- 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.
- Water. Regular watering is required for the young plant. Once established, watering must be abundant but infrequent only during the dry spells.
- Weeds. Planting area around this magnificent conifer should be kept clean and weed free, especially when the plant is not well established.
- Pruning. Do not prune these trees. They do best when their branches are allowed to grow all the way to the ground.
What is the best fertilizer for blue spruce trees?
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.
How to take care of blue blue spruce tree?
Blue Spruce Care 1 Soil. Soil should be well-drained and rich in organic matter. ... 2 Fertilizer. Conifer fertilizer is expensive (like 30-15-15 with minor elements) but very effective especially if your soil is sandy. 3 Water. Regular watering is required for the young plant. ... 4 Weeds. ... 5 Pruning. ...
How do you plant a blue spruce tree?
The blue spruce is a large tree that grows best when planted in thin relative isolation in a landscape. A yearly application of fertilizer to the soil will help keep the tree healthy. The blue spruce is an evergreen tree variety that reaches a height up to 135 feet.
How much sun does a Colorado blue spruce need?
Colorado Blue Spruce prefer full to mostly sun. For best overall performance 7 hours or more of direct sunlight per day is suggested. How To Plant A Colorado Blue Spruce Scroll down for container planting instructions and care tips
What is the best fertilizer for a blue spruce tree?
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 I feed my blue spruce tree?
Colorado blue spruce trees don't require frequent fertilization, but an application in early spring, before the growing season, provides an extra boost of nutrients that can increase the length of short or sparse needles and improve their color.
How do I make my blue spruce blue again?
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.
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 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 you treat a sick blue spruce?
Fungicides with the active ingredient chlorothalonil, copper hydroxide or mancozeb will protect new spruce needles from infection by Rhizosphaera.Make one application in spring or early summer when the new needles have grown to half their mature length.Make a second application 3 to 4 weeks later.More items...
How do I make my blue spruce Fuller?
0:225:51How to Trim a Spruce tree and a pine tree Trimming 101 - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipWhat you want to do is really just tip back the longest one. And work your way around the tree. JustMoreWhat you want to do is really just tip back the longest one. And work your way around the tree. Just trying to keep everything even. And same with the pine trees.
Will blue spruce branches grow back?
Long answer is, as long as the growing tips of the branches are not damaged, the tree will most likely produce new buds next year as long as the tree has been properly cared for (good water, maybe a bit of fertilizer this past spring, etc.).
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.
What is considered high nitrogen fertilizer?
Natural fertilizers that are high in nitrogen include: sodium nitrate, feather meal, blood meal, hoof & horn meal, hair, fish meal, crab meal, animal tankage, bat guano, soybean meal, cottonseed meal, fish emulsion, manure, & compost. Some of these fertilizers also contain phosphorus and potassium.
How often should you fertilize 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.
Why do blue spruce needles turn brown?
If this is what you're seeing, your blue spruce tree is likely suffering from needle cast disease. Once these needles turn brown, yellow, or red, they will likely begin to shed. Many homeowners that are experiencing needle cast will often describe their blue spruce as looking burned.
How often should I water my blue spruce tree?
Watering Needs: Needs regular watering – weekly, or more often in extreme heat. Average landscape size: Reaches 10-12 ft.
How can I make my blue spruce grow faster?
How can you make blue spruce grow faster? Make sure your blue spruce tree is planted in a location with lots of sunlight for at least half a day. You can also fertilize the soil around the plant with triple phosphate and potassium to help it grow faster.
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.
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 Spruce Tree Fertilizer?
Clemson Cooperative Extension’s Home and Gardening Center gives us a great explanation. Fertilizer is not ‘plant food’, as it is commonly mistaken to be, but a medium to give your tree any desperately needed minerals and nutrients.
Picking The Right Spruce Fertilizer For Your Tree
There are many kinds of fertilizers out there, but how much do you know about any of them?
High Nitrogen Fertilizer For Spruce Trees
Any high nitrogen fertilizer is going to work very well for spruce trees.
Acidic Fertilizer For Spruce Trees
Acidic fertilizer is used to help lower the pH of soil. But why, you may ask?
Combinations Of Fertilizers
A combination is going to work best when you have some organic material at home that is good for your spruce but may not be enough for your intended purpose.
Simple Ways To Help Your Spruce Tree Grow
There are plenty of fertilizers out there, as you now know, but what are the other ways you can work to help your spruce tree grow?
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.
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.
How often should I treat a tree with fungicide?
Treating a tree with a fungicide two or three times in the spring will protect that year’s growth from new infections. But this process will need to be repeated each spring in perpetuity to maintain disease control. Effective fungicide treatments are a long-term commitment.
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.
