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Harden off seedlings as other garden plants by placing in a shady spot out of the wind and gradually increasing their time outdoors. The easiest way to acquire spruce trees is to find small spruce, one inch to three feet tall, and transplant them.
How long does it take to grow a spruce tree?
The Colorado blue spruce grows at a slow to medium rate, according to the Arbor Day Foundation, although it picks up a bit as it gets older. This blue spruce grows from 12 to 24 inches a year. So it will require 30 to 60 years for a Colorado blue spruce to grow from seed to 60 feet tall.
Are spruce trees easy to grow?
Norway spruce (Picea abies) is a tough conifer that makes for an easy-care landscape tree in USDA plant hardiness zones 3 through 7. It is also planted extensively for forest restoration and windbreaks. Planting a Norway spruce is easy because it competes well with grass and weeds and requires no site preparation.
What does a spruce tree need to survive?
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.
How long does it take for a spruce tree seed to sprout?
If you are sowing in plug trays, sow 2 or 3 seeds per cell. Cover the seeds with a couple of millimeters of vermiculite or failing that a fine layer of sieved compost. Follow with a gentle watering and keep them at room temperature. Germination will begin within a 10-14 days of sowing.
How can I make my spruce tree grow faster?
Sprinkle a fertilizer around the base of the tree. Use a 10-8-6 quick-release formulation during April, May, June or early July. Between July 15 and October 15, choose a slow-release 10-8-6 fertilizer instead, so that you do not encourage too much growth before winter.
Do spruce trees need a lot of water?
Spruces create an extremely deep root system when watered deeply. In order to support large trees, the roots need to go deep into the soil to provide support. Waterings cannot be frequent and shallow, or roots will remain on the surface. Tree roots follow the water.
How fast do spruce trees grow in a year?
This tree grows at a medium rate, with height increases of 13–24″ per year.
Do spruce trees need sunlight?
Spruce Trees These trees are usually grown as ‘Christmas Trees,’ especially the Blue and Norway varieties. They require full to partial sun in order to thrive.
Where do spruce trees grow best?
The trees are hardy in USDA zones 2 through 6, and are very tough against cold winter weather and wind. They prefer full sun and do best with at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day, but they are also very tolerant of shade.
Do spruce trees need full sun?
Sunlight: Plant your blue spruce in an area that it will get full sun, which is at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day. When do blue spruce trees bud: Since blue spruces keep their needles year-round, there’s no set bud time. However, they do grow new needles in the summertime.
What do you put under spruce trees?
Mulch is always a good option for landscaping under any tree, spruce or otherwise. Choose from the more attractive mulch varieties, such as wood chips, bark or other organic mulches, which decompose on their own without harming the environment.
How do I care for a spruce tree?
Water recently planted spruce trees regularly. Spread organic mulch around the spruce. Fertilize spruce trees in late autumn or early spring. Watch for signs of pests or disease. Cut back the main leader stem, if it is damaged.
How do you keep a spruce alive?
Provide Adequate Sunlight Provide Adequate Sunlight. Place the potted spruce outdoors in an area where it will receive full sun if you live along the coast. Keep the Root Ball Moist. When growing blue spruce in containers, you’ll need to water the tree when the top 3 inches of soil feel dry. Watch for Pests.
How do you grow spruce trees from seed?
They will germinate best if you soak them in water for 24 hours prior to planting them. You can sow seeds into a flat or individual 4-inch pots that have been filled with a soilless seed starting mix. Cover the seed very lightly with the mix; if you bury them too deeply they may not germinate.
How do you germinate spruce seeds?
The seeds must be moist to do this. For small numbers it is easiest to do this by sowing them, and then chilling them in the pots. After that they need warmth and light to germinate, which may take several weeks. The soil must remain moist, but not wet, at all times.
How do you start spruce seedlings?
To stratify indoors, mix the seed with a moistened, sterile, peat based growing medium in a container, wrap in a ventilated bag, and place it in a refrigerator for 12 to 20 weeks. In the spring plant the seed in a sheltered spot outside to grow into seedlings. Transplant to permanent site when well rooted.
Do spruce trees like coffee grounds?
Will a homemade pine tree or evergreen tree fertilizer work? For example, adding coffee grounds or organic matter around your evergreens’ soil is a good place to start if you need to increase your soil’s acidity.
Can you use Miracle Grow on spruce trees?
HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR COLORADO BLUE SPRUCE PLANTS. Fertilizing: We recommend you fertilize all your shrubs, evergreens, trees, groundcover, and perennials once every 3 weeks. We suggest you use Miracle-Gro, a water-soluble fertilizer, or Milorganite, a granular fertilizer.
What’s the best time to plant evergreens?
Evergreens, or conifers like pine, spruce, and fir are best planted in early to late spring or early to mid autumn. In my zone 5 region that is April to early June and September and October. If you can, wait until there is a cloudy or drizzly day to transplant.
