What type of pyramidal cedar do you recommend for Ottawa,Ont.
Sunny location,dry soil,not sure of climate zone.
Thank you for contacting Toronto Master Gardeners. The growing zone for Ottawa is 5a. Thuga Occidentalis or cedars are mostly hardy between zones 3 to 9. Therefore you have many choices. Some examples of pyramidal cedars include: Thuga occidentalis “Smaragd” commonly known as Emerald cedar; Thuga occidentalis ‘DeGroot’s Spire’, Thuga occidentalis ‘Holstrup’ and Thuga occidentalis ‘Nigra’.
Pyramidal Cedars vary in size from 250 centimetres to 5 metres so you need to consider the space available for growing the cedar. A sunny location is ideal for cedars. Also mulch around the tree but leave space between the mulch and the tree so that the mulch doesn’t come on contact with the tree bark. Water the tree with the soaker hose for two to three hours each morning and evening during the first two to three weeks. If you don’t have a soaker hose, turn your hose down to a slow drip and leave it at the base of the tree for 2-3 hours. Once established, the tree only needs to be watered during extremely dry periods.
Here is our guide for more information on planting trees