Hey Spruce, No problem! I love to share places that I know and love, especially with people who would very much appreciate such places, and may not know they are there. I was just up in WV this past weekend (again) and did not get a chance to visit Gaudineer this time. This time I went to Blackwater Falls, and then on to Dolly Sods. Blackwater Falls is nice and all, but a bit too touristy for me. I can almost never go into that area and NOT go up to DS. I just simply love it up there. I did pay extra attention on this trip to what people have planted around their properties, and sure enough, there are a TON of Norway Spruce. I even saw some areas where it looked like they have naturalized a bit. That said, I also did see quite a lot of properties that had Red Spruce planted as well. Granted, they were probably more elevated than you, and also much closer (and some were on) the Allegheny Front, so they probably were not as affected by the rain/ snow shadow. None the less I was still surprised at the number of places I saw that had Red Spruce planted, even at lower elevations. I would LOVE to visit your Timberland. I did see and read your other threads in the trees forum, and it looks FANTASTIC! It also looks like you are a wonderful steward of the forests on your land as well. I would definitely love to see it, and am really not that far away. How far up into Western MD is it? I have 2 brothers and sister in laws up in Martinsburg, WV, and could always combine a trip to see them with a day trip or stop on the way up/ back. I would almost kill to own even just a half acre of land that looked like some of yours in your photos. Not to build on, hunt, or anything like that, but just to go to and get away. Pitch a tent, and stay for a couple days. I love the open meadows surrounded by forests and the high altitude wetlands / bogs / beaver dams...etc. Not sure I will ever be able to afford even a small parcel of undeveloped land in this life tho, but if I could it would remain untouched as long as I had it and I would do my best to make sure it stayed untouched long after I was gone. Having a place like that to go to would make living where I do more more bearable. I don't dislike it where I am, but Ive been here for 40 years (my whole life) and well, its just gotten kind of old. I'm always up for a trip to Gaudineer or anywhere else around the MNF for that matter. =o) Also, glad to see (at least from what you posted in your other threads) that your Hemlocks seem to not be suffering from the woolly adelgid. Just this weekend at Blackwater Falls State park I saw many many hemlocks which were infested, and way too many snags that once were beautiful hemlocks. Just sad. Anyway, Thanks for sharing that with me! Hope to get to see it some day! KJ

For me cutting off the ends of branches on a Norway spruce or a blue spruce would disfigure the tree, perhaps permanently. One of the beauties of a spruce tree is the sweeping branches reaching outward. If these are cut back, causing the branch to fork, it takes away from this effect, and could result later on in these forked branches crossing each other. I was once driving along with a friend and pointed out an astonishingly beautiful Norway spruce tree with wonderful weeping branchlets. This person told me she thought the tree was ugly, and added that she did not like trees that had any space between the branches. So, beauty may be in the eye of the beholder. If you want a dense tree with no space between the branches maybe some other kind of conifer would be better for you. --Spruce

Weather... Dax

Ken-adrian it is not telephone-poled. The leader is only slightly flexible, and bending up a bit could keep it from dragging the ground. it It has just been planted after 3 years in a pot. Hurricanes were an issue in it’s beachside home in CT. Not a worry now. The owners are sentimental about it, it must stay. This is the only logical spot in the small yard with enough sun. My suggested location, not the client’s. I just want to make the best of it. And NOOO I dont want to move it! If I dont have to. It is heavy! I just want to be clear on my options for pruning & training it. 20 year window is all I am concerned with. Your 30 year tree gives me some insight. Any idea on it’s current width? Johnfuda has me concerned, but I am under the impression this is a tree that you can somewhat control the size of with selective pruning or train it as it grows along. Could yearly spading/root pruning keep it from upheaving the patio? I thought spruce were very slow growing, especially if they are not in their native setting. and before planting, roots were circling! I am guessing it is a picea abies ‘pendula’ too. But all pruning/training info I find seems to reference that tree’s first 3 years. This tree is older than that. I am intrigued by the 2nd leader suggestion. I know how to do that on other evergreens. As for letting them battle it out for space with the underplantings— well, in a tiny city garden every inch is precious. I only want to sacrifice the area if doing otherwise will create a stupid looking evergreen.