I'm not sure why I'm going against your request not to respond since my many spruce (Norway, Colorado, Black Hills, etc) face all directions and don't seem to have problems. So you're free to ignore me too. Maybe the following from the North Dakota State Univ. system has some views you can use. Maybe not. Two types of sun injury, winter and summer, are found in North Dakota (and to editorialize, probably in Iowa, too). Winter sunscald (winter burn) is caused by a combination of high and low temperatures during the late winter or early spring. Temperatures on exposed surfaces of the shrubs or trees increase sufficiently to allow respiration in normally dormant cells. As the cells become active, water is given off. Because the soil is still frozen and roots are inactive, moisture in the active cells cannot be replaced. The result is drying of the tissue. The incidence of injury is usually much higher following a late snowfall, especially if followed by sunny weather and warm winds. Injuries localized on sun-exposed surfaces are classed as "winter sun scald" (winter burn); this distinguishes the injury from "sunscorch" which is due to the drying effect of high summer temperatures. Winter injury is probably a much more common cause of leaf drying and limb cankers than summer injury in the northern regions. Stages in severity of damage caused by sunscald are: first the killing of needletips, followed by the death of the entire needle. Moderate types of winter sunscald are confined to small upper branches on the southwest face of the plant. When sunscald occurs frequently, follow practices in home plantings which prevent excessive overheating of the sun-exposed surfaces. Board, lath or burlap screens may be made to shade exposed surfaces. Remove all dead branches only after growth starts in the spring. Many branches with winter burned needles will put out new shoots.

This is caused by brutal cold winds. The dry winds of winter suck all the moisture out of the needles while the tree is dormant, thus not replenishing the moisture that is lost. The result is browned or dead needles. Thin needled pines like these, and white pines, don't handle cold winds well, which makes them terrible windbreaks as well. Joe

Joe, Sounds like you are doing well with your plants, even if your sans have suffered a little. You are lucky to get to grow some in a greenhouse! I worked in greenhouses for, well, not to date myself, say, a long time and I have to say, I really miss the advantages of growing there. Now it's all windows for me.... Are you doing what seems to be your annual divide/trade this year? I'm new to growing and this forum and have been hoping you would.....:) Take care, Lori

It'd would be great to see your photos. I have avoided planting them in Albuquerque, but I just put one in last Fall in Las Cruces area, where it did well and is putting out beautiful new growth. Hopefully it will get as beautiful as they do in habitat in San Diego county! Thanks. dl