Types and varieties of thuja grown in summer cottages. Thuja varieties with photos and descriptions, which ones to choose for the Thuja garden, its types

Danica(Danika) An ideal ball from a young age, it grows no more than 60 cm. It grows slowly, at 20 years the height is about 50 cm. The needles are thick, soft, shiny, light green, slightly bronze in winter. Prefers sun and partial shade, is undemanding to the soil, tolerates dryness and excess moisture. Wintering under the snow, it practically does not suffer from spring burns.

Dumosa(Dumosa) The crown is flattened or slightly rounded, height and diameter 1 m. At the top there are many vertical thin shoots 10-15 cm long. The needles are green all year round.

Globosa(Globoza) The shrub is spherical in shape, diameter and height no more than 2 m. The crown is dense and grows evenly in all directions. The needles are green in summer, brownish or grayish in winter. It grows slowly. More than other thujas, it needs frequent watering; rejuvenating pruning is recommended every 2 years. Its shape is first round, later cone-shaped, and can reach 2 m in height. The needles are matte green, brownish in winter.

Golden Globe(Golden Globe) The shrub is round in shape, 1 m in height and in diameter. It grows slowly, 8-10 cm per year. The needles are golden yellow and acquire a copper tint in autumn. Prefers sun or partial shade. Haircut enhances the density of the crown.

Little Champion(Little Champion) Dwarf thuja of round shape. The ends of the branches droop slightly. At first it grows quickly, but upon reaching 50 cm the growth slows down. The needles are bright green, turning slightly brown in winter.

Recurva Nana(Recurva Nana) The name translates as “low curved”. The branches are curved, the ends of the young shoots are twisted. The crown is thick, terry, reminiscent of moss.

Stolwijk(Stolvik) Shrub up to 1.5 m with a hemispherical crown. The lower part is dense, the upper part is sparse and consists of several trunks. The needles are green, the young growth is yellow-white. Loves the sun and fertile, moist soil, does not tolerate dry air.

Tiny Tim(Tiny Tim) Very beautiful dwarf form with a rounded crown. It grows slowly, rarely growing more than 1 m. The branches are short and form lacy spirals. The needles are dark green and turn brown in winter. Photophilous.

Woodwardii(Wudvari) It is a dense ball, its height and diameter are 1.5 m. The needles are dark green and do not change color in winter. It grows slowly. In very severe winters, the ends of annual shoots may freeze.

Western thuja varieties of original form

Today, thujas with an original form of shoots are highly valued, for example, Cristata(Cristata), meaning "combed". This is a beautiful slender tree about 3 m high with a narrow, uneven crown, the branches are curved and directed upward, the needles are grayish-green.

No less interesting Spiralis(Spiralis), graceful, with a narrow conical or columnar crown and a long sharp tip, grows up to 5 m. The surface of the crown is very wavy, because the lateral branches are twisted in a spiral, the needles are bluish-green. In terms of growth rate, it is ahead of all garden forms.
Thuja cascade looks unusual Filiformis(Filiformis, “thread-like”). It has a thick, rounded crown and long hanging shoots.

Thuja is an excellent example of a garden hedge made from living plants. Green, fluffy and completely unpretentious in care - thuja is an ideal option for seasonal summer residents and not only. It’s not for nothing that urban landscape designers love thuja so much. It is great for decorating squares and parks, framing sidewalks and growing along the busiest roads.

An evergreen shrub that rarely grows above 10 meters in urban environments. You can find thuja in parks, alleys, squares, near well-kept houses and in the design of pedestrian areas. The fact is that thuja adapts very well to urban smoke and is not fussy to care for. Thanks to these qualities, thuja has become indispensable for the urban appearance.

Thuja is also used by summer residents to decorate fences with hedges, visually divide the space of a site into zones, or in the design of alpine slides and coniferous flower beds.

Thuja is a coniferous plant of the cypress family. A frost-resistant evergreen shrub, it was brought to our country from America and partly from the East. The root system of the shrub is very compact, so it is easy to transplant from place to place. Grows in any soil, very unpretentious to maintenance and care.

One of its many advantages is the high content of essential oils, which gives the shrub an interesting aroma. It has probably happened that you picked a cone from a thuja. Do you remember what smell it leaves behind on your hands?

It has several varieties, each of which has several more varieties.

These are the 5 main varieties into which the family is classified:

• Arbor vitae
• Thuja foldata (giant)
• Thuja occidentalis
• Thuja japonica (Standish)
• Thuja Korean

Thuja occidentalis

Emerald

Thuja Smaragd belongs to the cone-shaped thujas. It can reach 4 meters in height. Thuja Smaragd grows slowly, so it will approach its maximum growth only a few years after planting.

It has thick green needles. The color is rich green, which does not fade even in winter. Also, thuja does not dry out in winter and copes well in sunless periods.

The tops of the thuja are not connected, forming the “teeth” of a living fence - if you use it for a hedge. Suitable for cutting neatly shaped bushes - tolerates trimming with scissors well. It also looks good if it grows not in a group, but alone.

