WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Picea pungens, WUCOLS IV

How often to water Colorado spruce in California

In July in the Central Valley, established Colorado spruce in loam needs a deep watering about every 8 days: about 55 gallons each time under a 10 foot canopy, about 47 gallons a week. Colorado spruce, also sold as blue spruce, is a narrow, pyramidal conifer from the Rocky Mountains. Its stiff, sharp needles range from green to silvery blue. It grows slowly to 30 to 60 feet tall and keeps branches down to the ground. It prefers cool weather and rich, well-drained soil, and young trees should never dry out.

TreeRated for 5 of 6 zones

How often to water Colorado spruce, month by month

Your city
Canopy width
10 ft
Your soil

Type your city above and the days between waterings and the gallons appear here, worked out from your city's climate table. Or read the figures by climate zone further down.

Every month, on your water days. The personal plan prints this for Colorado spruce and the rest of your yard, on the days your water supplier allows.Get the plan for $19

How this is worked out: established roots fill the top 1.5 feet of soil, and you water again when that soil has dried halfway. Loam soil holds about 1.5 inches of water per foot. Water the whole area under the branches, and skip a watering after a good soaking rain.

Which soil do you have?

Dig down a few inches, take a handful of moist soil and squeeze it.

  • Sandy: gritty, falls apart when you open your hand, will not form a ball.
  • Loam: forms a soft ball that crumbles when you poke it.
  • Clay: forms a firm, sticky ball and squeezes out into a ribbon between thumb and finger.

Still not sure? Pick loam. Most garden beds sit between sand and clay.

How to measure canopy width

A tree with its canopy width marked across the widest branches and the circle under it shaded blue

Measure across the branches, from the tips of the outer leaves on one side to the tips on the other. A tape works, or pace it out.

Water the whole circle under the branches, shown in blue. The gallons here cover that circle.

A wider canopy means more gallons each watering, not more waterings. While the tree is young, measure again each spring.

How to tell it needs water

  • Soil dry 3 to 4 inches down at the edge of a young spruce root ball signals that it needs water before it dries further
  • Needles yellowing and dropping from inner branches during summer heat can indicate moisture stress
  • Speckled, dull new growth with fine webbing points to spider mites, which can stunt the tree
  • Yellowing needles over soil that stays soggy can indicate poor drainage, which spruce roots handle badly
  • Lower branches drooping toward the ground on an older tree is normal growth, not a sign of thirst

How to water it

  • Water a young Colorado spruce over its root ball and nearby soil so the ball never dries out
  • Move water to the outer branches and beyond as the tree matures, keeping the trunk area drier
  • Soak slowly so moisture reaches 12 to 18 inches down, then let the upper soil dry before the next soak
  • Spread organic mulch beneath the branches to keep the soil cool and evenly moist
  • Plant in rich, well-drained soil, avoiding low spots where water stands

Through the seasons

Keep a newly planted Colorado spruce consistently moist through its first summers, since young trees should not dry out. As it matures it handles dry spells better, though it still wants deep soakings through hot months. This evergreen prefers cool climates and suffers in heat, so inland summers are its hardest season. Winter rain usually covers the cool months on the coast and in the Central Valley. High desert trees need soil checks in a dry winter. WUCOLS rates Colorado spruce moderate water in five zones: the north-central coast, the Central Valley, the south coast, South Inland and the high desert. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to the low desert.

In pots

A young Colorado spruce can spend a few years in a large container. Its sharp needles call for a spot away from walkways. Use a pot with open drainage holes and a rich, well-drained mix. Check the mix 2 inches down every few days in summer heat, since a young spruce should not dry out. Water until excess drains, then empty the saucer. Give the pot afternoon shade where summers are hot. In winter, keep the mix lightly moist, because the evergreen needles keep drawing water.

1 Your climate zone six WUCOLS zones, each from its own reference city
2.67gal per sq ft in JulyModerate water use in the Central Valley zone
A year
17.11 gal per sq ft
Reference
Sacramento climate table
Counts
Plant need, before sprinkler losses
0.761.52.33.00.4JAN0.65FEB1.09MAR1.52APR2.08MAY2.48JUN2.67JUL2.39AUG1.8SEP1.18OCT0.56NOV0.34DEC0.761.52.33.00.4JFM1.52AMJ2.67JAS1.18OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 2.67 in Jul, 17.11 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Colorado Spruce: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.370.40.780.780.74–
Feb0.530.650.810.870.93–
Mar0.871.091.151.31.46–
Apr1.181.521.41.611.89–
May1.462.081.611.952.39–
Jun1.612.481.742.292.85–
Jul1.612.671.982.513.04–
Aug1.492.391.862.332.79–
Sep1.241.81.491.862.14–
Oct0.871.181.151.331.46–
Nov0.470.560.840.90.93–
Dec0.310.340.650.680.65–
Year1217.1115.518.4121.27–

How this is worked out: the WUCOLS water rating for each zone times that zone’s climate for the month. A dash means WUCOLS does not rate the plant there. The figures are what the plant uses, before sprinkler losses.

