Emerald Green Arborvitae-Thuga occidentalis ‘Smaragd’
Hardy in zones 3 through 8.
All pyramidal Arborvitae are not created equal! Some look similar but they grow and perform over time very differently. There are two upright, pyramidal Arborvitae that I really like because the look great, and over time they perform exactly as you expect them to. They are very different and should be used in different situations. One is Techney arborvitae, also known as Mission Arborvitae and I’ll post some info and photos on Techney in a few days.
Emerald Green Arborvitae
The other is Emerald Green Arborvitae, also known as ‘Smaragd’ and that’s the one I am featuring on this page.
Emerald Green Arborvitae is an excellent plant, a great choice when looking for a narrow, upright evergreen that doesn’t get too tall. This evergreen has an interesting color. Instead of the really dark green color that many arborvitae have, this plant is a lighter green with what appears to be a bit of a gold tinge to the foliage.
Emerald Green Arborvitae
Many upright arborvitae grow so fast that they grow so tall, that before long they are hooping over and growing away from the house. During the winter months when the snow clings it will pull them almost to the ground. If they are grown with multiple leaders as many are, they open up, spread apart and look absolutely terrible.
I’ve never seen Emerald Green do that. It just doesn’t get tall enough for that to happen. Look at the Emerald Green Arborvitae in these photos. As close as I can tell these plants are over 15 years old. Yet they are only about 10′ tall. That’s what makes Emerald Green unique to so many other upright arborvitae.
Rooted cuttings and liners of Emerald Green Arborviate are hot, hot, hot sellers. In Our Members Area Other Growers are often looking for Emerald Green rooted cuttings and liners. In my nursery this is plant is a great seller because most people buy them in quantities of 5, 10, 15, 30 or more because they use them as a privacy screen.
This plant can be grown as sold as a rooted cutting, as a liner, and a two or three year old liner, sold in one gallons, three gallon or even seven gallon containers. Excellent plant to grow and sell a home.
A liner is a rooted cutting that has been grown out for one year. It’s a bit larger than a rooted cutting, is starting to branch out and it has a much stronger root system.
To grow liners all you have to do is plant the rooted cuttings in a bed, much like any other garden, and it’s always a good idea to mulch them so the soil stays cooler and more moist. Keep the bed weeded and that;s really all you have to do. When you want to sell you just dig them up, pack them in a box with moist roots, dry tops and off they go. You never have to meet a customer in person.
Emerald Green Arborvitae, 3 years old.
I sell these like crazy at $5.97 each. And if I wanted to I could easily sell them wholesale. People are always looking for Emerald Green Arborviate.
Emerald Green Arborvitae in containers.
This is one of those plants that I never get ahead on because people buy them as fast as we grow them. And when I run out, I do like every other wholesale grower or retail seller on the planet, I go looking for some that I can buy.
When Our Members have their Very First Plant Sale they first they say after the first day of selling is; “I need more plants!” Then they go to out Buy/Sell Area of the Backyard Growers Business Center looking for things they can buy.
Emerald Green Arborvitae
Emerald Green Arborvitae are narrow, and the closer to the top the narrower they get. Planted in a single row you would have to plant them about 24″ on center to get a nice, full hedge, and even then because they are quite narrow at the top, it still is not likely to be a complete screen that can’t be seen through.
In these photos the Emerald Green Arborvitae are actually planted in a double row and staggered. They appear to be planted about 30″ to 36″ apart, then the back row has the same spacing but is staggered to fill in the gaps. This makes for a very tight screen that you cannot see through.
In this situation had the homeowner used another faster growing arborvitae this planting would be a mess by now. The plants would be all opened up and the tops would be leaning over. During the winter months the situation would be worse.
For about 20 years I spent a great deal of time re-landscaping homes. During that time I re-landscaped over 500 homes. I can’t even begin to tell you how many times we ripped out really tall arborvitae that were completely concealing the front of the house, leaning over and just plain looking bad. In almost every case inside of the plants we found fence posts and wire holding the plants together and the stakes attempting to hold the plants upright. That’s why I am very picky about which arborvitae that I will use in or recommend for a landscape.
These things sell like crazy and there are people in your home town that would love to buy these as small plants.
Here’s the problem. A nice 36″ Emerald Green Arborvitae will easily sell for $20.00 or more. A lot more depending on where you live. Ten plants? That’s $200 or more. Some people can afford that, many cannot. That’s why we need more people like you growing and selling small plants to people in your local area. They would love you for that.
No selling involved. When you grow and sell small plants from home, you don’t have to do any selling. As soon as people find out that you are growing small plants they immediately want to see what you have for sale. It’s very common for people to drive 50 miles or more to buy from our Backyard Growers!
Emerald Green Arborvitae is easy to propagate and easy to grow. You can root cuttings and sell them as soon as they are rooted! This is a great plant to grow at home and sell at a small size. They really do sell like crazy, as do most other plants.
These Emerald Green Arborvitae were just potted. I left them in the propagation bed for just about a year. I fertilized them with a slow release this spring to fatten them up a bit before potting. I’m posting these pics to show the progress from potting to becoming a nice pyramidal evergreen.
Recently potted Emerald Green Arborvitae. One year after sticking the cuttings.
A recently potted Emerald Green Arborvitae. Still bush like, but it will grow pyramidal on it’s own.
I love all the information about emerald green arborvitae’s on this website. I just have a quick question, can you put rock below arborvitae when they are first planted or is it better to start with mulch, then change it to rock a few years later?
Grant,
I think you can do rock right away, just keep them watered.
can you grow Emerald Green Arborvitae from seed??
Tim,
Maybe? Never heard of anyone doing that. They might not come true and are far too easy to grow from cuttings and know that you are getting a clone of the parent plant. With seed that is never a guarantee.
Hi,
I’m really looking at buying some of these for a fence replacement and privacy. I’m sorry if I missed an earlier question that would answer this. How far apart should I plant them for a tight hedge, hopefully preventing dogs from going through? And how far away from a fence? I’d like to plant as close to the fence as I can so I don’t lose feet and feet of my own property but also not pushing the neighbor’s badly damaged fence over.
Jessie, I’d say plant them 36″ to 44″ apart. They get about 40″ at the base. Keep them at least 36″ from the fence.
Hi – I am considering planting a row of emerald green arborvitae between my fence and alley behind my house. There is 6 feet between a wood privacy fence and the concrete alley. If I stuck them right in the center, do you think the roots could cause issues with my fence or the concrete, or could it get tangled in my fence?
Thanks!
Nick,
I don’t think the roots would be a problem but will the trees get enough sun to do well back there? They are pretty much a full sun plant.
Thanks for the response! I am a little confused, because I saw you answer a previous question about planting near a driveway and advised them to stay back 5-10 feet. Since there will only be 3 feet from both the alley and fence footings, my concern is that it could crack the alley or throw the fence out of alignment. You don’t think I need to worry about that?
The sun shouldn’t be an issue. Even with the fence, the area gets plenty of light.
Thanks for your helpful advice!
Nick,
I cannot promise or guarantee anything but Arborvitae have pretty weak roots.
Can I plant Emerald Green as a single tree in a small bed?
Mary,
Absolutely you can.
Our emerald green arborvitae hedge is 17 years old, 18-20 feet high and beautiful. My husband is concerned the wind will blow it over and wants to cut it back to 7 feet. Is this as bad an idea as I think it is or even necessary?
Linda,
That’s pretty high for Emerald Green. But if you cut the top off it might be okay if you keep it pruned regularly. If not, it’s always going to have crazy, multi branching at the top that it doesn’t have now. I’m not sure I really have good advice in this situation.
Hi Mike –
I find so much conflicting information on the net & judging by your excellent youtube videos, I’ve designated you my expert!
Last year, I planted 44 emerald greens in a single row on one side of our yard. While intending to space about 2.5′ on center (of the root ball), looks like I a little closer to 2.25′ on center. I suspect this will still be fine for a nice tight hedge. (Grew 12″ – 18″ over the Summer & some are already touching!)
I’m in the process of planting 38 along the other side & have spaced about 2.75′ on center (was trying to save a little money) — is this few inches extra making it more difficult for us to have a nice tight privacy hedge?
From what I’ve read, if I cut the top once they’ve reached the desired height (about 8′), will this encourage more dense, outward growth?
