Are you looking at planting blue spruce trees in your yard? That’s great! Here in the Pacific Northwest, there are a lot of spruce trees growing all around us, in public parks and home gardens. But if you want to stand out from the rest, choosing to add blue spruce trees to your property is a great idea. It is one of the most visually striking types of spruce trees.
As the name says, it has blue needles that give it its beautiful color. The bark of these trees is grey in color, and their branches are a yellowish-brown color. The branches are stiff and stick off the trunk and larger branches at a horizontal angle, which gives the tree distinct patterns of shoots, adding to its shape. These trees are also called Colorado blue spruce, as it is the state tree of Colorado.
If you are looking to plant blue spruce trees in your yard, there are some things you should know first to help you better care for these trees. The following information will help to make sure your tree remains healthy and lives a long life.
They Should Be Planted in Full Sun
It is important to plant blue spruce trees in the correct place for them to grow at their healthiest. Blue spruce trees should be planted in areas that receive full sun. This means that the plant should be in direct sunlight for at least six hours each day. Do not plant them in an area of your yard that is in the shade as the day goes on, such as behind a garage or in the shade of other trees you may already have on your property.
They Adapt Well to Soil
One other positive about blue spruce trees is that they can adapt very easily to different types of soil. They can grow well in loamy, moist, acidic, rich, sandy, clay, and well-drained soils. This makes it easier, as you likely have one of these types of soils in your yard. The soil should have normal moisture conditions for the trees. Another perk is that blue spruce trees have a moderate tolerance to both drought conditions and flooding.
Make Sure You Have the Room in Your Yard
Blue spruce trees can reach heights of 50 to 75 feet at maturity. Their spreads can also reach 10 to 20 feet when fully grown. Because of this, you will need to make sure you have the room in your yard so the tree has enough space to reach its full growth. They do grow at a slow to medium rate, adding less than 12 inches to 24 inches per year. This means that you will have some time ahead of you before it reaches its full height. But planning and making sure there are no other trees or obstacles too close to where you want to plant the blue spruce trees will make things easier for you down the line.
A Moderate Amount of Water Is Needed
When you first plant any tree, it will need more water to establish itself than other trees. But once blue spruce trees are rooted, they only need a moderate amount of water regularly. Then every two to three weeks, they should get a deep soaking of water. Adding mulch around the base of the tree will help to keep the moisture in the soil, which is what blue spruce trees like. The mulch will also keep the roots of the tree cool.
Look Out For Pests and Disease
Blue spruce trees are pretty resistant to pests. This means that pests likely won’t kill your tree, but they can still cause some damage. The way to prevent this is by regularly checking the tree branches for spider mites, gall-forming insects, spruce budworms, spruce needle miners, aphids, and pine needle scales. If the branches turn yellow or start producing small growths or bumps, they’re likely infected. You may be able to hose off pests with a strong hose spray, but it’s best to call in a professional.
Just like with pests, blue spruce trees do not suffer from many diseases. There are two common types of diseases to watch out for. The first one is a canker, which will turn the needles of the trees brown before they drop off. It may also have white patches on the branches that have been infected. If you see this happening, cut off the branches that have been infected. Also, don’t water it from overhead, as you want to try and keep the foliage dry.
The second disease is needle casts and rust. This will turn the needles on your trees yellow or brown. They will also drop off, but no other serious problems will occur. If you notice any of these signs, calling in a professional is the safest option, as they can help get your tree back to its healthiest.
Want a Hand With the Work?
There’s much to know about planting and caring for blue spruce trees. If you’re overwhelmed or unsure, Mr. Tree can take that stress off your plate and do the planting and the caring for of your new blue spruce trees for you. We have over 30 years of experience in residential tree service, and our arborists are both professional and properly trained.
We have extensive tree services that will help with the maintenance of your tree, always making sure that it’s at its healthiest. By having us come in and regularly care for your tree, we will easily spot any differences from our last visit, such as pests or diseases. This will also allow us to act quickly and stop the disease or infestation before it spreads through the tree.If you want to learn more about Mr. Tree or want our help with planting your new blue spruce tree, please contact us today.
