Ephedra are very popular for decoration, both the urban part and private estates, decorating the territory throughout the year. Among the variety of coniferous representatives, thuja, planting and care in the open field for which does not require large labor costs, is the biggest favorite among landscape designers and summer residents.

Common plant varieties

The genus of evergreen shrubs, and sometimes trees, belonging to the Cypress family, includes 5 species:

  • thuja western;
  • thuja Korean;
  • folded thuja;
  • thuja japanese;
  • thuja sichuan.

The most common variety that can be found in park areas, near the entrances to administrative buildings and in private areas, is thuja western, characterized by slow growth rates, resistance to frost and winds.

Of the many and varied varieties of evergreen centenarians, the following stand out:

  1. "Smaragd" is a stunted cone-shaped bush, not exceeding 2 m, with weak branching. Branches grow vertically, being at a considerable distance from each other.
  2. “Brabant” is a cone-shaped variety with a considerable height of 15-21 m, at which the diameter of the widest section of the crown can reach 4 m.
  3. "Danica" - a thuja spherical dwarf form with a peeling bark of a reddish color. With the onset of winter, green scales of needles are tinted with a light brownish tone.
  4. "Woodward" is a stunted spherical coniferous form distinguished by insignificant maximum dimensions - height - 2.5 m, width - 5 m.

Outdoor landing

Despite the unpretentiousness of the thuja, the evergreen beauty needs a competent approach already at the planting stage, on which the success of further cultivation of the plant largely depends.

How to choose seedlings?

Planting material should be purchased in nurseries or specialized points of sale, focusing on the purpose of the purchase: adult specimens are immediately purchased for the design of the site, and if there is time, then you can opt for young plants that also take root well. When choosing a seedling, it is examined for spots, lesions by diseases and pests.

Important! High-quality planting material should have elastic shoots with well-kept needles and moistened rhizome.

Soil preparation and location

The site for the arborvitae is selected with a slight shade: access to direct sun leads to drying of the shoots, which negatively affects the wintering, and an excess of shade harms the decorative qualities of the conifer, expressed in slower growth, loss of intense color and splendor. A high level of groundwater occurrence is not intimidated by thuja, however, in combination with heavy soils, stagnation of water can be observed, which is not permissible when growing a crop. In this case, a drainage layer of 15 cm of crushed brick is placed on the bottom of the hole. The culture is undemanding to the composition of soils, while preferring loose and fertile soil, consisting of spring soil, peat and sand in equal parts.

How and when to plant?

The planting time for seedlings is extended: the procedure is carried out from spring to autumn. The optimal time is considered the second half of spring, when the planted bushes are able to adapt more quickly in the new environment and take root. Thuja planting in autumn has certain risks due to the uncertainty that the plant will have enough time to take root in the chosen place before the onset of cold weather.

Landing is carried out according to the following scheme:

  1. Landing pits are dug at a certain distance, depending on the characteristics of the variety and purpose, of such a size that plants along with a soil lump are freely placed in them.
  2. A drainage layer is organized at the bottom of the hole, which is sprinkled with a small amount of soil with wood ash and organic matter in the form of compost.
  3. The seedling is lowered into the pit so that the root neck is flush with the ground.
  4. Thuja is covered with a substrate of earth, sand, peat.
  5. The soil around the trunk is compacted and watered well.

Advice! With an open rhizome, the conifer is planted in the spring for successful rooting. Plants from tanks with soil mixture are planted throughout the growing season.

Thuja: outdoor care

Proper care of the thuja involves the implementation of a set of measures designed for the full growth of the bush.

Watering, loosening and mulching

The conifer responds excellently to irrigation, especially to sprinkling. Only the planted seedling must be watered every week with a water volume of 10-50 liters, depending on its size. In the case of sprinkling, not only the earth is moistened, but also dust is removed from the crown, thereby providing the plant with free access to air and accelerating all physiological processes. After irrigation, the soil in the near-stem circle loosens to a depth of 10 cm so as not to damage the surface roots. Mulching is carried out using peat, compost or pine bark to protect the roots of the plant from overheating or hypothermia.

