WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Picea glauca, WUCOLS IV

How often to water Alberta spruce in California

In July in the Central Valley, established Alberta spruce in loam needs a deep watering about every 8 days: about 55 gallons each time under a 10 foot canopy, about 47 gallons a week. Alberta spruce is a form of white spruce, most often sold as the dense, cone-shaped dwarf Alberta spruce with soft, bright green needles. The dwarf grows slowly, reaching 3 to 4 feet in ten years and 10 to 13 feet after several decades. It performs best with cool summers, good air circulation and moist, well-drained soil.

TreeRated for 3 of 6 zones

How often to water Alberta spruce, month by month

Your city
Canopy width
10 ft
Your soil

Type your city above and the days between waterings and the gallons appear here, worked out from your city's climate table. Or read the figures by climate zone further down.

Every month, on your water days. The personal plan prints this for Alberta spruce and the rest of your yard, on the days your water supplier allows.Get the plan for $19

How this is worked out: established roots fill the top 1.5 feet of soil, and you water again when that soil has dried halfway. Loam soil holds about 1.5 inches of water per foot. Water the whole area under the branches, and skip a watering after a good soaking rain.

Which soil do you have?

Dig down a few inches, take a handful of moist soil and squeeze it.

  • Sandy: gritty, falls apart when you open your hand, will not form a ball.
  • Loam: forms a soft ball that crumbles when you poke it.
  • Clay: forms a firm, sticky ball and squeezes out into a ribbon between thumb and finger.

Still not sure? Pick loam. Most garden beds sit between sand and clay.

How to measure canopy width

A tree with its canopy width marked across the widest branches and the circle under it shaded blue

Measure across the branches, from the tips of the outer leaves on one side to the tips on the other. A tape works, or pace it out.

Water the whole circle under the branches, shown in blue. The gallons here cover that circle.

A wider canopy means more gallons each watering, not more waterings. While the tree is young, measure again each spring.

How to tell it needs water

  • Soil dry 2 to 3 inches down at the edge of the root ball signals that Alberta spruce needs a soak
  • Needles yellowing and dying inside the dense cone can point to spider mites, which seriously injure this plant
  • Browning on the side that faces hot sun or strong wind can indicate heat and moisture stress
  • Yellowing foliage over soil that stays wet can indicate trunk or root rot
  • A shoot with thicker stems and larger needles is reversion to the full-size species, not a reaction to water

How to water it

  • Water at soil level around the root ball with drip or a slow hose rather than over the dense foliage
  • Soak the root zone about a foot deep, then let the top couple of inches dry before the next watering
  • Plant in moist, well-drained, acidic to neutral loam in an open spot with good air circulation
  • Shelter it from strong winds, which dry and damage the foliage
  • Mulch the root area to keep the soil cool and evenly moist

Through the seasons

Keep a new Alberta spruce evenly moist through its first summers while roots spread. Established plants take deep soakings with the surface allowed to dry slightly between them. This evergreen grows slowly and prefers cold winters and cool summers, so summer heat is its hardest stretch. WUCOLS rates Alberta spruce moderate water on the north-central coast, in the Central Valley and in the high desert. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to the south coast, South Inland or the low desert. Winter rain usually covers it on the coast and in the Central Valley, while high desert plants need checks in dry winters.

In pots

Dwarf Alberta spruce is a classic container plant, often set in pairs by an entry. Use a pot with drainage holes and a moist, well-drained, slightly acidic mix. Check the mix 2 inches down every few days in summer and water when it is dry there, since a potted spruce dries quickly. Water until excess drains, then empty the saucer. Set the pot where air moves freely and afternoon sun is softened. In winter, water whenever the mix begins to dry.

1 Your climate zone six WUCOLS zones, each from its own reference city
2.67gal per sq ft in JulyModerate water use in the Central Valley zone
A year
17.11 gal per sq ft
Reference
Sacramento climate table
Counts
Plant need, before sprinkler losses
0.761.52.33.00.4JAN0.65FEB1.09MAR1.52APR2.08MAY2.48JUN2.67JUL2.39AUG1.8SEP1.18OCT0.56NOV0.34DEC0.761.52.33.00.4JFM1.52AMJ2.67JAS1.18OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 2.67 in Jul, 17.11 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Alberta Spruce: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.370.4––0.74–
Feb0.530.65––0.93–
Mar0.871.09––1.46–
Apr1.181.52––1.89–
May1.462.08––2.39–
Jun1.612.48––2.85–
Jul1.612.67––3.04–
Aug1.492.39––2.79–
Sep1.241.8––2.14–
Oct0.871.18––1.46–
Nov0.470.56––0.93–
Dec0.310.34––0.65–
Year1217.11––21.27–

How this is worked out: the WUCOLS water rating for each zone times that zone’s climate for the month. A dash means WUCOLS does not rate the plant there. The figures are what the plant uses, before sprinkler losses.

