Content
The technology for planting thuja in the fall with a step-by-step description is necessary information for beginners who want to preserve the tree in winter. Experienced people already know what and how to do. When planting new types of plants on your site, you first need to study the needs of the plant and methods of care theoretically.
What kind of tree
The genus thuja has 5 species:
- Korean;
- folded/giant;
- Japanese/Standish;
- western;
- Szechuan.
Korean thuja in the Russian climate can only grow in a greenhouse.It is not used when decorating outdoor gardens.
Sichuan thuja is endemic to China and is endangered. The plant is very rare and is not used for decorative plantings.
Thuja folded
The folded thuja has an additional name: red cedar. Often the term “Canadian” or “Western” is added to this name. This is a powerful tree. At the borders of its range, in unfavorable conditions, folded thuja grows in a shrub form.
The folded thuja is cultivated as an ornamental tree in parks and gardens. For decorative purposes, three forms of this type are used:
- with dark green needles;
- with a “weeping” crown;
- with a cylindrical crown.
It is preferable to propagate this tree by seeds.
Japanese thuja
Under natural conditions it grows up to 18 m. The crown is cone-shaped and loose. With candelabra branches. In its homeland, thuja is grown for its wood. In Europe they are used for decorative purposes.
Western thuja
Native to North America. This is a frost-resistant plant that can withstand cold temperatures down to -36 °C. It is planted in parks, squares, and summer cottages for its decorative appearance.
Western thuja propagates by green cuttings and seeds. Seeds require mandatory stratification for germination. The time at which to plant thuja depends on the method of reproduction.
When to plant thuja: autumn or spring
You can plant thuja in both autumn and spring. If you plan to plant seeds, you must take into account that the “spring” ones will not germinate without prior stratification for several months. To avoid unnecessary labor costs, seeds should be planted in the fall. In winter they will undergo natural stratification and germinate in the spring.
It is also better to plant seedlings in the fall, but so that they have time to take root.It is possible to plant in the spring, but then the tree will have a very hard time surviving the first year. Some spring seedlings die.
The issue with cuttings is quite complex. Although western thuja can reproduce in this way, not all cuttings take root. Like seedlings, cuttings planted in a permanent place need time to take root.
Thuja planting dates in autumn
Seeds can be planted in the fall at almost any time. If necessary, they can be “planted” in frozen ground in winter. But then there may not be enough time for stratification.
But the plants were grown indoors, not in the country. After a couple of years, the question arose of what to do with the trees if no one needed all these twigs.
Seedlings and cuttings that have taken root must be planted so that the thujas have time to take root before frost. In the southern regions, it is recommended to plant thuja in the fall in October. You can plant trees in mid-October. In the northern regions, it is better not to rely on the frost resistance of thujas, but to plant them early: at the end of August or in September.
Is it possible to plant thuja in October, November
In the southern regions, October is the main and most favorable time for planting thujas. In November, even in the south, you can plant only if above-zero temperatures are promised until January.
In northern latitudes, frosts occur in autumn as early as October. In such regions, it is better to plant thuja at the very beginning of autumn or late summer.
How to plant thuja in the fall
In the fall, thuja is planted in exactly the same way as in the spring. That is, they dig a hole of the appropriate size, fill it with prepared soil, and then plant the plant.The choice of landing site is much more important. Although here there are no differences between autumn and spring. After all, thujas are planted for more than one year.
The only difference is watering. In spring, the thuja begins to grow and requires fairly frequent watering. In the fall, trees most likely will not need to be watered at all. This function will be performed by rains.
Site selection and soil preparation
When growing thuja, there are some interesting “buts”:
- moisture-loving, but tolerates drought well;
- shade-tolerant, but prefers sun;
- undemanding to soil structure, but prefers fertile or average soil;
- in its homeland it is calciphilic, that is, it needs a large amount of lime in the soil;
- does not tolerate salinity;
- requires large amounts of nitrogen.
Taking these features into account, a place for thuja and a soil mixture are chosen.
