first.. does you soil perk ... drain ...???

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=garden+perk+test&t=ffcm&ia=web

once we get that answer ... then we can move forward..

in the mean time ... no amendments ... plant in native soil ... and always mulch ...

clay is usually a very fertile soil ... preferred by all growers that sell ball and burlap plants ... for obvious reasons,,...

the only issue is how you water.. and how it drains .... if you can avoid drowning it... until it gets established .... you should be all set ....

growth rate in MI is 8 to 16 inches per year.. after fully established ....

mature plants need to be many many feet away from a fence ... not a great tree for a small yard .... there are slower growing cultivars available ...

your best info is found in search engines using the latin name .. Picea pungens ...

the best color is found with named cultivars ... whatever color yours is.. it the color it will be forever.. they do not get bluer over time .... keeping in mind.. it is fall ... so it is a bit dull, compared to spring color ...

below is a good general link ... it used to have a section on clay soil ... but for some reason brandon removed it.. maybe he can tell us why.. or if its all dream on my part.. lol ...

ken

https://sites.google.com/site/tnarboretum/Home/planting-a-tree-or-shrub

Good drainage will be key for a successful establishment so do a perk test as Ken suggested. And no amendments.....all they will do is create a moisture filled mix surrounded by the more slowly draining clay = a bucket effect and the strong potential for root rot. Instead, dig a wide but quite shallow planting hole, rough up the sides well and plant the tree so the top of the rootball is above soil level by several inches. Back fill with what was removed, then you can top that off with the amendments of your choice - or just more soil - creating a small mound or berm.

You should also be aware that the successful establishment of a blue spruce is really highly related to climate. In areas with mild/moderate winter temperatures, high summer humidity and a lot of rain, it is almost inevitable that they will start declining from needlecasts and fungal disorders and secondarily, from insects. The trees will live and continue to grow but they will look sickly and diseased.

just to be clear .. only BAD CLAY creates the bucket or cauldron effect mentioned above ...

and bad clay is defined by the drainage .... or lack thereof ....

ken

I would not be restrictive about "good" or "bad" clay....whatever that means. ANY clay-based soil can create the bucket or bathtub effect if a planting hole is filled with well amended soil. It is just the difference in timing with regards to drainage. The drainage rate should be equal between the planting hole and the surrounding soil. Check out soil interface issues for a scientific explanation.

And the short answer is clay or not, do not amend individual planting holes!! It doesn't help and will very often impede proper establishment as well as altering drainage.

the usual problem.. is that peeps amend with stuff that holds MORE water .. in a hole that retains too much water ... see the quandry ...

ken

Ok got the amendments, hole etc points. Any other advice?

I have one that I bought as a "living Christmas tree" about 2002, and it was about 18" tall then. It's been in the ground now for 16 years, and is about 8' tall, 4" diameter at the base. Where it's planted gets sun only afternoons, and that's full sun. Of course, here sun is mostly limited to July and August. It drains well, because it's at the edge of a lawn where it slopes off down a bank planted with junipers.

The right rootstock can make all the difference in long-term survival of blue spruce in this area. The typical blue spruces you'll find at the big box stores don't often make it long around here. The commonly used rootstock is not well adapted to our conditions. You'll have to do a little research to find out what to look for. My memory is not coming though at the moment. Ken talks to the people over in the Conifer Forum a lot, so, if he doesn't know, he might be able to hook you up with someone that does.