How to Grow Emerald Green Arborvitae 

It gives me great satisfaction to see that plants thrive under good care. Right? I am sure you are super happy looking at your healthy arborvitaes! And yes, my Yew is my big pet.

@alexanderkennedy2969 Highly suggest getting some chicken wire. Don't waste money & time on those spray-on products, or marigolds or red-pepper flakes or peppermint oil, believe me...tried them all & nothing kept them away. Even got one of those owl scare-crows. We have a literal infestation of rabbits here & they eat everything. We reinforced our fence with chicken wire & no more rabbit damage. It's a cheap solution that actually works. Cheers!

Smile! Thank you!

Many thanks

Thank you, I love my garden, my family spends a lot of time outside and kids love to play in the garden!

Same

Thanks so much! 😊

Glad it was helpful!

Yes she makes me want an arborvitae to pet in the morning too 😄

Thank you for watching. I am going to trim my arbies for one leader. They do get the tendency to separate and be bold inside with age. Happy gardening!

Arborvitaes are not famous for growing very well in hot climates, but looks like you have great experience with them! Thanks and happy gardening!

Glad it was helpful!

Thank you! Glad my video was helpful. Just make sure you water your arborvitaes well and deep during first season. I see so many folks neglecting these wonderful trees after planting…

@@OlgaCarmody Thank you for this tip. I never thought about making sure they have enough water since I am not used to thinking about watering trees. I will need to install a hose near this part of the property to adequately water the arborvitaes once I get them planted in the Spring.

🤗🤗🤗🤗

@@OlgaCarmody I planted two EGA’s last season and have plans for three more in a couple months. I can’t wait! 🥰🥰🥰

It is Minor Waltz by Esther Abrami. It is beautiful, you are right!

I will be showing it in my future videos. I use natural stuff, like Espoma products.

3 feet sounds very good! If I would be in position to plant my privacy hedge again and have plenty of space, I would plant 2,5-3 feet apart and in zigzag fashion. I thing that way of planting looks more natural, especially with long hedges. Happy gardening!

Hi there, I am glad you found this video. You have quite a number of plant there in your garden! Make sure they have enough sun, Arborvitaes hate shade. And do give them plenty of space during planting, at least 2.5 feet apart. Also, first year in the ground is crucial, you have to make sure that you stay on top of watering. After the first year, arborvitaes are fairly good to go, I water mine regularly during hot weeks. No shallow watering, but deep and good... Happy gardening!

@@OlgaCarmody Thank you for your reply! I will make sure to deep water daily especially in the summer. Originally I was thinking of planting them closer together to get a quick screen wall, but I do love the column shape so I might end up doing 3-4 ft from center to center. Thank you, love your channel!

Hi Teresa, welcome! I am glad you found my yard on youtube! As for your arborvitaes, I would be nervous about deep winter shade. Mine receive extra sun in winter due to maple tree over them loosing leaves. Arborvitaes can tolerate some shade but will not perform as well. The good news is that during winter everything slows down and your “arbies” are not actively growing. Just a reminder, those beauties are actively loosing 3 year old needles in the fall and the interior can look dead. Don’t worry, that is normal… Happy gardening!

Thanks for watching and good luck with your Arborvitaes! The other advice would be to watch for snow pile up during winter and, if you don’t plan to cut your plants on top and keep them as a uniform hedge, train them to have just one leader. Just keep other competing leaders trimmed in spring… Your arborvitaes will look somewhat misshaped at first, but soon will regain their form and fill up coming into summer! Happy gardening!

How are your 30 emerald green doing? I am getting 20 delivered Friday, hope yours are doing great !

I'm planning on planting 33 of them, how are yours doing?

@@lionessfoodie1640 Did you plant yours yet? what zone are you in?

I would make sure that I water them well during their first year in new soil. Next spring I would fertilize with natural fertilizer. First year they will look beaten.

Different regions have different challenges indeed. What is your growing zone? Our problems are generally human mistreatments.

And deer……..

Those beauties looks quite brown inside in winter. Don't worry, that is how they drop 3 year old foliage. In spring they should come back to their glory. Not sure what climate you live in though. I will do a video about watering our gardens for beginner gardeners, stay tuned. Usually when you put your finger into the soil and you feel it dry, it is the time to water.

@@OlgaCarmody thank you!

