Thuja planting and care in the open field in the Leningrad region

Many people dream of their own personal plot, where they can have a great time with their family or with close friends. The dacha is the place that should be cozy, because people come here to relax not only in body, but also in soul. Thuja is an evergreen coniferous plant that is used in landscaping to decorate the backyard. The tree is unpretentious, so it is very easy to care for it. But in order for the plant to normally take root in a new place and delight you with its beauty, you need to know what a thuja is, planting and caring for which in the Leningrad region are quite simple.

general information

Depending on the variety, thuja can grow as a bush or a short tree with lush branches and needles soft to the touch. Ornamental plants used to decorate the landscape of personal plots are smaller than their wild counterparts. The needles can be golden or bluish in color with a silvery tint. The tree survives excellently in poor environmental conditions and withstands the harsh Russian winters.

Features of planting thuja

Many novice gardeners who want to plant them in their garden are thinking about when to plant thuja: in spring or autumn. If a tree has an open root system, then there is no fundamental difference here. Nevertheless, planting in the spring is preferable, since the plant will have time to adapt in a new place before the onset of cold weather.

But in nurseries of the Leningrad region, thuja are sold with a closed root system. Such seedlings must be planted exclusively in the warm season.

Features of spring planting

Despite the fact that thuja belongs to plants that love sunlight, it is better to plant it in shaded places, since an excess of light has a depressing effect on the plant, as a result of which it begins to dry out, and the needles change their color.

A thuja tree or shrub takes root well on any type of soil that allows moisture to pass well to the root system, but does not retain it. Therefore, it is recommended to prepare a special substrate before planting seedlings in the garden. This will require one part of sand, two parts of peat and humus, as well as three parts of sod land. It is also recommended to add any mineral fertilizers here. This will significantly speed up the process of adapting the tree and strengthening the roots.

If you have purchased planting material with an open root system, then while you take it to the dacha, the root system will dry out. To revive it, you need to immerse the roots in water for a short time. When choosing seedlings with a closed root system, great attention should be paid to its condition. Very often, the plant is infected with various diseases, due to which it can die after planting in the garden.

How does the planting process take place?

Thuja, planting and care in the Leningrad region for which are very simple, develops best if you plant it in the middle of spring. This is done in a previously prepared hole, the dimensions of which depend on the size of the root system. The depth of the hole should be about 65 centimeters. If you want to plant several trees in the garden, then leave 2 meters between them.

The whole planting process takes place according to the following scheme:

1. If thuja is planted in open ground on dense and heavy soil, then a layer of sand of 20 centimeters is created at the bottom of the hole. This is necessary to drain excess moisture.
2. Part of the substrate is poured on top of the sand drainage.
3. The seedling is placed in the hole, after which its root system is sprinkled with the remaining substrate. In this case, the roots should slightly protrude from the ground.
4. The soil is slightly compacted.
5. The plant is watered with copious amounts of water so that the moisture reaches the very bottom of the hole.
6. The hole is sprinkled with peat or grass.

Despite the fact that thuja, planting and caring for which in the Leningrad region are very simple, tolerates Siberian winters well, mulching is mandatory, since freezing of the roots can cause the death of the plant.

Shrub care after planting

Thuja love water, so it should be watered often and abundantly. With a lack of moisture, the plant gradually begins to wilt, the needles acquire a yellow tint and begin to fall off. In addition to watering, it is very important to create good growing conditions for thuja. For this, the climatic conditions of the region, the level of air humidity and the type of soil should be taken into account. If the summer is hot and dry, then you need to water every three days.

The first time after planting a tree, it is necessary to regularly remove weeds and fluff the soil in order to provide the root system with air flow. Since the roots of the plant protrude from the ground, mulching is a must. In this case, the peat litter should be periodically changed.

Thuja Smaragd, whose photos look just great, like, in principle, any other variety, needs spring feeding, which gives the tree strength and allows it to quickly recover after winter. Thuja is fed with any fertilizers intended for conifers, in which nitrogen is the main component.

If mineral fertilizers were added to the substrate, then the tree should be fed no earlier than two years after planting. In this case, fertilizers are added after the soil has thawed and warmed up a little. So the root system will quickly assimilate minerals and begin to actively develop. When feeding in frozen ground, the roots may start to rot.

Spring plant rejuvenation

Thuja spherical, planting and caring for which in the garden are very simple, like other varieties of this tree, needs spring pruning. This is necessary in order to free the crown from old branches that have begun to dry out or have been damaged. You should cut off no more than one third of the length of the branches. Rejuvenation not only allows you to give the crown a more attractive and neat look, but also stimulates branching.

