Most gardeners, when choosing evergreen conifers, prefer an unpretentious and very beautiful tree - thuja. In its appearance , thuja has similarities with its closest relatives: juniper and cypress. It is characterized by a pyramidal shape, a rich crown, soft scaly needles and grows like a shrub.
Description of the appearance and characteristics of thuja
In our country, this evergreen tree grows in almost all bands. And this is due to the fact that the thuja can adapt to any weather conditions and climate. This is a compact plant that does not take up much space, but it is surprisingly fluffy. Therefore, it is so often planted in close rows to each other, creating a hedge. The root system of the thuja also has a compact size, growing not in breadth, but in depth.
The representative of the Kiparisovs reaches a height of up to 20 meters, but usually in Russia the height of the plant does not exceed 4 meters. Thuja is a long-lived tree, the maximum recorded age of coniferous beauty is 150 years.
How to plant this evergreen shrub and what to consider when planting it? We will talk about this in our article.
What is the root system of thuja?
Thuja is an unpretentious shrub that quite calmly tolerates different soil composition. But on fertile soil, one can expect more fluffy needles from it. Thuja loves the sun, but not direct sunlight throughout the day. Therefore, it is worth considering the tree planting not only from a design point of view, but also from a biological one.
The penumbra will be the best place for the tree, but the full shadow side will not allow the crown to fluff beautifully. The choice of planting location will not affect either the quality or the growth of the bush: thick thin roots, interwoven with each other, form a compact single system.
Tree planting
After we have decided on the place of residence of our beauty, we proceed to planting a seedling. Getting started:
- Thuja with a closed root system is preferably planted in the spring season. The system can be considered closed when the roots of the plant are placed in special containers, bags or an earthen coma.
- The landing pit should correspond to the size of the root system of the thuja. Typically, the width and depth indicators are 1 meter. The plant needs to provide good drainage, which can be used as pebbles, expanded clay or broken brick.
- The soil mixture should consist of earth in combination with peat or sand, a volume 2 times less than the soil.
- So that the coniferous plant is well received, it is necessary to correctly place the neck of the seedling. It should be located at ground level. If planted higher or lower, the thuja will die.
If you decide to plant young trees in the form of an alley or hedge, then in this case the landing pit will look like a trench. Below is a photo of the thuja root system in a closed type.
Thuja planting with an open root system
An open root system suggests that the roots of the tree are in a natural state, without additional shelters in the form of a pot or container. Landing of such a thuja plan is no different from a closed type, except for one nuance. To avoid freezing of the roots, planting should be carried out exclusively in spring or autumn, but better in spring, since the risk of freezing the plant is minimal. Spring planting will provide the plant with accelerated acclimatization and improved growth.
When planting a tree, it is necessary to take into account the variety to which it belongs. Larger species require more space for the growth of their root system. Therefore, the distance between tree plantings should be calculated with this in mind. Landing pit should be at a distance of 1 to 3 meters from other garden crops.
Evergreen Shrub Care
Depending on climatic conditions, watering is necessary as the soil dries. In the summer, watering should be no less than 3-4 days. This is quite enough for the root system of the thuja. But the crown of the bush should be irrigated twice a day: morning and evening. This will preserve the rich color of the needles and improve shoot growth.
Removing weeds, loosening the soil will ensure the healthy development of the evergreen shrub. When processing the soil, it is important to carefully carry out the work, since the roots of the thuja are superficial, and they can be damaged. The depth of cultivation is allowed to do up to 10 centimeters. To protect the root system of the thuja from unwanted damage, backfilling from peat or sawdust may come to your aid.
What is the most popular variety of thuja
The long-lived tree has a variety of varieties that differ in shape, shade, and developmental features. To decorate their garden plot very often use the thuja variety - Smaragd. For this representative, the crown has a conical shape and saturated light green needles, it is very lush, unlike other species, it does not need regular pruning. This is due to the fact that the shoots grow slowly, but the crown of the tree keeps tight and very aesthetically pleasing. When planting several trees, you should calculate the distance between them so that the size of the root system of the thuja Smaragd does not interfere with each other.
The peculiarity of this arborvitae is that it is very shade-tolerant and can survive low temperatures, up to -40C.
This variety is planted in the ground with the open root system of the thuja Smaragd. When planting a tree, it is necessary to lay a drain so that the roots feel good in the soil. It is important to note that not all varieties of arborvitae need drainage, which has a beneficial effect on the roots and does not allow them to rot. Also, drainage contributes to good air exchange and maintaining thermal conditions.
Conifer pruning
Pruning plants is necessary to correct their shape and update shoots. In spring, the first trimming of thuja begins. Thanks to this, the crown of the tree becomes more magnificent, which serves as a wonderful decoration of your garden. The second time this operation is performed in August, so preparation for the cold season begins.
Trimming is only necessary after the third year of the thuja.
The process itself is as follows: the top of the arborvitae must be cut off already than on the main trunk with needles. Shearing should give the tree a pyramidal shape. As a result of such manipulations, sunlight will evenly propagate along the branches. And the non-bush tree will not be exposed. If you remove young shoots during the first pruning, they will be updated faster, and there will be more of them.
Some professional gardeners use a large net for pruning. This allows you to create a uniform haircut, and, as a result, give the right decorative shape.
If you notice dried branches, then they should definitely be removed.
Mineral fertilizer thuja
Thuja is a very picturesque decorative tree, which is of particular interest to both professional gardeners and plant life lovers. It requires care, like any living creature, but quite ordinary, which even a novice can do.
We have already learned a lot about the care, planting and features of this bush tree. But it is important to note another feature of thuja, which is relevant after the winter period.
It is better to survive the wintering of the thuja in a wrapped state in order to preserve the crown of the tree and its shoots. And at the foot it is necessary to prepare a flooring from peat or sawdust in order to provide the necessary temperature regime throughout the depth of the thuja root system.
Spring top dressing after hibernation with mineral fertilizers will help the plant recover soon and give new shoots growth. Such top dressing is carried out in the morning and evening hours in the first month of spring, in moistened soil.
If during the initial planting of thuja, fertilizer was laid, then for the first two years it will not need to be fed. As soon as the first snow falls in the third spring, mineral fertilizer is already a necessity for the full support of the growth and development of the tree.