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The wild western thuja became the ancestor of various varieties used for decorative decoration in urban areas and private areas. Western Thuja Golden Smaragd is a unique representative of the species. The variety was created in Poland; in 2008, thuja took third prize at an international exhibition.
Description of thuja Golden Smaragd
The western variety of thuja Golden Smaragd is of medium height. The height of the tree rarely exceeds 2.5 m. Thuja has a minimum annual growth, it is 8-13 cm. The shape is narrow pyramidal, closer to columnar, the crown volume is 1.3 m. Thuja is a frost-resistant, unpretentious crop with an average degree of drought resistance.
Description of the western thuja Golden Smaragd (pictured):
- The central trunk is medium in diameter, tapering at the top, dark in color with rough, peeling bark.
- Skeletal branches are short, strong, growing vertically at an angle of 450, converge into one crown.
- The shoots are flexible, thin, light brown with drooping tips.Thanks to their compact arrangement, they form a dense crown of regular shape; annual shoots do not go beyond the visual boundaries.
- The needles are soft, scaly, formed tightly to each other along the entire length of the shoots. At the base it is green-yellow, closer to the top the green tint completely gives way to bright golden. At the end of the shoots, the young needles are painted dark burgundy.
- Thuja forms cones in small quantities every year; they are oval, dark brown, 1 cm long.
Thuja variety Golden Smaragd is an evergreen perennial plant. The habit remains decorative throughout the year; by autumn the color does not change.
The use of thuja Golden Smaragd in landscape design
Thuja variety Golden Smaragd is considered an elite variety, popular among landscape designers. Thuja is used to decorate the territories of personal plots, as well as to design flower beds adjacent to the facade of administrative buildings. For mass landscaping of urban recreation areas, thuja varieties Golden Smaragd are rarely used, because the price of planting material is quite high.
Thuja Golden Smaragd with its bright color and regular crown shape does not require constant trimming due to its small growth. Not the last factor in choosing a variety is 100% rooting of seedlings on the site. Thuja is combined with various varieties of conifers and flowering herbaceous shrubs. Beneficially emphasizes large-sized and dwarf forms. Thuja is planted as a tapeworm or in a group. Below in the photo are several examples of how you can use the western thuja Golden Smaragd in landscape decoration.
In the flowerbed in front of the main entrance to the building.
Thuja on the sides of the garden path
In group planting with flowering plants and ornamental shrubs.
Golden Smaragd in mass planting as a hedge.
Thuja as a tapeworm in combination with horizontal juniper to decorate the lawn.
Thuja serves as a color accent in the design discounts.
Foreground of rock garden landscaping.
Features of reproduction
Thuja varieties of Golden Smaragd are propagated independently by seeds and vegetatively. The cones ripen in the second ten days of September. The resulting planting material is planted immediately on the site or in February in containers for seedlings. After sowing the seeds in the fall, the bed is mulched with small wood chips. During the winter months, thuja seeds of the Golden Smaragd variety will undergo stratification, and young shoots will sprout in the spring. Before planting in containers, place the material in the refrigerator for 30 days.
The vegetative method of propagation of the Golden Smaragd cultivar includes cuttings and obtaining seedlings from layering. To prepare cuttings, last year's shoots are chosen. To do this, retreat 5 cm, trim, then cut cuttings measuring 15 cm. Needles are removed from the bottom. The thuja is placed in the ground at an angle and covered with a film on top on arcs. The work is carried out in July.
Reproduction activities for the western thuja Golden Smaragd by layering begin in the spring. The material is obtained from the lower branch, located close to the surface of the earth. Several cuts are made on it, fixed in a shallow furrow, and backfilled. Next spring, they are carefully removed from the soil, the places with rooted buds are cut and planted in a mini-greenhouse, where the thuja will remain for another 2 years.
Landing rules
The decorative effect of the future tree depends on the correctly selected cuttings and the place for its further growth. Planting material with thin roots and an undeveloped central part is not suitable for propagation; the thuja will not be able to take root. Attention is paid to the external condition of the needles; the needles should be thick, soft, without dry areas and brightly colored.
Recommended timing
According to the varietal description, thuja occidentalis Golden Smaragd is a frost-resistant plant that calmly reacts to temperatures dropping to -33 0C, the winter hardiness of the crop is also high, a sharp drop in temperature in spring to -7 0C is not reflected on the thuja.
These are the characteristics of an adult tree; thuja under the age of 4 years is less resistant to natural factors, so the plant is planted in a temperate climate only in the spring (May), the signal for placing a thuja on the site is when the soil warms up to + 6 0C. In the South, spring planting is guided by soil temperature; in the fall, Golden Smaragd thuja is planted at the end of September; the seedling will take root safely before frost.
