Pruning dilemma on Blue Spruce

11 years ago

The sapling my son brought home in a milk carton has defied all odds and grown in to a beautiful 15 foot blue spruce. Problem is, in our postage stamp sized yard we had no space that is unimpeded so now it is closing in on overhead power lines. In 3-4 years it will make contact and power company will lope it off.

It has a beautiful pyramidal shape. Options I see are:

give it away and allow someone to cut it down as a giant christmas tree this winter.
Prune it as close as safely can to stave off the inevitable. (I need advice on that)
Go a whole different direction with shape...basically turning it into a rounded form and holding it at a fixed height e.g. 15 - 18 feet. I know that this goes against the natural shape and may not be possible or may look terrible but folks, there are no options I can see. Maybe you can.

Featured Answer

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

11 years ago

take it down for a cool xmas tree ...

in the mean time .. discuss with sonny boy ... the differing growth rates of different kinds of Picea pungens ... according to the link below ...

and then go find .. probably mail order .... a dwarf growing version ... and spend the time planting it with him ...

you and he learned on the first... now make a new memory.. buying one that you will have for 50 years ...

you should look for donnas rainbow... or baby blue eyes [not sure on that name]

ken

how big a plant will get.. over the decades... is a function of its annual growth rate .... so if it grows a foot per year.. it will be 50 feet in 50 years ... one that grows at 6 inches per year.. will be only 25 feet ... and if it grows 3 inches .. ouch.. the math .. lol ... 12.5 feet ... as trees.. conifers never really stop growing...

http://conifersociety.org/conifers/conifer-sizes/

donnas rainbow
http://www.coniferkingdom.com/search.php?Search=&search_query=%22donna%22

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Comments (7)

bamboo_nuts
11 years ago
1 - The best option.

2 - At most you can prune is 3", but with that size, it's no use.

3 - Out of question. You will destroy the look of the tree.
Sara Malone Zone 9b
11 years ago
I am sorry to say that I concur. This wants to be a huge tree (it is almost certainly not a dwarf cultivar) and won't ever be suitable for that spot, no matter how talented a pruner you are. If you like the look of the tree, there are many dwarf cultivars available, some in weeping form, that would work much better there.
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sequoiadendron_4
11 years ago
I would leave it growing as it is. When it starts coming close to where the power companies would come out and make it ugly, have it professionally trimmed to keep it out of the power lines. Once it gets to a certain height, it will no longer be of the power company's concern. If that's not suitable, I'd choose option 1.
tete_a_tete
11 years ago
There is a 4th option: allow someone to remove it and have it for their own garden. It would be a big job but is a possible solution.
jalcon
11 years ago
I have no idea why you can't just keep it the size it is now with trimming every year, but what do I know?
tete_a_tete
11 years ago
Yes, this could be done, but it would no longer grow in the same shape. Maybe this wouldn't matter. Maybe it could be trimmed to a conical shape somehow.