Red Cedar Spacing

[roymunson]

So we're going to put some 2' red cedars in the ground tomorrow. 1 gallon pots, and the plan is for it to grow as a hedge and visual break along the road.

Planning on planting 2 staggered rows, but hte guy we got them from was talking about putting them 8' apart. Each row. That seems WAY too close. I was thinking 15-20' and then stagger the row behind it in the middle.

Anyone intentionally planted any cedars? How'd you do it?

 

[Tree Spud]

Plant each row with trees every 12'. Stagger the rows and they should be 14'-16' wide. I plant spruce, cedar, and pines this way and pines this way and it will produce the best visual screen. The trees will eventually grow to touch each other on each row without causing lower branches to die off. And the space between the rows will allow sunlight in to also keep lower branches from dying off.

 

[trampledbyturtles]

Alot of ways to skin this cat.

Have planted them exactly as spud described.
But also as small as 8ft spacing 8ft apart staggered as long as there is ample sunlight.

And alot of variances inbetween.

Like rows for windbreaks/screens
Pockets for bedding.
But I tend to use more black hills spruce for bedding.

 

[roymunson]

This isn't bedding. This is a visual screen. we'll go 12' or so and stagger them. Should work good, thanks for the insight

 

[habitataddict]

If you are planting for a screen and want the screen to "close", consider planting some Norway Spruce as well. The Red Cedar will grow fast but eventually lose the lower limbs (and no more screen cover). The Norway will take off year 3 but won't lose lower limbs. Plant on 8' spacing Norway, then Red Cedar. You will know when to thin the Red Cedar. Just a suggestion for a more permanent screen.

 

[Rit]

Red cedar grows painfully slow in my soils. About 12” a year. They will only lose lower limbs at ground level if they get crowed out. You almost never see Red cedars that are on a field edge or out in the open without lower limbs. I am with Tree Spud on the 12’ spacing. Now it’s going to be an enternity before you have a screen but a 6’ wide swath of switch in front of the cedars will fix that issue. I have also had really good luck with hybrid and streamco willows. Both need some protection or it takes a few extra years to outpace browse. But the good of letting deer browse them is they send up more shoots and become more bush like before they put on height.

I have two rows of Streamco willows that are not protected that just finished their second growing season and they are pushing 5’x5’. A row of them in front of cedars or spruce would also be an amazing screen.

Bucks seem to thrash the hell out of my Cedars when they get to 4 or 5’ tall.

 

[rocksnstumps]

Lots of variations still probably get the job done but some thoughts.
- Literature I have for planting windbreaks which are a lot like having a visual barrier has 8 ft between trees in a row and 15 ft between rows for conifers.
- If you spread planting out a little to 12 ft between trees in a row and save a little on cost, consider that you will have to replace any trees that dont make it. With a tighter spacing, you can lose a tree here or there and not worry as much that will close up and create a barrier in your lifetime.
- Style of tree being more round or column looking would be a consideration on spacing. The cedar I see around here planted on the edges of rural property for visual barriers into back yards and such are mostly the taller skinny looking ones and a 6 ft spacing is actually better. Now these are mostly white cedar around here. 12 ft would be way too much for that style tree. Ask your nursery about the general shape of what you are looking at buying.
- Planting a little heavy on spacing means more $$ upfront but visual barrier will happen quicker. You might have to go back in and thin every 3rd tree in a row if you get great survival down the road. Otherwise if you can be patient for visual barrier to happen the larger spacing is more maintenance free down the road but plan on maybe up to 10 yrs before you have a real "visual barrier"
- The distance between rows should also allow easier mowing the first several years. It helps when the trees are still in that 4 ft or less stage and beyond that is not really needed IMO

 

[habitataddict]

I need to correct my recommendation. I meant red pine, not red cedar.