Just received 20 6 foot cedars from the wholesale store in town, and I need info on what soil medium they like, how deep to dig the trench, spacing, fertilizers etc. any help would appreciated. thks Dave
the people that you bought them from werent willing to tell you ? What kind of cedar are you talking about? Thuja? true Cedrus? if it is Thuja then they are relatively shallow rooted, they like loamy soil, regular water and full sun to partial shade. if they are Smaragds then space them about 2 feet on center, if they are western red cedar (Thuja plicata) then you want to give them more space between.
thks for the reply The store were I got them is a large supermarket box store and doesn't a nursery expert on staff per se. But they have the healthiest cedars around. On the tag it says: Thuja occ. "Emerald Green" [Smaragd] they are in buckets of heavy clay soil. Dave in Salmon Arm
Hi Dave: You mentioned that they were shipped in clay - you will have to remove the clay prior to planting and of course spread the roots. I have planted mine in a well drained area using a medium of bark mulch and native dirt. I water daily for the first year. Have had them 5 months now and they are doing very well. Paul
Removing the soil almost came to mind, but the practice is often outside the skill of some novice gardeners. At least the clay soil rootballs add some stability, and those rarely need staking. If the soil is removed, those are going to need staking for sure, and possibly for twice as long as some trees would need stakes. Arborvitae also tend to have a disproportionate volume of foliage compared to relatively small rootballs, and I generally recommend autumn planting. Right now, no roots can be lost to drying if the soil is removed. It must all be done quickly and with moisture maintained.
