How To Master Cedar
Cedars are very aggressive and damaging woody plants on Texas rangelands. There are two major cedar species west of Interstate Highway 35, redberry cedar and blueberry cedar. It is important to know which species you have because the treatments vary. As the names imply, blueberry cedar has blue berries and redberry cedar has red berries. In addition, redberry cedar has small specks of white wax on its leaves and twigs. Blueberry cedar is more common in central and south-central Texas, while redberry cedar is more common in west, west-central and north-central Texas, although it is not uncommon for the two species to occur together.
Controlling cedar is not a one-time job. Livestock and wildlife spread the seeds easily, so you’ll need to check your land occasionally and treat unwanted seedlings. It is very important to control cedar as seedlings and saplings. Controlling mature cedars requires heavy equipment and is usually very expensive. Using these Brush Busters methods, you’ll be able to keep the plants you want and get rid of those you don’t.
Brush Busters recommends three ways to control cedar. Two herbicide treatments – leaf spray and soil spot spray – work best on cedar less than 3 feet tall. The top removal method, which involves cutting the tree at ground level, will control blueberry cedar, but redberry cedar must be grubbed (cut) below the soil surface. These three “select” methods are easy, inexpensive, environmentally responsible, and effective. Your results may vary with the weather and other conditions, but you should be able to knock out more than 7 of 10 cedars treated.