Our goal is to hopefully have the nice, boxy-styled hedge that are done with the native Northern White Cedars (Those would have likely just eventually have gotten too wide for our lot).
Thanks again for all the educational information you share with us. Very much appreciated!
Mike,
I think the spacing is fine. The problem with Emerald Green is that they grow so conical they are very narrow at the top and you are likely to have a gap up there no matter what you do. I don’t think cutting the top is going to solve that. Doing so likely to just force them to make multiple leaders up high and look kind of hooky. I’m pretty sure that I would not do that until somebody shows you a photo of where it has been done successfully. Varieties like Dark Green, Techney or Green Giant are better to do what you want to do. But Green Giant and Dark Green get really tall and that usually causes issues as well. I’ve seen photos of Green Giant trimmed and they looked pretty nice. But it’s too late for that. You selected Emerald Green which is a really nice plant, it’s sure to look good, but maybe not as tight as you’d like. Still a great selection. I have some Green Giants in pots right now and sometimes I just look at them and shake my head. They can be strange growers. Once they find their way they are better.
Hi Mike,
Once the emerald greens are established, can you prune off the tops to create the look of an english hedge?
Thanks.
Diane,
I’m sure you can but that is going to force them to send up multiple leaders that will have to be constantly trimmed. Not the ideal plant for this type of hedge.
We are looking for something like this not too wide but higher. Do you have any suggestion?
I think this is the best you’ll fine, the Emerald Green Arb. Narrow and tall.
You are the only site that gives me a clue a to when to pot my rooted emerald green avavartias. After 2 years I have rooted a couple dozen.. they are growing with roots in a community pot. I cannot recall when I started them because I tried at a dozens ways unsuccessful. How much roots should they have before repotting?
Sue,
In a community pot the roots will be slightly, but not that much, tangled so wait until November to transplant them. That way if any root damage occurs the plants will be fine.
After many attempts l have rooted a dozen or so of Emerald Green Arborvitae .I don’t recall when these were started. They have roots and growth. How much roots do they need before potting. I live in Piedmont NC.
You are the only source I have been able to find for this kind of information.
After many attempts to root Emerald green Arborvitae, I have successfully produced a nice tray. How much roots do they need for transplanting. I live in Piedmont NC.
Sue,
The more the better. If yours are rooted now, August, you can probably safely transplant them in November.
How wide do the roots grow? I have a bed that is between the house, drive and sidewalk..
Danie,
Usually tree roots only grow out to the drip line of the tree. Arborviate have pretty soft roots and I wouldn’t think they could do damage. But that’s sort of a guess.
Hello I’ve read that these have a life span of 25 years. Does this mean after 25 years the y die off and have to plant new ones?
Vanessa,
I really doubt that. I read a lot of things online that quite simply are not true.
Hi Mike
Thank you for very detailed information on this species. I am wondering whether I can plant them on the slope? (Our house itself is on a slope so it’s hard to find something that provides privacy). Thank you!
Chrissie,
You can plant them on a slope but because of that you will lose some of the height and they don’t get really wide. Other varieties are wider, like Techney.
Thank you Mike, that’s so valuable to know! Thanks for your knowledgeable response, I’ll look into that!
Chrissie
Hello.
Thanks for all the great info. We are looking to get privacy trees for our area, which is a zone 9. I love these ones but know they may not look good. Any recommendations on something similar. I know Italian Cypress grow well here but I’m not a fan of them.
Angela,
For zone 9 I’m probably of no help, maybe somebody else?
Hi Mike! We had 4 Smarged Arborvitae planted as a privacy fence next to the neighbors driveway. They were planted what seems to be less than 1 foot apart. I’m freaking out about the distance now that I’ve read your article. Should I have them pulled out and replanted? They are currently about 5-6 feet tall.
Joanna,
Measure first to make sure exactly how far apart they are. 24″ would be acceptable. The problem is if they are not close together they do not provide the privacy you want.
Do I measure from the center of the tree to the next center of the tree or from the branches to the next branches?
From the center of the tree. Ideally that should be 24″ or more but even 18″ would probably work for privacy.
Hi Mike, A couple of days ago we planted 9 Green Emerald Arborvitaes that are about 6′. They looked a little “sad” when we bought them expecting that they will strive.. By sad I mean, from the half of the trees down to the bottom the leaves are a not as vibrant in color and hanging down. Do you think the trees will recover?
Thanks in advance
Grace,
I’m sure they will. Arborvitae are pretty tough and you should see nice green growth soon. Part of the issue might be how close they were packed together at the nursery over the winter.
Hey Mike, When propagating Emerald Green Arborvitae what season do you start them?
Thanks,
Jeff
Jeff,
Some have success with in the spring, I do them late July under https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/mikes-plant-propagation-kit/. When happy they root quickly.
Mike, Great video and ideas as usual. Will Emerald Green Arborvitae survive in zone 9 Florida? I’m in zone 7 now and thinking of propagating mine and take some babies with me. Also, is August an ok time to be doing this? Is a bag of play sand ok? Thanks for your help Mike. Cheers! To plant a garden is to believe in the future.
Louise,
August is a good time, play sand is probably fine. Zone 9? They are only rated to zone 7 so I don’t know how well it would work.
HEY MIKE
I WAS TOLD THAT PUTTING SULFUR AROUND EMERAL G ARBORVITAE PLANTED IN A LOW SPOT WHERE WATER RUNS OVER IT WHEN IT RAINS, WOULD HELP THE ROOT SYSTEM AND ROOT ROT. I TRIED IT LAST WEEK. JUST WAITING NOW TO SEE. I HAVE THEM SET ALL ALONG A 2000 FOOT CHAINLINK FENCE. ALL ARE DOING WELL EXCEPT IN THE LOW SPOT. THOSE WERE TURNING YELLOW BEFORE I PUT THE SULFUR AROUND THEM. I. PLANTED ALL OF THEM LAST OCT. 2016 AND WERE ABOUT 12 INCHES TALL NOW THEY ARE ABOUT 20 INCHES TALL… I THOUGHT ABOUT DIGGING THEM UP AND PLANTING THEM ON A MOUND? WHAT CHA THINK ABOUT ALL OF THIS???? I KNOW I RAMBLED A LOT.
THANKS PAUL
Paul,
I don’t believe it. I believe that the wet soil will kill them. But those are just my thoughts. Sulfur is not going to over come a lack of oxygen to the roots.
Mike, we had a lovely Arborvitae hedge. abutting a fence (about 6 trees in a row). The fronds of one were sticking through the fence. I foolishly trimmed the lower fronds to create more room on the path. Realized I likely cut too much and now have a big old dead spot. Can I buy a small Arborvitae to “fill” the space between the trimmed tree and the fence so we don’t have to see the overcut branches. Or, will the tree create new green growth on the cut spots. Or, do I need to take out the 15 foot tree and start a new tree because this is unfixable (assuming I don’t want to look at the cut spot for the next 15 years and listen to my wife call me foolish).
Michael,
Your best bet would probably to plant a small tree in front. The bottoms are going to be very slow to recover due to lack of sun and same if you plant a new tree in it’s place.
If I cut a main trunk on an emerald green arborvitae, will the foliage fill in? If so, when would be the best time to cut? I’m in the middle Tennessee area.
Gary,
It probably would but the plant really would be very sturdy after that. Typically you want only one main trunk.
Hi Mike,
Can I plant Emerald Green Arborvitae at 8,500 feet in Colorado? Also, part shade, afternoon sun.
Let me know please, Tammie
Tammie,
I would think so but I can’t say for sure. Are they sold locally? Then probably grown locally.
Hi Mike,
I have a question.
about 4 years ago, I have planed few emerald green Arborvitae trees that are about 5-6 feet tall. My goal is to make a privacy wall out of them. My problem is that I want them to grow as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, They have only grown few inches in the past 4 years.
Any tips on how to help these tree grow much faster ? I have used miracle grow but did not see any great results.
Any suggestions is greatly appreciated. I do live in the boston area so the winter can be pretty harsh.
Many thanks
Paul
Paul,
In good soil they really shouldn’t need much help in growing. If the soil is heavy, poorly drained clay, they are going to be slow no matter what. You can use Osmocote around them, but only about 2 tablespoons per season. It is very slow release.
HI Mike.