The depth of the roots of an adult tree is at least 76 cm. When choosing a location, you need to make sure that the groundwater will be lower during a flood in the spring. Otherwise, there is a risk of root rotting.
A place for the thuja is chosen that is well lit by the sun, but with the expectation that it will be in the shade for several hours a day. Thujas are often used to make decorative hedges, and in this case the trees shield each other from the sun.
Priming
When preparing the soil for planting thuja, you need not only to take care of its fertility, but also to add those substances that the tree especially needs: chalk and nitrogen.
The soil removed from the pit is mixed with peat, black soil or humus. If the soil is clayey, you can add sand. Chalk and ash are added to the mixture.
Preparation of seedlings
If you plan to plant store-bought seedlings along with a lump of soil, then their preparation consists of shaking them out of the pot and placing them in a prepared hole.
Trees are sold secondhand without soil. And in this case, young thujas are carefully examined. Cut off all rotten roots and dried branches. Since the root system of the tree may have dried out during the sale, the thuja is placed in a root system growth stimulator. The plant is kept in the solution for 12 hours. Only after this the tree will be ready for planting.
Preparation of cuttings
It is not recommended to propagate thuja in spring and summer. The cuttings do not take root. Cuttings are rooted in the fall. Harvesting thuja cuttings has its own characteristics:
- for rooting, take either 2-3-year-old woody shoots or young lateral shoots 50 cm long;
- a prerequisite is the presence of a “heel”.
By “heel” we mean a piece of old wood that broke off along with the shoot. The “heel” is obtained either by cutting it out with a knife along with the shoot, or by sharply breaking off a branch so that it breaks along with a piece of the mother tree.
There is an opinion that rooting in water is ineffective because there are few nutrients there. For this reason, many gardeners prefer to root thuja directly in flower pots. The cuttings rooted in the pot are later planted in the same way as the seedling.
How to plant thuja in the fall
Sowing seeds does not require much labor, but then you will have to feed the growing tree more intensively than a seedling planted in prepared soil.
Thuja seeds are small. By autumn, prepare holes about 20 cm deep and fill them with a fertile mixture. The seeds are buried to a depth of no more than a centimeter.Since the seeds should germinate only in the spring, they don’t even need to be watered. With the beginning of spring and the melting of the snow, they will receive enough moisture.
But the disadvantage of this method is that thuja grows very slowly from seeds. But the gardener will receive a tree that is well adapted to the conditions on his site.
From a convenience point of view, it is easier to buy a grown seedling. The rules for planting thuja in the fall are the same as for other trees.
Prepared soil is poured into a dug hole with a diameter of 1 m and a depth of at least 70 cm in such a way that a seedling with a lump of earth can be placed on top.
Afterwards, soil is added to the hole, completely covering the root system. You cannot immerse the root collar in the soil; the thuja will rot. The soil is lightly compacted and watered well.
When planting, you need to remember that after watering and wintering the soil will sag. In spring, a depression forms around the thuja. It may also turn out that the root collar will be higher than the ground level. In this case, you need to add soil.
When planting a seedling with a “bare” root system, the technique is different:
- Soil is poured onto the bottom of the hole in a slide;
- a thuja is placed on the top of the resulting cone, spreading its roots so that they “braid” the ground;
- add soil until the hole is completely filled, being careful not to cover the root collar;
- compact the soil and water the thuja.
Since planting is often carried out in the fall, later the thuja will need to be prepared for winter.
Caring for thuja in autumn
Watering in the fall is needed if the year is dry and there is little rain. If there is a lot of rain, thuja is not watered in the fall. The only exception is pre-winter watering to saturate the surrounding soil as much as possible.
Thuja is a tree that you can not be afraid to overfeed with nitrogen in preparation for winter.This is an ornamental plant, and the more it “fattens”, the more beautiful it looks. In addition, thuja needs nitrogen even more than fruit trees. Of course, there is no need to dump a bag of urea under the barrel either. But if you pour a glass of ash on the circle around the trunk, there will be no harm to the thuja.