If the summer is too hot, the branches may become weak. In this case, you should not wait for autumn, but you need to perform sanitary pruning. This will prevent the weakened shoots from dying off and restore their strength.

Before the onset of winter, the thuja plant slows down its growth and begins to prepare for wintering. If your garden plot is dry, then the tree is watered with plenty of water.

Preparing a plant for wintering

Most plant species tolerate harsh Russian winters well. But so that young trees do not die, it is recommended to protect them from severe frosts with the help of spruce branches. When the thuja grows up and gets stronger, then the main problem will no longer be frosts, but breaks in branches and burns of needles. Most often this happens in early spring, when the snow has already melted and does not protect the plant from the cold.

Thuya Smaragd, whose photo is simply mesmerizing, may lose its attractiveness due to burns or dryness that occurs due to freezing of the soil. These problems most often occur with tall trees with a lush crown.

In order for the thuja to overwinter normally, it is necessary to perform a number of the following activities:

• rejuvenation;
• abundant watering and hilling;
• peat mulching.

Thuja spherical, planting and caring for which in the garden does not require much effort, as well as pyramidal shrubs, is tied. This is to prevent branches from breaking off. But it is not necessary to tighten too much, since in this case the branches can rot. As an alternative to tying, you can use special covers. You can find them at gardening stores. To avoid burns, after the first snow falls, they should be sprinkled on the crown of the bushes.

Features of planting thuja Brabant

Planting thuja Brabant has certain differences from planting other species of this plant. The shrub takes root well on any type of soil, but to speed up its adaptation in a new place, it is recommended to prepare a special substrate. To do this, mix one part of sand, peat and humus, two parts of sod land, as well as 300-400 grams of nitroammofoska.

The dimensions and depth of the hole depend on the size of the root system. If planting is carried out on heavy types of soils, then a drainage system should be made at the bottom of the pit to prevent moisture stagnation and root decay. Before planting a seedling in a personal plot, it is worthwhile to dry the earthen lump a little. But this should be done with extreme caution so as not to violate its integrity.

Shrub propagation at home

Most often, gardeners resort to reproduction of thuja by cuttings. This is due to the fact that seeds, as planting material, have poor germination. When planted, the plant turns out to be not as beautiful as when cuttings. For reproduction, lignified branches about 40 centimeters long are cut from the bush and placed for some time in water. After a short period of time, they will take root, after which it will be possible to plant the cuttings in a container with a substrate. When the seedling gets a little stronger and its root system is formed, it will be possible to plant it in the garden plot. This is best done in mid-spring, so that the tree can adapt to a new place, as well as get stronger and gain strength before the onset of winter. Using thuja propagation by cuttings, you can easily make a beautiful hedge from this shrub in your garden, which will delight the eye.

The main problems when caring for a plant

Despite the unpretentiousness of the thuja, certain problems may arise in the process of caring for it.

Most often they are related:

• with the wrong fit or the choice of the wrong place;
• with the weakening of the plant after winter;
• with the defeat of the plant by various harmful insects or diseases.

The thuja plant can suffer from fungal diseases and infections caused by various bacteria. As a result, the shrub begins to lose its attractive appearance, the needles turn yellow and begin to fall off. If no action is taken in time, the plant may die. Fungicides are used to combat most diseases. Processing is carried out twice with an interval of 2 weeks.

As for harmful insects, thuja suffers from:

• ticks;
• aphids;
• speckles;
• leaf rollers;
• bark beetles;
• scabbards.

Preventive measures will help protect the plant from pests. To do this, in early spring, it is necessary to spray the shrubs with an insecticide solution. Re-treatment is performed two weeks after the first.

The choice of planting material

As mentioned earlier, thuja, planting and care in the Leningrad region for which are very simple, perfectly takes root in any climatic conditions.But for the shrub to grow well and be healthy, it is very important to choose high-quality planting material. When choosing seedlings, consider the following aspects:

1. There are already germinated seedlings on sale, ready for planting in the open field. In this case, the planting material can be both open and closed root systems. But in order not to purchase low-quality or diseased seedlings, it is recommended to buy them in specialized stores or nurseries. So you can not only be sure of the high quality of the planting material, but also get advice from qualified specialists who will help you choose the variety that is most suitable for the climatic conditions and characteristics of the soil in your region.
2. When choosing a seedling, carefully inspect the branches. The bush should not have dry or damaged branches.
3. Run your hand over the needles: if it falls off, this indicates the low quality of the seedling.
4. There should be no stains on the stem of the plant. If they are found, then this is a sign that the technology was not followed during the cultivation of the seedling, or the bush is affected by any disease, which, if possible, will need to be immediately dealt with.

