How to Plant an Eastern Red Cedar Tree

The eastern red cedar is not a true cedar but rather belongs to the juniper family. It is found naturally throughout the United States east of the Rocky Mountains and also in Oregon. Historic uses by various Native American tribes include brewing leaves as a tea, burning as incense and in construction and fuel as the wood is highly aromatic and durable. The most common and successful method for planting an eastern red cedar tree is by cuttings. It also can be done from seed but the success rate is only 50 percent.

Things You'll Need

• Eastern red cedar tree
• Sharp blade
• Greenhouse
• Pot
• Sandy soil mixed with perlite and peat moss at a ratio of 10:1
• Heat source (optional)
• Root stimulator (optional)
• Water source
• Large sheet
• 5 gallon bucket
• Mild detergent (optional)
• Cookie sheet
• Sulfuric acid (optional)

Instructions

Propagation from Cuttings

1. Find a new lateral growth point on an existing eastern red cedar that extends from an old branch.

2. Cut the new growth point off the cedar so it is between 2 and 65 inches long, including a small section of wood, referred to as the heel, at the end of your cutting that is part of the old branch. This heel should measure 1 to 2 inches in length.

3. Bring your cutting into the greenhouse. Successful rooting and subsequent growth depend upon keeping the cutting warm and moist.

4. Fill a pot half full with soil mixture. Place your cutting heel into the soil. Cover loosely with soil until pot is full.

5. Place your pot in a place where it will remain warm. Greenhouses naturally hold heat, but if you live in an exceptionally cold climate a heating source may be necessary under the pot.

6. Water the cutting until the soil is very moist and be sure to keep the soil moist at all times.

Propagation From Seed

1. Find an eastern red cedar that is more than 10 years old and find the female cones. Female cones contain tiny berries. Lay a large sheet under the tree to collect the fallen berries. Gently shake the branch to loosen the ripe berries onto the sheet.

2. Cut the outer shell of the seed with a sharp knife. Fill 5-gallon bucket with water and place the macerated seeds in it. The seeds and the outer shell should separate in the water, the seeds floating to the top. Adding 1 tsp. mild detergent to the water may hasten the process.

3. Spread seeds in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Allow them to dry completely. This process may take several days.

4. Soak the seeds in sulfuric acid at least two hours. Remove seeds and allow them to sit untouched in an area with a temperature of 70 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit six weeks. Chill seeds for 10 additional weeks at 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

5. Sow the seeds in the fall 15 centimeters apart in rows. Cover with a dusting of soil.

Tips & Warnings

• Obtain cedar cuttings in the winter when the tree is in a dormant stage for best results.

• To expedite growth, use of root stimulator applied during step four may be helpful.

• Eastern red cedars grow well in pots for the first 10 years of growth after which they should be transplanted outdoors.

• Harvest cedar seeds in autumn, preferably September through November.

• If you are opposed to the use of sulfuric acid, skip it and increase the warming time from six weeks to three months.

• Cedar sown from seed is highly susceptible to frost. Cover the seedbeds with mulch in cold climates.

References

• Garden Guides: Eastern Red Cedar
• Bonsai-BCI: Eastern Red Cedar

Resources

• Juniperous Virginiana L.: Eastern Red Cedar
• Blue Planet Biomes: Eastern Red Cedar