Thuja Smaragd should be planted at a distance of more than half a meter from each other, in moist, but not swampy soil. It is advisable to plant thuja in sunny areas - thanks to this, it will grow thick and richly green.

Sunkist

Thuja Sunkist is a low coniferous shrub, reaching a height of 3 (sometimes 5) meters. Just like the thuja Smaragd, the shape of the thuja Sunkist is conical. But unlike the neat Smaragd, Sunkist has “disheveled”, but no less dense and dense needles.

It grows very slowly - within a decade it reaches a height of only a couple of meters.

With age, it changes its color - from golden yellow to lemon yellow (fades), and in winter it even has a bronze tint.

It also loves fertile, moist soils, mostly loams, and does not tolerate drought well. Sunkists grow at a distance of half a meter from each other. Frost-resistant, tolerates various haircuts well. Suitable for creating different geometric shapes from your crown by cutting it.

One of the most strikingly colored thujas.

Columna

Thuja Columna is one of the tallest, reaching 10 meters in height.

The shape is not conical, but colonial - it is to this that the thuja owes its name. The color of thuja in both winter and summer is dark green.

Thuja Columna is fast growing - it grows up to 20 cm per year. It lends itself well to shaping and various decorative topiary haircuts.

Grows on moderately moist soils and does not tolerate drought. Prefers partial shade rather than sun. In hedges, the planting spacing is 0.7 m.

Fastigiata

Thuja Fastigiata - also has a colonial form. It grows up to 6 meters in height and has an annual growth of up to 30 cm. It is a fast-growing species of thuja.

Due to the dense and short coniferous legs, it takes up little space on the site and is suitable for decorating tall hedges that reliably hide the courtyard from view. Also ideal for decorating secluded shady alleys and single plantings.

It likes moderately moist and loamy soil, and does not tolerate shade from the spring and winter sun - during these periods it is better to cover the thuja with burlap. Frost-resistant, almost does not change its dark green color in winter.

In order for the thuja to take root better, it is necessary to mulch the soil with mowed grass. But before winter, you need to replace the grass with spruce branches to avoid pests.

Blue thuja

Blue thuja belongs to the variety Eastern thuja.

It is distinguished mainly by the bluish color of the needles. It grows up to 3 meters in height, while being wide - its girth can reach one and a half meters. The branches of the needles are directed vertically, and not horizontally, like those of the western thuja. Adds up to 20 cm per year.

It also has good resistance to drought, so it can grow successfully in the southern regions.

It is not demanding on soil, it grows on the same non-swampy and fertile soils.

It is not frost-resistant, so it requires good shelter in the winter months.

Blue Thuja has 2 varieties:

• Blue Con
• Meldensis

Meldensis is distinguished by an oval crown, which develops into a pyramidal one with age.

Fast growing thuja

Fast-growing thujas are one of the most successful ideas for arranging a personal plot and landscaping a yard. With relatively little cost to care for evergreen shrubs, you can enjoy vibrant greenery in your yard season after season. Of all the above varieties and varieties, the fastest growing ones include

• Columna
• Fastigiata
• Blue thujas

The leading position here is held by Western thuja, which has not yet been mentioned here - Brabant.

Brabant

Perhaps the most popular of the decorative thujas. Reaches a height of 20 meters! The annual increase in height with good care is up to 80 cm. It has a light green color.

It takes root well on loamy soils. Frost-resistant (up to -35 degrees), does not do well in the heat - it can burn. It is better to plant it in partial shade.

Its characteristics and appearance are very similar to the thuja Smaragd - therefore they are often combined in landscape design.

Thuja care

The most important rule is not to forget about abundant watering. Many varieties do not do well in drought and may lose their natural beauty, dry out and change color.

Secondly, for better crown formation, you need to cut off dry branches every spring and autumn. This will not harm the shrub; on the contrary, it will be easier to grow new needles. It is also useful for forming a neat and uniform crown.

Third, it is advisable to tie thuja (especially the cone-shaped one) for the winter so that it does not lose its natural appearance over the winter. Under the snow, branches of untied trees can bend in different directions, and in the spring they will not have the shape that you would like.

Thuja occidentalis

Thuja comes from North America. In the 16th century, it came to Europe, took root well in the local gardens and received the nickname “tree of life.” This breed tolerates cold and air pollution well, is shade-tolerant, and undemanding to soil. It is good for both single and group plantings, is suitable for hedges, will be a wonderful decoration for a rock garden and will fill the garden with a pine aroma. In this article we will tell you what types of thuja exist and the growing conditions.

Breed Features

Genus Thuja(Thuja) belongs to the cypress family and has 6 species, naturally growing in North America and East Asia.

Thujas are monoecious, evergreen trees, less often shrubs, with a rather dense pin-shaped crown, the trunks are covered with peeling bark.

• The needles are scale-like, opposite, tightly pressed to the shoots, last 2-3 years. Some of the branches turn yellow and fall off in the fall.
• Male strobila are single, apical, small.
• Females are ovoid-oblong, solitary, very small.
• The cones are small, oblong or ovoid, with leathery scales that more or less open.
• The seeds are elongated, with a membranous wing, and ripen in the fall in the year of flowering.
• Thuja wood is sound, has no resin ducts, and is soft. Valued for its resistance to rotting and ease of processing.