Caution! Mulch should not cover the trunk or lower shoots, which can begin to sing under it.

Top dressing

Additional nutrition of the conifer is carried out by the spring application of complex mineral fertilizers with a norm of 50-60 g / m2. If fertilizers were applied during planting, the first top dressing is organized only in the third year of growth.

Crown formation

Pruning stimulates branching of shoots: the more often it is carried out, the greater the density and splendor of the crown. The timing of trimming is not strictly regulated, however, according to experts, it is better to carry out the procedure in the early spring before the buds open. Single landings need sanitary and thinning haircuts.

Formative pruning is required when using the thuja as a "green" fence or in group landings, while:

  1. The formation of the crown is carried out after the thuja reaches the desired size and age of three years.
  2. As a rule, the plant is cut twice - in the spring and early autumn.
  3. When pruning, it is cut to more than ⅓ of the shoot so as not to weaken the plant.

How to transplant?

If it becomes necessary to transfer the conifer, which transfers the transplant fairly easily, from one place to another it is worth considering the age of the bush:

  • If the specimen is small, then the soil at a distance of half a meter from the trunk is pierced with a shovel, after which the plant is removed with an earthen lump and transported in a wheelbarrow so that the lump does not destroy.
  • Large specimens are pierced a year before moving, so that they can grow young roots in a limited area - during this time, the soil will hold together well, and the procedure will pass for the crop with virtually no stress.

Winter preparations

From mid-autumn, watering and feeding are stopped so that the thuja begins to prepare for the dormant state. Before reaching the age of five, young plants require shelter from the spruce branches, before which the plant grows, and the near-trunk zone is mulched with a thick layer of peat.

Important! Adult specimens do not need to be covered, however, mulching that protects the root from freezing is required at any age.

Pest and Disease Control

The shoots and needles of the culture are often affected by such fungal diseases as fusarium, shute, cytosporosis. As measures to combat the beginning of spring, Bordeaux liquid or antifungal fungicides are used. Three-time processing is carried out with an interval of half a month. Of the pests on thuja, false shields and aphids are noted, which often cause yellowing and dumping of needles. For protection, a single treatment with an insecticide is carried out in early spring and after the arrival of summer, twice spraying with a two-week time interval.

Thuja breeding

Since varietal characters are not preserved with the generative method of reproduction, the vegetative methods of thuja cultivation — cuttings and division of the bush — are most often used.

Cuttings

To propagate a plant in this way:

  1. In June, cuttings in the form of lignified three-year-old shoots 30 cm long or semi-lignified parts of the current season of 15 cm are separated with a heel from the mother plant.
  2. Separation sites are treated with a stimulant for root formation.
  3. Cuttings are placed in a light and loose substrate, pre-disinfected with a potassium permanganate solution, to a depth of 3 cm.
  4. Landings are covered with plastic wrap.
  5. After root formation and hardening of the cuttings, the film is removed, and new plants with cooling are covered with dry foliage, go sawdust.

Bush division

The procedure is advisable to apply to bushy undersized forms. For successful propagation by this method, it is enough to carry out work as in transplantation, but only with a small nuance: the rhizome with an earthen lump is divided into several parts.

Thuja in landscape design

Many forms enable lovers of conifers to put into practice various ideas for decorating parks, squares and summer cottages:

  • Tall varieties are used to form hedges;
  • The undersized representatives are excellently suited for borders demarcating recreation areas.
  • Spherical forms of thuja are often found when decorating alpine slides.
  • Group plantings of thuja with needles of different colors contrast well in parks and squares.
  • Thujas decorate patios for air purification.

 

With minimal maintenance, an elegant evergreen tree will adorn the garden for many years.

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