Pine Trees

Pine trees can be great. They offer shade during hot days, look majestic as they tower overhead, and can provide privacy and protection from strong winds. Sometimes, though, they can be a pain and you may need to cut your pine tree down!

You may need to cut down your pine tree if it’s leaning too far in one direction, the tree is no longer healthy, it’s creating a big mess, or it took some damage from a storm and will end up coming down on its own. If you can wait to cut it down, you should get a better price in the Fall or Winter.

Though trees often hold sentimental value to homeowners, there are good reasons for removing them. Possibly because they have become a problem to property or people, but there could be other reasons as well. Keep reading as we go over all the reasons to cut down your pine tree!

Maybe Your Pine Tree Just Needs A Trim

Often, trees need to be pruned to stay healthy. Pruning can open up the tree to allow plenty of airflow through all the branches and reduce fungal afflictions. It can also allow sunlight to penetrate lower branches so the tree doesn’t grow too top-heavy. 

Proper pruning can also keep your trees living longer. For trees that aren’t too tall, and only need a bit of pruning, try out this Sun Joe 10-inch 8.0 Amp Electric Multi-Angle Pole Chain Saw. It is completely electric, so you won’t have to mix gas and oil, and the telescoping pole will help you reach higher branches.

For trees that require large limbs to be cut, if they are very tall, or if you don’t have much experience trimming trees yourself, consider calling a professional to tackle the big jobs.

Now, with that out of the way so you DON’T just go lop down that beautiful tree, let’s get to the good stuff.

If you do decide you need to go the pruning route, you should contact an arborist as well for large trees. Take a look at our guide on the best time to prune large trees if you fancy!

9 Reasons You Should Cut Down Your Pine Tree

Pine trees are fast-growing, magnificent trees, but they can become a nuisance or even a larger problem.

When these trees pose too much of a risk or become too expensive to maintain, you’ll need to have them removed by a professional tree service. Let’s get to it!

Your Pine Tree Is Too Close To Your House

Whether you planted the tree yourself when it was only a sapling, or you bought your house with a nearby pine tree, if it is too close, you should have the tree removed. You should plant trees no closer than 15 to 20 feet to a structure. Trees that can get very tall will need more distance from the house. 

The roots from pine trees aren’t considered invasive, so they shouldn’t cause foundation damage under normal circumstances. The problems that arise from pine trees that are too close to structures are limbs falling, pine needles getting everywhere, and trees falling onto the house.

If you have a sapling, then you might be able to transplant the tree, but once established, moving it becomes less feasible.

If you’re still thinking of cutting down your pine tree, you can take a look at our guide on what to do with pine wood here!

Remove A Pine Tree After Irreversible Storm Damage

Storms can severely damage a pine tree. Hail, ice, snow, lightning, and wind damage can cripple even the strongest of pine trees.

For instance, did you know that pine trees are one of the most likely trees to get struck by lightning?

They are a softer wood compared to most deciduous trees such as oaks, maples, and birches, so storms can damage pine trees fairly easily.

Ice and snow can become too much for the limbs to bear, causing them to break off, while powerful gusts of wind can snap trunks, or leave them structurally unsound. Whatever has caused the damage, after a heavy storm, inspect your pine trees to see if they need to be removed.

Trees that have damaged trunks or lost large limbs might have to be cut down because they lost the original structural integrity. After losing limbs, pine trees can become lopsided and end up falling.

Sometimes storm damage can leave a tree susceptible to insect damage and disease. When a tree cannot heal itself properly, it becomes a target for pests and fungus, which can weaken it further.

After your pine trees take storm damage, you might need to get an arborist out to inspect it thoroughly to see if it is healthy enough to survive or let you know the tree needs to come down. 

You May Have To Remove Your Pine Tree After Insects Or Fungus Have Settled In

Healthy pines can usually fight off most insect invaders with sap or other defense mechanisms. However, when a tree is stressed or unhealthy, it has trouble fighting afflictions and bugs. 

Stress on a tree can happen during times of drought, if the soil is severely lacking nutrients, or the tree isn’t getting enough sunlight.

Damage to the tree or improper trimming techniques can also cause an otherwise healthy tree to become weak and susceptible to illness and insect invasion. 

According to Purdue University, insects such as borers that attack vigorous, healthy pine trees can be repelled through a strong sap flow. Healthy trees have the energy to fight off afflictions these boring insects can bring as well.

Basically, pine trees that get ample sun, water, and nutrients can defend themselves very well, but if your tree already has issues it may be too late.

Bark beetles and borers can be identified by the small holes you might find around the main trunk and sometimes in larger branches. You might also see small piles of sawdust underneath the holes.

These insects dig into the tree, underneath the bark where the living tree tissue grows and there they tunnel through the tree and lay eggs.

The larvae then travel through the living tree tissue, eating it and disrupting the nutrient and water flow of the tree. When the damage is extensive enough, trees have trouble providing nourishment to the top of the tree.

Another indication of an insect invasion is woodpeckers. These birds eat insects such as bark beetles and borers, so if you find your pine trees are suddenly attracting a lot of these birds, you might have a bug problem.

A quick side bar, we just cut down 3 rotted pine trees in our backyard that were FILLED with woodpecker holes. The trees were already rotted, but the woodpeckers definitely had their way with it.

If you notice strange coloration in the pine needles or premature browning followed by more than normal needle drop, your tree may have fungus! Wilting needles even though the trees are getting plenty of water can be a sign of a larger issue.

Fungal issues in trees can generally be treated with fungicides, while others reside in the soil and can be extremely difficult to eradicate. Some fungicides are available through retail outlets that can treat some of these maladies, but you’ll have to know exactly what fungi are on your trees. To know for sure, you should always consult an arborist who can recommend the proper treatments.

When insect damage or fungal problems have become too expensive to treat, or you’ve fixed the problem but it’s come back, cutting the pine tree down may just be the best option at this point!

Your Pine Looks More Like The Leaning Tower Of “Tree-za”

Tall, top-heavy pine trees don’t have the same sturdy strength as oaks. When too much pressure is applied to pine tree trunks, they can snap and fall.

Most pine trees have long taproots that reach deep into the soil to anchor it and get nutrients. When something topples a pine tree, most times, the trunk breaks, leaving the roots still attached to the ground.

Trees that have a pronounced lean to them can be a threat to property and anything around them. Accumulating snow or ice can send them falling, or high gusts of wind can finish them off.

When a tree has become lopsided for some reason, or it is simply leaning too far, there’s not much that can be done to correct the problem. Sometimes corrective trimming can fix the lopsided tree, but a “leaner” will only continue to get worse until it ultimately falls.

Another problem some pine trees face is they get very top-heavy. As pine trees grow taller, their lower branches can weaken and fall off. This happens mainly because they stop getting enough sunlight to sustain them.

The top canopy of the tree continues to grow taller, leaving a long trunk that is susceptible to breaking. When your pine trees get very tall, or they take on a lean, you might need to have them taken down to prevent any unwanted falling trees.

Maybe You’re Tired Of Cleaning Up The Pine’s Mess

Pine trees can be messy. They drop needles year-round, especially during the fall, but there are also issues with pollen coating everything, pinecones you have to remove every time before you mow, and the constant barrage of small limbs and twigs.

If you have a pine tree anywhere near your house, you have probably had to either clean the gutters yourself or have hired someone to clean them out. Pine needles will clog gutters quickly, and they drop all year long, unlike most deciduous trees that drop their leaves during the fall.

Even if you have a type of leaf guard on your gutters, pine needles seem to find their way in. Obviously not as much as without them, but they are notorious for getting everywhere. Pine tree pollen can also accumulate around the leaf guards and will need to be wiped periodically for them to work most efficiently.

Aside from having to pick up pine cones and small branches before mowing, to keep any type of grass growing underneath a pine tree, you’ll have to manage all the needles that fall. Too many needles on the ground can choke off the grass and leave the area underneath the pine tree a barren wasteland.

If you’re completely exhausted because of the constant cleaning battle between you and the pine tree, it’s probably time to consider having those pine trees evicted from the property.

You Can’t Get Any Grass To Grow Under Your Pines

It can be difficult to grow grass under any type of tree, but there’s just something about a pine tree that increases that challenge to near impossible. The patch of brown needles and dirt that always accompanies the perimeter of your pine trees can mar a beautiful lawn.

Many people think grass can’t grow under pine trees because the needles raise the acidity of the soil, but that is a myth.

The University of New Hampshire busted the myth that pine trees make the soil acidic, they say; though it’s true soil near pine trees is often acidic, that’s because pine trees will grow better in acidic soil, but they do not create acidic soil themselves. Sometimes nothing will grow underneath a pine tree because of shallow roots, too much shade, and pine needles can quickly smother other plants.

Pine needles are slightly acidic, but when they break down, microorganisms neutralize the acid. That’s one reason pine mulch won’t lower the pH of the soil and is a good mulch option for trees and flowerbeds.

You can learn more about why trees sometimes prefer acidic soil here.

The main reason grass won’t grow under pine trees is because it doesn’t get enough sun and rain. Most grasses require plenty of sunlight and a lot of water to stay healthy. Pine tree canopies are often compact, very shady, and let very little water seep through when it rains.

The needles that drop also act as a natural mulch barrier to block out still more sunlight and choke off any chance for grass or weed seeds to take root.

Some pine trees also have shallow roots that can limit how much soil is available for plants to grow underneath them. Combine all these reasons, and you often get a miniature dust bowl underneath your pine trees.

Since pine trees love acidic soil, your soil might have a low pH, which limits nutrients for grasses and other plants. To give your grass a fighting chance, try a lime soil additive such as Jobe’s Additive De-Acidifier. This pelletized lime will help to neutralize the soil to give grass a fighting chance. 

If you’ve already tried over and over to plant grass or flowers underneath your pine tree but nothing takes, maybe it’s time to get it out of there. 

The Pine Tree Is Already On Its Way Out

Trees can live for hundreds of years, but like everything else, they only have so long before they kick the bucket. A tree that has ended its cycle can be a problematic thing. It dries out and becomes brittle, which can cause large chunks to fall, or send the entire tree falling. 

When you know the tree is no longer flourishing, have it removed before it can do any damage.

Rather, if your pine tree is just not growing, then that’s another issue entirely.

Your Pine Tree Costs Too Much To Maintain

Trees can certainly hold sentimental value. If your grandparents planted it, you remember growing up, playing around it, or you had a tire swing in it, a tree can hold a lot of memories.

For these reasons and more, you may want to do everything you can to save it. Afflictions and insects can sometimes be treated. Mild storm damage can be repaired. However, if the pine tree costs too much to keep alive, maybe it’s time to say goodbye to an old friend.

It’s unfortunate, but it happens. Although, you can look at it as an opportunity to replace the old, worn-out tree with another one, and start making new memories with a brand new tree. 

Have The Pine Tree Removed If It’s Too Close To Power Lines

Trees and power lines don’t mix, but they often come in contact with each other. Tree branches can put a strain on the electrical lines, or snap them when branches fall, so they are often cut back away to prevent this.

Sometimes new lines go in, and it’s the tree that suffers. Power companies will cut away the tree to make way for the new power lines, which often leaves the tree looking like they butchered it. While some trees can recover from aggressive trimming, most times they are left in a weakened state.

