Can eastern red cedar size be managed?

[macrocarpa]

Little eastern red cedars pop up in my mulch beds so I grow them in pots until they get around this size. I’ve planted them in open parkland but I’m wondering if they can be sheared to maintain size or is that just asking for trouble? I have a spot along my side fence I want some evergreens and I thought about going with an upright eastern red cedar cultivar (taylor) or Thuja occ, but if these native species can be maintained in size I would give them a try?

 

[evo]

Little eastern red cedars pop up in my mulch beds so I grow them in pots until they get around this size. I’ve planted them in open parkland but I’m wondering if they can be sheared to maintain size or is that just asking for trouble? I have a spot along my side fence I want some evergreens and I thought about going with an upright eastern red cedar cultivar (taylor) or Thuja occ, but if these native species can be maintained in size I would give them a try?

Westerns can, but should also be thinned carefully for air flow.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

You’d be following large scale applications of bonsai techniques. Continual root/shoot reductions.

I doubt this is very practical on a very large scale

Growth regulators may work

There may be a variety that is dwarf. Talk with a landscape nursery for

 

[colb]

Little eastern red cedars pop up in my mulch beds so I grow them in pots until they get around this size. I’ve planted them in open parkland but I’m wondering if they can be sheared to maintain size or is that just asking for trouble? I have a spot along my side fence I want some evergreens and I thought about going with an upright eastern red cedar cultivar (taylor) or Thuja occ, but if these native species can be maintained in size I would give them a try?

It sounds like you want a hedge. The Morton arboretum showcases just about anything in hedge form - pines, etc. You can even call and ask if they have cedars as hedges and how it works for them.

 

[ATH]

You can hedge Eastern redcedar...but if you quit, they'll get out of hand in a heartbeat.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

you must be familiar with how big the native gets in your area with no care. What sort of height and green growth, not stem, diameter is mature? What dimensions are you looking for? Compare the two numbers as a percentage and I think you have an answer of how much ‘nature’ you’re going to battle

 

[macrocarpa]

you must be familiar with how big the native gets in your area with no care. What sort of height and green growth, not stem, diameter is mature? What dimensions are you looking for? Compare the two numbers as a percentage and I think you have an answer of how much ‘nature’ you’re going to battle

I will probably just find a more suitable alternative. I’d rather just let nature do what it does than battle it. Need to plant these someplace without restrictions. Its pretty cool they pop up a couple inches tall from bird poop in mulch beds and grow like crazy when potted.

Living in an area with so few native evergreens I’ve grown to appreciate them.

Nurseries sell asian junipers that look almost identical to the ERC (spartan) but rarely carry ERC. Maybe because of cedar apple rust/gall?

 

[Basswood]

I have some clients with some interesting ERC incorporated as hedging with minimal maintenance. As they get older they seem to get pruned up, which I like since they have interesting bark. Opens up an opportunity to do some understory planting.

 

[macrocarpa]

I have some clients with some interesting ERC incorporated as hedging with minimal maintenance. As they get older they seem to get pruned up, which I like since they have interesting bark. Opens up an opportunity to do some understory planting.

Ive only had this one customer with an ERC hedge. It did require annual shearing and I always wondered how they would handle it over time.

Hemlocks in TN seemed to handle hedging well.

 

[Reach]

Ive only had this one customer with an ERC hedge. It did require annual shearing and I always wondered how they would handle it over time.

Hemlocks in TN seemed to handle hedging well.

We have some hedged Hemlocks here too, they seem to do remarkably well!

 

[evo]

Ive only had this one customer with an ERC hedge. It did require annual shearing and I always wondered how they would handle it over time.

Hemlocks in TN seemed to handle hedging well.

Isn’t ‘arborvitae’ a ERC cultivar?

 

[Basswood]

Arbs are Thuja