How to Plant Baby Blue Eyes Spruces
Trees add structure, beauty and shade to landscapes and bring both strength and detail to home gardens. Tall, evergreens live for many years and through all seasons for continued beauty. Baby Blue Eyes spruces (Picea pungens "Baby Blue Eyes") provide this beauty in a compact form with mature heights of only 12 to 15 feet. Plant these miniature spruces in rows along driveways or fences for lush, bright-blue growth. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Plant Baby Blue Eyes spruces in the spring about the last frost of the season. These hardy trees thrive with a warm, summer growing season and establish best during this season. Better spring and summer establishment leads to better winter survival.
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Choose spots with full, all-day sunshine and quick drainage for these trees. Give each tree 7 to 10 feet of space in multiple plantings for mature growth. Trees don't thrive in crowded plantings, as that restricts space, air circulation and sunshine.
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Dig into the top 8 to 12 inches of soil in each planting site, in an area three times as wide as each seedling's root ball. Looser soil promotes better root growth and establishment. Mix 2 to 3 inches of organic compost or bagged garden soil into your tilled soil to maintain loose consistency and add nutrition.
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Plant each seedling in its amended soil. Dig the holes as deep and twice as wide as the root balls for planting. Spread the seedlings' roots in their holes and cover them with amended soil. Poking your fingers into the soil as you bury the roots eliminates air pockets.
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Water each seedling with 1/2 gallon of water for establishment and put them on a schedule of 2 to 3 inches of water every week.
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Tips & Warnings
Baby Blue Eyes spruces demonstrate hardiness down to U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zone 3 and maintain a natural pyramid shape.
References
Resources
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