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One of the five species of thuja is western, has a variety of varieties, among which is the thuja western Brabant. Decorative frost-resistant, fast-growing tree with a compact columnar crown is widely used in landscape gardening.
Main characteristics
In the wild, the western thuja, which is called "the life tree" for good reason, grows in the eastern regions of Canada and in the north of the United States. An evergreen plant imported into Europe in the middle of the 16th century was used to decorate parks. In Russia, thuya of this species has a wide distribution area. It is cultivated in many areas, including the Far East and Siberia.
Having become acquainted with the description of Tui Brabant, we see that this variety is winter-hardy, withstands frosts to 30-35 ° C. The plant is well suited to the harsh Russian climate. Brabant - one of the fastest growing varieties of thuya western, for a year the growth can be 30-35 cm.
In the Russian climate, the height of the Tui Brabant does not exceed -4 meters. Crown form is columnar, compact. The branches can bend down to the ground. The bark on the trunk is reddish-brown, at times it exfoliates. Green needles are boring in winter. In April-May, thuja blooms, after flowering small oblong brown cones form.
Tuey Brabant and Smaragd are very often used to form hedges. Their characteristics largely coincide. Among the differences between Tui Brabant and Smaragd can be distinguished.
Grade Brabant:
- needles become brown in winter;
- Crown form is columnar;
- the annual increment is 35-40 cm;
- The hedge quickly grows into a dense green wall.
Sort of Smaragd:
- needles in winter does not lose color;
- the pyramidal shape of the crown;
- the annual increment is 10-20 cm;
- it is less branched and does not require frequent haircuts.
Both types of tuya have varieties with golden needles - Golden Brabant and Golden Smaragd. For tuja Golden Brabant is characterized by a golden yellow coloration, which is preserved in winter.
Young trees have a dense conical crown, in older trees it becomes more friable.
How to care for thu Brabant
Although Thujia West Brabant is unpretentious in care, she still has her own preferences for the type of soil, moisture, sunlight, and temperature. If you neglect the basic rules when growing it, decorative functions may be lost. In particular, the main care is to periodically cut off the shoots to form a beautiful crown shape.
When cutting thuja, you can select cuttings to use them for reproduction. Put in a container of water, they will give roots. Rooted seedlings can be planted in the ground.
Place and type of soil
Tuya refers to photophilous plants. It does not tolerate a round-the-clock shadow, losing the brightness of the color of the needles. At the same time, the constant heat to her is also harmful. The optimal option for choosing a place for planting will be penumbra. On suburban areas it is desirable to plant trees from the west or east side of buildings.
The most favorable soil for cultivating thujas of western Brabant is loam, although it can grow on any soil. On light soil, the plant develops better and looks more decorative. Planting thuju is preferable in spring or autumn, but it is also possible in summer.
Landing
A landing pit with a depth of 60-80 cm, a width under the size of the root system, is dug out. The pit is flooded with water and allowed to absorb moisture. If the soil is heavy, it is required to lay at least 15 cm of the drainage layer. The root neck is located at the ground level and the seedling is covered with a pre-prepared soil mixture. It is desirable that it includes peat, sand and leaf land in the ratio 2. To improve growth, nitroammophoska is added to the mixture. After that, water the plant.
Care
After planting, regular watering is necessary, approximately once a week. When planting in hot time, the frequency of irrigation increases. The plant responds well to sprinkling. For this, a spray hose can be used. In dry soil, thuja develops poorly, the needles turn yellow and crumble.
The soil should be loosened to a shallow depth, since the plant has a superficial root system. To protect the roots from drying out and overheating, it is desirable to cover the soil with mulch - peat, compost, sawdust, bark.
From winter frosts thuja does not suffer, but in the spring it can get sunburn. Especially it is necessary to protect young trees, sheltering them from the sun with a material that is good for sunlight. In the evergreen plant, the process of photosynthesis occurs even in winter. In places where there are heavy snowfalls, tree crowns are tightly tightened by a rope for the winter.
In the first year, while the roots are not strong enough, fertilizing is carried out up to three times per season. A year after planting, every spring, fertilizing is done with a complex fertilizer. Pruning is best done 2-3 years after planting. This procedure is preferable to do two times - in early summer and at the end of August. Small adjustments to the crown are made all season long. As you can see, planting and caring for Tue Brabant (photo) is not particularly difficult.
Using Tui Brabant in Garden Design
The advantage of the variety is that it is very fast. This property of Tui Brabant in landscape design is successfully used. Thuya is a universal element for creating a single ball, neat cone, pyramid. Non-standard single figures made of wood can be planted in any surface relief. But if a beautiful geometry is planned from Tui Brabant or Smaragd, then the landing site should have a perfectly flat plane.
It is better to cut the tuja of western Brabant on cloudy days. This will avoid the burning of young shoots in the sun, which were hidden before the haircuts under the long branches.
Landed in a row, the thai will replace the fence. If you trim this fence under a rectangular shape, it looks completely different. When planning to grow a hedge from Tui Brabant, the seedlings should be dug at a distance of about 1 m from each other, because at the base of the crown will be quite wide. Over time, the crowns of trees will close, and such a fence with a dense green curtain will cover the site from prying eyes and will serve as an excellent decoration.
Form the plant begins when it has reached the desired height. Pruning Tui Brabant is the most laborious part in the care of a plant. Cutting is carried out with a sharp pruning shearer, which will not be able to apply dents in the cutting site. To the tree is not weakened, a third of the shoot should be sheared off.
Thuya Brabant, like all conifers, will delight the whole year with lush greenery, purify the air, enriching it with oxygen. Another advantage is decorativeness. Combining different types of tuja with other shrubs and flowers, you can give the site a unique, unique shape.
