Planted two in spring 2006.
I put them on the sandy slopes of the back hill for eventual screening. They were tiny bare root twigs from Arbor Day (free).
Norway spruce is slow to get started, but in a few years these should take off. But it will be years before these have any impact filling in the back hill. Tolerant of dry sandy sites.
Winter ‘09 the spruce on the left of the hill is finally looking a little taller... maybe 9 inches now!
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| Spring 2010 |
Summer 2010 the nicely growing one on the left was stripped by a deer. It's about half height now, no leader. And the one on the right had pine weevils in the top, and I had to remove the leader, cutting it down by 4 inches. So both are set back in 2010, needing to establish new leaders and regrow. Sheeesh.
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| 4/1/12 the one on the right is looking good (has a tall leader) |
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| 4/1/12 the one on the left is devastated |
In 2013 the devasted chomped spruce filled back in and looks much better. The damage kept it from growing much, and it is still about the same size as the year before.
The one on the right developed a misshaped leader and top stems, which indicates pine weevil. I cut the affected stems off, which left it oddly shaped all summer.
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| 7/3/13 |
But by the following winter, in 2014, a new leader had regrown and it is shaping back up.
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| 1/15/14 |
Both of these tiny Norway spruces, planted seven years ago now, should be much larger, but they have both and some severe setbacks as young seedlings. We'll get there. They are both starting to fill out at the bottom more.
They both soldiered on in 2014 without any setbacks.
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| 4/20/14 |
By June, the Norway spruce with the forced new leader was looking quite upright and tall.
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| 6/20/14 Look how the forced leader has taken over and shot up |
The other one on the left side also put on some tall upright growth.
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| 6/20/14 Two years after being decapitated and stripped in 2012 |
I expect to see dramatic difference in the next few years!
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| 11/3/14 |
* * * * * * *
Spring 2015: Getting bigger! They both are gaining some size and form, and looking healthy after a hard winter.
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| 4/12/15 on the left side of the hill |
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| 4/19/15 on the right side of the hill |
Growing well. The top leader gets pine weevil and has to be cut back in early summer, but regrows nicely.
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| 4/30/15 |
Propagation:
By seed.
