Spruce Trees

Throughout the changing seasons, the spruce tree still displays an unchanged hue of green. Because of this, spruce trees make the perfect ornamental tree, Christmas tree, and backdrop to the Rocky Mountains no matter the season. Even when the last of the leaves finally drop, the needles of the evergreen spruce don’t miss a beat. 

But did you know that spruce trees naturally root in regions of higher elevations and colder climates?

They have the unique ability to adapt to different soil pH levels but prefer acidic soil. Spruce trees love acidic soil because it creates an environment that allows better nutrient absorption and overall tree growth.

The pH of your soil can greatly affect the development of your spruce tree from the ground up. If your spruce is struggling, consider testing your soil to uncover the root of the problem.

Do Spruce Trees Like Acidic Soil?

Yes, spruce trees like acidic soil. They actually prefer it.

Spruce trees are native to colder regions, which is why you see forests of them in the coldest and most northern climates of the United States.

In these colder, elevated regions of heavy rainfall, certain nutrients in the soil begin to dissolve creating conditions of acidic soil beneath them.

If you are considering planting a spruce tree, make sure to head on over to our article about the best spruce trees to plant! That way if you currently have acidic soil, or if you have a different kind, you can find the best spruce to match your environment!

Spruce Trees Adapt To The Soil

Spruce trees have learned to adapt to these ever-changing soil conditions and can thrive in different pH values ranging anywhere from alkaline to acidic. You’ll most likely find them growing on mountain slopes, along rivers, and sometimes even in your neighbor’s yard!

A study conducted by the Scandinavian Journal Of Forest Research discovered that when compared to ash, beech, elm, hornbeam, and oak trees, spruce trees generated the most acidic soil.

If you find that your soil doesn’t meet their standards, keep reading to learn ways to make your soil more acidic.

Why Do Spruce Trees Love Acidic Soil?

Soil pH is measured on a scale of 0 to 14 where any number under 7 means acidic and anything above means alkaline. For spruce trees, a soil pH of anywhere between 5.0 and 8.0 is optimal for growth.

With the ability to slide between slightly alkaline and strongly acidic, spruce trees are extremely adaptable.

The pH of the soil determines the availability of essential nutrients taken up by each tree which can greatly influence the overall growth of any tree. 

Acidic soil generates the optimal environment for your spruce tree to tower over all of the others while containing all the nutrients it needs to thrive.

Acidic Soil Helps Spruce Trees Absorb Nutrients

The soil beneath your spree tree becomes acidic as a result of the environment around it.

Heavy rainfall can drain your soil of minerals that are more abundant in alkaline soils, such as calcium and magnesium.

Spruce trees love acidic soil because of the nutrients available to reach their roots. Acidity allows for more nutrient absorption into the trees. Hence why you see a lot of spruce trees on mountains and in snowy areas!

Acidic Soil Has More Moisture

Acidic soils also hold moisture better. Because spruce trees have shallow roots, dry and humid climates can easily damage them. Be sure you’re staying on top of watering your spruce tree!

Moisture and nutrient uptake are the two most important factors in spruce growth, which is why spruce trees love acidic soil.

In fact, the waxy coating on the needles of your spruce conserves water, so when the soil below is frozen, they are still getting the water they need during those cold, mountain winters!

As you can tell, spruce trees need a lot of water to survive as well – which is why acidic soil is so perfect for them! Head on over to our article about watering spruce trees, to find out the best ways to do it, and how much water they will need!

Acidic Soil Speeds Up the Spruce Tree Growth Timeline

Research from Michigan State University indicates that conifers grow best in acidic soil, and an increase in soil pH may dramatically slow spruce tree growth.

A conifer is any tree that bears cones instead of flowers and forms needle-like foliage instead of leaves. Spruce trees are conifers and are also evergreens.

With the proper acidic soil environment, the spruce tree can focus on sunlight intake to shoot up towards the sky as the roots that are spread down below worry less about fighting for essential nutrients.

Spruce trees also need sunlight to grow, and may not do as well without ample enough sun. For more info on why spruce trees need sunlight, head on over to our article to learn more!

How To Make Soil Around Your Spruce Trees More Acidic

There are very few trees and plants that can tolerate acidic soil. Luckily, your spruce tree can tolerate acidic and alkaline soil.

However, if you want your spruce tree to look and grow its best, you’ll want to create an acidic environment around it, which starts in the soil.

To make your soil acidic, you can add compost, coffee grounds, and fertilizers to the soil beneath your spruce.

Spruce needles themselves are also acidic! As they drop from the tree, they will decompose and add hints of acidity to the soil.

Monitoring the health of your spruce is important, especially if it pertains to soil health. For instance, soil issues such as poor nutrients or improper pH can cause a slew of issues such as tree reddening and needle drop.

Apply Compost To Increase Spruce Tree Acidity

If you’re looking to organically increase the acidity of your soil, add compost.

Well-decomposed compost will slowly increase the pH of your soil and the overall growth of your spruce tree.

Compost is composed of decomposed organic matter, such as leaves, twigs, kitchen scraps, and other organic materials.

You can create your own compost by saving leftover scraps, fruit and vegetable peelings, and the mountains of leaves that are starting to pile up around your home.

Compost May Take A Long Time To Work

Although adding compost to your soil improves the overall soil structure, it is not the quickest fix to your soil acidity.

Compost only increases soil acidity over time, so throughout the growing season, you will see a gradual increase in acidity and the health of your spruce.

This is still an amazing option to increase your soil acidity and overall growth and can be used in combination with other options!

Spread Coffee Grounds Around Your Spruce Trees To Help Acidity

It takes time to craft a compost pile and allow the organic material to decompose properly before use. If you’re looking for something to increase the acidity of your soil this morning, go grab those coffee grounds from your freshly brewed pot of coffee!

Spreading coffee grounds throughout the soil under your spruce tree can increase soil acidity.

You can simply sprinkle the coffee grounds on the soil, add them to your compost pile for an extra acidic boost, or cultivate the coffee grounds into the soil beneath your spruce to help the acidity.

Coffee grounds also contain up to 2% nitrogen, which is beneficial to the overall growth of your spruce! They do not, however, contain any phosphorus or potassium.

Try Using Fertilizer To Make Your Soil More Acidic

If you’re searching for a quick, full-proof way to increase the acidity of your soil, consider purchasing an acidifying fertilizer.

Many premade fertilizers contain macronutrients, micronutrients, minerals, and beneficial bacteria that can help acidify your soil and promote growth.

Espoma Organic Evergreen-Tone is an all-natural fertilizer proven to increase acidity and promote the overall growth of your spruce tree. This fertilizer contains the minerals and bacteria necessary to keep your spruce thriving!

Evergreen-Tone Fertilizer is formulated specifically for your at-home evergreen trees, including your spruce tree. It is ready to use, and recommended that you feed your tree once in early spring and once in the late fall.

Here’s a full list of our top recommended spruce tree fertilizers if you’d like to take a look!

How To Test Your Own Soil At Home

If you’re unsure if the soil is the reason your spruce is struggling, it is best to test your soil before trying to amend it.

Of course, it is always best to test your soil before ever planting your spruce tree!

There are many ways to test your soil at home. You can even test your soil without leaving your home by using items found in your cabinets!

Buy A Basic Soil Testing Kit To Test Your Soil At Home

The simplest way to test your soil is with an at-home soil testing kit.

In many states, you can simply contact or visit your local conservation department to secure a soil testing kit! If you opt for this route, you’ll likely have to mail or drop off the soil sample and wait for the results.

For a quick at-home test, you can purchase a simple soil testing kit online. In a matter of minutes, you can have the pH of your soil in your hands! No mailing or waiting is required.

Here Are Some Great PH Testers!

Luster Leaf is a brand that has created two different kits to quickly test your soil however you prefer.

This Luster Leaf BioLogic Soil pH Tester is a simple rapid test that displays the exact pH of your soil. This kit even contains ten different tests!

They also have a Digital Soil pH Meter that you can stick in the soil and receive the results within minutes! These options require minimal preparation, test quickly, and come at an affordable price.

The optimal pH for a spruce tree should be between 5.0 and 8.0, and each of these tests will provide readings for you to determine if your spruce’s soil falls between these numbers.

Add Baking Soda To Soil As An At-Home Acidity Test

You can test your soil at home with baking soda.

This soil test does not provide exact readings, but it will give you an idea about the type of soil that is underneath your spruce.

How To Test With Baking Soda

1. To prepare for this soil test, you’ll need at least 2 tablespoons of moistened soil from your spruce tree and ½ cup of baking soda.
2. Once you have gathered these materials, place your soil in a bowl and moisten it with distilled water. Tap water may provide skewed results, so be sure to apply distilled water to your soil.
3. After you’ve moistened your soil, add ½ cup of baking soda. If the mixture fizzes in any way, you have acidic soil.

Of course, you won’t know just how acidic your soil is. If the acidity falls below 5.0, it is possible that your spruce will start showing signs of disease or deficiencies.

Add Vinegar To Your Soil To Alter Acidity

This test is just as simple as the one above but includes vinegar instead of baking soda. Surely you have one of the two!

You can quickly test your soil at home with vinegar! Here are the steps:

1. To prepare this soil test, you’ll need at least 2 tablespoons of soil and ½ cup of vinegar.
2. Once you’ve gathered soil from your spruce, add it to a bowl. The soil does not have to be moistened for this test.
3. Lastly, you’ll add ½ cup of vinegar to your bowl of soil. In this case, if the mixture fizzes, you have alkaline soil.

For most plants and trees, this is good news! For your spruce tree, this could be the reason your spruce is struggling.

BUT – spruce trees can still grow healthy in alkaline soil! They just don’t love it. If your spruce doesn’t seem to be thriving, consider diving into the options above to make your soil more acidic!

Wrapping Up!

To sum up, spruce trees love acidic soil. Not only are their needles themselves acidic in composition, but the climate in which spruce trees thrive is a breeding ground for acidic soil.

Most importantly, acidic soil allows your spruce tree to absorb nutrients better and speed up the growth timeline.

In order to fully understand the soil beneath your spruce, it is encouraged that you test the soil. Purchase an at-home soil testing kit or grab some items from your pantry and get testing!

Now as you journey through nature and encounter a forest of spruce trees, you’ll be able to connect with a better understanding of why spruce trees love acidic soil and how to establish an environment at home for one of your own!