Thanks for the info. I did omit one important fact. The Emerald Greens (there are 10 of them) are only growing one to two inches per year. However, I have a Green Giant Arborvitae planted right next to the Emerald and the Green giant is growing a foot or more a year…
That is the reason I am a bit confused and puzzled about the conditions of the soil.
By the way, the Emerald Greens (all 10 of them) are very healthy and very green they simply are not growing taller…
Thanks again…
Paul
Paul,
Without a doubt the Emerald Green will grow slower than the green giant, as long as they are healthy they should take off and start growing, maybe 6″ to 9″ per season.
We live in the DFW area (Zone 8); however, one nursery we checked with here said they do not grow well here. My husband is willing to take the chance, but would like your opinion. Thanks!
Terri,
They are listed as hardy and happy in zones 4 thru 8 so if you are in zone 9 or higher they may not do well.
Hi Mike
Can I plant Emerald Green Arborvitae in south Florida? I live in Hollywood, Fl,
Thank you very much,
Janet
Janet,
I would think Emerald Green might be okay up to zone 8, not sure what zone you are in.
Zone map for the United States:
http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/ushzmap.html
Zone map for Canada:
http://nlwis-snite1.agr.gc.ca/plant00/index.phtml
Hi. I’m considering to attempt your propagation methods for propagating enough Emerald Green Arborvitae-Thuga occidentalis to create a privacy fense around 120 feet long. Currently there is Privet Trees along the fence line and I want to cut them down and replace them with the Arborvitae. Since these privet trees are large, digging up the roots would be an enormous task, one I am not willing to do. Therefore, I thought planting the propagated Arborvitae would work since I wouldn’t have to bury them but a foot deep at the most. Then they can just grow around the existing privet roots which I’ll cut down to the stump this fall. My question is how long until these Arborvitae are 3′ – 4′ feet tall in full sun? I live in Charlotte NC with full sun along the fence. If these take just a couple years to reach that tall, then I’ll really consider trying your methods out!
Thanks,
Kevin
Kevin,
I’d say it’s going to take at least 3 years to get them that tall from a rooted cutting. The privet hedge? Rent a stump grinder and get rid of those stumps. If not they’ll keep coming back forever.
Does this plant make a good house plant, or is it just for ourdoors?
Lee, it is an outdoor plant.
Hi Mike, I live in S.D. I just planted 2 Emerald Beauty Arborvitae 3 ft. from the front of my house and am now wondering if that is too close to the foundation. The tag says full maturity is 8-10 ft. tall and 4-5 ft. wide. I also planted a Dark Green Pyramidal Yew in a corner also about 3 ft. from the foundation. (mature size is 6-8 ft. tall and 3-4 ft. wide). Am I planting to close or do these varieties have non-invasive roots?
Elaine,
It’s probably a little close, especially the yew. You can keep things trimmed to keep them to a certain size and in most cases roots stop when they touch the foundation. But of course I can’t promise that.
Hi Mike,
I bought 4 thuja occidentalis smaragd (emeralds) and planted them on my side of the property line between myself & my neighbors.
This also happens to be where our sewer lines run & my neighbor is furious with me for planting here.
The sewer lines are 4ft below ground level & then another 6″ below the frost line. I did my homework & understand the root system is shallow and wide spread, with the odd roots reaching 2-3 ft in depth at max?
Since the roots are drawn to water, will I have problems with the root system reaching further down and creating blockages in the pipes? I’m 90% sure the pipes are PVC, so if they aren’t clay & are free from cracks, should I have any reason to worry?
Thanks!
Laura
Laura,
If the lines are PVC and intact I wouldn’t be concerned. Roots really don’t seek water, it’s just that once they hit water they grow more. But if the lines are intact there should be no water to be found.
Hi mike, my emerald greens are bald at the bottom half, bare, due to overgrown bushes planted in front of them. Those bushes have since been pruned, will these problem areas grow back soon??
Thanks, john
John,
If this area does fill in it won’t happen very fast. In most cases the lower part of the tree just doesn’t receive enough sun to fill back in.
How far off of a main road should the emerald gree Arbovitae be planted in northern PA?
That depends on how much salt spray comes off the road. I’d keep it back far enough so as to not get salted.
Can you do this with all ever green pines?
Veronica,
Not an actual pine variety. this works with arborviate, come cypress and many Junipers.
This has gotten out of hand!
50 of the emerald insignificant arborvitae are drawn in to my landscaping plan for the back yard and finding small ones (under $2 each) has been very hard!
Oklahoma City Back Yard Growers!
I need help finding my trees!
Thank you!
Marg,
This is going to be challenging. If you were in our members area, you could probably find liners for $1.00 to $2.00, but outside of that I can’t imagine finding them for less than $5.00 or $6.00 and even that will be challenging. Here at the nursery I sell them for $5.97 but I don’t ship plants at this time.
I live in Tucson, AZ and have been reading your articles and youtube for a little over a month., Question on this plant Emerald Green Arborvitae, We live in zone 9 and I see that this cannot be sent to AZ. Do you know of a good substitute that can be grown here? I would appreciate hearing from you. Thank you, Jan
Janet,
I’d check with a local garden center and see what they recommend for your warmer climate. I honestly don’t know what resembles Emerald Green and can grow in a warmer zone.
I live in FL so you know the climate ( warm and humid). But I’m looking for a hedge to block my neighbors 6′ white pvc fence. I however don’t want something very wide bc it’s a narrow space between edge of property and pool deck . Any suggestion
Nicole,
Ornamental grasses look great against a fence or something in the rhamus family, like fineline rhamus. Not sure if any of those will do well in your warmer climate though.
Thank you for your quick reply. I have a evergreen I bought a few years ago as a small Christmas tree and it is growing great so I am trying to see if this will work. Its not a pretty as the Emerald Green. I only am working on plants that don’t flower except for my veggies as we have “Killer Bees” around us and do not want to attract. Had them build a hive in the end of my mobile where woodpecker make hole. Very scary. Love your info . Thank you, Jan
I really want to use Emerald Green’s but I’m in a Zone 10. Will they not survive at all in this zone?
Nathan,
They are only listed to zone 8 which means that they are likely to do poorly in a warmer climate. You could try a few but long term I don’t think they’ll do well.
Mike,
I really enjoy your website and videos, VERY informative. I have decided to try to propagate some Arborvitae from cutting. We are located in SE Alabama in zone 8 and there are some beautiful Arborvitaes that I got some cuttings from. I built a misting system on a timer and have quite a few cuttings in course sand. My timer is not the best (one I already had), I have it set to water for 1 minute every 4 hours (shortest interval I can program). Initially I had it set for 2 minutes every 4 hours, but I had quite a bit of water that was draining out of the holes in the bottom of the trays. The first batch has been in the sand for 2 weeks and they are still green, so maybe things are going to work. I have the trays on a 5 shelf plastic shelf covered in clear plastic. The entire setup is inside a building with a few skylights. I am hoping an another few weeks that the plants will be ready to transfer to the next step in the process, problem is I am not sure exactly what that should be. Could you please describe what I should do after they are good and rooted in the sand?
Thank you so much for all the great information.
Jeff
Midland City, AL
Jeff,
Once they are rooted they can simply be planted in a bed, or in your garden for one or two seasons. If they don’t root before it gets cold just leave them outside where they’ll get some moisture and many of them will root in the spring. Some varieties of arborvitae are easier to root than others. Now here’s the problem, if you knew for sure what variety they were, you could sell them inside of our members area. For more on this, visit the members area, Our Backyard Growers Members area is awesome! Learn all about it here:
http://backyardgrowers.com/join
I have cedars planted for lastfour years. We are on south coast of nl. Continous westerly winds have burned all leaves off the trees. If i uprooted them and replanted in central nl where our cabin is would they come back to or are they doomed for because of four years of extreme winds
Tammy,
Once evergreens are damaged and experience a set back it is a really slow process to make them nice again and always questionable about whether or not they can ever be really nice again. It really depends on how much sun the branches will receive in their new location. No sun, little to no new growth.
I am having a problem with our neighbors killing off our trees along the property line. How can they kill a tree with out detection. The trees can be beautiful and with in a week as dead as can be. What are they doing?
Debbie,
What kind of trees? Arborvitae? It seems unlikely to me that this is the work of a neighbor. Are the trees too wet, planted too deep? How long have they been there?
THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HELP OVER THE YEARS ! This article on Arborvitae came at just the right time – I have been wanting to propagate some hardwoods – the Arborvitae and some Leyland Cyprus – both evergreen/hardwoods – would I do them the same?
Thanks again
Marjorie,
Yes, just treat them exactly the same as you would the arborvite.
Mike, in the video you mentioned watering them so the sand doesn’t dry out. What do you do for watering during the winter months? Do you remove the lid so they can get the rain and snow? In the winter of 2014, my zone 6 hoop houses were warming up inside and it was like a hot house in there by the time we felt safe enough to uncover them. Won’t your covered box get too warm too? Or at least warm enough to dry out the sand?
Sharon,
I usually open up any closed propagation unit for the winter. That way I don’t have to be concerned about them getting too dry. Most of my hardwood cuttings I just stick out in an open bed.
Mike,
My 50 cuttings from the Oriental Arborvitae I had in February failed. Mold / fungus started growing around the base of the cutting. I discarded all of them after 6 weeks with no signs of roots.
I tried again May 14 down here in Texas. Going on 3 weeks, I pulled a couple of them out and they have no sign of roots. Now is the time they’re considered softwood from what you were saying.
The cuttings are Ziploc bagged up but with a slight opening on top. It stays consistently 79 degrees / 97% humidity. They are inside in front of an east window with plenty of indirect sunlight. I lightly spray the surface of the medium with water every 4 days or so to keep them moist and the humidity high.
I’m using 3 equal parts of perlite / sand / and peat moss in a Solo cup. I dipped the ends of the cuttings in a Dip N’ Grow solution before planting in the medium.
I’ve read how easy it is to propagate these cuttings, but I’m having no luck. What could I be doing wrong?
Matt,
I’m not familiar with Oriental Arborvitae. Some arbs root easily, others are more challenging. But in your situation I think the humidity is too high. Plants that are rooting need to stay moist, at least at times, but air flow is also essential. I think the medium should drain better to reduce fungi issues. We do tens of thousands a a time outside using a system that dampens them as needed, but does allow them to dry, especially at night. This is what we use, https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/mikes-plant-propagation-kit/ and more homemade options here http://www.freeplants.com/homemade-plant-propagation.htm
If I were to make a propagation box as you have in your video, (the one with the hinged lid,) where should I place this box? In full sun, full shade, just a few hours of sun? I’ll put the white plastic over the lid. Then again, should I use clear plastic and spray alternating one inch stripes of white paint onto the clear plastic as you demonstrated via the link about the aquarium box?
In your box, how often were you misting your cuttings?
It’s about 90-95 degrees here during the day. I know you mentioned you don’t want the box to get too hot…
Matt,
Full shade is good, white plastic, water once or twice daily. Once the cuttings are rooted you can open the lid and water daily.
I would like to extend an existing row of emerald green trees. The extension would be closer to the blacktop driveway. How close to the blacktop can I plant these trees and still give ample room for roots to grow? Also, will the roots grow wide enough and large enough to cause the blacktop to crack? Thank you in advance for your reply.
Mary,
This is a difficult question to answer because there is a driveway at risk. I would say no closer than five feet to the asphalt, but to be safe you can stay back ten feet or more. You have to decide, it’s your house and your driveway. I’ve seen them planted a lot closer, but again, you have to make that call.
Mike after the deer eat the tree how do I bring them back if they get greenleafs. Do I need to trim them?
Harvey,
About all you can do is just shape the tree the best you can as it fills back out. Don’t pile on fertilizer or anything, the tree knows what to do and will do it at it’s pace.
Hi Mike,
I live on Long Island in New York. We got hit quite hard by Hurricane Sandy in October on 2012. I was concerned with rebuilding my home immediately afterwards and, sadly, had to ignore the damage that occurred to the grounds until this season. I had hoped that my Japanese Maple would bloom this fall but it looks like that is not going to happen. I had to remove 10 arborvitae that had turned orange soon after the storm. They had been doing fine until the storm… were about 8ft tall. I want to replace them with something that gives similar cover but might be a better shrub if the salt water reaches here once again. We live near the water and have lived here for 30 years. There have been storms that brought the water up our road but never to the extent that we saw with Sandy.
I was happy to find some of your Youtube videos on back yard gardening on the internet and am hopeful that you might be able provide some of your outstanding advice.
Thank you,
Dave
Dave,
Searching for salt resistant plants to replace that arborvitae hedge is going to end in a trade off of really nice plants for sub par plants that can tolerate some salt, but not all that much salt. But I don’t think the salt did as much damage as the standing water. Standing water can kill plants in a matter of days. In your situation I’d be looking for high quality plants that will serve you well and you’ll be really, really happy with them. My favorite arborvitae is Techney, also known as Mission Arborvitae. One thing you might consider is raising the bed so that if you do get standing water the mounded bed will be one of the first areas able to breath again. I hope this makes sense.
Hi Mike,
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with us. I love your videos. I live in Washingtion State, would you mind sharing when is the best time of year to propagate the emerald green arborvitae for this aera?
Thank you!
Ok, thank you for your time and responses. This really helps. I’ll just wait and see if these hardwood cuttings root after a couple of months. If not, I’ll try in the summer when they’re softwood cuttings.
Hi, I am attempting for the first time to propagate the original parent species of the Oriental Arborvitaes. I planted the cuttings 1.5 weeks ago, and today, I pulled up one of the 50 I planted, to see the status. I didn’t see any signs of root development. Is this too early in the game to see anything? I would have expected to see some root hairs or something. I haven’t completely grasped the difference between hardwood, semi-hardwood, and soft wood cuttings. Are all Arborvitaes considered semi-hardwood? I followed your instructions from your video when you took cuttings from the emerald arborvitae. (The way you tore each cutting from a branch and left a wound). My cuttings resemble what you had. I don’t have a propagation box as you do. I bought Solo cups and filled each cup with a mixture of one part coarse sand, one part Perilite, and one peatmoss. After I moistened the medium, I dipped one inch of the stem of the cutting into the Dip N’ Grow solution per the instructions for Semi-hardwood. I held it into the solution for 5 seconds. I then inserted the cutting about once inch into the medium. After that was complete, I could fit two solo cups / cuttings into a one gallon Ziploc bags. I zipped the bag up with the exception of about two inches in the middle to give some ventilation. I have a humidity and temperature gauge that stays in one of the bags. I have consistently kept it between 68-74 degrees and 85-95% humidity. I have a ceiling fan on that aids in better air circulation. I keep the cuttings next to an east window with plenty of indirect sunlight. I spray a mist on the surface of the medium every other day. Based on this, should I still be hopeful that the cuttings will soon begin to start to root? The cuttings are still staying green. Any info would be appreciated!
Matt,
Right now you are working with wood that is considered hard. Hardwood. If you were doing the same plant in June it would be softwood. Hardwood is slow to root. It can be weeks without much of any sign of roots. I’m concerned that you are doing them indoors. The tops might break dormancy before the cuttings are ready to root. That may or may not make a difference. I do my arborvitaes in late July, early August. At that time the soil temps are still warm and they root more quickly. Usually about 6 weeks. But it will vary from variety to variety.
Ok, thank you for your response. I should have mentioned that I live in central Texas. I’m just thinking about temperatures. Right now, temps are averaging 55-65 during the day and 40 at night. That would be equivalent to October and April for Ohio. Late August for us would be 100 degrees during the day when you’re doing your Arborvitaes in Ohio.
Does the hard wood look different than soft wood? You say June would be softwood and winter would be hard wood. What months would be considered Semi-hardwood?
Thanks!
Matt,
The wood really doesn’t look much different. What’s different is how pliable it is. Keep in mind you are in Texas and your climate is different. But even here in Ohio we are pretty close to 100 at times in July and August. Recently I wrote two articles trying to explain winter/summer and hardwood/softwood plant propagation. They are here. https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2015/01/easy-winter-time-plant-propagation-can-home/ and https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2015/01/easy-summertime-plant-propagation-techniques-can-home/ I hope them make it all make sense.
Hi Mike,
I have a small yard but want to use the emerald green ‘smaragd’ for a screen. I would like to keep them at a height of 10′, would that mean yearly top trimming and at what time of the year? And if I plant them 2ft apart is that enough? We do get heavy snow in zone 5, should I winter protect them?
Thanks, Kim
Great propagation box, Mike!
