Bulbs
Flower Basics
Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens
Flower Garden
Garden Furniture
Garden Gnomes
Garden Seeds
Garden Sheds
Garden Statues
Garden Tools & Supplies
Gardening Basics
Green & Organic
Groundcovers & Vines
Growing Annuals
Growing Basil
Growing Beans
Growing Berries
Growing Blueberries
Growing Cactus
Growing Corn
Growing Cotton
Growing Edibles
Growing Flowers
Growing Garlic
Growing Grapes
Growing Grass
Growing Herbs
Growing Jasmine
Growing Mint
Growing Mushrooms
Orchids
Growing Peanuts
Growing Perennials
Growing Plants
Growing Rosemary
Growing Roses
Growing Strawberries
Growing Sunflowers
Growing Thyme
Growing Tomatoes
Growing Tulips
Growing Vegetables
Herb Basics
Herb Garden
Indoor Growing
Landscaping Basics
Landscaping Patios
Landscaping Plants
Landscaping Shrubs
Landscaping Trees
Landscaping Walks & Pathways
Lawn Basics
Lawn Maintenance
Lawn Mowers
Lawn Ornaments
Lawn Planting
Lawn Tools
Outdoor Growing
Overall Landscape Planning
Pests, Weeds & Problems
Plant Basics
Rock Garden
Rose Garden
Shrubs
Soil
Specialty Gardens
Trees
Vegetable Garden
Yard Maintenance
Growth of Fat Albert Spruce
The "Fat Albert" spruce is a relatively small, slow-growing evergreen with a distinctive rotund shape.
Colorado Blue Spruce
The 'Fat Albert' spruce is a cultivar of the Colorado blue spruce (Picea pungens), a species of conifer native to the western United States. It is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 to 7.
The Colorado spruce is notable for its dense branches covered with stiff, silvery-blue needles. Some cultivars can attain heights of up to 70 feet, and others are ground-hugging shrubs that remain a foot high or less.
Growth Habit
'Fat Albert' is a semi-dwarf cultivar that usually reaches a height of between 10 and 15 feet. It gets its name from its wide, pyramidal shape which, with a spread of 7 to 10 feet, may be nearly as wide as the tree is tall. When the tree is young, its width may be particularly pronounced; because its lowest branches are very close to the ground, the immature tree often has a globe-like profile.
Growth Rate
Like most Colorado spruce varieties, 'Fat Albert' grows relatively slowly. In good growing conditions, it will add 6 to 10 inches in height per year, and it takes 10 years or more to reach its full mature height. Its growth rate, however, depends largely on climate and cultural conditions. In unfavorable sites or in periods of drought, the tree may only grow 3 to 4 inches per year. Under optimal conditions, it may grow a foot per year.
Best Growth Conditions
Spruce trees grow best in full sun and in soil that is well-drained and slightly acidic, with a pH level between 5.5 and 7. In heavy clay soils that do not drain well, or in alkaline soils, spruces grow more slowly. A 3- or 4-inch layer of mulch around the base of the tree will retain soil moisture and help the tree to grow by decreasing its stress.
A slow-growing tree's growth rate may be enhanced with a spring application of fertilizer. After the last frost and before the middle of June, apply a dry fertilizer with a nitrogen proportion of 10 percent or less. For trees with a trunk diameter of less than 6 inches, apply at a rate of .15 pounds of nitrogen, and for bigger trees, apply .3 pounds of nitrogen. For example, if you're fertilizing a 5-inch tree with a 10-10-10 fertilizer, apply a total of 1.5 pounds of fertilizer. Spread the fertilizer in a circle with a diameter one and a half times the spread of the tree, and water thoroughly after the application.
