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Restoring Conical Shape to Overgrown Eastern Red Cedar

Question: 30-ft town Christmas tree (eastern red cedar) is a 30-ft ball. Can massive pruning restore cone shape? Staged trimming and root feeding?

Answer

Top was likely cut, losing central leader. Let a new terminal emerge (takes years). Fertilize with 13-13-13 at 1 lb per inch DBH. Gradually shear sides to conical form—remove ≤12 inches green growth per year to avoid bare interior. Follow natural uneven pyramid habit.

Trees: Eastern Red Cedar Annosus Root Rot: Forestry Commission Diagnosis Needed; King Crimson Maple 3-ft Leafless Top: Don't Top It!; Black Locusts Topped to 5-Foot Stumps: Will They Survive?; Mulching Eastern Red Cedar: Benefits, Materials, and Proper Technique; Treehouse Attachment in Cedar: Nails vs. Lag Bolts; Transplanting Eastern Red Cedar: Timing and Techniques; Cedar Sapling Top Dieback: Insect, Not Drought; Incense Cedar Growth Rate and Transplanting; Trimming Eastern Red Cedar (Juniper): Pyramid Shaping and Topping Limits; Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana): The Pioneer Evergreen of Eastern North America

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