Tree Planting and Care

Tree Care Tips for the Tree of Life: Arborvitae

By Sheereen Othman | June 23, 2015

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Arborvitaes are among the most popular trees to plant because of their numerous benefits, including their fast growth, tall heights, and year-round green foliage. In fact, arborvitae is a Latin form of the French phrase “l’abre de vie,” or “tree of life.” Arborvitaes prove this to be true through their versatility in tolerating a wide range of soils and climate conditions.

American-ArborvitaerowArborvitae trees are a great choice if you’re looking to install a windbreak or natural privacy fence. There are numerous varieties to choose from, including American Arborvitae, Emerald Arborvitae and Green Giant Arborvitae. If you’re looking for fast growth then you might lean toward the green giant arborvitae, growing three feet a year and reaching up to 50-60 feet in height at maturity. If you don’t mind the wait and prefer something with a narrower spread, then you’ll appreciate the uniformity of American arborvitae.

Despite being low-maintenance, arborvitaes still need some care. Here are a few tree care tips to foster the best growth for your arborvitae in its early years.

Watch Ask an Arborist: Why Should I Plant Evergreens?

Environmental conditions for fast growth

Depending on the variety of arborvitae you select, you’ll want to be sure to plant trees approximately three feet apart to avoid root crowding and competition of nutrients and water; even trees don’t like to starve.

  • Arborvitaes do best in soil that is well drained but moist, rich and deep
  • pH of 6.0 (slightly acidic) to 8.0 (alkaline)
  • Full sun exposure is ideal, but they will grow in partial shade
  • Geographic regions with high humidity

Tree Pruning

green giant arborvitaeArborvitaes dense foliage provides sufficient privacy and at the same time are attractive additions to landscaping. Many arborvitaes take on a nice pyramid shape without pruning. If you must prune then limit it to once a year and keep the following in mind:

  • Prune in the fall or early winter, if pruned in the summer the tips of the pruned branches may turn brown
  • Never remove more than ¼ of a tree’s crown in a season
  • Ideally, main side branches should be at least 1/3 smaller than the diameter of the trunk

It may not be a sour idea to read Keys to Good Pruning just to be sure you’re not crippling them.

Read Top 5 Evergreens Sold Through the Arbor Day Tree Nursery

Potential threats

  • In times of drought, tree watering is important, but too much of a good thing can be bad so don’t overdo it (Proper Summer Watering of Trees has some helpful ideas)
  • Young landscape trees will need protection from deer in many areas, consider a Tubex tree shelter to keep wildlife away
  • Pest and Disease Problems: Bagworms are sometimes attracted to this species, but can be removed by hand in winter, or controlled with a biological pesticide
  • In forest or land development situations, large openings can lead to windthrow—trees uprooted or broken by wind— due to its shallow root system

Whichever selection you go with be sure to nurture your tree with proper care.

Read 5 Windbreak Trees that will Blow You Away

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  • Alexandria Martinez March 29, 2018 at 7:17 pm

    The new home that my fiance and I moved into has a very large yard to keep maintained. We want to look into getting a tree care service for our trees to start. It was eye-opening to read all this extra information on tree pruning like to prune in the fall or early winter.

  • john May 29, 2018 at 4:59 pm

    Thanks for that tip to prune in the fall. I guess it’s better to prune before the tree hibernates. you want to keep trees healthy so that they don’t die and become dangerous to your property.

  • Ellen Robison May 31, 2018 at 5:45 pm

    L.H.Belz I have the same trouble. Did you ever get an answer? I planted 3 Emerald Greens last Spring, they were almost 5 feet tall to begin with and this Spring, (I live in Northern Michigan), they all have brown leaves and the one in the middle is the worst with full branches seeming to be dead. Although there are still full green alive branches too. They are in the same soil my Blue Spruce trees are in , growing closely by, and the spruces have beautiful new growth on them. I fertilized last fall just before it got really cold, and I fertilized again this Spring as soon as the ground thawed. Any help would be appreciated. These Emerald Greens were expensive, and I cannot afford to replace them. I need them for a privacy screen between the front of my home and my neighbors cluttered yard. 🙁

  • George August 15, 2018 at 7:14 am

    This site will help people to find the best fence for their home

  • Dio Marsaille September 10, 2018 at 8:28 pm

    All I understood was that the trees need to be at least three feet apart in order to make sure that their roots do not crowd around the same area. I will be sure to do this since I have always wanted a tree to grow in the yard. Afterward, though, I think I will hire an arborist to care for the tree since aside from planting them right, I do not know anything else.

  • Jeanie October 24, 2018 at 5:51 am

    This a is very informative article about fencing this really what fence i need for my house

  • Mark Murphy November 15, 2018 at 11:16 am

    I really appreciate your tip to never remove more than a fourth of a tree’s crown in a season. My wife and I have been thinking of getting a new house that has some trees that are growing dangerously close to our house. I will be sure to tell my wife that we should check how much of the crown has already been removed!

  • Tree Services February 6, 2019 at 1:27 am

    Great article about taking tree care tips. This would be helpful & useful if you’re planning to have these trees as your home fence.

  • Carly May 7, 2020 at 3:19 pm

    Linda! I have been googling aging arborvitaes but can’t really find any good reasons as to why our 30 year old wall of Arborvitae is rapidly thinning. I read your comment and it could have been written by me as we are in the same situation and have consulted multiple arborists. Did you ever find an answer? If so could you share?

  • Mike Murray June 8, 2020 at 11:52 am

    I have 6 Arborvitae trees that surround my patio for privacy. They are growing quite fast and I am not sure as to how much to cut at the top. Also, they are getting fuller…should I cut the ends and at an angle with the tree?

    • Sheereen Othman June 17, 2020 at 4:21 pm

      Yes, to lower the height, cut back to the trunk, but don’t remove more than 20% of the top. To regain the natural shape of the tree, balance lower limbs by lightly pruning the branch tips.