Pinch off the tips of lateral branches to maintain the size of the trees height or width by cutting away just the end 1/2 to 1 inch of new growth. Avoid pruning the dwarf spruce back beyond where the needles grow, otherwise the plant may not produce side shoots to fill in the space with fresh growth. These evergreens do best in full sun to partial shade and prefer average to moist soil. If pruning this far into the tree is necessary, then cut the lateral branch cleanly away from the trunk. Next, look at the tree silhouette and see which branches are pushing out too much.

The one of the right side in the photo had a huge bush behind it was growing into it & when i trimmed the bush away there were huge bald patched where the poor thing must have been starved for light. In a year or two, a new central shoot will grow and you will have to cut it again. First, cut the top off because the spruce usually has a long central shoot that makes it elongated. The small plants are very cute and this is especially true of the conifers. The only exception to these recommendations is a newly planted spruce.

The tree is able to extract all the necessary elements from the soil in the right amounts on its own. In addition, stop watering the spruce. There are two giant evergreen trees on either side of the walk to the door that are growing out of control, the bottoms look a little bit dead but my husband is sentimentally attached to these trees as he had planted them as a kid. This way the wounds will heal much more quickly and the spruce will develop many more buds. And the last thing you dont want to do is fertilize Dwarf Alberta Spruce. If you dont fertilize, it will grow normally. Cut it back to where there are some side shoots. In the summer heat, the spruce will stagnate and may even change the color of the needles a bit, but nothing critical will happen to it. These evergreens should be pruned in early spring, when you first notice the new growth appear. 777 Lawrence Avenue East Toronto, ON, Canada M3C 1P2 | Phone: 416-397-1345, Copyright Toronto Master Gardeners 2019, Advice Clinic at East Lynn Farmers Market, Gardening Guides provide introductory information on a broad range of horticultural topics. We have bought my mother-in-laws house recently, sadly she has let her garden go for the last few years and everything is horribly overgrown. But even if a plant is considered a dwarf, its not always a dwarf. If the soil is poor, it may grow even less than usual. Otherwise, the growth will speed up and you will have difficulty keeping it small. You want to cut them back when they have grown to their full length but are not yet mature. Never put compost in the planting hole as it will stimulate rapid growth. Cut them off by making precise cuts using bypass pruners. Do not cut more than 30% of the crown in one year. By trimming back the new growth that appears on the side branches each year you may keep them from getting much wider than they are now. They dont look very healthy, the needles are only located right at the tips of the branches like little poufs. Depending on the climate zone, the shoots on spruce reach their maximum length around this time. Otherwise, if it does not take root, it may not survive a severe drought. To get a lush crown you need to water Dwarf Alberta Spruce. You can also raise the crown a bit if you need to. This can be done by trimming the bottom tier of branches with loppers. Avoid mulching with compost or other nutrient material. Very often dwarfs grow to quite large sizes and today you will learn what to do about it. Cut the damaged branch off the tree by making a cut that runs parallel to the lateral branch and just 1/4 to 1/2 inch from the lateral branch.

To keep the Dwarf Alberta Spruce small, cut it back every year in early summer. The first thing to do to keep Dwarf Alberta Spruce compact is to prune it every year. Also avoid any fertilizers, especially organic ones. Dont let the name fool you, even though Dwarf Alberta Spruce grow at a slow rate- growing just 2-4 per year. To do this you have to keep watering to a minimum. When we say not to fertilize, we mean not to fertilize not only with mineral fertilizers but also with organic matter. If you have to mulch spruce, do it with pine bark. But in our case the goal is quite different, you need to reduce the rate of growth. It should be watered for the first year or two. If you dont water it in the fall, the growth will be shorter than usual in the spring. Under ideal conditions these tress can grow to a maximum of 7-10 wide and 10-12tall and can be expected to live for 50 years. If the tree is well established, it can survive quite harsh conditions. These trees posses a dense needle pattern and a tight densely packed growth habit, which gives these trees a fuzzy appearance. Too much pruning on dwarf spruce trees can cause the needles to turn brown or die back. Why Is Dwarf Alberta Spruce Turning Brown. If necessary, reduce the diameter of the crown in a circle with an electric trimmer or shears. It is recommended to only trim back the new growth of the current season. The best time to do this is May-June. Prune out any dead or diseased branches as well as branches that appear to be rubbing by tracing the affected side branches back to where they extend from a lateral branch. The trees in your photo appear to be very healthy Dwarf Alberta Spruce, Picea glaucaConica. If you need to significantly reduce the size of Dwarf Alberta Spruce, do this gradually over a period of 2-4 years. Thank you for contacting the Toronto Master Gardeners. By fertilizing you encourage it to grow faster and have longer growth. As a result, you will have beautiful and compact Alberta spruce in your yard. Do not water Dwarf Alberta Spruce at all, even in summer drought and heat. I will tell you more about each of these steps below. The same applies to fall watering. My questions are really, what types of trees are these and how can i trim them back (without making things worse) so they are a more manageable size?