dying cedar trees

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dying cedar trees

by Mike Harbison
(Oklahoma City)

Planted about ten cedars 4 months ago. They are about 6 to 8 feet tall and they are dying. My question is can I save them and what should I do? Or am I waisting my time with them?

Comments for
dying cedar trees

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May 13, 2012

Section of cedar hedge continually dies off
by: Steve

I have a 3 foot section of a large cedar hedge that has continually died off over the last 4-5 years. The first time it happened, I bought new cedars and replaced the dead section, but it died within a few years. Then I moved some of the existing cedars into that same location from behind a shed since that part of the hedge could not be seen anyway. That too died within a few years. The only thing I can think of is there is a natural spring nearby and the soil can be very wet until late springtime.
Is it possible that it is getting too much water and not enough oxygen and if so, is there anything I can do to alleviate the problem?

Hi Steve, Kimberly here from landscape solutions for you. Thank you for asking the question on your dying Cedar hedge.

If feasible, I would get your soil tested. Soil testing is a great way to see what is lack in the soil, or if you have one or more of too many nutrients.

Another solution is to consider diverting the water about from the Cedar specimens. This can be done with solid corrugated pipes. A trench is dug and pipe laid in the trench. I will put a link to a page that will give you some more information on corrugated pipes as a landscape solution.

To me, it does sound like the ground could be too wet and the root systems of the Cedars are rotting out.

I hope this helps and let us know what you find. Thanks again Steve and have a great day!
Kimberly

http://www.landscape-solutions-for-you.com/Landscaping.html

Apr 26, 2012

Cedars not looking good
by: Maxine

I think I wrapped my cedars too tight last fall. Will they come back? They are getting some new green shoots and I've been watering them. We live in Sask and have lots of wind hence wrapping tight.

Hi Maxine, Kimberly here from landscape solutions for you. Thanks for asking your question on wrapping your Cedars too tight.

If you have green shoots appearing, it means your Cedars are producing new growth. Get the Cedars on a good watering schedule and wait a few weeks to see what they do. With the new growth, I think you will be fine. Keep us updated on their progress. Thanks again for asking the question.
Have a great day!
Kimberly

May 17, 2011

Dying Cedar
by: Kimberly

Hi Mary, Kimberly here from landscape solutions for you. Thank you for asking the question on your Cedar Trees.

There could be a few factors involved. Depending on how cold the water is could affect the development of the newly planted trees. Although you planted them in October, they went dormant over the cold winter months.

It sounds like you may be watering them too often. I would recommend using a little warmer water that will help the root system grow. I would also recommend only watering them two or three times a week. This will depend on your ground and air temperature.

If you have had a harsh spring, this will development of new growth on plant specimens.

Scratch the surface of a branch with a small sharp knife. See if the branch is green or brown. If it is brown it may be in shock. You can go ahead and add some organic mushroom compost to the soil. Just loosen the soil and add the compost. A great organic fertilizer that will last up to one year.

Hope this helps and please let us know how your trees make out. Thanks again Mary and feel free to ask anytime. Hope your day is going well.
Kimberly

May 17, 2011

Dying Trees
by: mary

Live in Southern Alberta and last fall in October we planted 25 4ft. cedar trees in the earth we dug
out and we added some peat moss to the mixture they were looking fine all winter long now they are looking a little dry and turning slightly brown we are watering them daily but our water is so cold coming out of the outdoor tap; should we be trying to water them with warmer water. Are they in shock from the cold water? Could it just be we had a harsh spring and they are really dying or is there anything we can do to save them?

Aug 12, 2010

newly planted cedar
by: Brenda

I just had 15 cedar trees planted. They were planted 3 weeks ago and they are already turning brown. I expected a little trouble because of the shock of being transplanted, but they are looking pretty bad. We have had almost no rain in these three weeks. I have been care full to water them every day but discovered the other day that the top of the root balls were very dry and very hard. I bought a soaker and let it run for 24 house, now the root balls are soft and wet. Should I work on keeping the root balls muddy wet, firm wet etc? During this hot and dry weather how much do I need to worry about over watering them? And, do cedar trees recover well? Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Mar 24, 2010

OLD Blue Cedar Dying
by: happybdavis

Hi. We just moved to our home in Sept & our old cedar, around 20 ft tall, was fine with a little brown, but now we've noticed the branches are getting very brown. It looks like it's dying. I watered it during the fall, but haven't during the winter. With it being such a large tree, do you think it's something that has been going on for a while now? Can I save it?

Jul 12, 2009

Dying Cedars
by: Kimberly

Hi Gord, Kimberly here from landscape-solutions-for-you.
Thank you for asking the question on your Cedars. A couple of things come to mind with your Cedars. Possibly location, watering, and soil. Have you had your soil tested? Cedars require sunlight, but can take a little shade. It is recommended not to use herbicide on the Cedars. One thing is not to over fertize Cedars, unless your soil is very poor in nutrients. Over fertilzing can hurt the trees.