My question is about where to build this box. I am in DC, and I have a great full sun location and a great shade location.
Where should I build?
Thanks, Tracy
Tracy,
Build it in the shade.
Hi, I live in Buffalo NY. I have 3 arborvitae, one short needle evergreen tree & large evergreen bush. The tallest arborvitae & evergreen tree are about 20 years old & about 25 feet tall (they have been pruned at the top.) These line the back of my yard, all in one area. I went to visit my daughter in NC for December & January. When I came home, the tallest arborvitae & evergreen tree turned completely orange/copper color. Everything else was green. I know the neighbors cats uses this area for their litter box. 🙁 Could this cause the orange/copper color, or was something poured on them (by back neighbor?) We have had alot of heavy rain in the last 4 days and this didn’t make a difference, at all, in the color. I would appreciate your help with this matter. Thank you
Mary Ann,
It’s unlikely that cat waste did that kind of damage to a very mature tree. I’m guessing that tree is completely dead. Why it died is anybody’s guess. But when evergreens show that kind of damage it’s usually fatal.
my nigra arborvitaes have been through the Sandy flood about 3′ of salt water and they are looking very bad and dying. what can I do to save them??
Doug,
They are probably dying from oxygen deprivation to the roots and soil compaction, really the same thing. Don’t fertilize them, it will kill them. My thoughts are to drill some holes around the root zone so the soil can breath. Beyond that? All you can do is wait. If there is residual salt you could try and rinse it away, but the last thing they need right now is more water around the roots.
Mike, can you propagate Boulevard Cypress this way? Is it possible to root arborvitae in well-drained soil in a protected site, or does it have to be sand?
Thank you
Mike
Mike,
How do you keep bag worms off of arborvitae?
Andrew, let me research that and I need to do an article, this comes up a lot.
This is a video I’ve been waiting for. Thanks Mike! I too am interested in your answer to Connie’s question about Junipers and Cypress. I assume the process would work the same for them, but I failed in the past to get Juniper cuttings to root.
Paul, some Junipers can be really slow to root. Just stick them like I did the arborvitae, stick a lot of them, a lot more than you need, leave them and keep them watered. In 12 months pull the ones that have rooted.
Thanks for the video on Emerald Green Arborvitae cutting and rooting. If rooting hormone is not used, I assume that it would take a longer time for rooting to happen, is that a fair assessment?
Dai Ly, you’re right, not using a root compound will slow down the rooting process and possibly reduce your overall results. It could reduce your percentage of success. But with it or without it, plants know what to do when you remove cuttings from the parent plant. They want to make new roots. That’s all they know how to do. so you can consider rooting compound optional, depend on what you are trying to root. I used it simply because it will increase my overall success rate of rooting cuttings.
Hello Mike, Just got through cleaning up here in New Jersey after “SANDY” blew through. Yes we survived. I just watched your article on propagating Arborvitea, very interesting. Really like the box you made. I have been on your email list for a long time and have a lot of them saved. You are really a wonderful person to share your knowledge the way you do. I am planning to semi-retire soon and plan on trying out some of your methods. Haven’t had much time the last ten years, but decided I had to make time to finally thank you for sharing with me and everyone else. Thank you Mike and keep up the great work. Bill
Bill, you’re welcome and wishing you the best of luck. Keep in mind, if you plan to grow for profit I urge you to get my Backyard Growing System because what I share here on the websites is only part of what you need to know. I don’t want you to make a lot of mistakes that can cost you time and effort. -Mike McGroarty http://freeplants.com/wanted.htm
will definitely try it out Mike.
Love this spiff on the evergreens , I am one of those people who moved into a home w/a mess of Cypress & Junipers grown in the wrong places. I had to take out two Junipers taller than my house, making my new neighbors annoyed w/ me.But if they had been done right it never would have come to that. Thank you for teaching proper choice ^_^
Will the same stripping method work well on Junipers and Cypress? They will be my special plants for Central CA. Thanks
Mike, I made a prppagation box. Has about 1200 plants in 4″ of sand with a bottom. The sand will freeze this winter. Will it kill my plants I just planted in October?May put a light bulb inside on cold nights here in Ky.How do you root Colorado blue spruce?I am using the same method as with Emeral Green Avborvitae. Can you help me?
Eddie, as long as your cuttings are in the propagation box don’t worry about them freezing. Freezing won’t hurt them as long as the sand is moist and not dry. Don’t put a lightbulb in the box. You want the plants dormant, not actively growing. Blue Spruce are more challenging. Most are grown from seed, a very slow process, then the really blue ones are grafted onto seedlings.
Mike,
I see Arborvitae growing in Trinidad and Tobago. Don’t know what variety it is but they are so beautiful. It looks great when planted in shaded areas of the garden.
Hi Mike,
I love how you take things apart and explain them!
I have just a few questions:
1. Watering: Is this done daily, weekly. My concern would be in the winter months for freezing?
2. You mentioned in a previous post to use “Gritty Builders Mix”? I’m assuming this is the sand? Where can I find this and also where can I find the rooting compound?
3. How long for them to root and how big should be they be to transplant.
4. How big should they be before you can start selling them?
One of these days I will be purcashing your book. Thank you for all you do!:)
I wish I would have known this 10 years ago ! Home we purchased had two (planted very close to the house) Were about 12′ tall..but only had branches the top 2′ or so..I just took them down, and used the 6″ trunks as a border along a flower bed ! Had I known about ‘Starting Cuttings’ like this.. I could have put those 2′ of top branches to good use ! Now I know ! Thanks for all the Great Info Mike !
Growing question: After you have set your cuttings in your box, how long does it take before:
1. They root
2. They get big enough to transplant to containers
3. Once transplanted to containers, how do you keep growth even? If Arborvitae are planted close together/touching, areas shaded or touching seem to die back–I don’t want to end up with a bunch of these with one or two sides looking bad
4. They become 1 gallon size plants good for a quick sale
Mike,
I recently took a trip to Sicily. At the market there were tiny strawberries for sale, which were great.
The climate there was pretty similar to one where I live here in North Central Florida. I wondered where I could get these plants.Please advise, Thanks, Marian
Marian,
You’d really have to know the variety of the berry that you are looking for, then you could search for someone who has plants available.
Mike,
I live in south central Ohio and have 4 beautiful mums I would like to keep for next year. Is it too late to plant outside?..oct. 28th. If so, how could I winter them over to plant in the spring?
Thanks, Eva
Eva, it’s never really too late to plant outside unless the ground is frozen. Fall is a good time to plant just about anything.
Hi Mike,
I live in Ohio and was wondering how long would I have before the system you used would be unsuccessful. Would the closer I plant these in the box help?
Thanks for all your help! Your articles are AWESOME!!!
Hi Mike,
You mentioned in the article that “A nice 36″ Emerald Green Arborvitae will easily sell for $20.00 or more.” How long would it take for a cutting to develope into a 36″ plant?
Thanks
Bob B
thanks mike
How long till they are for sale and how big are they at that time?
Ralph
I was reading in a book on bonsai that evergreens like pines make growth ‘candles’ in the spring. So to prune them to keep them smaller, you should just pinch off about two thirds of the fresh growth of each ‘candle’, just as the needles start to grow out. (for bonsai, you also have to prune the roots) Not a great idea to hack away at evergreens real hard with saws and lopping shears… unless you really want to permanently alter their shape, like to make bonsai look old. To keep a natural shape, just pinch pines back -uniformly- in the spring. Or you can uniformly cut back the growing tips on Arborvitae, the way Mike does in the video. If a big evergreen tree is so far gone that saws and such are tempting, it might be better to remove it (and make babies:)) and replant. Shape your trees as they grow and they’ll stay beautiful, and in the size range you want, a lot longer. Now, if only we could train the deer to do it that way! Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us, Mike.
Hi Mike:
First time writer, longtime reader.
Is this technique good to use for doing variegated dogwoods or do you recommend another way to do them?
Dennis
Dennis, actually the variegated red twig and other dogwood shurbs root easily this way. You can do them in the fall or even in the summer months. They root quite easily.
I enjoyed your video. How would I propigate a Kiefer pear tree? This is a very old variety often found on old farmsteads in Missouri but not in nurseries.I like it for its crunch & resistance to disease & bugs.
