Content
Pyramid thuja is most often found in squares and parks as hedges and tapeworms. Its value lies not only in the unpretentiousness and unpretentiousness of the plant, but also in the property of maintaining a beautiful, clear shape even without a haircut.
The ancestors of the pyramidal thuja originate in North America, where in natural conditions they reached 30 m in height.
Description of the pyramidal thuja
Western pyramidal thuja has brown or red bark; in mature trees it sometimes begins to peel off in ribbons. Wood contains essential oils used in medicine.
With age, the crown can change its shape from pyramidal to columnar. Thuja needles are dark green in summer and brown in winter. It fits tightly to the shoots. At a young age it is soft, later it becomes rough and scaly. The needles are replaced every three years. Thuja cones are brown, small, and each contains two seeds.
Thuja pyramidalis lives for about 100 years and in old age loses its lower branches, becoming less decorative.
The tree grows slowly. It belongs to shade-tolerant plants, undemanding to the soil, but on fertile loams its appearance is much better than on poor soils. Pyramidal thuja is winter-hardy, tolerates winds and frosts well to the latitude of the Leningrad region in the west and Yekaterinburg in the east. Suffers from heavy snow, which can break its branches and main trunk.
Varieties and varieties of pyramidal thuja
The variety of western thuja - pyramidal or cone-shaped - combines many varieties that are distinguished by their extraordinary decorativeness. The most popular among them are often used in landscaping.
Thuja Douglas
The variety was bred at the beginning of the last century in the USA and quickly spread throughout Europe. Pyramid Western Thuja Douglas is shade-tolerant and frost-resistant. The needles are dark green, flat. The branches are short, thin, rising upward, similar to a fern. The lower ones gradually dry out and fall off.
The pyramidal thuja of Douglas grows slowly, the maximum height is 15 m, suitable for group and single plantings.
Emerald
This is the most popular variety of cone-shaped thuja, with emerald needles that do not fade when shaded. The tree looks like a cypress. It has a narrow, dense, pyramidal crown.
The annual growth is 10 - 20 cm in height. The branches are arranged vertically. The cones of the plant are brown, small, oval-shaped, 1 cm long. Pyramidal thuja is resistant to adverse climatic conditions and environmental pollution. Universal application.
Vervena
The western pyramidal thuja variety was bred in the mid-19th century in Belgium. The tree changes the color of its needles depending on the season.In summer it is light green or yellow, in winter it is brown. The crown of the plant is dense, in the shape of a narrow cone. In adulthood, thuja reaches 15 m in height.
The branches are numerous, thin and soft. Most often, trees are used to create alleys near houses, in squares and parks.
Riversi
Western pyramidal thuja Riversi is a tree 5 m high. It has a compact, wide-conical crown. The shoots are short, everted. The needles change color.
In winter it is yellowish-green, in summer it is yellow. Thuja is winter hardy. The plant is used to create hedges and single plantings. It prefers location in areas that are fully illuminated; in the shade, the needles lose their golden color.
Ellvangeriana
Low thuja (2.5 m) with a wide-conical crown. The shoots are straight, branched at the ends. On young branches the needles are needle-shaped and soft; in adults they are scaly and pressed.
In winter it has a grayish tint. The variety is winter-hardy. Pyramidal thuja Ellvangeriana is propagated by cuttings and seeds. Looks elegant in the foreground of plantings as a single plant.
Most graceful
The variety belongs to the western pyramidal thuja (photo).
The trees reach a height of 5 m, their crown is dense, wide-conical. The needles are shiny and bright. There are white marks at the ends of the shoots. The plant is characterized by high winter hardiness. Reproduction is carried out by cuttings and seeds. The second method does not provide complete inheritance of varietal characteristics. The use of thuja pyramidalis is universal.
Application in landscape design
Many varieties of pyramidal thujas are ideal for creating hedges because they are tall and have neat shapes. “Living walls” can protect an area from wind, dust, and prying eyes.For this purpose, they are planted in the background, allowing beautiful flowering shrubs and perennials to come forward. Using a small pyramidal thuja with delicate emerald needles, you can decorate flower beds or create a stylish composition of several plants located on the lawn. An original haircut will give her uniqueness.
Features of reproduction
Thuja pyramidalis grows slowly, especially at first, so the seed propagation method is not often used. Its disadvantage is the loss of varietal properties by new plants.
If you decide to use the method, you should consider the following recommendations:
- seeds need to be selected large, lying under the snow all winter;
- fill the container with nutrient soil mixture;
- spread the seeds over the surface and cover them with a 2 cm layer of soil;
- After germination, standard care is required - watering, shading, fertilizing.
Pyramidal thuja seedlings obtained by seed are ready for planting in a permanent place only after 5 years.
The most popular method of propagation is cuttings. With this method, seedlings retain all the characteristics of the mother plant. There are several steps you need to take:
- prepare cuttings of pyramidal thuja in early spring;
- disinfect and treat them with a root formation stimulator;
- prepare a container with a drainage layer and soil for coniferous plants;
- place the cutting in the soil and place the container in a dark place with an air temperature of up to 20 ⁰C;
- After the growth appears, move it to a greenhouse;
- The pyramidal thuja seedling is transferred to a permanent place after 2 years.
Landing rules
In order for the pyramidal thuja to not get sick and to give good growth, several rules must be followed:
- purchasing a healthy seedling;
- choosing a place for planting that meets the requirements of the plant;
- strict adherence to deadlines;
- advance digging of a hole corresponding to the size of the thuja root system;
- drainage preparation;
- planting a tree according to the algorithm.