References

Badalucco, L., Grego, S., Dell’Orco, S., & Nannipieri, P. (1992). Effect of liming on some chemical, biochemical, and microbiological properties of acid soils under spruce (Picea abies L.). Biology and Fertility of Soils, 14(2), 76-83.

Mund, M., Kummetz, E., Hein, M., Bauer, G. A., & Schulze, E. D. (2002). Growth and carbon stocks of a spruce forest chronosequence in central Europe. Forest Ecology and Management, 171(3), 275-296.

Oostra, S., Majdi, H., & Olsson, M. (2006). Impact of tree species on soil carbon stocks and soil acidity in southern Sweden. Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research, 21(5), 364-371.

Puhe, J. (2003). Growth and development of the root system of Norway spruce (Picea abies) in forest stands—a review. Forest ecology and management, 175(1-3), 253-273.

Schulze, E. D. (1989). Air pollution and forest decline in a spruce (Picea abies) forest. Science, 244(4906), 776-783.

Spruce trees are known for their year-round color, as they are part of the evergreen family of trees. Although these hardy trees typically keep a varying shade of green every season, you may notice some needles beginning to turn red.

Why do spruce trees turn red? The important thing to note is that it is not normal for spruce to turn red. Underlying issues such as needle rust, pests, or blight are often behind unexpected color changes.

If you notice this color change, even if it’s only on a few needles, it’s important to investigate and solve the problem as soon as possible. The faster you start fixing it, the easier it is to prevent the issue from affecting the rest of your tree.

Determining The Cause Of Red Needles On Spruce Trees

Before you can truly know how to fix the discoloration on your spruce tree, you need to figure out why your tree is beginning to turn red. A good place to start looking is in the area where you notice discoloration, and ask yourself three questions:

1. Is it exclusively on the tips of the needles?
2. Does it spread throughout an entire branch?
3. Is the red color primarily on areas that get the most sun, or does it show equally in the shaded areas?

If it’s turning red, your spruce tree may be ill, have damage that you haven’t yet noticed, suffer from a pest infestation, or it could even be lacking essential nutrients that it uses to keep its needles healthy and green.

Additionally, reddening can also just be a product of improper care, such as underwatering or overfertilizing. For more information on what your spruce needs in terms of fertilization, check out our article on the 5 best spruce tree fertilizers.

Where Is The Redness On Your Spruce?

Depending on whether it covers a small, select area, or seems to spread throughout the tree can tell you a lot about the cause of the red needles.

For instance, if the discoloration is limited to areas that get the majority of the sun, you can easily assume that a likely cause is excessive heat and too little water.

If this is the case, you can also check the soil around your tree. If it’s also very dry or even cracking, you need to improve your irrigation.

For more information check out our article on how to water your spruce tree.

1. Needle Cast Can Make Your Spruce Turn Red

Needle Cast isn’t necessarily a disease in the way that we would think of human ailments. However, it is a serious condition that needs to be treated as soon as it’s detected.

Signs Of Needle Cast

• Discolored needles (specifically, brown to red hues, purplish-red or brown, or some yellowing)

• Needles that drop after changing color

• Appearance in especially humid, moderately warm weather

Note: Not all afflictions that cause discoloration cause needles to fall from the tree. However, it is a key symptom of needle cast disease. 

What Causes Needle Cast On Spruce Trees?

First and foremost, you need to understand that a needle cast is actually a fungus The fungus in question is often Rhizosphaera Kalkhoffii.

Don’t worry. There’s not a whole lot you can do to prevent it if you’re experiencing very humid weather and temperatures between 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

With that said, those are the perfect conditions for these fungal spores to really set in, so keep an eye on your trees if that weather lasts for a while.

2. Spruce Needle Rust Can Make Your Spruce Tree Red

Spruce needle rust is another fairly common cause of spruce trees turning a reddish tone (although many times it looks like a light red, or even almost pink, or a tan-brown color). Now, this is another fungus, not the typical disease we talk about.

The other thing to know about spruce needle rust is that the colors progress over the space of a couple of months. In the beginning, some of the needles have bits that look orangish-white on them (or pieces that seem to come from off the leaves). This is typical of the first month or so when the fungus begins taking hold.

Signs Of Spruce Needle Rust

• Needles with bits of light orangish-white on them
• Changing colors as the fungus progresses
• Needles that eventually turn hues of tan, red, brown or pink
• Needles begin to fall off the tree after the last color change
• Typically begins developing in spring when the weather is humid and wet, and not yet too hot

3. Spider Mites Can Make Your Spruce Tree Red

Spider mites are fairly well known to gardeners to attack other, smaller species of plants. However, that doesn’t mean larger species, such as spruce trees, are invulnerable.

In fact, spider mites can be a reason that your spruce tree is turning red or brown.

Spider Mites Are Really Small

Unfortunately, as you may be able to determine from their name, spider mites are exceptionally small.

It’s extremely common for spider mites to go entirely unnoticed until an infestation is well underway, and nearly out of control.

Spider Mites Make Ultra-Fine Webs

A tell-tale sign of spider mites is their ultra-fine webs. These have a somewhat similar appearance to regular spiderwebs, although they’re even finer and smaller. These are even harder to spot when you’re dealing with a large, bushy tree.

However, you can tell when your tree is beginning to suffer from these pests if you spot the damage. You can often spot the beginning signs of damage around the trunk of the spruce, or among the lower branches. You’ll also notice some needles taking on a yellow-brown color.

If you’re familiar with regular spider mites, there’s a difference between those and the ones that are attracted to spruce trees. Spruce spider mites tend to take hold during spring, whereas those that plague the rest of your garden will come when the weather really heats up.

4. Certain Pine Beetles May Cause Redness On Your Spruce

Now, there are plenty of different kinds of pine beetles, and they’re often just as eager to infest a spruce tree as they are any other needle-bearing evergreen tree.

White pine beetles are fairly well known for damaging spruce trees and turning their needles a rusty, reddish-brown color. However, early signs of pine beetles can be seen through the gradual yellowing of needles, and evidence of beetles boring into the tree bark itself.

You may see physical holes in the bark, sap bubbling from holes in the tree, or even granules and dust from beetles digging into the wood.

5. Tussock Moths May Be Why Your Spruce Tree Is Red

Pine beetles may be a burden to deal with, and spider mites certainly are no walk in the park. However, those aren’t the only pests you need to keep an eye out for on your spruce trees.

So, if your spruce trees are turning red or brown, and it doesn’t seem to be because of the aforementioned pests, it just might be tussock moths.

The good news is that if you’re in a more rural area, tussock moths are significantly less likely to damage your spruce trees. However, in areas with a higher population, like cities, tussock moths seem to have the advantage.

Tussock Moths Are Attracted To Blue Spruces

Not only that, but they’re especially attracted to certain species of spruce trees: namely, blue spruces (although Douglas firs are another favorite of these pests).

Blue spruces are already difficult enough to keep blue on their own. Unfortunately, there are some moths and other pests that can prevent your blue spruces from being blue, or even cause them to turn red.

As a caterpillar, they have brown and tan-to-white coloring- often appearing as stripes throughout the body. Another identifying characteristic of the caterpillars is the fuzzy black antennae at the forefront of their heads.

As they grow to moths, they have distinctly dark, charcoal-gray wings with black borders and details.

6. Pine Wilt Can Cause A Red Spruce

Despite its name, pine wilt disease does not affect only pine trees. In fact, it often also affects spruce trees. Nematodes, a type of parasitic worm, are the culprits behind this pesky affliction. And the way trees begin to show damage is somewhat counterintuitive as well.

When we think of worms, we often think of dirt. However, nematodes are a different type of worm. As a result, the damage they inflict on spruce and pine trees actually begins showing at the top of the tree, with browning needles, rather than near the base of the tree.

7. Winter Burn Can Make Your Spruce Tree Red

Spruce trees are well-known as evergreens. Of course, that means that they’re green all year long (more or less). However, one reason your spruce trees might not be green all year is winter burn.

It’s not a literal burn, but rather a condition that can occur as a result of damage to the needles. In particular, it’s damage that occurs during very cold winter months. Note: Winter burn often begins showing at the tops of trees, where the more serious damage starts.

Spruce Trees Need To Be Watered In The Winter Too

Although spruce trees are known to be tolerant of cold weather, that doesn’t mean it’s always an easy season for them. That’s especially true when temperatures are exceptionally low- and even more true when the winds are harsh.

You’re probably used to watering your trees regularly during the summer. What you might not realize is that spruce trees also need to be watered during the winter.

Dehydration, coupled with cold weather and high winds can easily lead to winter burn, which will cause spruce needles to turn brown.

8. White Pine Weevils May Make Your Spruce Red

Despite their name, white pine weevils can actually damage spruce trees, although Norway spruces are one of their favorites.

The good news is these pests usually attach to trees in higher elevations.

These pests feed on the bark and move to mate, after which, they dig holes into the bark to lay their eggs. If you see spots of sap or resin along your tree’s bark, there’s a chance that’s a result of white pine weevils feeding on your tree.

Another tell-tale sign of a white pine weevil infestation is affected branches that begin to droop, and turn light brown giving them a hook-like appearance. You’ll typically see this curve beginning later in springtime, and they will soon fall off the tree.

How To Treat Spruce Trees Turning Red Or Brown

Before we take a deeper dive into how to treat your spruce tree, it’s important to keep in mind that one cure won’t fix every affliction.

Because the cure is often specific to the cause, it’s important to know why your spruce tree is turning red or brown. Hence, why we’ve included the detailed descriptions above about identifying the cause of your tree’s discoloration.

However, some of the treatments do have different steps, so it’s important to first diagnose the problem, and then take the proper steps to treat it.

With that in mind, we’ll go over treatment options for each reason your spruce tree is turning red. Not only that, we’ll also review ways you can prevent these problems from happening in the future.

If your spruce seems to not jump back – you may need to cut it down, check out our article on why you may need to cut down your spruce tree.

Treating And Preventing Winter Burn

Even though you can’t control the weather, you can still help your spruce tree avoid the damage of winter burn.

It’s important to remember- one of the main causes of winter burn is dehydration.

You can check the soil to assess how dry or moist it is. If the soil is obviously dry, it’s definitely time to water the tree. But don’t worry, preparing the soil before winter can also help retain moisture. The best way to preserve moisture in the soil over winter is by adding mulch.