Trees can also become electrified if they come in contact with exposed electrical lines. Tree branches can wear away the insulated coating around the wires, and when this happens, the tree can carry a current.

When trees and power lines combine, the best thing to do is have the tree removed. Call a professional tree service to manage this task, because they will probably have to contact the electric company to have the power turned off for safety, while they cut it.

You can also try to get the power company to pay for this venture as its been known to happen!

When Is The Best Time To Cut Down Your Pine Tree?

If your pine tree poses a threat to health and safety, then it should be professionally removed as soon as possible. If the tree has sustained storm damage, if it’s leaning over too far, or has lost its structural integrity, don’t wait to have it cut down.

When the tree is fairly healthy, and it doesn’t appear to be ready to topple at any given moment, then you can wait for a good deal from a professional tree company.

There’s a busy season and a slow season for the tree removal business. During the warm months, and especially after some heavy storms have rolled through, you’ll probably end up paying more for your tree removal. But if it’s safe to wait a little while, call them up during the late fall and winter months.

When business is slow, you can probably find coupons or specials that can save you money. They need the business to keep everyone working and paid so you could find some good deals if you ask!

This Is All Wrapped Up!

Pine trees are grand to have around your property. They can make your landscape look inviting and aesthetically pleasing, remove carbon dioxide from the air, and they can offer shade or a buffer to heavy winds. 

Unfortunately, sometimes it’s better to have them removed. If they are constantly battling insect invasion or fungal issues, they should be taken down. Trees that are too close to your house, other structures, or too near power lines might have to be cut down as well. 

Pine trees that are leaning, have storm damage, or are no longer living should be removed as well.

Whenever you have a tree removed from your yard, consider replacing it with another tree. You can always find smaller trees that don’t get as tall or maybe replace them with ornamental trees that have beautiful, striking features.

Best of luck with your pine!

References

Vicente, Cláudia SL, et al. “Insights into the role of fungi in pine wilt disease.” Journal of Fungi 7.9 (2021): 780.

Boyd, I. L., et al. “The consequence of tree pests and diseases for ecosystem services.” Science 342.6160 (2013): 1235773.

Cheyney, E. G. “The roots of a jack pine tree.” Journal of Forestry 30.8 (1932): 929-932.

Yang, Jae E., et al. “Soil nutrient bioavailability and nutrient content of pine trees (Pinus thunbergii) in areas impacted by acid deposition in Korea.” Environmental monitoring and Assessment 157.1 (2009): 43-50.

Winter is the season when just about everything shuts down. Pools are closing, outdoor sports are done, and trees lose their leaves and go dormant for the winter. But evergreens do not lose their leaves in the fall, so how do they grow year round and during the winter?

Evergreens will grow during the winter and year-round. They do not lose their leaves or needles and can photosynthesize all year round. Photosynthesis is important for tree growth, as without the leaves and needles staying on the trees, evergreens could not grow all year round.

It is always nice to see a little greenery in the winter. In this article, we will cover how evergreens keep growing despite the cold weather. Let’s get to it!

How Do Evergreens Survive And Grow During Winter?

Not all evergreens are pine trees. There are plenty of evergreens that are shrubs and herbs like rhododendron and sedge. Other evergreen trees include American holly and Eastern red cedar, just to name a few.

There are also tropical evergreens such as some ferns and trees that are well adapted to areas with high rainfall.

These plants have the remarkable ability to continue growing while their neighbors die off or go dormant. So, how do evergreens grow during the winter while other trees do not?

Evergreen Trees Keep Their Leaves And Needles

One of the most delightful things about evergreens is seeing a bit of color and life in the dreary winter months. But it makes you wonder – why aren’t all trees evergreen if it means they can grow year-round?

Having leaves on a tree is extremely helpful in the warm months, but can be a liability in the cold months. The more leaves a tree has, the more water and nutrients it needs to keep the leaves healthy and alive.

This is not a problem in the spring and summer since rich minerals are being added to the soil, plenty of rain saturates the soil, and the sun is plentiful. As the ground grows colder and the environment gets dry, trees can die off quickly if they don’t protect themselves.

Just like how some animals hibernate in the winter and others grow a thick coat to keep warm, some trees survive by losing their leaves and going dormant while others, evergreens, use adaptation to survive.

Whether it’s mountain laurel or towering spruce, evergreens keep their leaves and needles instead of shedding them like deciduous trees. 

Although, wouldn’t it mean the tree has to work extra hard to keep the leaves alive? Yes, but a few characteristics of the leaves help evergreens survive during the winter:

• Shape: Evergreens in colder climates typically have needles. Needles are shaped so they do not catch the wind as broad-leafed trees do. This helps the tree stay upright during icy snowstorms.

• Coating: The needles and leaves of evergreens have a waxy coating. This helps retain moisture far better than a deciduous tree leaf. This is especially important during the dry winter months.

• Texture: Needles are not enjoyable to eat. Birds, deer, and insects all shy away from the needles of evergreens unless they are very desperate for food. This helps protect the tree from browsing.

• Leaf-drop: Despite the name, evergreens do not keep their leaves indefinitely. Every 2-4 years, needles and leaves will drop off the plant and be replaced by new ones. However, because the leaves only drop every couple of years, they can capture sunlight for photosynthesis all year round.

So, evergreen trees keep their leaves all year. How does it help the tree grow during the winter? According to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, photosynthesis is the key:

6CO₂ + 6H₂O → C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6O₂

Right… In simple terms, trees use their leaves to perform photosynthesis. The product of photosynthesis, sugar, is then converted into starch, and starch makes trees grow.

According to the Portland Government, for photosynthesis to take place, the tree needs three things:

• Sunlight
• Water
• Carbon dioxide

The sunlight part of the equation is how the leaves help. They use chlorophyll to capture sunlight. Incidentally, the chlorophyll gives evergreens their eternally green color, too!

For information on what types of trees fall into the evergreen category, check out 6 Different Trees That Keep Their Leaves All Year.

Evergreens Use Snow To Keep Warm

Nothing about this title makes sense, right? Using snow to keep warm?! But it’s true: Evergreens that live in colder climates use snow to keep warm.

Have you ever been inside an igloo? Few have, but they can get pretty toasty inside, up into the ‘60s sometimes. Igloos use the same concept as trees – snow for warmth.

Snow comes in all shapes and sizes, but the basic stuff that makes up snow remains the same – water. Crystalized water to be exact. And the area around the crystals contains an extremely important element: air!

The air pockets around the crystalized water provide tons of insulation, especially when warmed by body heat. Sleeping bags, liners, and pads use the same concept to help keep you warm when sleeping on the ground.

Even though all snow is crystalized water, not all snow is the same. There’s wet snow and fluffy snow. Fluffy snow is the best type of snow for insulation because it is less dense than wet snow and therefore contains more air. More air = more insulation.

Evergreens thrive more during snowy winters than they do in dry, sunny winters. The blanket of snow around the evergreens acts as a blanket over the roots. This keeps the soil around the roots warm, preventing the roots from dying off.

Roots are the main gatherer of water, one of the three key elements of photosynthesis. Without water, trees cannot grow or hope to survive.

Keeping their leaves through the winter and using snow for warmth keeps evergreens cozy and happy through the winter.

If you’re wondering how other trees survive the winter, you can read our in-depth guide on how trees survive the winter here.

Do Evergreens Ever Stop Growing?

Evergreens seem to know exactly what they need to survive. If they can grow all year-round, do they ever stop growing?

Just like humans and animals, plants have a life expectancy too. Some can live for a few decades while others can live centuries and even millennia, which is the case of The General Sherman Tree, which is over 2,000 years old.

When you think of the growth rate of any animal, including humans, we see a pattern where growth happens quickly in youth and eventually halts as we get older. The same can be said for plants. 

Shrubs, herbs, and trees will eventually slow their growth in height until it is barely noticeable. However, they never actually stop growing. The plant will continue to produce new limbs and, in a tree’s case, will continue to grow wider as they add growth rings to their trunk.

Why Evergreens Stop Growing

As we mentioned before, evergreens don’t really ‘stop’ growing so much as slow down their growth rate. But what causes this slowdown?

There are a few probable reasons an evergreen will stop growing in height at a certain age:

• Cells stop dividing
• The plant is too tall to sustain the transport of nutrients
• Unfavorable conditions

Let’s check those out in more detail.

Cells Stop Dividing, Limiting Evergreen Vertical Growth

On a molecular level, trees have cells and perform chemical reactions similar to any living thing. But eventually, the cells will stop dividing, halting the chemical processes needed for vertical growth.

This will only happen once the tree gets older. For example, a tree may have a lifespan of 200 years, but at age 80 it may slow its growth rate significantly if the cells aren’t dividing and creating new growth.

Evergreen Growth Will Slow When The Plant Is Too Tall To Transport Nutrients

Another reason evergreens might slow their vertical growth is they just get too tall. For the tree to grow, nutrients and water must travel from the roots to the tippy top of the tree.

On the way up, gravity is constantly battling with the pull from the leaves for water and nutrients. Eventually, gravity is going to win.

Unfavorable Conditions Can Slow Evergreen Growth

According to a study published in Tree Physiology, most plants and trees grow fastest in warm, humid conditions. The only exception is tropical plants because they live in this optimal environment all the time.

Temperature is only one factor that affects tree growth. Soil conditions, water content, and sun conditions will all affect plant growth rates as well.

Are Evergreens Always Green?

Through rain or shine, sleet or snow, evergreens seem to always be green! Is it true, or a trick of the eye?

In general, evergreens always have green leaves (including needles) on the plant/tree year-round. However, this does not mean the green color comes from the same leaves year after year.

According to the University of Georgia, evergreens shed their leaves and needles every few years. However, because the leaves last more than one year, the leaf drop is often unnoticeable to us because there’s so much new growth.

Each plant has its own rate of leaf drop, but the most common age of leaves is three years before they fall off. Sometimes the leaves will change to a brown or yellow color before dropping, showing they are ready to fall off.

Another inconsistency between evergreens is what season the leaves fall off. Some fall off in spring to prepare for fresh growth, others fall off in summer or fall to prepare for winter. 

No matter when the leaves decide to drop, there are still tons of new growth to cover the yellowing or browning leaves, giving the plant an evergreen appearance.

What Are The Signs Of Winter Damage To My Evergreen?

Winter is by far the hardest season on plants, evergreen or not. The snow cover may help provide insulation, but it can also weigh down branches and even break them off if the snow or ice is heavy enough.

The bleak cold season can creep up on evergreens, so it’s important to be on the lookout for signs of winter stress so you can keep your evergreen happy, even during the coldest days.

Browning Leaves And Needles

Brown leaves are usually more noticeable on an evergreen than a deciduous tree.

The browning of evergreen leaves and needles can be caused by a few winter-inspired effects:

• Sun bleaching
• Frozen ground
• Dry conditions
• Wind

The sun is an important element in tree health, so you would think those warm sunny days in the middle of winter would be good for evergreens.

The truth? Sunny days in winter can devastate evergreens. Sunny days in the spring and summer are great for an evergreen – there’s lots of water and nutrients available to promote new growth.

However, in winter, things slow down quite a bit. The soil gets colder, the roots struggle to find water if the ground is frozen, and minerals are harder to come by.

