Thuja western Hoseri: photo and description

Thuja Hoseri is one of the most compact and neat varieties of ornamental conifers. A dwarf shrub, rarely exceeding 0.5 m in height, very beautiful in summer and winter, and does not require constant attention when growing. The Western thuja variety Hozeri is quite winter-hardy, rarely gets sick and almost does not fade in the sun, which has earned the sympathy of domestic gardeners and willing use for landscape decoration.

Description of thuja Hoseri

A young variety of western thuja of Polish selection - Hoseri (in Latin Hoseri) belongs to compact forms and is distinguished by a growth of about 5 cm per year. In the most favorable conditions, the branches do not grow more than 10 cm. The multi-stemmed shrub readily branches, forming a dense spherical, and with age, an egg-shaped crown.

Soft scaly needles, rich green in summer and bronze in winter, give Khozeri an openwork and unusual decorative quality. Young spring growth is distinguished by a silvery tint. Thuja Hoseri, gradually changing colors from season to season, is beautiful at any time of the year.

Gradual replacement of green mass in thuja occurs over 3 years, which does not affect the appearance of Hozeri. In spring, single, inconspicuous flowers appear on the tops of adult shoots. After pollination, small cones, no more than 1 cm in size, form in their place.

Description of thuja western Khozeri and features of cultivation in the middle zone:

  1. An adult Hoseri winters well without shelter at temperatures down to -29 °C. If more critical frosts are expected in winter, light shelter is enough for the bushes.
  2. In group plantings, thujas growing in the shade and in the sun do not differ in color or growth vigor.
  3. Thanks to its compact, dense crown, Hosery is rarely damaged by winds, but does not tolerate cold winter drafts.
  4. Western dwarf thuja bushes, especially in the first years after planting, need regular watering.
  5. In the conditions of the middle zone, Hoseri is not susceptible to most garden diseases, but can be damaged by typical pests.

With good care, the dwarf variety of western thuja can grow and develop for more than 20 seasons. By the age of 10, the bush barely reaches 80 cm. Small annual growth makes it easy to form bushes or leave them in their natural form, carrying out the sanitary removal of old, dry, damaged areas.

The use of thuja hoseri in landscape design

The characteristics of the variety allow you to grow individual bushes, form picturesque groups, or arrange low, dense borders. Thuja Hoseri looks great both in the garden in a flower bed and in a container. The compactness of the crown allows you to decorate stairs, verandas, terraces, roofs, and balconies with potted plants. The universal variety of spherical thuja is equally good in different lighting conditions, in combination with any garden crops.

Hosery is widely planted along paths, in rocky groups, and on alpine hills. The short stature and shade tolerance of thuja bushes allows you to revive the lower tier of the garden and visually support the planting of ferns, tall grasses, and cereals.

Comment! As a border, the miniature thuja Hoseri tolerates various thickenings well, is easy to shape, and holds the required volume for a long time. There is no need to frequently cut the green mass and adjust the crown.

On open lawns, Hosery can serve as a bright accent or zone divider. Deciduous and flowering tall shrubs, any coniferous, cypress, and fruit trees are considered a good background for bright green balls. Compact thujas stand out beautifully in flower beds with variegated ground cover plants.

Features of reproduction

Thuja western Hoseri can be propagated in one of two ways: cuttings or seeds. The fruits ripen in cones in late autumn. They are most often left to overwinter under the snow or immediately planted in open ground for cold wintering and germination in the spring.

When planting, the distance between thuja seeds is left at least 25 cm. If the seedlings are successful, Hoseri will have to be thinned out several times. The soil in the garden bed must be mulched. Thuja sprouts that appear in spring are very tender and vulnerable. Hoseri plants require careful care up to 3 years of age. Only after reaching 5 years can the seedlings be transplanted.

Despite good germination, thuja fruits are rarely used for germination. Seed propagation is a long and labor-intensive process, which is used mainly by experienced gardeners and breeders. This method does not always produce bushes that meet all the characteristics of Hosery.Propagation by green cuttings ensures quick results and full varietal matching of the resulting plants.

The process of growing Thuja Hoseri from cuttings:

  1. The branches are pruned in late autumn, in fragments no shorter than 15 cm.
  2. The needles are removed from the bottom of the stem and dipped in a product that stimulates root formation. You can leave the stems in the solution for up to 24 hours.
  3. The cuttings are buried in an area protected from drafts and direct sunlight, or rooted in containers with light soil and a mandatory drainage layer.
  4. With the onset of warm weather with a temperature of about + 22 °C, active formation of thuja roots begins. The fact that the Hosery cutting has taken root is evidenced by the appearance of growth.
  5. When growing at home, the plantings are covered with film, creating a mini-greenhouse. Remove the cover after the appearance of young needles. Transferring Hoseri cuttings to a permanent place in the garden is possible after a year.

Young plants in open ground must be covered with spruce branches and non-woven material for the winter. Thuja Hoseri, when propagated by cuttings, is capable of growing a compact crown with several supporting trunks over several years.

