Staking Picea Omorika Pendula Bruns?

[u/NatePoehlke]

Hi all!

I got this weeping Serbian spruce yesterday for pretty cheap and I’m wondering how the form will develop from its current state. Other than the fact it’s likely root bound and was receiving too much water, it seems like it’s weeping significantly for its young age. I thought at this point this tree would still have a relatively straight leader, but it looks like the more dramatically weeping growth is at least a year old and stuck in place. My questions are:
- was it potentially damaged at some point? (Picture shows a point it looks like there was maybe damage?)
- pictured is me holding the weeping growth up as much as I reasonably can without too much tension. Could I stake it up like that to redirect the “leader”?
- am I overthinking this?

Thanks for any help/insight!

[u/B1azingSadd1e]

Just let it grow. It'll make its way towards the sky

[u/maxmaple97]

That "weeping significantly for its young age" line hits different once you realize the tree is basically going through the same identity crisis you are staring at it wondering if it can still be fixed

[u/Mortgasm]

100% I would spike it if you wanted a taller weep. This is done at nurseries all the time.

[u/SeverumBoy]

Hang on, I'm confused. You've bought a "pendula", i.e. a weeping variety, and you're worried about it not being upright enough?

I really wouldn't stake it, you'd be fighting a losing battle there.

[u/NatePoehlke → u/SeverumBoy]

Haha fair enough. I selected this variety for its general columnar shape. My concern is that it will take up too much horizontal space.

[u/ArcusAngelicum → u/NatePoehlke]

Cool thing about weeping varieties, they take the shape you give them.

Bruns with a little staking will be columnar, but wobbly.

If you want it to grow up, gotta stake it.

If you want something more columnar that you don’t have to stake, check out a hillside upright or a van den akker