When chlorophyll absorbs sunlight to perform photosynthesis, it only needs as much sunlight as the tree can handle with little water and minerals. If it takes in too much, it can bleach the leaves, turning them brown.

This can happen from direct sunlight, or the light reflected off the snow. Ever heard of photokeratitis? Probably not, but you have probably heard of snow blindness – same thing.

According to the University of Utah, snow blindness happens when your eyes get sunburned. This happens most often when a bright sunny day is paired with fresh white snow on the ground.

In a sense, evergreens can experience snow blindness too. Trees do not have eyes to get burned, but their leaves can get fried from too much direct sunlight and reflected sunlight. 

With this in mind, it is important to remember evergreens are adaptive. A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences revealed that evergreens have a way of protecting their chlorophyll from sunlight so it does not burn them brown so easily.

If the sunlight becomes too much for the chlorophyll, the evergreen will produce a complex molecule to take in the sunlight and dissipate it as harmless heat from the leaves. Pretty cool, right?

Unfortunately, not all evergreens have this ability. So, if your evergreen turns brown, it most likely cannot protect itself from plant snow blindness and is receiving too much light.

Brown leaves are not always caused by bleaching from the sun. Dry conditions can also turn an evergreen’s leaves a dreary brown.

Dryness happens when the ground freezes and the roots cannot take in water. Wind can also dry out evergreens, causing the leaves to turn brown.

Broken Branches Or Stems

If you are lucky enough (or unlucky enough, depending on your perspective) to live in an area with all four seasons, you are probably familiar with the yearly big snowstorm.

It happens once or twice a year when you get pounded with snow, sometimes ice, accumulating up to a foot or more. As a kid, it was the best thing ever, no school! But as an adult, you might just sigh and stare out the window with an impending sense of dread.

Evergreens dread big snowstorms as well. The heavy snow can weigh down stems and branches, putting extra stress on the evergreen. If the snow is wet, or if ice is involved, it’s even tougher on them.

Broken branches, stems, or leaves can occur during particularly heavy snow accumulations. This will damage the evergreen tree, severing important light-collecting leaves from the tree.

The wound left behind will take years to close, and in the meantime, insects and critters may move in. This can damage the interior of the tree and even kill it if the flow of nutrients is halted.

Soil Heaving Can Damage Evergreen Tree Roots

We have talked about how leaves and branches are damaged by winter weather. Now let’s discuss how the roots can be affected by Jack Frost.

In many areas where winter weather occurs, the temperature fluctuates from day to day. January and February are pretty cold, but November, December, March, and April can see vast fluctuations in temperature.

Naturally, the warming and cooling of the soil causes it to expand and contract, expand and contract, over and over again. This repeated growth and contraction of the soil will damage evergreen tree roots and can sometimes rip smaller plants right out of the ground!

How To Keep Your Evergreen Tree Growing In The Winter

An evergreen with browning leaves or broken branches, and root damage is not a happy tree. We want our trees to be happy, right?! After all, they give us oxygen, shade, and are nice to look at.

To keep your evergreen happy, you will want to take a few steps to protect it from the harsh winter conditions. Keep the following in mind when fall begins losing its grasp and winter takes hold:

• Choose the right location to plant your evergreen
• Protect your evergreen from sun, wind, cold temperatures, and snow
• Water your evergreen properly during the growing season
• Prune at the proper time

Let’s dive a little deeper into those topics so you can keep your evergreen green and happy!

Choosing The Right Location For Your Evergreen

If you are planning to purchase an evergreen and are wondering where to plant it, pay close attention to the north and northeast areas of your yard. This is where your evergreen will do best.

We all know the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, so planting your evergreen on the north/northeast side of your lawn will help shield it from the sun’s rays during the winter. This will help prevent bleaching of the leaves.

If there is a way to plant your evergreen so it is protected from the wind as well, all the better.

Protect Your Evergreen Using Boughs, Burlap, And Mulch

Deck the halls with boughs of holly… wait, what exactly are boughs? Boughs refer to the main limb or branch of a plant or tree. You can use boughs to protect your evergreen.

If there are any fallen branches or stems from other evergreens or trees, you can prop these against your current evergreen to protect it from the sun, wind, and snow. The bough will act as an extra layer of protection, absorbing some of the sun and protecting against wind and snow.

You can also use burlap to protect your evergreens. Burloptuous’s Natural Burlap Fabric is a brilliant choice for your evergreen. It comes in a 15-foot roll, so you can cut it to fit your evergreen, no matter the size and shape.

If you are not keen on cutting the burlap yourself, you can go for something like ANPHSIN’s 40 x 47 Inch Burlap Winter Plant Cover Bags. Just pop it over your plant and you’re done!

Putting a ring of mulch around your evergreen will help insulate the roots and keep the soil at a more even temperature. This prevents soil heaving and can go a long way in keeping your tree happy.

Water Your Evergreen Properly

Your evergreens will not thank you for being over-watered or under-watered. How do you know how much water your evergreen needs?

According to the University of Minnesota, you can measure the main stem or trunk of your plant at 6 inches above the ground (unless its diameter is greater than 4 inches, then measure at 1 foot above the ground.)

Depending on the diameter, their site will tell you how long it takes for the roots to establish and how many gallons of water you should use at irrigation times. For example, a 1-inch tree trunk will take 1.5 years to establish roots and require about 1 ½ gallons of water at each watering.

But how often do you water the plant or tree? 

A good rule of thumb is to water daily if the plant is new. Between 3 and 12 weeks, water once or twice a week. After 3 months, water once a week until the roots are established, then you can stop watering and let nature take the reins.

Prune Your Evergreen At The Proper Time

Pruning is essential to a tree’s health. It may seem counterproductive, snipping off healthy stems and branches, but in the long run, it helps more than hurts.

Pruning encourages growth in any plant, including evergreens. However, you can’t prune all year long. 

August is the last month you want to prune your evergreens. After this, evergreens slow down and harden off for winter, so you do not want them spending extra energy trying to grow more than they have to.

Summary

Evergreens are green all year and do not lose their leaves as often as deciduous trees. Instead, leaves and needles stay on for a few years before slowly falling off. 

For deciduous plants, winter means a partial or complete halt to new growth as the plants go into a dormant state. They lose all their leaves and shut down, waiting for the warmth and rain of spring to wake them up and encourage new growth.

Evergreens do not go dormant like deciduous plants. Instead, they keep on trucking through winter. Their growth may slow, but they continue to photosynthesize and create sugars for new growth.

Whether you already have an established evergreen or are thinking of planting one, there are plenty of ways you can help it survive and thrive through winter, keeping a bit of color in your yard to contrast with the unexciting gray and white of winter.

References

Gilmore, A. M., & Ball, M. C. (2000, September 26). Protection and storage of chlorophyll in overwintering evergreens. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 97(20), 11098-11101.

Ninemets, U. (2016, March). Does the touch of cold make evergreen leaves tougher? Tree Physiology, 36(3), 267-272.

Ryan, M. G. (2010, June). Temperature and tree growth. Tree Physiology, 30(6), 667-668.

Starr, G., & Oberbauer, S. F. (2003, June 01). Photosynthesis of Arctic Evergreens Under Snow: Implications For Tundra Ecosystem Carbon Balance. Ecology, 84(6), 1415-1420.

Do you own a blue spruce? If you do, you know how beautiful it is and how excellent it is as an addition to your landscaping. Most people use it as a privacy shield, windbreaker, or border for their yards. You may also see them pop up as Christmas trees.

If your blue spruce tree isn’t blue, it may be the nature of your specific tree. Geographical location, low sunlight, too hot of temperatures, and over-watering can cause your tree to be less blue. The first step to making your blue spruce more blue is to fins out what’s causing it to be less blue.

If you want to find out more, continue on! We will dive deep into each cause, as well as give you suggestions to solve the issues.

A Bit About The Blue Spruce

The blue spruce, also known as the Colorado spruce, scientifically known as picea pungens engelm, is a native evergreen to the west and central Rocky Mountains. It is known for its rich blue-green or blue-gray color and aesthetically pleasing shape. 

Landscaping blue spruce trees can grow up to sixty feet tall and become very wide, but in the wild, they can grow up to 75’ tall and 20’ wide! 

They can survive in planting zones 2-7 and are very hardy. Landscaping spruces live anywhere from 40-60 years but can grow as old as 150-600 years. 

They are best planted during the winter, specifically between November and March, along with evergreens. They have to be planted in winter to establish a strong root system before producing new needles and shoots in the spring.  

It is crucial to plant these trees according to their soil, moisture, and temperature requirements. This gives the spruce the best chance of not only surviving but flourishing into a gorgeous addition to your yard. 

To learn more about how spruces survive during the winter, head over to our article: Ways That Trees Survive The Winter and How They Do It. 

Why Is My Spruce Losing Its Blue Color? 

Now we’ll jump in and talk about the change your spruce tree may undergo! 

One day, you are admiring your yard when you notice your blue spruce tree is not looking so blue anymore. Its needles have changed into a green or yellow color. Needles have fallen and the branches have become bare.   

What an annoyance! What happened to this gorgeous tree of yours? 

Unfortunately, blue spruces are prone to a variety of different ailments and environmental circumstances capable of changing the color of their leaves. These can be anything from pests to fungus and vary based on several factors.

Since you can plant these trees in different climates across the country, there is a host of different diseases and environmental factors that can affect the tree and make it lose its rich blue color. Next, we will talk about some of the most common reasons your tree is not blue. 

Keep in mind you can prevent and treat some of these ailments, but sometimes they can cause permanent damage and require removal. Luckily, this is not usually the case for blue spruces. Let’s look at the ways your tree might change colors and how to reverse it. 

Epicuticular Wax Naturally Affects Blue Spruce Color

Many people assume the Colorado spruce can only be blue when it is healthy, but this is simply not true! Blue spruces can be naturally blue, blue-green, blue-gray, or silver. 

This is simply because of the amount of wax coating the needles. This wax, epicuticular wax, coats the cuticle of the leaf.  

The wax is important because it determines which wavelength of light is reflected off of the spruce needles. The heavier the wax is on the needles, the bluer it is.  

One factor that affects the color of your spruce tree is the condition of the epicuticular wax. Environmental erosion caused by wind, rain, heat, and other types of exposure wears down the wax and causes a different light to be reflected. 

This is when you might see a blue spruce tree turn green. As long as there are no signs of pests, disease, or yellowing leaves, then you do not need to worry about the state of your tree. It is naturally occurring and does not affect the health of the tree. 

Luckily, epicuticular wax will regenerate, so it should return to its former glory once the growing season has begun! 

Geographical Location Affects Blue Spruce Color 

According to the University of Massachusetts, spruce trees do best when they are in northern and colder climates. They struggle with hardiness zone 7 because of its higher nighttime temperatures. 

Blue spruces struggle in hotter temperatures because any single or combination of heat, humidity, and soil content can affect their ability to grow and produce blue leaves.  

In its native climate of the Rocky Mountains, the soil dries quickly, and the temperatures are cooler. Spruces in warmer weather often live in clay-based soils. 

Geographical location and climate can also affect blue spruce height. You can learn more about that in our article: 6 Simple Steps To Keeping A Blue Spruce Tree Small.

Blue spruces can handle acidic, dry, rocky, clay, rich, loamy, or sandy soils. They can tolerate drought and flood as long as they are not too severe. 

