Colorado Spruce rees growing fatter instead of taller

[arbor pro]

A client has a dozen colorado spruce trees growing in her yard and they are about 15-20 years old. Their overall shape is like that of a linden leaf or spade playing card if you will - fat instead of the typical upright shape.

No sign of insect damage. Average soil moisture from irrigating lawn a couple of times a week. Very healthy and lush looking needles - just fat.

The base of each tree has the sod removed from around it and a ring of plastic edging with wood mulch that is mostly composted underneath. There is evidence of some lawnmower damage to the lower branches of each tree causing the very bottom of each tree to be narrower than at dbh height.

I have suggested removing the sod further out to prevent further damage by the lawnmower but am unsure about the vertical growth stunting. I have not yet checked the planting depth as I did not have a spade with me but, other than the possibility of being planted too deeply 15 years ago, anyone have an idea on why they are growing fatter but not taller?

FYI - zone 3-4, loamy black soil to 18=-24" depth. Very fertile. Trees cover a 3-acre area -planted mostly on a north exposure with windbreak protecting them from the north and getting pretty much full sun from the other directions.

 

[asthesun]

sounds like your know more than me but i'll comment anyway. too much sun over shade? as far as mower damaging And reducing diameter, keep that thing away! tell her to weedeat the area near the tree

 

[brnchbrkr]

Fat Albert?

A client has a dozen colorado spruce trees growing in her yard and they are about 15-20 years old. Their overall shape is like that of a linden leaf or spade playing card if you will - fat instead of the typical upright shape.

You didn't give the height, but sounds like a Fat Albert.

http://www.mobot.org/GARDENINGHELP/PLANTFINDER/Plant.asp?code=E660

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

You didn't give the height, but sounds like a Fat Albert.

Or similar CVS. Check out Isley's they have a lot of different pictures with specs for the cvs.

http://www.iseli-nursery.com/articles/genus2006.htm

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

This is 'hillside'

'Lundeby's Dwarf'

 

[brnchbrkr]

Hoopsii?

http://www.iseli-nursery.com/photopages/PiceapungensHoopsi.htm

 

[treeoperations]

theres a lot of variables, first of all get the mower away and get a nice big ring of mulch, as for the narrowing of the trunk at the base sounds like girdle root to me which needs to be cut off. as for the height is it in a high wind zone area as this will be reason for the extra girth as its putting on strength to hold its self up also how much water is available in the ground as trees only have so much sucking capacity to drag water up to the growing tip this is the reason for nolfolk island pines getting to a certain height then getting a very flat to as opposed to the normal point.

my 2 cents

 

[M.D. Vaden]

Pretty sure there are no shoot tip moths snipping the leading stems?

That's one of the few things here that seems to cause the species and Glauca variety to fatten up a bit.

 

[BarkBuster20]

typical spruce got bout 40 on my place that look exactly the same

 

[qweesdraw]

Don't know if this will help.(not an arborist at all).
Can tell you about the local weather in Colorado as far as water.
Heavy snow in winter,a thaw (they get water) it will get in the 60's in winter here.
Summer not much water at all,(Mist with hose?).
Mark
P.S. They grow in a semi desert climate from about 6000 feet to 9000 feet.(alot of snow in the winter,almost bone dry in summer).
F.Y.I. 10,000 feet is tree line (No trees grow).

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

P.S. They grow in a semi desert climate from about 6000 feet to 9000 feet.

Which predisposes them to cytosporae and rhyzospheaera here in the humid part of the midwest.

 

[arbor pro]

Thanks for the replies so far. I thought I had mentioned height and width in my first post but I guess not - sorry.

As for being a Fat Albert or other cultivar, I thought the same at first but these trees are larger than the mature size of most cultivars including Fat Albert. They are on average 15-18' tall by 12-15' wide. The widest point is at dbh. Most are just slightly narrower at ground level where the mower (and/or hand pruners) has been working at them over the years.

I don't think there is a moth eating at the tips. I'll take a closer look but that is rarely if ever a problem in this area with blue spruce to my knowledge.

 

[brnchbrkr]

Pics Please!

Need to see a picture of the spruce tree top to bottom

Zoom in on branches, needles.

Take a pic of the root zone area, top of ball, etc.

One group pic of them all, or most you can get in a pic.

;-)

 

[TreEmergencyB]

theres a lot of variables, first of all get the mower away and get a nice big ring of mulch, as for the narrowing of the trunk at the base sounds like girdle root to me which needs to be cut off. as for the height is it in a high wind zone area as this will be reason for the extra girth as its putting on strength to hold its self up also how much water is available in the ground as trees only have so much sucking capacity to drag water up to the growing tip this is the reason for nolfolk island pines getting to a certain height then getting a very flat to as opposed to the normal point.

my 2 cents

:agree2:

 

[smokinj]

you didn't give the height, but sounds like a fat albert.

http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/plant.asp?code=e660

+1

 

[Brent Swan]

Be sure of the variety of the spruce.

It doesn't sound as if there is anything 'wrong' with the trees. The variety of the tree would be my first question. Have asked the homeowner if they have any records for what was planted?

A client has a dozen colorado spruce trees growing in her yard and they are about 15-20 years old. Their overall shape is like that of a linden leaf or spade playing card if you will - fat instead of the typical upright shape.

No sign of insect damage. Average soil moisture from irrigating lawn a couple of times a week. Very healthy and lush looking needles - just fat.

The base of each tree has the sod removed from around it and a ring of plastic edging with wood mulch that is mostly composted underneath. There is evidence of some lawnmower damage to the lower branches of each tree causing the very bottom of each tree to be narrower than at dbh height.

I have suggested removing the sod further out to prevent further damage by the lawnmower but am unsure about the vertical growth stunting. I have not yet checked the planting depth as I did not have a spade with me but, other than the possibility of being planted too deeply 15 years ago, anyone have an idea on why they are growing fatter but not taller?

FYI - zone 3-4, loamy black soil to 18=-24" depth. Very fertile. Trees cover a 3-acre area -planted mostly on a north exposure with windbreak protecting them from the north and getting pretty much full sun from the other directions.

 

[BarkBuster20]

like i posted previously the trees are fine leave them alone, i have about 40 identical to that. thats how there supposed to grow