Emerald cedars bent over from snow

(Question)

I have 2 emerald cedars about 7 feet tall. Several of the ‘boughs’ were bent over from a heavy snowfall in the winter. Although I broomed off the snow when I discovered it, the branches did not swing back into place. Now that it’s Spring, what should I do to get these branches to stand back in place.

(Answer)

Thank you for your question.  If the boughs are not broken, you can try to pull them back into shape by binding them with a narrow (about 8 cm) piece of soft material such as burlap or pantyhose.  Be careful not to let the binding cut into the bark.  Check in a month or so to see if the boughs are back in position.  If not, re-bind.