Watering

Water deeply at least once a week in the cool shoulder seasons of spring and fall.Water two times a week during the summer. Do not ignore the long dry cool season mid spring, the plants need fluids to get growing.

Fertilizing

Option 1 - slow release

Fertilize in mid March. Look for long timed release such as 3-6 month controlled release. This way you feed only once per year and run out of nitrogen by September, allowing them to head down to the root zone for winter growth (eating phosphorus etc).

Option 2 - quick release

Fertilizing the cedars with 30-10-10 three times in the growing season (May, June and July) is appropriate. Don’t fertilize in late summer, as the cedars needs to prepare to go dormant for the winter. When fertilizing first slowly soak the soil around your cedars’ roots with water, before applying the fertilized solution, to make the soil absorbent. Then, prepare a bucket full of 30-10-10 nitrogen-rich solutions exactly as directed, and apply. Lastly, be sure to water thoroughly with an equal amount, after applying the fertilizer, but slowly, and gently, so as not to wash the nutrients away.

Pruning

Prune the tips of the top and side branches in February to maintain their shape and promote growth. Using powered shears, making smooth, semicircular sweeps, shear 1-2 inches of growth with each cut. For the hedge to really thrive they need to be properly trimmed during the winter. Do not prune in warm weather, as it stresses the plant!

Cedars will not generate new growth from old wood, but will generate new growth from the trim line.

When pruning be careful not to cut into old bark. This will promote new growth where it is not wanted. Be conservative in your plant pruning as the underpart of the plant is bare and will look scraggly if you expose too much of the brown part of the plant. For a privacy hedge, tip the tops for the standard landscaping appearance.

If they seem not to be as lush as you had hoped, and you have not over-pruned them, try adding an application of 30-10-10 fertilizer, taking care to follow all instructions.

Before you begin shearing cedars, it’s important that you choose whether you’d like your hedge to be rectangular, rounded, or tapered:

A rectangular hedge has straight sides and tops for a clean, professional look. It can be difficult and time consuming to properly shear a rectangular hedge, but we strongly believe that this is the best choice for a clean, professional looking hedge.
A rounded hedge has slightly rounded tops for a natural look. This is an easier shape to shear, though it will not look as crisp and clean as a rectangular hedge.
A tapered hedge gets thinner the higher it goes. It can have a flat top or a rounded top, depending on your preference.

Aside from how it looks and how long it may take to shear, there is no horticultural advantage to choosing one shape over another.

Shearing instructions:

Facing the cedar hedge, stand on the left side with the shears on your right
Turn on power pruners
Firmly grasp handles and stand with feet shoulder width apart
Making smooth, semicircular motions, shear 1-2 inches of growth with each cut. Try to keep each cut as even as possible to avoid taking off too much growth.
After you finish a 2-3 foot vertical section, step to the right
Continue until your hedge is finished

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