How to propagate thuja? Thuja: planting and care. Methods for propagating decorative thuja How to propagate thuja with cuttings in spring

Thuja in our country in natural natural environment does not occur. The plant was brought to Russia from East Asia, and some varieties from the American continent. These evergreen conifers are not capricious at all, and you can grow thuja on your site without any problems. And today we will talk about how to plant a plant and care for it. Special attention we will devote to the question of how to propagate thuja.

Tui reproduction

How to propagate thuja? In general, the propagation of this plant is not a very complicated procedure. There are two main ways: shifts and vegetatively.

At seed propagation plants turns out quality material. But it is impossible to be sure that young plants will repeat all the maternal signs. Only some types of thuja during seed propagation can become clones of a donor plant, but for the most part hybrids grow. That is why the reproduction of thuja in a vegetative way is considered the most successful way.

seed propagation

To do this, you will need fresh seeds that were collected in the autumn, since they lose their germination capacity a year after collection. At the beginning of winter, they are planted in boxes using a special planting mixture:

• ¾ - turf (leaf) land;
• ¼ - sifted sand;
• ¼ - peat.

Then the box is transferred to the basement for about 3 months. After this period, the seeds are taken out into the light and left in a warm place, where they germinate. Seedlings need to be shaded.

Young growth develops very quickly, but before planting it must be gradually “accustomed” to sunlight and air. Tui tolerate landing well. The optimal period for this is the beginning of summer.

If the root system was damaged during planting, then this is not a problem. Such a landing defect will help in the future to obtain a denser bush shape.

For vegetative propagation, several methods are used.

Division

This is the most preferred way to propagate thuja if you plan to plant multi-stem varieties. In order to get good root system, thuja is planted to a depth of at least 15 centimeters and spud. it perfect option for breeding in summer period, then the roots will form by autumn. And the plant can be dug up, divided into seedlings and planted.

Horizontal layers

How to propagate thuja in this case? The main disadvantage of this method is that the resulting plants cannot be guaranteed to repeat the appearance of the donor plant. Seedlings rooted in this way may turn out to be somewhat crooked. But with proper care for several years, they get desired shape. To get a horizontal layer, the parent branch is bent to the ground and dug in. Rooting will take at least a year.

cuttings

How to propagate thuja cuttings? Plant cuttings can be started as early as the end of April, as planting material necessary until the swelling of the kidneys. If for some reason it was not possible to get cuttings in the spring, then another favorable period is the second half of June. At this time, the plant stops growing shoots. In order for the plant to take root successfully, it is better to cut two- or three-year-old shoots, but younger branches can also be used.

Thuya needs to be well rooted. In order for the plant to be able to go through this stage without problems, there are several rules.

1. The length of the handle should not be more than 20 centimeters.
2. At its base should remain a "heel". This is the name of the part of the wood of the donor plant. Therefore, if the bark remains on the handle, it is not necessary to remove it.
3. Be sure to treat the planting material with a solution of heteroauxin.

Thuja: planting and care

Thuja feels good almost anywhere, but in full shade the crown of the plant often becomes more rare. It also does not impose special requirements on the composition of the soil. It can be peaty soil, and soil with clay content, and even dry sandy loam. The main thing is that the earth is well aerated. If you plan to plant a tree on heavy, waterlogged soils, then it is necessary to drain the earth. When transplanting thuja, be sure to ensure that the earthen ball is not broken. Young plants are much easier to tolerate planting.

landing pit

In order for the plant to be able to fully develop, the planting pit must be at least 70 centimeters deep. This figure depends on the size of the earthy coma and the height of the adult plant.

Sod land, peat and sand are used as a soil mixture in a ratio of 2: 1: 1. It is also necessary to add 100 grams of nitroammophoska. The root neck should not be buried, but located at ground level.

Distance between plants

When group planting between individual thujas, a distance of three to five meters should be maintained. It depends on the size of the crown of an adult specimen.

top dressing

Feed the trees in spring period. For this, full complex fertilizers are used. A good option is Kemira-station wagon. Consumption rate - 50-60 grams per square meter.

