How to rejuvenate this cedar row.

[Brian D]

Hello Y'all.  I have this cedar row going down my property line on the road side. There were a bunch of old growth tree's there which I cut down trying to get some more light shining on the house. As you can see the lower branches are "dormant"? I don't know if they're dead and beyond saving. My question is:

 

Can the lower branches be brought back to life? My first inclination would be to prune back about 6 inches from the tips. I'm throwing darts here blindfolded.

 

I have a hedge row back by the barn where the previous owners horses had chewed off the branches as high as their little head would go. I left it, and they came back to life. To the point where I'll have to prune them. But it took a while.

 

Any idea's much appreciated. I just want to expedite the regrowth, if at all possible.

 

Brian

 

[Steve Bullman]

Are they thuja? If so they will grow from bare wood unlike other conifers….ij this case though house lower branches look dead so cutting them back will do nothing. Easy to tell, just bend them; they will snap if dead

[Brian D]

I did try bending some of them just to see where they're at. They all gave a bit of resistance and did not snap. Does that mean that those branches can regrow, given that they're now exposed to sunlight?

 

My spidy senses tell me I should cut a wee bit off the tips. They look a bit dead.

[nepia]

They look like Thuja. At this stage I'd say leave everything alone, see what starts to sprout and take things from there.

Thuja is more resistant to pruning than the cypresses but still has its limits;  new growth will give you a guide as to what's going to be possible

[Mick Dempsey]

I’d replant.

Edited yesterday at 12:10 by Mick Dempsey

[Brian D]

I did some digging. They are Eastern White Cedar, or Eastern Thuja. At this point I'll leave them to see how they fare. I considered planting a new row in front of them but if anything is going to happen I'd like to leave them exposed to as much sunlight as possible.

 

Just wondering if some Evergreen fertilizer might help them along the way.

 

Thanks for the tips so far.

[dan blocker]

On 15/05/2025 at 13:09, Mick Dempsey said:

I’d replant.

Harsh, but right?