Spruce trees only keep seven years of needles. All spruce trees not just blue spruce trees. There are no latent buds under the bark of the stems of a spruce tree or spruce shrub. So you cannot prune back into the brown zone where there are no needles. You will never get brand new growth from the interior of a spruce. We are at the end of the summer dormant period for evergreens. In Chicago the first week of August is the last time to do any pruning before the plant needs to be left alone to prep

The Difference between Spruce and Fir?

Did you know that pine, spruce, fir, and hemlock needles are all edible, and medicinal? I have taught classes locally on using these evergreen needles in food and home remedies and I always find that there is quite a bit of confusion when it comes to identifying and using them. Just comment "yes" and I'll send you my post on identifying and using these conifers so you won't be confused as well. | Natural Living with Susan from Learning And Yearning