How to Trim a Cedar Bush Round

Cedar bushes are evergreens adding color to the landscape year-round, especially in the winter when other plants are bare. Although you can prune cedars to basic hedge or conical shapes, you can also trim them into topiary forms. One of the most basic topiary forms is a circle, which any gardener can achieve. When trimming a cedar bush into a round shape, do not to trim off too much foliage, or bare spots develop.

Hand pruners
Pruning shears
Wire clothes hanger
Tree or pipe
Rake

Instructions

- 1
  Decide if you want the round shape of your cedar bush to start at ground level or elevated in the air, such as topiary. If an elevated, round shape is desired, prune the lower stems using hand pruners until only a single stem remains. Cut off any side stem emerging from this stem until you reach the desired elevation.
- 2
  Look closely at the shrub’s interior to determine how far back each stem the green foliage goes, which is typically between 6 and 12 inches. Do not prune the foliage beyond the point of green growth, or permanent bare spots exist in the shrub.
- 3
  Cut the outer tips off the cedar shrub using pruning shears. Shape it into a generally round form. Don’t worry if it’s not perfect, as you refine it later.
- 4
  Untwist a wire clothes hanger until it is straight, and then bend it into a circle wrapping it around a tree trunk or a pipe. Remove the wire ensuring that the ends touch to close the circle.
- 5
  Stand back approximately 1 to 2 feet from the cedar bush and hold the wire circle up in front of you at arm’s length. Locate any shrub tips extending outside the circle. Set the wire circle aside and trim the long stems.
- 6
  Recheck the shrub's shape periodically using the wire circle and continue until the shrub is perfectly round.
- 7
  Rake up all of the cedar trimmings and throw them away in to a compost area of the yard.

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