Landing rules

To decorate the garden, it is advisable to purchase 3-year-old seedlings grown in special nurseries. At this age, the western Khozeri thuja bushes, as described and photographed, most often appear as compact plants with a well-defined spherical crown and already quite a decorative appearance.

Important! Thujas in containers are easier to transport and can wait for suitable weather for work without loss. Hosery's open root system will require urgent planting in a permanent location.

Recommended timing

Planting thuja with bare roots can be done in the spring, immediately after the soil warms up, but before the shoots begin to grow. Autumn work begins after the leaves fall in the garden, a few weeks before the cold snaps.

Hoseri's closed root system allows it to be planted in a permanent place throughout the growing season. The autumn timing of the work should provide the same time for rooting. Hosery planted late most often freezes.

Site selection and soil preparation

Thuja Hoseri is capable of growing in diffuse or partial daylight: dense shade is contraindicated for any coniferous plants. Under the dense cover of tall trees, the shrub will inevitably lose its decorative effect. Planting in an open, sunny area requires careful monitoring of soil moisture and timely watering. Constantly blown areas are not recommended for thujas due to the rapid drying out of the soil and air.

Hosery loves moist, nutritious soils, but if there is any danger of stagnant water or excessive rainfall, the planting site must be drained. The layer of sand, gravel or expanded clay in the pit should be at least 15 cm.

Description of the thuja Hozeri states that any soil is suitable for the culture. In practice, the best results are obtained from sandy loam, loamy, moderately fertilized substrates provided they have a slightly alkaline or neutral reaction. In acidic soils, slaked lime or dolomite flour is added before digging, and wood ash is mixed in when planting. If the soil is poor and dense, it is recommended to completely remove the contents of the dug holes.

To replace the soil when planting western thuja Hoseri, prepare the following substrate:

  • humus or garden soil - 2 parts;
  • sand (preferably coarse, river sand) – 1 part;
  • lowland (dark) peat – 1 part;
  • complex fertilizer for coniferous crops - according to the instructions.
Attention! Organics, especially fresh manure, are not used when planting thuja Hoseri. The complex mineral composition is quite sufficient for the successful rooting of seedlings.

Landing algorithm

It is better to prepare a seat for thuja in advance. A hole is dug to a depth of about 60 cm. The distance between the bushes during group planting is left at least 80 cm. The indentation is reduced only if it is necessary to thicken the thujas to form a dense border.

Hoseri planting process:

  1. Drainage is placed in the prepared hole.
  2. A layer of prepared nutrient substrate is poured on top.
  3. Place the Hoseri seedling in the center of the hole so that the root collar remains above the surface after planting.
  4. All voids are carefully filled with soil, lightly pressing each layer with the palm of your hand.
  5. After planting, arrange a small earthen bank around the thuja for watering.
Advice! It is advisable to stir up the earthen thuja Hoseri from a container and untangle it a little before planting. Due to lack of space in the pot, the woven roots of a seedling usually curl up and grow inward. Thuja bushes with such roots take longer to take root.

At least 10 liters of warm water are poured under each planted western thuja bush and the surface is mulched with crushed bark, sawdust or peat.

Rules for growing and care

Thuja Hozeri, the description and photo of which confirm the excellent appearance of the shrub at any time of the year without special care, still needs to maintain certain soil parameters. The looseness of the soil provides the necessary breathing for the roots; with insufficient aeration, growth is inhibited and the decorative appearance of the bushes suffers. Constant deep loosening is also unacceptable due to the superficial occurrence of the roots.

Khozeri is not a drought-resistant conifer. When the soil dries out for a long time, especially in the heat, the thuja withers and the needles turn yellow. Such bushes will require deep pruning and long restoration.

Advice! It is easier to satisfy all the requirements of the thuja Hoserik soil by mulching the plantings. A layer of sawdust, decorative stones or bark up to 5 cm thick will protect the soil from weathering, crust formation and moisture loss.

Watering schedule

Soil moisture under plantings of thuja Hoseri depends on the season and age of the kutas:

  1. The soil under young plants is irrigated as needed, keeping it constantly slightly moist.
  2. Adult thuja Hoseri are watered once a week, adding about 10 liters of water per plant.
  3. In hot weather, the needles are helped to survive the drying air by sprinkling in the evening.
  4. Before cold weather, abundant moisture-recharging watering is carried out, providing the above-ground and underground parts of the plants with a successful wintering.

Bushes of the western variety of thuja, protected from the midday sun by the shade of tall plants, suffer less from drying out soil and air. When in open areas, Hosery may burn, which is reflected in a change in color at the ends of the shoots. Increased hydration in the evening helps thujas cope with the heat.

Top dressing

Khoseri, like all thujas, develops well in any soil with moderate feeding. It is not recommended to over-fertilize the bushes; organic compounds are especially undesirable for thuja bushes. Excess manure or bird droppings overfeed plants with nitrogen and acidify the soil.

