Thuja occidentalis 'Smaragd'. Wants to grow a lot bigger than it is now. Including in width. Can be sheared all the way around the whole top from ground level to uppermost tip each late spring-early summer to reduce the rate of annual increase. However a time will come when much of the surface is becoming stubble as a result. With there being an inadequate foliage covering due to it being cut at the same distance from the center of the plant each time. And there being insufficient production of new replacement foliage inside of the outer shell of greenery to make up for most of this being trimmed off.

As with the currently sooty crape myrtle in the center planting you've asked about on other posts maybe you should just think about replacing these with something you like the look of better. Instead of trying to prune them into something they are not.

thanks for your reply! the end result from cutting is inevitable if we choose not to let this grow to maturity and by "a time will come" do you mean in many years from now?

You can cut the top off now and then into perpetuity and not kill it. You can not trim the sides now and then forever because it will turn into a brown box of sticks in about four years. And if you cut off the top of yours are the neighbors going to cut off the top off theirs so the two arborvitaes are balanced?

That is false, the point will come when repeated topping will result in a dead zone unless the topping is done at a higher level each time.

Yes, repeated topping will make the top bald, open and dead looking, but it will not kill the lower portion or the whole plant.

I trim the tops off mine every year but they do get a little taller each time, maybe an inch or so. If I don't trim the tops, they get about 8-10" taller every year.

I never understand why these trees are planted in flowerbeds up against the house? They always end up getting way too big. I'd remove it and plant something else.

Those who aren't enthusiasts eagerly gobbling up background information about everything they buy and plant may not pay any attention to things like long term development when doing landscape planting.

Let me be _laag for a moment. Granted attention to long term development gets lost in a lot of landscaping. Still that arborvitae will have a good useful ten year life span on average I'd guess. No doubt someone will have to quibble that point, Anyway, as a landscape plant in a duplex of dubious particulars when its usefulness is over, you can rip it out tied to the back of a pickup truck and plant something new there.

I'd venture that ten years is a pretty average life span for many suburban landscapes before the new homeowner does a remodel of the landscape. Ten years of low maintenance, good service from a plant is pretty good.

It's already overhanging the railing, is at a height where aonefun wants to stop it from getting any taller.

The next tenant might have a different opinion. How long do you think it has been there at this point? We know the bumpy lawn is six years old. So six years at a minimum.

And shouldn't you be having some sort a scale opinion about this bush in front of a very tall walkup duplex. I think it is too short.

It’s the wrong kind of plant for the landscaping. It’s right up against the railing, it’s not attractive either. Arborvitae should be used as hedges, not foundation plantings.

I'm not a fan of arborvitae hedges. I prefer them as specimen plants.

If you like arborvitae’s you could replace this one with a Globe Arborvitae which holds their shape nicely and never had to be trimmed. I have a beautiful one and I just love it