Pruning young and poorly placed cedar trees

[GreenSpirit]

I have two what appears to be young cedar trees (we think approximately 3 years old and 6' tall). These trees on directly off of my front porch and one on each side of my walkway. They have begun to get in the way with their outward growth. We have just moved to our new home and they have been somewhat neglected. I would like to keep them between 4' or 5' but am afraid I will prune incorrectly and/or too much. I know trees can be susceptible to disease and things if pruned the wrong way. I can tell they have about 5" of new growth (lighter green). Where and when do I begin to prune and how much is healthy?
I appreciate any guidance.

[rainbowgardener]

I missed this post before, but I am just going to second what marlin said. Unfortunately, you need to remove them.

Cedars are green only on the outer portion of the branch. If you cut back as far as you need to, to keep it away from the sidewalk and not blocking the view of/from the porch, you are very likely to be cutting back into the dead part of the branch, where it will not regenerate. You will have a permanent ugly hole in the tree, with no green there.

[GreenSpirit]

Thank you for your advice. Now, I will need to convince my wife that they really do need to go! I need to find their replacement prior to informing her they are leaving. I guess I should do some research on decorative containers. Brush pick up is in 10 days!

[rainbowgardener]

I think your house will look SO much more inviting and welcoming with the cedars gone. Your wife will love it once she sees it.

See this thread: viewtopic.php?f=12&t=61111 for some front door landscaping ideas.

The front door part is more towards the bottom of the page, but much of it might be relevant. As the thread notes, maybe think about painting your front door some more contrasting color, a rich green or blue, or even red, which will draw people in more.

[ElizabethB]

DITTO other responses - they need to be removed. Conifers do not do well with pruning. Large container plants would be nice so would a nice bed of perennials and annuals. Your front door is lovely. IDK how wide your side walk is. If it is less than 5' you my want to consider widening the walk and adding an apron to the entrance for curb appeal and ease of access.

The Cedars really need to go away. They are blocking your sidewalk and your view from both the street and the house.

Good luck