Hi there, My cedar hedge is about 20 ft. high and we planted them 14 years ago. We have had a very hot summer with serious water restrictions. I just noticed that the fronts look beautiful and green but when I pull the branches back the inside of each is brown (3 inches in from the green). I ran my hands inside and copies amounts of the brown leaves pour out. Do you think the hedge is still ok? We were going to have it hedged this fall but then there will be no green left. Will watering more bring back the inside of the cedars?

Each year a portion of the interior needles on evergreen trees will cease to grow and this is normal. In a stressful year, more needles may turn brown as the evergreen attempts to balance the needle load with available soil moisture. Without some outside force causing the needles to fall to the ground, they will remain in the canopy. Interior needles will not recover as this is a natural occurrence. Watering will certainly aid in the evergreens overall health and could limit needle loss in the future. you could also contact your local Extension Service to see of t here are additional conditions impacting your evergreens.