Hi There - I have been having major issues with my cedar hedge (approx 50 cedars) since they were planted early last spring. Issues have stemmed from a brownish-green colour to extremely thin foliage. I had an arborist come to look at them and was told yesterday that they had been planted about 2 inches too deep and therefore the plants were rotten. In his words the only remedy was to remove them and start fresh. Given that this is an expensive undertaking I was wondering if someone on this forum could confirm if girdled cedars can recover if the 2" of earth is removed or alternatively if there is a better remedy. I appreciate your help.
Some may perk up eventually if lifted and replanted at proper depth. Depends on how far gone each is and what, exactly is happening. Partial failures of recently planted arborvitae hedges are commonly seen here and frequently asked about on the internet, especially the now hyper-abundant 'Smaragd' cultivar.