Your dogs can also get in the pesky habit of chewing your branches. Urinating and excessive chewing can seriously damage your trees so keep a watchful eye on their health. Take preventative measures to keep your dog away from the trees. Dusting the base with hot pepper spice or setting up a mesh fence along the bottom can help deter your dog from causing trouble!

Rodents like to look for dry, covered places, things to chew and also things to eat, so your garden and trees can be attractive options for rodents to set up camp. If you haven’t seen the little fuzzy critters in person, a good thing to do would be to check your trees. If your trees have signs of chewing on them, then you might be in trouble. You’ll find the most chewing at the bottom of the tree near the base, but bark can be stripped off higher uptake in the branches as well. This can be a problem for your cedars as it can cause your branches to die and in worst case scenarios may kill your tree entirely. If you suspect you may have a rodent problem check your garden. Keep your outside spaces clean and don’t hang or scatter bird feed in or near your trees. Take the necessary steps to get rid of your problem, without damaging your trees or garden further.

• *Cypress Tip Moth: Larvae tunnel into leaf scales on one and 2 year-old twigs in the spring. Leaves become yellow, then brown in late winter. White, spun cocoons can be found on leaf scales in early June. Western Red Cedar is not affected.
• *Mites: Overall yellowing or browning of foliage in summer may be due to desiccating winds and drought stress or to mites. A few mites are not usually a problem, but in hot, dry weather they can build up to damaging levels. A magnifying glass may be needed to see them. Apply a specific miticide for control.
• *Juniper Scale: Juniper scales attack juniper, arborvitae, cedar and cypress. Cones, twigs and needles are attacked. Heavy infestations deplete plant sap resulting in grey or yellow foliage, reduced growth over time and possible death of young trees. Black sooty mold often develops on honeydew. Scales are round to oval, white and 1.5 mm long. Direct controls against the newly-hatched crawlers in mid-June.
• *Root Weevil: Adult weevil feeding can girdle young twigs and turn foliage brown, similar to flagging. The weevils feed at night so are not usually seen. Notching of the stem will be evident below the flagged portion of the branch. Damage can occur from March to July. If there is a lot of damage, a sticky band around the trunk will prevent adult feeding. Larvae may feed on roots but do not generally damage trees once past the seedling stage.

*information from gov.bc.ca

Potted plants add colour and beauty and cedars add green and privacy! You’re probably not able to plant your cedars in the ground so go for the next best option.. boxed cedars. They are easy to make, maintain and are cost efficient. You can make them as big or small as you like and can take them with you, should you ever move. If you are planning on putting in a cedar box make sure you are allowed. Check with your strata council or property management to make sure you are not violating any rules in your complex.

• Will they get enough light and water?
• Will the roots have room to grow without your house’s foundation obstructing their growth?
• Will you be able to keep them well groomed with regular trimming?
• Will they obstruct any windows or doors once they are fully grown?

If you are planting them solely for aesthetics purposes consider building or buying boxed/potted cedars. You’ll get the look you want without the hassle or worry of planting them in the ground next to your house.

When you are planting cedar hedges with the intention of using them for privacy it’s a good idea to let your neighbours know out of courtesy, especially if the only barrier between your yard and theirs are the cedars. Otherwise, they will have to live with them as well. Also make sure you know exactly where your property ends and theirs starts . . .  the last thing you want is a complaint about planting over your property line (while they were away). Also keeping in mind city right of ways and other Fraser Valley or Vancouver bylaws restricting where you can plant and how high.

Cedars also look great as a “stand alone” (feature) tree or as part of a garden (just make sure the greenery you plant around your cedar gets sufficient light). Make sure you are planting the cedars somewhere where they also will get enough sunlight as well as a sufficient amount of natural rainwater.

If you have more questions about installing cedar hedges on your Vancouver home property, either email us or call Brandon at 778.549.1676 to get your questions answered.

Cedar trees can be bought in various sizes from very young, short trees, to tall, established ones. If you seek instant privacy make sure you order older and established trees that have grown tall and wide enough to create the barrier you desire. Your cedars will grow 9-12 inches per year, so keep in mind the amount of space you will need between each planted cedar to allow them proper room to grow.

Cedar trees can grow up to 40 feet tall, so unless you want tall cedars, be sure to do regular trimming (once or twice a year).

Be courteous to your neighbours.If you have a property with a view ensure you are not obstructing anyone else’s view as well. Read your city by-laws to find out just how tall your cedars can grow before you get a ticket (especially on corner lots or when next to a sidewalk).  Keep in mind, if you are the one doing the trimming, don’t let them get to the point where you’ll need a bigger ladder. There is no need to put yourself at risk or have to send the money required to hire a maintenance company to trim the taller cedars if you can keep them low enough to begin with.

However, like any other tree you can expect a few critters like spiders, bugs, squirrels and birds to take home in your cedars. If you’re wary about your trees attracting house guests take the proper steps to prevent that. Don’t forget to use caution when you trim your trees to avoid hurting any animals.