Colorado Blue and Black Hills Spruce Christmas Tree Leader Pruning

We have had a great growing year so far for our Colorado Blue and Black Hills Spruce trees. In this longer video I walk though our trees to correct the leaders for a nice symmetrical Christmas Tree. I talk about what’s going through my mind as I make corrections and talk about the different tools needed.
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[@mitzi605]

Pretty trees

[@Hillsidechristmastreefarm]

Thank you for the complement.

[@user-tv3nu8zs3s]

Amazing.❤

[@Hillsidechristmastreefarm]

Thanks for watching.

[@jefffuchs5434]

Thanks for the video. In year 3 for me. Not much pruning for me this year

[@Hillsidechristmastreefarm]

Good deal. Thanks for watching. How many do you have planted?

[@jefffuchs5434]

@@Hillsidechristmastreefarm 4000

[@Hillsidechristmastreefarm]

Good deal they should really start to take off this growing year. Best of luck!

[@roxyroller9268]

It is interesting to watch how other Christmas tree farmers tend to their lots. I grow mine wild in the woods and tame them over the years. I don’t heavily shear as I like a not quite so full tree.

[@Hillsidechristmastreefarm]

how many a year are you growing and how do you handle how your customers choose their trees?

[@roxyroller9268]

@@Hillsidechristmastreefarm we sell ours at humane societies and give $10 for each tree they sell. It gives us the ability to harvest. We sell all our trees for the same price.

[@roxyroller9268]

@@Hillsidechristmastreefarm there is a upick right beside mine and for the most part he cuts down prior to the public arriving a lot of trees and in general people select those ones.

[@kusterflattail]

I give everything away!! I live in unicorn land!!! 😲

Hi, First of all, your video is like a therapy. Your blue spruces are gorgeous and fascinating. I can't believe my eyes. What a beautiful trees and colors. What kind of blue spruce are they exactly? Hoopsie, monty, montgomery or other kind? I have picea pungens hoopsi but its interior sections are green, exterior sections are blue like yours. But your spruces are completely blue color. By the way how do you plant your trees? Only from seed or do you vaccinate with blue one them more later? Only by seed blue spruces in Turkiye are not exactly blue. They look like almost green. They need to vaccinate with hoopsi ones for being real blue.

[@Hillsidechristmastreefarm]

Thank you for the comment. Yes, they are really consistent and that is why we plant them. They are Picea pungens “baby blue”. We plant using a transplanter and the trees are 4 years old when we plant.

[@TheOregonDude]

Last year I bought a baby blue spruce for 50 bucks in a container. Pricey but an amazing tree. I took some cuttings last year and ended up with 5 that took. Maybe I’ll start the worlds smallest Christmas tree lot.😁 I really enjoyed watching this video the only thing is I see all those cuttings go on the ground and it drives me nuts. Do you start any trees from cuttings?

[@Hillsidechristmastreefarm]

They are the most expensive transplant we put into the ground I really didn’t think you could start spruce from cuttings. We have a great relationship with our nursery supplier. I don’t think I have the skill to root them I tried some grafting of fir, they didn’t make it lol thanks for watching

[@TheOregonDude]

@@Hillsidechristmastreefarm If they continue to grow and make it, I will try some more again next year. I make all my own compost which I put a lot of work into. I also use willow tree cuttings as my rooting hormone. Now that I’m bragging they’ll probably all die. Thanks for your videos I really enjoy them.

[@Hillsidechristmastreefarm]

Haha seems like you really have it down. What other stuff are you rooting? Thanks for your support on the channel.

[@TheOregonDude]

@@Hillsidechristmastreefarm I have only tried starting the cutting in late winter/early spring. I try my hand at almost anything, Figs, all berrys ras, Blue, goose, basically anything I can get my hands on, but for the most part I stick with Food. We have Bay laurels that grow wild here. I was lucky enough to get 4 cuttings off of a true Bay tree the true cooking type. I was able to get one to go, it’s one of my prize trees. I usually start them on a heat mat with a dome over them, always bottom watering ,although on the baby blues I did not start them on the heat mat which I find interesting thinking next year I might try them on the mat and off. Thank you for the chat, I look forward to watching your videos in the future.✌🏼

[@brettgriffing2189]

When do you start working tops on Frasier and Cannon

[@Hillsidechristmastreefarm]

We are doing this now. They were a little too soft at the time of this filming. If it’s too early the new growth will break off at the branch.

[@paatacharashvili5587]

Hi, I have a colorado blue spruce and it does not look like as fresh as your blue spruce ones. Could you recommend me any tips what to do with that? Also, can I grow another spruce from cuttings? Thanks

[@Hillsidechristmastreefarm]

These are a specific verity of blue spruce called blue wonder or baby blue. They have really bright blue color. They are actually one of more most expensive seedlings we plant. Normal blue sprue can vary from green to blue in color. Another thing that is very common in spruce is rhizospharea needle cast. This causes older needles to drop and the tree will appear less dense. Here is a link to an article. I hope it helps. extension.umn.edu/plant-diseases/rhizosphaera-needle-cast Lastly, I don't know of many that have had success rooting conifers, I have heard more people graft trees when trying develop better seed orchards, but not in a large operation.