Gardening

Baltimike

(4,441 posts) Sat Sep 11, 2021, 04:12 PM Sep 2021

My dwarf alberta spruce does not like my big daddy hydrangea...

and it might not make it. Now that the hydrangea is getting ready to go dormant, what evergreens will not be so bothered by the 'coming back in the spring' hydrangea?

4 replies

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My dwarf alberta spruce does not like my big daddy hydrangea... (Original Post) Baltimike Sep 2021 OP

Can I be honest? Alberta spruce are not good plants. The nusery industry produces them by the ... Botany Sep 2021 #1

Ahh. That makes sense. I replaced one and blamed myself that it died vanlassie Sep 2021 #2

I love their schlubby cottage vibe... Baltimike Sep 2021 #3

Winterberry Holly (gotta plant at least 2 ... male and female), Black Chokeberry, Red Milkweed, Botany Sep 2021 #4

Botany

(73,233 posts)

1. Can I be honest? Alberta spruce are not good plants. The nusery industry produces them by the ...

Reply to Baltimike (Original post)

Sat Sep 11, 2021, 04:30 PM

Sep 2021

tens of thousands and they look good @ the garden store and for sometime after you plant them but
they almost always go down hill after not too much time.

I'm willing to bet that one side of your spruce is all brown. Usually on the side that gets more shade.
Those brown patches will never come back and they are from spider mites. Alberta Spruce almost always
get spider mites not unless you have a spray program to control them and those insecticides are a hammer
on our native and beneficial insects which in turn hurts out native birds.

Taxus cuspidata 'Capitata' or Boxwood "Green Mountain" are better choices. However I would suggest
you plant a native plant instead.

BTW I'm an expert in this stuff too.