If you’re looking for a good mulch, we recommend Mighty Pine Mulch.

Treating Needle Cast And Spruce Needle Rust

Because needle cast and spruce needle rust are both afflictions that arise because of a fungus, most of the treatments are the same. For that reason, we’re grouping their treatments together.

The first thing to do is reduce excess moisture on your trees. Basically, if you have irrigation or sprinklers that also spray water onto your tree’s needles, direct them to another part of your yard.

Pruning Your Spruce Can Help

You can also prune your spruce tree to eliminate some branches within the bulk of it.

The goal here is to enable more ventilation (airflow) to the inner branches of your tree. In turn, this extra air will help wick away some moisture, making that part of your tree less susceptible to fungus.

Did you know that pruning can also keep the size of your tree manageable in the long run? Read more about it in our article on 6 simple steps to keeping a blue spruce tree small.

You May Need A Fungicide

While the measures above can help prevent it, if the fungus takes hold, you’ll need to use a fungicide. There are different fungicides you can use.

In the case of spruce needle rust, you can often forego fungicide treatments, unless the needle rust becomes severe.

If either needle cast or spruce needle rust is a recurring problem, you may need to use a preventative fungicide.

Copper-based fungicides are popular for preventing these issues, just like this Southern Ag Liquid Copper Fungicide.

Getting Rid Of Spider Mites

Spider mites are pesky pests, and they’re not easy to get rid of. Unfortunately, there aren’t many options to get rid of them without using a pesticide.

Of course, not all pesticides are created equally. There are certain types you can use, which are more eco-friendly and won’t harm other trees and plants around your spruce.

If an infestation is bad enough that it’s damaging your spruce tree, it needs treatment. Before you spray any pesticides on your tree, always check to make sure they’re not going to harm your tree as they get rid of the pests.

Simply giving your tree a good spray with water beforehand will help the efficacy. This helps dislodge some of the pests, which gives the treatment a head start.

Treating Tussock Moths

Tussock moths, much like spider mites, are best done away with by using a pesticide. However, they are easier to spot, which means prevention can be a key factor in keeping your spruce trees healthy.

You probably won’t know you have a tussock moth problem until your spruce tree suffers damage. And even after you treat your trees, you’ll want to keep an eye out for cocoons and tussock moth caterpillars the next time spring comes around.

If you do notice some cocoons, carefully remove them, and treat your tree again, if it’s within the acceptable time frame (some treatments should only be used every few months, so check the instructions).

In some cases, there are sprays that actually deter these pests for up to 12 months. If you’re looking for a low-maintenance solution that lasts, try BioAdvanced Tree and Shrub Protector.

Dealing With Pine Wilt On Your Spruce

Pine wilt disease is perhaps the most serious of all the afflictions we’ve covered. Unfortunately, because the nematodes spread very quickly, there’s not much you can do. Not only do they spread throughout the tree, but they also spread to surrounding trees.

Before you take drastic steps, you need to verify that your spruce tree does, in fact, have pine wilt disease. Why do you need to be absolutely sure? Because it’s commonly known that the only kind of solution is getting rid of the infested tree.

Unfortunately, if you leave the tree as it is, it will only allow the disease to spread to other plants and trees.

Treating White Pine Beetles And Weevils

While these are different pests, they have a lot of the same habits. As a result, you’ll need to treat them in similar ways. When you treat for white pine beetles and white pine weevils, prevention is key.

Adults typically nest over the winter and then mate and brood around the tree, allowing their offspring to take over the trees in the next spring.  Because of that, you need to spray trees in the spring, or you can choose a more holistic pesticide and apply it during the fall.

You typically only need to spray the main branches, or ‘leaders,’ which will help get rid of the larvae that like to hide in there. However, you don’t have to rely on only chemical methods. You can also carefully prune away branches where the pests have burrowed within.

The Takeaway

As soon as you see your spruce tree turning red or brown, you need to diagnose the issue. Finding the cause behind the discoloration is crucial.

Whether it’s winter burn, a fungus, or a pest infestation, you need to know what it is in order to properly treat it. Once you’ve treated the issue, do everything you can to prevent it from coming back.

References:

Burke, M. J., Gusta, L. V., Quamme, H. A., Weiser, C. J., & Li, P. H. (1976). Freezing and injury in plants. Annual Review of plant physiology, 27(1), 507-528.

Fischl, G., Csöndes, I., Kadlicsko, S., & Józsa, A. (2008). Study on the factors provoking the reddening and decline of blue spruce (Picea pungens Engelm.). Növényvédelem, 44(8), 401-402.

Heiniger, U., & Schmid, M. (1989). Association of Tiarosporella parca with needle reddening and needle cast in Norway spruce. European journal of forest pathology, 19(3), 144-150.

Lewis, K. J., & Lindgren, B. S. (2002). Relationship between spruce beetle and tomentosus root disease: two natural disturbance agents of spruce. Canadian Journal of Forest Research, 32(1), 31-37.

Whitney, R. D. (1962). Studies in forest pathology: XXIV. Polyporus tomentosus Fr. as a major factor in stand-opening disease of white spruce. Canadian Journal of Botany, 40(12), 1631-1658.

If you have a fireplace or wood burning stove, you may want to cut your own wood and season it yourself. Plus, if you have plenty of spruce trees on your property, then you’re golden! Spruce wood is great wood for a fireplace or wood burning stove, but before you get started with seasoning it, there are a few things you need to know so that it’s seasoned properly.

Depending on many factors such as weather, when the wood is cut, and how small the pieces are, seasoning spruce wood can take as little as 6 months to as many as 18 months. Spruce wood stored in dry, warmer conditions will season faster than wood stored outdoors in the elements.

There are many determining factors to take into consideration, but spruce can make a decent firewood when it’s properly seasoned. Keep reading as we go through the best ways to season spruce wood, and how long it will take for it to dry!

Is Spruce A Good Choice For Firewood?

Spruce trees are evergreen conifers that are often found in the northern reaches of North America. Typically, evergreens like spruce are considered softwoods which don’t burn as long or as hot as most other hardwood species such as maple, hickory, and oak.

Spruce wood is fairly decent as a firewood as long as it’s properly seasoned. Spruce wood doesn’t have much of an odor when it’s burned and produces only a slight bit of smoke.

A cord of spruce firewood puts out approximately 15 to 16 million BTUs of heat when burned. Depending on the specific variety of spruce, it can produce very few sparks (Engelmann Spruce) to a lot of sparks and popping (White, Blue, Norway Spruce).

Here’s a quick chart to compare spruce firewood with other popular species.

Now, keep in mind the specific species of tree as this is a general chart. For instance, most species of pine really snap, crackle and pop when they’re lit and are much better to be used outdoors while most species of oak and maple are produce excellent heat and are low popping (white oak being exceptional in that regard.)

For more information, check out our article on the 9 firewoods that produce the least amount of smoke to see some of the best for indoor fireplaces! You can also bookmark our guide on the hottest firewoods to compare BTU’s across popular species.

Spruce Can Cause Creosote Buildup

Honestly, all firewood when it’s burned creates some buildup. The smoke that rises into the air, or flows through the chimney can accumulate inside. When too much collects, that’s when things can get dicey. According to the EPA, creosote comes from the tar of burning wood.

Burning green firewood or wood species that contain a lot of sap can cause creosote buildup faster. Spruce firewood is a sappy wood, but when it’s seasoned properly, it won’t smoke much or cause problematic buildup.

It’s a good habit to have a professional chimney service technician check your chimney every year before starting your first fire of the season. They can tell you if it needs to be swept out or not and can offer the service for you.

The Need-To-Knows For Seasoning Spruce Wood

Although we’d love to say that spruce wood can be used immediately – that’s just not the case. There are so many considerations you need to take to make sure your spruce wood is dried properly so that it’s effective as firewood.

1. Spruce Wood Should Be Cut To A Certain Size

Firewood is usually cut to lengths between 16” and 18”. Then it should be split into pieces between six to eight inches wide. When firewood is split and cut in this manner, more surface area is opened so the wood is able to dry faster.

If you’re using a fallen spruce tree, make sure to take a look at our guide on what to check for before using dead trees as firewood.

2. The Wood Should Be Dried To 20% Moisture Or Lower To Use

Weather, stacking, and location can all factor into how long it takes for spruce to season.

You are looking for the wood to dry out to a moisture content of around 20% or lower. You can use visual and physical clues to determine the approximate dryness of the wood.

3. When There Are Radial Cracks On The Wood, It’s Ready!

When you see greyed ends of the spruce wood and notice small, radial surface cracks, the wood is usually dry enough to burn.

Are There Any Simple Tricks To Determine If Spruce Wood Is Dry Enough?

Yes! Luckily, there are a few good ways to test the dryness of the wood – let’s take a peak below.

Dry Wood Makes A Ring Sound

Dry wood when knocked against each other makes a distinct sound. Dry wood sounds more like a ring, compared to the dull-sounding “thunk” of wet wood.

Burn One Piece To Test The Dryness

Another way to test the dryness of the firewood is to burn one piece. Throw a small piece into a roaring fire and notice how it burns. If the wood catches fire in a few minutes, then it’s properly seasoned. If the wood smokes, sizzles, or struggles to catch fire, it still has too much moisture trapped inside.

The best way to know for sure how wet or dry your wood is, is to use a moisture meter. The General Tools MMD4E Digital Moisture Meter will give you an accurate measurement so there’s no guesswork. The digital readout tells you exactly how much moisture is present in your firewood so you know the exact moment it’s properly seasoned.

How Long It Takes To Season Spruce Wood (And How To Do It)

So, without further ado – how long does it take to season spruce wood? 

Spruce Wood Can Season In As Little As Six Months

Wood dries out when exposed to the sun and warm temperatures. Wind and rain are also factors in drying out firewood. Under the optimum conditions, spruce wood can season in as few as six months.

To achieve a quick turnaround on your spruce firewood, you should cut and split it in the winter. 

When the colder months settle in, the sap in spruce trees retreats to the roots, meaning it won’t be as sticky and gummy when you cut and split it. This also helps the wood season faster as it doesn’t have to contend with so much sap.

Spruce Wood Can Take Up To 18 Months To Season In Sub-Optimal Conditions

There are a few reasons why your spruce wood can take a long time to season – and especially it takes longer if you don’t do it correctly. 

