Overwintering potted spruces?

[bigeight]

So I bought 100 Colorado Blue spruces that were 18" tall and I put them in 3 gallon pots with black dirt. I am planning to overwinter them, how should I go about this?

I know that evergreens are susceptible to a lot of different types of fungus if you put them too close together. Right now I put the pots together for insulation. None of the branches are touching, and I covered the edges of the group with leaves. Should I cover the top of the pots too or will this cause needle shedding or disease?

Trying to get them not to freeze and stay away from diseases. Anyone have suggestions or experience with this? They have only been in the pots for 8 months, and are not "pot trained" yet.

[PALogger]

I think you would be alright mulching them in. I worked part-time through high school at a nursery and that is how we overwintered most of our material. Its common to do with ball and burlap stuff, but we did it with potted stock as well. We had decent luck with non-native ornamental stuff as well so your spruce should be ok. We used wood chips from a local arborist that we knew well and he made sure they were good and clean. Be careful getting chips from anyone you don't know though, you never know what they were cutting and running through there machine. Hope this helps

[dtabor]

Mulching should be fine but I'll add this.....My wife got some of those "free" Arbor Day blue spruces a few years back. I planted a few and then put the rest in pots. I forgot about one, figuring the unplanted ones were dead by now. The other day I was walking by the pots and the leftover trees are about 18" high and growing fine! Theyve been in small pots sitting ON the ground the past 4 winters!!! Amazing

[bigeight]

Do you think by bunching the pots together that I am asking for the spread of fungus or disease? The branches are not touching, but they are within a few inches of each other?

I bunched some larger plants, 5 footers together to overwinter one year, their branches were slightly touching and by spring they looked like an absolute mess. I ended up having to replace about 3/4 of them.....not cheap. Just wondering how far apart they need to be, or if it is just the contact with anything that caused this?

[Timber Doodle]

I doubt you'd have to worry much about fungal attacks throughout the overwintering period. Although, it would be a good idea to keep them apart to allow adequate air circulation. They'll be fine the way you have them, since you stated they weren't even touching.

[sandbur]

You can get winter burn and lose needles if they are too exposed with out enough snow to cover them. Keep them shaded on the south side. close together might give enough shade. Drying out in the winter is part of the problem.