If full fertilizer was applied directly at planting, then the next top dressing can be carried out after 2 years.

Watering

Thanks to lush crown thuja evaporates a huge amount of moisture. It is absolutely impossible to allow the earth to dry out at the base of the plant. Watering must be carried out even in the autumn.

In the first month of plant life, a seedling is watered in a permanent place once every 7 days at the rate of 10-50 liters per plant. The volume of water depends on the size of the thuja. Useful for trees and sprinkling.

loosening

Kidney in trunk circle needs to be plowed constantly. But remember that the thuja has a superficial root system, so the depth when loosening is no more than 10 centimeters.

The base of a young thuja is recommended to be covered with mulch. It can be peat, tree bark, wood chips or compost. This technique helps protect the root system of the plant from excessive heating and drying out in the summer, and from freezing in winter.

In the first few years, trees need to be covered to protect the plant from spring and winter burns. Adult specimens are characterized by good winter hardiness. The only thing that can be recommended is to tighten the crown of high thujas on winter period twine. Then they are guaranteed not to be broken by heavy wet snow.

Thuja, the care of which, as you can see, is not too burdensome, will be an excellent decoration for your garden.

Thuja is an evergreen coniferous plant from the cypress family, which, depending on the variety, can be a small shrub or large tree. The “tree of life”, which came to us from East Asia, has become popular among landscape designers and gardeners for the ability to create magnificent sculptural compositions from it using pruning.

Thuja can propagate by seeds, but this process takes a very long time. Much faster plant can be propagated by cuttings. For experienced gardeners it is not difficult, but beginners need to study all the stages of the process of propagation of thuja by cuttings in the fall.

Thuja, beloved by gardeners, can be spherical, pyramidal or cone-shaped. Its needles can have shades from emerald green to dark green. Mature trees are strewn with scaly leaves that resemble oblong cones consisting of paired scales. In young plants, the leaves are soft and very similar to needles.

The most common ornamental varieties thuja are:

How to propagate thuja cuttings?

Cutting process:

For rooting, the branches are planted in river sand-filled boxes with holes in the bottom. In order for excess moisture to drain well, the prepared container is installed on bricks or bars, which should not block the bottom.

River sand should be boiled before use. To do this, a bucket or other galvanized container with sand is filled with water and placed on the stove. Boil the sand over low heat for five minutes. After that, everything must be cooled and drained. Next, the sand is poured into a flatter container (trough) and disinfected with a 3% solution of potassium permanganate.

Drainage is laid at the bottom of the box, and then sand is poured out. The cuttings are planted in holes, the depth of which should be no more than 1.5 cm. The soil around the branches is well compacted and spilled with water.

Seedling boxes with cuttings are placed in the shade so that they are not burned by the sun's rays. For rooting thuja is necessary temperature not less than 17C and high humidity air. Therefore, if frosts are expected, then the seedlings must be covered. plastic wrap. When the temperature is established, the film can be removed and the boxes covered with gauze.

While the boxes are covered with foil, the cuttings should be carefully watered daily. Seedlings covered with gauze are not watered, but sprayed twice a day with a spray bottle. This is done so that the gauze gets wet well.

By autumn, thuja cuttings should build up a good measles system, and they will need to be planted in the garden on a separate bed. To do this, prepare acidic soil mixed with peat.

At the end of November, the ground near the roots of young plants must be covered sawdust, spruce branches or leaves. The trees themselves are recommended to be wrapped in foil. In this case, frost will not damage them and in the spring they will begin to grow.

On the permanent place Thuja is best planted in spring on well-drained neutral or slightly acidic moist soils. In this case, sites for it must be selected in accordance with the following recommendations:

The size of the planting hole should match the size of its roots. At the bottom of the pit, drainage is first poured, then a layer of peat, sand and soddy soil. root collar plants should remain at ground level.

On a properly selected site, thuja practically does not need to be looked after. If the level ground water will be sufficient, then after rooting the tree can not even be watered. A newly planted plant is watered for a month once a week with 10 liters of water.

