I recently purchased what I think is a quite large weeping atlas cedar potted. It came in a 95g container and is prob only 4 feet tall but spreads about 10-12 feet or so with a 6-7" thick trunk. My question is from my research I see they are gigh sun plants but can "tolerate" shade. Can I safely plant this tree where from sunrise till about noon it gets dappled light through my neighbors large maple and then from about noon to 2:300 gets direct sun but then the sun passes my house and its "mostly" in lit shade. Will it be ok here and thrive or should I plant it in the backyard where from 11am till sundown gets direct light? I would much prefer it in the front where the sun is lesser.
It would probably do better where it gets more sun, since your research suggests that it likes more rather than less, but the location will not kill it. It should be just fine there. Remember the thing about plants we buy for ourselves: if we are enjoying them and like them, it makes them worth the effort and money we put into them. Whether it would do better somewhere else or not, if that is where you want it then you will most likely enjoy it more there than you would somewhere that was only a second option for placement. Some of the people who were posting here got it right I think, http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/conif/msg0423494018342.html- especially ken_adrian (you might have to scroll down a bit to find his post). He says the basic feeling much better than I can. I also found several other people here asking similar questions in past posts...no they are not identical situations, but maybe they will help some! http://www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/forums/showthread.php?t=50723 http://www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/forums/showthread.php?t=28127 http://www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/forums/showthread.php?t=26212 If this was not helpful, or you are in doubt of your decision, it looks like Ron B or Micheal F might be very good people to send a private message to asking about your tree. I don't know who else on here is an expert on these or if they are, but it looked like they were posting very useful information for these people. Hopefully if I am wrong or someone has something to add, they will post and correct this - I have not had any first hand experience with these and only people I know who do have one have it as a rather largish bonsai (compared to the little bonzai that I see where I live) which is an indoors plant because the roots would freeze where they live in the winter. They weren't messing with it much when I was there so I don't know if they give it any special treatment other than grow lights on timers, the pruning that it needs to stay that size, and watering when they water their other plants.
