How fast do spruce trees grow. Some of the most popular species of spruce include the Colorado Blue Spruce, Norway Spruce, and Sitka Spruce.
These three trees boast average growth rates between 6 inches and 11 inches a year.
In fact, they’re known for their supremely rapid growth thanks to their adaptability to harsh climates and ability to grow over North America, Europe, and Asia respectively.
How fast do spruce trees grow
Depending on the species, a tree may grow moderate to quickly. This can happen to depend on if there is plenty of room for a tree to flourish,
or if there are many trees surrounding it and preventing adequate sunlight from getting through (in which case growth rate would slow down).
Most trees grow 6 to 24 inches in a single year, but the height of any given tree varies.
Some may only grow 12 inches in a whole year while others could grow upwards of 24 inches during that same time.
When to Plant Spruce Trees
Like all trees, spruce trees ( Picea sp. ) can be planted and grow well in the northern parts of the United States.
Evergreens are resistant to cold and grow well in poor soil conditions when managed properly. 35+ species exist, plus many cultivars.
The tallest recorded spruce tree stands at 180 feet tall. Plant your new spruce during the early spring months before it begins to exhibit any new growth,
ideally planting just before the last frost of the season or before any spring thaw/rains begin.
If you cannot plant new spruce in these early seasons consider a late summer or early fall planting.
Soil temperature should hover around 10°C when planting although older spruces can tolerate colder temperatures than this.
The size of a spruce tree
Blue spruce trees (Picea pungens “Glauca”) are also commonly referred to as Colorado blue spruces.
They are native mountain-dwelling trees that can grow up to 80 feet in height, with trunk diameters of 1 or 2 feet.
During the course of their life span of about 100 years, each tree’s canopy expands 30 feet wide and the blue spruce tree has needles that drape about 3/4 of an inch long and one-sixteenth of an inch wide.
The cones on these trees have four-sided points which are about 2 1/2 to 4 inches long. The tree’s bark is a grayish ash color which starts growing very low on the trunk covered with flaky scales.
Highest Growth Rates
The Sitka spruce is not as tall as its renowned relatives in its maximum attainable height and annual growth rate.
While the Colorado blue spruce can grow around 20 times faster than the Sitka and Norway, the former gets dwarfed by Norway.
When it comes to the overall height and is often deployed as a shorter “hedge” between two shorter trees such as a Sitka or several Colorado plants to provide privacy onto a home.
A Norway spruce is usually 2-3 times higher than the standard 5′ or 6′ smaller sized Christmas trees one sees at local nurseries. When planted alone, Norway’s often get halfway up second-story (or attic) windows.
The best conditions for growth
Spruces need a moderate amount of water and grow best in full sun and slightly acidic or neutral soil.
They are not suited to very wet, heavy clay soils that drain poorly, nor do they tolerate alkaline soils very well so keep this in mind.
If you’re planting one at home. The ideal pH level for most spruces is between 5 and 7.
If you’ve got heavy clay soil that doesn’t drain well and could potentially cause your tree to rot due to excess moisture.
Simply add a layer of mulch around the base of the tree and remember to leave an area open around its trunk for airflow.
You can fertilize once every spring when there is no more chance of frost do this by spreading a light application around the base of your tree (approximately 3 handfuls will be enough for an average-sized adult male).
It’s key to follow the instructions on the label closely, or else you may end up burning your plant. This type of fertilizer should have a pH value between 4-7.
How fast do spruce trees grow
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