How to Treat Spruce Spider Mites
Gardeners arent the only ones who like the dwarf Alberta spruce.
If you see tiny specks moving around, squish some with the tip of your finger.
If the resulting goo is green, theyre spruce spider mites.
Credit: Kindra Clineff
This non-selective pesticide should be applied in cool temperatures (50F-55F).
The mulch helps hold water in the ground longer, and it evens out the cold soil temperatures.
However, if the whole tree has turned brown, cut your losses andremove the tree.
Then start over with a better maintenance plan, a new location, oranother kind of evergreen.
Check to see ifweed whackershave sliced the trunk or animals have chewed the bark.
Unfortunately, this means the roots are unable to provide enough water to the tree.
They also occasionally have issues with sawflies, bagworms, budworms, and the eastern spruce beetle.
The most common diseases that plague dwarf Alberta spruce trees are rust, canker, and rot.
Overwatering may cause foliage loss and root damage, and your tree will suffer in soggy soil.
It will need even less water in the winter months.
In the spring, you may not need to water at all if your region receives regular rainfall.
Your dwarf Alberta spruce may not need pruning to thrive.
It grows slowly and naturally maintains a conical shape.
If you do, the tree will not generate new growth.
