I have about an acre and a half of land I have cleared and would like to plant it with hedging cedars and some other plants for a latter sale. (5 years+-) I have tried to find small seedlings by contacting other growers. Most growers are not interested in helping me with starter plants. I wonder if I can start them from cuttings. I am away for the winter and before I left I took some cuttings off a pyrmidalis (SP?) and they are in nice rooting medium. I will see if there are roots when I return. Another question is: What are the very tall trees used in the Fraser Valley for wind breaks. I would like to plant a row for the purpose of slowing down the winds that blow across the property. This is my first post to the forum and hope it is OK Thanks Charles Stephens Halfmoon Bay , BC
Cedars are almost impossible from cuttings - as bad as firs. Collect the cones about now. Deodar Cedar cones break up easily; for Lebanon and Atlas Cedar, soak the cones in iced water for 3 days, snap them in half, and pull the scales apart by hand to get the seeds. Stratify the seeds in moist sand at +1°C for a month or two, and sow in a well-drained peat-free mix in spring. Keep the seedlings well-spaced to avoid fungal disease.
Wow! Thqanks for the replys although they are opposite in opinion. Any Ideas where I could buy some 16-32 cm plants. I have a friend who planted 3 acres about 20 years ago and he bought them from some one that is no longer in business. Charles
Charles--the different advice was from confusion over the exact trees you're trying to grow. Cedars here usually refer to arborvitae, tho Michael used the term for cedrus, which is more exact. You are trying to grow arborvitae type cedars, like pyramidalis, excelsa and smaragd...the most popular types here. These are easy to root from cuttings, but since you say you're gone during the winter, you won't be able to look after a batch of cuttings and might be best to try to buy some. They are often listed on the buynsell, tho I don't see any starter plants right now. They can be had for about $1.50 in a 4in. pot, or $3 for a 1 gal. Good quality smaragds "should" sell for about $4 a foot, but there is often a glut, and various small growers (like you will be!) offer them for as little as $2.50 a foot. Think about how profitable this will be for you...planting, weeding, fertilizing, watering, digging, marketing. Not saying it's a bad idea, esp. up where you are where there might be a lot of new housing in the next 5-10 years and away from the loads of cedar growers in the Fraser Valley...just maybe do a bit of math to make sure you'll turn a worthwhile buck... Good growing, Glen
indeed, hedging cedars locally are Thuja, to which I was referring. as to true Cedrus, yes, they are not so easy.
Is anyone checking on the cuttings that you took, prior to you leaving for the winter? If not, I would guess that the cuttings may be dead when you return, depending on the set-up that you put the cuttings in to get them to root. Yes, it's always best to use Latin plant names (if known) so there is no confusion over which plant is being discussed. Common names vary depending on what part of the country, or what part of the world, a person lives. In the USA, cedars can refer to Thuja occidentalis or Juniperus virginiana, depending on the region. My .02 Mike