You can also buy a young seedling, which will first need to grow a little in a pot and only then be planted in the garden in the open ground.

In addition to the tips and tricks listed above, also pay attention to the variety of thuja you are buying. The thing is that different varieties of this plant have different preferences in the microclimate and, accordingly, different requirements for climatic conditions.

Conclusion

It turns out that taking care of exotic plants in our climatic conditions is quite easy. Thuja is an unpretentious evergreen beautiful plant that will become a wonderful decoration for any personal plot. Shrubs look good both on their own and as continuous plantings. Adhering to the tips and recommendations given in this article, you can implement in your garden any landscape design project that will delight you and your loved ones with its beauty throughout the year.

Thuja is the most beloved tree among conifers among the owners of country houses. Possessing such qualities as unpretentiousness, frost resistance and aesthetic appeal, thuja is rightfully considered the most popular tree: planting and caring for which in the open field does not present great difficulties. With its help, hedges and paths are created.

Description of trees

The name of the plant in translation from Greek means "incense". When it burns, a specific smell is felt. It grows naturally in East Asia and America. Thuja usually grow in the form of trees or shrubs. Some representatives of this species reach seventy meters in height. The crown of these plants is very different:

• In the form of a ball.
• In the form of a cone.
• Pyramids.
• Columns.

It is formed by shoots that have branching in one plane. The leaves of the needle-like structure have young trees. In the process of growing up, the leaves turn into flat-scaled ones.

The color of such special leaves can be not only green, but also reddish, lemon, variegated or bronze. On these trees, you can find small bumps with scales from two to six pairs. The bottom pairs contain ovules. Seeds are flat in shape, usually ripen during the first cycle of development. The tree has branches that are soft to the touch and enriches the air with beneficial phytoncides.

> Varieties of thuja for the site

There are many types of thuja: planting and caring for them in the open field does not have any special differences and difficulties. Depending on personal preferences and the design of the site, gardeners choose plants with different crowns and colors.

There are several of the most common and original plant varieties. More often than others, gardeners choose thu varieties:

• "Emerald". Representatives of this species have a conical shape and do not grow more than 200 centimeters. The vertically placed shoots have weak branching. The branches are located at an impressive distance from each other.
• Brabant. It has a conical crown and reaches a height of 15 to 21 meters. In adult representatives of this species, the widest part of the crown can reach four meters. The tree can be recognized by its peeling reddish or brownish gray bark. The needles are green, and the cones are brown in length no more than 12 millimeters.
• Danica. One of the varieties of dwarf thuja. Bred by breeders in Denmark. In appearance it resembles a ball. In winter, a brown tint is noticeable on the shiny and soft needles.
• Woodward. This is another representative of the dwarf spherical thuja. It has green needles and does not grow taller than 250 centimeters. The crown does not exceed 5 meters.
• Filiformis. The tree is not tall, it does not grow more than 150 centimeters. The plant has the shape of a cone or circle. A distinctive feature is the hanging long filamentous shoots. In the warm season, the needles are light green in color. In winter, a brown tint on the needles becomes noticeable.
• Reingold. The crown of the tree is spherical about one and a half meters. The needles on the shoots are pinkish at the beginning of growth. In summer it becomes golden, and in winter it becomes bronze. For such a natural play of color, you will need to plant the plant in a well-lit place.
• "Globosa". It is a spherical dwarf shrub. The diameter of a plant is rarely higher than 120 centimeters. In the cold season, the needles turn brown.

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But the breeders did not sit still and brought out completely new types of thuja, in which two types of needles are combined: scales and needles. By the age of ten, the tree forms several peaks. From the outside, it looks like a whole group of shrubs.

The giant thuja is found along the Pacific coast. Grown individuals can reach three meters in diameter and about 60 meters in height. Cultivated plants of this species are shorter. One of its varieties is called Zebrina.

The Korean thuja is a tree that can grow up to nine meters in height. But it can grow to a wide shrub with needles that have a silvery tint. In regions with cold winters, these shrubs should be covered. The best option is to grow these plants in warm climates.

> Japanese thuja grows in the mountainous areas of this country. In natural conditions, it can reach 18 meters in height. It can grow only in warm climates, and in regions with cold climates, it grows very slowly. The crown is in the shape of a cone and has a red bark with a copper sheen. The branches have a silver color on the lower side. We will feel the scent of lemon and eucalyptus if we rub the twigs in our hand. The plant is grown only outside the city, because of the love for clean air.

