How do you take care of a blue spruce Bush?
Maintenance of dwarf blue spruce is minimal. It requires very little attention, except for regular watering during establishment, and selective pruning to control height and habit. Like most plants, dwarf blue spruce benefit from 2 to 3 inches of organic mulch such as shredded bark or composted leaves.
Where is the best place to plant a blue spruce?
Colorado blue spruce grows best in a sunny location with moist, well-drained, fertile soil. It tolerates dry wind and can adapt to dry soil. The tree is hardy in USDA plant hardiness zones 3 through 7. Plant Colorado blue spruce in a hole that is as deep as the root ball and two or three times as wide.
How do you keep a blue spruce healthy?
Colorado Blue Spruce Tree Care
- Light. Plant Colorado blue spruce trees in full sun, ensuring they get at least 6 hours of unfiltered sun per day.
- Soil. These trees do best in a location with a moist, well-drained soil made fertile through the use of soil amendments.
- Water.
- Temperature and Humidity.
Do blue spruce need a lot of water?
Blue Spruce Care Although Colorado blue spruce is more drought tolerant than other spruces, it does need consistent water (from rain or irrigation) to thrive. Water regularly during the first season or two while the tree roots are getting established, then as needed during dry periods.
Do blue spruce need full sun?
Blue Wonder spruce care is not difficult. This is a tree that will tolerate road salt and poor soil. It prefers full sun, but will grow well in partial shade too. When you plant a Blue Wonder spruce, find a space that will work for it considering that it grows slowly and compactly, maintaining its conical shape.
How much water does a blue spruce need?
Give the tree 1 to 3 inches of water every week, unless moisture comes in the form of rainfall. Watering deeply once or twice weekly is better than more frequent, shallow irrigation, as deep watering will develop long, healthy roots. Shallow roots will be more prone to damage from drought.
How fast does blue spruce grow?
to 24″ per year
Growth Rate This tree grows at a slow to medium rate, with height increases of anywhere from less than 12″ to 24″ per year.
What is the best time of year to plant a blue spruce?
spring
Unlike many plants, its best to plant blue spruce during the dormancy period of November to March. Planting during cold temperatures allows the blue spruce to develop roots for the spring season. Choose a site with full sun, loose draining soil, and plenty of elbow room.
What is the best fertilizer for blue spruce trees?
Slow-release granular fertilizer is the best choice and should be used near the root zone. To prevent burning from the fertilizer, you want to add two inches of water around the trunk. These spruce trees do not need to be pruned. However, you can prune to promote a denser foliage.
Do Blue Spruce need full sun?
Why is my blue spruce dying?
Blue spruce trees are susceptible to an infectious needle disease caused by the fungus Rhizosphaera. Second-year needles turn a purple or brown color and eventually fall from the tree. After several successive years of needle loss branches may die. In general, trees appear to die from the bottom upward.
Can blue spruce grow in the shade?
Blue spruce prefer an organic, moist soil in full sun but are adaptable to different conditions. It is more drought tolerant than other Picea species. While blue spruce can tolerate some shade, disease incidence and severity increases with the amount of shade trees receive.
How to care for a blue spruce tree?
Blue spruce cuttings are collected, preferably in the morning from vigorous branches. These cuttings should be dipped in a rooting hormone before planting in containers in a mixture of peat and sand. After planting keep the cuttings in a bright spot and keep the growing medium moist.
Where is the best place to plant blue spruce?
A place in front of the house or the middle of the garden where the blue spruce will be a vertical accent will be perfect for planting. I do not recommend planting these plants close to sidewalks or driveways. Because they, depending on the variety, grow quite quickly and will make it difficult to move through the yard.
When do blue spruce trees drop their cones?
Once the cuttings show growth, plant them in the right place. Air layering of the blue spruce tree is also possible. Only mature blue spruce trees produce the cones. These cones drop their seeds in spring. Blue spruce seeds require a considerable period of light to germinate: 14 to 16 hours per day.
What kind of disease does a blue spruce have?
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.