Gingergirl
Newly Registered
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu Mar 24, 2011 3:15 pm
Location: Chicago, IL

weedy Arbor vitae, what to do?

We moved into our home about 1 year ago and are trying to figure out what to do with the front of our house. There is a line of 3 overgrown arbor vitae that make up most of the landscaping. We don't have the money to relandscape the front this year, but I want to make it look a little nicer. While they are overgrown they are also weedy and have no growth in the center. Should I cut them down to the ground and see if they come back or just leave them until we can afford to replace them with something else? Any pruning advice would be great!
[url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/23660554@N03/5594187790/][img]https://farm6.static.flickr.com/5063/5594187790_a4b0070139.jpg[/img][/url]
[url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/23660554@N03/5594187790/]P1020066[/url] by [url=https://www.flickr.com/people/23660554@N03/]arkowalsky[/url], on Flickr
[url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/23660554@N03/5594187168/][img]https://farm6.static.flickr.com/5177/5594187168_01af63eda1.jpg[/img][/url]
[url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/23660554@N03/5594187168/]P1020062[/url] by [url=https://www.flickr.com/people/23660554@N03/]arkowalsky[/url], on Flickr

bullthistle
Greener Thumb
Posts: 1152
Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2008 10:26 am
Location: North Carolina

I'd leave them alone. The problem is the shade so if you want to do something trim out the trees. The mosture is probably inducing the weeds to grow. If you don't have the funds why make the area look worse. Fix what is broken trim the trees.

Gingergirl
Newly Registered
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu Mar 24, 2011 3:15 pm
Location: Chicago, IL

Unfortunately, the entire street is lined with large trees (ours aren't especially large) so trimming the trees isn't much of an option. I should clarify that when I said "weedy" I meant that they were kind of scraggly and leggy. Sorry for the misunderstanding. I suspect that you are correct about the lack of sun, even though the house is south facing during the summer it is pretty shady. I may trim them a little and then leave them until we can afford to put something else there! Thanks.



Return to “Trees, Shrubs, and Hedges”