All spruced up.

[Eckhoffw]

Realized I have quite abit o’ spruce in the collection. Some pics of a few.
Two birds nest spruce from Lowe’s.
I believe they where 3 for 10 $ Select varieties. Showing some new spring growth
One of the 15 DAS I am caring for. This tree has very fine/delicate growth. I feel like it is weak. I will fertilize heavily.
Take care. Thank you.

 

[Adair M]

Both of those are considered “dwarf” varieties. In my experience, dwarf varieties prefer being “full” rather than “scarce”.

In my opinion, your trees are “sparse”, and you should let the foliage thicken back up before you do any more work on them.

 

[Eckhoffw]

Both of those are considered “dwarf” varieties. In my experience, dwarf varieties prefer being “full” rather than “scarce”.

In my opinion, your trees are “sparse”, and you should let the foliage thicken back up before you do any more work on them.

Thanks Adair.
I imagine being on point with watering and feeding is the best bet?
May I ask your preferred feeding regime (Product and duration) for a spruce?

 

[Adair M]

I use organic cakes. All season long.

 

[Eckhoffw]

Norway Colorado spruce w/wire.
looking good.
don’t know how to handle new growth. But whatever.

 

[HorseloverFat]

Norway Colorado spruce w/wire.
looking good. View attachment 305965
don’t know how to handle new growth. But whatever.

Spruce Lee, Spruce Wayne, Spruce Willis, Spruce Villanch, Spruce Springstein...

VERY interesting specimens, I look forward to their “journaling” and wish them good health.

I like this idea of “grouping” trees into threads (for ease, comfort and conserving space), and have been doing this myself.

 

[sorce]

Spruce Banner, Spruce Spruce...

 

[HorseloverFat]

When you just can’t handle the fighting anymore... you call a “spruce”..

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Particularly for young spruce waynes in training, the way you handle soft new foliage is you don't. Nothing to do until late summer. Once foliage has hardened off, usually middle of August, or later, new buds for next year will have formed usually somewhere along the length of the growth. You can cut back to the new buds that formed on these new growths. Then you can wire. For the first decade or so of training a spruce all the pruning of new growth is done late summer.

When you spruce is advanced, you may be able to "pinch" or prune using scissors, these tender young growths early in spring, in Minnesota, late May or early June. But pinching back spruces is only done for mature, advanced trees, as the response to this "pinching" will be different than the response to pruning back to a bud in late summer.

 

[Eckhoffw]

Particularly for young spruce waynes in training, the way you handle soft new foliage is you don't. Nothing to do until late summer. Once foliage has hardened off, usually middle of August, or later, new buds for next year will have formed usually somewhere along the length of the growth. You can cut back to the new buds that formed on these new growths. Then you can wire. For the first decade or so of training a spruce all the pruning of new growth is done late summer.

When you spruce is advanced, you may be able to "pinch" or prune using scissors, these tender young growths early in spring, in Minnesota, late May or early June. But pinching back spruces is only done for mature, advanced trees, as the response to this "pinching" will be different than the response to pruning back to a bud in late summer.

Awesome info. Yeah I was wondering about dealing with this growth as some shoots are long and whispy while others are a little plumper and show more thickness. Now I know how to handle better.
But again, thanks Leo! I wish I could send you a token of my appreciation. Edible arrangement? hehe.

 

[Eckhoffw]

Norway spruce is on the burn pile
Perhaps the wire bite strangled it. Perhaps.

An addition: Another Birds nest spruce

Another 10$ Lowe’s grab.

A little prunage and some wire.
some new buds popping.

 

[RJG2]

Particularly for young spruce waynes in training, the way you handle soft new foliage is you don't. Nothing to do until late summer. Once foliage has hardened off, usually middle of August, or later, new buds for next year will have formed usually somewhere along the length of the growth. You can cut back to the new buds that formed on these new growths. Then you can wire. For the first decade or so of training a spruce all the pruning of new growth is done late summer.

When you spruce is advanced, you may be able to "pinch" or prune using scissors, these tender young growths early in spring, in Minnesota, late May or early June. But pinching back spruces is only done for mature, advanced trees, as the response to this "pinching" will be different than the response to pruning back to a bud in late summer.

The first scenario you list the buds have already set, and the second they haven't yet. Can I assume it is the second scenario that leads to more prolific back budding (I believe this is what I've read elsewhere, but it's nice getting extra sources)?

Just curious, as I have a large DAS that's recovering in a wooden grow box that is pretty sparse on the interior. Trying to figure out when to prune once it's recovered. I'll obviously do structural first and get a design worked out, but it will need some filling out of the interior eventually.

Photos are from April, but you get the drift.

 

[RJG2]

Norway spruce is on the burn pile
Perhaps the wire bite strangled it. Perhaps.

An addition: Another Birds nest spruce

Another 10$ Lowe’s grab.
View attachment 321472View attachment 321474View attachment 321476
A little prunage and some wire. View attachment 321475
some new buds popping.

Just noticed the Centennial IPA in your post, that's an All Day IPA in mine

 

[Eckhoffw]

The first scenario you list the buds have already set, and the second they haven't yet. Can I assume it is the second scenario that leads to more prolific back budding (I believe this is what I've read elsewhere, but it's nice getting extra sources)?

