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In works that describe the life of Indians in America and Canada, one can find mention of the “white cedar of life.” We are talking about the thuja occidentalis, many species of which grow on this continent. Nowadays coniferous trees can be found all over the world. Thuja Sunkist is just one of many varieties of a plant popular in landscape design.
Description of Western Thuja Sunkist
Thuja occidentalis belongs to the Cypress family. In the wild, trees can reach a height of 20 m. The description of Thuja Sunkist is similar to the Lutea variety. It was this conifer that was used for breeding Sunkist.
“Bunch of the Sun” is how the name of this low evergreen tree with bright golden needles is translated from English. In the garden, Thuja Sunkist grows up to 2 m. Rare specimens can reach no more than 5 m at the age of ten. A slow-growing tree with proper care, it adds a little more than 5 cm per year in height and width.
- The branches of Thuja Sunkist are vertical, slightly twisted.
- The crown shape is pyramidal.
- The color of the scaly needles varies from light yellow to bronze, depending on the season.
- The root system of the thuja is located in the top layer of soil.
- The bark is smooth brown when young, but peels off in even strips as the tree ages.
- Greenish flowers are hardly noticeable in the dense crown.
- The reddish cone fruits contain several seeds.
The needles and wood of thuja occidentalis Sunkist have a pleasant pine aroma. But, unlike pine and spruce, resin does not stand out on the conifer bark.
The use of thuja Sunkist in landscape design
The low-growing evergreen tree looks spectacular all year round. The golden color of the needles goes well with green and red shrubs and ornamental plants in alpine hills.
On websites offering landscaping services, you can find many photos and descriptions of Thuja Sunkist in various decoration options.
Several varieties of thuja with different colored needles can be planted in the front area of the garden. This will become a real decoration for an alley or rock garden.
A hedge of western thuja Sunkist can be grown around the site or used to cover outbuildings with plantings. Western thuja tolerates pruning well to shape the crown. A dense woven hedge made of golden thuja Sunkist will not only create the necessary decorative effect, but will also protect the area from the penetration of animals.
Western Thuja Sunkist, as shown in the photo, combines well with ground cover plants. A frame of stones will give the evergreen tree a special flavor.
The unpretentious decorative conifer can be grown in containers. Miniature young thuja Sunkist trees are used in landscape design.
Photo of the seedling:
Features of reproduction
Western thuja is propagated by seeds and cuttings. But, given that thuja Sunkist is an artificially bred variety, varietal characteristics may be lost when propagating the crop using seeds. To propagate thuja occidentalis Sankist, it is better to use the vegetative method.
Propagation by cuttings
Planting material for western thuja Sunkist is harvested in late autumn. Root cuttings at a temperature of about 25 degrees Celsius. Thuja Sunkist requires high air humidity for the development of the root system. Experts advise using indoor greenhouses or plastic bags for rooting cuttings.
Thuja Sunkist branches for propagation should be cut off with a small piece of bark (heel) with a sharp knife so as not to damage the mother tree. The length of the workpiece should be about 15 cm. Afterwards, it is necessary to remove the needles and small lower branches to the middle of the cutting.
The soil for rooting thuja occidentalis must be disinfected. You can warm the substrate in the microwave. Boiled water should be used for irrigation.
To root one thuja cutting, about a glass of a mixture of sand and turf soil is required. In order to increase moisture and breathability, it is recommended to add vermiculite or foam chips. The soil should be moderately moist.
The thuja occidentalis stalk must be immersed in the substrate and the bag tightly closed. In this state, rooting occurs in about a month. You need to keep the package with thuja on a bright window or use a backlight.The duration of daylight hours for the rapid germination of western thuja is at least 13 - 14 hours.
You should not open the package while the thuja is rooting. The regrown roots are clearly visible.
The seedling needs to be transplanted into a pot as soon as the root system has developed. For further cultivation of thuja Sunkist, you can mix fertile turf soil and coarse sand in a ratio of 2 to 1.
Algorithm of actions:
- Place drainage at the bottom of the pot.
- Fill up some of the soil.
- Place the rooted thuja cuttings vertically.
- Sprinkle soil around the circumference of the container.
- Water and spray the plant.
- Place in a plastic bag and cover tightly for 2 - 3 days.
A thuja seedling can be opened no earlier than after 3 days. It is necessary to carefully accustom the plant to decreased humidity.
Landing rules
When planting thuja occidentalis, you should remember that the evergreen tree will grow in one place for more than 10 years. It will be impossible to replant an adult plant. The root of the Western Thuja Sunkist can grow up to a meter deep.
Recommended timing
You can plant thuja in open ground from spring to autumn. But each landing date has its own characteristics.
Summer landing
When planting thuja Sunkist in open ground in summer, you must remember that the roots of the plant are very sensitive to drying out. Therefore, you need to prepare the planting hole in advance and replant the tree as soon as possible. It is recommended to do this until the air temperature exceeds 20 degrees Celsius. It is also necessary to shade the young tree to avoid drying out the roots and burning the needles.
