Norway Spruce Tree questions

[Miss Mary]

My Norway Spruce tree has some dead growth, inside but on the ends of bare twigs/small branches are green ends. I realize I've somewhat neglected this 8 year old tree, so I've been fertilizing it with Miracid (sp?) and watering it during dry spells.

My questions:

1. Should I worry about these internal dead areas? You can't even see them until you spread the branches apart and look inside. Maybe this is normal, with a tree that has matured for a while?

2. The very bottom branches touch the ground. My neighbor had their yard professionally trimmed/weeded/mulched last year. The landscapers trimmed all lower branches off their blue spruce tree. I think this blue spruce looks odd. Are you supposed to cut the bottom branches off spruce trees, exposing the mulch?

Thanks!

[craigGP]

1. no... well maybe.

2. no

the trees naturally shed their interior needles. i think norways shed the 2.5 year old needles. keep the trees fed so you keep new lush growth on the outside and you will never notice the dropping needles. since the needles that drop are 2.5 years old, there should be plenty of branching (two years of growth) outside of the area of the branch dropping the needle. if the 1 year old needle is dropping (last years growth), there is a chance that you might be seeing the effect of a fungal disease called needle cast. infects new growth when emerging but does not affect the needle until the following year. should be info on the net on this one. spray when new growth is emerging to prevent the problem the following year.

as for the pruning issue, it is in the eye of the beholder. some people like the pruned up look. others prefer the natural look with branches to the ground. no problems in terms of the health of the tree either way. the only reason i would prune up a norway is if the tree was planted too close to a path or walkway and has overgrown.

craig

[Miss Mary]

craig - thanks again. I'm not seeing a tremendous amount of dropped needles. Just bare, small branches inside. But on some of these branches, the tips are green with needles. It's planted 6 feet from my neighbor's property line, on the edge of my curved landscaping on the front end of m house. A common landscape design in this region. I am trimming the branches since it's spread out a bit and cutting grass was a challenge. Sure hope in time I won't have to take this tree down. But we're keeping it in check for now. I prefer the natural look so I'm leaving those lower branches on.

[johnsam]

Ms. Mary,

I believe I would just leave it be. I have a small one and I totally ignor it. Doing great. No fertilizer and no trimming.. Just that way nature meant it to be.

Best of Luck!

[Miss Mary]

Thanks Sam. For the most part I'm ignoring it, pruning wise. I just don't want my neighbors (very picky ones) to complain down the road too. I want to keep it trimmed on their side and still have room to cut my grass over there. I've decided not to cut the lowest branches off - that's just not a natural look IMO. To each his own I guess.