Any tree that’s cut down will eventually dry out, or simply rot if it’s kept too wet. By not allowing airflow, keeping it in the shade, or being too covered up, you could be looking at a much longer seasoning time.

Why It May Take Longer To Season Spruce Wood

1. Leaving your spruce firewood whole (not split), improperly stacked, and going through a rainy, humid, snowy season can take extra time for your firewood to dry.
    
2. Stacking your firewood right up against a structure like a garage or the side of your house will restrict airflow causing the wood to season slower.
   
3. Even cutting the trees at the wrong time can add months to seasoning time.
   
4. If your spruce tree is storing sap.

When springtime rolls around, the sap that was being stored in the roots of the tree starts to flow through the trunk and out to the leaves, or needles in the case of spruce trees. This sap is thick and sticky. Have you ever cut or damaged a pine tree? Very sticky!

That heavy sap moves throughout the tree during the warmer months and takes a long time to dry out. This sap also causes more sparks and popping and smoke when the wood is burned.

What Is The Best Way To Season Spruce Firewood?

There is a proper method to seasoning spruce, and all firewood for that matter. To season firewood correctly you need plenty of sunlight, warm temperatures, airflow, and protect the wood from water. You also need to know the best way to stack your firewood for proper seasoning.

1. Get Your Spruce Wood Into The Sun Quickly

First and foremost, you need to keep your spruce wood off the ground and in a spot that gets a lot of sun. In fact, don’t let it sit on the ground for more than a day or two before you stack it up. Leaving the split wood on the ground can invite bugs and fungus to start attacking your hard work.

The sun is one of the best and fastest ways to get your spruce wood seasoned. Chances are, you cut the tree(s) down in a shady forest. Don’t waste any time in getting it processed and out into the bright sunlight. 

Find a spot on your property that gets plenty of sunlight and isn’t shaded. Southern exposure is best, as the sun is hottest in this direction, and shines longer from the South.

If you haven’t cut the tree down yet, plan it out so that you have time to cut the trees, split them and get them stacked in the sun within a short amount of time. Plan an extended weekend if you have several trees to cut down and split. Leaving the wood on damp, leaf littered, shady ground will invite rot and insects toward the cut wood.

If you’re looking for an excuse to take down that spruce tree in your yard, take a look at our piece on the reasons to cut down your spruce tree, along with the best time to do so!

2. Cut Your Spruce Firewood Into Smaller Pieces

Smaller pieces of wood create more surface area for the moisture to evaporate faster. You should cut the spruce wood into 16 to 18-inch pieces and then split them. This not only helps the wood to dry faster but makes it easier to fit into wood burning stoves and fireplaces. Spruce wood is known for being fairly knotty, which can make splitting more difficult. The optimal split size is between six to eight inches thick.

This size helps to season your wood faster and gives plenty of surface area for the wood to burn quickly and hot. Logs that are too large can smolder for a long time. When this happens the wood can create a lot of smoke and produce less heat.

If you’re only planning on cutting a few trees, then the Fiskars Super Splitting Axe is just the thing to make this chore a little bit easier. Of course, cutting the logs shorter will make them easier to split, even if they are full of knots.

According to the USDA, there are a few spots with limitations to cutting firewood and you may need a permit .

3. Stack The Wood Off The Ground To Allow Proper Airflow

Stacking your spruce firewood properly is extremely important. You don’t want to throw it all into a loose pile. Sure the outer logs will dry quickly, but inside where there’s little to no sunlight or airflow, the wood could rot, get termites and other insects, and take longer to season.

First, use something to lift the firewood off the ground. You can use pallets, bricks, cut saplings, or whatever you have handy to keep your firewood off the wet ground. You only need to get it elevated by a few inches.

Crisscrossing the wood may end up taking up more space, but it allows more airflow between the logs. This helps to dry the wood faster. If it’s packed tightly, it will take longer to dry it out as wind and air have a harder time flowing around the wood.

4. Keep The Spruce Wood Five Feet From Any Structures

Good airflow is another way to season wet firewood quickly. This means not only stacking the wood in a manner to get maximum airflow, but also keeping the stack away from obstacles and walls.

Don’t stack your firewood up against your garage, a building, or near other trees. You should leave at the very least, five feet of distance away from your stack.

If you know the direction the wind typically blows in your area, stacking the wood with the ends facing the wind will help to season it faster. Wind helps to carry surface moisture away from the wood. Sun and heat bring the water out, but the wind is what carries it away.

5. Store The Wood Away From Water

When storing and stacking your spruce firewood, keep it away from water. While this is intuitive, think about things like sprinklers, and low lying areas that may flood in your yard. You don’t want to store your wood in these areas.

Many yards now have sprinklers to keep the yard looking green and lush, be sure not to stack your firewood anywhere near sprinklers. The water spraying on them every day will obviously hinder the seasoning process.

Also, watch out for low areas that tend to gather water after rain. You don’t want to have your firewood soaking up water from the ground while it’s trying to dry. That’s why it’s stacked off the ground.

6. Cover Your Spruce Wood If You Expect Rain Or Snow

For the best results, don’t cover the firewood stack unless you’re expecting a lot of rain or heavy snow. When you do cover, don’t let it go all the way to the ground, the wood still needs airflow. The best way to cover is to only protect the top of your firewood stack, and then remove it when the sun comes back out.

How To Protect The Firewood While Uncovered

Another way to protect your wood without covering it is to put the bark side up at the top of the stack. Tree bark has natural water-repelling properties, so even in rain and snow, most of the water will end up running off the wood instead of soaking in.

Now, if you have a way to cover the firewood stacks with a structure, or roof, several feet above the stack, this would be ideal. It’s not necessary but will certainly help speed up the process. Rain will hit the roof and run off without getting the wood wet, and it still has plenty of sunlight and wind drying it out.

Following all these steps, and with ideal conditions like getting perfect, warm, sunny, slightly windy weather—which, really, how often does that happen?—will allow your spruce firewood to properly season in as little as six months.

How To Store Seasoned Spruce Wood

Once your spruce firewood is properly seasoned, you may want to move it closer to your house. Picking a more convenient place will make things easier when you have to go outside in the cold to bring more wood in for the fire.

Once it’s dry, you want to protect it from rain, and you don’t have to worry so much about airflow or sunlight anymore.

1. Stack The Firewood All One Way

Now your spruce firewood is properly seasoned, you can re-stack it to take up less space. You can move it closer to your garage or house, and stack it all one way instead of doing the crisscross method.

Stacking it this way saves space and will leave the wood stack looking neater. It still needs to stay a few inches off the ground. If you will be burning firewood every winter for heat, investing in a firewood rack may be worth it.

If you plan on storing your firewood for an extended period of time or will be replenishing your stacks every year, getting a sturdy stand will make your life easier. The Woodhaven 8-Foot Firewood Log Rack with Cover is a great option. It’s made of rust-resistant, powder-coated steel and comes with a rain and snow cover.

2. Keep Your Spruce Wood Covered After It’s Seasoned

Now is the time to cover your wood to protect it from rain and snow. Only the top needs to be covered. A tarp or heavy plastic can do the trick, but only let it drop down about a foot or so.

When rain hits your firewood, some will be absorbed into the wood, which will make burning difficult. While it will dry out quickly, if you need the wood immediately, you’ll have to remove the top layers to get to dryer wood that will burn quickly.

If you’re storing your firewood over the ground, it’s a good idea to cover the ground with a tarp or polyethylene plastic. Moisture will rise from the ground, grass and weeds can grow underneath it and cause the bottom logs to remain humid. These problems will invite pests and possible rot, so block that moisture with an impermeable barrier.

3. Make Sure To Allow For Good Airflow Under The Wood

Another reason you don’t want to completely cover your firewood is it still needs airflow. When it’s covered tightly or all the way to the bottom the firewood can deteriorate. Moisture can accumulate under a cover, and if there’s no airflow to carry it away, the wood can become moldy.

Final Thoughts

Spruce firewood can be a fair wood to burn either in your fireplace or for heat. You need to season it properly though.

To season spruce firewood correctly and in the shortest amount of time, you need to:

• Cut the spruce trees in the winter when the sap is stored in the roots
• Get the cut wood into the sun quickly
• Cut the wood into small, easy to handle pieces
• Allow plenty of airflow
• Stack it correctly
• And keep the spruce firewood out of water

When all of these steps are followed, you can get your spruce firewood seasoned in as few as six months!

For more information and to learn about other types of firewood check out our article on the best firewood to burn overall!

References

Câmpu, Vasile Razvan. “Determination of the conversion factor of stacked wood in solid content at spruce pulpwood and firewood with the length of two and three meters.” Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Brasov. Forestry, Wood Industry, Agricultural Food Engineering. Series II 5.1 (2012): 31.

Ramos, Marcelo Alves, and Ulysses Paulino de Albuquerque. “The domestic use of firewood in rural communities of the Caatinga: How seasonality interferes with patterns of firewood collection.” Biomass and Bioenergy 39 (2012): 147-158.

Victorian National Parks Association. “The sustainable firewood guide.” Park Watch 253 (2013): 19-22.

Nord-Larsen, Thomas, et al. “Drying of firewood–the effect of harvesting time, tree species and shelter of stacked wood.” Biomass and Bioenergy 35.7 (2011): 2993-2998.

With their tall pyramid shape and blue-green needles that stick around all year, spruce trees make for a lovely landscape piece. To keep your spruce tree happy and healthy, you’ll want to make sure you’re giving it enough water to avoid putting stress on the tree.

Young and newly planted spruce trees require more water than established ones. Drought-stressed spruce trees should be watered thoroughly during all seasons, especially when needles are browning. For every inch of trunk diameter, your spruce tree should get at least a gallon of water.

Spruce trees that are water-stressed are more likely to develop disease or fall prey to pests. Below, we’ll go over a few tips for how often you should be watering your spruce tree!

When Your Spruce Tree Needs To Be Watered

If your spruce tree is looking healthy and growing just fine, does it need to be watered or can you leave it alone?

Spruce trees don’t always need to be watered. However, under certain conditions, you should take the time to water your spruce tree to prevent drought stress.