In spring, thuja is fed with mineral and organic fertilizers. With proper care, in a year the plant can reach a height of 50 cm.

If someone has a thuja growing in the garden, then it can be propagated quite easily by cuttings in the fall. Varieties and forms of this unpretentious tree there is a lot. They were bred in order to be able to grow such beauty on personal plot, in the garden or decorate city parks with them.

In modern landscape design coniferous plants occupy a special place. Conifers are beautiful on their own. They can be not only independent soloists, but also perform a wide variety of auxiliary functions: serve as backstage for flowering plants, form green fences and screens, create harmony and beauty on the site.

A special place among coniferous plants belongs to Tuya. She is a member of the cypress family. Tui differ from each other in the shape of the crown, the color of the needles and geometric dimensions.

Thuja is one of those plants that you can easily propagate yourself. There are such methods of reproduction of thuja: seeds and cuttings. Consider these methods, since each of them has its own disadvantages and advantages.

Reproduction by seeds

The advantage of thuja seed propagation is that plants grown in this way are more tolerant of atmospheric changes and disease resistant. The disadvantage is that growing from seed takes longer than from cuttings. It can last from 3 to 6 years. In addition, thuja grown from seeds do not always retain their qualities. mother plant.

Training

For planting, you need to stock up on seeds, collecting ripe, but still unopened cones at the end of August.

They are placed in heat so that they open up. After a few days, seeds are collected from the opened boxes and placed in a linen bag. . It must be said that seeds remain viable for 2-3 years if stored in a dry place.

As soon as winter comes, the seeds in the bag are buried in the snow. This will be the stratification of seeds in the cold.

Sowing

With the onset of spring, the seeds are removed from the snow and planted in containers or on a bed with a prepared mixture of sand and peat (1: 1) to a depth of 2 cm. Topped with coniferous sawdust or peat and watered regularly.
When the seeds germinate and shoots appear, they must be handled very carefully: shade, fertilize with a weak solution of mullein or special fertilizer for conifers, weed and loosen the soil.

With the onset of winter, containers with seedlings can be moved to the basement. If the seedlings are in the garden, they must be covered with spruce branches. Only at the age of three, grown plants can dive. They are transplanted to a permanent place in the fifth year, preferably in the spring.

Propagation of thuja cuttings

The main advantage of cuttings is that in a very short time (3 years) you can get a fully formed plant. In addition, it will retain all the qualities of the type of thuja in which the cuttings were cut.
Disadvantages: the survival rate of conifers grown from cuttings is less than from seeds. They are more sensitive to diseases and sudden changes in temperature.

Material selection

Propagation of thuja by cuttings is best done in early June. Cuttings are cut from strong, well-developed branches of two years of age. The length of the harvested shoots should be about 20 cm. It is better not to cut the stalk, but to break it with your hands so that a “heel” remains on its tip - a piece of wood with bark.

Preparation of cuttings

The cuttings are placed in water for several hours. For better rooting of cuttings, a root growth stimulator is added to the water - heteroauxin (100 mg per 0.5 l of water) or zircon (1 ampoule per 10 l). You can additionally powder with root.

For the rapid rooting of the cuttings, it is very important to properly prepare the soil in which the cuttings will be planted. The optimal composition of the soil consists of: river sand, sod land and peat in equal parts. All components are thoroughly mixed and disinfected with a solution of potassium permanganate. The solution should be burgundy.

When the soil dries, fill the greenhouse with it and plant the prepared cuttings. The cuttings are deepened by 2 cm and squeeze the soil around them with your fingers. The distance between the cuttings is 5-7 cm. The greenhouse is covered with plastic wrap and placed in partial shade.

Cutting Care

In order for the cuttings to take root quickly, it is necessary to maintain a temperature of 20 degrees in the greenhouse. Spraying the cuttings regularly warm water, a constant humidity will be maintained in the greenhouse. In addition to irrigation, the greenhouse must be regularly ventilated. After about two months, roots appear on the cuttings. From now on, they need to be hardened and fertilized. It is best to use fertilizer for conifers. By the end of autumn, the seedlings will noticeably get stronger and grow up.