To give your spruce the greatest chance of maintaining its beautiful blue color, plant it in moist soil that is well-drained and fertilized with a pH level of 6.0 to 7.5.

Although spruces are hardy and can handle soil with some clay in it, too much of it causes issues with drainage. Clay soil does not drain moisture very well and your spruce’s roots can become waterlogged. This can lead to root rot and a host of other diseases and pest invasions.

If you’re interested, you can learn more about the best spruce tree fertilizers here: 5 Best Spruce Tree Fertilizers (And How to Use Them)

Insects And Pests Can Cause Blue Spruce Trees To Lose Color

Blue spruces are unfortunately very susceptible to insects, especially if they are in a climate with high humidity. Below are the two of the most common types of insects that you may see invading your blue spruce. 

White Pine Weevils

White pine weevils will attack your blue spruce, which can lead to forked or deformed trees, and they can be highly destructive. They can change the beautiful blue color of your tree, but they rarely kill the entire tree.

These weevils attack the tree by feeding on the bark, creating small holes. They lay their eggs in these holes, and after seven days the weevil larvae hatch. The first sign of an infestation is when the holes have resin drops leaking out onto the trunk of the tree. 

Once the larvae hatch, they will burrow into the bark of the tree and continue feeding on it. They will destroy the stem, causing the growth from that stem to be halted. The needles on that stem will turn yellow and die.  

If you want to keep weevils from attacking your tree, you can use a special insecticide on the main branches of the tree. They are affected in springtime when the weather has been above fifty degrees for at least four weeks. 

We recommend contacting a professional because they are the only ones with commercial access to foliar spray. Using a professional is also important because they will know exactly where to spray the insecticide. You can decimate healthy insect populations if spraying on the entire tree and this can cause a host of problems, so leave it to the experts! 

Spider Mites

Spider mites are another common invader of blue spruces. Spider mites are tiny bugs that thrive off of the chlorophyll in the needles and the fluid of the tree’s tissue. You can see them with the naked eye, but they are very, very small. You will be more likely to see the delicate web that they make over areas of the tree. 

One sign of a spider mite infestation is yellow dots on the needles caused by the mite sucking out the chlorophyll.  

Eventually, the needle will turn brown and die, but if you can catch the yellow dots before then, then you can confirm it is indeed a spider mite! 

Luckily, spider mite infestations are not fatal to your tree. They will cause several needles to dry up and fall off, but not enough to destroy the entire tree. 

To get rid of these mites and keep your blue spruce blue, you can do one of two things. 

First, you can release mite-eating insects into your tree canopy, like predatory mites, who do not feed on trees and will get rid of the infestation. This is a great natural option that keeps potentially harmful chemicals away from your tree. 

Another natural way to keep spider mites from creating too big of a nuisance is to water the tree by using the jet setting on your hose. As you spray into the branches, you will wash away enough spider mites to keep the infestation at a lower level. 

Unfortunately, using some insecticidal soaps or oils will cause your spruce to lose its gorgeous blue color, so try the options above before resorting to an insecticide. 

Blue Spruce Tree Diseases Affect Color 

Many diseases can infect your blue spruce tree, so let’s learn how to identify and treat the most common illnesses of spruces to keep your tree as blue as possible. 

Cytospora canker disease is a fungal infection and the most common disease found in blue spruces. Excessive drought, injury, pest-related injury, and a variety of other factors cause them. Spruces in climates with higher humidity are more susceptible to fungal diseases. 

The process begins with cankers forming on the tree, recognizable by the white resin that oozes out of it. Although it is a slow process, these cankers can eventually damage your tree by burrowing into it and cutting off nutrients to random branches.  

You can tell if your tree has this fungal disease by checking to see if the branches are dying from the bottom up, or if it is dying from the inside out. The needles will turn purplish-brown and begin to fall off.  

Although the chance of your spruce dying from this disease is very low, it can still deform your tree and make it an eyesore. The only way to prevent this disease is to apply a fungicide yearly, but it must be done by a certified applicator. 

If you notice your tree has been affected, prune away any dead branches, but only during dry seasons. You should also keep your tree properly irrigated and avoid any injuries to the tree, like from a lawnmower or trimmer used near it. As always, contact a professional arborist to ensure your tree gets proper treatment.  

Rhizosphaera needle cast is a disease that presents as brown blisters on the leaves of the spruce tree, which change to red and orange over time. Eventually, the leaves form a yellow tissue on the needle, causing an unpleasant color, not the beautiful blue you envision for your spruce. 

You can tell if your tree has this illness by inspecting individual needles. The disease is present when you can see small black dots along the shaft of the needle moving away from the blister. 

The blisters will eventually grow until the spores burst, infecting surrounding leaves. Wind and rain can also carry the spores to neighboring trees. This means if you have more than one blue spruce on your property, the disease can spread to another one. 

You may notice this disease because you are in a drought and have not properly watered your tree. Improper soil quality or sun exposure can also cause this disease. 

The best way to prevent this disease is to make sure you provide the most excellent care when planting, fertilizing, and watering. Needle cast loves to prey on trees when there is excessive moisture and humidity, so make sure to plant it somewhere with proper drainage. 

What happens when your tree is infected? Unfortunately, there is no cure once the needle has been infected and it will eventually die and fall off.

However, you can eliminate the disease from causing further damage by stopping the spread. Do this by pruning off any dead branches or any branches that you notice are infected. 

By doing this, you are removing any spores that would otherwise burst and cause other leaves and trees to be affected. Also, pruning the branches will allow more air into the canopy of the tree, reducing humidity and the chance of this disease attacking your spruce. 

Overwatering Dilutes Color From Blue Spruce Trees

Sometimes, your blue spruce is turning brown because it is getting too much water. Just like I said above, climates with higher humidity can cause problems for your blue spruce because it dislikes excessive water. 

Too much water will cause your tree to turn brown from the bottom up. You should not be watering your tree more than once a week during dry seasons. 

You can tell if your tree is overwatered by feeling the soil around the tree. If the soil is squishy and wet after a week, then it wasn’t absorbed into the tree, and it is being overwatered.  

Do your tree’s branches wilt? Do the needles fall off easily, despite their blue color? These are also signs of over-watering.

If you want to slowly water you tree, Greenscapes Tree Bags are perfect for the job. They hold up to 20 gallons of water and gradually release over 6 to 8 hours. Let your tree take in water at its own pace!

If you put too much water into the ground, the roots cannot move oxygen as well as they could, causing a lack of nutrients and ultimately browning leaves. 

How Do I Keep My Blue Spruce Tree Blue? 

By planting your spruce tree in the right soil and location, you give it the best chance of maintaining its beautiful blue color. 

Michigan State University tree experts recommend planting a blue spruce in a spot that receives a lot of sunlight and air movement, as well as soil that has good drainage. They also recommend using a variety of different plant species for your landscaping.  

When you use different plant species in your yard, you create a more balanced and healthier ecosystem. The US Forestry Department recommends it because it creates more diversity for your yard, leading to a more stable wildlife population. 

This wildlife, like spiders and various insects, is crucial to the health of your tree because they fight off pests that can damage it.  

A healthy, pest free tree means a gorgeous color. As a reminder, sometimes a blue spruce will turn green, but this is natural.

Sometimes the wax on individual needles gets rubbed off over time or by weather, causing a change in color. Not to worry, the blue will most likely come back once the next growing season has started! 

Most of the time, however, it will stay blue as long as you regularly check it for diseases and infestations. If you catch these early, you can treat the tree and give it the best chance of maintaining the beautiful blue hue. 

As always, it is highly recommended to contact a tree professional if you run into any problems with your tree. They will help you keep your spruce stay healthy and blue so you can enjoy its beautiful color for many years to come.

Additionally, you can read our full guide on keeping a blue spruce blue in our article: 6 Simple Steps To Make Your Blue Spruce Tree More Blue.

References 

As winter rolls around and you see trees have lost their leaves, evergreens may seem better than ever. If you have a spruce tree, keeping it looking great and staying healthy might just be a priority for you. That is where fertilizer comes in.

The best spruce tree fertilizer is a high nitrogen fertilizer with a formula of 12-4-6. This formula is particularly good for spruce trees as it’s more acidic. Higher nitrogen levels in your spruce tree can aid in faster growth and a more vibrant color overall.

Below, we are going to give you some of the BEST spruce tree fertilizers, as well as tell you how and when to use them, so you ensure your spruce tree will have other trees green with envy. 

Well, what are you waiting for? Let’s dive in!

What Is Spruce Tree Fertilizer?

Clemson Cooperative Extension’s Home and Gardening Center gives us a great explanation. Fertilizer is not ‘plant food’, as it is commonly mistaken to be, but a medium to give your tree any desperately needed minerals and nutrients.

If this does not quite make sense, Utah State University’s Extension explains the definition of fertilizer as a material that supplies one or more of the chemical elements needed by a plant for its growth. 

In fact, most fertilizers that are commonly used, and which you will probably find in stores or online, contain three fundamental elements- nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. This understanding of what fertilizer contains may be confusing because that sounds like ‘plant food’, right?

Not quite. These three basic plant nutrients help the plants to grow as they may lack any one, two, or three of these things. The fertilizer is, like we said above, not a ‘food’ but a way to provide this extra nutrition that a plant needs to function and grow properly. 

The three nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) are not the only ones found in fertilizers, however, as some contain metals like zinc along with the other key elements. These ‘micronutrients’ may also be crucial for a plant that needs help to grow and can often help replace nutrients you did not even realize had been depleted.

Picking The Right Spruce Fertilizer For Your Tree

There are many kinds of fertilizers out there, but how much do you know about any of them? 

While you could just go to the store and grab the first container you spot, you will find following this advice will give you better results in a shorter time.

Trees are all different, and so are their pH levels, water retention capabilities, and nutrient needs. Spruce trees, for example, are a species requiring much less phosphorus than some other trees. This affects the type of fertilizer that will get you the biggest bang for your buck.

It is important your tree’s specific needs and not over-saturate it with anything it already has plenty of or does not need much of, to begin with.

●  High Nitrogen Fertilizer with a formula of at LEAST 12-6-4 or 10-8-6. Any kind of high nitrogen fertilizer is great, but the more the better when using Urea, which is a 46-0-0 formula, meaning it has tons of nitrogen to help sustain your plant’s growth.

●  Acidic Fertilizer. Typically, a sulfur-heavy fertilizer, these fertilizers help trees to get nutrients that might not otherwise be available to them at a different pH level. 

●  Organic Fertilizer (Compost). If you are looking for something easy and accessible, use what you have. Well-rotted compost, meaning food scraps that have broken back down into a dirt-like substance, are great fertilizers for trees.

●  Organic Fertilizer (Shredded Bark). An all-natural fertilizer means that organic is the default with this shredded bark-turned-fertilizer option. As nature intended, for fallen trees to help sustain the growth of new trees, this is an option you will not regret. Your yard will look fantastic, too… while we are talking about the benefits.

●  Combinations. Use some organic and some processed fertilizer together to nourish your spruce. This can be good when you are working to combine high amounts of nitrogen but still want to add some extra other chemicals.

So, how do you use these different types of fertilizers? Let’s first get into the specifics about each of them. 

Keep on reading, it’ll be worth your while!

