CEDAR CARE GUIDE

Water

Watering should occur 2-3 times per week and be heavy, depending on the rain we are getting that season. If in doubt, call us to ask! It is better to water deeply and infrequently rather than shallow and frequently (such as every day). Watering should happen right up until heavy freezing.

Sunlight

Full sun to partial shade is best.  Full shade is not as preferable. Cedars will be happy in full sun, but they run a higher risk of drying out. Cedars in full hot sun do better with a layer of mulch underneath to help keep some moisture in the ground. 

Winter Care

Screening cedars is one of the most important steps when getting ready for winter. Cedars should usually be screened for at least 5 years. The common misconception is to “wrap” them, but we’ve changed our language to “screen”.  The burlap is there to stop the wind and sun from drying the tree out. The leaves are still on the tree through winter so it’s losing moisture, but the roots are frozen so it can’t replenish that moisture loss – we want to slow that down as much as possible.

The top of the screen should be open, snow is our friend! The more snow that collects inside the burlap screen will actually help.

See the images here as an example on how to set up your wind screens. We’ve gone into more detail below!

• Stakes should be put in the ground around the cedar and the burlap should be wrapped around and secured to the stakes, making sure there is no burlap touching the leaves.
• If there is a solid fence on one side of the cedar(s), that can be incorporated as part of the screen.
• Put the stakes in the ground before freezing. The burlap can be applied later on after heavy freezing starts.
• Burlap should be taken down when the ground starts thawing. If there is still snow on the ground it should be pulled away from the base of the cedars since it will reflect light back onto the leaves.