Eastern Red Cedar Facts - Learn About Caring For An Eastern Red Cedar Tree

How do you care for eastern red cedar?

While it can tolerate just about any growing conditions, other than full shade, it does best in deep, moist, well-drained alluvial soil with a pH value ranging from 4.7 to 7.8 and full sun to part shade. Eastern redcedar is easily propagated by seed.

How do you care for a cedar tree?

Maintenance and shape pruning

Identify new growth – this will be a lighter green than the rest of the tree.
Trim 1/3 or a maximum of half the new foliage. Cedars are not able to produce new growth on old wood.
Keep part of the new growth so that the cedar continues to grow and fill out.

How fast do eastern red cedars grow?

Juniperus virginiana, or Eastern redcedar, is a juniper rather than a true cedar. As Kansas' only native evergreen tree, it grows throughout the state. redcedar grows to a height of about 30 to 35 feet and the branches may spread 12 to 15 feet. It grows from 1 to 1 1/2 feet per year.

How do red cedar trees grow?

Remove the weeds, grass and debris from a planting site located in full to partial sun. Plant eastern red cedars in moist to dry soil, since this tree does not tolerate waterlogged soil. Examine the roots, and trim away any damaged or excessively long roots with a pair of pruning shears.

Why are cedar trees bad?

Cedar trees are considered a fire hazard due to the natural oils they contain, which is highly flammable. The cedar tree's natural oils combined with the large surface area of the leaves makes cedar trees highly combustible, especially under low humidity conditions.

Can you trim eastern red cedar?

Do not overprune your Eastern Red Cedar. Only trim as much as necessary to prevent the tree from sending branches to the ground (where they may sprout and grow new trees) and to maintain a general shape and height. Wear gloves and eye protection when trimming any tree.

What do you do when cedar trees turn brown?

Fungal Diseases

Sometimes cedar trees turn brown because of fungal diseases. Luckily, somebody can usually address fungal diseases in three steps. Look for small black spots on the foliage in the summertime. If you see them, get rid of contaminated branches to avoid further spread.

How do you care for a potted cedar tree?

Regular watering will be necessary – even more so in the hot summer months – and a layer of mulch added on top of the soil will help retain moisture. It will have a harder time surviving the winter in a pot than in the ground, as it will be more exposed to sun/wind and will dry out faster.

What are cedar trees good for?

Cedars work well as windbreaks, helping to protect other trees and plants from the wind. Windbreaks also block snow. The trees also keep valuable topsoil in place when the trees act as windbreaks along the edges of agricultural land. Cedar trees also protect the soil from being eroded by water.

Is Eastern Red Cedar invasive?

Unlike most invasive species, eastern redcedar is a native plant. It has become an invasive species ever since Europeans settled Nebraska. The reason why it is an invasive is because it is highly susceptible to fire. ... Eastern redcedar is an evergreen tree that can grow to a height of 30 to 35 feet.

What are Eastern red cedar trees used for?

Redcedar is often used for Christmas trees and fenceposts, and the lumber, because of its aromatic odor, is used for chests, wardrobes, and closet linings. (Juniperus virginiana L.)

How tall do eastern red cedars get?

Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) is a rugged, extremely long-lived, medium-sized evergreen tree that grows 40 to 50 feet tall.

What eats eastern red cedar?

The fruits of Eastern Red Cedar are eaten throughout the winter by many birds and by mammals such as mice and voles, Eastern Cottontail, Red and Gray Foxes, Raccoon, Striped Skunk, and Opossum. White-tailed Deer browse on the foliage when better forage is unavailable.

Is Eastern Red Cedar toxic to humans?

Eastern Red Cedar is considered a non-toxic species of Juniper, though it does contain some level of toxins. Partaking of extremely large amounts of the plant or consuming its essential oil could lead to acute poisoning, although rare, which might include abortion, vomiting convulsions or death.

Are red cedar trees valuable?

Even if they're not "residential " trees there's not a lot of value in cedar. It's a common commercially harvested species out west... Trees in residential areas often have nails...

How do you secretly kill a cedar tree?

How to Kill Cedar Trees

Using the Hack and Squirt Method.
Decide which of the herbs to use. ...
Use a fly, ax or hatchet to cut a foot in the bark. ...
Spray the footpath with your prepared herbicide in 5 minutes of making the cut. ...
Continue to cut non-overlapping, horizontal cuts around the tree stem. ...
Wait 3-4 weeks for your trees to die.

What's the best equipment to remove cedar trees?

Options. The chainsaw, bulldozer and forestry mulcher are all excellent tools for removing unwanted cedars. Two considerations to keep in mind are how much you want to spend on the project and how do you want the area to look afterwards.

How do you kill red cedar trees?

There are three methods to control or kill cedars: fire, mechanical and chemical. Fire originally controlled cedars. With adequate fuel and under safe prescribed burning conditions, fire will control most cedars less than 6 feet tall.

Are Eastern red cedar trees deer resistant?

Deer-Resistant Evergreen Trees

Eastern red cedar (zones 2-9): A tall evergreen with gray-blue fruit and silvery bark.

Can I cut the top off my cedar tree?

Maybe leave them as is? Or cut them to the ground and start over with new cedars, and maintain them correctly. In general trees should not be 'topped' or 'headed' at all. topping is a measure of last resort or ignorance as a means of modifying or dealing with a trees natural growth habit.