In the forest, young spruces often grow without the help and support of people. If you have spruces in your garden, they can also multiply in this way. Alternatively, plant purchased seedlings.
Spruce seedlings can be bought in containers
Where can I get seedlings from?
You can get spruces as bare-root seedlings or as potted or container plants in many nurseries, but especially in good tree nurseries. It is best to plant bare-root spruces in autumn. Container plants or spruces in pots, on the other hand, can be planted out all year round if the soil is frost-free.
How to care for seedlings?
Young spruces depend on an adequate water supply. This is particularly important for seedlings bought bare-root, as the roots of container plants are better protected by the ball and are more resistant. Water your spruce trees thoroughly after planting and water the plants regularly for the next two to three weeks. However, be sure to avoid waterlogging.
Can I grow seedlings myself?
You can cut cuttings from your own spruce and grow seedlings from them. This will give you genetically identical plants. This type of propagation is particularly advantageous when there are few spruce trees that thrive in your climate zone.
When cutting, it is best to cut one-year-old shoot tips with a small piece of old wood. This cutting should be about six to ten centimeters tall and is put into the ground with the woody part. The ideal time is just before the spruce sprout in spring.
The essentials in brief:
- best selection in nurseries
- Plant bare-root seedlings in the fall
- Container plants can be planted almost all year round
- water young spruces sufficiently
- Avoid waterlogging and prolonged drought
- You can also grow cuttings yourself
- ideal time to cut the cuttings: in the spring just before they sprout
tips
With freshly planted spruces, make sure that there is sufficient water supply, once the root ball has dried up, the spruce can no longer be saved. However, waterlogging is also harmful.