Blue Spruce Tree Pruning

Remove Damaged Foliage

• Remove all dead, diseased and damaged areas of the tree first. Pulling off the dead branches opens up air and light flow throughout the tree. It also prevents the disease from spreading and directs energy and nutrients toward the tree's growth. Remove the dead or damaged branches one by one up to the section where the needles are green and healthy. Purple and brown needles and early needle shedding are red flags for damaged branches.

Trimming

• Sanitize your pruning shears in a solution of one part water to 10 parts bleach to prevent the shears from transferring bacteria to the tree. Trim back any branches that grow toward the house or other trees. Cut the branches back to help to accentuate the uniform conelike shape. The best time to trim branches is from the late fall through winter. Blue spruces bleed sap and grow more in spring and summer.

Competing Leaders

• Step back and examine the blue spruce for co-dominant central leaders. A healthy blue spruce should have one vertical branch that establishes the height and uniform shape. Use loppers or pruners to cut down co-dominant leaders to a stub about 1/2 inch from the branch collar.

Lower Canopy

• Branches around the lower canopy of a blue spruce tree will catch the falling needles of all the branches above, making them heavy and more likely to droop. Trim or cut off any bottom branches that touch the ground or interfere with the lawn mower. Trim back branches that rub together or curve inward. Cut the branches at a 45-degree angle leaving 1/2-inch stubs. The stubs heal quickly and won't drain moisture from the rest of the tree.