Application in landscape design

Thanks to the variety of varieties and shapes, conifer lovers can embody different ideas. You can place thuja on the site:

• As a hedge. Place them next to the fence or instead of it. Tall species are used for this purpose.
• For landscaping parks, courtyards. For this purpose, they choose tall and medium-sized species.
• Dwarf varieties are bought as a green border in the alleys.
• To create a rock garden.
• When creating contrasting compositions, a group planting of thuja with different colors of needles is used. They take such varieties: "Danica", "Bodmeri", "Sankist" and others.
• In order to purify the air in the surrounding space. Some species take root even in the industrial area.

Choosing the time and place of boarding

To determine the time of planting a thuja, you should know some of the features of its purchase.Depending on the state of the root system, the season for planting is chosen:

• In the case of purchasing seedlings with an open root system, it is better to plant them in the spring.
• When buying a thuja in a container, its root system is in the substrate. Such a specimen can be planted in the summer.
• In the fall, it is undesirable to plant thuja in the ground. At this time, there is a possibility of an early cold snap, and the plant will not have time to take root.

>Land for planting is chosen nutritious and loose. Be sure to add river sand, peat and turf to the ground. The soil should be constantly moistened. It can grow in any land, but its appearance will suffer from lack of nutrients.

The plant is photophilous, but it loses a lot of moisture from being under direct exposure to the sun. With this tendency, she can hardly endure the winter. Therefore, the choice of location should be approached with all seriousness. At noon, the thuja should be in the shade, and the rest of the time it can stay in the sun.

But it is not recommended to choose completely shaded areas. With constant presence in the shade, thuja loses the color of the needles, thins and forms more cones. Thuja is not planted equally everywhere. Landing and care in the Leningrad region have their own characteristics. It is planted here only in spring and summer for good survival. Care is also carried out taking into account the northern climate.

Sapling planting technology

Planting a thuja is not much different from planting ordinary bushes and trees, but it has some features. When landing, there are some criteria to consider:

• Large varieties are best placed at a distance of at least three meters from each other. For dwarf varieties, it is enough to leave a distance of up to a meter between the bushes.
• Planting along the alley is placed at a distance of three meters between the seedlings.
• If the roots dry out, keep the roots in water for some time before planting.
• When preparing the planting pit, you should focus on the size of the root system. You can measure an earthen ball and dig a hole 40 centimeters wider and 30 centimeters deep.
• The bottom of the pit must be lined with drainage and manure.
• The planting hole is filled with fertile and nutritious soil of sand, turf and peat. They take out fathoms and straighten his roots. A bush is placed in the hole so that the root collar is at ground level.
• After planting, the soil is lightly tamped and the plant is watered abundantly.
• They start mulching the soil. For these purposes, you can use pine bark, cut grass compost or peat chips. The mulch layer protects against temperature extremes and helps to retain moisture in the ground.
• To increase the survival rate, it is permissible to carry out root and foliar treatments with Super Humisol and Zircon stimulants.

Tree care

These trees are very demanding for watering. A week for young shrubs can take about ten liters. The volumes will increase as the plants grow. Five such volumes of water will have to be poured under mature trees.

In dry climates, it is recommended to water the thuja twice a week. The sufficiency of watering can be judged by the crown of the tree: if there is enough moisture, then the crown will be lush with a bright color. In case of insufficient moisture, the tree will begin to thin and the needles with scales will change color.

Young bushes in the morning and evening hours should be sprayed from a hose with a nozzle. Taking a shower helps to eliminate dust particles and improve physiological processes. The air will immediately be filled with a coniferous aroma.

After rain, you should loosen the soil near the plant. Due to the superficial location of the root system, loosening should not be carried out deeper than eight centimeters. Mulching of the earth is a mandatory completion for such a procedure. For it, you can take sawdust or peat chips.

Feeding is carried out in the spring.50 grams of Kemira-universal fertilizer are added to the irrigation water. Pour on top after dissolving the substance. Other formulations can be used.

For the splendor of the crown, it is recommended to prune the branches. This procedure is carried out in early spring, before the buds open. When the required size is reached, the plant forms the crown into the desired shape. You can make a crown in the form of a ball, pyramid or cone. Cutting is carried out with a sharp secateurs and does not remove more than a third of the shoot.

In case of detection of parasites or fungal infections, the plants are treated every two weeks with special agents. To prevent diseases, the bushes are treated with special preparations before the kidneys open. The break between treatments should be at least two weeks. Pests living under the bark are treated with drugs in May and June.

