Would 3 1/2 to 4 feet up solcve the problem of getting whacked and take care of the dead branches? that's probably as high as I would go. My neighbor has 2 blue spruce in his front yard and he cut them both back. One he cut back by about 3 1/2 feet and it looks good. The other he went to 6 feet or so and it looks terrible. If you are thinking of increasing the soil level by more than a couple of inches, that is a bad move for the trees. What I would put under them is Lamium. It grows about a foot or so tall, has white and green leaves and purple flowers in June -July, spreads like crazy, so it crowds weeds out and doesn't mind being under a tree. Once established it doesn't need much water. I grab handfulls of mine and either pull it out or break off pieces so it doesn't get out of control

Not going to increase the soil level...I know that's bad for trees. And I am familiar with Lamium...have both the old one (Silver) and the new gold one which is going nuts. But they don't grow like yours seem to - you must have great soil or else are on a coast? I did limb them up more on one side because they both lean and the side where they lean to is only a foot to the ground. But the other side is where the path is and I took them up to about five feet. HAD to----there was no place to walk as this is against the house and the stone path is there so you couldn't walk. Stupid landscape company that built the subdivision....idiots....they always plant wrong. Thanks for the ideas...really helps!

Westy

I have ostrich fern, huchera, native ginger, and many varieties of hosta under limbed up Norway Spruce in very similar conditions. I used a soaker hose the first two years, haven't had to water but very sparingly in the last three.

Thanks for the encouragement, kwoods. You're two zones warmer than me but I don't think that'll make a difference in terms of the water needs. Never thought of ginger....great idea.

Westy

Just as you I have an old Blue Spruce with the very same situation so last winter I started a emergency compost area under the tree as it can be reached with the snow.The come spring when manure and loam was delivered I had them drop a small amount of each as well as a nice collection of redwigglers.Never changed the soil level when the mix was well worked into the barren soil.Then I put in a fern collection ,a small Hosta collection and sedum ground cover and instead of an eyesore it is a favorite spot as everything is florishing including the Spruce.

WHAT A GREAT IDEA!!! I'm going to do that, gamekeeper! Thank you....why didn't I think of that?

Westy