Columnar Blue Spruce Cones - Ask Extension
When
is the best time of year to pick off the pine cones off my Columnar Blue Spruce? Should I pick the cones as
soon as the buds emerge to help promo...
Knowledgebase
Columnar Blue Spruce Cones #546251
Asked March 08, 2019, 11:54 AM EST
When is the best time of year to pick off the pine cones off my Columnar Blue Spruce? Should I pick the cones as soon as the buds emerge to help promote vertical tree growth?
If I wanted to plant the cones into the ground, how long are they good for? For example, if I pick the year old cones off the tree today and plan them, will they still grow into baby spruces?
Thanks in advance!
Douglas County Colorado
Expert Response
Hi,
We apologize for the tardy response as we have not had a volunteer Master Gardener available.
Picking cones from a spruce is not considered to be helpful to growth. Usually, spruces set on cones during periods of drought or stress. To stimulate growth, you may have better results by carefully monitoring soil moisture throughout the year.
Seed propagation is a tricky process. Spruce seeds like outdoor conditions, (gentle breezes), consistent low moisture soil and lots of sun - 16 hours a day., They do not need to be striated (nicked or frozen) but should be refrigerated for a couple of weeks before planting. Spruce seeds like a very low nitrogen content soil, so don't use a rich potting mix. You can try a bagged mix designed for cactus, or make your own from 1/2 crushed bark, half native sand. Spring planting is best, and you may have best results if you plant in a pot 2 years before transplanting in your garden.
Having said that, seeds from your Columnar spruce - (an excellent tree!) MIGHT be hybrids, and therefore might not be fertile. Although it is more economical to grow from seed, it may be easier just to purchase small trees from a reputable nursery.
We apologize for the tardy response as we have not had a volunteer Master Gardener available.
Picking cones from a spruce is not considered to be helpful to growth. Usually, spruces set on cones during periods of drought or stress. To stimulate growth, you may have better results by carefully monitoring soil moisture throughout the year.
Seed propagation is a tricky process. Spruce seeds like outdoor conditions, (gentle breezes), consistent low moisture soil and lots of sun - 16 hours a day., They do not need to be striated (nicked or frozen) but should be refrigerated for a couple of weeks before planting. Spruce seeds like a very low nitrogen content soil, so don't use a rich potting mix. You can try a bagged mix designed for cactus, or make your own from 1/2 crushed bark, half native sand. Spring planting is best, and you may have best results if you plant in a pot 2 years before transplanting in your garden.
Having said that, seeds from your Columnar spruce - (an excellent tree!) MIGHT be hybrids, and therefore might not be fertile. Although it is more economical to grow from seed, it may be easier just to purchase small trees from a reputable nursery.
Thank you for the detailed response! Are all columnar blue spruce trees capable of producing cones and are asexual? I always assumed that some evergreens produced cones and others didn't.
All spruce trees are capable of producing both male and female cones. The female cones are larger, and obviously are the ones that produce seeds.
Typically, healthy spruce trees tend to produce cones every other year. But if the tree experiences drought or stress, it tends to produce more often as a species survival tactic.
Enjoy your columnar spruce, one of my favorites for small spaces.
Typically, healthy spruce trees tend to produce cones every other year. But if the tree experiences drought or stress, it tends to produce more often as a species survival tactic.
Enjoy your columnar spruce, one of my favorites for small spaces.
