I got a tiny dwarf Alberta spruce for Christmas, and it looked happy in January and February, and grew some new young branches. Recently, these new branches started to brown one after the other, while the soil seemed to be moist enough, and I did not change my care for the tree. As seen on the picture, drainage is secured.
The only thing that changed is more sunshine in my flat, that may raise the temperature with 1-2 degrees. I doubt that it is an insect, as I kept the tree inside all time. The temperature in my room is 22.5C (72.5F). It gets little direct sunlight though.
Although it is never freezing outside any more, I do not dare to transplant the tree or move it outside yet, until I get it back in shape. Should I aim for placing it outside (protected from UV) as soon as possible?
Please help, what could be the problem? I'm all in for saving it. Thanks a lot!
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In winter Alberta spruce is not comfortable at home, there is little light, too warm and dry air. Alberta spruce tries to grow, but the conditions are not suitable for growth. For some time, growth takes place at the expense of the plant's reserves, then depletion sets in. It is advisable to restrain this growth with cool conditions.
You do not say what USDA zone you live in but the Dwarf Alberta Spruce zones are 3 - 8. If you are not in these zones your tree may not do well outside.
planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/
You say that you got a 'tiny' Draft Alberta Spruce for Christmas but your tree looks like it is 3 to 4 feet tall (not including container. What measurement are you using for 'tiny'?
Also, your tree looks like it has much longer limbs than the dwarf tree generally has.
I'm only going by a couple of pictures so all of this could be 'how' I'm seeing the tree in the pictures.
I believe your place is too warm, probably does not have enough light and may need more air circulation. It is normal for a plant/tree to do okay during the first period of adjustment from one environment to another but then the new area 'hits' them and they may not be able to adjust.
Your plant needs to be slowly moved to the outside - by that I mean it needs to be exposed to the outside for several hours a day and then brought back inside and do this over a period of at least a week.
There seems to be some misconceptions about how much sun this particular tree needs as mine is in full sun (zone 8/9) most of the day and it is now about 5 years old.
"This tree performs best in full sun but will tolerate some shade."
"A Dwarf Alberta spruce tree grows best in full sun and well-drained acidic soil. It will tolerate some light shade but performs best in a spot with good air circulation, since it's dense foliage can trap moisture."
I have a link that has all of the information you need to know about growing your tree but please read it carefully so your tree will have a long healthy life.
www.thespruce.com/
I think if you cover it with burlap you could put it outside.
This could be a few things, starting with seasonal change, spider mites, maybe a trunk or root problem. There are a list of maybe's that you can check off , with this helpful link- www.bhg.com/
Some good info here:
www.melindamyers.com/
garden.org/
debsgarden.squarespace.com/
Thanks a lot everyone for your help! <3 I will place it outside slowly by slowly, hope it will get better, and transplant to a bigger pot once I see improvement.
Thanks for the measurements as, like I said, pictures can be deceiving and measurements can be off. Glad you have it - they are lovey trees and serve all year and then make beautiful living Christmas trees.
Main problems with your tree are: not enough light, too warm for wintering over in a house, and too dry indoors. A tree like this should be kept in a WELL LIT garage over the winter, where it is much cooler than in the house. The tree should also be misted with cool water every week while inside the garage.
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