Dwarf Alberta Spruce ~ help!

13 years ago

Exactly 40 years ago Dec we received from a friend what turned out to be a Dwarf Alberta Spruce, to welcome us to our 1st Christmas in our new home.

New to conifers (before the advent of google) books & our nurseries were our only sources of info. She survived my lack of plant savvy! After a few years' moves from pots to wine barrel, eventually this baby grew lovely, undisturbed by arch-enemy (spidermites)! Nearly half into her 40 years of life I finally decided to sink her in a sunny spot of ground w/ the help of our digger-Finnish Spitz (a hole nearly as deep as her wine-barrel home of 15+ years) she looked great there! So, as a focal point I created a 4-leaf-clover shaped herb garden around her. Grew even into a great beauty of a lady & bore witness to many a happenstances in her surround (threats of blizzards, heat-waves, droughts, tornadoes, soppy grounds of endless rains etc etc) survived them all including occasional freeze burns!

She bore witness as well to my growing addiction to dirt-digging guided by books & later by Ã¢ÂÂTrowel & ErrorÃ¢ÂÂ famed book, as a source of further learnings! She offered refuge to winged critters in all seasons & surely loved all the scents & colors that grew around her!

She endured & reveled much thru the years & now I was told (by an arborist) that she is at the end of her life-span! As many like us, old folks suffer from pattern baldness, she is, as well ~ my heart sank at the news. My grand-dau teared up & got me a tree-shaped Rosemary (has shed her needles & some branches, sigh!) to ease both our sadness! My dau, as well, send me a beautifully decorated baby Dwarf Alberta for Christmas also now sheds her fine, scented needles ~ I fear for her life if she doesnÃ¢ÂÂt go outdoors soon! Still unsavvy HELP!!!

thank you much for reading & any help!

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Comments (3)

ditas
Original Author
13 years ago
Oooops sorry ~ error ~ I meant this for Conifer forum!
luis_pr
13 years ago
Hello, ditas. Good to hear from you. And sorry to hear that the pine tree is having trouble. I am curious to hear what do they say over there so post back when you can.

I know that needles that are shed do not usually grow back but that does not necessarily mean that the plant is dead. It would worry me if the needles that are falling off are at the ends of the branches, as that could suggest a root problem or that a borer that has drilled into the trunk.

If the leaders look ok and you can determine the causal agent, the tree may do fine.

By the way, there was one exception to the nedles not growing back story... I once read that, after a spider mites infestation, one can see new needles on a n-e-w twig on the following year.

As usual with oakleaf hydrangeas, watch out for too little or too much water problems & drainage problems.

TIA, Luis
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ditas
Original Author
13 years ago
Hey Luis ~ so good you chimed in I did post this same one to the Conifer Forum soon after found my error ~ in case you wish to check!

It's still too snow-covered & cold here to check on Old Lady Alberta. The arborist did check & no diagnosis of mites or aphids causality was the problem although drought may have been the culprit, particularly this last Summer's drought when we were requested to ease on watering lawns & established bushes etc.

The baby Dwarf Alberta gift from last Christmas is discussed more in the Conifer Forum.

Spring can't be too long now ~ hopefully all these snow will melt slowly & not run off to the sewer. Can't wait to start Spring clean-up & see greening in the garden!

Thanks again Luis ~ we'll be chatting more soon!!!