Some examples of when you need to water your spruce tree include:

• When it’s young
• When it’s first transplanted
• During dry periods or droughts

According to the University of Nebraska, signs of drought stress may not show immediately. If your spruce is water-stressed in July, you may not see symptoms until late August or September. 

Looking for signs of drought stress is essential, but it’s even MORE important to prevent water stress before it happens. This means paying attention to the weather and understanding when your spruce needs watering.

9 Tips For Watering Your Spruce Tree

Water is essential for spruce tree health. Too little or too much and your spruce tree is going to start shedding needles and looking droopy.

Nobody wants a spruce tree that turns from brilliant green to a drab brown! Let’s check out a few tips for watering your spruce tree so you can keep it healthy, green, and thriving.

1. Check For Soil Dryness

Just because it sprinkled rain a few days ago doesn’t mean your spruce tree has had enough water. Many of the roots of a spruce tree go deep into the soil, meaning small amounts of rain aren’t going to cut it.

Check the soil around your spruce tree to get a more accurate idea of whether or not it needs to be watered.

In general, if you place your finger in the soil and it’s dry, your spruce tree needs watering. If you’re willing to go a little more in-depth, you should check the top 6-9 inches of soil for dryness to get a more accurate picture.

It’s important to note that if 1 inch or more of rain is predicted to occur that week, even if the soil is dry, you do not need to water your spruce. Overwatering can promote the growth of fungus, so if heavy rain is in the forecast, hold off on watering.

2. Know The Soil Under Your Spruce Tree

Spruce trees can thrive in a variety of soil types, from sand to clay. The type of soil where your spruce tree is planted is an important factor when considering how much and how often to water.

There are three basic types of soil texture:

• Sand: Sand is the most porous soil type. The particles are very large and therefore allow water to flow freely through.
  
• Clay: Clay has the smallest particles and holds water longer than sand.
  
• Silt: Silt falls somewhere in between sand and clay.

Knowing what type of soil you have under your spruce tree can give you an idea of how often you should water. 

Spruce trees planted in soils with a higher sand content will need to be watered more often. The opposite is true for clay. Most of the time, the soil will be some combination of these three textures. Very rarely is soil completely clay or completely sand.

Make sure to take note if you have plants under your spruce tree, as they can impact the watering requirements (more competition = more water needed.)

3. Newly Planted Spruce Trees Should Be Watered

It’s very exciting to plant a new tree in the yard. You have to pick out the perfect spot and envision what it will be like when the tree is fully grown.

Transplanting a spruce tree from a container to the yard can be tricky. One thing that is recommended is to thoroughly soak the soil once your tree is planted. 

According to the University of Minnesota, you can use the diameter of the tree trunk to determine how much water your spruce tree should need at the time of transplant. At a minimum, for every 1 inch of trunk diameter, the tree will need 1 gallon of water.

After your spruce tree is transplanted, there is going to be a period where the tree is adjusting to its new home and getting all settled in. 

At this time, the roots will begin reaching out into the soil. What you don’t want is to only water the top few inches of soil. This is going to teach the roots that they should not dive deep into the soil for water, but stay close to the surface.

You’ll want to water the transplant deeply to train the roots to establish deep within the soil. This will promote a stronger tree that can better withstand high winds and storms.

If you’re considering planting a new spruce tree, take a peak at our guide on the best spruce trees to plant!

4. Water Spruce Trees Deeply For Better Root Growth

Spruce trees are particularly sensitive to drought conditions. One of the reasons is because of the way their roots respond to water stress.

According to an article in the Journal of Forest Ecology and Management, drought causes an increase in fine root mortality. In other words, the small roots that are reaching out for new resources die off quickly during drought conditions.

Fine roots are responsible for absorbing both nutrients and water in the soil. When these roots die back from drought, they can no longer deliver water and nutrients to the leaves (needles) of the spruce tree.

This is why spruce tree needles turn brown when the tree is water stressed!

One way to prevent drought stress is to water your spruce tree deeply as opposed to just a surface sprinkle. Watering your lawn isn’t enough to keep a spruce tree watered.

It’s recommended to water so that the soil is wet down to at least 9 inches. Providing water deeper into the soil will help train spruce tree roots to establish farther into the soil as opposed to shallower surface roots.

5. Use Mulch To Retain Moisture

Mulch has so many benefits around the yard. Not only does it make your yard look neat and trim, but it also helps keep moisture in the soil longer and protects your tree from the cold in winter.

It’s basically just a big security blanket for your spruce tree!

There are a few things to note when using mulch around your spruce tree:

• Remove all grass first: Spruce trees compete with grass for surface water, and grass usually wins because the roots are so fibrous. Make sure to remove all grass before you put your mulch down.
  
• Choose the right mulch: Make sure you purchase quality mulch so that you’re not running into problems with insect pests that may be hiding in lower-quality mulch.
  
• Give the trunk breathing room: Keep the mulch at least a foot away from the tree trunk to ensure the trunk has room to grow and is not smothered.
  
• Avoid over-mulching: You can add 2-3 inches of mulch around the tree, but it’s not recommended to go any deeper as this can promote weeds, smother roots, and give mice and rats a nice home to live in while they gnaw on your spruce’s roots!

Depending on what kind of spruce tree you have, you may not be able to use mulch. For example, blue spruce trees often have branches that reach the ground.

It’s not recommended to trim these branches, so you’ll have to employ some of our other tips to keep your spruce tree well-watered.

6. Use A Slow Trickle Of Water

When we think of watering deeply, you may be thinking of using a hose or a pail to pour tons of water at the base of your spruce tree.

This will get the job done, but it’s not as efficient as using a slow trickle of water over a longer period. Instead of giving your spruce tree a ton of water all at once, consider using your hose or an irrigation system to let a slow trickle come out over the course of several hours.

To use a slow trickle of water you can simply set your hose out near your spruce tree and set the nozzle to only drip water instead of a constant stream. 

The best time to use your hose to water your spruce tree is in the evening. Let it trickle throughout the night and turn it off in the morning. This will help completely saturate the soil but the slow trickle means the soil will not be soaking wet.

Alternatively, you can hook up an irrigation system using something like Flantor Garden Irrigation System. 

This kit comes with tubing, nozzles, and spikes that you can hook up to your water supply, making it easy to drip-feed your spruce as opposed to lugging out the garden hose every week.

Just remember, if there’s rain in the forecast that week, it’s better not to water your spruce tree. Overwatering can create just as many problems as underwatering.

If you have a blue spruce, under-watering could be one of the reasons why your blue spruce isn’t blue.

7. Water Beyond Your Spruce Tree’s Dripline

How much water you give your spruce tree is an important aspect of keeping your spruce tree healthy. Where you water may be just as important!

When you bust out the garden hose or your irrigation system, you can’t just spray all willy-nilly around your spruce tree. 

Spraying too close to the trunk of your spruce tree can promote the growth of fungus. Try to avoid too much water in a 12-inch circle around the trunk of the spruce tree.

You can drip feed or use an irrigation system beyond this 12 inches. Most of the time when people water their trees they only water to the drip line. 

The dripline is the outermost region of the spread of the tree. So when it rains, figure out how far out the rain drips from your tree’s leaves and branches. This is the dripline, which goes in a circle around the entire tree.

The problem with only watering up to the dripline is that the tree’s roots can grow far beyond that point. Make sure to water your spruce tree beyond its dripline to give far-reaching roots enough water.

The healthier your spruce tree is, the less chance that it will fall to pests or tree afflictions.

8. Remove Grass Under Your Spruce Tree

We mentioned grass a little bit earlier when we talked about mulching around your spruce tree. It’s certainly a good idea to remove grass before placing down mulch.

It’s also a good idea to remove grass entirely from under your spruce tree, whether you mulch it or not. Grass should be removed under your spruce tree for a few different reasons:

• Competition: Grass roots are very shallow and will compete with deeper spruce roots for water and nutrients. Unfortunately, because shallow roots get the first shot at rainwater, there may not be enough left for deeper spruce roots.
  
• Pests: some pests like rabbits, gophers, squirrels, and mice find haven in tall grass. These animals are also known to damage trees by chewing bark, twigs, and even root systems of spruce trees.
  
• Reduce mowing damage: If you have grass under your spruce tree, chances are you have to mow it or use a weed trimmer. Using this type of equipment close to your spruce tree can damage the tree and any shallow roots.

If your spruce is looking a little sad or the needles are turning brown, it may be because the grass is hogging all the water. 

With grass removed and a proper watering schedule, your spruce tree will be on its way to a healthy recovery!

9. Water Your Spruce Tree At The Right Time

Watering is extremely important to the health of your spruce tree. However, if you water at the wrong time, it could cause your spruce tree to expend energy it doesn’t have to process the water.

Here’s when you should water your spruce tree:

• Directly after planting it
• When the soil feels dry to the touch (if there’s no rain in the forecast)
• During a drought
• If there’s been less than an inch of precipitation over a 7-day period
• If needles begin turning brown
• In the fall, just after the leaves start to change and before the ground freezes

Regular maintenance watering can be done once a month with a thorough soaking if none of the conditions above are present. 

Here’s when you shouldn’t water your spruce tree:

• When the ground is frozen
• In August (according to Montana State University, this helps your spruce harden off for winter)
• If it has rained 1 inch or more in the past week
• If the soil is still moist to the touch

Watering at the right time is just as important as the amount of water. 

10. Spruce Trees Need A Lot Of Water

We talked about how spruce trees are somewhat drought-sensitive. Why do these trees need so much water and why can’t they stand dry conditions?

One of the main reasons has to do with the fact that spruce trees are evergreen. While other trees are lazy and go to sleep in the winter, spruce trees are still hard at work.

Since spruce trees photosynthesize all year long, they require more water than the average deciduous tree that goes dormant. Watering helps keep spruces, like the blue spruce, more blue!

Spruce tree needles have adapted to this need by having a waxy coating over the needles. This helps keep the moisture inside the needles instead of letting it evaporate into the air.

Why Your Spruce Tree Might Still Turn Brown After Watering

If you’re giving your spruce tree enough water but the needles are still turning brown, there may be something else going on.

Here are some of the reasons why your spruce tree is still turning brown even though you’re watering it:

• Grass: If your spruce tree has grass underneath it, the grass could be absorbing most of the water that’s going into the soil. Try clearing the grass away and see if your spruce improves.
  
