Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Blue Mist Colorado Spruce, Evergreen Shrub, groundcover, woody plant of The Day

 Picea pungens 'Prostrate Blue Mist'
    Colorado Spruce,  Blue Spruce

Type    Shrub, groundcover, woody plant
Hardy range    3A to 7A
Height    24" to 4' / 60cm to 1.20m
Spread    4' to 6' / 1.20m to 1.80m
Growth rate    Slow
Form    Rounded and spreading or horizontal
Exposure    Partial shade or partial sun to full sun
Persistence    Evergreen

Bloom Color    Green, orange and purple
Bloom Time    Spring

Environment
This plant tolerates some drought, occasional wetness and some salt.
This plant will grow in dry to occasionally wet soil.
Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy, sandy or clay.
The pH preference is an acidic to alkaline (less than 6.8 to more than 7.7) soil.


Leaf Color    Blue
Fall Color    No change in fall color
This plant has attractive foliage.

Culture Notes
This is a beautiful tree when it can be ground properly without disease. Unfortunately, it is very susceptible to a stem canker that disfigures the tree. If you select this tree in the eastern US, plant only a few to prevent disappointment should disease strike. The tree grows best in rich, moist soil, and will benefit from mulch placed out to the edge of the canopy. Irrigation in dry weather also helps.  Best growth occurs in full sun. Trees tolerate clay soil and occasionally wet soil very well. Colorado Spruce casts dense shade when branched to the ground, so no grass grows beneath it.

Planting and establishing shrubs

The most common cause of young plant failure is planting too deep.  Plant the root ball no deeper than it was in the nursery.  In most instances, the root flare zone (point where the top-most root in the root ball originates from the trunk) should be located just above the landscape soil surface. Sometimes plants come from the nursery with soil over the root flare. If there is soil over this area, scrape it off.  The planting hole should be at least twice the width of the root ball, preferably wider.  In all but exceptional circumstances where the soil is very poor, there is no need to incorporate anything into the backfill soil except the loosened soil that came out of the planting hole.  Never place ANY soil over the root ball. If a row or grouping of plants is to be installed, excavating or loosening the soil in the entire bed and incorporating organic matter enhances root growth and establishment rate.

Weed suppression during establishment is essential.  Apply a 3-inch thick layer of mulch around the plant to help control weed growth.  Keep it at least 10 inches from the trunk.  If you apply it over the root ball, apply only a one or two inch layer.   This allows rainwater and air to easily enter the root ball and keeps the trunk dry.  Placing mulch against the trunk or applying too thick a layer above the root ball can kill the plant by oxygen starvation, death of bark, stem and root diseases, prevention of hardening off for winter, vole and other rodent damage to the trunk, keeping soil too wet, or repelling water.  Regular irrigation through the first growing season after planting encourages rapid root growth, which is essential for quick plant establishment.



 

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