multiple leaders on spruce

9 years ago

Hello,

Thanks for reading this post, and for the help I've already received. I had a 16 foot Norway Spruce moved because the previous homeowner planted it way too close to the house (it was already touching the house).

I'm trying to build up some privacy in the back so moved it from the front of the house to the backyard, where the lighting/shadows are totally different (it now gets more afternoon sun and less morning sun if that matters).

It was transplanted in October 2013, and seems to be doing pretty well, it just looks like there are several leaders forming and I would like to know if I need to take any pruning action….either now or at some point in the future. Or does this look healthy?

Sorry, not sure why these are showing up sideways...

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Comments (12)

tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
9 years ago
It looks like the main leader had some damage but a side bud is now taking the lead and it is starting to sort itself out.

tj
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wisconsitom
9 years ago
Hi again Jason. I'd let the tree sort that out for now. You may be surprised at how well these things can go when we do nothing! then again, a year or three from now, you could end up with dual leaders. It happens and NS is prone to do that now and then. If so, and if it were my tree, I would indeed get my pole pruner out and either remove the less-desirable one-usually the shorter one or the one that is less centered-or shorten up that same leader. Just shortening up a branch on a tree will cause it to slow down. This will allow the other branch which you want to be the leader to take over, even more perhaps than it already was doing or going to do.

Hope that makes sense, but bottom line, you have no need to do anything at this time.

+oM
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Shadey: Ken and Dave are giving you excellent advice. We get a lot of questions from people worried about this or that little injury to a little tree, and almost all the time no human intervention is needed, and most often the intervention people want to try will only harm the tree. The only danger here is that the tree will form a double leader, but this happens a relatively small percentage of the time. And, what at first may look like a double leader forming, usually isn't. You need to give the tree some time--at least 3 years, and depending on how fast the tree is growing, probably longer. But, if after about 3 or 4 years, or after the tree has grown about 4 feet or so and you have two leaders of equal length with the tips close together, then cut one off. But if you have what looks like a double leader, but one side is growing at an angle away from the other, which is more erect, do nothing, or at least wait another year or two to be sure you really have a double leader. Usually one side of what seems like a double leader will begin growing away from the other and will become a side branch. Also, double leaders on open grown spruce are not always a problem and do not split apart. The branches growing from the base of each leader will cross the other, and graft to it, making a strong joining between the two that is very resistant to breakage. But having said that, a single leader is preferable, if only for aesthetic reasons. But I know of a number of spruce trees growing in the open with double leaders/trunks, and to me they are beautiful. Double leaders/trunks in forst grown spruce are a big problem--they will usually split apart sooner or later. --Spruce
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
9 years ago
what they said... 100%

but in my own words ...

there is only one leader there ... but some side branches are trying to overtake dominance ...

some selective shortening of such would be good ...

wish i had my photoshop on this laptop ...

the only question.. would seem to be.. how do you get up there ... even a pole saw is not going to cut it ... lol ... so it would be a pole saw on a ladder ... crikey ...

did you have it moved by duded with big tools ... or did you do it yourself??? .. if you did.. tell us the story ..

ken
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jasonvohs
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks for the feedback. I had a local landscaper move the tree. He had 4 guys and a bobcat and just dug it up. He was only willing to take on the job if I had him do some other projects…..said it wasn't worth it to him to invest all that labor and not sell me anything. He also said there was no guarantee or warranty on the tree….that he didn't know if it would survive or not. That was about a year and a half ago, it seems to be doing pretty well. There's one side that's fairly thin, but I think its due to lack of direct sunlight to that spot.

They had me water it heavily the day before. We have a very dense clay here in central IN, so it's tough going. The root system they dug up was much wider and not as deep as I would have thought. Looked like a big pancake. Perhaps that dense clay was a blessing in that the whole thing held together nicely. It was only moved about 30-50 feet, so it wasn't far to go.

I'll post more pictures once it gets some new growth this spring.

As for getting up there….It's fairly close to my deck, so if I had to I'm thinking standing on the deck railing with a long pole saw might get me there. Or ladder on the deck. It would be an adventure in any case.
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
9 years ago
drink a lot of beer first... it will cushion the fall .. lol ...

i like your guy .... based on what you said ...

the roots sounded like they were supposed to be.. what did you expect.. it had nothing to do with the clay .. alomst all tree rotos are within the first foot ... or so.. regardless of soil

if i could figure out how to post a pic .... i would prove it to you

ken
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bstir
9 years ago
You do appreciate Norway Spruce grow tall and spread wide - a height of 80 to 100 feet , and branch extensions of 15-18 feet from basal branches is common. If you can reach the leader from the deck now, in a few short years the lower branches will take over the deck.
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jasonvohs
Original Author
8 years ago
Here's an updated picture of this tree that was transplanted 2 years ago now. It looks like its doing OK, but there are lots of pine cones at the top weighing the branches down. As someone noticed before, it looks like the leader died at one point and the other branches started to take over until all these pinecones formed. I now have a total of 5 Norways and 2 Blue Spruces in my yard, and another Norway (that I also posted about) lost its leader as well. I've heard this can be from an insect, but I would be curious to hear what you guys think. Also, should I be concerned about all these pine cones? I've heard that can indicate distress.
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Mike McGarvey
8 years ago
It looks OK to me. It's still adjusting to it's new location.

Those are spruce cones and they don't indicate a serious problem at all. The tree is still settling in.....and doing a nice job of it.

Mike
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
8 years ago
lol.. how can a spruce have a pine cone .... lol

ken
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plantkiller_il_5
8 years ago
don't be a smart guy
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jasonvohs
Original Author
8 years ago
I know its crazy, my apple tree also produces pears. For whatever reason you hear people talk about pine cones more often so I deferred to the more common cone without thinking - sorry if I offended anyone! haha
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Mike McGarvey
8 years ago
Spruce are in the Pine Family so it's not so wrong as we might think.

Mike
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multiple leaders on spruce

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tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱

wisconsitom

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multiple leaders on spruce

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