Spruce styling

[Krone]

Have just bought young spruce. It's not the best but i need something for learning. Have read that i should style it in early spring or late summer, never in mid summer. Should i wait or can i prune and wire it now?

What are your thought, experiences? Thanks.

 

[Hartinez]

Are there new buds growing along the branches?

 

[Krone]

On some of the branches and on the apex, yes.

 

[wireme]

Have just bought young spruce. It's not the best but i need something for learning. Have read that i should style it in early spring or late summer, never in mid summer. Should i wait or can i prune and wire it now?
View attachment 249193
What are your thought, experiences? Thanks.

Early spring or late summer are my choices here in my climate. Late summer but not too late.
I would probably go more with very early spring if there was more time or less to do..,

 

[Krone]

Considering that you are in much colder climate than me, i guess i should wait...

 

[sorce]

It's not the best but i need something for learning

Get to it and learn!

Sorce

 

[WNC Bonsai]

Wait until August. If you try to wire now you can easily slip the bark. I bought a new Norway Spruce last August and pruned and wired it then. It put out tons of new buds and I finally had to remove the wire this week as it was starting to bite in. The branches had set in just 11 months. In August I will prune back the new growth a d wire again, then in the spring it will get a major root prune. Maybe in a coulpe years I can get it into a bonsai pot. For a good tutorial on working spruce take a look at Harry Harrington’s website www.bonsai4me.com .

 

[Krone]

@Hartinez I don't really understand the meaning of buds in this context?

 

[Hartinez]

@Hartinez I don't really understand the meaning of buds in this context?

Here’s a few pics. These are on an englemann spruce. First pic shows last years growth (green), this years growth (red), and the new buds that will open next spring (black).
The second pic shows back budding.
If and when you do cut back, try o make sure to cut back to a bud or a branch that has a bud. It’ll probably die if it doesn’t.
Please note though, that I’m new to spruce, but have gained a wealth of info from this site and from watching Mirai videos online.

 

[Krone]

Thanks for all the info.
How long will it take to see if tree will survive? I assume that the browning of the needles would be a pretty god indicator?

 

[sorce]

browning

Specific areas of Brown can help you know the rest survived.

But you cant fully know until you get thru a spring growth.

Sorce