06.01.2017 37 060

Thuja western - which winter-hardy varieties should be preferred?

  - not only in its unpretentious nature and needles remaining throughout the year, but also in the ability of the plant to maintain a certain shape. Thuja pyramidal can be considered a living symbol of the species. It is such specimens that are most often found in parks and squares, as part of hedges, in groups and as tapeworms in suburban areas.

Despite the general similarity of plants with a cone-shaped crown, they belong to different varieties and even species. In the middle lane, due to frost resistance, thuja western is preferred, in the south, thuja eastern or ploskovechnochny prevail in the landings.

Features of the structure and vegetation of the western pyramidal thuja

The ancestors of the arborvitae of the western pyramidal form are immigrants from North America, in nature over several tens or hundreds of years growing up to 15-30 meters in height. A cone-shaped thuja may have one or several trunks tightly pressed against each other.

The pyramidal thuja has small scaly needles. Depending on the variety, it either turns brown in winter, or until spring retains its original color.

Since arborvitae are evergreens, modified foliage, even becoming brown or reddish-copper, does not crumble. Her life lasts up to three years, after which the needles die off, and the escape is exposed.

All thujas grow slowly, are characterized by an unpretentious disposition and tolerate a good transplant. Thanks to affordable winter-hardy varieties, pyramidal arborvitae are increasingly settled in summer cottages not only in the middle lane, but also in the north-west of the country, in the Urals and Siberia.

Propagation of varietal plants is carried out vegetatively, using layering or cuttings. The seed method is also possible, but young seedlings do not always retain the features of parental specimens.

Planting a pyramidal thuja in the ground is carried out when the seedlings reach the age of 2–4 years, while young plants take root well and can maintain decorativeness for up to a hundred years.

Conditions for planting and caring for the pyramidal thuja

  Ephedra prefer the sun or partial shade, where the plant receives enough light and forms an evenly dense, beautiful crown. If the thuja falls into a deep shadow:

• branches gradually become sparse;
• the needles lose their saturated color, may turn yellow, and in golden varieties, become greenish;
• the pyramidal shape of the crown is broken.

Pyramidal arborvitae, in the photo, do not need special soil composition or care. The spread of thuja in landscape design was served by their resistance to negative environmental influences, including:

• wind;
• direct sunlight;
• frost
• polluted by working vehicles and industrial enterprises, the air of cities and their immediate surroundings.

However, this does not mean that caring for the pyramidal thuja is unnecessary. Thuja of all varieties is prepared for planting spacious pits, the size of the root system and earthen coma, which are equipped with drainage and filled with a loose mixture based on garden soil, peat and sand.

So that thuja does not lack nutrients, the soil is fertilized with complex specialized compounds for conifers.

In the future, top dressing of shrubs is carried out in spring and less often in autumn, combining with not frequent, but plentiful.

  Ephedra tolerate a lack of soil and drought, but grow better if the ground under them is moist. In dry, hot weather, plants, especially young ones, respond well to fine sprinkling. Abundant mulching of the trunks helps to prevent drying out of the root system. At the beginning of the growing season, thuja is subjected to sanitary pruning and, if necessary, the pyramidal shape of the crown is adjusted.

A small shedding of needles is most often associated with natural processes of renewal, so it should not bother the summer resident.

  If the pyramidal thuja, in the photo, suffered from sunburn or froze in a snowless winter, it is not necessary to wait for it to turn green. A neat haircut, backed up by fertilizer and watering, helps restore decorativeness and repair damage over the summer.

Before the start of winter, the conical crown of the plant is tightly bound, small arborvitae, and also varieties with low frost resistance are covered. This measure allows the conifer to maintain the shape and most of the branches in strong winds, frosts and heavy snow, which can break skeletal branches.

  I can diversify the design of the site with numerous decorative varieties of pyramidal arborvitae and their variegate varieties. Such plants, as a rule, are more demanding than wild ancestors, but with minimal care and the right choice of a site for planting, they decorate the cottage for many years, serve as a hedge or background for low-growing deciduous shrubs, flowering perennials and grasses.

