Why Is My Cedar Hedge Turning Brown?
Where the brown is tells you what caused it. Brown on the inside of the hedge in the fall is usually normal seasonal shedding. Brown on the sun or wind-facing side in late winter is winter burn. Brown along the side facing a road or driveway is usually salt. Brown only at the bottom of one or two plants is often dogs. And bare brown patches after a trim mean it was cut back too far.
Brown inside the hedge in fall: normal shedding
Every fall, cedars drop some of their oldest foliage from the inside of the plant. It turns yellow, then brown, then falls. If the outer growth is green and healthy, there is nothing wrong. It usually looks worst in dry years.
Brown on the sunny side in late winter: winter burn
On bright late-winter days the foliage loses water, but the roots are in frozen ground and cannot replace it. The south and west faces of the hedge, and anything exposed to wind, dry out and turn brown or bronze.
Prevention is a deep fall watering before freeze-up and, for exposed young hedges, a burlap screen on the sunny side. Once it has happened, wait until late spring before cutting anything: foliage that is only bronzed often greens up again, and buds behind burned tips can still push new growth.
Brown facing a road or driveway: salt
Salt spray from plows and salt in melting snow both burn cedars. The giveaway is browning concentrated on the side facing the street or driveway, often lowest to the ground.
Shovel salty snow onto the lawn rather than into the hedge, screen the road side with burlap over winter, and flush the soil with plenty of water in spring.
Brown at the base of one or two plants: dogs
Patches of brown at dog height, on individual plants near a sidewalk or corner, are very often urine damage. A low fence or barrier and regular rinsing of that spot are the fix; badly burned plants may need replacing.
Whole plants browning: drought, roots or planting
When whole cedars brown out, look at water and roots. New hedges most often fail from drying out in their first two summers. Older hedges can decline from drought stress, waterlogged soil, or roots damaged by construction or planting too deep.
A plant that is brown and brittle right through, with no green under the bark of its branches, will not recover and should be replaced before the gap spreads. Weak but living hedges can respond to deep root fertilizing.
Bare patches after a trim: cut back too far
Cedars do not regrow from bare brown wood. If a trim went past the green growth, those patches may never fill in. It is the most common damage we see from inexperienced trimming, and the reason we only ever cut within the green. More in our cedar hedge care guide.
Save it or replace it?
A hedge that is patchy but alive can usually be brought back over one or two seasons with correct trimming, watering and feeding. One with several dead plants, or bare bottoms from years of shade, is often better replaced than nursed along for years. Hedge King will look at it and tell you honestly which it is: see hedge trimming and hedge replacement.
Frequently asked questions
Is it normal for cedars to turn brown in the fall?
Yes. Cedars shed some of their oldest inner foliage every fall. If the outer growth is green, the hedge is healthy.
Will a brown cedar hedge grow back?
Bronzed or winter-burned foliage often recovers, and buds behind burned tips can regrow. Bare brown wood left by over-trimming, or plants that are brown right through, will not.
How do I stop road salt browning my hedge?
Screen the road side with burlap over winter, keep salty snow off the hedge, and flush the soil with plenty of water in spring.