SHOOT GROWING SPRUCE

[August44]

I went up collecting in some Mountains a short distance from me yesterday. Tough collecting in 6-10" of snow but brought home some decent smaller trees. On the way back to town, I went past a house that had this witches broom in a spruce right in the front yard. It is about 3' in diameter and only about 6-8' off the ground. The owner said there was another one up high in the tree, but it died last year. He gave me permission to collect some shoots next summer if I wanted.

Has anyone had experience shoot growing spruce? I would sure like to be successful doing this. Help appreciated.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

The only thing I know about growing spruce from cuttings is that chances of survival are low.

 

[yashu]

I tried asking this same thing as I have a broom in a balsam fir in my back woods and was looking to propagate it. I’d be interested to see if you get any feedback. I wondered if this question is more geared towards nurserymen and their forums

 

[yashu]

My understanding has been that broom cuttings must be grafted with most species.

 

[Colorado]

My understanding has been that broom cuttings must be grafted with most species.

This is what I was going to comment - believe that most specialty conifers are grafted to rootstock, not grown as cuttings. Generally, anyway.

 

[ShadyStump]

My understanding is that the weeping variety of the Colorado blue spruce like I found on clearance at Home Depot a couple months ago originated from a sport on a tree somewhere. I have seen and heard of them naturally rooting on low branches that hit the ground and get covered with debris, or even branches that do it across the rooves of buildings. So they should theoretically be able to root from cuttings.

It'd make sense that most other spruce would as well. I would think right about now would be a decent time as they're going dormant and won't have much water requirements.
Keep the cuttings in a cold frame between 40F and 20F, and they should stay dormant but still root. Only just barely getting into spruce, but from my research so far they only grow from buds set the season before, and can potentially die if all the buds are removed, so try to get cuttings that have new bud that haven't grown yet.

That's all my amateur reasoning, so hopefully someone with an actual clue will come along soon.

 

[b3bowen]

Not a professional, but I have grafted a bunch of spruce and fir. I know that many of the dwarf conifers on the market are simply grafts from witches brooms. If i were you I would purchase some understock, any picea will do, size one is perfect from website below. Graft it around Feb. indoors under lights. Graft low and it may be good for bonsai, but if not you have a mother plant to experiment with propagation. I have always had poor success with spruce cuttings.

Spruce / Picea

Spruce / Picea

www.evergreenplantnursery.com

 

[BrightsideB]

There are also people who will graft for you as well if you think it is worth it. By the time you buy under stock and then attempt grafting and none survive it could be annoying.