Brodie Eastern Red Cedar Tree for Sale - Buying & Growing Guide

Planting and Care

by Mary Van Keuren | Gardener (30+ Years Experience) – last update on October 14, 2022

Planting instructions

Site your Eastern red cedar where it will get at least 4 hours of sun in soil that drains well. It is not particular about the type of soil and can handle both clay and sandy soils. Unpot your sapling and tease out any encircling roots, which can girdle the tree and slowly kill it. Dig a hole that’s as deep as the root ball and twice as wide. Place the tree in the hole, spreading out the roots. While holding it upright and steady, fill in around the roots with topsoil, tamping down as you go to eliminate air pockets. Water thoroughly. Apply a 2- to 3-inch layer of organic mulch such as bark chips around the root zone to conserve moisture and hinder weed growth, but keep it from touching the trunk, which can cause rot.

Watering and nutrients

For its first year, water your tree regularly while it is building a strong root system. Once the tree is established and growing well, you can cut back on watering. Brodie Eastern red cedar is fairly drought-resistant and will only need supplemental watering in extremely dry weather. It is not a heavy feeder, but if you wish to encourage growth you can fertilize it in spring with a balanced, slow-release product, such as a 10-10-10 formula, that is designed for landscape trees and shrubs.

Pollination

Eastern red cedar trees are dioecious, meaning that male and female reproductive parts are on different trees. Male trees have tiny brown cones that shed pollen, while female trees produce a blue, berry-like cone. These are attractive to songbirds and other animals, although deer are not known to feed on them.

Pruning

Monitor your tree for dead, diseased or damaged branches and trim these out when you see them. No other pruning is necessary, though you can prune lightly to shape the tree in spring.

Pests, diseases and animals

Brodie Eastern red cedar is generally disease- and pest-resistant. Pests that may occur include spider mites and aphids. A healthy tree can usually fight off infestations easily. Diseases of the Eastern red cedar include cedar-apple rust and kabatina tip blight. To avoid problems with fungal diseases, space your trees far enough apart so that there is good air circulation between them.

Achieving maximum results

Knowing how to best use a plant in your landscape is one way to achieve maximum results. Brodie Eastern red cedar is an adaptable tree that can have many uses in a garden or landscape setting. Its height and prominent form make it a great choice for a specimen planting in a front yard — either alone or in groups of three or even five. A well-spaced line of these trees would make an elegant border marking or serve to highlight a long, winding driveway. Because it is resistant to urban pollution, it is a good choice for larger city lots. It also can be used in a wildlife garden, since its berries are attractive to birds and small animals.

Compare Similar Products