Carl, there are several things you can do. You can try growing them from seeds, but seeds usually produce the most generic form of the plant. The better characteristics of refined varieties are not transfered to off spring when grown from seed. But once you have seedlings you can graft or bud onto that seedling from an exisiting plant. Almost all fruit trees are grafted or budded.
You can also try softwood cuttings in the summer using a similar system like I am using now, or more info here: http://www.freeplants.com/homemade-plant-propagation.htm
Info on grafting here: http://www.freeplants.com/grafting_fruit_trees_and_ornamental_plants.htm
Hi Mike
We have these aborvite in two areas on our deer infested property. They eat them down to the trunks. My husband built “contraptions” with deer netting around them and it works. They are about six feet tall and I painted the poles black and the netting is black so it will not be so noticeable.
Thanks for that link to the zone map. I just learned I am in zone 10a.
hello mike
I live in new zealand and would like to make cuttings of thuja occidentalis. Its spring here in new zealand does it also work in spring to do those kind of cuttings?
thanks a lot for answering my question!
Nora, Typically early spring is not a good time to propagate plants because they are busy making new growth. However if you wait 6 to 8 weeks after the plants start leafing out in the spring, the new growth slows down and hardens off and you can start doing the cuttings then. Use a box just like I used in this video, make sure the plastic is painted white and place the box in as much shade as possible. During the summer keep the box closed most of the time. Water as needed, usually daily. More here:
http://www.freeplants.com/homemade-plant-propagation.htm
I am wonding ig I can use these. I need something that will not grow under my driveway and split the cement, even if I plant 3 feet or so from the edge of the drive. It cannot be very big around, as it will encrouch on the neighbors land, and I’d like it to grow 10 -20″ tall at maturity.
Myrna, Emerald Green Arborvitae is probably a good option for you. The roots are fairly soft, not that aggressive. I’d keep them at least 36″ to 48″ from the concrete just to be safe.
Mike, most of these sold locally here have multiple leaders and as they age tend to look like three or four trees grouped tightly tohether. Also as a result of the multi leaders they do splay open under heavy snow. I would suggest those growing these look for single leadet plants. If you kepp them with a single leader they are great plants.
Mike one question does the same technique work for boulevard false cypress. Thanks for the great info.
Jim, I would think so, this same technique can be used for all arborvitae or Juniper, if tearing them part isn’t the best option just take tip cuttings about 4″ long.
I have tried all sorts of way to propagate plants, trees, or whatever and found if Mike says so it it true!
Mike,
I have tried doing arbs from cuttings, but not quite ripping them apart so radically because I have emerald greens that i don’t want to totally destroy to grow a cutting. I guess the large wound or heal is the key. but when I have tried it i put them in a container like you describe in your book but have had no success. How long will it take to devolp roots? am I not being patient enough. some people tell me i need bottom heat to do evergreens. can I take them now and put them in my container and have some roots by spring?Help! no success with evergreens.
Bob, doing them this time of year is much slower. Even if they aren’t rooted by spring just leave them be and they’ll root when the weather warms. I’ve had great success with Emerald Green Arborvitae and Rhinegold Arborviate doing them in early September when the air is still warm. When I’ve done them that early I’ve had roots before Thanksgiving. http://freeplants.com/wanted.htm
Mike
Thanks for the info – great tips. I have 2 questions. Will this method of rooting be similar for all evergreens? and I’ve tried rooting evergreens before and they all fail but I have always used soil. I’ll try sand instead – do I need special sand or would gritty builders sand work ok?
From Scotland
Joe, the gritty builders mix should fine. Most evergreens can be rooted this way. Conifers like spruce, pine and fir are usually grown from seed and don’t do well from cuttings. The blue, blue spruce are grafted onto a blue spruce seedling.
Hi where do I get rooting compound . I bought the powder and nothing is grownig.
Thank you,
Wendy,
You can buy dip n grow online, but the rooting compound is really only a very small piece of the puzzle.
My house is at the top of a slope. I want a tall thin evergreen row of trees to block the view of the neighbors property, however I think this Evergreen Arbrovitae is not tall enough. I was hoping for 15-18 ft. tall and not too wide as our yard is not very deep. I found a description of a blue juniper. We are in Zone 7, Georgia. Would this be a good choice? Will it fall over like some of the problem trees that you describe? Any other thoughts?
Susan,
Some of the upright Junipers are okay but if it were me I’d opt for Dark Green Arborviate or Techney Arborvitae.
Where can I find a map of the different growing zones I live on Maui at an elevation of 3,000 feet in KULA. We still get hot sun all day long and are experiencing drought conditions on most of the islands. Aloha
Pat, here you go Zone map for the United States:
http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/ushzmap.html
Zone map for Canada:
http://nlwis-snite1.agr.gc.ca/plant00/index.phtml
Great article Mike, I’ve been wondering about doing some of this with evergreens in Missouri, without spending a lot of money. I’m inspired!
Jim, that’s fantastic! I like being around people who are inspired! They inspire me.
When is the best time to plant American arborvitae? They are 12″ tall and I want to be sure I order them at the right time.
Zone 5.
Alma, I like planting in the fall and early winter, but then again I plant year round. You can’t dig year round, but you can plant year round.
Mike,
I love your videos. I tried doing this and found out from your video that I was doing it wrong. Now that I have watched your video, I will try it again and I am sure that I will be successful this time.
another great how to root cuttings! I got my box made like yours, will let you know how well I do. again thanks David from the south
Mike when you pot up these rooted cuttings where do you get your soil from? Bailed mix? Do you mix you own? or do you incorporaye field soil? This could be your most exspensive ingrediant.
Bill, definitely not field soil. Most growers use a potting soil mix that actually contains no soil. Cost? I just did the math a few days ago and I can pot up a small plant that will easily sell for $4.97 and my total cost for the cutting, the plastic container and the soil comes to about 36 cents. That’s for a container which is slightly smaller than a #1 nursery container. Profit margin is really quite high. Potting soil receipe here: http://freeplants.com/ingredients-for-potting-soil.htm
It’s always fun to watch your videos on plant progagation. Thanks. Also, looks like you have lost some weight, and for that you should be commended. GOOD for you! More energy should be in store for you. Been there, done that!!
Bj, thank you. I have lost weight, about 64 pounds and I feel great! Over years a lot of my subscriber friends have written to me about my weight and my health and I finally did something about it. Now . . . to just keep the weight off.
Mike .
Thank you for invaluable info.Olease continue
Fred
mike,
i live in georgia near atl and i was wondering if its too hot for those plants. if it isnt than where do i get them because i already have the backyard growing system.
josh
I live in Pensacola, FL and have some in my yard. I got them from one of the home improvement stores in my area a couple years ago. They are indeed slow growers, they were about a foot tall when I bought them, and two years later they MIGHT have reached 2 feet tall. They are pretty though, can’t wait until they grow up tall!
Mike,
Thanks for the reply about a good choice for a thin screen for my 1200′ driveway. I will be looking to your system soon as I will need to start as small plants since I will need hundreds of them.
Thanks again for your time,
Kevin
How to prevent deer from eating my arborvitae,any suggestion.
James, there are all kinds of deer repelents on the market and many homemade recipes. This something that I want to address in my newsletter soon. Thanks for the reminder.
Hi Mike..Love your site, always use it to help me determine what I am doing right or wrong…I have lots of emerald green arborvitae we have a new home and we are using them to define our borders here…..The ones in the back by the pool are doing well, but I have 10 on the side of the house all in a row and the two outside ones are doing great, the inside ones are all turning color on me…kind of yellowish orange now, can I save them, and what is going on?????……..They were gorgeous 2 weeks ago……HElp..Lois
I do have a question for you. I planted 4 arbor trees this spring and were doing great but 2 of them have been looking brown and dried out. I have been watering them everyday like I do all my plants in the yard. but my poor tree bushes are looking so dry. Do you think they will pull out of it and green up again or are they already done for??? in otherwords dying? trying to figure out how I can save them? any info would be great !
Lisa, all you can do is wait and see what they do. See how they look this fall.
As a Consulting Arborist I see this problem all the time. Watering too frequently in poorly draining soil (like clay) kills the roots, just like overwatering a house plant. The symptom for excess water is the same as insufficient water: yellowing, then browning of foliage followed by death of the cambium tissue in the twigs, branches, and the trunk. The roots need water that contains oxygen. stagnant water lacks oxygen. When you first see the early symptoms; check the root soil moister; then take action to correct the problem. It is usually easier to raise the root ball than to drain the planting hole unless you planted on a slope.
