FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT CEDAR HEDGE MAINTENANCE
Answers to your questions about Cedar Hedges
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The frequency of watering will depend on the month and the temperature. In the event that it rains little or no rain, it is recommended to water the cedars once a week for the months of April, May, June, September and October for about two to three hours. In the event of a heat wave during the months of July and August, it will be recommended to water a second time to ensure that the hedge does not lack water. Watering with a gutter hose is strongly recommended to ensure that the water is evenly distributed throughout the hedge.
If the foliage inside the hedge turns yellow in August or September, it is probably the phenomenon of hardening. It is a completely normal process during which the cedar gets rid of its old foliage to make room for the new regrowth that will appear in the spring. If the cedar foliage is yellow on the outside of the cedar as well, it may be transplant shock, overhang or lack of water.
A White cedar hedge will reach a height of about 40 to 50 feet while a Nigra cedar hedge will reach a maximum height of about 20 feet. The size of a mature hedge will therefore be determined in most cases by the maintenance established by the owner.
Yes, a cedar tree will survive in the shade. However, its growth will be slower and its foliage will be lighter.
A cedar hedge should have a minimum of 2 to 3 hours of sunlight per day, be watered thoroughly about 2 times a week (especially during heat waves), be pruned every year and in the best of all worlds be fertilized as well.
If a hedge is not trimmed every year, it will tend to grow by about a foot and expand by a few shoots per year. Although it is possible to cut back a hedge that is too high, it is unfortunately impossible to thin a hedge that is too wide. Thus, annual pruning will ensure that the hedge does not become cumbersome in the long term and that a section of your land will not be lost unnecessarily.
In the best-case scenario, a cedar hedge should be trimmed every year. In the event that it is maintained every two or three years, the hedge will widen by a few inches each year, which could lead to a wall several feet wide in the long term (not wanted). If the cedars are never pruned, after a few years, the snow will damage the branches that have become too long and too heavy, and the hedge will then slowly wither.
A hedge can become "rusty" for several reasons. If the cedar tree had just been planted, it was probably transplant shock. If a section of the hedge appears to be burned as a whole, it may be a salt burn (validate if water leaks from a saltwater pool). If the tips of the shoots in the centre of the hedge appear to be drying out, it may be the cedar leafminer (insect pest). Finally, if the foliage inside the hedge turns orange and falls off, it is probably the phenomenon of hardening (quite normal) during which the cedar leaves its old foliage to make way for new shoots that will appear in the spring.