
This should be continued until the tree is established, then weekly for the first growing season (or more often if the weather is dry). When newly planted fill the ring around the trunk daily, and keep watering until the ground won’t soak up any more. Their roots are shallow, so they’re vulnerable to the ground drying out, and in long spells without rain it’s important to keep them watered. Water AccessĪ spruce tree needs reasonable access to water. Climate is far more important for spruces than soil they can thrive in virtually any ground but don’t like too much heat at all. They prefer good drainage but aren’t very sensitive to it many gardeners have had good results planting spruces in clay, although it won’t hurt to mix some sand in while planting if your soil is very heavy. Acidic, neutral or slightly alkaline are all fine, although if your soil is very alkaline it’s a good idea to mix some peat moss or rock sulfur with the soil before refilling the hole. Spruce trees are tolerant of a wide range of different soils. Fill the ring with water until it stops soaking into the ground. Make a raised ring of soil around the base of the tree and put a layer of mulch inside it. If your soil is very loose it might be necessary to stake the tree until its root system becomes firmly established. There’s no need to tamp too firmly, just hard enough to remove any large air pockets. Fill the hole with soil and gently tamp it down. Stand the tree in the center of the hole and spread the roots out. If the soil is very poor quality dig six inches deeper than the root ball and add a layer of compost. Then dig a hole slightly deeper than the height of your tree’s root ball – about three inches is good – and about twice its width. First loosen a circle at least three feet wide with a fork. Once your tree arrives prepare a hole for it. Also bear in mind the likely size of your tree when it’s mature stay clear of overhead cables and don’t plant too close to your home or any structure that could be damaged by roots. Choose the ideal spot in your garden, looking for somewhere that gets adequate sunlight and is well drained. Pick the spruce that’s best suited to your garden and local conditions, and order it from The Tree Center. Proper planting will maximize your chances of having a trouble-free spruce tree. Spring, after the last frosts, is the next best alternative.


When to plant: The best time to plant a spruce is in fall, when it’s gone dormant for the year. Continue to water daily for at least two weeks, then weekly for the first growing season. Water: Water a newly planted spruce thoroughly. Decide what you’re looking for in your garden, pick the perfect spot and the species of spruce you want to plant there, then order it from The Tree Center. To give yourself the best chance of successfully growing one you should get yours from a reputable nursery like The Tree Center, who will have given it the care it needs in the vital early part of its life. Spruce trees grow very slowly as seedlings and can be vulnerable for several years after germinating. Here’s a handy guide to choosing and caring for a young spruce. It’s important to pick the right species, and to plant it in the ideal location and look after it properly. It’s still commercially important both for timber and paper the strong wood is highly valued for many specialist purposes as well as a general building material.Ī spruce tree – or several – can add a lot to your garden, but planting one isn’t a decision to be taken lightly. The tree holds an important place in the folklore of both Scandinavia and the USA.

Spruce wood has been widely used for a range of purposes for many centuries, and in many cultures the foliage has been used as a medicine or food source. In the wild most of them are large, conical or pyramidal forms, but dwarf cultivars also exist these are versatile and attractive shrubs that have proven very popular with gardeners. These can be found throughout most of the northern hemisphere, and there are several species native to the United States. Spruce trees consist of around 35 evergreen conifer species in the genus Picea.