Site selection and soil preparation
The decorative effect of thuja Smaragd Gold depends entirely on the illumination of the area. In the shade, the needles are faded, the crown is loose, so the place for thuja is allocated in an open space. The optimal soil acidity is neutral, but slightly acidic is also suitable. The soil is light, fertile, with satisfactory drainage, enriched with oxygen. Preference is given to clayey sandy loams; the occurrence of groundwater should not be too close to the surface.
The area under the thuja is dug up, weeds are removed, if necessary, the composition is neutralized with alkali-containing agents, and a mixture of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium is added (approximately 120 g per planting site).For better rooting, before planting, prepare a substrate from compost, topsoil, sand and peat.
Landing algorithm
The root of a seedling of the Golden Smaragd variety is dipped in Kornevin for 3 hours. During this time, they dig a hole 65 cm deep. The width depends on the size of the thuja root; the size is determined taking into account that there is 10 cm of empty space left to the walls of the recess.
Sequence of planting thuja western Golden Smaragd:
- The bottom of the planting hole is covered with drainage.
- 15 cm of nutrient mixture is poured on top.
- The thuja is placed in the center, the roots are distributed so that they are not tangled.
- Pour out the remaining substrate and compact it.
- Fill the hole to the brim with soil, compact it, the neck should remain level with the surface.
In mass planting, maintain an interval between holes of 1.2-1.5 m; thuja does not react well to close placement.
Rules for growing and care
According to gardeners, thuja occidentalis Golden Smaragd does not create any special problems in care. The plant does not require formative pruning; preparations for winter are not labor-intensive. The main attention is paid to watering and preventing the spread of pests to the thuja.
Watering schedule
In the cultivar Golden Smaragd, only the central part of the root is recessed, the main intertwined system is close to the surface, so constantly waterlogged soil provokes the development of rot. Lack of water affects the condition of the needles, they become hard, darken and crumble, and the thuja loses its decorative effect.
The daily watering rate for an adult tree is within 5-7 liters; for seedlings, drying out the root ball is detrimental, so the soil must be constantly moist.The watering schedule directly depends on precipitation. Thuja intensely releases moisture during the day, and it evaporates from the needles. If the summer is hot and the humidity is low, the thuja is watered completely not only at the root, but also the crown is sprayed. To prevent the thuja from getting sunburn, sprinkling is carried out in the evening or in the morning.
Top dressing
The Golden Smaragd cultivar is fertilized after three years of growing season. In the spring, complex mineral fertilizers are applied, which should contain phosphorus and potassium. In mid-June, thuja is fed with nitrogen-containing products. At the end of summer, along with watering, the thuja is fertilized with organic matter.
Trimming
If the purpose of pruning is to give the crown a certain shape, the activities are carried out at the end of summer. Most often, thuja is not formed, because it has a strict geometric shape that does not require correction. A mandatory condition of agricultural technology is health-improving pruning. In the spring, for sanitary purposes, broken or dry branches are removed, and shoots with dry or frozen needles are cut off.
Preparing for winter
Thuja of this variety is a frost-resistant crop that can winter without insulation. Preparing for the cold period is as follows:
- In October, thuja is watered with large volumes of water.
- The seedlings are being spudded.
- Double the mulch layer.
- To prevent branches from breaking under the weight of snow, they are fixed to the trunk with twine or rope.
Shelter is necessary to protect the thuja not so much from frost, but from the burns of the spring sun.
Pests and diseases
Golden Smaragd has more stable immunity than the classic type. If all conditions for planting and care are met, thuja practically does not get sick. The infection is caused by waterlogging of the soil or location of the tree in the shade. Under unfavorable conditions, thuja is affected by late blight.The first lesions are localized in the root, then the infection spreads to the crown. Without timely measures taken, the thuja will die. The disease is eliminated by treating the tree with fungicides, then replanted in a dry area.
Among the pests that affect thuja, the pests are eliminated with Actellik; the insecticide is also used for preventive spring treatment. In the rainy season, thuja aphids can parasitize the Golden Smaragd variety; they get rid of insects with Karbofos.
Conclusion
Western thuja Golden Smaragd is a compact cone-shaped tree with a bright, dense crown. The yellow-green color of the needles remains throughout the year. Thuja is classified as an elite variety and is grown for decorative purposes in gardens, personal plots, and the façade of administrative and office buildings. Thuja is unpretentious to the composition of the soil and does not require shaping cutting.
