When the needles on your gnome Alberta spruce tree diagram turn brown , act tight , and you might be able to redeem it .

Because of its small size and Christmas Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree shape , the gnome Alberta spruce ( Picea glauca‘Conica ’ ) is afavorite evergreenacross much of the country . This cute littlesprucekeeps its conic shape as it grows very slowly , taking 30 year to max out at 10 to 12 feet marvellous . K of short light-green needles give it an almost fuzzy or downy appearance , but sometimes thosepretty needles can start turning brown . If you notice this happen to your tree , you may be able to redeem it with a small sleuthing to diagnose the trouble and some quick action to furbish up it .

How to Treat Spruce Spider Mites

Gardeners are n’t the only ones who care the dwarf Alberta spruce . It ’s also pop with spruce wanderer mite that attack in spring and fall , unlike regularspider hint , which are participating in hot , wry weather . If your spruce hasyellow speckles or dark-brown needlesat its base or near the trunk , spruce wanderer mites are most likely the culprit .

To see out if spruce wanderer mites have move in , shake a brown branch over a piece of white newspaper . If you see tiny speck moving around , squelch some with the tip of your finger . If the result goo is green , they ’re spruce spider pinch .

However , if you see red , it ’s a sign of beneficial insects already eating up the spruce spider pinch , and you could get them get on with their cleanup work . If the good louse are not on the caper , asphyxiate the tinge by spraying the full tree diagram with horticultural rock oil . This non - selective pesticide should be practice in cool temperatures ( 50 ° F-55 ° F ) .

dwarf alberta spruce tree growing in the center of a garden

Credit: Kindra Clineff

Treating Dwarf Alberta Spruce Winter Burn

embrown that moves from the bakshis of a leg toward the trunk is a sign thatwinter weatherhas dried out the needles . This can take place on sunny winter days when the earth is still wintry , making it impossible for the tree ’s roots to draw up water . Brown needles will show up on the Confederacy or west side of the tree , where it receives the unattackable rays of the sun .

To keep this from happening , be trusted to give your dwarf Alberta spiff up plenteousness of water in the autumn — especially if you do n’t get much rain — so the roots can soak in the moisture before the ground freeze . Also , broadcast 2 to 4 inches ofmulcharound it , start 3 column inch from the luggage compartment and going out to the ends of the branches . The mulch help take for H2O in the ground longer , and it even out out the inhuman soil temperatures .

If Your Tree Is Completely Brown

If your Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree is still mostly green , it will likely recuperate . Future growth at the ends of the branches will force out the brown needle , which will eventually descend off . However , if the whole tree diagram has turn browned , cut your deprivation andremove the tree diagram . Once it ’s fail , clean up as much of the chocolate-brown needles as possible to minimize pest and disease left in the leaf litter . Then start over with a good maintenance plan , a novel locating , oranother kind of evergreen .

Plant a gnome Alberta sprucein early natural spring or precipitate so the ascendent are lay down before summer heat or wintertime coldness . prefer a patch where it wo n’t get the worst winter steer , as those can also dry out the tree ’s acerate leaf .

Treating Trunk or Root Damage

A nanus Alberta spruce up that ’s turning brown at the top is telling you there ’s a problem with the body or the radical . Check to see ifweed whackershave slice the trunk or fauna have chewed the barque . If most of the bark is gone from the foundation of the torso , the tree will have to be replaced . If the tree is planted in a part of the garden that getseither waterlogged or completely dried out , the roots may have rot or become too dry . unluckily , this means the roots are unable to provide enough water to the tree .

Frequently Asked Questions

Dwarf Alberta spruce Tree are most prone to mite infestation , which can cause serious scathe . They also at times have military issue with sawfly , bagworms , budworms , and the eastern spruce mallet . The most common diseases that pestilence dwarf Alberta spruce trees are rust , canker , and waste .

Yes . Overwatering may cause foliage loss and etymon price , and your tree diagram will suffer in sluggish soil . Water your nanus Alberta spruce only when the soil is dry — about 1 inch of water weekly during the summer and twilight . It will need even less piddle in the wintertime month . In the spring , you may not require to irrigate at all if your area receives regular rainfall .

Your dwarf Alberta spruce may not need pruning to thrive . It grow tardily and naturally preserve a conical shape . However , if you want to prune , the best prison term to do it is other outflow as new growth appears . Be conservative in your cuts and do not issue into the “ stagnant zone ” ( aka the center of the tree where limbs are void of needles and arm ) . If you do , the tree will not generate fresh growth .