Just curious, as I have a large DAS that's recovering in a wooden grow box that is pretty sparse on the interior. Trying to figure out when to prune once it's recovered. I'll obviously do structural first and get a design worked out, but it will need some filling out of the interior eventually.

Photos are from April, but you get the drift.

View attachment 321482

View attachment 321487

To be honest, I have no clue. I’m watching buds. If they open, I assume I can prune back to them. I like to leave a little stUb on initial cut backs.

 

[Adair M]

To be honest, I have no clue. I’m watching buds. If they open, I assume I can prune back to them. I like to leave a little stUb on initial cut backs.

I doubt they’ll open this year. You can cut back to them, and that’s where the new growth will start next spring.

 

[Eckhoffw]

The first scenario you list the buds have already set, and the second they haven't yet. Can I assume it is the second scenario that leads to more prolific back budding (I believe this is what I've read elsewhere, but it's nice getting extra sources)?

Just curious, as I have a large DAS that's recovering in a wooden grow box that is pretty sparse on the interior. Trying to figure out when to prune once it's recovered. I'll obviously do structural first and get a design worked out, but it will need some filling out of the interior eventually.

Photos are from April, but you get the drift.

View attachment 321482

View attachment 321487

Cool tandem grow box. I like the big circle cuts! Nice base in that Das too!

 

[RJG2]

Cool tandem grow box. I like the big circle cuts! Nice base in that Das too!

Thanks! I probably won't a bit overkill on the box, but it seems to be doing the job. I'm seeing some new roots coming out the sides.

I'll make a thread with everything if it survives the winter

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

The first scenario you list the buds have already set, and the second they haven't yet. Can I assume it is the second scenario that leads to more prolific back budding (I believe this is what I've read elsewhere, but it's nice getting extra sources)?

Just curious, as I have a large DAS that's recovering in a wooden grow box that is pretty sparse on the interior. Trying to figure out when to prune once it's recovered. I'll obviously do structural first and get a design worked out, but it will need some filling out of the interior eventually.

Photos are from April, but you get the drift.

View attachment 321482

View attachment 321487

It is GROWTH, that generates back budding. Growth, good vigor and sunlight getting into the interior of the tree are the key elements to generating back budding. The pruning alone does not do the trick. If you prune too heavily, there will be no back budding, because there will not be sufficient growth to generate back buds.

Technique one, pruning in late summer or autumn, will activate back budding. The buds you cut back to will activate the following spring, but buds further back may also back bud if there was enough growth, enough accumulation of sugars to provide energy for interior buds to activate.

Technique 2, pruning new growth back in late spring, or early summer, this will primarily activate the buds at the base of the new growth pruned. They usually will not grow until the following spring. This means the tree remains a static size without adding a lot of growth all summer, hence not accumulating as significant an amount of sugars. This is important in a "finished tree" where you do not want rapid growth. This is counterproductive in a tree in early development, as it slows development. This will stimulate back budding to some degree, but because it lowers the overall energy, the back budding will not necessarily be profuse.

You mention your tree in the image is recovering from repotting and pruning root system to adapt from a nursery container toward a bonsai container. Your best bet is to let the tree recover without pruning. Once you see vigorous growth, then you can resume pruning.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I have a colorado blue spruce, P. pungens, that was 10+ years in a nursery container, and was extremely root bound. I reduced the root ball by about 75% in order to get it into an Anderson Flat. For the following 3 growings seasons I did ZERO pruning, because the tree put on almost no growth the first summer, very weak growth the second summer, and finally the third summer I had good growth, "blue shiners" all over the place. That was the signal it was ready to resume pruning the 4th summer. You NEED to see vigorous growth before doing significant pruning. If you rush, and heavily prune a weak tree, you will send the tree into a downward spiral that it may not recover from.

IF you had good growth the previous summer, you can get away with drastic work, but then wait, until you get vigorous growth again.

If you are uncertain what "vigorous growth" looks like, just wait, fertilize your tree well and let it grow, the tree will "show you".

 

[RJG2]

It is GROWTH, that generates back budding. Growth, good vigor and sunlight getting into the interior of the tree are the key elements to generating back budding. The pruning alone does not do the trick. If you prune too heavily, there will be no back budding, because there will not be sufficient growth to generate back buds.

Technique one, pruning in late summer or autumn, will activate back budding. The buds you cut back to will activate the following spring, but buds further back may also back bud if there was enough growth, enough accumulation of sugars to provide energy for interior buds to activate.

Technique 2, pruning new growth back in late spring, or early summer, this will primarily activate the buds at the base of the new growth pruned. They usually will not grow until the following spring. This means the tree remains a static size without adding a lot of growth all summer, hence not accumulating as significant an amount of sugars. This is important in a "finished tree" where you do not want rapid growth. This is counterproductive in a tree in early development, as it slows development. This will stimulate back budding to some degree, but because it lowers the overall energy, the back budding will not necessarily be profuse.

You mention your tree in the image is recovering from repotting and pruning root system to adapt from a nursery container toward a bonsai container. Your best bet is to let the tree recover without pruning. Once you see vigorous growth, then you can resume pruning.

Well articulated, thank you!

No plans to do anything for another year most likely; just letting the roots grow and pointing that bare spot to the sun