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Thu, Jul 12, 12 at 14:25
| Picked up a 4� tall Blue Spruce from the local nursery yesterday to add to the up-and-coming backyard. I�ve been reading message board, after message board today about these beautiful conifers. The location I�m looking to place this item causes me to inquire: How extreme can I prune the BS. I�m looking to place the spruce about 4� from the house & deck so that it will eventually "close up" the 5� gap between bottom of deck and ground. My thinking is that I could prune the spruce over time so that it never touches the house or deck. Some other questions I have are (1) will the root system pose a problem to the 20� x� 30� concrete patio located approximately 6� from the planting site (2) will the root system pose a problem to the homes foundation over time (3) can I prune/trim the spruce down in height so that it never exceeds the gutter height (about 20� from ground). Basically I would be extremely manipulating the trees natural growth.
Does my idea sound reasonable OR am I out of my mind and should find an alternative solution. |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Thu, Jul 12, 12 at 14:37
| am I out of my mind ==>> yes return it.. and buy a dwarf or mini ... at the link .... study the annual growth rate info .. further down is pruning info .... if you insist ... ken |
Here is a link that might be useful: link
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| repeat to the post above if you are taking votes. This is the absolute wrong plant for pruning as such. |
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- Posted by duluthinbloomz4 zone 4a (My Page) on Thu, Jul 12, 12 at 16:39
| Hope your up-and-coming backyard has other available spaces. For your application, a blue spruce couldn't be more wrong! If you insist, try your hand at "candle cutting" some of the new growth every year. Or, enjoy it as it grows naturally for ten years or so, then cut it down as a lovely Christmas tree (if that's a holiday you celebrate) for your family room; and plant something appropriate in the space. |
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It's possible to extremely prune a blue spruce!  |
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| Of course its possible to torture anything!lol! |
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- Posted by formandfoliage 9b (Sunset zone 15) (My Page) on Thu, Jul 12, 12 at 23:46
| I think we're talking bondage here. |
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- Posted by OnToptheCage none (My Page) on Fri, Jul 13, 12 at 11:52
| THANK YOU ALL very much for the input. Not to pass the buck, but it's my wife who is insisting we plant the BS by the deck/house. I like duluthinbloomz4's idea in letting it grow until it's the perfect Christmas tree size. Now the battle begins with the wife to convince her that this is a very bad idea. Thanks again everybody, |
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| Well, you know Dave, it could always meet with an "unfortunate accident" a few years down the road, just around Thanksgiving time when, gee golly whiz, it's time to put up a Christmas tree. You know, some critter could go out in the night and girdle the trunk or something. I know if that happened to my tree, I'd say, "well, might as well cut it and enjoy it as a Christmas tree so it's not a total loss." ;-) |
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| Well, you know Dave, it could always meet with an "unfortunate accident" a few years down the road, just around Thanksgiving time when, gee golly whiz, it's time to put up a Christmas tree. You know, some critter could go out in the night and girdle the trunk or something. I know if that happened to my tree, I'd say, "well, might as well cut it and enjoy it as a Christmas tree so it's not a total loss." ;-) |
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| With a little creative pruning you could always treat it as an in ground bonsai and have fun with it. This kind of bondage can be fun. ;-) Mike |
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- Posted by OnToptheCage none (My Page) on Mon, Jul 16, 12 at 17:31
| Well after speaking with the wife, she's of the position that it will make a perfect Christmas tree the year it out grows it's prospective planting location. Until that time comes, we'll have an outside tree to hang lights on. |
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