I make sure those Arborvitaes of mine don't go into dry autumn without extra watering. They need to meet cold weather well hydrated. So, I water them deeply when weather is dry. Can't really say how often, it really depends on the weather. If you stick your finter 2 inches into the soil and you feel it dry, it is time to water. Hope it helps.

Hi Cassandra, here is the answer I wrote to the other viewer, who asked me the same question. Hope you will find it helpful: Oh, gosh, I planted mine 2,5 feet apart and now would recommend at least 3 feet. But who wants to wait several years for gaps between arborvitaes to close? Especially for privacy hedge… If you are super patient, which we all should be in gardening, take the long route and invest into more mature trees. Don’t know where you live, but if you have Job Lot store near you, check them out in spring. I know that they have excellent shipments of fresh bushes and trees in spring. Plants arrive in best condition, but then are placed inside the store together with shelf stuff. I literally was calling them several days a week to see when fresh “arbies” will arrive. Same day of arrival I came and bought beautiful, fresh, 5 feet tall plants for $39.00 each. Good deal and my beauties still had fresh dew on them. Hope it helps, have a great day.

@@OlgaCarmody Thank you so much! This is extremely helpful!

Thank you Sylvia, I bought those arborvitaes when they were up to my shoulders. I was calling store twice a week to see when they receive fresh trees. Same day of delivery, I came and picked them up, nice and fresh.

Hi there, arborvitaes are very graceful trees, but you need patience to let them fill the hedge space. I you have plenty of patience, I would advice full 2.5 feet, even 3 feet apart. But if you need that screen soon, around 2 feet will give quicker results. Full sun is the best.

How far apart ?

Thank you Chris, for your info. My Emerald Greens are safe inside of my very private garden and deer very rarely go there. So, no deer damage. But for those folks who are reading these comments, it is a great information to keep in mind. Thank you for sharing about main leader too!

I have a few in their original plastic pots that have multiple leaders. I'm glad you mentioned this as I was thinking if I should cut the smaller ones off and just have one. This confirms it, it makes sense.

Thank you, Martha. My arborvitaes came to my garden as 5 feet tall trees and they are growing for, hm,,, 6 years already. Happy gardening!

Oh woow thank you .😍

Oh, gosh, I planted mine 2,5 feet apart and now would recommend at least 3 feet. But who wants to wait several years for gaps between arborvitaes to close? Especially for privacy hedge… If you are super patient, which we all should be in gardening, take the long route and invest into more mature trees. Don’t know where you live, but if you have Job Lot store near you, check them out in spring. I know that they have excellent shipments of fresh bushes and trees in spring. Plants arrive in best condition, but then are placed inside the store together with shelf stuff. I literally was calling them several days a week to see when fresh “arbies” will arrive. Same day of arrival I came and bought beautiful, fresh, 5 feet tall plants for $39.00 each. Good deal and my beauties still had fresh dew on them. Hope it helps, have a great day.

@@OlgaCarmody thank you for the info. That's really helpful! Have a good day!

Yay! Thank you! Welcome to my channel! If you want to use them as a hedge, than all depends on your patience. Arborvitaes don’t do well with competition and will brown on the side of touching other plants. If you plant them 1,5 feet apart, they will quickly form desired hedge, but will start loosing needles on both sides of contact with each other. Then, each plant won’t have enough green mass to support good photosynthesis and will decline in health, and the problems begin…. Plenty of tight miserable hedges there. If I have a situation, where I am designing a brand new hedge, I would go closer to 3 feet ( with 4 feet you will get a very healthy plants, but will wait forever for your hedge to become privacy hedge), and will plant then in zigzag pattern. In my opinion it looks more natural. Hope it helps. Full sun is great, plus watering during first year in your garden is a must.

@@OlgaCarmody Thank you thank you! 🙏

From my experience, arborvitaes don’t want to grow if they are in filtered shade. In my case I don’t want them to become too high. Plus if they don’t get enough sun and are hit with stress (drought, severe weather….) they might start declining. There is nothing better than beautiful arborvitaes growing in full sun! Good luck with yours!

Between 2,5 and 3 feet, depending how patient you are.

@Olga Carmody thank you so much 🙏🏻

Well, Emerald green arborvitaes grow tall and narrow. If you want the foliage to become more dense, you would give them a light annual trim on the sides. I will make a video about trimming them. Stay tuned. As for growth on one side. Arborvitaes will build green mass on the sunny side. And if shade is too much, you will see the results of unbalanced growth and browning on shaded side. Hope it helps, stay tuned to the future video.

That is my neighbors well maintained privet hedge. Thank you!

