MzHopsing
ArboristSite Member
Hi there! Cedar trees are one of my ol' man's obsessions. He "rescues" neglected ones whenever he sees them off public roadways or near fallow fields, especially if they're in danger of being mowed over or something, and plants them on our property. (We have a LOT of them.) So when our biggest cedar in the front yard over the past couple of weeks, since spring has gone into full gear, went from a healthy mid-green color to this alarming yellowish tinge, he was more than a bit dismayed. The branch ends are brittle and flake off fairly easily, though they are still as flexible as they ever were.
A couple of years ago we pulled out a trumpet vine that we had growing up a old telephone pole, because it had gotten so huge that it was choking itself. We knew that we'd never get all the roots out from that damn thing, so we have spent subsequent years chopping them out when they sprout up, and unfortunately, this cedar was somewhat nearby. In order to be sure that the vine was not trying to climb up the cedar, he removed the bottom foot or so of branches from the tree in order to mow them down, and it did not show any signs of being distressed. (Though the local rabbits now lacked a hiding place from our dogs) I also looked specifically for evidence of sapsucker, or other bird damage to the trunk, and could not see any.
All of the other cedars (along with all the other evergreens here) are just fine, at this point. I should also mention that several years back it became afflicted with cedar-apple rot, and I made a point of pulling off the little brown curlicues that grew on the branches whenever I saw them, though I could not get high enough to get them all. This tree is probably 15-18' high, and gets full sunlight all day. It's been big enough to put off berries most years also. Our pond is also nearby, so water sure isn't an issue, I would think.
The tree isn't leaning; my camera was, though.
I can't think of anything else to add.
As most places in the country did, we had an exceptionally brutal winter, though, surprisingly, we have lost no trees/rosebushes or other plants, though much has had to be cut back rather severely to remove the dead parts. Is there anything we can do for this tree, or is it beyond our help? Thanks for your patience with my long narrative, and for your expertise!
A couple of years ago we pulled out a trumpet vine that we had growing up a old telephone pole, because it had gotten so huge that it was choking itself. We knew that we'd never get all the roots out from that damn thing, so we have spent subsequent years chopping them out when they sprout up, and unfortunately, this cedar was somewhat nearby. In order to be sure that the vine was not trying to climb up the cedar, he removed the bottom foot or so of branches from the tree in order to mow them down, and it did not show any signs of being distressed. (Though the local rabbits now lacked a hiding place from our dogs) I also looked specifically for evidence of sapsucker, or other bird damage to the trunk, and could not see any.
All of the other cedars (along with all the other evergreens here) are just fine, at this point. I should also mention that several years back it became afflicted with cedar-apple rot, and I made a point of pulling off the little brown curlicues that grew on the branches whenever I saw them, though I could not get high enough to get them all. This tree is probably 15-18' high, and gets full sunlight all day. It's been big enough to put off berries most years also. Our pond is also nearby, so water sure isn't an issue, I would think.
The tree isn't leaning; my camera was, though.
I can't think of anything else to add.
As most places in the country did, we had an exceptionally brutal winter, though, surprisingly, we have lost no trees/rosebushes or other plants, though much has had to be cut back rather severely to remove the dead parts. Is there anything we can do for this tree, or is it beyond our help? Thanks for your patience with my long narrative, and for your expertise!