Plants with the same water needs 16

Rated moderate water in the Central Valley, like Colorado spruce. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

Citrus TreesCitrus spp.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyJapanese MapleAcer palmatummoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyAvocado TreesPersea americanamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyMagnolia TreesMagnolia grandiflora ssp. & cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyPalm TreesSyagrus romanzoffiana (Arecastrum romanzoffianum)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyApple TreesMalus spp. (edible) e.g, 'Anna' (low chill variety for low desert)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyPeach TreesPrunus spp. ediblemoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyPersimmon TreesDiospyros kakimoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyAmur MapleAcer ginnalamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyFernleaf MapleAcer japonicummoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyBox ElderAcer negundomoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyNorway MapleAcer platanoidesmoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyRed MapleAcer rubrummoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyChinese MapleAcer truncatummoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyRed BuckeyeAesculus paviamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyRed HorsechestnutAesculus x carneamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July

Similar plants that need less water 16

Rated lower than Colorado spruce in the Central Valley. Worth a look for a new bed or a lawn replacement.

Olive TreesOlea europaea ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyFig TreesFicus carica ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyCrape MyrtleLagerstroemia spp., hybrids & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyAloeAloe spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyPomegranate TreesPunica granatumlow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyEucalyptusEucalyptus polyanthemoslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyPine TreesPinus canariensislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyJunipersJuniperus spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyTexas Red OakQuercus buckleyilow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyPortuguese OakQuercus faginealow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySoapbark TreeQuillaja saponarialow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyNecklace TreeSophora affinislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyBailey AcaciaAcacia baileyanalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySilver WattleAcacia dealbatalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyGreen WattleAcacia decurrenslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySydney Golden WattleAcacia longifolialow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Minutes for your sprinklers

Turn this into minutes on your water days

Every city page has a calculator that takes Colorado spruce, your sprinkler type and the month, and gives the minutes per water day for that supplier's schedule. Or put it in a zone of the personal watering plan and get all twelve months printed.

Questions people ask

How often should I water Colorado spruce in summer?

In July, established Colorado spruce in loam needs a deep watering about every 8 days in the Central Valley, about every 11 days on the south coast and about every 9 days in the South Inland zone. Sandy soil holds less water, so waterings come closer together. Clay stretches them. Check the soil before each watering and skip one after a soaking rain.

How much water does Colorado spruce need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established Colorado spruce needs about 6.8 gallons a day under a 10 foot canopy and about 27 gallons a day under a 20 foot canopy. Give it in deep waterings spread days apart rather than a little every day, so the whole root zone gets wet.

Does watering for Colorado spruce change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates Colorado spruce separately for each of the six California climate zones: moderate water in the North-Central Coastal zone, moderate water in the Central Valley zone, moderate water in the South Coastal zone, moderate water in the South Inland zone, moderate water in the High and Intermediate Desert zone, not suited to this region in the Low Desert zone. The monthly table above shows how the same rating translates into different gallon amounts as reference evapotranspiration changes.

Is Colorado spruce the same as blue spruce?

Yes. Blue spruce is another common name for the same species. Needle color ranges from dull green to silvery blue. Blue selections need the same watering care as green ones.

Why are Colorado spruce needles so sharp?

Its stiff needles end in sharp spines. Keep the tree back from paths where people brush past it. Wear gloves when pruning or working beneath it.

What are the tiny specks and webbing on my spruce?

These usually point to spider mites, which can damage new growth and the tree's overall health. Inspect the inner branches during warm weather. Treat the mites rather than adding more water.

Can you overwater a Colorado spruce?

Yes. It needs well-drained soil, and roots kept wet in heavy clay decline. Water deeply, let the upper soil dry, then water again. Keep it out of lawns that are watered often.

Does Colorado spruce grow well in hot inland areas?

It prefers cool climates and does not tolerate heat and humidity well. In hot inland gardens, give it afternoon shade and steady soil moisture. Never let a young tree's root ball dry out there.

How big does a Colorado spruce get?

Expect a narrow, pyramidal tree 30 to 60 feet tall and 10 to 20 feet wide. It grows slowly and keeps its branches down to the ground. Leave room around the base so the lower limbs are not cut back.

More plant watering guides

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Sources