Thuja - planting and care in the open field, tips, recommendations

Thuja is different from pine or spruce in that it does not have needles, its branches are covered with small green scales, soft, pleasant to the touch. It is secretly called the "royal tree" - this is well deserved. We will consider the nuances of planting, caring for the coniferous beauty of thuja, so that it will take root on your site too.

Tree of thuja - choice of saplings

If you do not plan independent reproduction of thuja, then you can purchase ready-made, grown seedlings. They can be bought in nurseries engaged in breeding conifers, or in a specialized store. There, among the stated range, you will choose the desired variety, buy a healthy tree, adapted to the local climate.

Small nurseries from nurseries differ in size, age. If you have a small sapling, it will not be difficult to “grow” it yourself before planting at a permanent place of growth. You can also purchase a large copy, already ready for registration of the site or the local area.

When choosing, always pay attention to the conditions of plant maintenance, the degree of soil moisture in the containers, the strength of coniferous scales on the branch. The branches of the seedlings should be resilient, the needles should not crumble, there should be no spots or signs of disease on them. Upon arrival home, hurry to transplant them in a shady place, pour.

Planting of a thuja in the ground

Thuja will get acclimatized on your site at any time of the year, except for late autumn or winter. Gardeners with experience advise precisely the spring period - April, May. Planted in the spring, it will be less sick, grow faster, better adapt to the environment.

The site for planting should be slightly shaded, consider this factor when planning the landscape design of the site. In direct sunlight, the tree will wither and later endure the winter cold. In a very dark place, the thuja will slowly develop, the branches will not be lush, bright. The ideal area for it will be a windless segment of the site, with light shading, close to the groundwater.

Thuja - landing and care, step-by-step action:

1. First dig a fairly deep hole - 80-100 cm deep, with the same diameter dimensions( if you have, of course, a large seedling, and not the same as in the photo above).Deepening should be such that there freely included a tree with an earthy clod. At the bottom we pour a little earth mixed with wood ash or other organic fertilizer.
2. We put it in the hole, while its root collar should be flush with the soil surface.
3. We mix the dug-out earth with sand, peat( 1: 1), fill this well with a seedling with this mixture, and then tamp it down a little.

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

Tui Western Smaragd and spherical Danika

How to care for thuja

Competent maintenance of this hodgepipe implies watering, application of dressings, loosening of the trunk circle, crown formation. After the tree has been planted in its permanent place of residence, primary feeding is done. For these purposes, growth stimulants of natural origin are often used( most gardeners choose Epin).Components of such dressings contribute to the better rooting of the tree, improve disease resistance. In spring, you can feed thuja with potash-phosphorus additives, it is better to do this twice, the interval between fertilizers should be 10-15 days.

In the spring, the amount of rain affects the frequency of irrigation, with the onset of summer, 2 times a week is enough, in the spring - 1 time. If the rains have become frequent, then it is not necessary to water, rain will be enough. Thuja requires high-quality watering at all stages of life( sapling, adult tree), while the crown also loves irrigation. In order for the branches to be elastic and shiny, they will delight you with the brightness of green shades, the minimum amount of water for the basal 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 can be at the top of the thuja - it begins to turn yellow. Watering trees is better early in the morning or in the evening.

Thuja loves crown irrigation very much, for these procedures the purchase of a special nozzle becomes relevant. Dust is washed off from such sprinkling, a more fresh appearance of the tree is provided, a pleasant pine aroma begins to stand out. Do not be afraid to overdo it with irrigation, 1-2 times a day will bring a thuja only benefit.

Returning to the fertilizer, it is worth noting that making too frequent feedings for tui is not required. Special mineral compounds for conifers( for example, “Fertika”) or compost, which has already become a classic additive, are sufficient to be used twice per season - in spring and summer. Fertilizers are applied during loosening: they are laid out in a pristvolnom circle, and during tilling they are mixed with the top layer of soil. In summer, the additive can be diluted with water, used for watering.

The pristvolnuyu area should be periodically cleaned of weeds, loosen, mulch wood sawdust or compost. Decorative sawdust( painted with natural ingredients) or a nutshell look very attractive. Mulching creates a barrier for weeds, retains moisture, improves the condition of the tree as a whole.

As for a haircut or artistic trimming, the first two years of the tree’s life should not be touched, it should take root in its place. You can start caring for the crown from the third year after landing. Initially, dried, weak branches are removed, determine the degree of density. Excessive thinning adversely affects the decorative qualities of the tree, everything should be in moderation.

The main pruning is carried out in April, and then only correct the shape. For high-quality air circulation, maintaining a “vigorous” type of thuja, gardeners recommend removing all branches of the one-year growth.

If the artistic intent requires the tree to grow in breadth, then only the upper part of the crown should be trimmed. You can create various geometric shapes, columns, animal figures, or fairy-tale characters from the Tui. Novice gardeners can quite easily give the crown of a tree the shape of a ball, a cascade, a curb. Trimming or trimming is best done in dry weather.

Thuja - winter preparation

For the 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 autumn it is necessary to provide trees with abundant watering, since even in winter the thuja continues to develop, albeit slowly.

In the first years of life of young representatives, it is imperative to insulate. With the help of a dense polyethylene film, non-woven spunbond or other suitable covering material, a kind of cocoon is formed that will keep warm and let the sun's rays through. You can even purchase special covers designed specifically for this purpose, they are sold by garden departments of supermarkets or in online stores.

The roots for the winter are covered with fallen leaves, which are removed with the onset of spring as soon as the top layer of the earth thaws. The overgrown crowns of adult tui are carefully tied with a wide ribbon to prevent the accumulation of snow on the branches.

In order 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, decorating the area. A green hedge from thuy will absorb noise from the street, neighboring territories, and also protect your site from prying eyes.