In order for the plants to successfully survive the winter, they are covered with spruce branches. Sawdust and leaves will not work, as they create an ideal breeding ground for mold and other disease-causing bacteria. It is also impossible to cover with a film, since during thaws the seedlings under it can sweat.

Planting seedlings

In the spring, after removing the shelter, all dead cuttings are removed. And those that remain can be planted in a permanent place. Although thuja belongs to picky cultures, for the formation beautiful crown She needs lighting. This must be remembered.

Now, knowing how thuja reproduces at home, you can easily grow wonderful ornamental plants and implement your ideas for landscaping your backyard.

The evergreen beauty has many fans around the world. Many owners of summer cottages and household plots are happy to decorate their territories with this culture, and therefore the issue of shrub propagation does not lose its relevance.

How to propagate thuja

There are only 2 ways to propagate thuja: seeds and cuttings. The seed method is not so popular and is used less often, because cultivation is delayed for several years. But the latter option is very common, since, according to many gardeners, it is much better and more convenient. Consider the features of this method.

Video: thuja propagation methods

When to cut thuja: optimal timing

On the question of when it is better to propagate thuja cuttings at home: in spring, summer, autumn or winter, experts differ a little. Someone claims that it is better to do it in winter, and someone says that the ideal time is in the spring.

But despite such disagreements, the propagation of thuja by cuttings in the summer is the most the best option. The thing is that the event held in the summer allows the branches of the shrub to fill up with strength, adapt and take root normally for transplanting to a permanent place next season.

Important! Thuja should be propagated at home by cuttings in the summer when the growth of the shoots has stopped.

How to cut thuja cuttings

For reproduction, it is necessary to choose a healthy shrub, you can not take branches from a sick and weak tree. It is also not recommended to take cuttings from side shoots, as it is possible to get a twisted seedling.

For reproduction of thuja, a normally developed skeletal branch in the upper part of the shrub is ideal. For the cutting, you should choose two- or three-year-old lignified growths about 10-15 centimeters long, which are located at the ends of the shoots.

The stalk must be sharply torn off along with a small piece of wood with last year's bark, which is called the "heel" (it is recommended to tear it off from top to bottom). Thanks to the “heel”, the branch will be able to take root faster, as it contains useful material that the plant has accumulated. When peeling the bark on the handle, it is necessary to slightly clean this place with a knife.

In the photo, a correctly cut thuja stalk:

Advice! With strong lignification, you can use a secateurs, it will help to carefully remove the material.

How to prepare thuja cuttings for rooting

First of all, excess needles should be removed from the handle in order to prevent decay. To do this, it is necessary to cut the branches from the lower part and lightly strip the bark. And with an abundance of branches, you can make the needles a little shorter in other places.

After these manipulations, the branches must be placed for about 12 hours in a solution of the drug to stimulate growth and root formation (for example, Epin, Kornevin preparations).

Note! Storage of cuttings is not allowed, as they may deteriorate and become unsuitable for planting. But if for some reason you do not have the opportunity to root, then you can wrap the branches with a damp cloth and leave them in a dark, cool place.

Soil preparation

As a soil for rooting cuttings, it is optimal to use light soil with good drainage properties or ordinary river sand (the main thing is that it is clean). If the first option is more suitable for you, then you can prepare the substrate yourself: you should mix sand, peat, and leafy soil in equal proportions.

For seating it is necessary to use containers with a small depth. They must have aeration and drainage holes. Containers or seedling cassettes are ideal for this purpose.

When using sand, it must be boiled for five minutes before use and be sure to cool. When using both sand and soil mixtures, it is necessary to add a three percent solution of potassium permanganate and mix.

After that, place expanded clay or other small stones on the bottom of the container. Now you can shift the soil or sand into prepared containers.