Thuja can be pruned at any time of the year. Evergreens don't care. Since varieties of thuja have already been bred that have a spherical, cone-shaped or cylindrical shape. Therefore, in most cases, crown pruning is not required.
Thuja usually only undergoes sanitary pruning, removing yellowed and diseased branches. The only exception is the spherical thuja variety. This plant has to be “combed”, as sometimes young shoots begin to protrude from the ball and the crown becomes untidy.
In winter, pruning is not carried out only because of very low temperatures.
How to prepare thuja for winter
Since thuja is a frost-resistant plant, it may seem that there is no need to cover it for the winter. But a small thuja can even freeze in winter. Especially if it is a sprout that is not even a year old. Larger thujas must be covered for the winter so that they do not get burned or break under the weight of snow. It is better to cover not only the trunk and crown, but also the root system. But before that, the autumn work must be completed.
Pre-winter watering and fertilizing
Water-charging irrigation is carried out according to the standard scheme. The maximum dose of water is necessary if the soil crumbles during soil testing. The full norm for an adult tree is 100-140 liters of water per m³. For a thuja less than a meter high, 30-40 liters of water per m³ will be required.
Top dressing of ash and chalk is poured into the root circle after completion of watering and before mulching.Then everything is carefully dug up to a depth of no more than 10 cm. Instead of natural fertilizers, you can use store-bought complex fertilizers.
Mulching
Sometimes moisture-recharging watering in the fall does not save the roots from freezing. If the winter is snowless, the moisture from the soil is quickly “frozen out.” In this case, the thuja may die.
Mulch not only protects roots from freezing in winter, but can also serve as fertilizer in spring. For mulch use:
- humus;
- peat;
- straw;
- sawdust;
- fallen leaves.
The covering material is laid out in a layer 10-30 cm thick. If the region usually has very cold winters, spruce branches are placed on top of the mulch. In spring, the spruce branches are removed, humus and peat can be left. It is better to remove the rest of the mulching material. Leaves, sawdust and straw decompose slowly and pests can grow under them.
Is it necessary to cover thujas for the winter?
Although thuja is a winter-hardy plant, it has another problem: at the end of winter and early spring, the tree can get sunburned. In southern latitudes, a tree can receive these burns in any winter month, since in the south frosts often alternate with strong thaws.
And it also happens that immediately after rain the air cools down sharply, and ice forms on the tree branches. It works like a lens that focuses the sun's rays. Even at a temperature of -20°C, burns can form under the ice.
For lignified branches, the burn is unpleasant, but not critical. Everything is worse for thuja. If you do not cover the thuja for the winter, such ice lenses can “burn out” almost all the foliage.
If there was heavy snowfall with “wet” snow that sticks to surfaces, branches of an uncovered thuja may break off. Such a wound will turn into a fungal or bacterial disease in the spring.
When and how can you cover thuja for the winter?
Plants in the southern regions begin to cover in November. In northern regions, dates may shift closer to summer. For thujas, it is better to use non-woven covering material for the winter. The main purpose of the shelter is to protect the thuja from the sun in winter. Sometimes there are tips to cover small trees with improvised means: PET bottles. Such a shelter will protect the thuja from snow, but it may well “fry”. Both glass and transparent plastic transmit infrared radiation well. The temperature inside such a bottle will be very high if the shelter is not covered with snow. Instead of “sleeping” in winter, the thuja can begin to grow.
For short thujas, you can make a hard cover for the winter. The base is wrapped on the outside with any suitable covering material. Burlap or modern plastic sugar or flour bags will do.
For tall thujas such a frame is inconvenient. It is difficult to install and has nowhere to store it. Usually tall thujas are simply wrapped with covering material. One of the ways to cover a thuja for the winter is shown in the photo. Polyethylene was used. But the disadvantage of the film is that it does not allow air to pass through, and when heated in the sun, moisture condenses on the walls inside the cocoon. In winter, when the water cools, it freezes. But this principle is quite suitable if you use burlap.