High Nitrogen Fertilizer For Spruce Trees

Any high nitrogen fertilizer is going to work very well for spruce trees. 

Urea, for example, is a great option for high nitrogen fertilizers, as it has the highest percentage of nitrogen per volume. 

Let’s back up, however, for a while and talk about the ‘formula’ briefly mentioned above. What does 10-8-6 or 12-6-4 have to do with anything?

What is an NPK?

That formula is an NPK value, which deals with nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Remember how we talked about those before? We are circling back.

So, it’s simple. An NPK and its 3 digits correspond to the ratio of the elements in a fertilizer. 

For example, Urea’s NPK is 46-0-0, hence why it has the highest percentage of nitrogen per volume you can find. 

So, as long as your fertilizer has a high nitrogen content (even if it is not 46% nitrogen), you will confidently be able to say you are giving your spruce a great boost. The phosphorus needs of a spruce tree are not very high, so why waste fertilizer components when you could add more nitrogen?

Why Urea For Fertilizer?

This brings us to the question, and answer, to this: why Urea?

There are 46 parts nitrogen to 0 parts phosphorus and 0 parts potassium, meaning that Urea is made of NH3 and CO2, ammonia and carbon dioxide, and makes an excellent fertilizer completely consumed by plants. Using this will help you be sure you do not leave any chemical residue in the soil around your plants.

You can find this product in local stores, chains, or even online. It is as easy as the push of a button to buy 5 pounds of Urea online for a very good rate. 

This CESCO Solutions Urea Plant Food Fertilizer can be used on both indoor and outdoor plants, ranging from vegetable gardens, trees, houseplants, and more. Funny enough, if you have some leftover and want another project, this 46% nitrogen is a great base to make handmade tie-dye products that hold color in a more vibrant way

Not only does Urea help plants grow, it lets the colors flow! What a product, this one.

Pros Of Urea Fertilizer

●  Clean fertilizer that does not leave a chemical residue in the soil

●  Cheap yet effective 

●  Safe to use

●  Good for more than just growing plants 

Cons Of Urea Fertilizer

●  Can be over-applied and cause some damage

●  Needs to be spread around by hand

●  Takes a while to take effect

How to Apply Of Urea Fertilizer To Your Spruce Tree

While you can make your own decisions regarding the placement of your high nitrogen fertilizer, there are some ways to reduce runoff and waste while increasing efficiency.

Using a sprinkler system to disperse small amounts of nitrogen fertilizer in consistent increments can help increase efficiency, as it ensures that nitrogen is not being wasted.

Another method of application is ‘surface application’, which means applying it above the soil. Similarly, combine this with the use of an irrigation system. This system does not distribute the fertilizer itself, but helps to reduce surface runoff and other issues by wetting the soil after fertilizer you apply it.

Acidic Fertilizer For Spruce Trees

Acidic fertilizer is used to help lower the pH of soil. But why, you may ask?

Well, certain nutrients are not always available to certain plants, i.e. trees, when the soil is at a higher pH level. 

So, following lots of soil testing, an acidic fertilizer may be right for your spruce. If you can take the time, let the pH level drop below 7.0 (the neutral level) and soak up all kinds of extra nutrients otherwise lost to your tree.

Pros Of Acidic Fertilizer

●  Can be great for accessing new nutrients in the soil

●  Allows your tree to not only rely on nutrients it always receives

●  Is a great way to refresh the soil around your tree and shift the growth process on a chemical level

Cons Of Acidic Fertilizer

●  Takes some time to work its magic

●  Requires pH level testing of soil and an understanding of acidity in the soil

How To Apply Acidic Fertilizer To Your Spruce Tree

You can add sulfur directly to your soil for slower results with a more enduring overall shift in your soil’s pH. However, combining sulfur with other chemicals will help you achieve a short-lived result, but also achieve it much quicker.

If you are looking for a quick, temporary fix until something else works out, we recommend combining sulfur with aluminum (aluminum sulfate.)

Otherwise, just search for some sulfurous fertilizer and be on your way!

Try this Greenway Biotech Sulfur Fertilizer, perhaps. It comes in a 5-pound bag and is ready for use.

Organic Fertilizer (Compost) For Spruce Trees

Compost is a great fertilizer and can contain any organic matter. 

Most often, this is going to be seen as food scraps being put out in a compost bin or other device to collect compost. The compost then rots, or decomposes down, into a dirt-like substance all over again.

The nutrients that come directly from this other produce (plant matter all the same) will help to provide your plants with extra nutrition while you can feel good about where your food waste ended up. 

It is better for food scraps to help a spruce tree grow than end up in a landfill, right?

Pros Of Organic Fertilizer

●  Natural/organic materials

●  Cheap-free for you to use

●  Easy to put compost on older soil around your tree

Cons Of Organic Fertilizer

●  It may be less effective depending on what materials you compost

How To Apply Organic Fertilizer To Your Spruce Tree

Let your scraps decompose and turn into the compost we were discussing, and then spread it like you would any other dirt on top of the soil. Mix some of the compost down a layer or two into the older soil for better results.

Organic Fertilizer (Shredded Bark) For Spruce Trees

Shredded bark is a great fertilizer, and it is organic.

Bark decomposes more slowly because of its size, but this means that nutrients are more slowly released into the soil around your tree, which has significant effects over time.

Not only does it release nutrients at a good, slow pace, but shredded bark also helps retain rainwater and moisture (as well as any irrigated water) in the soil below, which keeps the tree more hydrated.

Another benefit of shredded bark is that it helps keep weeds away naturally, which helps maintain soil whose key role is to support the tree growing in it.

On top of it all, the shredded bark can add quite an aesthetically pleasing touch to your yard, flowerbed, the base of your tree, and anywhere else that needs a little extra TLC.

Speaking of what you can get out of using shredded bark as an organic fertilizer, the benefits outweigh any costs! 

We mean that literally; this Bonsai Jack Shredded Bark presents great value and will have your yard looking great as your tree gets a boost of its own.

Pros Of Organic Fertilizer (Shredded Bark)

●  Organic, safe to use, and easy to apply

●  Looks great in any yard or any space that your spruce tree lives

●  Help keep weeds away

●  Effects last for a long time, as bark decomposes slowly

Cons Of Organic Fertilizer (Shredded Bark)

●  Takes some time to work, as nutrients disperse slowly

How to Apply Organic Fertilizer To Your Spruce Tree

Now, this one is extra easy. Just take the bag, shake it out, spread it around, and you are done! 

Make sure your fertilizer covers the rest of the soil directly surrounding the tree and you will be just peachy. 

Does it seem too easy to be true? We promise it is not! You get a great outdoor space and your tree gets extra nutrients over a long period, which is a win-win!

Combinations Of Fertilizers

A combination is going to work best when you have some organic material at home that is good for your spruce but may not be enough for your intended purpose. 

Say, for example, you’ve got tea leaves, for which the formula is about 4-1-1. This is good in the sense that nitrogen is its main chemical, but there’s not much of anything when you look at the formula, totaling a whopping 6% NPK. 

If you don’t want this to go to waste, consider adding some other acidic or nitrogen-heavy fertilizer to the mix. Your tree will reap the benefits of both mixtures while you make use of your food waste and get to save some cash. 

Pros Of Combining Fertilizers

●  An environmentally friendly option

●  Sustainable and inexpensive for you

●  Includes multiple formulas of fertilizer to create an impressive combination of nutrients

Cons Of Combining Fertilizers

●  Might not have the same effect as a processed fertilizer which has specifically designed formulas

●  It may take a little longer to work, depending on what you combine

How to Apply Combined Fertilizers To Your Spruce Tree

This one depends on what products you are using, but on top of the soil with a little water sprayed on top is probably a safe bet!

Simple Ways To Help Your Spruce Tree Grow

There are plenty of fertilizers out there, as you now know, but what are the other ways you can work to help your spruce tree grow?

Monitor The Health of The Your Spruce Tree

Stunted growth, galls, and dead branches are all signs of a tree in decline. This can occur for many reasons, including but not limited to insects, disease, or low access to water or nutrients.

By monitoring the health of your tree, seeing how it progresses over time, you can nip an issue in the bud when it does arise. The alternative, not noticing your tree is declining until it is already too far gone, is one we want to help you avoid at all costs.

A tree will not grow taller, wider, or overall larger if it is fighting disease or infestation. So, keep watch and stay on top of your spruce tree’s health.

If you have a blue spruce tree, check out our guide on how to make your blue spruce more blue here.

Use An Insecticide For Your Spruce Tree

On that note, insect infestations are difficult to deal with and not at all a welcome surprise.

If you are struggling with insects infesting your spruce tree, causing your tree to be eaten, its foliage to be consumed, or galls and egg sacs to appear, take action to resolve the problem right away.

Try DEBUG- Organic Pest Control for Plants which uses neem oil, azadirachtin, and more to protect your tree and its lovely leaves from annoying little pests and all the rest. Soon you will rid yourself of all the insects trying to infest.

This insecticide is a concentrate, which means you get more for your money, with a container producing enough concentrate for 22 bottles of insecticide. Not only is it field-tested and farmer approved, but it is also a great organic alternative to other products and you can safely use it until the day of harvest. 

A product that works against 200+ pests, you will not even need to figure out the specifics of what bugs may breed in your tree. Just spray and watch them all go away!

Make Sure Your Spruce Tree Has Enough Water

So, fertilizer is not the only thing you can add to your tree to make sure it has enough of what it needs. 

Adding some supplemental water to your soil every once in a while, if you are not already doing so as part of your fertilizing routine, is a great way to keep your spruce healthy and hydrated.

Everything needs water. People, trees, animals, even plants that live in the desert have their reserves. Keeping up with those needs of your spruce will also help it flourish at the rate it should.

If you need to keep your blue spruce tree small, read our guide: 6 Simple Steps To Keeping A Blue Spruce Tree Small.

That’s It For Now!

Spruce trees are generally healthy, especially being evergreens, but everyone can use a little extra care every once in a while, including these green giants. Now you know what to look for in a spruce tree fertilizer, to ensure your tree gets the right nutrients sustainably for you to use and for the environment to receive. 

From high nitrogen fertilizers like Urea’s 46% nitrogen product to using shredded tree bark as purely organic material, there are a good number of solid ways to help maintain good growth in your tree. 

Remember, fertilizers are not plant food (even though some of them are branded as such), but they are a way to help your trees and other plants soak up the extra nutrients they need to not only survive but thrive. 

We hope this article helps you feel confident in how you help your plants as you embark on your tree journey. 

Until next time, thanks for reading!

References

Adeniyan, O. N., Ojo, A. O., & Adediran, J. A. (2011). Comparative study of different organic manures and NPK fertilizer for improvement of soil chemical properties and dry matter yield of maize in two different soils. Journal of Soil Science and Environmental Management, 2(1), 9-13.

Mahendrappa, M. K., & Salonius, P. O. (1982). Nutrient dynamics and growth response in a fertilized black spruce stand. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 46(1), 127-133.

Pine trees are one of the most absolutely beautiful wonders of nature on the planet. Even better, they grow quite well in many environments and are readily available for many uses. The wood has properties allowing it to be resistant to elements often found within nature.!

Pine trees are fantastic growing trees in the spruce family. They have plenty of uses from decoration to construction. Some common uses include sap production, resin production, building furniture, and in-garden use. Pine trees can be used for firewood and even as ornamental trees as well.

