I have a Globe Arborvitae that has outgrown it's spot. Can I cut this back and it will grow back, or do I have to totally remove it? It is about 4' tall and about 6' around at this point. It is hanging over the sidewalk, and makes it hard to get to the back deck. NO, I didn't plant it there, I do plan ahead on what I plant where and how big it is going to get! It was there when we bought our home, but has almost doubled in size since then.
Thanks for any help you can give me!
Jami

Personally I would try to move it or take it out since it is too big for it's spot. But sounds like you would need a back hoe or something to get it out. Usually if you cut it back you will have ugly wood. Do you think you could kinda bonsi it? Maybe take off all of it on the side you need to walk then take off a lot of the bottom greenery and have it curve the other way. Hope I am makking sense. Have fun experimenting. I don't have a problem getting rid of something that is too big for it's spot or just looks funky. I got the city to take out 2 huge locuts trees out of my tiny back yard. I have been digging roots out for 2 yrs. now. A couple more big roots then the veggie garden goes in. I did had some veggies growing well last yr. I just realized it is an arboorvitae not a juniper. Does it have sturdy branches or just the spinly ones that grow up? If that is the case say bye bye.

Jami, not sure if these will help
http://www.naturehills.com/product/globe_arborvitae.aspx
http://www.djroger.com/Rhiengoldglobe_arborvitae.htm
http://www.environmental-care.com/plants/globe-ar.html
http://www.ext.nodak.edu/county/cass/horticulture/treeshrub/evrgrshrubs.htm

Gerda

I've been doing a bit of research since I posted this question. I think I'm going to have to find someone to come in with a tractor and bucket and try to pull it out of the ground. I really hate to loose it. I know that the roots on evergreen trees don't grow out past the drip line, but I'm not sure on shrubs. It can be spaded all the way around as far as we get for depth and maybe just baby the heck out of it for a season or so after re-planting in a new spot. OR just get rid of it and put an actual "minature" in it's spot!
Well, I still have a little time before I have to do something, it's almost 1 1/2 months before planting time.
Jami

Wow!! it's a big one!...LOL
My sister has the same problem and after looking the situation over, we came to the conclusion to get rid of it. There was way too much work involved moving it. Arborvitaes don't cost that much, so replacing was cost effective also, complared to moving it. Good luck!

I was thinking on this some more and the one lady I work for has stumps that I have been popping out. They had a row of something along the fence before she got there and they just cut them off at ground level. When I moved here there were big junipers around the house the landlord and I used a pickup, rope, chain, and shovels and heave ho out they came. Dig down if you can and find the roots then chop w/pruners or ax if you can and heave ho w/chain around it. I know I am leaning tward destruction but unless you want to hire a professional to move it which as Bear said is spending way too much $ on a shrub. according to the sitee Gerda put in they grow slow so it must have been there a long time. I don't know that much about the round one but the taller ones around here are ok in their place and die off too easily can be ruined by snow and make a network of roots hard to penetrate. I say rip it out and plant pretty flowers or a nice perennial or a trellis with a nice vine or my favorite grow pole beans there are nice ones with pretty red flowers.

Hi there.

An alternative to ripping it out is pruning it. I know you can chop the top off the tall arborvitae and no harm is done, so give it a try. If it's too ugly after trimming, yank it.

I would definately try to trim first, and then keep up on the pruning down the road.

I did this with my junipers at my old house, and it looked soooooo neato. I started at the bottom and limbed them all the way up to the top and trained the tops into balls. It took a couple of years to really look good, but now they look like they grew that way. I wonder if the round arborvitae would do that too. Hmmmmm. If they have branches, you can train them anyway you want them.

Good luck and keep us posted.

No, you can't prune it down too far. Only the wood will be left. It's best to move it if you want to try to save it. The root system is very small. remember the rootball and burlap?
It's hard to have something so small when you want to fill a large space, but you have to keep in mind what it will look like and how much it will grow and spread over the years. It's just a waiting game unless you pay more and buy larger plants.