‘Continental’ Colorado Blue Spruce

code: 5036

Continental is an upright, pyramidal growing blue spruce. It is densely branched, with dark blue needles. Slower growing and great for smaller yards or tight spots where other spruce will outgrow.
Hardy to -50°F
Maximum Elevation: 9,000 ft.

Colorado blue spruce trees can be planted in rows to form windbreaks or “living-wall” privacy screens, but they are equally effective when simply used ornamentally as specimen trees. They’re valuable in deer country, as their prickly texture and strong smell render them conveniently deer-resistant. In the snowy North, where landscapes can look barren in winter, evergreens such as Colorado blue spruce trees can provide much-needed winter interest.

To plant a Colorado blue spruce, dig a hole that is as deep and two to three times as wide as the root ball of the tree. Next, place the tree in the hole, so that the top of the root ball is even with the surrounding soil. Fill the hole with dirt, then water the soil to remove air pockets. Finish filling the hole, then water again.

Light
Plant Colorado blue spruce trees in full sun, ensuring they get at least 6 hours of unfiltered sun per day.

Soil
These trees do best in a location with a moist, well-drained soil made fertile through the use of soil amendments. However, the trees can adapt to a variety of soils, whether acidic, loamy, sandy, or clay. When it comes to soil pH, these trees prefer a range between 6.0 and 7.5, but they’re able to tolerate extremely acidic or alkaline soils.

Water
This tree is drought-tolerant and can survive in periods of low water, but it does thrive with moderate water levels. During the first season, water the tree regularly to keep the soil moist. Once the tree is established, water only during dry spells. Avoid waterlogging the tree or creating areas with standing water.

Temperature and Humidity
The Colorado blue spruce is tolerant of cold weather. It can tolerate heat to a point. However, it will not thrive in extremely hot and humid weather conditions.

Fertilizer
These trees do not need frequent fertilization. You can fertilize them in the spring, before the growing season, to give the tree an added nutrition boost. It will likely increase the length of the needs and improve the needle color. Sprinkle 10-10-10 slow-release granulated fertilizer over the soil in the root zone, and hen water with about 2 inches of water to prevent fertilizer burn and incorporate the fertilizer into the water.

Potting and Repotting
A growing trend is to buy Colorado blue spruce trees in containers for indoor Christmas decorating, then plant them outside as landscape plants after the holiday. Dig the hole in the ground for planting well before December, so you will not have to dig through frozen dirt. Bring the excavated dirt inside, to keep it from freezing. This will help to keep it loose so that you will have workable dirt with which to fill in around the new specimen after transplanting it into its hole.

Tip
If you want to keep your spruce in a container for longer than a holiday season, choose a pot that’s 12 to 16 inches wider than the root ball of the tree.

Pruning
Colorado blue spruce trees do not need to be pruned, but they can be if you wish to promote denser foliage. Prune off half of the fresh growth on each candle (that is, the tip at which branch growth occurs each year) in spring. Apply 2 or 3 inches of garden mulch around the plants (but not up against the trunks) to help retain moisture in the soil.

Common Pests/Diseases
The two most common pests affecting Colorado blue spruce trees are aphids and the Cooley spruce gall adelgid. The former will cause yellowish blotches on the needles, which may have a sticky material on them, while the latter can be identified by the presence of a cotton-like substance of the spruce’s branches. Manage the pests by hiring a company to spray a horticultural oil that won’t endanger birds or humans.

The trees can also be affected diseases, the most common and destructive of which is Cytospora canker. This fungal disease typically affects trees that are 15 to 20 years or older and causes the needles to turn brown and drop from the branches. Cytospora canker is a stress-induced disease, so manage it by reducing potential stressors, such as improving soil quality.

'Continental' Colorado Blue Spruce

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