Fred,
Thanks for offering this great advice.
White Pines:
How fast do they grow?
How far apart planted to make hedge?
Width/Height at full grown?
Deer/disease resistant?
Zone 8
Berniece,
White pine can get quite tall, but I’d do a google search for exact heights. For an evergreen they grow pretty fast. For a hedge at least 10′ apart. Not sure about zone 8 or deer. I’m going to research this plant more.
Mike, I so enjoy your posts and your short videos. I believe I have one of these arbovitaes at the corner of my house. It has gown into the corner of my roof. How can I prune this or what do I do with it because it is ruining the top of it. I live in metro Atlanta, the tree gets morning sun and afternoon shade. Thanks Rosemary
Rosemary, it’s obviously too close to the house. Not trimming Emerald Green Arborvitae is always best, but if you have to, cut the top down and shape the tree pyramidal.
Ok, where do I get the cuttings for this to get started???
Renee
Renee, start with my Backyard Growing System so you don’t make mistakes that can cost you wasted time and wasted plants. In this system I give you all of the wholesale sources that I use to buy small plants. http://freeplants.com/wanted.htm
I know that summer flowers are soon to end but
I have a issue with my petunia flower garden. I noticed that the flowers are being eaten by green worms; their kind of fat looking.
What remedy is there that is natural and inexpensive. My petunia flower garden is lovely…..Help! Thank you….Gail
Here they are the cabbage worms that get to the petunias. Watch for the small white butterflies that lay the eggs. Watch closely for droppings and you will find the worm on the flower above, they seem to get to the heart of the flower for me. I found dusting lightly with ashes works. My grandmother did that with her cabbages to keep the worms away.
Gail, my petunias were eaten by the same fat green worms. They are called “Tobacco Bud Worms” You can kill them with a product called BT, or bacillus thuringensis. It’s a live bacillus that works on all caterpillars including Tomato Horn Worm. The down side is that it kills butterfly caterpillars too, and is probably why the Monarch butterfly is dying out, Be careful and just spray it on your petunias and not anywhere else.
The moth that lays the eggs is a small greyish/tan one.
Mike,
Enjoy your wisdom…
Living in N.E. Ohio, when is best time to prune white pine trees?
I have pruned half of the new growth early June and it seems to shock the tree to much and on occasion has killed some 10+yr old trees.
Jack
I’m in zone south Mississippi and have a beautiful tree that is shaped just like the emerald green arborvitae, but it has more needle like,yet soft “greenery.” I found it on our property when it was about 8″ tall. It is now about 12′ tall and I decorate it with lights at Christmas. I think it is a cedar of some type. I will grow these if I can, as I love the shape and size for a privacy and noise barrier.
I have 5 of these for a hedge but the dogs sneak a leak on the end one. What do you suggest that I can plant in front of them?
If you want the dogs to stop—go and buy bulk black pepper and sprinkle the foliage as far as they can sniff—–it amounts to aversive training as they always sniff before “baptizing” the plant—it will make them sneeze and decide those are very unfriendly places to mark. You will have to be conscientious about keeping the pepper on for awhile especially if they have been using that spot for sometime …it doesn’t take a whole lot of pepper at one time, it does work , and it doesn’t hurt the dogs or anything else .Good luck.
I live in Hawaii and i wonder if I can grow them here?
Aloha from Britt
Britt, they are only happy up to zone 8. You’re too warm in Hawaii.
Mike….
The first e-mails I read after coming out of a month-long coma from meningitis caused by by bacteria growth in a very big 3rd. degree burn on my thigh , was to read ALL of your posts and I thank you sincerly, Mike, for all of the very interesting summaries you gave about different plants/shrubs/trees and the photos add a LOT of visual information .
Thankyou for being so faithful to your readers.
Magigal
Magigal, you’re welcome and I’m glad that you are doing better!
I already have 6 I’ve grown from 2’ft. Now they are 20 ft tall. They have done well but I would like to know how much water to give them & BAG WORMS!!! How do you get rid of them!?? They are devistating/killing the trees one by one!! HELP!!!
Sharon, if yours are 20′ tall they should only need water when really dry. But then it’s imporant to water them really good at least once a week. You’d sure hate to lose them. The bag worms you’ll have to use an insecticide that is rated for bag worms.
Deer love these and can make them look like ice cream cones. Green Giant & Spring Grove Arborvatie are a variety with a western cedar cross in it. It smells like cedar when you brush up against them. The deer won’t touch them plus they handle snow & wind without spliting.They have a single terminal trunk.
tryed rooting some the tops seem to mold before they root…
Robert, if your cutting molded your rooting medium is holding too much moisture. http://freeplants.com/wanted.htm
Mike- Not very “Mike-like”… you failed to post a hardiness zone for these plants? Keep up the great info please! Also, only (2) Back-Yard Growers in Illinois…neither is convienient/close by… :[
Jeff, sorry about that. They are hardy in zones 3 through 8. Some say hardy in zone 2 as well, I won’t say that for sure.
Where do find Back Yard growers in our area?
Joe, here are the ones that have given us ads to post https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/category/backyard-nurseries/#
Mike, you have really struck a soft spot in my heart showing these because I absolutely love evergreens and pine cones!! The place before the last place we lived at, there were these huge pine trees in the back yard that bore large as well as small cones! I loved them! I made wreaths, and bagged & saved the cones. I also used the pine straw as mulch! Those cones have more uses than what people imagine. You can make ornaments out them as well as jewelry, flowers,potpourri,etc. I want a couple of these trees!!
Hmmmm…looks like Deer Candy to me…don’t they like that? Not a good thing to grow in my area if it is.
But I’m not sure.
I was surprised, though, that you say they root easily.
I didn’t think evergreens were good that way.
Thanks for the info!
June, deer will eat them during the winter months when extremely hungry. But deer will eat most anything when all of their favorite plants are snow covered.
Mike, will they thrive in central Florida? I could sure use a bunch of ’em as a noise barrier behind my property to stifle traffic din. [Harley’s are in vogue here in Clermont]! Can I get them locally from, say, Home Depot or Lowe’s?
George, they are only good to about zone 8. Anything warmer and they are not likely to be happy.
My mother gre aborvitae and I learned to love them. Hers though grew to be very tall and she created this incredibla privacy wall of them all around her house and garden. They always looked beautiful.
i have a question for you…we have built a burm along the roadside of the property about 8ft tall and we are looking for plats that would be suitable to grow on either side and along the top of it. Such plarigs as fruit bearinf things as blackberries and florals such as sunflowers and blacj=keyed susans etc…really we have nit much idea
what would be ost practical and wise…could you assist us with some good advice.Looking forward to hearing from you.
Lorna
Lorna, the first question would be how much wind up on that mound and is road salt an issue?
what are the dimensions of these tree at maturity? are they disease resistant? are they heat tolerant?
Jean, they are good up to zone 8, and down to zone 3. As disease resistant as anything I’ve seen. 10 to 12 tall seems to be where they top out.
Mike, You continue to thrill this old 73 (almost) WV lady with your beautiful evergreens. I love the Arborvitaes and the Hemlocks. Don’t know which I love the most. Would love to have my fairly large yard planted with nothing but these beauties. You are the best. Keep growing.
Is the Emerald Gree Arborvitae?
…Suseptable to animal urine;
…Suseptable to deer damage;
…Suseptable to strong westerly winds;
…A fast or slow growing tree.
Dick, nothing that I know of is going to be happy with animal urine. Deer will eat them during the winter. Growing rate I’d consider medium. Keep in mind, fast growing means low quality plant in my book, and I’ve yet to see a fast growing plant that was high quality. For an upright evergreen they should tolerate wind pretty well since they are slim enough to not catch a lot of wind.
When these tree die or get dried out, they explode in flames if they are exposed to fire. I suggest not putting them near any flammable structures.
yup. VERY flammable – I know, from professional experience. Also a funny – as a child, my mum had a row of these in a planter across the front of our house in So. Cali. We had huge windows along the entire front – and the (um, old) lady across the street asked Mum to cut them down – they were so dense, she couldn’t see inside…. 😀
Probably not Emerald Green. There are a lot of similar, yet different Arborvitae out there.
