Deodar Cedar Under Stress, again?
Chris McCord
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
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Chris McCord
7 years agoRelated Discussions
Planting under a big cedar tree
Comments (4)1) True cedars (Cedrus species) are not considered allelopathic. 2) as far away from the dripline of the tree as you can tolerate......even then you will be trying to outcompete tree roots and guess who will win? 3) Yes there are but they constitute a rather short list. Look for plants for dry shade or just very drought tolerant plants if the tree is limbed up high. DT groundcovers are your best choice - they tend to be surface rooted so can subsist on minimal soil and often compete well with big conifers. Plant any larger shrubs - and again, these should be very drought tolerant species - away from the base of the tree. And be sure to provide extra water and TLC for the first few growing seasons - drought tolerance is by no means immediate!! 4) You cannot plant much of anything within the root spread of a large conifer without disturbing roots. Make it easier on yourself and the new plants by starting small....like 4" pots for GC's and 1G for any shrubs. Easier to dig holes for, easier to get established, more likely to complete well with the tree. Be patient - plants grow. Here is a link that might be useful: DT groundcovers...See MoreDeodora Cedar
Comments (33)Deodara cedar is not such a bad choice. It will be years before it is a problem (if ever) and they are beautiful. I would have recommended one of the hardiest cultivars. Shalimar or Kashmir. Nashville has a record cold temp of -17F. I have planted Shalimar and I still get a little nervous. Keep in mind that there are cultivars of various shapes and colors (blue, gold, green) for most of these.... Chamaecyparis obtusa - Hinoki cypress. Has many beautiful cultivars that stay small and are a nice deep green. Chamaecyparis thyoides - White cedar. I really like Glauca pendula. Cryptomeria japonica - Japanese cedar. I think there is a cultivar called Ben Franklin that may work well for you. Cupressus arizonica - Arizona cypress - probably will do well. Juniperus - Junipers are tough plants. Just about any will do well. A couple struggle with the high heat and humidity Pinus strobus - White pine has many smaller cultivars. They are fantastic pines. Pinus bungeana - Lacebark pine does well. Look at 'rowe arboretum' They have great bark. Picea abies - Norway spruce. Cultivar overload here. They will do very well. Picea orientalis - Oriental spruce. Again lots of cultivars. They should do well also. Thuja - Arborvitae most of these will do well. Look is similiar to Chamaecyparis but they are harder to kill. :) Taxus - Yews will handle shade if that is an issue. Lots of dark green cultivars. Tsuga - Hemlocks are very nice. Again shade tolerant. They look similiar to Cedrus deodara to me but not quite as blue. If you are in far east TN there may be a problem with an invasive pest. Also if you are in far west TN the heat may get to them a bit. Jeff...See MoreSap oozing on Deodar Cedar
Comments (7)Dax and Dave -- Thanks so much for your replies. I went back out and looked at the tree again this morning in the area around the wound. I'm attaching some more photos. There is a girdling type wound around the entire trunk in the area of the original wound. All of the sap is oozing above this point, and none below. I would try the treatment that was successful for Dave, but am not sure where to start and stop cutting because of the girdled area around the trunk. Can you suggest where I need to begin and end the wood removal, and if you think that would work in this particular situation. (We would normally have made a cleaner cut of the branch, but because it was tearing the bark we didn't cut further. I should have gone back and made a cleaner cut after the bark healed.) Thanks again!! Kim...See MoreCedars thinning
Comments (15)An entirely different viewpoint but I don't see how these arborvitaes (not cedars) are being excessively shaded. From what exactly?? And it sounds like you are properly addressing the water issues as well. You live in a pretty harsh climate at the upper end of the arb's hardiness range so it would not be unexpected for them to suffer some over winter, especially with regards to wind. It blows pretty hard across those northern prairies!! Trees can need fertilizing just like any other cultivated plant can and pretty much any trained arborist will confirm that. But not always and not on a routine schedule. A moderate amount applied at the correct time can't hurt and could help. In lieu of fertilizing, mulching with compost will help. And you do not need to remove the fallen needles/leaves as they form a perfectly acceptable natural mulch. A light shearing could help to promote more fullness......a plant's natural response to pruning is to push new growth......and the ideal time for arbs is right before they start to push their new seasonal spring growth...See MoreChris McCord
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