Aaaaaaaand, Im heading back to the nursery with the credit card. LOL.

i wonder if it is consistent with Picea pungens 'baby blue eyes' .. see link

its not very blue right now ..... it should be very bright blue after it buds out.. if it isnt.. return it ...

you will be surprised.. how short it is.. when its in the ground.. lol ...

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link

I asked him if it was the same as baby blue eyes and he hasn't heard of that. They get their stock from iseli nursery. Gonna go look at the link now.

Some of them were larger and much bluer, he said to go with the one with the straightest leader and not the brightest color as it will get more blue.
Let me see what the tag says.....ok tag says picea pungens 'baby blue.'

Ok looks like this one was not from iseli, but some of the spruce I was looking at had the iseli tag on them. They do have a 6 month guarantee. I was thinking it was the same as the blue eyes but not finding much info on the baby blue. They also had fat Albert but much larger and $$$$.

Very exciting!

I never figured out if Baby Blue was legit. My local nursery brings in 100s of them every year in 5 gallon containers for $40.

Many Picea pungens turn green on the inside during winter in colder climates, one of which is Hoopsi for me. Otherwise the flush and needles during the growing season are stellar.

There are a few that seem to maintain the blue better than others. Not sure if its certain cultivars or some other dynamics.

Here is one that maintains its blue. Picea pungens 'St. Joseph's Broom' from Conifer Kingdom.

This post was edited by whaas on Sat, Apr 13, 13 at 21:04

The plant you show isn't an Iseli plant. Baby Blue is a seedling strain that produces a fairly uniform crop but certainly has color and growth rate/form variability. Pick one with color you like. The one you have wont "improve'. It may be bluer in the spring than it is now because color can fade a bit in one season. I got one for friends a few years back and it is turning into a nice plant.

Keith

Looks good and it should get blue.... When I purchased my Picea pungens 'Hoopsii', it was also green. After the spring flush it turned bright blue and has been that color ever since.

It's weird that you said some of them were blue and some weren't. I found a thread on gardenweb some time ago that stated baby blue and baby blue eyes were different.

I got this one from a local nursery, another nursery close by had the hoopsi for just close to $100, now I'm wondering if I should have just gone with that? I wanted to get some evergreens in the ground before end of the month and then start getting some perennials in and re-evaluate in the fall. ???

I also got one of these guys chamaecyparis pisifera 'boulevard'. I have read some issues that they have, but it was the only thing my husband picked out so we got it.

but it was the only thing my husband picked out so we got it.

=>> very wise.. lol.. we need him for the back breaking labor.. lol

on plants.. blue is a waxy coating on top of an otherwise green leaf ... that wears off over time ... for a multitude of reasons ....

the key is when it buds out ... and how blue that part is ... like my hoopsi pic in that other post ... w/o looking.. it should be bright on new budding.. and darker inside..

let us see it after its planted and budded out ...

but for sure.. we can list problems with every plant bought.. dont put a lot of stock in all that ... lets look forward.. and get things accomplished.. we can fine tune later ...

your seller gave some good advice about straightness.. etc ....

check idabeans post about roots...

ken

Ken, exactly! Hes digging the holes so he gets to pick a tree if he wants. lol
We had dug up some of the yard last year and made a pile in the back corner of our yard with all leaves and grass cuttings and soil. We used that when we planted these trees mixed with some peat moss - that was suggested at the nursery. The guy at the nursery said the soil here is a mix of sand/clay/loam. Actually last year prior to hydroseeding we had about 4 inches of loam spread over the front and backyard, so we were told this was in all a good mix for planting.
We have the trees in but need to go for mulch today. Is there anything I should add or do before mulching?

let me retract my errant comment about your alleged 'expert' ...

he's a freakin moron ...

i would suggest you dig the plant back up.. and plant it in NATIVE SOIL ..

and then take that bag of peat moss back to him.. and ask him to bend over ...

worse is worse enough.. but did he bother to tell you to wet it first..

just cripe

guess you ddint have tome for the post about how to plant.. below is the link ... read all about amending planitng holes...

should NOT be too hard.. to dig it back up.. and do it right..

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: 7. Fill the hole with native soil. Generally, soil amendments are not advisable, and only the soil that was removed from the planting hole should be used to fill in the hole. A uniform soil texture throughout the entire potential rootzone aids drainage and helps to ensure proper root development. Organic matter should be limited to 5% of soil volume, even if the entire expected rootzone of the tree is amended or the tree is planted in non-native soil in situations like raised beds or berms. Before adding water, use your foot to firm the soil as the hole is filled with soil. Air pockets should be avoided. The soil can be watered in as the hole is backfilled if water is readily available on location. A shallow moat can be formed with excess soil to help provide enough water while the root system becomes established.

Ugh see....I should have posted here 1st. He said to use the peat moss because it allows for air flow. Well thats frustrating.
And no he did not say to wet it. So what negative affects does the peat moss have? grrrrrr

use the peat moss because it allows for air flow

Actually, it does just the opposite, especially when fully hydrated. The pore space (empty area) surrounding the individual particles of peat moss is negligible due to their uniform size and shape - even more so when they are swollen with moisture. The pore space is what provides for good airflow and drainage and that typically is provided by a much more textural component. This is what makes something like the heavily peat-based MiracleGro potting soil such an inferior product.

But all of that is much more appropriate to growing in containers rather than growing inground. Other than the accepted convention NOT to amend individual planting holes/plant only in indigenous soil, the only time I'd ever consider using peat moss in the garden is to beef up the acidity for things like blueberries.

FWIW, dry peat moss is hydrophobic - it repels water when dry. It should be well hydrated before adding to any soil as it is nearly impossible to rehydrate satisfactorily once it is mixed in the ground or as part of a potting mix.