Is it ok to trim blue spuces in ohio this time of year? thanks john c?

Answer 1

If you really need to trim a blue spruce the time to do it is when it is cold, because the sap is down. The best way to grow a spruce is to give it space to grow into it's natural shape. There are some dwarf ones and round dwarf ones.

Answer 2

I agree with James J, and completely disagree with Redawg.

Why are you trimming this spruce? Are you removing limbs to raise the branch line? or are you shaping the tree? If you are removing limbs (a practice that I detest... why? you can't grow anything under there... luxuriously) you could do that now... just remember that they never grow back. If you're shaping... you want to remove just part of the current seasons growth... if you chop too hard, you'll be looking at an eye sore for years to come.

Colorado Spruce (Picea pungens) is difficult to 'keep small' by pruning and is often poorly placed. Really consider your options.

I hope that this helps
Good luck

Answer 3

blue spruce really don't take well to trimming at all, regardless of the weather. It opens up the plant to various insects and pests that unfortunately spruces in general do not tolerate and rarely recover leaving bare spots. If you are trimming it for shape, taking off one years growth, leaving last years needles minimally disturbed is the recommendation. If you are trimming to branch up, take off the entire branch as close as possible to the trunk minus the heal.

Answer 4

The best time to prune an evergreen in a climate that has freezing winters, is in the fall. If you prune in the winter you will cause damage because the wood of the tree is hard and frozen and in the spring when it thaws and gets soft it will be invaded by bugs and parasites. If you prune in the spring or summer it will bleed sap and again attract bugs and parasites. Prune around Halloween time.