Read on to learn more about what some advantages to growing/using pine wood are, and some great things that you can do with pine!

What Are the Advantages Of Pine Wood?

Pine trees are hardy trees. Typically, they are grown in the Southern Hemisphere and are grown agriculturally for timber. The trees are loved for their fast growth. 

Some of the properties of pine wood are:

• Stiffness
• Workability
• Resilience
• Resistance to rotting

Because of how readily available this wood is, it is also relatively inexpensive when compared to harder woods like oak. Pine is considered softwood; therefore it provides less wear and tears on carpentry tools.

The stiffness of the wood is important for the integrity of buildings. If the wood was flimsy. The building is more likely to rot away into nothing. 

Due to its lighter weight, it is easier for somebody to move the wood around than it would be if it was heavier wood. This makes it much easier to work with.

You can even save money on wood by harvesting trees from your property. You turn it into the wood for building by either finding a mobile lumber mill or buying one yourself! One great example of a home mill is the Carmyra Portable Chainsaw Mill.

What Should I Do With My Pine Wood Chips?

During the processes of turning pinewood into paper and wood planks, or even cutting a tree down, byproducts are created like wood chips. Wood chips are good for a ton of uses:

Use Pine Wood Chips For Mulch

Mulch is important for many reasons. Mulch helps retain moisture in the soil, prevents weeds, and fertilizes your plants. Pine wood chips in their own right are able to absorb moisture quite well.

So, if you’ve recently been logging pine wood or have even had some cut down in your yard, you can use the scraps from the wood (the wood chips) as a mulching agent!

You can even mulch using the spent bedding as a way to provide extra nutrients to your plants!

Pine Wood Chips Make Excellent Compost

Composting with wood chips is a fantastic way to help reduce waste, create wonderful compost, and save money.

Use your wood chips as the brown part of your compost mix, and then save food scraps, leaves, grass clippings, and animal waste as your green material. You can use a composter such as this Miracle-Gro Small Composter. 

You can also build your compost bin using pine wood to build three compartments. This allows each compartment to always be in different stages and thus allowing you to have a constant supply of compost. 

Make sure to use a finer chip for your compost as this will speed up the decomposition process. Larger chunks will not harm your compost but will take longer to break down.

Hugelkulture Pine Wood Chips

According to Oklahoma State University Extension, Hugelkulture is a sustainable and economical way to garden! Hugelkulture means, mound culture, or hill culture. The premise of this style is creating mounds of organic matter. A good hugelkulture design with self-watering and self-fertilizing. 

Wood chips are a perfect resource to build mounds. They will decompose, creating lush compost in your beds! 

Pine Wood Chips Make Great Animal Bedding

According to UMass Extension, commercial pine bedding has a variety of uses, Including animal bedding! The chips help by absorbing moisture and odor and eventually break down. 

Because of its pricing, pinewood chips make wonderful animal bedding. Unlike cedar chips, pine chips do not agitate animals’ noses. More pungent woods like cedar can irritate the sinus cavities of your animals, so using pine is a wonderful way to keep your animal’s housing clean as pine absorbs urine well.

Many people use a deep litter method when raising livestock like chickens. Instead of continuously scooping their coop, they pile more bedding on top, occasionally turning it over to help aerate the underlying layers. This creates an environment similar to a compost pile. 

After a few months of deep littering, pine chips should break down into rich compost for your garden!

Use Pine Wood Chips To Cover Pathways

Pathways within a garden can often become overgrown with grass and weeds. Many choose to lay landscape fabric; however, this is not environmentally sustainable. 

Using pine chips is an economical way to cover your garden walkways to prevent overgrowth. Make sure to replenish the layer as the chips begin to break down.

Cover Play Areas With Pine Wood Chips

If you have ever been to a park, you know that the playground is often filled with mulch. An economical way to fill your kids’ play area is with pine chips. 

You can get free wood chips by contacting your local arborist or signing up for ChipDrop, which is a service for finding free wood chips near you.

A warning, however, is that ChipDrop usually supplies you with a lot of wood chips, so if you do not need a lot, purchase your wood chips commercially. You can also purchase a chipper such as the Sun Joe Silent Wood Chipper for yourself on Amazon!

What Can You Make Out Of Pine Wood?

Pinewood is loved by all for many projects! Due to its versatility, affordability, and availability, it is the choice for many for their work. 

Here is a wonderful Beginner’s Guide to Woodworking! 

Make Pine Wood Furniture

Woodworkers love working with pine wood. It is an easy and inexpensive wood for beginners and makes fantastic furniture. It is not as hard on tools, absorbs stain and paint well, and holds up as furniture.

Some kinds of furniture built out of pine are:

• Tables
• Beds
• Chairs
• And many more

Pine provides a clean medium for most projects and a lovely solid piece of furniture. Dressers made from pine have been handed down as family heirlooms for generations. 

Furniture making is a skill many enjoy learning. Many furniture companies as well love using pine wood pieces because of how versatile the wood is. 

Use Pine Wood For House Trim

Housing trim is usually made of pine. This is due to its cost. It stains and paints well, providing a clean trim inside and outside the home. 

Time is typically used around the ceiling, door frames, and windows. It helps hide where the drywall meets. Floorboards are also usually made of pine as well. 

Treated pine trim outside can hold up for years. It is aesthetically pleasing for most homes as well!

Use Pine Wood Plywood

Commonly, plywood is made from pine. Other kinds of wood such as fence boards, two-by-fours, and most other commercially available wood are made of pine. This is because of its hardiness and availability.

Using treated plywood is a great way to make things like chicken coops and animal pens. It is a relatively inexpensive build and can be used by even the beginner Craftsman. Pine holds up well to the wear and tear that comes with raising livestock.

Make A Deck Out Of Pine Wood

Deck boards are commonly made of treated pine. A sealed and treated pine wood deck should last well over ten years. Pine makes a fantastic wood for this project because like all other projects, it is a common wood. 

Once the deck is put in, one should seal their wood with a sealant, like Thompsons Water Seal. It is important to do this because it helps maintain the integrity of the wood and prevents rotting. 

Keeping your deck boards sealed and cleaned will prevent any rotting.

Use Pine Wood Flooring In Your Home

Hardwood floors are a beautiful addition to any home! Caring for a hardwood floor can be tricky, but once you get the hang of it, it is worth it. Pine is a very neutral wood to use for this project! 

Pine flooring gives a nice look with its knotting and grain. Many favor it just for its look. It can be stained to give it a darker look as well. Of course, hire a professional to install the floor and get a proper stain to give your pine wood the best tint possible.

Use Pine Wood For Siding

Pinewood does fantastic as siding! Typically they are used as sheets for the siding and treated. Another way to use it as siding is through logs on a log cabin. Your entire house can be built from pine!

Usually, siding is nailed on piece by piece. However, you can buy panels. 

Pine Wood Can Be Used For Decorations

Some artists use pine wood as a medium. Whether they paint on it, cut slices and make charcuterie boards, or do wood burning.

Pinewood makes a great medium to make decorations for your home!

Some people use pine to make butcher blocks. This can be used as a cutting board or even as decorations. 

Wood burning is a fun craft for most people to do. It is relatively inexpensive to get into and the most common wood to use is pine. You can cut pinewood from your trees or purchase it from any craft store.

What Is Pine Wood Commonly Used For?

Pine wood is the main character when it comes to building materials; however, pine has many other uses other than building a home. It is a main crop in the forestry industry because of its demand in the industry. 

Often, people go to school to learn to grow pine wood in forestry services so they can make a living. According to information from Mississippi State University Extension, Pinewood is a major crop in the United States.

Pine Wood Is Used For Paper

Pine wood makes sturdy paper. Paper mills carry in thousands of pine trees a year to produce paper by the ton. The wood is turned into pulpwood, whose final product is paper products. 

Use Pine Wood For Outdoor Firewood

Do not burn pinewood indoors. This is due to it producing excessive smoke and alkaloid content; however, pine can make wonderful wood for bonfires.

The smoke will quickly dirty your chimney. Make sure before burning any wood inside your fireplace, you make sure your chimney is clean and free of soot. 

Ashes from the wood can be used for things as well. Insects hate it as well as it provides natural fertilizers for plants. Wood ash also helps raise the pH of the soil.

Pine Wood Is Used As Building Material

As detailed above, pinewood is the superior building material. This is the main use of pine trees in the United States. It is just one of many uses for this versatile tree. 

This wood is used as the main framing of a house. Pine wood planks are used to build the bones of the home and plywood is often used for subflooring.

This creates a strong shell for a house that should last decades! 

Use Pine Wood For Gardening!

In gardening, pine is used in many ways. Wood chips, garden boxes, and pine straw are important to every gardener.

Pine makes great garden boxes and pine straw is a great mulch for plants, the only downside to pine straw is how long it takes to break down if you are attempting to compost it!

Some people even take pine wood and use it inside their garden beds to fill their raised beds before adding soil on top of that. This is an economical way to have raised beds. Over time, the wood will rot and create compost to feed the plants. 

Another use in the garden is using logs to build fencing and raised beds. There is no need to cut the logs into planks as many enjoy the rustic look. The logs will break down so it is not a permanent solution.

Using Pine Wood In Farming

In the agriculture industry, pine is used for various tasks such as making fencing. Logs are cut to make posts and fence boards. Pine chips, sawdust, and shavings are used for animal bedding. Plus, farmers grow the trees as a crop. 

Christmas tree farms are a lucrative business. Many farmers create a tree farm and turn it into agritourism. This creates a double profit as many families enjoy going and cutting a tree. 

Farming Christmas trees is a passive income since you only sell the trees once a year. However, it can be a wonderful way to make extra money for Christmas time. 

Tree farms take years to produce. During this time, pine straw is harvested from underneath the trees. The straw is harvested and baled like you would hay, and sold to nurseries everywhere. 

This makes pine trees a cash crop. Not only is it a cash crop, but it is a more versatile cash crop than growing trees such as oak, because with oak trees you can only use the wood.

That allows people to use their pine trees as a means of making money by selling them for decoration purposes, while waiting for the trees to mature enough to harvest the wood. 

What Are Some Other Common Pine Tree Uses?

Pinewood is a very valuable material in carpentry. It can be used to make high-value wood items such as wood frames, windows, doors, etc. On top of this, pine trees can also be used to many many other things such as sap and resins. 

Many think of pine trees as wood and straw. There are, however, many other products made from pine trees and their wood. 

Pine Nuts Can Be Used For Food

Pine nuts are the seeds produced by the tree. This is made in recipes such as pesto! People also eat the inner bark, needles, and pollen of the tree. It is often seen as survival food since trees are prevalent. 

The trees can also be fed to various animals such as goats. Rabbits also enjoy the pine cones that fall off the tree. Christmas trees that aren’t treated are often donated to zoos to feed their animals after the holiday season.

Pine Trees As Ornamental

When you think of pine trees, chances are you think of the ones that create pine straw and lumber. However, pine trees and Christmas trees are in the same category. Christmas trees are farmed for decoration in homes every holiday season. 

The branches are also harvested and used to make wreaths and other decorations. Pine cones are also turned into decor for year-round enjoyment!