• Frozen ground: If the ground is frozen, there is no way for the water to reach your spruce tree’s roots. Wait until the ground thaws before watering your spruce tree again.
  
• Pests: Spider mites, sawflies, and bagworms can affect a spruce tree’s appearance, making it look water stressed.
  
• Tree affliction: Needle cast causes spruce needles to turn brown. However, this is usually kept at bay if trees are not stressed.
  
• Lack of nutrients: Your spruce tree may be suffering from a lack of nutrients. This is a good time to use fertilizer to give your spruce trees a good boost. 

Scott’s Evergreen Flowering Tree & Shrub Continuous Release Plant Food is high in nitrogen, which is just what spruce trees need.

You can read more about the best spruce tree fertilizers here.

How To Tell If Your Spruce Tree Needs Water

All trees have a way of letting us know that they are lacking certain things such as water or nutrients.

Spruce trees are no different, and they can show us a few obvious signs that they need a little extra care and water:

• Discolored needles: needles will typically change to a light green and then to brown as they continue to remain stressed. Branch tips are the first to be affected.
  
• Brittle branches & needles: As the tree branch begins to die back, the needles will become brittle due to a lack of proper water and nutrition. Eventually, this will spread to the entire branch.
  
• Falling needles: Some needle shed is normal, but if there are a ton of needles falling off your spruce tree, it might be water stress.

If you’re seeing any of these signs, it’s definitely time to give your spruce tree a deep watering to get it back to a healthy green.

On a side note, if you’re spruce tree seems damaged beyond repair, check out when the best times to cut down your spruce tree are.

That’s All For Now!

That’s all the tips we have for watering your spruce tree! It’s important to properly water your spruce tree to keep it healthy, strong, and green.

Now for a quick recap.

Here are some tips for how often you should be watering your spruce tree:

• Check soil dryness
• Check soil type
• Water newly transplanted spruce trees
• Water deeply to promote deep root growth
• Use mulch
• Use a hose or irrigation to slow-trickle water
• Water beyond the dripline
• Remove grass
• Water at the right time

If you’re ever in doubt, contact a local arborist to get a professional opinion. They can tell you exactly what kind of state your spruce tree is in and how often you should be watering it!

References

Gaul, D., Hertel, D., Borken, W., Matzner, E., & Leuschner, C. (2008, August 20). Effects of experimental drought on the fine root system of mature Norway spruce. Forest Ecology and Management, 256(5), 1151-1159.

Nadezhdina, N., Cermak, J., Gasparek, J., Nadezhdin, V., & Prax, A. (2006, October 01). Vertical and horizontal water redistribution in Norway spruce (picea abies) roots in the Moravian Upland. Tree Physiology, 26(10), 1277-1288.

Puhe, J. (2003, March 03). Growth and development of the root system of Norway spruce (Picea abies) in forest stands – a review. Forest Ecology and Management, 175(1-3), 253-273.

Pukacki, P. M., & Kaminska-Rozek, E. (2005, March 16). Effect of drought stress on chlorophyll a fluorescence and electrical admittance of shoots in Norway spruce seedlings. Trees, 19, 539-544.

Rasanen, J. V., Yli-Pirila, P., Holopainen, T., Joutsensaari, J., Pasanen, P., & Kivimaenpaa, M. (2012). Soil drought increases atmospheric fine particle capture efficiency of Norway spruce. Boreal Environment Research, 17, 21-30.

When winter rolls around, spruce trees become the centerpiece of our yards with their green needles that stand out bright against the white snow. These cold-climate natives will make a great addition to your yard and with so many varieties, you’re sure to find a spruce tree that fits your needs.

Some of the best spruce trees to plant in your yard include Black, Serbian, Weeping White, Norway, Black Hills, Colorado Blue, Dwarf Alberta, Sitka, and White Spruce. These spruce trees adapt to a variety of soil and weather conditions, providing plenty of interesting colors during the cold gray winter.

Below, we’ll go over the best spruce trees to plant, the pros and cons of each spruce, and a little bit about how to make sure your chosen spruce thrives. Let’s get to it!

What Are Spruce Trees?

Most people are familiar with spruce trees and know them as evergreen trees with needles. This is a pretty basic explanation but serves its purpose.

If you dig a little deeper into the details, you’ll find that spruce trees are conifers, meaning they produce cones instead of showy flowers. They are evergreens, which means they continue to perform photosynthesis all year and drop their leaves (needles) slowly.

Spruce trees, along with many other needled evergreens, have a waxy coating on their needles. This helps retain water and is especially helpful in the winter when the water in the ground is frozen and can’t be absorbed by the spruce tree.

According to the University of Missouri, spruce trees are native to cool climates. They do not perform as well in warm, humid weather compared to cool, dry weather. In general, spruce trees do well in hardiness zones 3 through 7, with some exceptions.

Most spruce trees are resistant to pests and diseases. Aphids, spider mites, and spruce budworms will occasionally plague spruce trees but rarely kill them. Deer, porcupines, and other woodland creatures will flock to spruce trees for cover and occasionally snack on the bark.

You can expect spruce trees to grow anywhere from 10 feet to over 100 feet, depending on the species. They typically require less maintenance than deciduous trees, but still require some care, especially when first planted.

Spruce trees will benefit from fertilizer a few seasons after they are established. Allow the spruce to grow a solid root system before supplying with a fertilizer high in nitrogen such as Cesco Solutions Urea Fertilizer.

You can read more about the best spruce tree fertilizers here.

There are 35 different species of spruce trees to choose from, but the ones we put on our list are going to be the easiest to grow, give the best color, and fit a variety of landscapes.

The Best Spruce Trees To Plant

If you’re considering planting a spruce tree, you’ve made a good choice! These trees can provide some much-needed aesthetic relief in the winter and will look beautiful in your yard.

But before you choose a specific spruce species, take into consideration the environment you will be planting it in:

• Drainage: Some species of spruce do better in wet conditions, others need well-draining soil that won’t hold water.
  
• Temperature: Check out the hardiness zone where you live to determine if your spruce will survive the cold (or hot) season.
  
•  Landscape: Do you have a place in your yard picked out that will provide your spruce with enough space and sunlight to grow?
  
• Weather: Take into consideration if the area where you live is prone to drought or flood and be sure to pick a spruce variety that can withstand these challenges.

We will cover all of these points below to make sure you’re choosing the right spruce tree for your yard!

Black Spruce

Black spruce trees go by a few different names including bog spruce and swamp spruce. As these names suggest, it prefers moist environments.

With that being said, you don’t necessarily need wet soil to grow black spruce trees. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), black spruce prefers wet, organic soils but can withstand soils ranging from sandy to clay.

You can expect black spruce trees to grow between 40 and 65 feet tall if given the right conditions. They will thrive in hardiness zones 3 through 6.

Pros:

• Does well in smaller yards
• Does well in wet soil
• Can be grown in a wide range of soils types

Cons:

• Slow growth
• Performs poorly in warm weather above zone 6
• Not as readily available at nurseries

Serbian Spruce

Of all the species of spruce trees, Serbian spruces are considered one of the best-looking in the landscape. They have dark green, flat needles with white bands on the underside that give them a gorgeous silvery cast when they blow in the wind.

According to Penn State University, Serbian spruce trees grow to around 50 feet in height and 20 to 25 feet wide. They are a good tree to plant in small- to medium-sized yards.

Serbian spruce will thrive in hardiness zones 4 through 7, so they are not as cold-tolerant as black spruce, but they are more readily available at nurseries than black spruce.

Pros:

• Adaptable to a wide range of PH, drainage, and soil conditions
• Stunning ornamental value
• Resistant to most pests and diseases

Cons:

• Cannot be planted near the road as it will not tolerate salt

Weeping White Spruce

The weeping white spruce is smaller, reaching a height of just 40 feet with a spread of 8 feet. It is native to North America and does best in full to partial sun.

These evergreens thrive in zones 2 through 9, making them one of the most cold-hardy trees on our list and one of the most adaptable to warm weather as well.

Weeping whites are known for being tolerant of a wide range of conditions. They also have a moderate growth rate of 12 inches per year and you can expect them to reach 10’ by year 10.

One of the best aspects of weeping white spruce is its attractiveness in the yard. With accented needles of blue-green that grow in a drooping manner, weeping whites are sure to be a talking piece in your yard.

Pros:

• Adaptable to a wide range of site conditions
• Ornamental value
• Low-maintenance care
• Resistant to pests and disease

Cons:

• Not drought-tolerant

Norway Spruce

As the name suggests, Norway spruce is native to Europe. These stately trees grow both tall and wide, and should only be planted in yards that have plenty of space.

Norway spruces will reach a height of up to 75 feet (possibly more) with a spread of up to 50 feet. Talk about a stately tree! According to the Nebraska Forest Service, they grow in a pyramid shape, giving them a nice shape in your landscape.

Another cold-hardy spruce, Norway spruces will thrive in hardiness zones 2 through 7. They prefer full sun and will do best when given plenty of space to grow.

Pros:

• Does well in urban environments
• Can withstand a wide range of environmental conditions and soil types
• Fast growth rate – 13 to 24 inches per year

Cons:

• Not drought tolerant
• Requires a lot of space – not good for small yards
• Loses its shape in old age

As a personal note, I have a few of these trees next to our house. They are SO beautiful when maintained properly.

Black Hills Spruce

This South Dakota native is a favorite landscape tree for many homeowners. It’s quite cold-resistant, thriving in hardiness zones 2 through 6.

You can expect Black Hills spruce to reach a mature height of around 30 to 60 feet. This tree has a lot of wildlife value, providing birds with nesting areas and cover during winter. The bark is eaten by both porcupines and deer.

The dense, pyramidal shape of black hill spruce when young makes it a great choice for a Christmas tree. They prefer full sun and grow best in moist, loamy soils.

Pros:

• Drought-tolerant
• Wildlife value
• Nice ornamental value – deep green to blue needles

Cons:

• Slow growth rate
• Does poorly in compact soil
• Sensitive to flooding

Colorado Blue Spruce

The Colorado blue spruce is probably one of the most sought-after landscape trees. They are very attractive with bluish-green to bluish-silver needles on branches that spread out horizontally from the trunk.

This western native typically reaches a height of around 30 to 65 feet. According to the University of Nebraska, it prefers full sun and performs poorly in shade. 

