Dave--(or anyone else?): I am really confused by these "weeping" Norway spruce cultivars. You show one picture of a 'Reflexa' that was not staked but is growing erect, then another picture of the same kind of tree that had to be staked. So, does this tree grow erect sometimes, and not all the time? As for the P. abies 'Frohburg' I find confusing statements. You say it needs to be staked or it will grow prostrate. Iseli nursery, and a couple of other places on-line, says it is an upright grower. Elsewhere I see a cultivar name P. abies 'Frohburg Prostrata,' with the 'Prostrata' sugggesting a flopping tree. So what am I supposed to think? Now in the Gotelli collection at the National Arboretum in DC they have two P. abies 'Inversa' trees. Both of these have picturesque irregular habits, but they are definately not prostrate. One, or I think both, have multiple erect trunks growing upright with severely pendulous side branches. I would like to grow one of these, but several sources say they will not grow upright. I have also seen another P. abies 'Inversa,' or so it is labelled, in the courtyard of the Winterthur museum in Delaware. This tree is also growing upright without any staking. And there is another similar tree growing prominently in the National Memorial Park in Fairfax, VA, but this tree has no label at all. I don't know if you have seen my postings in the trees forum under the topic "Large Willow" where I comment on the rampant confusion about golden weeping willows, but I may be even more confused and frustrated in trying to get information about the growth habit of these so-called weeping varieties of NS. I want to grow one or more, but what do I buy? And from whom? Are those I saw labelled 'Inversa' actually something that I can buy as 'Inversa," or is that an incorrect name? And this 'Frohburg' thing? Is there a 'Frohburg' that grows erect, and then another that is 'Frohburg Prostrata' that must always be staked--or which is more properly meant to grow along the ground. Of course, I assume that any of these that are potentially erect growers probably must be staked for a time, but from what I have seen with my own eyes (at the Nat Arb, and at Winterthur, and at the Nat Mem Park), at least one, and maybe more than one of these cultivars, can grow on their own after a period of time being staked, in at least some irregular erect fashion. So, is 'Inversa' one of these? Or 'Frohburg' or what? I have seen them, want one, but what one, or ones is/are it/they?? H E L P!! this is driving me nuts!! --Spruce

I planted a bunch of colorado spruce shelterbelt seedlings(about 6 inch) about 3-4 weeks ago as well..they came bare root and had to be planted in the middle of a heat wave. My initial impression a week after planting was "3/4 of them are going to die!" because they turned whiteish-brown and the needles were falling off. But I continued watering them every week, and now all of them are budding out and look like they'll pull through. Is there any chance (if it is simply a transplant shock/too hot/not enough water situation) that the same situation will happen for you? I would also say that my limited experience with planting little seedlings has taught me that for the first month or so twice weekly watering is better than once if it is warm. And obviously it isn't really important to water deeply when they are new in the ground because their roots won't be getting any of that extra water. When I keep the first 8 inch of soil moist but not wet, I've had good luck with them surviving. You can and should water deeply later.

Will this fast growth affect the quality of the wood? I doubt it, but in any case I am not growing these trees for the wood. Most of them are part of the long screen I planted last year along our property line. I am a great lover of violin/string music, especially string quartets. It has long been a mystery how the wonderful violins by Stradivari (and some others) in the 17th century were made. No one has ever been able to match them. The tops are made from Norway spruce, and are supposed to be largely responsible for the wonderful sound. Now if someone wanted some wood to make a violin I would be agreeable!! A couple more observations. I have never seen this kind of growth on older, larger NS. I have about two dozen older and larger ones planted around here, and none have these summer shoots. And I havent seen it, to my knowledge, on the thousands I have on my timberland. Sometimes, standing far below, I have seen some kind of compensatory growth at the top of trees that have had a weevil attack, but I never had an opportunity to examine it closely. Occasionally I will see a few fresh needles develop at the tips of the leaders of larger trees, but there was little, if any growth involved. Also, there is no branching of any consequence, either on the shoots themselves, or at the point where they started to grow at the end of the original spring shoot. Dax: as for my white pine supertree--it is about 85 feet tall and pruned up to 35 feet or so. I would need a professional climber--and one who would not climb with spikes! gnomeabram: the growth I have on my trees looks something like yours when it is just starting. --Spruce

cal ... do not buy the picea pungens .... wait until spring ... to verify its spring color .... the blue.. is a waxy coating.. its is prime.. the best ... at spring flush .. this is when you buy an unnamed variety ... if you want to buy now.. you buy a named variety.. [of which we can provide names and mail order places] ... and do to such.. there will be predictability of color .. as a waxy coating.. it wears off to some extent.. over the summer.. high heat.. rain storms... sprinklers.. just to piss you off ..... etc ... so they all dull up to some extent.. as summer rolls by ... if you look in the interior.. you will see 2 and 3 years old needles.. nearing the green color all needles are.. under the wax.. this is all normal .. regardless.. BUY A NAMED VARIETY ... even if you have to buy smaller and mail order ... and it will make your toes tingle.. too many peeps buy unnamed seedlings... which are kinda blue.. and hope they will be like the ones that make your toes curl ... odds are.. it wont be .... go for quality .. over the instant gratification of size.. pic below of my Picea pungens Hoopsi.. at spring flush.. showing its annual growth.. starting from a one gallon ... one foot turd ... ken it was a blue turd.. lol...