I've had no luck (twice)gardening on an acreage, but I did see one in town that made the winter, they even had it planted on the edge of the sidewalk and their lawn.

I guess if you plant in a sheltered area, water it faitfully and burlap it for the winter it just may make it.

Sharon

Well darn. I guess I'll save my money and stick to things that have a chance of surviving. I wouldn't want it if I had to wrap it in burlap. Kind of defeats the purpose of having an evergreen.
I bet those trees are all gone by tomorrow to unsuspecting customers. I don't trust any perennial or tree they bring in at that store. Glad I checked in here first. Thanks.

I hope they do okay. I bought a tiny one for $8.00, to plant in my future pond area, and it is just so cute. It's a relatively sheltered area, so maybe...
Connie

The irony is that this is the number one selling conifer in world but doesn't do that well in 'Alberta'. We've bought them at Walmart now and then for $5 and used them as an annual.

I have had two for the past 4 years. We have tried a number of things to ensure that it makes it through the winter. The issue isn't hardiness but the burning of the needles from the sun in the spring. What we have found to be best is to burlap the tree loosely and to gradually remove the burlap as the weather heats up. This past winter was brutal for most of my plants but the Alberta spruce only had light burning of needles on the south side. As soon as the new needles came in, the damage was completely covered up. They are planted on the west side of the house by our entry way. However, I understand that this isn't the best exposure for them. Morning sun from the east probably would be better.

Here is one of my spruces shortly after we planted it. It has to be double that size now.

Danni

I had bought 2 (about 2 - 2 1/2 feet tall) last year at Extra Foods as well, and they are doing much better now than last year... I put them a windy spot, but moved them in May to a sheltered spot on the southeast side of the house, and they are doing great. They lost alot of the needles from the wind, but they are coming back vigorously and they are nice and soft again... we had about 4-5 feet of snow last winter, so they were covered (without any burlap), but I'll cover them good this year with the burlap. I guess I'll see next year... You may as well give them a try, just remember to shelter them from the wind...

I have had 2 in my frount yard right in the middle, north facing no protection, and the 1st one died the 1st winter b/c hubby buried it with snow from our driveway that had been driven on many times so was packed with road salt. Last spring we replaced it with another one from a neighbor who'd had it for 3 years and wanted to change her yard around. It grew lots over last year, overwintered again no protection, (this time not buried with driveway snow) and this spring it's grown twice as big as it was last year!
The more I learn the more I think we are Zone 2B not 3, and I'd totally get another one!
Put it in a bit of a protected area, give it more winter protection and go for it. It never hurts to try.
I have carnations I bought from seed thru Thompson & Morgan last year, they say zone 7US (so canadian zone 8), I was told by everyone not to bother even trying to start the seed, but I did anyways and not only did they germinate but by mid Aug I had buds! Course they hadn't bloomed by mid sept yet so I cut the flower stalks off and started getting them ready for winter. In beginning of Nov. I covered the whole plants with leaves from a neighbors yard and left them be. In end of March I pulled the leaves off the plants themselves but left the leaves inbetween the plants and cut back all the dead plant material. By mid April it was obvious the new growth, last wk I noticed flower stalks starting and 3 days ago I saw the 1st buds forming. I lost less than 2% of the plants I started last year from seed. This year? I bought another pkg of seeds and had 100% germination rate, my plan for winter? same as last. I wrote to Thompson & Morgan and told them what I thought of their zone hardiness rating, they responded and said I must be doing something right and to enjoy my carnations and they hoped I'd send their company pictures of them in my beds in bloom b/c they were amazed.
Get your Dwarf Alberta spruce, the worst thing that can happen is they don't survive. But honestly Alberta has terrible winters, I bet the reason lots of people have little success is they baby them too much. Myself, 2 neighbors and my best friend have never given ours protection and they are doing just fine.

I've had a dwarf AB spruce for about 8 years. It's in a spot that's shaded in winter, sunny in summer. Still, the only way it comes through winter fine is if it's wrapped. Actually, by March it's in the sun and sometimes the plant would burn through the burlap (if holes in burlap). I covered with a garbage can last year and it came through winter in amazing shape. Other than that, it's carefree.

Mine, for whatever reason, is very slow growing, maybe 3 to 4 inches a year. As you can see (if the picture loads properly, excuse the lighting it's almost dark), it's sort of short and getting wider more than tall. Still, when the new flush of needles come in spring, it's an amazing tree and nice to have something in it's size that's not a cedar (I love cedars, but we all need some variety).

Glen

Some protection from the wind and from the sun burn in winter is definitely the answer. Ours is about 3 ft and had some small spots but it has done quite well. I would only fertilize sparingly I think so that the new growth has a chance to really harden off for winter. Some kind of sun screen for winter is a good idea.