The needles can turn yellow not only due to the attack of parasites or fungal infections. These troubles can happen:

• From a wrong transplant. Often inexperienced gardeners deeply deepen the root collar or, conversely, open it.
• When a tree gets sunburn.
• In case of improper watering of the tree.

When the needles fall after the winter period, the crown should be sprayed with a solution with the addition of a biostimulant.

Reproduction of bushes

Thuja are propagated by seeds (specific thuja), cuttings, horizontal layering, dividing the bush. Growing by seed requires a lot of effort. Therefore, other methods are more often used.

Cutting method

Cuttings are taken lignified and growing for at least three years. The branches are cut into pieces at least 25 cm long. Shoots of the current year are cut into 10-20 centimeters. With proper preparation, the shoots of the thuja are not cut off, but cut off together with the "heel".

The cutting should be immersed in the ground by 25 millimeters. To create greenhouse conditions and speedy rooting, put on a plastic bottle with a cut off bottom on top. In warm weather, it is removed and the cutting is sprayed. When rooting, the bottle is removed first for several hours, and then completely. Young plants are gradually accustomed to outdoor temperatures.

Growing by dividing the root

This method is usually used for breeding multi-stem compact thuja. In order to form additional roots, the bush is spud. With spring hilling, the roots are formed closer to autumn. At this time, the bush is dug up and divided. After dividing, they are seated in pre-prepared holes.

With proper care, thuja will grow on the site for a long time. They perfectly clean the air, giving it bactericidal properties. It is useful to be near these trees for at least half an hour a day.

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Evergreen coniferous crops are very popular due to their high decorativeness and undemandingness. Among such plants are thuja, planting and care in the open field for which even beginners can do it. In nature, thuja, the closest relatives of junipers and cypresses, are in the form of shrubs or tall trees with a dense crown and soft scaly needles.

The cultivated varieties of the plant are more compact than the wild ones, they can have a golden or silvery-gray crown, while the thuja are not capricious, they are not afraid of polluted air and they winter well on the territory of Russia.

When and how to plant an evergreen shrub? How to care for a thuja in the country, and how does caring for a plant differ in different regions?

Thuja with an open root system can be planted in the ground in spring or autumn. The first option is preferable because the plant has time to acclimatize and root. In the fall, if you delay planting, there is a great risk of freezing of the bush.

Nurseries offer closed-root seedlings. Planting such a plant is possible throughout the warm season.

How to plant thuja correctly in spring?

Decorative thuja love light, but constant exposure to the sun is depressing. Such a shrub turns yellow, dries up and hibernates poorly.To prevent this from happening, a bright place is chosen for the thuja, protected from the midday sun and draft.

Thuja, unpretentious and easily growing on soils of different composition, love moisture more than other conifers, but at the same time they are afraid of stagnant water, therefore, before planting thuja in spring, they properly prepare a hole, a loose aerated substrate, and also prepare a seedling.

Thuja soil is mixed on the basis of:

• 2 pieces of litter from coniferous forest or peat;
• 3 parts of sod land;
• 2 parts of humus;
• 1 part sand.

Mineral fertilizers for conifers are mixed into the substrate, according to the recommendations of the feed manufacturer. If the soil in the country is sandy, no additional sand is added.

Plants with an open root system often dry out on the way to their permanent residence. To replenish strength and revive the thuja, immersion of the roots in settled water at room temperature, to which it is useful to add a root formation stimulator, will help.

Plants with a closed root system, especially from foreign nurseries, can be infected with harmful fungi, scale insects, spider mites, rust pathogens and other diseases.

So that when planting thuja in Siberia, as in the photo, care does not begin with the struggle for the life of a shrub, the plant must be examined in advance and treated from roots to crown with systemic insecticides and fungicides.

Thuja planting technology in spring: a step-by-step description

The dimensions of the planting pit depend on the dimensions of the earthen coma and the root system of the seedling. For a thuja seedling at 3-4 years of age, a pit 50 to 100 cm wide and 60-70 cm deep is required.

A planting hole is made at a distance of 1-3 meters from other horticultural crops. The distance depends on the selected variety. The higher the shrub, the more space and nutrition is required for its superficial root system.

How to proceed further? Summer residents who do not have experience in growing conifers will need a step-by-step description of the technology for planting thuja in the spring.

1. If the site is dense, heavy soil, drainage of sand, brick chips or expanded clay with a layer of 15 to 20 cm must be done at the bottom.
2. Then part of the prepared soil is poured onto the bottom with a cone for a seedling with an open root system and an even layer for a plant in a container.
3. A bush with a closed root system is removed from the container and placed in the center of the pit. The roots of the shrub without a container are straightened and evenly spread over an earthen cone.
4. It is important that the root collar of the thuja is not below the soil level.
5. When the pit is covered with soil, it is slightly compacted.
6. The soil under the planted thuja is watered abundantly so that the soil is moist to the entire depth of the pit. This requires 10 to 20 liters.
7. At the end, the trunk circle is mulched with chopped grass or peat.