Matt Horns,
Though I’ve been planting conifers on a vacant parcel of land in Northern Michigan, ( except for arborvitae, aka Northern White cedar, deer eat them too quickly ), since 1990s, I never thought about your comment.
Yes, I have seen dead Cedar in other places, and never thought of the consequences regarding fire. Thanks for the heads up.
I imagine it would also apply to other conifers, when dead, because of their high “pitch” ,( sap ) content.
Thanks again, Hank
[email protected]
Yes, any pines, or conifers if dead is a fire hazard! Conifers are beautiful. Mike I can’t get video and audios right now, so I hope I can get some starters of my conifers! I will try. The deer love them here in southwest Wi, if there is a lot of snow and they can’t find food, you better put fencing around conifers!
Matt, I’ve never met a dead evergreen that would not burn easily. But they have to be dead and I would hope that’s not the case.
Which taxus are you referring to baccata or brevifolia or which other one?
Gorgeous plant but too tall for my garden.
I’m looking to replace my 20-year-old Japanese holly bushes with something EVERGREEN that doesn’t require high-maintenance pruning twice a year. The zone 7 area gets intense morning sun until noon, is flat with clay soil and is in front of my long concrete porch. I would prefer something that I can easily keep to a height of 3 1/2 feet or less. What are my options?
Lynne, Taxus hicksi would work with one pruning each year.
I’ll bet the deer will love these????
Yes, deer love them! If you have ever seen a row of arborvitae that have an “hour glass” shape from one side, you can rest assured the deer are nibbling away at them.
These are great plants, but in Memphis we have a bag worm problem and occasionally twig blight. A good insecticide cures worm problem and a broad spectrum fungicide will handle the blight.
Are Emerald Green Arborvitae good for landscape in Arizona? Would love to have this for a green space.
I had made an arrangement using Arborvitae and other pine in a container with Oasis to hold water and to my surprise about a month later I discovered that the arborvitae had began to root (in the oasis). I let it go for a while and then broke away most of the oasis and potted the cuttings. Now they are at least 7 ft. tall and this spring have been covered with scores of small cones. I estimate these are now 7 yrs old from time of cuttings to tree-sized.It was a treat to watch them become beautiful trees.
I planted one of these a few months ago and with all the drought we’ve had in Oklahoma it has all but turned brown. Is there any hope of it coming out of this? Not sure if I’ve watered it enough, too much? Thanks.
Linda, when an evergreen turns brown, it’s pretty much dead. Probably needed more water.
With all the wind in Oklahoma, I’d guess they needed extra water, because, not only is the sun drying them, the wind is too.
Yvonne, that’s why we use the closed box to maintain a moist environment. During the summer we create shade over the boxes.
How about south Texas? do you think can grow
Ricardo, too hot for south Texas.
Hi, i grow the arborvortae blue cones here in central texas, and as you know we have had 102f temps from june-end of august+. I use a drip irrigation line with a cheap orbit water timer to take care of them. I planted them feb. of 2013 and they are thriving! I planted them at the right depth in the semi clay/sand soil.
===will these thrive ocean-side? ( East coast )
Thx!!
Hi Mike!
These trees are very beautiful. I am looking to use evergreens to border my home and wanted to know which type grows quickly and is a good choice in Zone 5b-6? It would need to have some drought tolerance, as well.
Thanks!
Rene, when you ask for a fast growing plant you are really making a trade off. In my experience the faster the growing the plant the lower the quality, especially long term. These are medium growers, and good over the long term. Perfect in your zone.
Mike do you know of an evergreen hedge that could be used fairly close to the road and not die from winter salt spray??
Kathie, I really need to do some research on salt tolerant plants. I haven’t done that in a long time.
Your answer is Mugho Pine.
Ours were on a busy street, taking all the vehcle emissions, and snow clearing piles on top of them full of salt, and they thrived.
I have planted 8 of these in the spring. 4 of them have died. I watered them very well due to the heat this year. They are beautiful and want to replace them. I live in zone 4. What can I do this time?
Sherrill, newly installed plants almost always die because they did not get enough water, were actually over watered to the point that the roots are sitting in soggy soil, and they might have been planted too deep. The very top of the root ball should be one inch above the existing grade. In clay soil they should be planted higher and soil mounded up over the root ball then mulch.
Plants seldom die because there is something wrong with the plant. It’s almost always how they were planted or cared for. I’ve lost lots of plants over the years. Always my fault.
I planted 2 at the same time, very near each other. But one dried out and was closer to the house than the other. Mike told be the same thing so after 2 tries I paid attention and watered uniformly for a few months and not as deep as the first 2. Guess what, he’s right. Thriving like the other now 🙂
Mike,
why don’t you mention in what zones they grow?
I live in S.Florida, would love to grow some and be a part of your network?
Warm regards, Jeannine
Jeannine, because I forgot. Zones 3 through 8.
Pretty.
What zones do these do well in?
Candace,
3-7
would be interested in starting some of these they are beautiful are these the ones witht the soft not sticking branches??
Terri, yes, very soft to the touch!
Mike—I love all the articles you write, but am most interested in this one about evergreens. I am originally from up north so am not sure which ones will do well in the south. I live in N.C. and if you want hot, this is it. I planted 2 Cryptomerias and they both look ragged. Mostly brown and not good at all. They get the sun, but as you know it is mostlt hot and dry here. Please tell me which ones will do well here. Thanks!
Diann, in North Carolina you should have great plant choices there. Most all things that grow in the north will do well in North Carolina plus you have more selections as far as winter hardy. It has been pretty darn hot in Ohio this summer. Many days and evenings at 95 or warmer. That’s pretty hot for the north.
Hi Mike I just joined your group I am from Ireland and wondered if this propagation method would work with thuja brabant. i am going to copy Your propagation box with sand and see if I can get some extra plants for my garden
Trish, most flowering shrubs and evergreens can be rooted this way. Lots more info here: http://www.freeplants.com/homemade-plant-propagation.htm -Mike McGroarty
Deer Antipasto? Bare from the ground up, here up North.
which part of NC eastern coastal mtns ?
Hello Mike I love getting your great info. it has really helped me out in the garden. I have a question I planted some beautiful red impatients (Annuals) this summer and wanted to know if I could overwinter them by digging them up and plant them in plastic nursery containers and putting them in a whole in the ground and cover with straw
Althea, that probably won’t work, I’m guessing they’d still freeze even covered with straw. Of course that depends where you live. Around here, zone 5 Ohio, they’d freeze for sure.
Althea-
I always bring my favorite Impatiens in the house for winter (coleus too). They do fine in pots, but even ones that have been grown in the garden can be brought in as cuttings in water. They root in water and will sit there waiting happily all winter for you to plant them back out in the spring. Make sure you bring them in before they start deteriorating, or it will be too late.
I already have a favorite Sunpatiens happily blooming the the house, awaiting spring.
Mike,
Here it is Oct. 28th in Ohio (Chillicothe). Is it too late to put mums in the ground and have them come up next year? Or should I try to winter them over and wait until spring to plant them? How should I winter them over if that is the answer. Eva
Mike I have two Arborvitae’s at my front door, but they have got to large. They are about 10 foot tall and 4 foot wide. I trim them every year, but over time they have grown larger. My question is came they be cut back to about 6 foot by 2 or 2 1/2 foot. they are one on each of the steps in front of the porch. They block the view.
Joyce, cutting down a tall arborvitae down to 6 feet can probably be done without much of a problem. They won’t look good for quite some time, but they should recover. But reduce the diameter by 50% won’t be so easy because all of the vibrant growth is outside of that circle. So that really leaves you two options. Try and prune them first. If they don’t recover, pull them out. But don’t prune them unless you are willing to lose them.
Mike I would like to plant some of these for privacy how far from a fence should these be planted?
Vanessa,
36″ from a fence would be ideal.
Hi Mike! I am fearful of the invasion of Japanese Longhorn Beetles. They are in a large city an hour from us. I love arbovitae & want to protect my trees. How do I prepare for this? Thank you.
Midge, because these beetles feed on the plant and bore into the plants, a systemic insecticide should do the trick. Call your county extension service or visit their website, I’m sure if they are that close you’ll find good info there. Here’s one fact sheet http://massnrc.org/pests/pestFAQsheets/japanesecedarlonghorn.html