@@OlgaCarmody Thank you so much 🙏🏻

Roses do love sun, 6 hours at least. And your South facing garden is good for that, it will have sun most of the day. I am not sure which zone you are in, but if sun is very hot, make sure that you mulch your roses well, to protect them from heat. Otherwise your roses will love it in your garden! Good luck!

Hi there, arborvitaes are conifers, so they will produce cones sometimes, especially if not trimmed. What arborvitaes do you have? Emerald Green is a selected form of American Arborvitae, and is superior in color and form. Maybe you have some wilder plants, and old ones. Old arborvitaes are more prone to produce cones. Hope it helps.

@@OlgaCarmody Well, they are Emerald Green Arborvitaes. Relatively new as we planted them only 2.5 years ago...

My thoughts would be that arborvitaes might struggle in your zone. They are good to zone 8. You can try, but these trees are finicky even in my zone 6/7. If you decide to go for the, 2 biggest advice: plant at least 2.5 feet apart for privacy hedge. Deep watering is crucial during first year in your garden.

Your zone is just as far as these beautiful trees will grow. In your case it will all depend on how protected location you’ve got. If you really like to try, do it with one tree and see how it will do through your cold winter. Mulching is a must. Hope it helps.

You can shape them to a dull top. You can’t take big cuts though, arborvitaes won’t forgive that. Training should be with small trims every year.

@@OlgaCarmody Thank you!

Agree, one hundred percent! Thank you!

You can trim them and keep them at 4-6 feet tall… If you don’t want to move them…

@@OlgaCarmody Okay thanks.. I appreciate it.

May I ask how many feets apart did you plant them?

@@yaima0901 I planted them on two separate beds.

I use espoma all garden fertilizer. It is organic

Oh, they love space, at least 2.5 feet apart.

@@OlgaCarmody aw thank you so very much for responding they look simply marvelous. I planted 12 behind a retaining wall i build a year ago and 3 have died already. I made a huge mistake of reusing the clay soil rather than amending it. I have no idea what I am doing pulling my hair out. I want to go back to living in a building 🤣

@@ferdinando7719 Arborvitaes are very sensitive to drought the first year in the ground. And they can’t be in shade. Don’t give up, our gardens are our gifts.

Emerald Greens struggle in hot climate of Florida. You would be able to find them there, but they won’t be happy. And that is one sad picture of struggling plants.

@@OlgaCarmody Thank you for your response 🤗👍

I think I planted them over 2 feet apart. If I would be planting them now, I would give them 3 feet. Thanks.

Hi there, Congratulations on your Arborvitaes! I feed mine in spring, make sure they get deep soak from once in a while. But THE most crucial thing to do, is to stay on strict watering schedule the first year of planting. If you neglect this, you might loose them or get sick looking, skinny trees which would be struggling. It is highly unfortunate, I see so many of them in poor and neglected shape. People think that they are trees and once planted, can be forgotten. Another crucial mistake - planting them in shade. Arborvitaes can take some light shade, but will reward you with gorgeous lush foliage in full sun. And one more suggestion, plant them at least 3 feet apart for long lived privacy hedge. Happy gardening!

@@OlgaCarmody Hi Olga, your advice is very much appreciated! I hv a drip irrigation system for them , the are in absolute full sun, they will be planted 8 feet apart and 4 feet away from the fence. Did you prune the top off yours to get yours to grow so wide and lush, most I see are skinny and like you said very sad and unhealthy looking in my neighborhood… to a point it worried me before I saw yours.

@@OlgaCarmody thank you so very much for responding 🙏🏻

@@lionessfoodie1640 Oh, gosh, you are doing everything so right from the beginning! Your arborvitaes are going to thrive in your garden. I didn't cut mine, since they are growing in slight part sun, they tend to be slower growers and don't form a strong leader. Those high skinny vertical leaders are a very good sign. Yours arbies are going to have them in full sun and will be bushy and happy in no time. Congratulations!

@@lionessfoodie1640 You are so welcome, you might also want to look into training your trees to have one leader. There are plenty of info online and everyone has different plants for their trees. Just a thought...

That should have been carass them

So funny, 😆 😄 no you don’t need to pet your plants.

It is normal, don't worry. That is how your arborvitaes shed their old foliage. They are evergreens, but do shed as all other plants. Just stay on top of deep watering if your arbies are looking stressed. Happy gardening!

I know, deer, I just saw one near my house today in the morning.