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Trees
kitasei2

Can a Colorado spruce recover?

2 years ago

Blue spruces rarely do well in my humid east coast area (6b New York). I am looking at one that’s about 12 feet and has lost its lower branches to about 6 feet, and trying to decide whether to just consider it a goner and lop off the top for this year's Christmas tree. But I dont want to do it if there's a realistic chance of it ever looking decent. What do you think?

Featured Answer
  • 2 years ago

    IME, once a Picea pungens starts to decline - and that is inevitable just about anywhere outside its native range - then it will never regain a robust or healthy appearance. Any upper branches that may or may not hang down (not a typical trait of P. pungens) will also lose most of their interior needles to diseases and so add to rather than lessen any bareness. "Recover" in the sense you mean is unlikely.

    Comments (8)

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