Rules for fertilizing thuja Hoseri:

  1. If the planting hole is properly laid, the seedlings do not need feeding for about 2 years.
  2. Mature bushes are fertilized in early spring with complex compounds for conifers.Be sure to fertilize after spring pruning, when it is permissible to introduce rotted organic matter into the tree trunk circle.
  3. To quickly awaken and adapt the roots of the western thuja, watering is carried out in the spring with the addition of Epin or Kornevin.
  4. In the fall, along with pre-winter watering of Hozeri, it is permissible to apply small doses of potassium and phosphorus fertilizers.
  5. During the growing season, fertilizing is necessary only if the bushes are clearly weakened or the needles are damaged by the sun.

The universal fertilizer for thuja Hoseri are ready-made formulations: Khvoinka, Greenworld, Zdraven, Good Power, Pokon. Prepare solutions strictly according to the instructions to avoid burning the roots.

Trimming

Khozeri is distinguished by its small annual growth and independent growth of a spherical crown. Bushes do not require frequent trimming. In the spring, be sure to inspect the plants and remove all parts damaged by frost. If it is necessary to form a crown, pruning is carried out until young growth appears.

Mature western Hosery plants tend to shed their needles within dense bushes. To prevent exposure of the inside of the crown, sometimes it is necessary to thin out the skeletal branches to allow light and ventilation. Dead needles inside the bush are removed if possible.

If it is necessary to intensively form Hoseri bushes as part of borders, re-pruning is carried out no earlier than a year later, giving the plants time to recover, ensuring branching of shoots.

Preparing for winter

The frost resistance of thuja Hoseri and its small size allow the bushes to withstand winters quite easily. With high snow cover, plants overwinter well without additional shelter.

According to gardeners, thuja Hoseri suffers more than from frost from a snow or ice cap, which can “collapse” a neat spherical crown with its weight. Therefore, before the onset of cold weather, it is recommended not to tie the bushes too tightly around the circumference, slightly pulling the branches of the plant together.

In late autumn, the bushes are inspected, damaged, dry and old stems are cut out. After abundant watering, the soil is mulched with a layer of about 10 cm. Shelters for thuja western Khozeri, as shown in the photo, are arranged if severe frosts are expected in winter. Huts made of branches or poles covered with non-woven material perform a protective role well.

Attention! The first hot rays of the sun can damage the needles on unawakened thujas. Sometimes gardeners build lightweight portable caps that can protect bushes during sudden cold snaps, and also serve for temporary shading of Hozeri in early spring.

Pests and diseases

The western variety of thuja Hoseri is little susceptible to garden diseases, but some diseases can settle on bushes weakened by improper care.

Possible diseases and treatments:

  • against rust and schutte (the needles turn brown and fall off) - solutions of HOM (20 g per 5 l) for spraying bushes and Fundazol in the same concentration for watering the soil;
  • if late blight is detected, the plant is dug up and destroyed outside the site; prevention is by spraying the plants with fungicides;
  • areas affected by the tinder fungus are cut out, Hoseri bushes are treated with Bordeaux mixture.

To prevent all diseases, plantings are treated in the spring with a 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture. Spraying of the bushes is carried out when the young needles begin to grow.

Hoseries in the garden can be threatened by both typical thuja pests and common garden pests.Some insects and preparations for their destruction:

  • thuja aphids and false scale insects - Karbofos, Antio, Rogor;
  • thuja foxglove moth – Mosquitol, Fumitox;
  • thuja pine beetle – Fufonon, Kliper, Alatar;
  • spider mite – Fitoverm, 30-V, RosKhim;
  • wireworm – Tabu, Zemlin, Provotox.

In regions where garden plants are severely affected by the larvae of the cockchafer, Hoseri thuja, along with surrounding crops, are sprayed with insecticides every spring. Actellik solution copes well with May beetles and bark beetles.

Conclusion

Thuja Hoseri can be a charming accent to a flower bed and support almost any ensemble in the garden. The unpretentiousness of dwarf thuja and its stability in a changeable climate make it possible to cultivate the crop without spending a lot of time on care and shaping. Thanks to its high decorative value all year round, Thuja Hoseri is confidently included in the list of the most popular coniferous plants of the last decade.

Reviews

Maria Sedokova, 52 years old, Moscow region
Hozeri received several bushes as a gift about 7 years ago. Neat little balls quickly took shape. I didn’t trim the thuja for the first 4 years, then I noticed that the crown was thinning and was falling apart in some places. Now I cut my hair regularly in the spring. It is important to have time to trim before growth appears, otherwise Hosery bushes will look sloppy all summer. I also thin out the crown so that the inside of the plants is ventilated. In terms of care, other than watering and one feeding in the spring, I do nothing.
Valentin Puzatov, 40 years old, Pskov region
Thuja Hosery are my favorite bushes on the site. Compact, openwork, always beautiful and without trimming. Regarding shelter for the winter, I noticed that under the cover one bush almost withered away. Therefore, if the frosts are not critical, it is better not to cover Hozeri at all. Now I have a great winter without caps.There is a little snow, but the bushes do not freeze, apparently, a good place: there are no drafts, and there is a fence covering it from the north. Propagated by green cuttings. I rooted it by digging right into the area.
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