Forms and varieties of pyramidal thuja

Traditionally, more than a dozen pyramidal or cone-shaped western arborvitae are used for landscaping. Among them there are plants, the crown of which is formed in one or more trunks. Most varieties are varieties that change color to brown-brown in winter.

  The most famous thuja of a pyramidal form with invariably green needles is the thuja western Smaragd. A plant with a squat cone-shaped crown reaches a height of 2 meters by the age of 10 years. The maximum possible sizes are twice as large. the name of the culture is due to the emerald shade of needles, which does not change either in summer or in winter.

The decorative form of the western thuja is considered one of the best varieties with a conical crown. The plant has relative winter hardiness, but in the northern regions it can freeze, suffers from the spring sun and needs protection.

  The taller thuja Braband is well known to Russian gardeners due to its frost resistance and universal application. Most often tall, up to 3-4 meters shrubs are used to create green hedges, in group plantings. In order for the thuja to maintain its pyramidal shape, it needs to be trimmed. The variety is characterized by shade tolerance, but does not tolerate periodic spring thaws and frosts, causing damage to needles and wood.

  Like thuja Smaragd, this variety has a golden variegate shape. Such a pyramidal thuja in planting and care does not differ from its green relatives. However, maintaining an elegant yellow crown is easier in a sunny area.

  Since 1904, lovers of coniferous plants can plant on their plots thuya Pyramidilis Compacta with a narrow conical crown, consisting of many highly branched shoots. The branches are tightly pressed against each other and are covered with small green needles. In shape, the needles resemble weakly shiny smooth scales. The maximum height of the plant reaches 8-10 meters.

This form of arborvitae is incredibly widespread and thanks to frost resistance, undemanding nature and a compact by nature crown won the respect of more than one generation of gardeners.

Thuja landing video

Colon-shaped arborvitae are one of the varieties of western arborvitae that are used in landscape design of both public places of rest and personal plots.

Like all arborvitae, it has a good adaptation to various growing conditions.

Characteristic

Among the main characteristics of the thuja, it should be noted:

1. Growth of an adult tree can reach 30 meters. At the same time, it has been growing for about 100 years. In a year it adds up to 20 cm in growth. The diameter reaches 1.5 meters.
2. It is highly resistant to low temperatures, so you can not shelter in the winter season.  But at the same time in very hot weather requires additional watering.
3. It is highly resistant to insect pests and diseases.

Note:  When planting a hedge of thuja, not only a wonderful emerald tone for other plants of various shades appears on the site, but also excellent protection from gusts of wind, dusty and smoky clouds from the road.

4. Amenable to haircut. At the same time, a haircut from above stimulates growth in width, and from the sides - in height.

Landing and care

As a rule, thujas are able to adapt to any growing conditions.

But in order for the trees to grow and develop efficiently, they need additional care, especially if this applies to young seedlings:

• watering once a week;
• in the evening at night, seedlings shelter from the cool;
• regular top dressing, mixes for conifers for fertilizer can be bought in specialized stores;
• loosening of the soil should be done from time to time, in parallel to mulch - cover the ground around the tree with peat, dry grass or sawdust.

Such a layer will not only retain moisture for a longer period of time, but also gradually feed the tree through the root system. As the cold weather approaches, the layer will also protect roots close to the surface from freezing.

Caring for adult plants is also quite simple:

• in long dry weather, trees are watered twice a week and sprayed. This results in additional moistening of the needles twice a day and at the same time dust and dirt are washed off the crown. This should be done in the early morning and evening with twilight;
• fertilizer is carried out in the spring;
• loosening of the earth should also be carried out regularly.

For colony-shaped thuja, animal urine is fatal. Therefore, it is necessary to provide protection from animals.

Rules of breeding at home

  As a rule, gardeners.

Pickled cuttings slightly woody, separating them from the branch by tearing, but not cutting.  The cultivation of future seedlings has its own characteristics, as well as their planting.

1. For germination, the cuttings are placed in a warm room.
2. Cuttings must be lignified.
3. First of all, after harvesting the cuttings, the future seedlings are put into water, then after 2 hours they are placed in the ground.
4. Soil should consist of peat, turf land and sand. River sand is better.
5. Landing is done in the fall season, long before the onset of cold weather.