Use Pine Trees For Landscaping

Planting pine trees can make a wonderful addition to your landscaping. They grow well and provide an interesting plant for your yard. With the right kind, you can even decorate it for Christmas every year!

That’s A Wrap!

Pine trees are versatile and fast-growing trees. The tree itself makes many products, including paper and wood. Renowned for its agricultural uses and its uses in gardens including making garden beds and pine straw. 

Pinewood makes a fantastic mulch. Mulch is important and keeping a garden. Weed-free and well-watered.

If you have a pine tree and it isn’t growing, make sure to check out our guide on why your pine tree isn’t growing and how to fix it.

References

“Eastern White Pine Fact Sheet – Signs of the Seasons: A New England Phenology Program – University of Maine Cooperative Extension.” Signs of the Seasons: A New England Phenology Program, The University of Maine, 2014, extension.umaine.edu/signs-of-the-seasons/indicator-species/pine-fact-sheet/.

White Pine, Eastern, et al. Pinus Strobus Figure 1. Middle-Aged Eastern White Pine. 1994.

Chalker-Scott, L. (2017). Hugelkultur: what is it, and should it be used in home gardens?

Blue spruce trees are beautiful evergreen trees with a tint of blue to their needles. Some trees look bluer than others which is the result of primarily tree maintenance and fertilizer. What steps can you take to make your blue spruce look more vibrant and blue? 

In general, positioning your blue spruce in full sun exposure can help the tree appear more blue. More sun allows for more photosynthesis to occur, making the blue spruce pigments more concentrated. Additives like fertilizers can also increase the hue of your blue spruce.

Read on to learn more about how blue spruces grow, what they need to grow, and ways you can make them more healthy, vibrant, and of course, blue!

Basics of Blue Spruce Trees

If you are trying to understand why your blue spruce is not fully blue, you first need to know the basics: what they need, what they want, and what makes them blue. 

What Do Blue Spruce Trees Need To Be Blue?

There are a few necessities your blue spruces need to grow full and healthy. Some of these include having moist, well-drained, and fertilized soil. 

To start, blue spruces like to have moist soil. If you are in an area that receives regular rainfall (approximately 1 inch a week), you should be fine. However, if you are in a dryer area, you may need to hand water, or set up an irrigation system.

Blue spruces want more well-drained soil as compared to other plants and trees. This means that you want to find soil that has larger, looser components, such as sand, compost, and organic matter. These will act to make your soil more workable for the roots of the spruce and create a natural water control system. 

Spruces also prefer very fertile soil. In most residential areas, where the soil has lower quality, you will most likely need to incorporate some type of fertilizer. You might use compost, organic granules, or a pre-mixed liquid. This can help the health of the soil and your other plants.

Maintaining Blue Spruce Health 

Besides meeting your tree’s needs, it is important to maintain its health. Spruce health is strongly correlated to its appearance, so one reason your spruce may not be as blue as you would like could be because it is not as happy as it should be. 

In terms of watering, spruces want around an inch per week. This can vary to a certain extent, but it is important to know that your spruce would prefer occasional heavy watering compared to small, frequent waterings. 

Along with watering and maintaining spruce needs, you should also maintain spruce health by monitoring its outward appearance. Periodically checking if your spruce has dulling needles, algal spots, or falling needles, can help you assess and maintain its health.

What Causes Blue Spruces To Be Blue?

So, the question of the day. Just why are blue spruces blue?

In truth, the blue color of blue spruce needles is mainly attributed to epicuticular waxes found on the outside of the needles. This wax reflects sunlight in certain wavelengths that appear to us as a frosty blue. Pigments within the needles, chlorophyll for example, also make a blue spruce more blue.

To explain this in more depth, the plant cells in blue spruce needles create exudate (wax) that coats the needles, leaving a waxy exterior. Therefore, blue spruce needles are often thick, waxy, and leathery on the outside.

This wax acts to insulate and protect the needle from outside stimuli, such as poor weather conditions. 

The waxy coating naturally reflects certain wavelengths of visible light, causing us to perceive them as a frosty blue color. Increasing or supporting your tree’s production of this wax can act to increase and maintain its proper blue color.

Next, we’re going to talk about just why your blue spruce may have lost it’s color, and then get into how you can make it more blue again!

Reasons Blue Spruces Lose Their Color 

There are a multitude of reasons your blue spruce might lose its iconic blue color. Pollutants and other natural causes in the air can make the wax coating deteriorate, causing spruces to lose their color. Certain fungal diseases or improper care can also cause a loss of blue spruce color.

To elaborate on air pollutants, we’re referring to specific compounds such as nitrogen oxides, carbon particulates, and hydrocarbons.

These are all things associated with bad air quality and C02 emissions. There is not a lot you can do to help this, other than making sure your tree is healthy and you are supporting your native wildlife. 

Specific fungal diseases and infections can also cause blue spruces to lose their iconic color. While some of these diseases affect the needles themselves, a lot is actually in the rhizosphere (root zone) of your tree, so you should target remedies towards your roots. 

As with most plants, improper care can cause your blue spruce to lose its luster. To start, if your tree is not getting enough water, nutrients, etc., it most likely won’t have enough storage to maintain and create the blue wax.

If your tree is being improperly watered or cared for, this can also cause the needles to yellow or fall off, which certainly affects how blue your spruce appears.

Did you know that blue spruce trees are one of the trees that keep their leaves year round?

How To Make Your Blue Spruce Tree More Blue 

Now you know what blue spruces are like, what causes them to have a blue color, and what can affect this blue color. We can look at some simple steps to making your spruce appear bluer. 

To preface, these steps aren’t in any chronological order. Instead, they are separate tips you can pair and use together to help your specific tree. 

Boost Blue Spruce Color With Proper Environmental Conditions

To begin, one of the best ways to boost the color of your blue spruce is to make sure that it has the right conditions, such as light, temperature, and moisture levels. The most important factor is usually light, as that is the ultimate source of energy for plants and trees. 

Light allows spruces to create sugars and energy, which it then uses to carry out functions like creating and maintaining the waxy coating of needles. This means that maintaining proper sun exposure can help your spruce in creating and maintaining a blue color in your blue spruce. 

Maintaining high light exposure and proper soil conditions also causes the needles to be shorter because they have to cover less area for the same amount of sun. This allows the waxy covering to concentrate over a smaller needle, making your tree appear bluer. 

There are other factors, such as temperature and wind, among others.

While these are important, they have less of an impact on spruce color as compared to sunlight. Simply keeping these factors stable and consistently in the range that your spruce likes could be all you need!

Protect Blue Spruce Wax Coating To Increase Blue Color

One small thing to mention about your spruce’s color is protection. While the waxy coating is fairly stable and relatively water-proof, some things can physically remove it from your tree. 

Very heavy and consistent rains can wear down this wax over time, and reduce the wax on the blue spruce tree, which protects it and causes it’s blue color. Areas with less rain in the summer can allow it to maintain its blue color for longer.

Other conditions, such as wind and animal activity, can also remove the wax, so look into things such as repellents or planting wind barriers to protect the coating!

A decrease in wax can also lead to stunted growth, which is a reason why your pine tree (blue spruce) isn’t growing.

Blue Spruce’s Need Time To Regain Their Blue Color

One of the best tools to fix most problems is to give them time. Similarly, with the blue color of spruces, one of the best ways to help them is to give them time. As with most things, it takes time to grow new needles and create new wax. 

You may simply want to give your spruce more time to see if it can bounce back to its blue color on its own. This can be beneficial, as sometimes we can hurt our plants and trees by doing too much for them. Pruning, fertilizing, and watering could cause harm while attempting to help them. 

In other words, if your tree is healthy, try to let it sort itself out! 

Other than letting more wax develop, another reason to give your blue spruce more time is that it allows them to grow more needles. In most cases, new needles have an incredibly high concentration of this wax on them, making them appear extra blue.

If you allow your tree to grow new blue needles, you may have more luck in caring for them so that they retain their color for as long as possible. 

Fertilizers Can Regain Blue Spruce Color

While this is less researched, many people claim that using fertilizers can help maintain or turn your spruce bluer. 

Fertilizers are usually a good idea for your plants in any situation, as they add a boost of vitality to the soil that improves biodiversity, soil health, and the overall nutrition of your plant. Fertilizers could help restore some blue color by giving plants the nutrients used to make the wax coating. 

While most fertilizers will do the trick to help plants, some situations require specific remedies. Most people have selected fertilizer options that they claim will help maintain your spruce’s blue color. 

Many claims in favor of using some sort of fertilizer rich in iron have been made. This might help to give your tree its blue color back because we see many forms of iron as a blue color, and iron is a component of many waxed spruce needles. 

Another reason people recommend iron is because it combats things such as chlorosis, which causes yellowing or whitening of leaves and needles. One great example of an iron agent you can add is this 4-lb Iron Sulfate. 

If your tree needs an all-around nutrient boost, look into specialty all-purpose fertilizers, such as Scott’s Evergreen Flowering Tree & Shrub Fertilizer. Blue spruces, are in the evergreen family of trees. This fertilizer releases nutrients straight into the root zone of your tree, promoting good health all season long!

Fix Blue Spruce Fungus To Regain It’s Blue Color

Along with adding things to your tree, assess the physical health of your tree. This means figuring out if you are meeting its required water and sunlight needs. It also means finding out if it is healthy, or if it has a certain infection or fungal disease. 

Many diseases can affect your spruce tree, each with its causes and appearances. 

One common disease among spruces is a needle disease brought on by the fungus “Rhizopheara.” This is often referred to as Rhizosphaera Needle Cast. According to Nebraska Extension, this disease normally stays on living or recently dead needles and can cause your tree’s needles to darken, turn brown, or even fall off. 

If your tree was recently transplanted or has gone through some sort of shock, like inclement weather, it may be more susceptible to this disease. 

To prevent or treat your blue spruce, identify the certain problem on your tree, if there’s any clear bark, needle, or nearby grass issues. Research or call an expert, and apply the proper fungicide or recommended tactic.

In the end, while this isn’t the only disease that can affect your blue spruce, it is a good example of how diseases show on trees, what they do, and some ways to treat them. 

Maintain Good Care Of Your Blue Spruce To Keep It Blue

While we have mentioned this before, the best way to have your blue spruce get a blue color is simply to find a correct care technique and stick to it. 

In the end, your tree has the genetics to be blue, so as long as you properly care for it, it should have enough energy and components to stay blue. 

By proper care, people normally refer to basic needs, so you should find what your specific spruce wants in terms of water, sunlight, soil type, temperature, nutrients, etc. 

Some spruces benefit from occasional pruning. This can help them get rid of old or dead growth, and make space and energy for fresh growth to come in.

This is especially true in trees with dead growth or fungal damage because pruning can help prevent spread!

That’s A Wrap!

In the end, blue spruces can be very rewarding to grow. They are magnificent and can add the perfect whimsical pop of blue to your garden all year long. 

Blue spruce trees have some special care requirements. If they are not met, it can lead them to change or lose their color. This color is caused by a wax coating they create, meaning you can specifically try to increase its production to make your tree bluer!

A few of the methods you can use to make your spruce bluer are to add iron fertilizers, monitor its health, and have it in a location with full sun exposure. These methods act to keep it healthy, allowing it to create and maintain its wonderful blue color. 