Try taking a branch and scratch the surface and see if it is green or brown. If it is green, the Cedars are still alive. If it is brown, it is dying or in shock. If you can, take a branch to your local nursery and see if they can identify the problem.

Also, Cedars need room to grow so double check how far away from each other you planted them, along with any other obstructions that may prevent healthy growth. Let us know what you find out and the best of luck to you. Thanks again for asking the question here at landscape solutions for you. Look forward to hearing what you find out. Have a great day!
Kimberly

Jul 10, 2009

HELP
by: Anonymous

i have the same problem, i live in vancouver, and planted my trees last summer, i lost one within the first couple of months and the rest were turning brown from the bottom. this spring i pruned them from the bottom and got rid of all the dead part also put bone meal and another type of fertilizer around. now they are all turning on me. "what can i do".

GORD

Jul 08, 2009

Re: dying cedar's
by: Anonymous

Fyi

I live about an hour south of Los Angeles and about 9 miles from the beach. I have sprinklers on our slope (that the cedars are on) but we get very little rain.

Thanks again for your feedback!

Jul 08, 2009

Your Cedars
by: Kimberly

Hi, Kimberly here. I am not sure where you are located or if you are getting rain, but the two trees are in shock right now. There root systems are well established, so if your neighbor's problem is fixed, they should be alright. Keep an eye on them for the next week, and if you do get rain, and have mulch or pine straw around them, pull it back so it doesn't retain moisture. You will want the ground to dry out. Hope this helps and please let me and other visitors know how they are doing. If you need any other suggestions or ideas, feel free to contact me. Thank you for trusting me with your landscape needs.
Kimberly

Jul 08, 2009

Re: dying cedar's
by: Anonymous

Thanks for the feedback. One thing I found out is that my neighbor had a sprinkler valve that was broken behind our rear yard wall, right above my cedars that are dying. He's since fixed it. I'm not sure how long the water was leaking. Anyway the two that are dying are right next to each other. The two that are fine (so far) are futhest away from where the leak was. Yes the reason I suspect they are dying is the needles have been falling off at an alarming rate and the needles that are left are turning brown. If it is the ground being to saturated, is it too late to save the trees?

Thanks!

Robert

Jul 08, 2009

Dying Cedars
by: Kimberly

Hi,Kimberly here from landscape solutions for you. Thank you for asking the question on your four Cedar trees. Being the age they are, I have a feeling the two may be shock due to a fungus or some other possible disease.

The first thing you want to do is see if the two trees have life in them. Take a small sharp knife and scratch the surface of the trunk or a branch. If it is green, it is still alive. If it is brown, it is in shock. Check to see if the needle like leaves are falling off, yellowed, or have spots along the needles. This is a sign of fungus or insect infestation. Another thought is take a branch to a local nursery or garden center and have them look at the needles and branch. They may be able to identify the problem.

Your soil may also be lacking some nutrients along with the possibility of too much rain or lack of rain. I know this may sound strange with two trees healthy and two that are not. Go through these different steps to see if you can determine the problem. Once you have identified the problem, if the trees can be saved, either come back here and ask for help or ask a nursery professional or a local professional landscaper in your area. Let us know what you find out. Thank you for asking the question and the best of luck to you. Hope your day is going well.
Kimberly

Jul 06, 2009

my cedras deodoras are dying
by: Anonymous

I have 4 cedars. Two are dying. I've had them about 7 years and they are about 12-15 feet apart. Two are dying and the other two look ok right now.

Any ideas?

Aug 11, 2008

Your dying Cedar trees
by: Kimberly

This is Kimberly from landscape-solutions-for-you.
I am sorry you are having trouble with your Cedar trees. Cedars will grow in most soil conditions. They do well in full sun to partial shade. The soil should be well-drained.

A couple of questions for you. How did you water the Cedas when you first planted them? How far spacing did you do for each tree? I recommend to my clients to take a hose for the first one to two weeks, and slow drip the water around the base of each tree. Move the house around every 15 minute to 20 minutes so the entire root systems gets moisture. With Cedars, you should also put some mulch around the base of the tree, but not up against the trunk.

If you are receiving too much natural rain, this may affect the root system also.

There is a slight chance that you may have gotten some bad trees, and a thought would be to take a picture of the trees, or trim off a branch and bring it to the nursery where you bought them. A lot of nurseries will have some type of warranty.

One item I recommend to my clients is to add some organic mushroom compost to each tree when planting. This is an organic fertilizer that will last up to one year. (you could do this now)

Finally, some trees will go into shock after they are planted. Take a small knife and scratch the surface of a branch or trunk. If there is any green, it is still alive. If it is brown, it is definitely in distress.

I wouldn't give up on your Cedars until you try some of the options above. Thanks Mike for taking the time to ask the question on your Cedars. Keep myself, and other visitors updated on your Cedars, and I hope they survive! Have a great day!

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