1. To create a dense, seedlings are planted in an even straight row at a distance of 0.5 meters from each other.
2. The first pruning of seedlings is carried out immediately after planting. At the same time, the height is aligned with the lowest seedling in the entire row. If the planting was in early autumn, then the plant is pruned as early as next spring.
3. At first, you can spend the usual secateurs.  But the older the tree becomes and the thicker its crown, the more powerful the tool is needed. For example, electric scissors.
4. When acquiring a thuja dug from the ground, pay attention to the lump of land held on the root system. It should not crumble, be large. With a pit wide should be wider than an earthen lump. The depth should be 80 cm.
5. With age, the thuja dries out a little and crumbles from below. To hide this annoying flaw, you can plant low-growing densely-growing shrubs (e.g. quince) in front.
6. A way to protect thaw from dogs urine: you can surround the plants with a net or thorny bushes (for example, barberry).
7. For the winter, it is recommended to fix the top of the tree with a rope, as it can deform and spoil the entire appearance of the plant.

What a large columnar thuja looks like and how high it can be, see the following video:

In nature, there are a small number of species of pyramidal thuja.

They come in a variety of sizes and colors of needles. Five species are counted: western, eastern, folded, Korean, Japanese.

But in landscape design, the most common Western species of thuja. And the most popular variety of pyramidal western arborvitae is Pyramidilis compacta.

Species overview

The most popular type of pyramidal thuja is the western thuja.

The maximum height of the tree in nature is 20 meters, in diameter reaches 4 meters.  On the tree you can find flowers and cones of red-brown color, but they are small, barely noticeable.

The crown is green, dark, it becomes lighter downward. In winter, the needles lose their rich hue and turn brown.

Thuja root system is so strong that it can rise and destroy the road surface. The life cycle of western thuja lasts up to 1000 years.

Some varieties may not have a pyramidal shape, but spherical or columnar. In private houses, undersized varieties are grown. The following varieties also belong to the pyramidal thujas:

1. Eastern thuja has a maximum height of 18 meters.

Unlike other species, its branches grow vertically (the rest horizontally). Oriental thuja is easy to grow in its garden, because it is quite unpretentious.

2.   also called giant, is a pyramidal cousin of the thuja western.

Externally, the plant is easily confused with cypress, it is not high, it is developing rapidly. The form of thuja is also pyramidal, the maximum height in nature is 15 meters. Crohn is dark green, emits a pronounced aroma.

3. Korean thuja has a soft, widely branched crown.

The leaves are long, triangular in shape. Leaves shimmer as the outside of the leaves is dark green and the inside is silver.

4. Japanese thuja grows up to 18 meters in height, soft needles.

It is easy to grow a tree, tolerates any temperature and soil well, but it is demanding on the cleanliness of the surrounding air.

Pyramidis compact

Thuja Pyramidilis compact belongs to the western species. The plant is used for:

• creating hedges;
• for a single landing;
• to create compositions along with other conifers.

Growing a plant is not difficult. Thuja actively develops both in the sun and in partial shade.It is grown in Russia in the middle lane, it requires shelter in winter, it is better to tie the crown so that the branches do not break under the weight of snow.

Important to remember:  while the plant is young, the summer sun can burn it with needles, therefore, in the spring-summer period, the crown is shaded.

The soil used is moist, loose, water should not stagnate. When landing, a dense layer of drainage is laid, broken brick, gravel or crushed stone is used.

Choosing the type of soil is better to stay on a fertile loam. During care, it is important not to forget to timely fertilize.

The tree is self-growing, the crown is narrow, pyramidal in shape. The branches are short, horizontal from the trunk.

The maximum height of the plant is 10 meters, the maximum diameter of the crown is 1.5 meters. Thuja grows slowly. In winter and summer, the color does not change color; it remains dark green with a brilliant tint.

Landing and care

  It is better to plant thuja in the garden in spring, the soil should be well-drained, slightly acidic or neutral.

If you choose the wrong landing place, then the thuja can lose its appearance.In the shade, the crown becomes rare, in the bright sun it dehydrates, in drafts it becomes more vulnerable.

