The Colorado blue spruce is a beautiful tree from North American native selection. It’s very slow growing but has an excellent pyramidal shape. It reaches 15-20 feet maturity in ten years. They were first discovered in 1862, growing in the Rocky Mountains.
But nowadays, they’re widely planted as landscape trees. If you live in the right climate and have good soil, this tree will thrive, but only if you plant it the right way.
- Plant your Arbour Day tree in your garden right away. Please provide assistance to children who might be planting.
- Give your tree enough room to grow. Colorado Blue Spruce trees can grow to be 75 metres tall
- Plant your tree at leas 4 metres away from other trees, shrubs or buildings
- Don’t plant your tree under power lines
- Keep your tree cool and moist. Handle your tree gently, since the roots break easily.
When you plant your tree, remember:
- Remove the plastic bag.
- Spread the roots in the hole and cover them quickly
- Press the soil firmly around the roots and water the tree.
- Please protect the tree with a small fence while it is still small.
- Please take care of your tree by watering regularly when the soil the dry. Remember, not too much, you don’t want to drown your tree.
The Colorado Blue Spruce Landscape Uses
This plant makes an exceptional accent tree. You cannot also go wrong with this tree if you’re looking for a windbreak or privacy screen. And if you’re living in areas with a large wildlife population, these ornamental trees resist deer, thanks to their strong smell and prickly texture. This also makes it a perfect habitat for local rabbits and birds.
Other special features that come with this plant include bird-friendly, dramatic foliage color, easy-care, North American Native Selection, Tolerates Road Salt, and year-round interest. And the companion plants include spirea, Butterfly Bush and Blanket Flower, Weigela, and Stonecrop.
Colorado Blue Spruce Tree Care
Position
It is essential to plant blue spruce trees in moist soil locations with full sun and light shade. However, blue spruce is also drought-tolerant, but growing it in heavily polluted areas can affect the blue color coating of the needle.
Soil
It is not fussy about the soil type as long as it is well-drained. Colorado blue spruce trees require moist soil to grow healthy and well. Spruce prefers acidic, boggy soils which are sandy or loamy with low levels of organic material.
Light
Plant Colorado blue spruce trees in full sun and ensure they get at least six hours of unfiltered sun per day. The Colorado blue spruce thrives in full to partial sun. It also tolerates partial shade but does better in spots with plenty of sunshine.
Water
Blue Spruce Picea punjens require an ample supply of water and also good drainage. Although blue spruce tolerates drought, it does best when watered consistently throughout the entire year. Water your blue spruce about once every two weeks if rainfall is less than 1 inch per week during the first growing season to keep the soil moist.
Once it’s established, water it only during dry spells and avoid water logging or creating muddy soil. The Colorado blue spruce can tolerate dry soil as long as the plant is watered regularly during its first growing season. At that point, it develops a deep root system and requires less frequent watering.
Fertilizer
Blue spruce does not require frequent fertilization to thrive. If you want to fertilize your Colorado blue spruce, do so in early spring or late summer using a balanced 10-10-10 formula. This will give the tree an added nutrition boost. It will increase the length of the needles and improve the needle color.
The fertilizers will also give full nutrients and help the plant to grow vigorously with a nice look and denser foliage.