not the best pic.. i dont think i see any green at all ...

even if there is.. i suspect it might take a decade to green back up properly.. IF AT ALL ...

i wouldn't waste my time on a hope and a prayer .. that they will recover..

get rid of them.. and plant replacements...

whats all the wood work behind.. and the churned up soil... any heavy construction or logging in the immediate area of these trees... or severe canopy changes... as in.. they used to be shaded.. and are now in sun ????

ken

Unfortunately, the one in the picture is toast.

Concur with the above comments. The one shown is dead and will not come back.
Where others are dead on one side and green on the other,
would have to see a picture. I have seen some growing on the edge of a forest that were similar to that, all the limbs on the sunny side. Tree may live for many years like that. If it is just recently unbalanced, it will be more susceptible to uprooting during heavy wind/rain.

Looks like several good cedar fence posts in the making...

It's dead Jim! (think original Start Trek). IMHO, in this case go to planting, and make use of the old trees for something else. They make excellent Fence posts, and that way you and someone else can get some value out of them.

Arktrees

EDIT: Lucky, I had the same thought but got delayed on my submit and you beat me to it.

This post was edited by arktrees on Mon, Jul 22, 13 at 12:31

Thanks for the replies ... I like the Star Trek reference. You're looking at over 30 years of neglect that I'm working to restore. The entire property was covered in brush and vines that basically covered every tree. All of the Cedars are damaged, that picture is the worst of them. The churned up soil is the remnants of the brush after I used a Bobcat to clear the area and the wood pile represents the casualties of neglect.

Don't forget this is an excellent chance to diversify. You got some lemons, now make some lemonade. Your last pic show cedar in a very dry sunny location. PERFECT for American Smoketree and can grow incredible fast, and unique appearance. Then when fall rolls around, you will not be sorry. Not to mention providing habitat, and helping a very threatened species.

Point being, is that while it sucks, there is much good can come of this, and there are many people that will be happy to help you.

Arktrees

Diversity would be a good thing. Don't get too attached to the cedars, if they don't show signs of recovery after a year or so get after them with the chainsaw. People love saving trees but it's very likely the cedars are just as much a symptom of the neglect as were the weeds and vines. In some regions they are quite the pest in any unmown field or pasture.
Btw cedar arbors are nice too if you don't need all those fenceposts.

Thanks everyone. I will definitely be introducing some new species into the yard in the fall and spring, I just didn't want to remove the cedars if there was a chance they could recover. Thx!

If they are not going to endanger anything if they fall and you have some space, a little deadwood, or at least some trunks and stumps left on the ground, make for a much more biodiverse environment than removal of all dead and dying trees. Invertebrates and the birds which feed on them would thank you.