Dwarf Alberta Spruce Trees
Starting, Planting and Growing

Q: Where can I find or get seeds from these trees?

Are there cones on the trees? If so, how can I start a tree???

Anita

A: You can root dwarf Alberta spruces through cuttings. Collect them in December and put them in a sand/peat mixture.

I would dip each cutting into a rooting hormone (available at a nursery or garden center) first. Take a lot of cuttings, as not all will make it.

Should you find any cones (I have to admit I've never seen any), they require no special treatment.

Plant them in a good friable soil mixture (sand and peat should do the trick, or regular potting soil), stand back and see what happens.

Q: I was wondering how much drainage is necessary for the potted dwarf Alberta Spruce?

I planted it in a container without holes or drainage of any kind. Should I replant using stones/rocks on the bottom for drainage?

A: Proper drainage is critical for any plant. If the roots sit in standing water they'll rot, and the end of the plant is nigh.

Since you have already put the spruce in the pot, I wouldn't dig it out and shock it all over again. I would leave it there, and just drill drainage holes up from the bottom.

1/2" to 3/4" in diameter should be fine. Drill 1 in the center, then 4 in a circle evenly spaced around the edges.

When you water (once every 7-10 days is the usual schedule), water until it runs out the drainage holes. If the soil in the pot is compacted, this may take a while.

If so, take a long-shanked screwdriver and punch holes in the soil up through the drainage holes.

Q: I purchased 2 Dwarf Alberta Spruce in late November & planted them in ceramic pots, both placed on my front porch on either side of my front door.

About a month ago, I realized that I had not watered them in about a month and proceeded to water each of them with a gallon of water (they are approx. 2-2 1/2 ft. tall in 14" planters). I noticed within 2 wks., the needles began to brown in certain areas and it has gotten progressively worse. About a fourth of each plant is brown.

I haven't watered them again until today (half gallon of water for each plant), b/c I was afraid that I overwatered the last time (which may have caused the "browning" of the needles). I live within 20 miles of Washington, DC in the Maryland suburbs.....we usually never have harsh winters, but this past one was the worst in several years.

Could this have caused the damage, but it's strange that the "browning" didn't occur until after I watered them. Do you have any ideas of what is causing this and how I should proceed? Please help!

A: I don't think your watering the plants had anything to do with their turning brown afterward. I think the watering was too late, that the roots were already dried out, and the plants would have browned up regardless.

Plants growing in above-ground containers are much more vulnerable to temperature extremes. In the winter, the entire root zone of the plant can freeze since the cold can permeate from all directions, not just downward from the top as is the case of a plant that is in the ground. If the roots freeze totally, that's it, game over.

However, the fact that the plant has been killed may not show up for a while. Since you watered and the plant turned brown afterward, you made the natural connection that the two events had something to do with each other when they probably really didn't.

I would carefully poke around in the soil to find roots and then do the "thumbnail test." Gently scratch off just a bit of the root covering to see if there's some moist-looking tissue beneath (check several areas to try to get an overall view).

If there is, water once a week with about 1 gallon (check the soil moisture before watering to be sure it's needed), try to protect the sides of the pots from the cold, and wait to see if any new growth emerges this spring.

I would also "thumbnail test" the twigs, again looking for moist-looking tissue just beneath the bark. You may have moist tissue in the crown but none in the roots, or vice versa, which may still mean the end of the plant. If you find no moist tissue above or below ground, you may be replacing the plants for sure this spring.

Q: Can someone please let me know when is the best time to plant the Albert Spruce Trees?

We just purchased 5 of these and would like to know when it is good to plant these in Ohio?

Thanks
The Stephens

A: You can plant your spruces in either spring or fall, it shouldn't really matter.

Be sure to dig the planting hole twice as wide as the root ball and slightly shallower. If the ground is too wet, though, wait until it has dried out enough so that if you squeeze a handful it doesn't stick together like a snowball. Working with soil that is too wet can produce rock hard soil around the root ball when you put it back around the tree, which is not good.

When backfilling the soil around the rootball, you can use water to settle it in and remove air pockets. Afterward, apply a mulch layer 1-2" deep over the entire hole, keeping the mulch a few inches away from the base of the trunk.

Come spring, water when necessary, applying about 1 gallon of water per square foot once a week if we go for more than 2 weeks without sufficient rainfall.