Planting in autumn
The main problem with autumn planting of thuja is soil subsidence. Even a healthy seedling is not yet able to stay in the soil due to the weakness of the root system. Therefore, when planting thuja in the fall, you should install supports so that the tree is not damaged by wind or melting snow.
Spring planting
The optimal time for planting western thuja in open ground is March-April. This period may vary slightly in different climate zones. It is important to have time to plant the thuja before the sap begins to flow.
At this time, all conifers begin to actively grow shoots. Therefore, thuja planted in spring takes root more easily. Before winter, the tree will have time to develop a strong enough root system so that it will not be afraid of frost.
Site selection and soil preparation
Thuja Sunkist is shade tolerant and can grow in poor soils. But for the full development of decorative qualities, the tree requires fertile soil with neutral acidity. If there is insufficient lighting, the crown may grow disproportionately. And the golden color of the needles in the shade can change to greenish.
The soil for planting thuja should contain half of turf soil and the same amount of rotted manure or high-quality compost. On heavy soils, you can add coarse sand or mix to the mix to increase breathability.
You can improve the nutritional properties of the soil by adding complex fertilizers (nitroammophosphate, superphosphate).
Landing algorithm
Before removing the Thuja Sunkist plant from the pot, you need to prepare the soil mixture and planting hole to minimize the time the Thuja roots are exposed to the air. Sequencing:
- Dig up the soil and clear it of weeds.
- Prepare a planting hole 80*80*80.
- Prepare the soil.
- Lay a drainage layer up to 20 cm.
- Remove the seedling from the container along with a lump of earth.
- Place the plant in the hole.
- Sprinkle halfway with soil evenly and compact.
- Pour in a bucket of water to shrink the soil.
- Add the remaining soil.
- Cover the tree trunk circle with mulch.
- Cover with a cloth from the sun's rays.
When deepening a seedling, remember that the root collar should protrude above the soil level by at least 5 - 6 cm.
Growing rules
Caring for thuja Sunkist involves regular feeding and watering. To give the tree a spectacular shape, young branches need to be pruned to form a crown.
Watering schedule
In the first month after planting thuja Sunkist in the ground, it is important to monitor soil moisture. Up to 50 liters of liquid per seedling may be required per week. If the weather is dry and hot, then you need to moisten the soil every other day in the early morning or evening after solar activity decreases. It is important to water at the root in the morning and sprinkle in the evening.
The soil in the tree trunk circle of young plants can sag, forming holes. This can cause stagnation of moisture and rotting of the root system. It is necessary to add soil until the shrinkage is complete.
After watering, the soil must be loosened to a depth of 5 - 7 cm. Weeds must be removed so that the thuja does not have to share nutrients.
Top dressing
You need to feed thuja Sunkist for the first time about six months after planting it in the ground.In spring you can use ammonia preparations. Nutrient special mixtures of prolonged action are produced for conifers. They can be purchased in specialized stores. The preparations contain a full range of components that are required for the normal development and growth of ornamental evergreen coniferous trees and shrubs.
Trimming
Sanitary pruning of thuja western Sunkist is carried out in the spring. At the same time, dry and damaged branches, as well as part of the shoots, are removed to ensure air access to the internal branches.
Garden pitch or resin is used to seal cuts and wounds on the bark.
Formative pruning of the crown is best done in the fall, before the air temperature drops below 5 degrees Celsius. Partially remove branches protruding far from the crown.
Preparing for winter
Western Thuja Sunkist tolerates cold weather well. It is necessary to insulate only young plants that have not had time to sufficiently grow their root system. It is much more important to protect the tree from temperature changes and bright sunlight in the spring.
In the fall, the trunk circle is covered with a thick layer of peat or compost mulch. The branches of young seedlings are tied with twine or twine and covered with lutrasil or any other covering fabric that does not impede air access.
The shelter is removed in the spring after the snow melts.
Pests and diseases
Thuja Sunkist is quite resistant to fungal diseases. Despite this, fusarium often affects weak plants. The first sign of the disease is a change in the color of the needles and drying out of the branches. It is possible that the problems are caused by improper care. Thuja Sunkist often suffers from excess moisture and improper feeding.Therefore, before using potent anti-fungal agents, it is necessary to regulate soil moisture and provide ventilation for the crown.
To combat the disease, standard means against plant diseases are used. Dry parts must be trimmed and burned. To protect trees, it is better to use systemic fungicides that protect the plant by penetrating its parts.
Thuja Sunkist can be attacked by aphids or false scale insects. To protect against pests, standard preparations against leaf-eating insects or traditional methods are used.
Conclusion
Thuja Sunkist is famous not only for its decorative qualities, but also for its ease of care. This golden tree can decorate any area with minimal time spent on agricultural activities.