The size of the landing pit is selected according to the size of the root system. The root neck remains at ground level. Speaking of caring for a thuja, there are several rules:

• if there is no groundwater nearby - periodically the plant is watered;
• in the spring make mineral and organic fertilizers;
• spring produced (dry shoots);
• in spring, loosening the soil.

In order not to disturb thuja, you must immediately choose a permanent place of growth

Breeding

  and vegetative way. Seed propagation is a more complex and lengthy method, there is a risk that the parental traits will not be transmitted to the young plant.

Harvested seeds are laid out in the fall on the soil, snow falling will accelerate their germination period. In spring, seeds can be buried in the soil and sprinkled with sawdust, protected from sunlight.

Be sure to fertilize with manure. A full-grown seedling will grow in about 4 years.

Lignified or semi-lignified shoots of 2 years ago are cut in June. At the edge of the shoot should remain a piece of an adult tree.

Cuttings are treated with heteroacusin and placed in greenhouse conditions. Soil for growing is prepared from the following components:

• turf land;
• river sand;
• peat.

All soil components are taken in the same amount. The cuttings are planted in the ground to a depth of 2 cm. Periodically, the plant needs to be sprayed. For propagation, cuttings from 20 to 40 cm are used.

See an overview of thuja varieties in the following video:

Dwarf thuja is an evergreen coniferous plant that belongs to the cypress family. These shrubs have long been in great demand among gardeners, as they have a dense crown, which is of great importance in terms of decorative decoration of personal plots, parks or gardens.

This variety of coniferous plants is famous not only for its appearance, but also for its ability to influence human health, because a short, calm walk along the alley seated with thuja helps to calm nerves. Landscape designers include this among the base plants for creating a wide variety of decorative compositions in the garden.

Advantages

Why do a lot of people prefer dwarf varieties:

1. First of all, thuja is a coniferous plant, which means that it is able to delight people's eyes with its lush green needles throughout the whole year;
2. From nature, thujas are able to clean the air well. They enrich the environment with oxygen, due to which, this plant is planted in hospitals, along alleys and parks where people are constantly walking;
3. Low-growing varieties are great for creating hedges, which create a good decorative effect, while reducing the permeability of noise from the street;
4. The plant is unpretentious in terms of caring for it;
5. Dwarf conifers quite easily tolerate temperature changes;
6. By planting thuja on your site, you can create a lot of interesting decorative options.

The most common varieties

This thuja is a stunted variety, has an unusual ball shape, with a diameter of not more than one meter. Small fluffy balls fit very well into the design of the garden, especially if you combine them with other types of plants;

Shrub of small stature with a beautiful branchy crown, which looks very good in the composition of the alpine hill. A feature of this variety is its ability to change colors depending on the time of year. In summer, the crown of thuja Little Champion stands out for its light brown needles, and during the winter colds - it becomes bronze;

Spherical thuja, diameter about 50 centimeters. It grows very slowly, and reaches its maximum size, only 10 years after planting. It is ideally combined with stones;

A low thuja, which has a spherical crown with yellow-green needles in the form of small scales. This variety looks very good in rock gardens (miniature garden). The growth rate is very slow (grows to 50-60 centimeters in height only 10 years after planting);

Specialists who are engaged in the cultivation and cultivation of decorative varieties of thuja advise planting dwarf varieties in areas with poor soil. This must be done so that they do not seek to grow up, and do not lose their usual form.

The right plant choice

To achieve the best decorative effect possible, you need to carefully approach the choice of dwarf thuja, which will grow in the garden. To begin with, experts advise taking into account all the features of the area, and the parameters of the site on which the bush will be planted (soil and sunlight).

When choosing a variety of dwarf thuja, you need to consider the following nuances:

• Endurance to shady places;
• Resistance to severe frosts;
• Exactingness in terms of care;

Before buying a dwarf thuja, you need to pay attention to its appearance. After all, if you buy a plant with defects, in the future it will often hurt and will not be able to fulfill its main task - decorative decoration of the site.

