3 Questions About Repot (With Root Pruning) Timing For Spruce

[mrcasey]

1. Given the length of these buds, am I in the root pruning and repotting window?
2. Could I have root pruned and repotted as soon as I began to see the bare beginning of 1 or 2 new light green buds?
3. Could I wait longer?

 

[Paradox]

I would say its too late.

The buds have broken and are extending new foliage.
You want to repot when the buds are just starting to swell, which would have probably been about a month ago based on those pictures.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Too late for spring repotting. Too early for late summer repottings. Depending on your local West Virginia climate, there is a second window of time for repotting. I have had good luck repotting in August. We normally cool down at night beginning the second week of August, give or take a week or two. Usually by Aug. 15, we are unlikely to have more days over 90 F. That is when I repot many of my conifers. It is early enough to leave time before winter to mature a root system. I usually finish repotting by Aug 30. Most trees do a flush of new root growth when night time temps begin falling in late summer. Repotting just before that happens is an advantage. Adjust the timing for your local weather. Your season could be a week or two later than mine.

 

[Lazylightningny]

Is that dead foliage at the top? If so, you might consider just planting it in the ground for a year or two to get it healthy first.

 

[mrcasey]

Is that dead foliage at the top? If so, you might consider just planting it in the ground for a year or two to get it healthy first.

You're correct. I bought six single gallon white spruce at Rural King last summer. The store decided to quit watering and let each plant go for $2.00. They looked terrible, but I couldn't pass up the deal. We're either looking at a past season water issue or a fungal issue - rhizosphera maybe? I've been alternating daconil and copper ever other week. I won't actually be repotting this tree; I just want to know when an appropriate time is to do this work. I've killed a lot of spruce and have a lot to learn.

 

[Lazylightningny]

You're correct. I bought six single gallon white spruce at Rural King last summer. The store decided to quit watering and let each plant go for $2.00. They looked terrible, but I couldn't pass up the deal. We're either looking at a past season water issue or a fungal issue - rhizosphera maybe? I've been alternating daconil and copper ever other week. I won't actually be repotting this tree; I just want to know when an appropriate time is to do this work. I've killed a lot of spruce and have a lot to learn.

I've killed my share also. There is something very healing about ground planting. The water drains naturally without pooling issues. A dry core to the root ball is also often a culprut so you may want to soak it in a bucket of water before doing anything else. There's no way to tell until you start digging into the roots, and this is not the right time for that.

 

[Japonicus]

I potted up my Picea Abbies Little Gem mid March at bud swell and is pushing those buds open ever so slowly now.
Being a dwarf that grows very slowly, it is way behind yours. Little gem only grow 1/2"/yr maybe a touch more.
Cautioned to go slow with it, I did some light pruning late last Summer at which it balked and displayed
numerous brown tips, that died off, but the proliferous buds behind them were more than happy to take over this year.

Since you got a couple of these, if one is good and healthy, try for July week one, on one of them, but do no other work to it.
Be sure to secure it well to the pot, and don't let it dry out.

 

[sorce]

daconil and copper ever other week.

I've never heard of fungal spruce problems, definitely nothing that is sprayed so much to prevent.

Aphids are the only pest I've encountered.

Compromised trees don't need the book thrown at em. Just water!

August or September's full moon is a good Repot time, you may be able to stretch it to October.

Sorce