am I out of my mind

==>> yes

return it.. and buy a dwarf or mini ...

at the link .... study the annual growth rate info .. further down is pruning info .... if you insist ...

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link

repeat to the post above if you are taking votes.

This is the absolute wrong plant for pruning as such.

Hope your up-and-coming backyard has other available spaces. For your application, a blue spruce couldn't be more wrong!

If you insist, try your hand at "candle cutting" some of the new growth every year. Or, enjoy it as it grows naturally for ten years or so, then cut it down as a lovely Christmas tree (if that's a holiday you celebrate) for your family room; and plant something appropriate in the space.

It's possible to extremely prune a blue spruce!
{{gwi:638497}}

Of course its possible to torture anything!lol!

I think we're talking bondage here.

THANK YOU ALL very much for the input. Not to pass the buck, but it's my wife who is insisting we plant the BS by the deck/house. I like duluthinbloomz4's idea in letting it grow until it's the perfect Christmas tree size. Now the battle begins with the wife to convince her that this is a very bad idea.

Thanks again everybody,
Dave

Well, you know Dave, it could always meet with an "unfortunate accident" a few years down the road, just around Thanksgiving time when, gee golly whiz, it's time to put up a Christmas tree. You know, some critter could go out in the night and girdle the trunk or something. I know if that happened to my tree, I'd say, "well, might as well cut it and enjoy it as a Christmas tree so it's not a total loss." ;-)

With a little creative pruning you could always treat it as an in ground bonsai and have fun with it. This kind of bondage can be fun. ;-)
Mike

Well after speaking with the wife, she's of the position that it will make a perfect Christmas tree the year it out grows it's prospective planting location. Until that time comes, we'll have an outside tree to hang lights on.