Emerald Cedars In Winter?

Question

I live in a condo and my balcony is located on the southwest corner of the building. I live in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and my building is about 1 km away from Lake Ontario. I have about 30 Emerald cedars that are 6 feet tall in planters that are 2 feet tall. This is the first winter for my cedars since I bought them in the spring. Do I have to use burlap to wrap the cedars in the winter?

Answer 1

Normally, you shouldn’t have to wrap them because Emerald cedars are hardy to your zone. Having said that, however, there are a few reasons why you might want to wrap them. In a container, plants experience weather more like zones one lower because they do not have as much protection from the cold for the roots as plants in the ground. Again, yours should do fine. To be on the safe side, the roots may still require some protection during the most extreme temps in winter by wrapping the container in blankets, bubble wrap, or quilt batting.