According to a K-State Research and Extension Agronomy eUpdate from Range Management Specialist Walt Fick, Eastern red cedar is an invasive coniferous tree found throughout much of Kansas. They are both male and female trees. Eastern red cedar has been commonly planted in shelterbelts. Birds undoubtedly eat the seeds and spread the plant along fence lines, under power lines, along roadsides, and in range and pasture land. Fall and early winter is a good time to start planning a control program for eastern red cedar on range and pasture in Kansas. The tree infests grasslands throughout the state. It can be especially common on rangeland or pasture that has not been burned for several years. If left uncontrolled, eastern red cedar can completely take over grasslands, intercepting rainfall and reducing forage production. The annual rate of red cedar invasion can be remarkable. Eastern red cedar is a non-sprouting plant. It does not re-sprout from belowground plant parts like hedge or honey locust. This simplifies the control measure, in some ways. There are three principal methods of controlling eastern red cedar. In order of preference, the methods are: prescribed burning, mechanical control, and chemical control.
Prescribed burning: Fire can kill or damage eastern red cedar if there is enough fuel to carry the fire. A normal fire will control red cedars that are less than three to four feet tall. It normally grows about 6-12 inches a year, so as long as grassland managers burn every 3 to 4 years, that should keep most or all of the red cedar under control. Fire may not kill the entire plant, but if at least two-thirds or three-fourths of the needles are scorched, the plants will eventually die. If only half or less of the needles are scorched, the plants will probably survive. The most difficult situations are when there is a thick stand of red cedar, or many of the plants are more than four feet tall. Under these conditions, fire will probably not be acceptably effective. Late summer rest should be used in grazing management to allow accumulation of enough fine fuel to ignite trees when the prescribed burn occurs. Smaller cedar trees can be cut and stacked under large trees. They can serve as ladder fuels taking fire from the ground up into the canopy of larger trees. Burning can take place just about any time, but February to March might be ideal as trees are dry and seem to ignite easily. Timing of the prescribed burn depends on your objectives.
