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Plant Colorado blue spruce in a sunny spot that has rich, moist but well-drained soil. Dig a hole the same depth as the container and roughly 1.5 times as wide. Gently remove the plant from its pot, then use a sharp spade, planting knife or hand saw to shave off any outer circling roots.
How deep do you plant a spruce tree?
Plant Colorado blue spruce in a hole that is as deep as the root ball and two or three times as wide. When you set the tree in the hole, the top of the root ball should be even with the surrounding soil. You can check this by placing a yardstick or flat tool handle across the hole.
When should you plant spruce trees?
The best time to plant evergreen trees 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.
What type of soil do spruce trees like?
A wide range of soil types can support blue spruce, including clay, loam or sandy soil. These trees grow wild in forests, especially at higher elevations, where they often have to contend with rocky soil and other adverse conditions. The ideal soil is a loose loam or sandy loam.
How often should I water a spruce transplant?
Daily watering of newly planted spruce trees is only required for two to three days after planting. After that, normal rainfall typically provides enough moisture. Supply additional water during periods of drought. Spruce trees do not like being waterlogged.
How often should you water spruce trees?
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.
How fast does spruce trees grow?
While the majority of these coniferous tree species have a fairly unremarkable average growth rate (between 6 inches and 11 inches per year), the Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis), Norway spruce (Picea abies) and Colorado blue spruce (Picea pungens glauca) are renowned for their extraordinarily fast rates of growth.
How do you plant evergreens?
Planting Guides How to Plant Evergreen Trees Remove all packaging. Water the tree in its pot. Choose a suitable planting site for the needs of your tree. Prepare the soil. Dig a hole the depth of the pot. Put the tree in its hole and replace most of the soil. Water well, let the water drain and put back the rest of the soil.
How do you care for a newly planted evergreen tree?
Keep watering evergreens and newly planted trees and shrubs weekly until the ground freezes Think about location. Put the hose directly at the base of smaller plants. Water deeply. Turn the faucet on to a slow dribble and let it run for a long time. Don’t count on a sprinkler or rain. Use irrigation bags.
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 you take care of a spruce tree?
Spruce trees require full sun, adequate water and fertilizer to grow. Plant spruce trees as specimen trees or as an effective windbreak. With basic care, a spruce tree should thrive for years. Provide supplemental water for a spruce tree if less than 1 inch of rain falls within a one-week period.
What to put under evergreen trees?
For the best results, give your soil around a year to balance the pH before planting anything. Not sure what to plant? Some plants that will do fairly well under evergreen trees include Azaleas , Woodland Sunflowers , Hostas , Jacob’s Ladder , Lily of the Valley , and Ivory Sedge .
Do spruce trees need fertilizer?
Spruce trees do not have very high phosphorous needs and benefit most form an acidic fertilizer designed for evergreens or a high-nitrogen fertilizer with a formula like 12-6-4 or 10-8-6. Organic fertilizer options include compost, fish emulsion, cottonseed meal and alfalfa meal.
How many gallons of water does a spruce tree need?
The rule of thumb for established trees is 10 gallons of water for each inch of the tree’s diameter. You can use a ruler at knee height to measure or just use your best guess.
What is best fertilizer for evergreens?
A “complete” fertilizer — one that supplies the macronutrients nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) — is often recommended. A fertilizer analysis of 10-8-15 means the fertilizer has 10 percent nitrogen, 8 percent phosphorous, and 15 percent potassium.
How long does it take for a plant to recover from transplant shock?
For instance, vegetables can recover from the shock after 2-4 weeks of transplanting. However, plants such as trees can take up to two years or more before they can recover from all transplant shock stress.
Should you loosen roots before planting?
Loosening (also known as teasing or tickling) the roots before planting enables the roots to spread out and grow in all directions where they will branch out and form a good foundation for the plant. Teasing roots apart is a best practice for all plants, but it is crucial for plants that are pot bound.
Can you overwater a newly planted tree?
Once planted, a tree needs the right amount of water to establish its roots and begin a long and healthy life. Too little water and the tree will wilt and die, but too much water can drown the roots and kill the tree just as easily. The best watering system for a newly planted tree is soaker or drip hose.