What to do with thuja in winter
It is unlikely that in winter you can do anything with a thuja, especially one that is wrapped up during hibernation. Even evergreen trees slow down their metabolism in winter. Only if it was decided not to close the thujas for the winter, as in the photo, will you have to inspect the trees after each heavy snowfall.
Branches, unable to withstand the weight of the snow, can sometimes break off.In this case, it makes sense to try to root the cuttings. It will not be worse.
How to plant a thuja shoot in winter
Strictly speaking, no way. If suddenly, under the weight of snow, a shoot breaks off, you will have to germinate it at home. But the chances that the cutting will take root are negligible: a piece of thuja roughly torn out of hibernation is unlikely to take root. Even under normal conditions, cuttings take root in about 50% of cases.
A seedling with an earthen clod can be planted in winter. Wintering in a hole is even preferable than in a pot. The planting rules are the same as in the fall. If you’re not too lazy, dig the frozen ground, dig a hole, and then be sure to insulate the thuja root system and the tree itself. Or is it easier to wait for spring.
How to care for thujas after winter
Caring for thujas after winter is no more difficult than caring for other trees. Provided that the tree did not receive damage during wintering. The covering material is removed from the thuja, the tree is inspected and, if necessary, sanitary pruning is carried out. There is a 95% chance that sanitary pruning will be required. To quickly awaken the plant from hibernation, water it with a warm solution of complex fertilizer.
When to open thujas after winter
In spring, covering material is removed from thujas depending on the climate of the region. There is no need to rush and remove the cover from the thuja in March. Astrological spring begins only on March 21, and real spring may come later.
In most Russian regions, thujas can be opened at the end of April or mid-May. It is not advisable to open the entire tree at once. A thuja that is weaned from the sun may get sick. Therefore, the tree is opened in parts so that it can adapt to the sun's rays. If you need to open the entire tree at once, this should be done on a cloudy day.
What to do if the thuja turns black after winter
Thuja needles turn black in two cases: as a result of exposure to animal urine and a fungal disease. After winter, blackening is most likely due to fungal infection. Provided that the thuja was covered.
If the plant overwintered without shelter, then blackening may also be associated with animals. An observant property owner will notice a yellow mark in the snow even in winter. And in this case, the needles may begin to turn black even in winter.
The difference between fungal damage and damage due to excrement is that when the disease occurs, the needles first turn yellow. Blackness appears in the center of the affected areas.
If the needles have turned black due to exposure to animal urine, a large black spot without yellow areas will form on the plant.
In any case, the needles will not recover. The affected areas must be removed. After this, to protect against animals, they put up a fence (it won’t help against a cat) and use repellent substances. These are usually sharp-smelling and slow-dissipating preparations. To treat fungal diseases, use any of the commercially available fungicides.
What to do if thuja dries out after winter
Yellowing of the needles does not always mean that the entire plant is drying out. The simplest reason why needles may turn yellow after winter is sunburn. The affected areas are cut out. Often the entire tree turns yellow if the covering material is immediately removed on a sunny day.
There may also be more serious reasons:
- planting thuja in sandy or clay soil;
- planting in an area with a high groundwater level;
- deepening or exposure of the root collar;
- too much fertilizer applied;
- damage by wood fungi.
If the roots of a thuja are infected with fungi belonging to the genera Phytophthora or Fusarium, the needles first acquire a gray tint, become sluggish and subsequently dry out.
Mistakes in planting can be corrected by digging up the thuja and planting it in another place. When the root collar is exposed or deepened, it is enough to add or remove soil. But if the plant is infected with fungi, it can only be dug up and burned. It is better to thoroughly water the soil in this place with a fungicidal preparation.
Conclusion
The technology for planting thuja in the fall with a step-by-step description is equally applicable to almost any tree that the gardener plans to plant on the site. The only difference is planting the cuttings directly into the soil. But this method is not very common due to the very low survival rate of cuttings during such planting.
