Hedges: How to care for newly planted cedar hedges?

I recently got a lot of cedar hedges planted along the edge of my property. I am wondering how much water, how frequent, and how many months I should be watering these hedges. In addition, is there anything else I should do to ensure these hedges grow up healthy.

I've been doing research online and am getting different watering instructions. My guess is because the instructions are for certain climates and different ages of cedar hedges.

The cedar hedges are about 3 years old (4 ft tall). I live in Vancouver, BC, which has a plant zone of 8a. The hedges span about 160 feet along the edge of my property. The guys who planted my hedges dug a hole, placed the tree in it, and surrounded the base with more soil.

In addition, I am wondering if I can connect several soaker hoses together to water the hedges? Is it necessary to have a closed circuit loop at 160 feet?

 

The word, Cedar, is a bit vague when describing hedging trees because different types of similar trees grown for that use have different watering needs. Could you tell us their proper botanical name - or even their common name? One type used very often is Thuja occidentalis ‘Smaragd’ (Emerald Green Cedar). Another popular choice is x Cupressocyparis leylandii (Leland Cypress) which looks like Thuja but grows more quickly. There are others. In order to give good advice, it is important to know what kind of trees you have planted.

 

Sorry, I'm not sure which type of hedging tree I purchased. The nursery's website says they sell Brandons, Emeralds, and Excelsas. The nursery and I are not on good terms hence why I didn't ask them. But looking at the photos, I think I purchased Emerald Green Cedar. I have attached photos.

 

Well, they certainly are not the Leyland Cypress so Emerald Green Cedars are likely from your photos. I'll put some information together for you tomorrow.

I'm assuming they were well watered after they were planted - if not, do that immediately.

 

Thank you :)

Every day I've been watering the roots of each cedar for 60 seconds. Not quite sure if that is overkill, and was hoping to use a soaker hose so I don't need to manually drench my hedges.

 

Hello @icu222much - whether your trees are Brandons, Emeralds or Excelsas, their care for the first year is the same. Most important is to keep their roots constantly damp - not soggy wet, just moist all the way to the bottom. This is more challenging at this time of year than it would have been if you had planted them in the Fall because then you would have had more consistant rainfall.

There are several ways to provide your hedge the water it needs and you are in the best position to determine which works for you. I think a soaker hose is a good choice but needs to be monitored to make sure it's providing water where it's needed. Soaker hoses have a reputation for either clogged holes or enlarged holes so be on the lookout for those problems. I'd be tempted to have a hose line on both sides of the hedge. Leave it running very slowly for as long as it takes to ensure the soil is damp for at least the depth of the roots. Sometimes, water pressure drops significantly at the end of the hose so you may need to deal with that too.

Rather than trying to calculate what volume of water is needed per meter of hedge, consider buying a water probe so you can tell if the entire rootball is moist - though it may be hard to find one long enough. When Fall rains resume you should still check to make sure the trees are well hydrated. As you get to know your trees, you'll be able to tell by looking if they seem stressed or not.

Others may have different advice but I would not fertilize until this time next year, using a slow release product at label rates. There would likely be no need to do any pruning for a few years. Some may tell you to cut the tops soon because that encourages the trees to bush out. My opinion is to leave them until they are 6 inches to a foot short of the ultimate height you want. They'll bush out regardless.

One other bit of advice is to keep snow brushed off so that the weight of it does not break or disfigure the branches.

 

Hi Margot, thank you for your advice :)

Should I be turning the soaker hose on daily? Also, how many months should I be watering the hedges?

 

Hello icu222much - as I was trying explain, the most important thing is to keep the roots of your hedge constantly damp - not soggy wet, just moist all the way to the bottom. Depending on a number of variables, you may need to water every day. Factors such as the amount and frequency of rainfall, temperature and wind will come into play as will knowing if your soil is fast or slow draining; also how long the water is running. If you keep the goal in mind - to keep the roots moist, then you can determine how often and how long to water. Keep a close eye on your hedge until this time next year by which time new roots will have grown into the surrounding soil and have a better chance of finding water further from the original root ball. Even after a year, you need to keep your hedge regularly watered.

 

Great, thank you!