Direct rooting process

When rooting thuja cuttings, you must adhere to the following step by step instructions:

1. Lightly treat the roots of the cutting in the Kornevin preparation.
2. Insert them into the ground at an angle of 45 degrees to a depth of about one and a half or two centimeters. The optimal distance between the cuttings is five centimeters.
3. Then you should slightly compact and water the plant.
4. Cover the containers with foil or a plastic bag. You can also place a branch in a plastic cup and cover with the same cup on top.

Note! Some time after the event, new shoots will begin to appear on the plant. This means that rooting was successful.

Video: rooting thuja cuttings in a cup.

non-standardmethod of rooting cuttings in potatoes

Some gardeners practice another no less interesting way propagation of thuja by cuttings - rooting in potatoes. Potato nutrients and starch have a beneficial effect on the twig, helping to take root successfully.

To do this, take a few healthy, fresh potatoes, wash them, remove the eyes, then make a hole about 4 cm long in them with a nail. After that, it is necessary to place the thuja stalk in the hole of the potato. Pour in wooden boxes fertile soil and place the potatoes in the soil. Cover the thuja in the potato plastic bottle with cut bottom. Then you can unscrew the cap of the bottle and water.

There is also a method of rooting in a jar of water, but it is not very productive, it is better to do this in a substrate.

How to care for planted thuja cuttings before planting in a permanent place

Optimum temperature content - + 18-23 degrees. Humidity should be high - about 70-75%. Storage should be carried out in a warm place, which is exposed to diffused light (direct rays are dangerous!). And the greenhouse itself must be regularly ventilated.

Water the plant as carefully as possible to avoid exposing the “heel” and getting moisture on the needles. For delicate watering, a spray bottle is ideal. Water only when the top layer of soil or sand dries out and remember that an abundance of moisture can adversely affect the plant.

In autumn, after successful rooting, seating should be done in larger flowerpots or in open ground on a special bed (if the weather allows). If you want to plant in flowerpots, then you should prepare a nutrient substrate: just mix garden soil with high-moor peat. After that, be sure to regularly water, feed, eliminate weeds near the coniferous plant.

Video: rooted cuttings of thuja smaragd four months after planting open ground.

Important! In late canopy around November, small thuja should be able to endure the winter cold normally. For this purpose, sawdust, leaves, spruce branches are perfect.

After the winter cold, the covering material can be removed. But you need to do this only if you are sure that the frosts will not return. Continue to do the care that was carried out for the thuja cuttings earlier.

If you dream of decorating your site with lush and luxurious shrubs, then the method of propagating thuja with cuttings is perfect for you. It can be done independently at home without any problems and difficulties. This method is inexpensive and economical, and correct execution gives excellent results. Good luck in breeding and growing thuja!

Video: how to properly propagate thuja cuttings at home

In contact with

The homeland of thuja is East Asia. In our latitudes, thuja has gained popularity due to its unpretentiousness and dense dense crown. Thuja is easy to cut, so it is possible to give it any shape. Thanks to this feature, thuja is used in many landscape compositions.

Thuja serves as material for hedges, whole alleys are planted with it. For such plantations, tens and hundreds of young trees are required, so the issue of rapid reproduction of the plant is relevant.

The most popular way that is suitable for thuja is propagation by cuttings in the spring. Despite the fact that trees are less hardy with this method of propagation compared to seedlings, it is much more popular. This is explained as follows:

• propagation by cuttings allows you to preserve the characteristics of the mother plant;
• seeds coniferous trees need natural stratification, which takes a lot of time. The process of growing seedlings from seeds ready for planting lasts about 6 years;
• propagation of thuja by cuttings in the spring allows you to get ready-made seedlings for planting in a permanent place in 2-3 years.

The vegetative breeding method of thuja also has disadvantages. In the process of growing seedlings, only 70-80% of plants from the total number of harvested cuttings survive. If you do not follow the rules for the reproduction of coniferous plants, then this percentage will be even less.

How to prepare spring cuttings

In order for the cultivation of thuja from cuttings in the spring to be fruitful, it is necessary to properly prepare the cuttings.