Plants with the same water needs 16

Rated moderate water in the Central Valley, like Alberta spruce. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

Citrus TreesCitrus spp.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyJapanese MapleAcer palmatummoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyAvocado TreesPersea americanamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyMagnolia TreesMagnolia grandiflora ssp. & cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyPalm TreesSyagrus romanzoffiana (Arecastrum romanzoffianum)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyApple TreesMalus spp. (edible) e.g, 'Anna' (low chill variety for low desert)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyPeach TreesPrunus spp. ediblemoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyPersimmon TreesDiospyros kakimoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyAmur MapleAcer ginnalamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyFernleaf MapleAcer japonicummoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyBox ElderAcer negundomoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyNorway MapleAcer platanoidesmoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyRed MapleAcer rubrummoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyChinese MapleAcer truncatummoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyRed BuckeyeAesculus paviamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyRed HorsechestnutAesculus x carneamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July

Similar plants that need less water 16

Rated lower than Alberta spruce in the Central Valley. Worth a look for a new bed or a lawn replacement.

Olive TreesOlea europaea ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyFig TreesFicus carica ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyCrape MyrtleLagerstroemia spp., hybrids & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyAloeAloe spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyPomegranate TreesPunica granatumlow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyEucalyptusEucalyptus polyanthemoslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyPine TreesPinus canariensislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyJunipersJuniperus spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyTexas Red OakQuercus buckleyilow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyPortuguese OakQuercus faginealow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySoapbark TreeQuillaja saponarialow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyNecklace TreeSophora affinislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyBailey AcaciaAcacia baileyanalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySilver WattleAcacia dealbatalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyGreen WattleAcacia decurrenslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySydney Golden WattleAcacia longifolialow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Minutes for your sprinklers

Turn this into minutes on your water days

Every city page has a calculator that takes Alberta spruce, your sprinkler type and the month, and gives the minutes per water day for that supplier's schedule. Or put it in a zone of the personal watering plan and get all twelve months printed.

Questions people ask

How much water does Alberta spruce need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established Alberta spruce needs about 6.8 gallons a day under a 10 foot canopy and about 27 gallons a day under a 20 foot canopy. Give it in deep waterings spread days apart rather than a little every day, so the whole root zone gets wet.

Does watering for Alberta spruce change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates Alberta spruce separately for each of the six California climate zones: moderate water in the North-Central Coastal zone, moderate water in the Central Valley zone, not suited to this region in the South Coastal zone, not suited to this region in the South Inland zone, moderate water in the High and Intermediate Desert zone, not suited to this region in the Low Desert zone. The monthly table above shows how the same rating translates into different gallon amounts as reference evapotranspiration changes.

Why is my dwarf Alberta spruce turning brown inside?

Spider mites are a common cause, and repeated infestations kill stems and needles. Planting where air moves freely helps prevent them. Check the soil too, since dryness and rot can also brown the foliage.

Why is a big shoot growing out of my dwarf spruce?

The dwarf can revert to the full-size species, sending up a shoot with thicker stems and larger needles. Prune that shoot out at its base. If left, it can outgrow the dwarf form.

How big does dwarf Alberta spruce get?

It grows slowly to about 3 to 4 feet tall and 1.5 feet wide in ten years. After several decades it can reach 10 to 13 feet tall and 7 to 10 feet wide. Leave room for that eventual size.

Can you overwater Alberta spruce?

Yes. It wants moist but well-drained soil, and trunk or root rot can follow in soggy ground. Let the surface dry slightly between soakings.

Does Alberta spruce do well in hot areas?

It performs best with cold winters and cool summers and struggles in high heat and humidity. In warm inland gardens, give it good airflow, shelter from strong wind and steady moisture. It is also intolerant of salt spray.

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Sources