Royal Tree Service has an enviable reputation for reliable high quality work on cedar hedges, broadleaf hedges and shrubs.
To maintain a neat appearance and a complete cover of dense foliage, it is essential that shaping and trimming start early in the life of a hedge and that it is carried out regularly. Cedar hedges grow fairly rapidly in both height and width every year, and are quite resistant to both diseases and insects. They have however little tolerance for winter de-icing salt.
| Trimming | Cedar hedges and bushes are excellent privacy screens, as they have very dense foliage. But this is also one of their significant drawbacks: the dense outer leaves cut off light, so the inside is devoid of leaves. This limits the amount of trimming that can be done. Cedars can grow about 3-6 inches a year in width. Regular trimming and shaping is needed to control this annual growth and to keep the width of the hedge the same. However, taking off more than about 8 inches will expose the inside of the hedge and once a hole has been made into the hollow interior, it rarely ever fills in again. For this reason Royal Tree Service recommends that a cedar hedge is trimmed at least every two years, and every year if the hedge is close to a pool or house and space is an issue. |
| Height Reduction | Cedar hedges can quickly become very tall, often causing too much shade, growing into utility lines or giving a claustrophobic feel to a garden. Cedars can survive heavy reductions in height, and although reducing them more than 25 – 30 % is not recommended, it can be done, within limits. Regular control is still the best solution. |
| Repairing | Many cedars sustain damage during the winter from heavy wet snow crushing the tops of the hedge. Old hedges are often thinner and taller and more prone to damage, which often results in long limbs being bent to the ground under the weight of snow. |
Repair and prevention work can be done on these cedars using particular non-invasive tying techniques, staking the bushes to give them extra support, with appropriate trimming and fertilization. We have experience working on the restoration and reshaping of even badly neglected cedar hedges.
CAUTION: Cedar bark is very soft and incorrect tying can result in deep bark damage and girdling of the branches, which will cause the localized death of the affected branches.
Royal Tree Service has several International Society of Arboriculture members on staff. Verify ISA credentials.
Royal Tree Service is a member of the Tree Care Industry Association.
Royal Tree Service is a member of the SIAQ.
