I'm very much a greenhorn here, so I hope you'll bear with me. I don't know what zone I'm in, but I live in Illinois and want to know how to start a blue spruce. My late brother planted one in our yard, but it's as tall as our two story house now, so when the time comes that I'm ready to move to northwestern New York state, there's no way I can move the tree itself. However, I seriously would like to start another one from his tree, but don't know how to go about it. Do I pull apart the pine cones and are there seeds inside, or do I plant the whole cone itself? Any help would be greatly appreciated and thank you in advance!!!!!!
The cones will probably be empty now, the seeds ripen in September-October and fall out fairly soon after. You might get lucky and find an odd seed still in, but it is unlikely. Can you wait until next September? When you get a cone, there are two seeds under each scale; when the cone dries out it opens and the seeds can be shaken out easily. The seeds are black, about 3mm long, with a pale brown 12mm long wing. To be honest though, it is a lot easier just to buy a Blue Spruce at a nursery. That way you miss out the first 2 or 3 tricky years of slow growth ;-)
Thank you so much for the help, Michael, and yes, I can wait until September. I truly would like to try to start another tree from this one, as I said, my late brother planted this one, and truth be known, some of his ashes are helping it grow, also. So, my daughter and I, being the sentimental mushes that we are, would love to be able to have another tree started from his, so with your generous help, I'm now going to wait patiently 'til September and give it a try! Thank you SO much for your assistance, and wish me luck!
Save enough seeds as to get a blue one. Just go to a seed website and read the directions (Shumacher Seeds I visit) but I can already tell you it is very, 'very' easy to grow Spruce from seed, therefore you won't have any difficulty. Transplant the seedling from a plug-size cell insert or small peat plug or similar to a (4" pot type) and grow it on for a season (1 year), then transplant it to a one-gallon pot and again, for a season. Plant. You're done. GRAFTING: Send "wood" called in the singular, a scion to a "grafter." Gee's in Michigan or Ohio or wherever they are, will graft a branch from your tree and you will have a replica of the tree growing in your yard. A "clone" some people will call it appropriately. Regards, Dax
