Conifers are quite easy to spot. They have thin, sometimes flat, green bundles of needles. All needles and branches grow in a fascinating spiral pattern which you’ll be able to see if you look closely. Every conifer produces cones, which, if left undisturbed, can stay on them for 10 years; this is an easy way to tell them apart from other evergreen trees, shrubs, and bushes. They can grow very tall, with many conifers reaching 15m or taller if they have the right conditions, in fact, the tallest tree in the UK is a Douglas fir that is currently 61.5m tall. Leaves They’re big, bold, and vibrant, holding their colour year-round and providing a reminder in the lean months that Mother Nature will hold court again shortly.

The new growing tips are called candles. In mid-spring, the long, cylindrical candle tips will have elongated to 2-4 inches. To slow the growth, cut candle tips one-half to one-third. Cedar Tree– coniferous cedars are evergreen trees with magnificent, tiered branching. Their cones grow up to 12cm, which is larger than the cones of many other conifer varieties. They take 20 to 50 years to reach full maturity and can grow to be 8 metres wide (or more) If you plan on planting your conifer in a pot or trough there are several further considerations to make:

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Container-grown conifers can be planted at any time of year, but avoid planting during hot or dry weather unless you are prepared to water well Use 900g (2 lbs) of Conifer & Shrub Fertiliser per tree when planting. Apply 350g (approx 12 ozs) to the soil at the bottom of the planting hole, forking in well. Mix the balance of the fertiliser with the fill-in soil and firm in the tree. The mulch should be done about 6-7 cm deep around the tree, make sure it is as far as possible from the trunk to prevent disease and rotting. The use of composted bark and shredded leaf mulch is highly advisable. Pruning

Trees provide many environmental benefits due to their foliage. (I.e., rainwater absorption, pollution filter, wildlife cover, wind barrier, noise reduction, etc.). When deciduous trees drop their leaves in the fall, many ecological perks remain dormant until spring. Garden conifers offer a varied palette of colors, textures, and forms. They will be outstanding additions for decades. With careful consideration of their mature height and spread when placed in your garden. Make your plant selection based on the following factors: You only have to feed your conifers once a year. Overfeeding can cause problems of its own, so refrain from frequent feeding. Many gardeners get a little over-enthusiastic when pruning their conifers, out of a desire to keep them looking neat and trimmed. RHS Gardening Advice believes that many brown patches are likely to result from adverse growing conditions such as drought, frost, waterlogging or cold, drying winds, all of which could inhibit regeneration from the trimmed foliage.For conifers that change colours through the season, ask soem additional questions regarding what shades you should expect. Some foliages change their colour plainly based on nutritional deficiencies so be sure to supply all the necessary needs. Fertiliser requirements are - bone meal when planting, a light application of fish, blood and bone meal in early summer or liquid Maxicrop seaweed fertiliser monthly from May to September should suffice. For the first couple of winters, it can be helpful to surround the base of the trunk with a straw mat to protect it from cold, harsh winds.

Water thoroughly until water comes out of the drainage holes. Water 2-3 times per week for the first several weeks and then once per week. For further watering, place your finger 5-8cm (2-3in) deep and water if the soil feels dry. Do not overwater. More so than you probably expect: sometimes they require watering twice in the same day during particularly hot spells.Your conifer needs watering when the weather is hot. This may seem obvious (all plants need water!), but it’s easy to forget to water your conifer, thinking that rain will have this covered already. When you are planting a conifer, make sure that the trunk flare (the point where the roots and the trunk meet) is slightly higher than ground level. This will compensate for the tree settling once it has been planted. Build a rim around the newly planted tree that will act as a saucer and allow water to collect around the roots. The right plant, right place: this principle encourages selecting a conifer that works with the natural ecosystem. In short, the plant must thrive in the USDA growing zone and the existing soil and light conditions. Other factors such as available moisture, pH, prevailing winds, and mature size should all be considered. There's a reason why conifers are a common hedge type. It's a small screen to help reduce noise pollution and provide protection from strong winds. They're also one of the most favourable hedge plant types for urban and suburban areas where traffic and air pollution is at its highest.