A loose protective layer of mulch will save moisture, protect the root system from decay when planting thuja and care in the Leningrad region, as well as from freezing during return cold in Siberia or the Urals.

Thuja care after planting in the open field

Tui respond well to water. With its lack, the shrub loses its brightness and tone, the needles gradually turn yellow, and the crown thins.

Focusing on the weather, the humidity of the air and soil, the plants in the garden are regularly watered. In dry times, this should be done every 3-4 days. Irrigating the crown in the morning or evening will help:

• keep greenery alive and beautiful;
• activate the respiration of the shoots.

Caring for thuja in the open field after planting involves removing weeds and carefully loosening the soil under the bushes. Since the roots of thuja are superficial, you should not disturb the soil deeper than 8-10 cm. Laying peat or sawdust mulch will help to simplify the task, the layer of which is renewed as needed.

Feeding thuja in the spring gives the plant strength for a quick recovery after wintering and activates the growth of young shoots. As a fertilizer, complex formulations for conifers with a predominance of nitrogen should be used.Liquid top dressing is applied in the morning or evening hours on wet soil.

If fertilizers were added when planting in the ground, the first feeding of the thuja is carried out only two years after planting, when the soil has completely thawed out. This is especially important when planting and caring for thuja in the Urals, Siberia and other regions with a harsh climate.

Roots in warm soil will immediately assimilate nutrients and push the growth of shoots. If fertilizers get into frozen soil, they can cause rotting of the root system.

Pruning thuja in spring

Evergreen shrubs practically do not change over the winter. In the cold season, some of the thuja varieties acquire a brown hue, their development is inhibited and resumed only with the arrival of heat.

Caring for thujas in the spring necessarily includes sanitary pruning, which allows the crown to be freed from dry and severely damaged branches. Until the shoots have begun to grow, they carry out the spring formation of the crown. This must be done carefully, cutting off no more than a third of the length of the shoot. In the future, pruning helps to maintain the shape of the shrub, and also stimulates branching, making the plant denser, lively, green.

Hot summers can lead to the loss or weakening of some branches. In this case, do not wait for autumn. Sanitary pruning of thuja is carried out as needed. If the shoot is not dead, but only weakened, a haircut can push its recovery.

The time for re-forming the bush in the middle lane begins in August and lasts until the end of September. In Siberia, the Urals and regions where the first frosts come earlier, the haircut will have to be done earlier.

By autumn, the growth of thuja freezes, the plant prepares for winter. If the soil is dry, the plants are watered abundantly in October before the snow falls.

Preparing for cold weather and caring for thuja after winter

Most species of thuja tolerate frost without loss, however, young shrubs are better protected from low temperatures using spruce branches or other suitable materials. In the future, the growing shrub may not suffer from the cold, but from the breaks of the crown and burns of the needles that occur in February or March, when the snow melts and can no longer protect the branches.

In Siberia, conifers lose their decorative effect both from an early spring burn and from drying out, as a result of soil freezing. These dangers are often haunted by large, tall forms. Dwarf trees and squat plants tolerate even the most severe winters better, but they can undermine in spring with a dense crown and prolonged thawing of the soil.

Before the onset of winter, when caring for thuja:

• carry out sanitary pruning of the crown;
• shrubs water and huddle high;
• near-trunk circles are mulched abundantly with a layer of up to 15 cm.

For the prevention of snow breaks, pyramidal and spherical shrubs are tied, fixing the shape with twine, but without tightening, so as to prevent the appearance of delusion.

Covers for evergreen wintering plants have proven themselves quite well. Snow helps to preserve the decorative effect of thuja; both tall and low plants are abundantly sprinkled with it.

Before caring for thuja in the country, you need to know the features of the various forms of this culture.

Garden thuja are divided into vigorous, medium-sized specimens and ground cover forms. Among tall plants, it winters best, retains the bright color of the needles and the thuja Braband is formed up to 20 meters high. Shrubs with a narrower pyramidal shape can fade, but columnar plants, even in Siberian conditions, retain their decorative effect well. Thuja Smaragd with a height of about 2 meters with an average growth rate both in winter and in summer pleases with bright green needles, but without sufficient care it burns out.

The most unpretentious and easy to care for are small plants that can be easily covered under snow and covered in spring to protect them from burns. They are good for planting and nursing in the Urals, Siberia and the Leningrad region, where it is not always possible to grow large shrubs.

