One of the most asked gardening questions we get is: Is it OK to trim my cedar hedge now?
Cedars (Thuja) are one of the most versatile evergreens in Canada, with very few areas in the country where you cannot grow at least one variety of cedar.
When can you trim?
The truth is , you can trim a cedar hedge almost any time of the year. However, we recommend the spring and autumn.
Most cedar trees will grow relatively consistent throughout the growing season. Spring pruning allows you to shape the plant before it pushes a flush of new growth. From late in the summer until early fall, cedars will push new growth if there is moisture in the ground and the temperatures are not too high.
What kind of cedar makes a good hedge?
In central and Maritime Canada, the native White Cedar (Thuja occidentalis) is the most popular to use as a hedge. It is inexpensive and is often dug from native plantations, almost bare root. It generally doesn’t grow for a year or two as it puts down roots in the soil, but when it does grow, you can expect up to a metre of new growth each year. Expect the first flush of growth in year three. We recommend Brandon cedars for Prairie gardeners and Emerald cedars for the B.C. coast and lower mainland.
Is it true that cedars attract mosquitoes?
No, this is not true. Cedars get this reputation from growing naturally in low/wet land where mosquitoes tend to breed. It is the environment that breeds mosquitoes, not the cedars themselves. What is true, is that cedars are your best bet for a fast growing, evergreen hedge in most parts of the country.
Be patient
Your cedar hedge will grow and mature into a thing of beauty as time passes, and you attend to the annual trimming (yes, only once a year will do the trick). Plus, you will have an investment that grows in value each year – unlike installing a fence.
PRUNING TIPS
- When pruning, always shape the bottom of the hedge wider than the top. This allows even exposure to sunlight and helps to keep the entire cedar hedge looking thick and healthy.
- If your hedge has been ignored for several years, you can still bring it under control by removing up to one third of the foliage each year until it looks the way that you want it to, but be prepared for the appearance of bare wood for a couple of years as the plants fill in.
- A cedar hedge will live for 30 to 60 years depending on the variety and its location.
PLANTING CEDARS
- Mark your line with a string or garden hose to get the hedge straight.
- Dig a trench 1/2-metre wide and 1/3-meter deep.
- Back-fill the bottom of the trench with triple mix (1/3 topsoil, 1/3 peat and 1/3 compost).
- Stand your cedars upright in the trench before piling the remainder of the triple mix on their roots.
- Once the cedars are lined up straight and you have added the remainder of the triple mix, step firmly on the soil as you plant, making contact between the soil and the roots of the new trees.
- Water thoroughly and stake every two metres with a T-bar or two-inch by twoinch stake, using heavy gauge wire to secure them in place.
- Most important! Don’t be too ambitious when choosing your new cedars. New trees about one metre high will establish much more quickly than large, two-metre high specimens, unless the large trees have been nursery grown.