We have about 25 cedars which have grown to about 5-6 feet high. We want to trim them down to 3 feet high and keep them that height. I haven't found any ID tags yet so am not sure what variety they are. Has anyone had experience with doing this? Will the bare stems produce new growth and become green next year? Any info appreciated since I couldn't find anything about topping cedars on google/youtube.
Re: Pruning Thuja Occidentalis Pyramidalis This time of year is nice. I don't like spring, because of occassionally encountering bird nests. If there is no green down 2 feet in the middle, then avoiding stubbing wood may be unavoidable, and in most cases, I don't care. Some of the stubbed stems can be followed down and a proper cut made lower in the center. In many cases, I prefer no foliage on top for landscapes if the homeowners are not staring down from a 2nd story window. : - )
Hedging cedars (actually thujas) don't generally resprout from the brown centre core. If you are reducing the hedge at 3' high then, unless it is at the top of a high wall, everyone will be looking down at the brown dead tops. Option one is to cut the trees down only to the point where they are still relatively green and bushy at the core. That may mean 4' instead of 3'. If they are brown inside at the height you want then your best bet is to avoid using a hedge trimmer to shear off all the trees at the height you want, but instead take the time to cut each tree's branches individually with loppers , so that the end of the main stem is 10"-18" below the desired height. You can then use brown jute twine (or netting) to gently lift and compress the upper branches so their tips curve upward and inward to hide the brown core and give the additional height required. This will also help the trees to shed any snow and prevent them from flattening out in the winter. By next spring the upper branches will have settled into the new shape and you can remove the string/netting and shear them off at the desired height a couple of times a year to keep them fresh and green. This method will take more time, but will result in a much more attractive and natural looking hedge.
