Colorado Spruce Styling Suggestions

heymikey(deceased)

heyIsomJ1; I do not proclaim to be any sort of expert on spruce bonsai, but I have four potensai spruce and can offer some advice. First off, most spruce put out about 1"-4" of new growth over a short time period in the spring (you need to pinch off ~ half of each new shoot if you want to "control" foliage density). The rest of the year most of my spruce don't appear to do anything growthwise. This can be considered boring compared to other species which often seem to need some sort of attention. Secondly, wiring of the trunk and branches to add movement or style is most unrewarding as they seem to spring back to their original position shortly after wires are removed. Thirdly, they don't backbud worth a damn, and fourthly the bleed alot wherever pruned. This makes training of spruce most challenging, and I always try not to mangle one too badly that it can't be planted out in the yard landscaping when I give up on it as a bonsai. All that being said, I feel that some spruce have the most beautiful foliage, some have very intresting bark, and most can be very bushy (as opposed to being naturally scrawny like some other trees). I suppose that's why I keep trying to work with them. I would also be interested to hear what experiences others have had working with spruce.