Black hills spruce

[Bassattackr]

That's disappointing to hear, was hoping to leave my BHS to fend for themselves. I've got the bud caps from pacforest.com so may have to try those instead.

+1, I just planted 4 White Spruce and 4 BHS a week ago..

 

[williams111]

Any updates one these black hills spruce? I’m wanting to add some more conifers here in zone 5. I’ve been doing norways, but thought about trying to diversify. The only other conifers in my area are erc.

 

[bwoods11]

We cut one off my farm for Christmas tree !

 

[BuckSutherland]

Any updates one these black hills spruce? I’m wanting to add some more conifers here in zone 5. I’ve been doing norways, but thought about trying to diversify. The only other conifers in my area are erc.

Still among the best wildlife trees you can plant, ESPECIALLY if we are talking about the long game (15+ years). They grow so nice and full, but slower than most other conifers. You can speed up their growth with weeds mats, mulch and fertilizer. I've had horrible conditions in my woods since I started planted them. We got to D3 drought in 2021, D2 in 2022, and back to D3 in 2023. 100% of my BHS are surviving. They can really handle some shitty conditions. Highly preferred trees for nesting birds. Top 3 tree for trying to create thermal bedding areas since they retain branches to the ground and grow so thick. I've planted most of mine to block brutal cold north and west winds.



If you just care about deer and the long game you cant go wrong with BHS. One of the best trees we can leave for the critters. I will keep planting 10 per year on my 40. No cage.

 

[H20fwler]

We bought this one had it dug and balled from a local nursery a couple weeks ago. Our living 6’ Christmas tree, will plant it Wednesday already have the hole dug.
Seventh year doing the living tree tree thing.

 

[buckdeer1]

How do you move into the house? I have planted some balled oaks and they grow pretty fast.I have been talking to a nursery that has oaks and they have some they can;t sell for homeowners and he thought we could work out a deal for substandard trees

 

[williams111]

I got 25 12-26” bhs ordered from paint creek. How is their growth compared to Norway spruce?

 

[Brian662]

I got 25 12-26” bhs ordered from paint creek. How is their growth compared to Norway spruce?

I planted 50 24" BHS in spring of 2022, they were weed matted, mulched, and many were caged. The non-caged ones have been mostly destroyed, the caged maybe have grown 6" in two years but otherwise look great. Just super slow growing.

 

[williams111]

I planted 50 24" BHS in spring of 2022, they were weed matted, mulched, and many were caged. The non-caged ones have been mostly destroyed, the caged maybe have grown 6" in two years but otherwise look great. Just super slow growing.

Hopefully they will take off this year. It seems most people say they are slower growing.

 

[Brian662]

Hopefully they will take off this year. It seems most people say they are slower growing.

I've got some norways near them that have grown about a foot in that time. I just think it's going to be slower going on the BHS even with full sun.

 

[bwoods11]

I planted 50 24" BHS in spring of 2022, they were weed matted, mulched, and many were caged. The non-caged ones have been mostly destroyed, the caged maybe have grown 6" in two years but otherwise look great. Just super slow growing.

They catch up in years 3-8, watch for an average of 9-12 inches over 20 years .

 

[hunts_with_stick]

Just ordered Norway spruce seedlings for just over a buck a piece

 

[H20fwler]

How do you move into the house? I have planted some balled oaks and they grow pretty fast.I have been talking to a nursery that has oaks and they have some they can;t sell for homeowners and he thought we could work out a deal for substandard trees

We put it in a big rubber horse trough tub right off the tailgate then drag/slide it into the house.
We don’t have it indoors more than a week to keep it from breaking dormancy and keep the ball wet. I’ll drag it to its hole with strap around tub with the four wheeler.
We haven’t lost one yet.

We put in 32 balled 5’ BHS two years ago along our pond. They have put on about a foot of growth, I fertilize good in early spring with triple 10. We had to cage ours, used 4’ tall farm fence the deer were browsing them pretty good before being caged. I’m sure the bucks would have gotten after the ones further from the house too.

 

[williams111]

Just ordered Norway spruce seedlings for just over a buck a piece

Where did you order from? What size?

 

[hunts_with_stick]

Shop.ArborDay.org They are seedlings so I assume pretty small. They grow 2’ -3’ per year though, so I was willing to take the chance

 

[H20fwler]

Christmas tree is in it’s permanent spot.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Still among the best wildlife trees you can plant, ESPECIALLY if we are talking about the long game (15+ years). They grow so nice and full, but slower than most other conifers. You can speed up their growth with weeds mats, mulch and fertilizer. I've had horrible conditions in my woods since I started planted them. We got to D3 drought in 2021, D2 in 2022, and back to D3 in 2023. 100% of my BHS are surviving. They can really handle some shitty conditions. Highly preferred trees for nesting birds. Top 3 tree for trying to create thermal bedding areas since they retain branches to the ground and grow so thick. I've planted most of mine to block brutal cold north and west winds.



If you just care about deer and the long game you cant go wrong with BHS. One of the best trees we can leave for the critters. I will keep planting 10 per year on my 40. No cage.

Do you prune / shape your BHS - or do they grow nice & thick on their own? Thinking of adding some BHS at our camp.

 

[sandbur]

Do you prune / shape your BHS - or do they grow nice & thick on their own? Thinking of adding some BHS at our camp.

I shouldn’t reply for Buck, but the only spruce I prune are for Christmas trees. My BHS grow thick if they get sun. I have a field screen that is over 20 years old.

At a certain point spruce will tend to have lower limbs due, in my climate. It is some disease. Or else just maturity.

From what I see, BHS are slowest to get that disease and blue spruce are the fastest.

 

[b116757]

All my BHS died last summer but it was a brutal drought and they didn’t get any supplemental watering from me. I would consider planting them again and just pray for a more favorable first couple years for them to establish themselves.

 

[TheGroveEstate]

Ya After more reading I may stick with Norwegians due to being in zone 7.


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Zone 7 is too warm for Black Hills Spruce IMO. Even Norways can suffer in the humid summers of Zone 7, it increases the chance of needle cast.