Trees, Shrubs and Conifers: Can I plant a new dwarf Alberta in same spot as spider mites, 1 by shortleaf

shortleaf wrote:
Haha! A cloud huh?! I don't know what that was. It mighta been the Mites putting a curse out! Seriously tho, I think your doing the right thing. I think I shoulda added up there "periodically" a spray of water, I think if their regularly hit with water they'll stop coming around, like once a week or so.
I also heard that about webs, very tiny webs. But, if you look REAL close they're supposed to be visible to the naked eye, and the Mites too. I'd hafta look extra hard because I'm over 40. Needing bifocals at 40 isn't a joke. I said "can I have single vision glasses one more time?" That was a mistake! A few years ago, I cut off the whole cone (top) of a Dwarf Alberta Spruce and I thot "there it goes, now its ruined", it is growing a new top! I looked at it tonite, it grew again from the same leader, which is nice! In a couple years it should look like it was never cut off. At first when I did it, it looked terrible, hard to look at terrible. But, it looked even worse all brown on the top third or so before I cut it. I wouldn't recommend that kind of shearing either tho. This was about 5 years ago. Back then, I just wanted to get rid of the Mites immediately and cutting off the brown spot was a sure way I thot then. I pretty much got rid of the Mites, but boy did that thing ever look bad for a long time! I think any kind of chemical spray should be a last resort, when I also applied Neem© spray to it before I cut it, wasps and Granddaddy long-legs came out of there, I think I killed them and I felt bad.
And I tell you, watering makes a big difference! I planted 2 here and 1 at my Mom's, all at the same time - April of 04', they were $20 each from Walmart. My Mom watered hers every day, and my friend here never watered hers. It was one of hers here that got the Mite damage so bad, maybe not watering makes them more susceptible..dunno. The well-watered one at my Mom's is dense, nicely green and a really good shape and all. It is about one third bigger! There is no way I'd consider, digging-it-up-to-transplant-it-big..lol I am considering, and likely will try to dig the 2 up here to transplant, or try my hand at making a topiary out of them, if they survive a dig.
I've seen that old bulbous shape you speak of, not a good look. I think I'd make one look like a Great Pyramid of Egypt before I had that! It could be 20 years or so before one reaches that stage though. Yeah, I'd go with a light shearing if shearing is done.
Its so much faster and less unsightly, the foliage should grow back much faster of course. I took a photo of that Dwarf Alberta Spruce (now, thats a mouthful!) today.
It still looks kinda flattish but it's getting it's cone back slowly.
Will