Question
I live in southern Ontario. I've planted a row of about 22 spruce trees that went in at about 6 to 7 feet high, these were planted in the fall of 2009 and want to know the best way to shape them by pruning and the best time of year to do this. Also what is the best fertilizer to use on them.

Thanks
Hank

Answer
One great asset to having a  spruce in the landscape is that they very rarely need pruning. They naturally maintain their shape. Their needles are thin, but grow very densely on the tree, giving it a very solid and full appearance. The branches also persist all the way to the ground, without the lower limb dieback common to some evergreens as they age. Occasionally a branch will grow out of the normal shape of the spruce. These branches should be pruned back to the "normal" shape. This young of a tree I would let it grow for a few years to see what shape develops.

They really do not need fertilizer unless the foliage is starting to thin out. IF you want to use 10-10-10 fertilizer at the rate of 1 lb per inch of trunk diameter scattered around the tree and watered in good--apply just before a rain storm and you will not need to water.
The best time to fertilize is early April, before new growth expands, but you can apply fertilizer anytime until midsummer (roughly July 15). Applications beyond this period will stimulate growth late enough in the season that it may not have time to harden off before cold temperatures arrive. Such growth is much more likely to suffer winter injury and dieback.