Of cold beer and blue spruce

GSCarlson

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I bought a blue spruce at Home Cheepo yesterday (actually a "baby blue"), and a six of my favorite beer. This is my very first spruce and I have no idea what to do. But luckily I have plenty of time to study up. I removed about 10% foliage and roots. I think I will leave it as is until the fall. Should I trim off the terminal buds now, before they start growing? I really don't want the branches to get longer, they will eventually have to be much shorter.
I chose this tree because it had two leaders. I want to jin one, just have to decide which one.
As I lowered the soil I discovered what looks to be a rather ugly graft. The colors and textures don't match at all. Not sure what to do about that. Just raise the soil level to cover it? Will it look better with age?


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onlyrey

Mame
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I actually like what you did with the blue spruce. Don't know much about spruce, but I recently got one and gave it about a 40% shave. Would I had drank a beer; I would have gone for 60%.

I would have gotten rid of one of the two leaders towards the top of the tree.
 

GSCarlson

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I actually like what you did with the blue spruce. Don't know much about spruce, but I recently got one and gave it about a 40% shave. Would I had drank a beer; I would have gone for 60%.

I would have gotten rid of one of the two leaders towards the top of the tree.

I had the sense to stop at one beer, otherwise she might not have had any branches left this morning. One of the two leaders will be a jin. I plan on a lot of jin.
 

AlainK

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Well done, though like "onlyrey", I would have got rid of one of the two leaders: from my limited experience, these trees are very apical-dominant so if yu leave too much at the top, lower branches tend to die. But my climate isn't the best for any species of spruce, it's (usually) too dry in the summer for trees that get mist in their natural environment, mountains.
 

base797

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Don't remove any terminal buds. Wait until they push, hardened off and then cut back leaving a small amount of this year's growth. This is usually the first week of June around here. If you do this, typical results are 2 buds at cut point and a few back buds on older wood.

Patrik
 

GGB

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wow good pick up man. I had a blue spruce and it responded very well to my "manipulations". I have read that they don't take wiring very easily. But with a slow growth speed and yours being pretty much at finished height I say that will only benefit you. I get a kick out of removing all the downward growing needles. it cleans everything up so nice. jealous man
 

GSCarlson

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I think I will leave the main leader as is until after the spring growth, then jin it. Thereby using up some of her stored energy and slow down the growth in the branches I want to keep. Does that sound like a good idea?
Or do the same but with the smaller leader. I still haven't decided which to keep. I guess it depends on how prominent I want the jin to be.
 

GSCarlson

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I did some work pulling down the lower branches; many, if not all, of which will eventually be jin. I also removed the big root. I would rather deal with the wound than that awkward, misplaced eyesore.

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sorce

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I'd keep the big one.

It seems a good transition now....and even into the next segment....

I reckon the growth youd have to keep on the skinny one for it to catch up and look nice will be a pain in the ass.

I'd ditch the small one when you intend to. And freeze the trunk there...
Short some transition smoothing.

Nice base!

Sorce
 

Cosmos

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Update on this tree?

I purchased a baby blue just like that in June and am reading anything I can on pruning and repotting techniques. Our trees are very similar, bulky (grafted) base included, but doesn't have that double trunk up top.
 

Cypress187

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Can't open his profile, maybe he is gone?
 
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