Sitka Spruce

BPfeil

Yamadori
Messages
81
Reaction score
65
Location
Corvallis, OR
USDA Zone
8b
Hey everyone, just thought I'd share the sitka spruce that I picked up today. I am branching out into conifers more, so I don't know the care guidelines for these trees very well. If anyone has experience with spruce please let me know what they like/don't like!
Thanks!
20170701_160840.jpg 20170701_160845.jpg 20170701_160904.jpg
 

0soyoung

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
7,496
Reaction score
12,832
Location
Anacortes, WA (AHS heat zone 1)
USDA Zone
8b
The standard that works for most kinds is to pinch/partially-pluck the long new shoots as soon as the needles begin to stand up (circa Apr/May). This may produce a second flush, but I just do it to balance the foliage load. Within a month or so, buds will have started forming on the new shoot before they have hardened. For me it has been best to wait until around August to cut back to a bud - I don't get as much back budding when I do this earlier in the season. Branches are largely independent, so you can experiment on each branch instead of the entire tree one season at a time, at a time if you want.

When you prune, always keep a bud on the branch/shoot; else you will likely have a dead branch(let).

Like most conifers, they tend to be very apically dominant, so you will always be heavily pruning the top to get/keep low growth.
 

BPfeil

Yamadori
Messages
81
Reaction score
65
Location
Corvallis, OR
USDA Zone
8b
The standard that works for most kinds is to pinch/partially-pluck the long new shoots as soon as the needles begin to stand up (circa Mayo - may produce a second flush). Within a month or so, buds will have started forming before the new growth has hardened.

When you prune, always keep a bud on a branch/shoot; else you will likely have a dead branch(let). For me it has been best to wait until around August to cut back to a bud - I don't get as much back budding when I do this earlier in the season. Branches are largely independent, so you can experiment on each branch instead of the entire tree one season at a time, at a time if you want.

Like most conifers, they tend to be very apically dominant, so you will always be heavily pruning the top to get/keep low growth.
Thank you! I would definitely like the tree to get a little taller, so I may allow the leader to grow out a bit.
 

Wilson

Masterpiece
Messages
2,353
Reaction score
4,384
Location
Eastern townships, Quebec
USDA Zone
4
Nice little tree, you might want to have it in a "grow out" pot for awhile. If you don't, that's all good too! Enjoy your tree.
 

BPfeil

Yamadori
Messages
81
Reaction score
65
Location
Corvallis, OR
USDA Zone
8b
Nice little tree, you might want to have it in a "grow out" pot for awhile. If you don't, that's all good too! Enjoy your tree.
Thank you! My plan was to get it into a grow box at some point to thicken it up
 

miker

Chumono
Messages
726
Reaction score
688
Location
Wyomissing, PA
USDA Zone
6b
Wow, I like it. I have long wanted to see more examples of this species used as bonsai. You have a very nice start there. In my limited experience, the sitka spruce is very thirsty, which came as little surprise, considering most of its native range is temperate rainforest.
 

BPfeil

Yamadori
Messages
81
Reaction score
65
Location
Corvallis, OR
USDA Zone
8b
Wow, I like it. I have long wanted to see more examples of this species used as bonsai. You have a very nice start there. In my limited experience, the sitka spruce is very thirsty, which came as little surprise, considering most of its native range is temperate rainforest.
Thanks! The nursery where I get these trees has many examples of non traditional bonsai species (which is a large part of why I enjoy it so much). Next week I am purchasing a blue atlas cedar, which is one of my favorite species of tree. I'll make sure to share pictures!
 
Top Bottom