Like the Norway Spruce, Colorado blues thrive in hardiness zones 2 through 7, making them one of the widest-tolerating spruce trees when it comes to temperature.

Colorado blue spruce does well in windy conditions. An article in the Journal of Geophysical Research found that these evergreens will streamline themselves to withstand high winds, similar to how a sportscar is streamlined to reduce drag.

Pros:

• Ornamental value
• Drought-tolerant
• Wind-tolerant

Cons:

• Intolerant of shade
• More susceptible to pests and diseases than some other spruce species

If you want to go this route take a look at our guides on keep your blue spruce small or making your blue spruce more blue!

Dwarf Alberta Spruce

Dwarf Alberta Spruce is a very popular spruce tree for landscapes because of its tiny nature. It will take around 30 years for it to reach a height of just 10 feet.

According to Virginia State University, these evergreens can survive in hardiness zones 2 through 6, but they do best in cooler climates. You can plant dwarf Alberta in full sun or partial shade, and they prefer well-drained soil that doesn’t hold moisture for very long.

One thing to note about the dwarf Alberta is that it is a dwarf variety of white spruce. While growing, the gene that tells the tree to be a dwarf may get turned off and it will revert to being full-grown.

You can avoid this unfortunate situation by pruning the non-dwarf branches back as soon as you notice them. An article from the University of Toronto speculates that the more sun a dwarf Alberta gets, the more likely it is to revert to being a full-grown spruce.

Another problem with Dwarf Alberta spruce is the possibility of spider mite infestations. This will happen more often in areas with poor air circulation. You can use a Miticide like AgroMagen to help mitigate the problem.

Pros:

• Excellent for small yards
• Slow growth – Will stay small for many decades
• Fragrant needles

Cons:

• It will sometimes revert to its full-grown form and requires pruning
• Does poorly in warm climates
• Vulnerable to mite infestations

Oriental Spruce

Oriental spruce trees may be difficult to find in nurseries, but they are worth it if you can snag one! These trees will grow to around 50 feet in the landscape, but grow much taller in their native habitat.

It is hardy from zones 4 through 7, making it a bit picky with temperature. The oriental spruce has a nice pyramidal shape to give your landscape an eye-catching tree.

The nice thing about Oriental spruce trees is that they will thrive in just about any soil from sand to clay as long as there is decent drainage. These evergreens require little maintenance and barely any pruning.

Pros:

• Remains dark green year-round while other spruces lose some of their green color in the winter
• Attracts wildlife
• Grows in a wide range of soil and sun conditions

Cons:

• Slow growth rate
• Not as readily available at nurseries
• Not suited for urban areas as it cannot tolerate pollution

White Spruce

White spruce trees are the grown-up version of dwarf Alberta spruce. It is a North American native that’s considered a large tree, growing to around 40 to 60 feet at maturity.

According to the University of Minnesota, the white spruce gets its name from the needle’s wax coating, which has a white tinge to it. This evergreen will thrive in hardiness zones 2 through 6, making it one of the hardier spruces on our list.

Pros:

• Adapts to different soil types and conditions
• Does well as a transplant
• Tolerant of wind and drought
• Attracts wildlife

Cons:

• Not a good choice for small yards
• Susceptible to cankers and root rot

Sitka Spruce

We put the Sitka spruce last on our list because it is not a typical landscape tree. It is not readily available at nurseries unless you live near the coast.

But just because Sitka spruce isn’t as pretty as the other spruces on our list doesn’t mean it doesn’t have value! The Sitka spruce is known for being extremely tolerant of poor conditions.

This evergreen is native to the Pacific coast from California to Alaska. It’s one of the only spruce trees that are tolerant of salt and it grows wild along coastlines without a problem. It can grow in hardiness zones 7 through 8, making it the most tolerant spruce for warm, humid conditions.

According to the Pacific University of Oregon, Sitka spruce is the largest of all spruce trees and can reach extreme heights of over 200 feet, but typically around 125 to 150 feet. 

Pros:

• Extremely tolerant of poor soil conditions and salt
• Once established, it is fast-growing (up to 3 feet per year)

Cons:

• Grows slow if not given the right conditions
• Not suitable for small yards
• Littel ornamental value

What Spruce Tree Grows The Fastest?

When choosing a tree for our yards, it can be hard to wrap our heads around how long it will take for that little tree to reach its height at maturity.

After all, many trees that we plant today will still be alive long after we’re gone!

One of the things that can alleviate our impatience is planting a tree that has a fast growth rate. Growth rates indicate how many inches a tree will grow per year.

The Norway spruce is the fastest-growing spruce tree. It can grow over 24 inches per year if given the right conditions. Even at its slowest rate of 13 inches per year, it still outstrips many other spruces on our list.

Most spruce trees grow at a moderate rate, around 6 to 12 inches per year. This is about the average for trees. But, if you’re looking for a fast-growing spruce, pick the Norway spruce!

What Spruce Does The Best In Cold Climates?

Evergreen trees are usually associated with colder climates. They stand out so much in winter when all of their deciduous neighbors have lost their leaves.

But not all evergreens are tolerant of extremely cold weather. Some, like Serbian spruce and oriental spruce, do not do so well in the cold. However, there are plenty of spruces that are just fine with freezing temperatures.

The six hardiest spruce trees on our list include:

• Weeping White
• Norway
• Black Hills
• Colorado Blue
• Dwarf Alberta
• White Spruce

These six spruce trees can grow in zone 2, which means they will survive temperatures that reach as low as -50℉! Talk about chilly weather!

But this shouldn’t come as a surprise since many spruce trees occupy some of the coldest regions in North America including Alaska and the cold regions of Canada.

If you’d ever like to put flowers under your spruce, take a peak at our guide on the best plants for underneath your spruce tree here!

What Spruce Tree Does The Best In Warm Climates?

For those who don’t have to put on five layers of clothes and a jacket to go outside in winter, there are still spruce trees for you! 

Spruce trees that do well in warmer zones include:

• Serbian spruce
• Sitka spruce
• Oriental spruce

These will survive in zones approaching 7, 8, and even 9 in some cases. If you live by the coast, definitely consider a Sitka spruce as these trees can tolerate salt spray.

That’s All For Now!

Spruce trees are a type of conifer that remains green, or in some cases blue, all year round. They lose their needles slowly enough that it goes unnoticed by most, unlike deciduous trees that lose all their leaves at once in the fall.

If you’re thinking about planting a spruce tree in your yard, you have quite the variety to choose from! Whether you have a small yard, acidic soil, moist soil, or dry soil, there’s a spruce tree for you.

Now, for a quick recap.

The 10 best spruce trees to plant include:

• Black Spruce
• Serbian Spruce
• Weeping White Spruce
• Norway Spruce
• Black Hills Spruce
• Colorado Blue Spruce
• Dwarf Alberta Spruce
• Oriental Spruce
• White Spruce
• Sitka Spruce

We chose these 10 spruce trees because they are the most readily available in nurseries and they have the widest adaptability to soil conditions, temperature, and sun conditions.

Many of the spruce trees on our list are also low maintenance. They rarely need to be pruned or watered.

Thanks for reading and best of luck on your spruce Tree Journey!

References

Ammann, M., Siegwolf, R., Pichlmayer, F., Suter, M., Saurer, M., & Brunold, C. (1999, February). Estimating the uptake of traffic-derived NO2 from 15N abundance in Norway spruce needles. Oecologia, 118, 124-131.

Chang, W.-Y., Lantz, V. A., Hennigar, C. R., & MacLean, D. A. (2012, February 21). Economic impacts of forest pests: a case study of spruce budworm outbreaks and control in New Brunswick, Canada. Canadian Journal of Forest Research, 42(3), 490-505. https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/abs/10.1139/x11-190

Gillies, J. A., Nickling, W. G., & King, J. (2002, December 19). Drag coefficient and plant form response to wind speed in three plant species: Burning Bush (Euonymus alatus), Colorado Blue Spruce (Picea pungens glauca.), and Fountain Grass (Pennisetum setaceum). Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 107(D24), ACL 10-1 – ACL 10-15.

Jia, H. (2017, December). The Performance of Dwarf Alberta Spruce Picea Glauca ‘Conica’ in Urban Landscape. TSpace Repository.

If you have any variety of spruce trees in your yard, you may have thought of cutting it down at one point or another. That’s okay, like many other trees, sometimes the maintenance gets to be too much or you have concerns. You aren’t alone in this consideration. Unsure of whether this is the right move? We’ve got you!

Some reasons you may cut down your spruce tree have to do with safety, like if branches or roots are creating hazards. Others have to do with the well-being of your tree, such as the tree being infested with pests. If your spruce tree is going to fall soon, you should remove it as soon as possible.

Spruce trees are beautiful and can be great plants to have, but we’ll dive into the reasons that you might need to cut your tree down. Stick with us to learn about why, and even when, you should cut down your spruce tree.

Your Spruce Tree Is Too Messy

You may expect an evergreen, like spruce, to keep its needles year-round. After all, isn’t that the point of the tree being called evergreen?

Your thought process would be off to the right start, but the term just means that needles or leaves will continue to grow even as others fall.

Spruce trees are evergreen but still shed their needles each year. In fact, they lose quite a large quantity of needles. So, if a messy yard is a concern of yours, you might realize the spruce tree isn’t for you.

Losing needles is not the only concern with your tree creating a mess in your space- there is also sap.

Although the sap of a spruce tree might have many purposes, it can also be quite messy when it comes to maintaining your tree.

There are multiple products to clean up tree sap, among other things, off of your car, house, or other belongings. This Goo Gone Automotive Cleaner is just one product that could help you clean up some sap if it is creating a mess. 

However, if you have to park under your spruce tree daily, or have other property or even plants under your tree, the mess may be more than cleaning up can handle.

As far as plants go, read up on the best plants and worst plants to grow under your spruce tree here!

Your Spruce Tree Is Already On Its Way Out

There are quite a few reasons you may need to cut down your spruce tree, and affliction can be a big one.

If you can catch the whats wrong with your spruce tree in the early stages, you may first consider pruning your tree. This can help to remove any affected branches or areas without requiring you to cut down your entire tree. 

For trimming, you can use Fiskars Bypass Pruning Shears to prune any areas that have started to decline. 

If this isn’t possible, the affected areas are too large, or the issue was not caught until the later stages, you may need to take down the entire tree.

