HELP!! Does RED CEDAR = BAD SOIL?

[gottagardyn]

There is a huge red cedar tree(which grew from a vlounteer) in my front yard-really close to the house and roof.I hate to cut it down because of the shade it gives, but it seems to be poisoning everything in the front yard. Nothing will grow under it-well MOSS will,but I am trying to discourage that with lime.I need some ideas here...I dont have the $$$ to call a tree company to come and cut it down.
Thanks-
GG :p

[drobinson]

We have many red cedars around our fence row behind the house. None are real close to the garden though. It is true that not much will grow under them. Two reasons come to mind that cause this. First, they have a very efficient root system that will suck the moisture almost out of a rock. As evidence of this, you can see them grow along the highway out of rock crevices and survive the hottest summer. This means they will sap your yard or your garden if close enouth. Second, they like acid soil which is why the moss grows. With lime, you may get rid of the moss but eventually you may also kill the cedar tree. Another down side to them, they are a host for the apple rust that ruins nearby apple crops. Orchard owners will not allow red cedars anywhere clost to their apple orchard. Some apple varieties have been developed that are resistant to some degree. Fortunately, red cedar will not sprout back once it is cut down, if you decide to do that. The wood makes great carving projects and is pretty rot resistant. That is, the red heart wood is rot and termite resistant. We used them for fence posts around the yard when I was a kid growing up in southern MO. My first wood carving project was a small boat made out of red cedar. I can still remember the aromatic cedar smell.

[Okie]

Well, they are taking over the pastures here in Oklahoma so they must prefer really poor soil.

[Pharmerphil]

Red cedar, will grow almost anywhere. And I would do a soil test to determine your soils Ph, rather than cut the tree.
The fact that It is growing, and nothing else, tells me that it is your soil keeping anything else from growing.
Cedar will grow in almost any soil, clay, and rocky soil, and in any Ph range, even in the 8 range.
Another thing is the soils Carbon content, which will be twice that of soil away from the area in which cedars thrive.
so the carbo/nitrogen levels are probably way out of Whack
Thujone is present in the needles, yet will only affect the soils top layer, under the canopy