To harvest spring cuttings, you need to take the tops of the axial shoots of the thuja. Such branches retain the character of branching, which is inherent in this species. If you take a cutting from a side branch, you get a creeping form of a plant.

The best period for separating cuttings from the mother plant is the spring month of April. At this time, the first phase of plant growth occurs. The plant from which the shoot is taken must be 2-3 years old.

In order for the thuja to have a better chance of taking root, while it is not possible to grow this plant from a cutting with a 100% probability with this method of reproduction, you need to correctly separate the cutting. To do this, it must be torn off manually, without using a pruner. You need to tear off with a sharp movement. The detachable part should be 20 cm long. When a branch is pulled out, a piece of last year's wood remains at its end, which contains nutrients.

Important! To root the thuja, you can collect planting material in the summer, for example, in June. But such harvests will grow for a season longer until they are fully ready for planting, since they will, in fact, “oversleep” the harvesting season. In June, thujas are experiencing a second period of growth.

Primary preparation of harvested thuja cuttings - cleaning small twigs and needles from the bottom of the cuttings. This is done so that they do not come into contact with sand or wet soil, because in this case they will begin to rot.

Features of rooting cuttings in the spring

After harvesting, it is necessary to root the thuja cuttings in the spring. Before this, young shoots must be disinfected. For this purpose, they are immersed in a weak solution of manganese for several minutes, after which they are placed in Kornevin or another growth stimulant for one day.

Existing rooting methods, which one is suitable for spring

The next step in the process of rooting a thuja from a branch is placing the cutting in an environment where it can take root. There are several ways to root thuja:

• in the substrate;
• in water;
• in a diaper with moss.

For cuttings harvested in spring, the most the best way rooting in the substrate is considered. Twigs need a lot of moisture and at least a minimum nutrients. In water and in a diaper with moss, there are not enough nutrients for the growth of thuja.

How to prepare the substrate for the cutting

In the question of how to plant a thuja branch, the substrate in which the cutting will be placed plays an important role. The substrate should be pure river sand or a mixture of sand and garden soil that need to be disinfected.

To disinfect river sand, it is placed in a galvanized bucket or tank and boiled by placing it in a large container of water. After that, the sand is watered with a 3% solution of potassium permanganate. After completing these procedures, sand can be used in the substrate for planting thuja cuttings.

Some perform sand disinfection after placing it in a planting container. Sand is poured with boiling water, and then with a solution of potassium permanganate.

How to "plant" a spring stalk

After preparing the desired substrate, the next task lies ahead - how to root the thuja cuttings in the spring. The procedure to be followed is:

• prepare seedling containers with large quantity drainage holes;
• lay a drainage layer on the bottom of the tank - chopped expanded clay or gravel;
• a substrate is laid out on the drainage layer - river sand or a mixture of river sand with garden soil;
• prepared cuttings are deepened into the substrate to a depth of 1-1.5 cm and compact the soil around them.

Did you know? When new shoots begin to appear on the handle planted in the substrate, it means that it is well rooted.

Proper care of cuttings is the key to success

The next thing you need to know when exploring the question of how to grow a thuja from a cutting is the rules for care after planting. As the landing takes place in early spring, outdoor temperature too low for young branches. Therefore, planted cuttings are placed in a greenhouse, in a shaded place or in a spunbond greenhouse.

The temperature for growing thuja from cuttings should be between 17 and 23 degrees. Spraying of seedlings should be carried out daily, and if the weather is hot, then the substrate must be moistened twice a day.

Important! Water should not get on the leaves of the thuja during spraying, as this can cause them to rot.

Two months after landing and proper care cuttings should release the first roots. When this happens, the risk of the cuttings drying out is greatly reduced.

What to do when the cuttings take root

After the cuttings planted in the spring take root, they must be transplanted for growing into a special garden bed - shkolka. In shkolka, thuja seedlings spend 2-3 years until they are ready for transplanting to a permanent place. Twigs planted in the soil in the spring are placed in a shkolka in the same year, in September.