Thuja care after winter begins in February.The bright sun not only awakens everything to life, but also turns the snow into a hard crust, spoiling the bark, and burns the scaly needles. Therefore, before removing the shelter from the thuja after winter, they destroy the ice crust, and also carry out a number of measures to accelerate the thawing of the soil:

• the old mulch is removed;
• the bush is watered with hot water;
• the near-stem circle is covered with a film or black non-woven material.

The bright spring sun is detrimental to the needles, which turn yellow and often fall off. From March to May, especially if the thuja grows in an open, sunny place, the shrub is covered with breathable material.

When the needles on the shoots are nevertheless damaged and lost their former splendor, the heavily dried, yellowed parts of the branches are cut off, and the crown is treated daily, irrigated with a solution of a growth stimulator.

Ice crust can damage the bark. After they removed the shelter for the winter, the thuja are examined, and the revealed lesions are covered with garden var.

Problems when caring for thuja outdoors

Problems when growing thuja are most often associated with:

• with a lack of attention;
• with the wrong planting or choosing a place for the bush;
• weakening of the wintering field;
• attack by pests or pathogens.

Tui are affected by pathogens of fungal and bacterial infections, manifested in the form of wilting needles, the appearance of yellowness or brown spots on it. Without proper attention and complex treatment with a fungicide, the disease grows and can cause the death of the garden thuja. After the initial irrigation, the procedure is repeated after 2 weeks.

Among the pests dangerous for thuja:

• shields and false shields;
• spider mites;
• thuja moth;
• aphid;
• leaf rollers;
• bark beetles damaging the bark.

As a preventive measure, plants are sprayed with an insecticide solution in early spring, repeating the treatment after 14 days.

If the thuja is planted correctly, and caring for the plant fully covers its needs, the shrub grows well and decorates the summer cottage for a long time.

Planting a thuja - video

Thuja care - video

Among the variety of conifers, thuja is especially loved by summer residents, owners of private houses. This is not surprising - thuja is frost-resistant, unpretentious, aesthetically attractive. Planting and care in the open field will not require significant work from the summer resident, but its presence on the site will be positive from any point of view. It is great for the formation of hedges, with its help you can create unique green shapes for landscape design of the site, arrange paths.

This tree, like its coniferous counterparts, exudes a wonderful aroma, enriches the air with useful phytoncides. Thuja carries a lot of positive qualities.

Thuja differs from pine or spruce in that it has no needles, its branches are covered with small green scales, soft, pleasant to the touch. It is tacitly called the "royal tree" - it is well deserved. We will consider the nuances of planting, caring for the coniferous beauty thuja, so that it takes root on your site too.

↑ to contents ↑ Thuja tree - selection of seedlings

If you do not plan to reproduce thuja independently, then you can purchase ready-made, grown seedlings. They can be purchased from ephedra nurseries or specialist shops. There, among the declared assortment, you will choose the desired variety, buy a healthy tree, adapted to the local climate.

Small thuja from nurseries vary in size and age. If you have a small seedling, then it will not be difficult to "grow" it yourself until it is planted in a permanent place of growth. You can also purchase a large copy, ready for the decoration of the site or the local area.

When choosing, always pay attention to the conditions of the plants, the degree of soil moisture in the containers, the strength of the coniferous scales on the branch.The branches of the seedlings should be elastic, the needles should not crumble, they should not have any spots or signs of disease. Upon arrival home, hurry up to transplant them to a shaded place, water.

↑ back to contents ↑ Planting thuja in the ground

Thuja will perfectly take root on your site at any time of the year, except in late autumn or winter. Experienced gardeners advise exactly the spring period - April, May. Planted in spring, it will hurt less, grow faster, and adapt better to the environment.

The landing site should be slightly shaded, consider this factor when planning the landscape design of the site. In direct sunlight, the tree will wither, and subsequently it will be worse to endure the winter cold. In a completely dark place, thuja will slowly develop, the branches will not be lush, bright. The ideal territory for it will be a windless section of the site, with light shading, close occurrence of groundwater.

Thuja - planting and leaving, phased actions:

1. First, we dig a rather deep hole - 80-100 cm deep, with the same diameter (if you, of course, have a large seedling, and not the one in the photo above). The deepening should be such that a tree with an earthen lump can freely enter there. At the bottom we pour a little earth mixed with wood ash or other organic fertilizer.
2. We put it in a hole, while its root collar should be at the same level with the soil surface.
3. Mix the dug earth with sand, peat (1: 1), fill a depression with a seedling with this mixture, and then slightly trample.

