Green Giants pruned as a medium-sized hedge?

9 years ago

Does anyone have any experience shearing Green Giant Arborvitae to maintain them as a medium-sized hedge? I am looking for plants to create a long hedge at my property line that will grow to about 4 feet wide by 8-10 foot high? I don't mind pruning once or twice a year. FWIW, am interested in the Green Giant because they are readily available, and the deer won't eat them (unlike many of the Eastern cultivars). Also, am in the bottom end of zone 5--it gets cold. Wondering how these will hold up?

Comments (5)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
9 years ago
see what i just typed at the link below ...

but moving beyond that.. i dont understand why you want to limit something with GIANT in its name ... to 10 feet tall ... which BTW ... they will be about half as wide by that height ...

i have no problems with them.. just south of ann arbor MI .. in my cold z5 ... and they were just fine.. this miserable winter ....

i would also suggest ... that what you are willing to do at your age today ... like trimming them twice a year ... will get harder to do as the decades roll by ... i moved to this house at 40 ... and now... 14 years later.. i am regretting some of the decisions i made back then ...

all that said.. go for it ... the worse that happens.. is a few years down the line.. you start over.. with something else ...

good luck ..

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link
alley_cat_gw_7b
9 years ago
Hi Catskill, Ken makes a good point about the fact that you dont mind pruning a long hedge of ' Green Giants 'once or twice a year. That could get old easily down the road.

Al
catskillgardener
Original Author
9 years ago
Hi! Thanks so much for all the advice. I am using the Green Giants because, for various reasons, it was the only thing that meets all our criteria for the hedge (deer-resistant, not poisonous to pets, etc.) that is available in our area. I would have preferred Holstrup or Elegantissima because they are smaller, but can't find any near us. So I will just have to suck it up and prune them often (I am lucky to have help in that department!)

Two questions:
1. How far apart would you recommend spacing them in a single row if we want to maintain the hedge at about 8-10 feet? And
2. I am reading that 3'-4' potted plants transplant better than 5'-6' B&B because of the roots, but also worry they'd be more susceptible to damage the first winter. I would love them to fill in the gaps asap, obviously, but if the 3-4 footers will grow to the same size in a year because they are happier, it seems I should just go with those.

Any thoughts? Many thanks again.
mad_gallica (z5 Eastern NY)
9 years ago
Pruning anything higher than shoulder height takes on the added complication of a ladder. The only people I know who have a pruned hedge that tall have a cherry picker and know how to use it.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
9 years ago
and i wonder.. with the aggressiveness of these things if you are going to be hand pruning.. or getting away with light weight electric/gas hedge shears ...

again noting using such on a ladder can be problematic ..

spacing for a sight block.. is related to blocking the sight line.. not for the benefit of the plant ...as close together as you can.. subject to your budget ...

i want to keep telling you it wont work ... lol

regardless i wish you luck.. keep us posted over the years ...

ken