Growing from Saplings

[CVette]

I have four white spruce saplings I got from Lowes on Earth Day. They've been planted in 1.5 gallon containers since April but seem to have stopped growing, or at least slowed considerably.

Should I plant them in the ground? I'm assuming they are too small to make it through the winter and I shouldn't. Should I transplant them to a larger container? I want to ensure they aren't too cramped.

Andy, I recall you saying your wife did this a few times, any tips...transplanting, fertilizing or otherwise?

[andy10917]

She does it for a different reason - if she plans to container-grow them over the winter, she buries the container at soil-to-soil level so the roots don't get killed by below-zero temperatures.

Just after Labor Day (or now if you can irrigate) is a great time to establish them in the ground - plenty of time for root growth yet, and lower stress. You may have just exhausted one (or all) of the nutrients in the container.

[MorpheusPA]

I've grown everything on this property (with a few rare exceptions) from whips--first year trees, second at the most. I tend to plant in April, but they say they do well transplanted in September as well.

Transplant into native soil, no fiddling. That's what they'll have to deal with outside the container. However, break up the soil at least twice as wide as the container and equally deep, and then put it in. That keeps the ground from being too solid to throw roots.

Feed organically only this fall. Next spring if you wish to lightly feed with a synthetic, that's fine, and don't worry if your winterizer gets cast over the ground around them. That won't hurt anything. By next September you can take the limits off and feed them a lot for growth if you want, or just let them grow normally.

[CVette]

Thanks guys. I'll get them planted soon. I'll plan on some sort of winter protection, maybe both burlap and plywood for snow protection.

One thing I didn't mention was their final location. We haven't decided where they would be permanently. I have an area in the garden 16'x5' that I was planning to plant them for now and then maybe transplant them to a permanent location when they were 2 or 3 years old (or when they grew out of the space in the garden). Do you see a problem with that plan?
Thanks again!

[MorpheusPA]

Transplanting's always a shock, so I'd try to get them into their permanent homes immediately if possible. If not, you can (and I have) transplanted, but try to take as much root as you can manage. Roots are usually a lot wider and deeper than you'd think they are.