Heat waves effects on my hedge
During heat waves, or during the hot summer months, it is advisable to keep your hedge well hydrated. However, thujas occidentalis, commonly called cedars in Quebec, are robust trees and do not need as much water as other plants such as lawns, once their root system is well established.
Just water for one to two hours, once or twice a week, and you’re done. This can be done using a perforated garden hose installed at the foot of the hedge. It will be necessary to avoid watering only the foliage, as this will be useless and will be conducive to burns due to the sun which could penetrate through the drops of water. With this in mind, it is best to water in the evening or early in the morning. This will prevent unnecessary water evaporation and wastage. Also, watering the surface, or by hand, would only wet the soil, without providing any benefits. Also look at the weather forecast for the week, because in case of heavy rain, it is useless to water. Similarly, if your soil is sandy, it will retain water less easily than clay soil: analyze and water accordingly!
The benefits of mulch
Some myths circulate on the Internet that cedar mulch, especially tinted ones, is harmful to plants, trees and shrubs. However, it is not. The dye used to color the cedar mulch is of plant origin and is therefore not harmful to other plants. Similarly, fumes from decomposing cedar are not toxic, as no evidence to that effect has been exposed.
The term “mulch”, from Old English melsc, milisc “mellow, sweet,” or “mulching” is a technique used for more than 200 years by farmers who laid straw on the ground to prevent weeds, crop rot, and repel certain pests from their cultures.
Mulching has thus evolved towards the addition of ornamental mulch to embellish the flowerbeds. Among all the mulches that exist, cedar mulch is often used because it decomposes slowly and provides humidity and nutrients to the cedars, reducing the need for watering, or during hot periods, preventing the premature evaporation of the watering. Mulch also has the advantage of protecting the soil from freezing.
As an alternative to cedar mulch, which can sometimes be expensive, there is garden mulch. In other words, you can make your own mulch with garden scraps, especially shredded leaves, placed under the cedars. This type of mulch will provide the same benefits as cedar mulch, at a lower cost.
Watering a new or young hedge
Watering is crucial in the months following the planting of a new hedge and until its first trim (one to two years after planting). For a young hedge, the perforated hose may not be the wisest tool. Please refer to the company that planted your hedge for their instructions (which differ from supplier to supplier), as some companies offer a warranty on their cedars and will want you to follow their advice to the letter.
Watch out for swimming pools
Although the salt in a pool is usually not enough to harm cedars, some hedges are too close, leaving no clearance space. Annual maintenance of your hedge will help keep its width, ideally leaving 90 to 100 cm around the pool to not only circulate around it, but also to avoid splashing due to swimming and the large evaporation of salt water during heat waves. Also inspect your pool equipment regularly to quickly detect any water leaks, especially near cedars, which could be harmful to them.
