Sitka Spruce

[BPfeil]

Hey everyone, just thought I'd share the sitka spruce that I picked up today. I am branching out into conifers more, so I don't know the care guidelines for these trees very well. If anyone has experience with spruce please let me know what they like/don't like!
Thanks!

 

[0soyoung]

The standard that works for most kinds is to pinch/partially-pluck the long new shoots as soon as the needles begin to stand up (circa Apr/May). This may produce a second flush, but I just do it to balance the foliage load. Within a month or so, buds will have started forming on the new shoot before they have hardened. For me it has been best to wait until around August to cut back to a bud - I don't get as much back budding when I do this earlier in the season. Branches are largely independent, so you can experiment on each branch instead of the entire tree one season at a time, at a time if you want.

When you prune, always keep a bud on the branch/shoot; else you will likely have a dead branch(let).

Like most conifers, they tend to be very apically dominant, so you will always be heavily pruning the top to get/keep low growth.

 

[BPfeil]

The standard that works for most kinds is to pinch/partially-pluck the long new shoots as soon as the needles begin to stand up (circa Mayo - may produce a second flush). Within a month or so, buds will have started forming before the new growth has hardened.

When you prune, always keep a bud on a branch/shoot; else you will likely have a dead branch(let). For me it has been best to wait until around August to cut back to a bud - I don't get as much back budding when I do this earlier in the season. Branches are largely independent, so you can experiment on each branch instead of the entire tree one season at a time, at a time if you want.

Like most conifers, they tend to be very apically dominant, so you will always be heavily pruning the top to get/keep low growth.

Thank you! I would definitely like the tree to get a little taller, so I may allow the leader to grow out a bit.

 

[Wilson]

Nice little tree, you might want to have it in a "grow out" pot for awhile. If you don't, that's all good too! Enjoy your tree.

 

[BPfeil]

Nice little tree, you might want to have it in a "grow out" pot for awhile. If you don't, that's all good too! Enjoy your tree.

Thank you! My plan was to get it into a grow box at some point to thicken it up

 

[miker]

Wow, I like it. I have long wanted to see more examples of this species used as bonsai. You have a very nice start there. In my limited experience, the sitka spruce is very thirsty, which came as little surprise, considering most of its native range is temperate rainforest.

 

[BPfeil]

Wow, I like it. I have long wanted to see more examples of this species used as bonsai. You have a very nice start there. In my limited experience, the sitka spruce is very thirsty, which came as little surprise, considering most of its native range is temperate rainforest.

Thanks! The nursery where I get these trees has many examples of non traditional bonsai species (which is a large part of why I enjoy it so much). Next week I am purchasing a blue atlas cedar, which is one of my favorite species of tree. I'll make sure to share pictures!