I'd suggest amputation at the soil line.
If you have nothing better to do and the plant is not in a conspicuous spot, you could spend a lot of time cleaning out what's dead and see what remains-perhaps the potential for a pretty pom-pom...and then amputating it at the soil line.

tj

lol. This was on the property already, 'mine' at my other house is nice and healthy :)

Amputation - is that the same as dig it up? Or will it actually regrow?

Goner would be a good description for this one. It's not going to come back as anything but dead branches... new needles will not grow from branches without needles.

Cut it off at ground level; then you have the option of digging or axing out the root stock - or leaving the roots and planting around it.

I suspected as much. What are the root systems like on standard Blue Spruce of this size? Would I be able to move it? As I mentioned, I have one at my previous home that I could bring here.

All things considered, Blue Spruce root systems are supposedly relatively shallow... but I don't know as compared to what. You won't know until you dig around a little. You could probably sever most of the root stock with a hand ax or pruning saw once you've dug down a bit.

Do you think that it would survive?

The short answer is that Blue Spruce does terrible east of the Mississippi. This has been known for many years, but it is a profitable tree to market, quick/easy to grow to size, but fails early on, either due to disease or it's inability to maintain it's lower branches due to shading. I wish I had learned this years ago... The Arnold Arboretum has been writing papers on which trees do well in New England since the early 1900's, and they have, for more than 100 years insisted that Blue Spruce is not a good fit for the area. I would imagine Ontario is very similar to New England climate/weather.

I would recommend you consider Picea engelmannii, Abies concolor, Picea omorika, Picea abies, Sciadopitys verticillata, Abies koreana, Pinus strobus, or some sort of Thuja...

No point in moving your currently healthy Blue Spruce, could stress it, just enjoy it while it lasts

paula.. are you being tongue in cheek ... ???

they all said .. KILL it ... there is nothing to move .. [well .. its what they meant.. they were dancing about it a bit ...lol]

they simply dont grow fast enough ... to recover ... i think yours is already budded out [???} .. if so.. THATS IT FOR THIS YEAR ... ONE FLUSH.. PERIOD ... SO WHAT... 20 years.. before the canopy recovers .. crikey.. lifes to short ...

cut it at ground level and walk away ... nothing else needed.. it will not resprout ...

plant a hosta there ..

ken

Ken, I was referring the one that I have at my other house, to move it here to my 'new' old house. sc77 is basically saying don't bother, if it is doing well now then don't stress it by moving it but to enjoy it while it lasts. Good advice, however; as I currently do not live at my other house - I can't enjoy it while it is there :)

The one that is in the photo - I agree - it is done, finished, over, period.

Sc77....I live in PA, and there are literally blue spruces everywhere...many good size. They are thriving.

They are never thriving in the east, at least not for long. One of the most susceptible conifers to disease we have, and the number of threats to their health are ever increasing. But... they will continue to be popular, because the big box stores arn't going to suddenly start selling engelmannii, omorika, concolor, ect...

The true sign that a species is comfortable in a region is when you can see a very old 50+ year speciment, and it still looks good. I have never seen a blue spruce of that age that looks good in the east

I don't know, all I know is that there are 40-60 ft blue spruces everywhere you turn around here. That's " good enough" for most I would assume.

I'm sure there are exceptions, but based on the feedback from others in the east, a good looking 40-60ft Blue spruce is ever increasingly rare. There seems to be a consensus that in the past they were healthier in this area, but are now under attack by a number of diseases and pests.

As I collector, I will continue to experiment with pungens cultivars, but would never consider planting them as large species trees for sure.