Q: I have had a dwarf Alberta spruce in a large pot for two years. Now it is showing signs of dying, one branch at a time. It appears that it isn’t getting enough water but that isn’t the case.

A: It’s very hard to grow an Alberta spruce here in Atlanta. In fact, I have never seen one live more than five years. As their name implies, these trees are adapted to Canada, not to the humid Southeast. If planted outdoors, they get too hot in summer. If grown indoors, they don’t get enough light to survive. They are attractive evergreens but don’t expect long life from them.