy covering to concentrate over a smaller needle, making your tree appear bluer.
Should spruce trees be fertilized?
Large, established spruce often require no fertilizer unless they demonstrate a nutrient deficiency and may suffer as a result of excessive or improper fertilizer application.
Do spruce trees need fertilizer?
Fertilizer Type Spruce trees need fertilizers with nitrogen levels of less than 10 percent, say Montana State University plant disease diagnostician Martha Mikkelson and colleagues. Diluting fertilizers with higher nitrogen levels with water is acceptable.
What is best fertilizer for evergreens?
Best Fertilizer For Evergreen Trees ReviewsJobe's Evergreen Fertilizer Spikes 13-3-4. ... Scotts Evergreen Continuous Release Plant Food 11-7-7. ... Miracle-Gro Shake 'N Feed Trees Food 18-6-12. ... Vigoro Tree, Shrub Evergreen Plant Food 16-4-8. ... Espoma Holly Tone Organic Fertilizer 4-3-4. ... Miracle-Gro Miracid Plant Food 28-10-10.More items...
What is the pH of Colorado Blue Spruce?
Soil pH. Regarding soil pH, Colorado Blue Spruce are highly adaptable. They prefer a soil pH between 6.0 to 7.5 on the pH scale, however will tolerate extremely acid or alkaline soils. Most average garden soils fall between a pH range of 6.0 to 7.0.
How to plant a sage plant in a hole?
Step 1. Start by digging your planting hole at least two to three times as wide and as deep or not much deeper than the root ball of your plant. The wider the hole the better. Place native soil removed from planting hole around the perimeter of the hole, in a wheel barrow, or on a tarp. Step 2.
Do blue spruce trees need fertilizer?
Colorado Blue Spruce trees don't require frequent fertilization, but can benefit from the extra nutrients from fertilizer that can increase the length and improve the color of the needles. I suggest feeding spruce trees with a slow-release shrub & tree type fertilizer or a natural, organic plant food.
What is a Colorado blue spruce?
Colorado Blue Spruce (Picea pungens) is a beautiful native American conifer. This extremely rustic silvery blue tree reaches the height of 9 – 21 m (30-70 ft) in its region of origin. Nice bluish green color, accentuated by the sharply pointed foliage makes it a perfect conifer for open landscapes and large backyards. Dwarf forms of blue spruce are also available that reaches only between 1.5 to 4.5 m (5-15 ft) tall and are suitable for small gardens, patios, and terraces.
How long does it take for a blue spruce tree to germinate?
These cones drop their seeds in spring. Blue spruce seeds require a considerable period of light to germinate: 14 to 16 hours per day. If the length of light falls below 12 hours a day, they become dormant.
What causes needle cast on blue spruce?
Use a magnifying glass to examine the needles of your blue spruce for signs of Rhizosphaera needle cast (Rhizosphaera kalkhoffii), a fungus that causes needle cast disease . It pushes through the stomata of the affected needles and looks like fuzzy black spots.
Basics of Blue Spruce Trees
If you are trying to understand why your blue spruce is not fully blue, you first need to know the basics: what they need, what they want, and what makes them blue.
Reasons Blue Spruces Lose Their Color
There are a multitude of reasons your blue spruce might lose its iconic blue color. Pollutants and other natural causes in the air can make the wax coating deteriorate, causing spruces to lose their color. Certain fungal diseases or improper care can also cause a loss of blue spruce color.
How To Make Your Blue Spruce Tree More Blue
Now you know what blue spruces are like, what causes them to have a blue color, and what can affect this blue color. We can look at some simple steps to making your spruce appear bluer.
Why are my spruce needles blue?
A shortage of iron will cause the needles of a blue spruce to lose their blue coloration. The fertilizer will replace the depleted iron and help the needles regain their blue color. Choosing the right types of blue spruce and giving them proper care helps create the bluest needles possible.
What is the color of a Colorado spruce?
The Colorado blue spruce Picea pungens, also known as the blue or silver spruce, adds a unique color to your evergreen landscaping elements. It's an upright pyramidal tree with bluish-green to silver-blue needles, and it's often used in the home landscape because of its unique blue coloration.
