Planting between Mature Emerald Cedars

5 years ago

I am in Zone 5b and my backyard is south facing. These emerald cedars were planted 10 years ago with the intention of providing privacy along the fence.

Unfortunately the person we hired planted them too far apart and we do not have complete privacy at the fence line. I believe this is as wide as they are going to get at the base. I have purchased more emerald cedars to plant in the spaces. (They are temporarily in position in the pic). Before I plant, I was wondering if they will survive given the limited space between the mature cedars and if they will look odd. I want to it to eventually be a green privacy wall. Open to other suggestions keeping in mind I want whatever is growing to be a similar height to the privacy screens, and rabbits are also an issue.

Featured Answer

Sara Malone Zone 9b

5 years ago

Can you plant the new row in front of the old row, producing two staggered rows? If you have space to do that, it will allow for future growth but also close the gap reasonably quickly.

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Comments (7)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
5 years ago
they are not as wide as they will get .. they will fill in ... but it might be 5 or more years ...

the issue i see is.. how will you stunt then.. disturbing the root mass by digging on both sides of the established trees ...

is there any option to come out into the lawn??

conifers are trees.. and trees grow in tree time.. usually counted in decades ... and as you have found out.. that can be irritatingly slow .. when you have some level of instant gratification needs ...

i note the deciduous tree will be hiding the red house in a week or two ... is there an option of planting another tree in the lawn to hide the other house??? .. im thinking redbud ...

part of your problem .. is that you are trying with the arbs.. to do it all on the property line.. which takes much longer.. yet when you came into the lawn.. closer to your house.. you accomplished the goal much faster ...

is the lawn an option??? .. how about for a second tree???

ken
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grisdalem
Original Author
5 years ago
Ken, Thank you for your feed back. I was actually thinking of planting either a redbud or Japanese maple in the very spot you are thinking to hide the house. At the moment I am trying to hide the view from the height of the fence to the ground in between the cedars. Out front in the grass is an option. How far from mature cedars would I plant. Would it look odd?
grisdalem
Original Author
5 years ago
Sara, thank you for your idea. That is an option. I just wasn't sure if it would look okay or how to tie it in to the edge of the bed. See pics below.
Embothrium
5 years ago
No conifer is mature after 10 years, conifers often live hundreds of years. And a tree that has stopped growing is either dead or dying back.
grisdalem
Original Author
5 years ago
Embothrium. So when it says mature size 4 feet wide and 12 feet high, that is not true. It will continue to grow in width as well as height? In that case, I will definately not plant between the cedars and find another solution for the visible fence areas.
cearbhaill (zone 6b Eastern Kentucky)
5 years ago
"So when it says mature size 4 feet wide and 12 feet high, that is not true. It will continue to grow in width as well as height?"

Yes, they continue to grow.

The "mature" size you see listed on tags and in descriptions is typically a "size at ten years" estimate.