Alberta Spruce
- When to Plant

Q: Can someone please let me know when is the best time to plant the Albert Spruce Trees?

We just purchased 5 of these and would like to know when it is good to plant these in Ohio?

Thanks
The Stephens

A: You can plant your spruces in either spring or fall, it shouldn't really matter.

Be sure to dig the planting hole twice as wide as the root ball and slightly shallower. If the ground is too wet, though, wait until it has dried out enough so that if you squeeze a handful it doesn't stick together like a snowball. Working with soil that is too wet can produce rock hard soil around the root ball when you put it back around the tree, which is not good.

When backfilling the soil around the rootball, you can use water to settle it in and remove air pockets. Afterward, apply a mulch layer 1-2" deep over the entire hole, keeping the mulch a few inches away from the base of the trunk.

Come spring, water when necessary, applying about 1 gallon of water per square foot once a week if we go for more than 2 weeks without sufficient rainfall.