is no water in the soil, the tree has no additional resources to call upon. Where and what to buy You also need to ask about the zone
tolerance of the tree before purchasing it. Trees purchased from American based chains are generally Smaragd cedars or Emerald Green cedars, the most popu- lar ornamental cedar in the U.S. While the USDA rates these trees as hardy in zones 3 to 8, this may be a bit optimistic in areas where the temperature change can be severe. As well, chain vendors often hire inexperienced people to work in their greenhouses for the season and trees can often be damaged by improper care. A better alternative to Emerald Green
cedars for harsher climates is the Bran- don cedar. It grows to 12 feet with a spread of three feet and be expected to live 50 years and beyond. Check when you buy the trees to
make sure that the root ball hasn’t been allowed to dry out. Better yet, buy from a local garden centre. Most of them guarantee their tree stock for at least one year.
Planting Cedars need special care in plant-
ing, especially in clay soils where roots may have difficulty penetrating the area outside the original
root ball. When
backfilling, use the clay soil you dug up for the tree amended with a bit of peat or compost. Dig your planting hole a bit wider, but no deeper than the soil level in the container the tree was purchased in. Planting too deep can cause suffoca- tion – cedars are fairly shallow rooted. Be careful where you plant. Avoid
locations where the tree roots would be immersed in water or suffer prolonged overwatering, as can happen in gardens that have automatic sprinkler systems that operate every day. All trees need is 25 to 30 minutes of water no more than twice a week.
Should you wrap your trees? As for wrapping your cedars, don’t.
In the first few years, you may want to provide a screen to protect the trees from prevailing winds and sunshine. You can do this with a burlap “tent”, being careful not to touch the actual leaves (which aids in drying – just what you want to avoid), or simply construct a wall of burlap to check the wind and sun. k
www.localgardener.net
A healthy stand of cedars. Winter 2014 • 17
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