What to look for when buying a shrub:

1. Bare root system -the integrity of the earthen coma on the root system, protects the shoots from the negative effects of low or high temperatures, as well as many other external factors. In addition, you should pay attention to the degree of development of the same root system. If the roots are chopped off, then the plant with a high probability will not take root at all;
2. Roots and trunk -  visual assessment of the state of the seedling also consists in assessing its dryness. If the upper layers of the dwarf thuja will peel off and exfoliate, then most likely such a bush will die;
3. Crohn -  a careful examination of the crown and trunk will help to timely determine the presence of any deviations in the seedling (the presence of diseases or pests). It is immediately clear that buying an unhealthy seedling is not a good idea, because there is no guarantee that it will successfully take root;

Undersized planting

There are no restrictions on the season for planting a dwarf thuja, but according to experts, the best period for planting a thuja is autumn or early spring. If you follow this advice, the shrub will grow stronger and more resistant to environmental influences.

During the planting of the thuja, the root neck should be at the same level with the soil, you can’t immerse it too deeply, but it is also undesirable to raise it above the soil, this can result in plant disease.

If there are areas with stagnant water in the garden (rainfall or thawed snow), then to prevent root decay, it is necessary to create a kind of drainage (a layer of gravel or broken brick spills out at the bottom of the pit, about 20 centimeters high). To create a quality alley from thuja, the distance of landing of thuja should be 1-2 meters.

In the case of planting dwarf thuja as a hedge in one row, it is necessary to observe a distance of about 1 meter (but more accurate measurements should be made taking into account the final size of the bush).

Growing conditions

• A positive feature of the dwarf thuja is its ability to take root on any soil: it can be sand, clay and even turf;
• Low-growing shrubs feel better in the soil with a fairly good layer of humus, and a slightly acidic reaction;
• Good growth rates, low shrubs demonstrate in a sunny or semi-shady place. It is better not to plant them in the shade, since the needles will thin out and the thuja will lose its lush shape and greenery;
• The place of localization of thuja should be chosen at the place where the sun will not shine all day. The shrub does not really like drought;
• Thuja has a positive attitude to wet soil. But do not plant them in areas with abundant accumulation of groundwater. In addition, the thuja tolerates drought quite well, and during a long dry period it is enough to carry out 2-3 irrigation per week in the form of sprinkling so that the needles do not lose their decorative beauty;
• Dwarf thuja can be planted both in open ground and in a pot.

Shrub care

The main methods of caring for dwarf thuja are considered timely and well-organized watering. Within 1 month after landing in the ground, you need to water the thuja at least 1 time per week, making about 10 liters of water. If the weather is dry, the number of irrigations increases to two.

Maintaining a normal level of soil moisture is one of the main conditions that provides a luxurious and lush crown in thuja. During the first three years after landing, it is necessary to regularly loosen the ground near the trunk, but not too deep (no more than 10 centimeters), so as not to damage the root system, which is located almost on the surface.

For mulching dwarf thuja it is better to use peat or sawdust (a layer of about 6-7 centimeters). To prevent damage to the crown in winter, when heavy snowfalls may occur, low shrubs must be tied.

When spring warming sets in, young arborvitae are best placed in the shade in order to reduce the influence of sunlight in order to avoid burns on the needles.

For pruning an adult shrub, it is advised to use a sharp secateurs. Trimming is subject to no more than 1/3 of the plant.

Diseases and possible pests

Thuja rarely suffers from various diseases, unlike other types of plants, but in some cases unexpected yellowing of needles may occur. This symptom may have several reasons:

• Violation of the rules of planting - insufficient or excessive immersion of the root system in the soil;
• Burns from frequent exposure to sunlight;
• The defeat of the needles of a fungal disease.

Such a sign does not necessarily mean precisely the disease. Some varieties of thuja are able to change the color of their crown, depending on the time of year. For example, with the onset of the first winter frosts, needles can acquire a yellow color, but with the advent of spring it again turns green.

The use of dwarf thuja in rock gardens

Rock garden- This is an artificially created landscape composition that recreates in miniature a decorative section of a mountainous area, that is, the place in which conifers occupy not the last place.

For the full creation of a miniature rock garden, it is precisely small varieties of decorative thuja that are distinguished by their compactness and slow pace of development.