Overall, while keeping your spruce blue may be important, it is always good to remember to have fun while out in your garden, and to connect to your trees! 

Sources:

Kangas, M. (2004). Spruce Diseases In North Dakota [E-book].

Hanover, J. W. (1975). Genetics of blue spruce (Vol. 28). Forest Service, US Department of Agriculture.

van HavVan Haverbeke, D. F. (1984). Genetic variation in blue spruce: a test of populations in Nebraska (Vol. 253). Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Forest Service, US Department of Agriculture.

In recent times, keeping trees and large plants in pots has been becoming more and more popular. On top of being decorative, they can make large plants more manageable, mobile, or even easier to water and fertilizer. With this comes the question, “what soils are best to use with my potted pine trees?” 

In truth, pine trees prefer more well-draining and loose soils, meaning that they prefer more sandy soils with lots of large organic matter. Terra cotta (or wood/concrete) pots are best if you are in an area that doesn’t freeze to ensure your pine is as healthy as possible. 

Read on to learn more about how pine trees grow, what soils they prefer, what containers they prefer, and how to use all of them to keep your pine tree happy and healthy!

What Are Pine Trees?

Pine trees are clarified as evergreen coniferous trees, meaning they have needle-like leaves, create cones for reproduction, and are supposed to stay green all year round (if they are properly healthy). 

In order to understand what soil we need for our pine trees, it is first important to understand the basics: how they grow, what they want, what they need, what hurts them, etc. 

How Do Pine Trees Grow?

One of the most important aspects of keeping plants in pots is knowing how fast they grow. This has an effect because plants could easily outgrow the container or even become root bound in worse situations.

This is especially important with trees, as they can tend to have sensitive taproots and can grow much faster than regular plants. 

With this, pines are fairly quick growing, and each species will have its own growing schedule/speed. As for the needles/sticks of the plant, the average pine can grow 1-2 feet (or more) per year in optimal conditions. This growth is in the vertical direction mainly, but as time progresses, pines also increase in width as well. 

As for the roots, most pines will have a larger central tap root, surrounded by a very shallow regular root system. This is good to keep in mind when picking a pot or when watering/fertilizing your pine. 

Best Growing Conditions For Pine Trees in Containers

Like most other plants, pines simply require light, water, carbon dioxide, and nutrients in order to survive. In addition to this, they have other preferences such as well-draining, slightly acidic soil. 

As for their basic needs, most pines will have no issues in containers with light, carbon dioxide or water, light, as they are all alterable in pots. On the other hand, some pine can experience nutrient issues in pots, meaning that you will have to hand fertilize/compost them regularly to ensure their health. 

As for soil needs, pines do prefer more well-draining, loose soils. When looking for a soil type to purchase, you want to look for something with more sand, large particulates, and organic matter. Going along with this, pines can also handle a little more dry soil, as they are used to being well-drained. 

Additionally, pines can manage most neutral soil types; however, they do tend to thrive in soils that are lower (more acidic) in pH. This can be accomplished by finding acidic soil amendments or by letting the needles drop and self-mulch their own tree. 

As for pots, many people claim that terra cotta is the best type. This is true for most plants, as it is sturdy, allows roots to grab on, and has amazing water capabilities (being able to suck in water if needed or evaporate it out if needed). 

Terra cotta can be dangerous if you are in colder climates, as freezing temperatures can cause it to crack, chip, or break, which all pose threats to the gentle root system of your pine tree. 

On the other hand, if terra cotta isn’t in your budget/style, pine containers are pretty adaptable, and that you can use other pots such as concrete or wood. 

What Growing Conditions Do Pine Trees Hate?

Now that we know the things that pines like and thrive on, it is important to know what they do not like so that you can avoid them. 

To begin, pines prefer lots of sunlight, so shady conditions can stress them out. If you are growing in a pot (and your tree is a relatively small or medium size), it should be fairly easy to alter your setup to meet its requirements. Too little light can cause things such as droopy/yellow needles or even needles falling off as a whole (not to mention slow growth as well). 

Most pines also do not like being in very wet/soggy conditions for a long period of time. This can be a problem in many pots, which can often have problems with holding on to too much water for too long.

Did you know that pine trees keep their needles all year?

5 Best Soils/Amendments for Pine Trees in Containers 

With all of this information, now we can discuss the specifics of soil types that your pine needs and the different “soil” options for you. 

To preface, it’s quite common and sometimes even recommended not to use traditional soil, as it can cause issues in pots.

Instead, a blend of soils specifically formulated for pine trees often does the trick!

Soilless Mixes for Pine Trees in Containers

Soilless mixes are premade mixes that contain components such as barks, mosses, or sands. These are usually used for things like succulents due to their great water management ability. 

Most of the components of soilless mixes are very large in size and put together; they create large air pockets that roots can grab onto. This is very important with things like pines that need organic matter for their roots to hang off of. 

In addition, the soilless mix is great because it lets water go very easily, which is especially critical with potted plants. 

With soilless mixes, however, you normally will have to regularly fertilize and add things like compost in order to give your pine tree nutrients, vitality, and a small bit of water retention. 

One great example of the soilless mix is the Noot organic indoor soilless potting mix, which is a great component to add to your pine tree container that contains coconut husk, chips, coco coir blended with coarse perlite.

Remember, airflow is key to not allowing the soil to pack too tightly.

Peat Moss for Pine Trees in Containers

Peat moss is one component of the premade soilless mixes that is so beneficial that it must be named on its own. 

Peat moss is a heavily absorbent moss that grows in many historical sites around the world. It has great water properties and can be used in many different types of plantings, most notably being container plantings. 

Peat moss can be used on its own or added to a multitude of other things in order to make personalized mixes for your specific plants. 

For pine trees, they prefer lots of well-draining, well-aerated soils, so you can’t really go wrong with peat moss. Similar to the soilless mix (as it is a part of the soilless mix), you will have to add fertilizers such as compost in order to keep your pine healthy and vital. 

One great example of quality peat moss is the Miracle-Grow Sphagnum Peat Moss, which can be used for container or in-ground plantings. 

Coconut Coir for Pine Trees in Containers

Many people also suggest using coconut coir for container plants that require lots of aeration and water control. Coconut coir is a natural fiber/substrate made from coconuts that can be used in a variety of places, such as pet terrariums or potted plants. 

Coconut coir is an innate mediate, meaning it has no organic life/nutrients for plants and also requires additional fertility from things like compost and fertilizer. 

One great example that you can use with your pine trees is the Fjiro Coco Peat Brick. 

When shopping for coconut coir, it can be easy to buy too much, as it heavily expands when you “activate” it, so it is really good to keep in mind how much you need in general. 

In order to use coconut coir for pine trees, you have to “activate it.” When you first purchase it, the coir will come in a large compressed brick. To activate, you normally have to submerge it in water and hand separate the fibers until they are the right consistency. 

Although this is a lot of work, in the end, using coconut coir can be very rewarding, especially for trees that can be very particular with soils, such as pine trees.  

Compost for Pine Trees in Containers

Compost is an age-old “soil” that can be used in many settings, including container pine trees. 

Compost is technically the decomposed matter from organic substances such as leaves, old fruits/veggies, and natural fibers such as paper. In nature, “compost” is naturally created through all of the dying things falling on the forest floor and naturally decomposing. 

As for home use, you can easily create or find compost for yourself. 

As for store-bought compost, you can often find many great options from your local hardware, garden, or outdoor stores. This can be expensive, however, so you may want to create and use your homemade compost instead. For pine trees, this helps to mimic a bit what they may get out in the wild.

While certain premade soils will give you exact specific formulas, composting will be difficult to get the exact mixture right, but that’s OK.

To create homemade compost, you can make a pile of old food scraps, leaves, paper, etc., and let it naturally decompose. To help the process, you can also aerate the pile by turning it over to incorporate air. 

Compost is a great substrate/soil to use for all plants (especially pine trees) as it has lots of concentrated nutrients. In fact, if any of your container/garden plants start to look droopy or deficient in nutrients, you can simply put compost on them to give them some vitality. 

With pine trees, you can do this by incorporating compost in your initial container or periodically adding new compost on top to maintain proper nutrient levels. 

Acid Lovers Mix for Pine Trees in Containers

Another soil you can use is an acid lovers mix. “Acid lover’s” mixes are specially blended mixes meant to be used for plants that thrive in more acidic soils. 

In most cases, you can simply use premade acid lovers mix on its own; however, you can also add other things to it if you want, such as compost or mulch. Pine trees thrive in acidic to mildly acidic soil at about 5.5pH. So, acidic mixes help meet their natural soil condition.

One great example of an acid lovers soil mix is the Dr. Earth Acid Fertilizer, which can act both as a nutrient and acid boost for your growing pine tree. 

Using These Soil Mixes for Pine Trees

Although it was lightly touched upon, it is important to know how to use these soil options for your pine tree in order to start off on the right foot. 

Initial Planting

For your initial planting, you should most likely use a high-quality store-bought acid/soilless mix or a home blended mix of your choosing. In addition to this, you can opt to add things like compost in order to increase the initial fertility of your tree. 

Maintaining Health 

In order to maintain the health of your pine tree, it is important to make sure that it always has ample access to nutrients. You can do this by adding things such as compost/acid fertilizer, which are both loved by pine trees. 

In the event that your pine tree is evaporating water too quickly with the soilless mixes, you can also add mulch to the top of the container. Adding mulch can both increase fertility/soil life in your container and increase the amount of water retention (while decreasing the amount of water evaporation).

Troubleshooting Pine Tree Issues In Containers

In the event that your pine tree is already in a container and having issues, it is important to know how to identify them. 

First of all, if your soil is too compacted and tight, this can cause issues for pines, leading to many things such as water retention, nutrient loss, etc. All of these problems lead to a few main common issues such as drooping needles, yellowing needles, slow growth, and dropping needles. 

In the end, if your pine is experiencing any of these symptoms, it may be time to look at some of the factors such as pot type, soil type, water, pH, light, etc., as they could be playing a major role in the health of your pine.

If you’re interested in learning more, check out our guide to why your pine tree isn’t growing here.

That’s a Wrap!

In the end, pine trees can be very difficult to care for in pots. They are fast-growing, they have specific container needs, and most of all, they have very specific soil needs. Some of these soil needs include having well-drained soil, fertile soil, and slightly acidic soil. 

There are a few main store-bought/homemade soil options that you can use, such as compost, acid lovers mix, or coconut coir. While many of these work great on their own, adding and mixing them together can boost soil life, which can benefit the overall health of your pine. 

To sum up, there are a few main steps you can take when initially planting to start off your tree right, and there are a few things that you can monitor and change along with its life in order to keep your tree happy and healthy. In the end, each tree will be different, so remember to go with the flow and have fun along the way! 

References:

Gruda, N., Rau, B. J., & Wright, R. D. (2009). Laboratory bioassay and greenhouse evaluation of a pine tree substrate used as a container substrate. European Journal of Horticultural Science, 74(2), 73.

Jackson, B. E., Wright, R. D., & Gruda, N. (2009). Container medium pH in a pine tree substrate amended with peatmoss and dolomitic limestone affects plant growth. HortScience, 44(7), 1983-1987.

Sucoff, E. (1972). Water potential in red pine: soil moisture, evapotranspiration, crown position. Ecology, 53(4), 681-686.