Is Colorado blue spruce hardy?
Types of Blue Spruce. Colorado blue spruce is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture zones 2 to 8. Within the Colorado blue spruce family, you have many cultivar choices, some of which are known for their blue color. Planting blue spruce seeds often results in an unreliable blue color. The best bet is to choose Colorado blue spruce trees ...
What type of spruce grows in Michigan?
To be more specific, there are many different types of spruce, however, Colorado blue ( Picea pungens) spruce growing in Michigan have the largest array of potential problems.
How do spruce trees produce new shoots?
Each spring, spruce trees produce new shoots and needles from buds (needlecast pathogens enter the spruce through this young succulent tissue) that were formed the previous year. These buds are only produced on the ends of live branches.
Can a spruce tree be saved?
There are also countless phone calls and emails made to the lab, Michigan State University Extension educators and specialists. The reality is not all ailing spruce trees can, or should, be saved. In most cases, there is no silver bullet to cure the affected tree.
Why are the lower branches of my Blue Spruce dying?
The lower branches of Blue Spruce die because of the top of the canopy shading the lower branches. Blue Spruce also dies from the bottom up if it’s suffering from Cytospora canker.
Why do Blue Spruce needles turn brown?
Blue Spruce needles turn brown due to Cytospora canker disease. Blue Spruce needles also turn brown when the tree is infected by Rhizosphaera needle cast. Stigmina needle cast disease also causes the same damage to the victim plant.
Blue Spruce dying from top down
Blue Spruce dies from top-down when the winter winds arrive. Blue Spruce also dies from top-down if there’s an infestation of White Pine Weevils or Bark Beetles
Why is my Blue Spruce yellowing?
Blue Spruce turns yellow when it gets more water than needed. The roots get stressed when the Blue Spruce is overwatered. Blue Spruce also turns yellow in the initial stages of needle cast disease.
What do bluebirds eat?
Bluebirds are thrushes, the same types of birds as American robins, hermit thrushes, solitaires, and fieldfares, and they share the same type of diet. Depending on the season, habitat, activity level, and general food availability, bluebirds eat: 1 Snails, grubs, caterpillars, and other mollusks and insect larvae 2 Grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, ants, spiders, and other insects 3 Flying insects such as moths, termites, and mosquitoes 4 Berries such as sumac, holly, dogwood, pokeweed, and hackberries 5 Small tree and vine fruits including grapes and cherries
How to attract bluebirds to your yard?
Along with food, adding a clean bird bath and a suitable bluebird house can entice bluebirds to visit. Heated bird baths are especially critical for winter bluebirds, and roosting boxes are also useful in the colder months. While it is important to be patient while waiting for bluebirds to discover different foods in the yard, adding these extra attractions can make any yard bluebird-friendly.
What are some good foods to eat with mealworms?
Mealworms, either live, dried, canned, or roasted. Small chunks of fruits, such as apples or pears. Whole or diced berries, including raspberries and blackberries. Softened dried fruits, especially raisins, blueberries, cranberries, and currants. Suet, preferably diced into small chunks, nuggets, or shreds.
Do bluebirds like popcorn?
Winter bluebirds may also visit a bird feeder garland that includes cranberries or other fruits, though they will not be interested in popcorn or cereal strings. Because many of bluebirds' favorite foods are very rich, it is best to offer them only in small quantities that the birds can consume in just one or two days.
Do bluebirds perch on ledges?
Trays and dishes are best, as bluebirds will not typically perch on narrow ledges or short perches, but providing a cover over the feeding area will help keep the food protected from rain or snow.
Do bluebirds eat insects?
In general, bluebirds are insectivorous, and eat primarily insects throughout the spring, summer, and early fall. As cold temperatures kill insect populations in late fall and winter, the birds will consume more fruits when they can't find enough insects.
Do bluebirds eat sunflower seeds?
While bluebirds will sample sunflower chips when they are easily available and no other foods are abundant, these birds don't typically eat seed. They also don't sip hummingbird nectar, stay away from whole peanuts, and aren't big fans of cracked corn.
