Tips for spruce top planters that will wow (2024)

FAQs

Do you water spruce top planters? ›

If you put your tree top pots on display earlier in the season, it is good to sprinkle a little water on the tops of them on the sunniest and warmest days. At the garden center, we use the watering hose to dash water across our greens every morning.

After arranging the tops how you want them, water the soil thoroughly. Keep the soil moist until the ground freezes. If you put out your tree tops early in the season, before the weather is reliably cold, consider spraying them with an anti-desiccant to help seal in their moisture.

Place the tallest spruce tip in the center of the pot. Push it down until 6″-8″ of the stem is in the soil. Add the remaining four spruce tips around the center spruce tip. Add dogwood, willow, birch, or other branches inside of spruce tips.

The tips are used in desserts, where they can be added where you might like the flavor of mint, or honeydew melon. They have a special piney taste that works very well with cream.

Norway Spruce needs 0.8 cups of water every 9 days when it doesn't get direct sunlight and is potted in a 5.0" pot. Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.

Many of the roots of a spruce tree go deep into the soil, meaning small amounts of rain aren't going to cut it. Check the soil around your spruce tree to get a more accurate idea of whether or not it needs to be watered. In general, if you place your finger in the soil and it's dry, your spruce tree needs watering.

Browning that moves from the tip of a branch toward the trunk is a sign that winter weather has dried out the needles. This can happen on sunny winter days when the ground is still frozen, making it impossible for the tree's roots to pull up more water.

Spruce tips are generally clean, but you can remove their party hats and give them a quick rinse to remove any dust and debris. They will last a few months in a paper bag in the fridge, if you can't use what you just harvested. They also freeze well, if you want to keep them even longer.

That Frigid Winter Wind Damages Tops of Trees

The tops of tall pine and spruce trees are especially vulnerable, way up high where the wind is even stronger and colder. Evergreens like spruce lose precious moisture through their needles. Damaged needles turn brown and the tree starts to die at the top.

Depending on the type of plants you plan on using and their root spread, filling an entire large planter with potting soil may not be necessary for optimal growth.

What can I substitute for spruce tips? ›

Yes, you can use the young, tender tips of pine trees too, it works out just fine, but has a slightly different, and often more resinous flavor (I've only used red pine). You can also use pine cones, but they contain more water in their green stage, which makes the syrup ferment, making it a slightly different product.

Spruce tips are the new growth of the trees each year and are most notably antiseptic, antimicrobial and an incredible source of vitamin C. After a long winter, they offer an immune boost and a fresh, lemony flavor that wakes you up from your hibernation slumber.

Salt is a great way to preserve Spruce tips and has several uses itself. The key to making a well preserved Spruce Tip Salt is a ratio of 1:1. Use a coarse sea salt and be sure your Spruce tips are finely cut, ground if possible, and similar in size to the salt.

“When the tips are soaked in water or other liquids, the resinous flavour steps back and more of the citrus flavour comes forward. Once that spruce flavour sits for a couple of hours…it's like drinking the forest,” says Haphazard Homesteader.

Step 1: Fill your pot with topsoil and put your Spruce tip in. Fill your pot with regular topsoil or a semi-heavy potting mix. Then push your tallest Spruce Tip (you can also use Balsam Tips) into the center of the pot. Press with enough pressure to secure in the soil.

You can use your finger and stick into the soil to feel for moisture. Use common sense here and water when no moisture is detected. Personally, I thoroughly water all my containers once or twice a week only. Be sure to water until you see water coming out of the bottom drainage holes.

Take care not to overwater your spruce, but at the same time ensure you don't underwater it, either. Check the soil regularly, and if the top few centimetres of soil feels dry to the touch, it's time to give the tree some water. Water it thoroughly, enough that the water reaches the roots lower down in the pot.

Softwoods. Some softwoods can be used to construct raised beds, although they won't last as long as hardwoods, cedar, or redwood. They're more affordable, making them an attractive option. The best softwoods include douglas fir, pine, spruce, and juniper.

Spruce trees can range anywhere from tiny, dwarf plants to towering trees. They can live in Zones 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. They love partial to full sun, fertilizer, and plenty of water. The soil for Spruce trees should be acidic, well-draining, and consistently moist.