The distance between the trees should be determined according to the characteristics of the variety, since thuja are very small and, conversely, very tall. Small trees can be planted a meter apart, large trees about 4-5 meters. Some varieties of thuja reach 15-20 meters in height, and their crown grows in breadth up to 3-4 meters (for example, thuja western Brabant). For full development, such a tree needs space, but when decorating alleys, green corridors, hedges, thuja are planted at a distance of 1 meter, regardless of the variety and type.

Tui Western Smaragd and globular Danica↑ back to contents ↑ How to care for thuja

Competent care of this ephedra means watering, feeding, loosening the trunk circle, and forming a crown. After the tree is planted at its permanent place of residence, primary feeding is done. For these purposes, natural growth stimulants are often used (most gardeners choose "Epin"). The ingredients of such dressings contribute to better rooting of the tree, improve resistance to diseases. In the spring, you can feed it with potassium-phosphorus supplements, it is better to do this twice, the break between fertilizers should be 10-15 days.

In spring, the frequency of irrigation is influenced by the amount of rain, with the onset of summer it is enough 2 times a week, in the spring - 1 time. If the rains are frequent, then there is no need to water, there will be enough rain moisture. Thuja requires high-quality watering at all stages of life (seedling, adult tree), while the crown also loves irrigation. In order for the branches to be elastic, shiny, to please you with the brightness of green shades, the minimum amount of water for the root area should be 10 liters per watering (once a week, if the summer is very dry, then up to 3 times). Determine the lack of moisture by the state of the top of the thuja - it begins to turn yellow. It is better to water the trees early in the morning or in the evening.

Tuya is very fond of irrigating the crown, for these procedures, the acquisition of a special nozzle becomes relevant. From such sprinkling, dust is washed off, a fresher appearance of the tree is provided, a pleasant coniferous aroma begins to stand out. Do not be afraid to overdo it with irrigation, 1-2 times a day will only benefit thuja.

Returning to fertilizers, it is worth noting that too frequent fertilizing for thuja is not required. Special mineral compositions for conifers (for example, "Fertika") or compost, which has already become a classic additive, is sufficient to use twice a season - in spring and summer. Fertilizers are applied during loosening: they are laid out in a near-trunk circle, and during plowing they are mixed with the top layer of the soil. In summer, the additive can be diluted with water and used for irrigation.

The near-trunk area must be periodically cleaned of weeds, loosened, mulched with sawdust or compost. Decoratively painted sawdust (they are painted with natural ingredients) or nutshells look very attractive. Mulching creates some barrier to weeds, retains moisture, and improves the condition of the tree as a whole.

As for haircuts or artistic pruning, it is better not to touch it for the first two years of a tree's life, it should take root in its place. You can start caring for the crown from the third year from the moment of planting. Initially, dried, weak branches are removed, and the degree of density is determined. Excessive thinning negatively affects the decorative qualities of the tree, everything should be in moderation.

The main pruning is carried out in April, and then only the shape is corrected. For high-quality air circulation, maintaining the "vigorous" appearance of thuja, gardeners recommend removing all branches of annual growth.

If the artistic intention requires the tree to grow in breadth, then only the upper part of the crown should be trimmed. From tui, you can create various geometric shapes, columns, figures of animals or fairy-tale characters. For beginner gardeners, it is quite easy to give the crown of a tree the shape of a ball, cascade, border. Trimming or pruning is best done in dry weather.

↑ to contents ↑ Tuya - preparation for winter

For colder regions of the country, frost-resistant varieties of tui (western) should be chosen. Despite their unpretentiousness, they also require preparation for the cold season. In the fall, it is necessary to provide the trees with abundant watering, since even in winter the thuja continues to develop, albeit at a slower pace.

In the first years of life, young representatives must be insulated. With the help of a dense plastic film, non-woven spunbond or other suitable covering material, a kind of cocoon is formed, which will retain heat and let the sun's rays through. You can even buy special covers designed for this very purpose, they are sold by the garden departments of supermarkets or online stores.

For the winter, the roots are covered with fallen leaves, which are harvested with the onset of spring, as soon as the upper layer of the earth thaws. The overgrown crowns of adult thujas are neatly tied with a wide ribbon to prevent the accumulation of snow on the branches.

To please the eye, there was a healthy thuja, planting and care in the open field should be done competently, in a timely manner. This tree is quite unpretentious, but the result of simple care is expressed not only by its external beauty, decoration of the territory. A green hedge made of thuja will absorb noise from the street, neighboring territories, and also protect your site from prying eyes.