Jim

You will increase it's stress by moving it. If you think the current sight is OK, you might want to give it another year.

Colorado spruces can take drought and full sun so I am guessing it is transplant shock. If you move it you might push it over the edge. My only concern would be the current sight with it's slope might be preventing the water to getting to the root zone.

You could move any of those times. Probably spring would be the least stressful to the tree.

Here is a link that might be useful: When to move plants including calendar for trees and shrubs

No new growth and lots of needle drop on lower branches? Maybe it's dead. Check the buds. If alive, I agree with Jim.

I'll check for buds, scrape the bark, bend the branches - all in the morning. Thanks.

its a conifer.. there is a conifer forum .....

but its also a tree ...

and regardless of all that.. the rules are the same anyway ... so glad you are here ...

anyway .... if it did NOT GROW this year.. its dead ... perhaps you did not notice??? .. conifers.. being evergreen ... can hold needles for a long time... before they brown and fall .... and i think you are seeing that on the bottom ... those needles were probably a stress loss from planting ... and just now they are falling ...

this is near impossible w/o a picture or two ... because otherwise i would have to write a book for you on the alternatives ...

was it ball and burlap.. did you remove the burlap.. whats your soil.. did you amend.. was it bargain late season stock... so many questions.. so little time...

and on top of it all.. is it even a quality named variety??? ... you can do a lot better than a no name Picea pungens ....

i would not work so hard as to move a plant that sounds near dead...

i would suggest you look into a cheaper.. smaller replacement.. such as hoopsi ....

review the link.. and lets discuss ANYTHING you did.. that was NOT listed within these planting instructions... like amending and fertilizing.. and how you watered.. etc ...

if you perfect deep watering right now ...... it MIGHT survive.. but we would need a picture to give you a real opinion in that regard

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: so you will succeed next time

Photos would help. Its hard to believe there was NO growth on the tree this year, but if that's the case, I'm leaning towards "gonner".

I spent a little time on that part of the property today. One side is good, evidence of growth this year, the ends of branches bend and don't break.

The other side has brittle branches and, of course, no recent growth.

I also did more research, it is Black Hills Spruce, not as I originally stated. The slope it is on drops down one foot over 18' (which to my mind is only a slight slope).

I will move it, the cost of the tree was not high, but it obviously doesn't like that spot; unlike its like kind tree about 30' away which looks super! My original question had to do with the timing of the move, not whether I spent too much money, or (if Ken had read my original post) whether it was B&B or in a pot.

In the pat 4 years, I have planted at least 60 trees on this property, some conifers and some deciduous; and about that many shrubs and literally 100s of bulbs. This is the only tree (of any variety) that has come to this. I will be out of the country for 6 weeks beginning next week. So my original question should be modified to move in December or in March!

Jim