Lessons Learned Pruning an Overgrown Cedar
2025/05/26
When we moved into our house 2 years ago, the front entrance-way was flanked by 2 low growing eastern redcedar bushes which had been trained to follow the swoop of the path leading to the front yard1. We absolutely loved the way they look and how they framed the front porch, but truthfully we gave very little thought to their maintenance.
The previous owner was a fastidious man with an evident green thumb so it shouldn't have come as a surprise when, being without pruning for 2 years, the cedars began to encroach upon the walkway and lawn.
After deciding to undertake a major pruning it quickly became evident that in only 2 years (more if you consider that even the most nimble elderly folk are probably scaling back their pruning) there had been enough disordered growth that this was not going to be a simple job.
The bushes as seen in 2009
That brings us to lesson one:
Consistency is Key
Neglect, in trimming and in life, always leads to more work down the line. In the case of this cedar, falling behind on trimming led to a cascade of dense brushy undergrowth that needed hours of work to clear.
Said dense undergrowth
Had I simply lopped of a few "wrong" branches once or twice a week throughout the pruning2 season, I doubt my total time spent would have added up to more than I spent in that single session. It certainly would have been less arduous.
Willingly Spending Hours Pruning is Good, Actually
In direct opposition to my previous point, I found the act of taming this overgrown beast into a beautifully manicured--yet natural-looking-- horticultural specimen was extremely rewarding. It afforded me hours of zen-like focus on a single task.
In fact, I think aesthetically oriented and physically demanding yard work (think topiary, or transplanting perennials into a new bed) may be the single greatest meditative outlet there is. It basically checks off every item you might see on a "Do These Things to Feel Happier" list from WebMD.
- Fresh air and sunlight
- Moderate physical exercise
- Creatively stimulating
- (Often) a social activity
- Learn new skills
Also, I firmly believe in beauty and beautiful things, and I think home-owners have a societal duty to contribute to the beauty of our street-scapes in whatever way they see fit. So, trimming your trees also makes you a good person.
Now, get out there and start making the world around you a nicer place!
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1I actually have never seen redcedars in this shape before and in looking online for guides on pruning found no other plants that resemble ours.
2 I took a bit of a diversion here to look into the etymology of pruning. I was curious if the two uses were derived from the same root. They are not.