What might some common examples of spruce tree issues be? We’ll go over four of the most common things that affect spruce trees so that you know what to look for.

The first three we’re going to mention are the primary ones to watch out for. They are all caused by fungal pathogens and have distinctive signs that can help you figure out what the issue is.

Needle Cast In Spruce Trees

Needle cast may not have immediate effects on spruce trees. The fungus will probably infect fresh shoots that are growing, and may not cause them to fall off until the following year.

For this reason, it’s tricky to diagnose this one in time.

The appearance of the tree will soon after become varied depending on where the living and affected areas are. You can expect large sections of the tree to have completely brown, dead areas as there are many small branches but no needles to blanket them.

If enough needles are falling, you can’t get it under control, and the mess in your yard is growing, it may be time to cut down your spruce.

Tip Blights In Spruce Trees

This spruce fungus is similar to needle cast because it causes the dieback of needles. 

Less similar to needle cast, tip blights might immediately cause dieback to the new shoots that are emerging. You’ll expect to see this much more immediately on your spruce’s branches.

Canker In Spruce Trees

Canker afflictions are not only common but also widespread and can be quite destructive to trees of many types. The spruce tree is no exception to this.

These cankers result from fungi infecting branches or trunks of trees, most often where a wound was formed. This newly opened part of the tree is more susceptible to being affected. 

Cankers appear as sunken spaces on a stem, branch, or trunk that will likely ooze resin. So, not only is this type of infection harmful to your spruce tree, but it can create quite a mess in your space.

As the infection develops, the tree may create ridges to halt the spread of the fungus. These growths, and developing cankers in general, can cause a tree to stop the transportation of nutrients and water.

To give a bit more of a background here, we have a few Norway Spruce’s to the side of our new home that are affected by Cytospora Canker. Here’s an image below of what I’m talking about.

Notice the drip coming out of where the branches were trimmed – not pretty. Luckily, cytospora isn’t really a game ender for this type of spruce and many trees require trimming and treatment but are worth it to keep around if you value your foliage. We like the trees as they keep our house cooler due to the shade!

However, many people opt to remove the trees. We’d rather keep them as they’re quite expensive to remove rather than trim and treat 🙂

Spruce Needle Rust

While this one won’t cause your needles to fall off how needle cast or tip blight might, it will cause them to turn a pinkish-tan color. Hence the name needle ‘rust’, as the appearance of the needles becomes discolored.

Similar to needle cast, the needles will drop off the year after the needles become discolored from needle rust.

Depending on the severity of spruce needle rust your tree might perish as well. 

If the needle rust is bad enough that pruning won’t do the trick, cutting your tree down before it fully falls may be in your best interest.

Remember – contact your local arborist to get their thoughts and tips. It helps everyone to get a quote!

Your Spruce Tree Has Surface Roots

These can cause foundation damage. Not only are surface roots a pain to deal with, but they can also cause some genuine issues.

Surface roots could indicate that your spruce is not getting the nutrients it needs, which could also relate to an underlying issue.

If you’ve already tried a balanced fertilizer like Miracle-Gro Shake ‘N Feed All Purpose Plant Food, your spruce may have something else going on. It may also just not be making the progress it should, and is overcorrecting by stemming surface roots.

You can learn more about what the best spruce tree fertilizers are in our list!

Regardless, these types of roots aren’t just a tripping hazard, they can cause some serious accessibility issues within your yard.

What’s more concerning is that they can cause foundation damage to nearby buildings, which likely means your home.

These surface roots also make your tree more susceptible to issues like weather damage and animal interference. Since roots should be below the ground, those that are exposed can cause problems on multiple levels.

You may not be able to remove surface roots if they aren’t caught at an early stage, and removing them could harm your tree more severely if they are already established.

If your surface roots are causing an issue for you and your space, or are allowing harm to come to your tree, it might be best to take the tree down.

This is an unfortunate solution, especially when a tree is otherwise healthy, but it could be necessary to keep your house, yourself, or the surrounding area safe and uninterrupted.

In this case, I would also recommend reaching out to a professional arborist to first determine that it is your best plan of action.

Your Spruce Tree Requires Too Much Upkeep

Between making a mess, creating potential foundation problems, and the potential of disease, it is understandable why you may think about cutting your tree down. 

One of these issues on its own is enough, but if you have a combination of these things, you may be at your wit’s end by now.

Once problems begin with plants, it sometimes seems like they might never stop. While you could try to get the tree’s issues under control, sometimes the upkeep is more than you can handle. That’s okay – we all have our limits!

If cleaning up sap or needles is too much to deal with consistently, it may be time for removal.

If your tree has a disease or is infested, it may be time to say goodbye and move on with your life. Depending on the severity, of course.

There are many reasons in this article that you may resonate with, but if your tree is simply too much to handle, that is enough of a reason to eliminate some work from your life.

Who knows, you could even get some good firewood out of the deal if the tree is still stable enough.

Your Spruce Tree Keeps Getting Insect Infestations

When it comes to spruce trees, insect infections alone don’t tend to be the biggest concern. 

However, when combined with an already weakened tree, they can push things to the next stage of damage. 

For example, say your tree has had needle cast, and then gets an insect infestation that further affects the weakened branches and needle area. This could be a game ender and create the last bit of damage that keeps your tree from the possibility of bouncing back. 

We will go over two of the types of insect infestations that are most common. You should watch for these along with other issues. 

Gall Adelgids 

These types of infestations from gall adelgids are mostly aesthetic but could cause damage to your tree if it is already weakened.

Adelgids feed on tree shoots by sucking on the sap from plants, so the shoots end up becoming deformed. The shoots will develop galls which, again, are mostly aesthetic but could also weaken branches that are already susceptible to fungus, storm damage, or other animal activity.

Spruce Spider Mites

These mites are not insects, technically, but are related to spiders (hence the name.)

An important distinction, an insecticide may not be a viable solution to rid your spruce of these spider mites. 

What exactly do they do? 

The damage caused by spruce spider mites is akin to that of the fungus that causes needle casts. In fact, it is easy to mistake one situation for another.

This could be a problem, especially if you mistakenly assume a fungus is a controlling factor when it is a spider mite or vice versa.

Knowing your situation and how to handle it is crucial, and your tree may have some genuine issues if infestation or infection is not properly treated.

You Want To Minimize Potential Storm Damage From Branches

If your spruce tree is growing close to your house, odds are there is a fine line between close and too close.

Especially if you live in an area prone to storms, you may need to consider removing your tree before it causes damage.

You could live in an area with tornadoes, hurricanes, or even earthquakes. No matter the type of potential natural disaster, if your tree is too close for comfort, it could cause more damage than it is worth.

If you are concerned about strong winds or minor events, you might want to check with a professional to assess the risk in your area. Often, less severe weather types will not be strong enough to take your tree down. 

However, even in the right conditions of a thunderstorm, a tree has the potential to fall. If you feel unsafe or have concerns about the proximity of your spruce to your home, fence, or any other part of your space, tree removal might be the right step.

Especially if your tree has been… say it with me: weakened by other situations like pests, fungus, rot, or prior storm damage, it may not withstand other conditions as well.

It is better to be sure than sorry, so you should check with an arborist to determine whether your spruce is helping to block winds or if it is going to be a cause of destruction if a storm occurs.

Your Spruce Tree Is Not Growing Properly

Say that your spruce tree isn’t necessarily diseased or infested, it isn’t too close to any structures, and things are generally alright.

What other reason might there be to remove a tree?

If your spruce tree is not growing properly, this is reason enough to remove it. You may end up putting time, money, and lots of maintenance in just for it to stay at a stagnant place of growth.

Unfortunately, sometimes trees just don’t grow properly. Whether the seed was compromised or if there is an underlying issue that you cannot pinpoint, it’s okay to remove a tree that is not properly making progress.

The Cost Of Saving Your Spruce Tree Outweighs The Benefits

On a very similar note, sometimes the cost of maintaining a tree is just more than it’s worth to keep the tree.

This cost could be financial, of course, but it could also be a labor cost, the loss of time, or overall stress about keeping up a tree that is not worth it.

Your spruce may have one or more of the above concerns to deal with, and it’s alright if that is just too much to handle.

To take care of yourself, your space, and other plants, you may need to eliminate the thing that is draining your time, energy, and wallet. If that is your spruce, it could be time to take it down.

When To Cut Down Your Spruce Tree

No matter if your tree is on its way out, or you simply cannot handle the upkeep of your spruce any longer, it might be time to say goodbye to your tree.

Now, part of the timing of cutting your tree down will have to do with the motivation, and how much your tree is affecting other plants, your property, or your belongings. 

If you are cutting your tree down because of preference, or a problem that only has an internal impact, the dormant season is by far your best time to remove the tree.

According to Iowa State University, the branches will be easier to handle in the late winter and early spring, during the dormant period. Therefore, this is also the right time to prune your tree if that might be the first solution to handle infestation or any other issues.

If your tree is creating a hazard, or you fear it could damage your space, you can always have an arborist help you determine your next steps based on your situation.

That’s A Wrap!

Even if you love your spruce tree, you might have to let go. 

Let’s go over some of the most common reasons that people cut their spruce trees down:

• Your spruce tree is too messy
• Your spruce tree is diseased
• Surface roots are causing foundational problems for buildings or accessibility issues
• Too much upkeep means not enough time for you to focus on your tree 
• Your spruce tree keeps getting infested with insects
• To minimize potential storm damage that branches (or the entire tree) may cause
• Your spruce tree is not growing properly
• The cost of saving the tree outweighs any benefits of keeping it and trying to keep it stable

Remember, it may depend on the situation, but the best time to cut your tree down is going to generally be winter and early spring. The dormant season will give you the most success in getting the tree down more easily and safely.

Call a professional arborist if you have concerns or if your tree is causing safety issues and needs to come down ASAP.

If this article applied to you, it may mean that you are about ready to cut down your spruce tree. Thanks for letting us be a part of your Tree Journey. Until next time, friends!

References

Pettersson, M., Frampton, J., Rönnberg, J., & Talgø, V. (2016). Neonectria canker found on spruce and fir in Swedish Christmas tree plantations. Plant Health Progress, 17(3), 202-205.

Tjoelker, M. G., Boratynski, A., & Bugala, W. (Eds.). (2007). Biology and ecology of Norway spruce (Vol. 78). Springer Science & Business Media.