Content
Western thuja is a coniferous evergreen tree, a representative of the Cypress family. Distribution area in the wild: Canada and North America. Thuja Maloniana is a cultivar with a highly decorative appearance and is widely used in landscape design. Due to its high frost resistance, coniferous trees are grown in all climatic zones of Russia.
Description of thuja Maloniana
Thuja Maloniana (pictured) is a columnar, strictly symmetrical, vertical tree with a sharp crown. The crown is narrow in diameter - up to 3 meters, the height of the thuja is within 10 m. It grows quickly, adding 30-35 cm per year.
External characteristics:
- The crown is compact, the trunk is straight with tightly pressed skeletal branches. The branches are short, strong, close to each other, with branched tops.The bark of young shoots is smooth, brown with a red tint; over the years, the color changes to dark gray; the bark can peel off in long longitudinal stripes.
- The needles are small (0.3 cm), scaly, densely located, tightly pressed to the stem, rich bright green on top, the lower part is matte, the color darkens in winter. It persists on the tree for 3 years, then falls off along with the upper part of the shoots (branch fall). The needles of young shoots are a shade lighter than last year's.
- The cones are oval-shaped - 12-14 cm in length, dark beige in color, scaly, containing seeds with narrow yellow lionfish inside.
- The roots are thin, intertwined, forming a compact system, deep up to 80 cm.
Thuja occidentalis Maloniana is a perennial tree whose lifespan is 100-110 years. Wood without resin passages has a pleasant, subtle aroma. The culture is unpretentious and tolerates urban pollution well.
The survival rate in a new place is high, the culture responds well to pruning and shearing.
Varieties of Western Thuja Maloniana
Thuja occidentalis Malonyana is represented by several varieties with different crown shapes and needle colors. In ornamental gardening, several varieties are used that, due to their frost resistance, are suitable for growing in the climatic conditions of Russia.
Aurea
A narrow columnar tree with a sharp top and a dense symmetrical crown.
Description of thuja Maloniana Aurea:
- the volume of thuja by 10 years is 1.4 m;
- the trunk is straight with tightly pressed short branches with intense branching at the ends;
- the needles are golden, the upper part is brighter, the lower part is darker, due to the peculiarity of the color, the crown looks orange on a cloudy day, by winter the needles turn bronze;
- The cones are few in number, brown in color, and ripen by mid-autumn.
The annual growth is 25-35 cm. At 10 years old, the height of the tree is 3-3.5 m. The needles do not burn in the sun, poor ecology (smoke, gas pollution) does not affect the growing season. A tree with high winter hardiness, tolerates temperatures down to – 380 C.
Holub
Holub is a dwarf representative of the western thuja Maloniana, grows to 0.8 m by the age of 10. Volume – 0.7 m. Annual growth is insignificant – 3-5 cm.
The shrub is irregular in shape, with twisted branches growing chaotically. Thuja forms several crowns of different lengths. The shape of each plant is individual. The needles are thick, small, dark green, darken in autumn and acquire a slightly yellow tint.
Application in landscape design
Thuja western Maloniana and its varieties Aurea and Holub, due to their high frost resistance, are widely used in regions with cold winters for landscape design; thuja is also a frequent visitor to southern gardens. Several options for using coniferous crops in ornamental gardening are presented in the photo.
As the background of the composition.
Thuja Malognana Aurea on the sides of the garden path.
Creating a hedge.
Thuja in a group planting with dwarf conifers and flowering plants.
Features of reproduction
Thuja western Maloni is propagated by seeds or cuttings. Seeds are collected in late autumn. In spring they are planted in open ground; seed germination is good. Young seedlings are covered for the winter, after 3 years the seedlings are ready for planting on the site.
Cuttings are a less effective method, since the material does not take root well.Cuttings are taken in mid-summer from last year's shoots. Place in a fertile substrate and cover with film on top. The rooted material is ready for planting next spring.
Landing rules
Thuja occidentalis Maloniana is a plant that does not require special agricultural technology. If the timing and planting technology are followed, the thuja takes root well and grows quite quickly.
