Alberta Spruce Info

Hi All,

Sorry to bother, looked in the different forums for an evergreen forum but couldn't find one.

Have a minature Alberta Spruce. Moved in 4 years ago (has it been that long?) & took out some bushes along the front by this spruce tree. Amended and tilled, rolled & patted, and hugged and kissed the bed before putting in lots of perennials. Since all that, this miniature spruce has been turning grey-green and then partially brown. Bought a soil-test kit, but don't know what it's supposed to have. Pro companies only want to do it for me at high $$, MSU horticulture dept wants to charge me to come out to look at it, and my friendly local neighborhood greenhouse wants to sell me stuff whether I need it or not. Can someone tell me, or point me in the right direction to find soil ph requirements for miniature Alberta Spruce trees? Please???? It's a pretty little baby Christmas tree and I don't want to lose it. Any advice greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Barb

hi barb,

I wish I knew. My neighbor has one in a pot that has been behaving just like yours, from the sound of it. I've been meaning to take a picture of it and post a question here for them. Now I'll watch your thread instead. Hope we hear something from the tree experts here. Their's is really nice too, and they hoped to plant it this year.

barb,
I forgot to ask -- are some of the needles becoming brittle (including ones that haven't turned brown?).

Yes they are ~~ plus there are holes / bare spots all over it. Poor little thing looks pathetic.

Dwarf Alberta spruce trees are very hardy - to zone 2, but they don't tolerate winter sun very well. This plant is VERY prone to winter burn. This plant can be/is attacked by spider mites fairly often.

While these are cute little trees, they are more bother than they are worth, IMHO.

If the tree is browned completely on one of its sides, and this side is very noticeable, I would remove the tree and plant something else. Where the tree is brown, it will be brown forever. Sorry.

Good luck,
Mike

Mike,

I'll have to look at my neighbor's Alberta spruce again, but as I remember it hadn't actually browned (or very very little). But there were definitely needles that were still green but had become brittle. Are those ones on their way to brown no matter what, or is there something that can be done?

I think they said they'd been giving it "lots of sun" -- so that may be where the problem started. I know they moved it to a south facing picture window to get it *more* sun after the brittleless and some drooping started.

It's still in a pot. If they plant it out, sounds like it should get some afternoon shade?

Thanks for the advice. It sounds like this one and Torquay's are pretty much in the same boat, though Torquay's is sicker.