Hedge Guides: Care, Spacing and Fixes

Practical answers from Hedge King on choosing, spacing and caring for hedges in Ottawa. Starting from scratch? Read our cedar hedge planting guide first.

• The Best Cedar for a Privacy Hedge in Ottawa: Emerald, Brandon or field-grown white cedar? How the common hedge cedars compare on height, width, density and winter hardiness in Ottawa.
• How Far Apart to Plant a Cedar Hedge: How far apart to plant cedars for a dense hedge, how far from a fence or property line, and when a double row makes sense. Ottawa guide from Hedge King.
• Cedar Hedge Care: A Year-Round Guide for Ottawa: Watering, trimming, fertilizing and winter protection for cedar hedges, season by season. A practical Ottawa care guide for new and established hedges.
• Why Is My Cedar Hedge Turning Brown?: Normal fall shedding, winter burn, road salt, dog urine, drought or over-trimming: how to tell what is browning your cedar hedge and what to do about it.
• How Much Does Hedge Trimming Cost in Ottawa?: Why an honest hedge trimming price needs someone to see the hedge: length, height, how overgrown it is, access and cleanup. And why the quote is free.
• Snow and Ice Damage on a Cedar Hedge: What to Do: Cedar hedge bent or split open by snow or ice? How to clear snow safely, when to leave ice alone, and how to repair and prevent winter damage in Ottawa.
• The Best Time to Plant a Cedar Hedge in Ottawa: Spring or fall? When to plant cedar hedges in Ottawa, what to do if you are planting late in the season, and how to water them through the first winter.
• When to Trim a Cedar Hedge in Ottawa (and How Much to Cut): The best time to trim cedar hedges in Ottawa, why once a year is enough, how much you can safely cut, and what to check before you start.
• Cedar Hedge Care Calendar for Ottawa: Month by Month: A month-by-month cedar hedge calendar for Ottawa: when to water, trim, feed, plant and protect your hedge, with a one-page checklist.
• Planting a Cedar Hedge in Ottawa: a step-by-step planting guide.

Quick answers

• Spacing: plant cedars about 18 to 24 inches apart, trunk to trunk, in a single row.
• Sun: cedars need about six hours of sunlight a day, or the shaded side thins out.
• Watering: water a new hedge deeply about once a week for its first two growing seasons, and give every hedge a long soak in the fall before freeze-up.
• Trimming: once a year, taking off the new growth, any time from March right through December.
• Fall browning: some inner foliage turning brown and dropping each fall is normal shedding, not disease.

Want it done for you? Hedge King plants, trims, feeds and replaces cedar hedges across Ottawa. See our hedge and tree services or request a free quote.