Recommended timing
Planting of thuja western Malonian in regions with a temperate climate is carried out in the spring, when the earth has warmed up sufficiently, approximately at the end of April. Thuja has high frost resistance; it does not react to returning frosts. In the Southern regions, it is allowed to plant Thuja Maloniana in early autumn. In order for the thuja to take root in a new place before the onset of frost, work is carried out in mid-September.
Site selection and soil preparation
Thuja is a light-loving plant; the decorative coloring of the needles directly depends on the abundance of sunlight. Maloniana and Holub can grow in periodically shaded areas, but preference is given to an open area when planting. Thuja occidentalis Maloniana Aurea does not respond well to shade; the color fades due to ultraviolet deficiency.
Soils choose neutral, fertile loams; soil salinization and waterlogging are not allowed. Thuja is a moisture-loving plant, but a constantly wet root ball will lead to rotting. Therefore, lowlands and areas with close groundwater are not considered.
Before planting, the soil is neutralized if necessary, and organic matter is added. Prepare a nutrient substrate from peat, sand, compost in equal parts.
Landing algorithm
If the seedling has a closed root system, the planting hole is dug according to the size of the earthen ball; if the roots are open, then the depth of the hole should be about 1 m, and the width should be 15 cm greater than the size of the rhizome.
Sequence of work:
- A drainage cushion is placed at the bottom, consisting of a layer of coarse gravel, and fine gravel on top.
- Pour a layer of nutrient mixture.
- The thuja seedling is placed in the center.
- Cover with the rest of the soil mixture.
- Soil is added to the top, compacted, and watered abundantly.
To create a hedge, the distance between thujas is 3 m.
Rules for growing care
According to reviews from gardeners with experience in growing thuja Maloniana, the plant does not require special attention, tolerates changes in spring temperatures and lack of moisture, and calmly responds to shaping.
Watering schedule
Young seedlings of the western Malonian thuja are watered once every 7 days. Mature trees are moistened less often; if seasonal precipitation is normal, then thuja does not need watering. To preserve moisture, the tree trunk circle is mulched with peat, sawdust or wood chips.
Top dressing
Thuja Maloniana is fertilized in the spring, using complex mineral fertilizers, for example, Kemira-universal. In the fall, water with an organic solution.
Trimming
Thuja Maloniana begins pruning only after 3 years of growth. The procedure is healing and formative in nature. Thuja responds well to pruning and quickly restores young shoots.
Thuya is pruned in the spring to give the tree a pyramidal or any topiary shape according to the design plan; pruning begins from the top of the head. At the end of August, the procedure is repeated, the branches protruding beyond certain boundaries are trimmed.
Preparing for winter
Adult thuja Maloniana trees do not require crown cover for the winter, the plant is frost-resistant, tolerates temperatures down to -42 0C, if young shoots freeze over the winter, the tree quickly forms a replacement.An adult thuja is mulched at the root circle and watered with plenty of water.
Increase the layer of mulch. The branches are pulled together and wrapped with any covering material that does not allow moisture to pass through.
Pests and diseases
Thuja Maloniana and its varieties do not have high immunity to infection and pests. The plant is affected by:
- fungus, causing the death of young shoots. Eliminate infection with Fundazol;
- rust. Young plants up to 4 years of growth are at risk, the fungus affects the needles and the upper part of young shoots, the plant is treated with “Hom”;
- late blight. The infection covers all plants, the reason lies in the waterlogging of the root ball. Fungicides are used to combat the fungus, and the plant is replanted. If the seedling cannot be saved, it is removed from the site.
Among the pests that parasitize Thuja Maloniana are:
- The weevil appears if the soil composition is acidic. The soil is neutralized, the plant is treated with insecticides;
- Spider mites appear in dry weather with low air humidity; the pest does not like dampness. Thuya is sprinkled and treated with acaricides;
- caterpillars of the thuja moth feed on pine needles, cause serious harm to the thuja, and eliminate the pest with “Fumitox”;
- A common pest on thuja is aphids; get rid of insects with Karbofos.
Conclusion
Thuja Maloniana is a cultivar of the western thuja, an evergreen coniferous plant represented by several varieties with different shapes, sizes and colors of needles. The Maloniana variety is a highly decorative tree with a symmetrical crown. The winter hardiness of the plant allows the use of thuja in landscape design in temperate climate zones. Thuja Maloniana is easy to care for, easy to trim, and keeps its shape for a long time.