Recommended timing
Young pyramidal thuja with a closed root system can be planted in the ground throughout the growing season. But plants take root best in early spring or autumn. The ideal time for this is the end of March, when the soil and air have warmed up, or the beginning of September.
Early spring planting of pyramidal thuja allows it to take root before the onset of summer heat. After autumn, the plant has time to prepare for the winter cold and strengthen the root system.
It is recommended to plant pyramidal thujas in the early morning or late evening on a cloudy day. In hot sunny weather, the seedling should be shaded with paper or burlap.
Site selection and soil preparation
The usefulness of the growth and development of pyramidal thuja depends on the correct choice of location and preparation of the soil for it.
You should not choose a site where the sun will be present all day. Its scorching rays can make the color of the needles less bright. Partial shade is quite suitable for planting. The place must be protected from winds and drafts. At the same time, thujas easily tolerate polluted, gassed air.
It is worth maintaining a distance from other thujas, tall deciduous and coniferous trees, which should not shade or drown out the seedlings.
The pyramidal thuja is unpretentious to soils, but grows better on breathable loams. It does not tolerate high groundwater and does not tolerate swamps. She likes turfy soil mixed with sand and peat.
Landing algorithm
After selecting a seedling and determining its location, you can begin planting pyramidal thujas. To do this you need:
- Soak the root system of the seedling.
- The thuja pit should be made 40 cm wider than the earthen ball and 30 cm deeper.
- The distance between them is from 0.5 m to 5 m, depending on the expected planting density.
- As a soil mixture, you can use ordinary turf soil with the addition of compost and wood ash.
- Make drainage from expanded clay or broken brick at the bottom of the hole.
- Pour the soil mixture into a mound.
- Place the seedling in the center and fill it up so that the root collar is above the soil surface.
- Compact the soil around the thuja.
- Water generously.
- Mulch the tree trunk circle.
Rules for growing and care
After planting, the pyramidal thuja requires the usual simple care. At first, regular watering is needed so that the seedling takes root and begins to grow. The plant does not need frequent feeding, but the use of mineral and organic fertilizers has a positive effect on its condition. Pruning is carried out as necessary. The fight against diseases and pests is carried out for preventive purposes and to treat an already diseased tree, and to destroy insect pests.
Watering schedule
Young pyramidal thuja requires regular watering. Ten liters per week is enough for one tree. In very hot weather, the rate and frequency of watering should be doubled.
If the seedling is large, then it is moistened like an adult plant - 50 liters for one tree.
It is necessary to ensure that the soil is not washed out from the root area. The best time to water is early morning or late evening.Thuja pyramidal responds well to sprinkling. Dust and dirt are washed away from its crown, the air is filled with phytoncides and a pleasant pine aroma.
Top dressing
Thuja pyramidalis is undemanding to the soil and its fertility and can grow successfully without fertilizing. Additional nutrition of the plant leads to a response on its part in the form of accelerated growth and improved quality of needles.
Most often, when planting a seedling, organic matter or mineral supplements are added to the hole. The next feeding should be done no earlier than in two years.
For adult pyramidal thujas, it is enough to apply complex fertilizers for coniferous plants once - in spring or summer.
Trimming
The advisability of pruning depends on what decorative purpose the plant serves. Each variety has its own cutting intensity.
By their nature, pyramidal thujas are geometrically correct; their shape does not need to be adjusted. To maintain it in a certain condition, annual shoots are removed. The first formative haircut is carried out no earlier than two years after planting. It is required by plants forming a hedge to give it a clearer shape.
Annual pruning of pyramidal thuja for sanitary purposes is required to remove damaged and diseased shoots. Time: spring, before the buds open. Thuja tolerates this procedure well and reacts with rapid growth of green mass. Plants are trimmed with sharp garden pruners or scissors, which cannot injure the shoots.
Preparing for winter
Mature and strong pyramidal thujas successfully winter without additional shelter, especially if planted near the house or tall deciduous and coniferous trees. A young plant needs protection in winter, when the temperature drops below -35⁰C. A covering non-woven material or burlap is used to protect the crown; the trunk must be covered with earth and the tree trunk circle must be mulched.
Experts advise that in the first five years after planting, pyramidal thujas should be covered with spruce branches, spandbond, or special covers that can be purchased in the store. In a snowy winter, you should clear the branches of the thuja from snow or tie the crown with twine in advance so that the shoots and trunk of the plant are not damaged under its weight.
Pests and diseases
In order for the pyramidal thuja to delight with its appearance, beauty and grandeur, it is necessary to protect it from diseases transmitted from other plants:
- late blight – the root and crown are affected, the thuja changes color and withers, a white coating appears on the trunk;
- brown shoots – scales turn yellow, shoots turn brown and die;
- rust shutte – the needles of young plants darken and fall off.
Folk remedies, fungicides and other chemicals are used for treatment and prevention.
The main pests of thuja include:
- thuja aphid;
- moth moth;
- false scale insect;
- click beetle;
- wireworm
Plants should be constantly inspected and treated with insecticides at the first sign of pests.
Conclusion
Pyramidal thuja has long been successfully used in site design because of its attractiveness, undemandingness to soil, and ease of care. With its help you can create hedges, beautiful compositions in combination with ornamental shrubs and flowers.Growing thuja is not difficult even for a novice amateur gardener.
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