Now that the snow has finally retreated, I braved the 24-degree temperature (it only looked like a nice day) and walked around my yard for the first time in five months. The good thing about a consistent, deep cover of snow is that it provides protection so that the perennials aren't exposed to sun, wind, and nibbling crittters. The only plants that don't look so good are the Alberta spruce. The south and west sides are brown and crispy. I've noticed a lot of brown evergreen shrubs all over as I drive around. Looks like this.
I've never seen winter burn to this extent, so I had to do a little research to find out if my Alberta spruce are going to be okay. It turns out that if only the tips of the branches are brown, new growth may come in and mask the dead sections. The brown parts are not going to green up though. How you want to deal with your plant depends on the extent of the damage. It might look better in a year or two, but certainly not this year. If a branch is brown all the way to the trunk, it's dead and should be cut out. If you only have to take out a couple of small branches, the surrounding ones might fill in the bare spots in time, but a shrub with gaping holes is never going to look good again. Then it's time for some "shovel pruning". You might want to plant something else in that spot. Alberta spruce are susceptible to winter burn and do best in a location that is sheltered from drying winter wind and sun. Yews grow back if you have to cut out damage and upright junipers are supposed to hold up well in harsh winter conditions.
I'm not sure if I'll have to take drastic measures with my Alberta spruce. I'd hate to lose them after ten years. But then I'd have the opportunity to try some other new plant, which is always fun!
