Conditions for Growing Serbian Spruce Trees

The Serbian spruce tree is a beautiful evergreen. snowy spruce tree branch image by Daria Miroshnikova from Fotolia.com

The Serbian spruce is a tall and graceful evergreen spruce. The tree has a cone shape and can grow up to 60 feet high. If the right conditions are provided, the Serbian spruce tree will grow quickly and remain healthy for many years.

Lighting

Lighting is one of the most important growing conditions for Serbian spruce trees. The ideal lighting conditions for the tree vary from full sun to slight shade. Even partial shade, where the tree is shaded for four hours a day, is too much shade for the Serbian spruce tree. Full sun is best. One or two hours of shade per day is also sufficient to promote growth of the Serbian spruce tree.

Soil

The ideal soil for growing Serbian spruce trees is moist and well-drained soil full of organic materials such as loam and organic compost. The tree can also flourish in soil that is slightly sandy. Soil with a low clay content can also support the Serbian spruce tree. The most important soil condition is adequate draining. Soil that cannot drain water well leads to damage of the spruce tree and inhibits growth.

Temperature

An important growing condition for the Serbian spruce tree is the temperature in the growing site. Serbian spruce trees grow well in U.S. hardiness zones four to seven. These zones have winter temperatures ranging from -25 to 5 degrees Fahrenheit. Ideal summer temperatures range from 70 degrees to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Regions that are much colder or warmer than this create a difficult growing environment for the tree.

Soil pH

The pH level of the soil necessary for the Serbian spruce tree is acidic. The ideal pH for the tree is between 4.5 and 8.5. Unlike other spruce and evergreen trees the Serbian spruce tree can withstand some alkaline soils, but a neutral or acidic soil pH level is preferable.

Nutrients

The Serbian spruce tree needs a steady supply of nutrients. Nitrogen, Potassium and phosphorus are essential nutrients for optimal tree growth. Serbian spruce trees require more nitrogen than other nutrients. Look for fertilizers with a concentration of 12-6-3 or 16-6-6. A third of a pound of fertilizer is necessary for each foot of the tree's height. The best fertilization method is digging several small holes around the tree and placing the fertilizer inside the holes. A saturated watering after fertilizer application helps the to activate the fertilizer.

References

• University of Illinois: Selecting Trees for Your Home
• University of Illinois: Serbian Spruce
• University of Minnesota: Evergreen Trees and Shrubs