help with when to plant Picea pungens 'Fat Albert'

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haloperidol Benton, AR(Zone 7b) Apr 23, 2008

I recently purchased a beautiful 4.5ft tall x 3.5ft wide Picea pungens 'Fat Albert' Colorado Blue Spruce from a local small nursery. It has a burlap wrapped root ball, is in a large pot and currently has new growth coming out. When purchased, I asked he nursery when to plant this tree. I was told to plant it within the next month, which would be a mid-April/mid-May time frame. Considering that Ive received conflicting information from this nursery in the past and the fact that Im a very new gardener, I thought I would seek addtional help on the matter. Plus, the tree was $130. Im in zone 7b and the temperature has been in the mid-seventies lately with it being 83 today.

1. Is it too late to plant the tree this year?
2. When is the best time to plant larger conifers?
3. If NOT planted now, how long will the tree survive with the burlap wrapped root ball, pot, and mulch?

Thanks!

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Herby_Canopy Indianapolis, IN Apr 27, 2008

I am interested in hearing the answer to your 3rd questions myself so I hope that someone can help you out.

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ViburnumValley Scott County, KY(Zone 5b) Apr 27, 2008

It is not too late to plant your tree this spring.

Timing of planting varies with the conditions of the plant in question. From a container, you can plant just about any time that your soil is workable. If you are digging a tree from a field-grown situation (where substantial amounts of roots will be severed), then early spring OR early fall is often best. Bare-root - early spring before new growth ensues is about the only time I'm familiar with.

There really is no reason not to plant your tree now, unless the permanent location you choose is beyond your capacity to water it or otherwise care for this new plant.

It is in a container, so it has all of its current roots. Out of the ground, you will have to spend much more time caring for needs than in the ground. Also, the root system will heat up more in a zone like AR than it would planted.

You could keep it in its container almost indefinitely (like a houseplant), but its quality would diminish as new roots filled the available space and watering/fertilization requirements soared. I wouldn't recommend that treatment for that plant in your zone.

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