Thujas are characterized by rather slow growth and are undemanding to soil. They have a more or less superficial root system.Prefers sunny or semi-shaded areas.

This breed tolerates clipping and replanting well throughout the year, with the exception of very hot periods. Resistant to air pollution and smoke, widely used in landscape design.

Thuja is successfully propagated by seeds and summer cuttings, which easily take root in damp sand with high air humidity. Decorative forms and varieties are propagated by cuttings or grafting.

Growing conditions

• In group plantings, the distance between plants is from 0.5 to 3.0 m.
• In a two-row hedge, there are 0.5–0.7 m between rows, and 0.4–0.5 m in a row.
• In alley plantings, the interval between trees is 4 m.
• When planting, mineral fertilizers are applied at the rate of 500 g of nitroammophosphate per adult plant, the optimal soil acidity is pH 4.5–6.0.
• Two years after planting, it is necessary to add Kemira Universal (100–120 g/m²).
• It is advisable to mulch the tree trunk circles to protect the roots from overheating and drying out in the summer, as well as from rapid freezing in the winter.
• After planting for a month, it is recommended to water once a week at the rate of one bucket per plant and sprinkling.
• To maintain the decorative appearance of plants, it is necessary to remove dry shoots annually in the spring.
• Thuja hedges are trimmed moderately, no more than 1/3 of the length of the shoot; the crown is formed as needed.

Types of thuja

• Thuja occidentalis

The most famous and widespread species of the genus is thuja occidentalis ( Thuja occidentalis) . Conrad Gesner's The Gardening of Germany (1560) indicates that the thuja occidentalis was the first North American species brought to Europe in 1536.

In its homeland, this tree grows up to 20 m with a trunk diameter of 60-90 cm. At a young age, the crown is narrow, pyramidal, but later becomes ovoid. The scale-like leaves are bright green, shiny, up to 3–4 mm long.

The trunk is covered with brown bark, breaking up into thin strips.

Thuja occidentalis

In Russia thuja occidentalis appeared relatively recently, at the end of the 18th century, but it took root so well and spread quickly that its artificial habitat in our country is seven times larger than the natural one.

Vertically standing cones reach 1 cm in diameter. They are yellow-green at first and turn brown when ripe.

In eastern North America, this plant is called the American tree of life and pencil tree; its soft and easily processed wood is used to prepare pencil boards. Indians have long used rot-resistant thuja wood to build canoes. .

U thuja occidentalis There are a huge number of garden forms and varieties, differing in size, structure of crowns and shoots, and leaf color, which makes it possible to widely use it in landscaping. This breed is especially popular in our country.

• Thuja giant, or folded

Along the Pacific coast in western North America grows the most majestic of the thujas - gigantic, or folded (Thuja plicata). In its natural habitat, it reaches impressive sizes: 60 m in height with a trunk diameter of up to 2.5 m - and is called here the giant tree of life.

Thuja gigantea

Thuja foldata has a dense crown hanging down to the ground. The leaves are scale-like, bright green, with whitish stripes on the underside. This species grows successfully on fairly moist soils, along the banks of rivers and swamps.

Thuja gigantea

The highly decorative giant thuja is found in cultivation in Western Europe, in the forest-steppes of Ukraine, as well as in some areas of the Caucasian coast. It has a number of very impressive decorative forms and varieties.

• Thuja Korean

Thuja Korean ( Thuja koraiensis) - a tree up to 8 m high, but more often it grows in the form of a prostrate bush with thin red-brown bark that peels off in small scales. The leaves are green, with well-defined resin glands, the cones are elliptical, up to 8 mm long, brown.

Thuja Korean

Naturally grows in northern and middle Korea. Of particular interest only for dendrological gardens.

• Thuja Sichuan

In the mountains of southern China at an altitude of 1400 m above sea level it grows Thuja Sichuan ( Thuja sutchuenesis) - a small tree or shrub.This species has no practical use and is of interest only for botanical gardens and collection areas.

• Thuja Standisha, or Japanese

In the mountains of Central Japan, at an altitude of 1000–1800 m above sea level, it grows in mixed forests Thuja Standish, or Japanese (Thuja standishii) . This tree is 18–35 m high, with a wide pyramidal crown. In its homeland, under favorable conditions, it reaches its maximum size (35 m) at 300 years of age. The trunk is covered with reddish-brown thin bark that peels off in narrow strips. The leaves are matte green in color with an unpleasant resinous odor. The cones are ovoid, light brown, 8-10 mm long.

It grows slowly and is demanding on soil and air moisture. In Japan and Western Europe it is widely used as an ornamental plant in gardens and parks. In our country it feels good on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus.

• Arbor vitae

Thuja orientalis ‘Morgan’

Thuja orientalis ( Thuja orientalis) , according to academician A.L. Takhtadzhyan, is sometimes not sufficiently justifiably identified as a separate genus Biota(Biota). This evergreen tree, 15–18 m tall, grows in the mountains of northern China on slopes with poor soils. The crown is highly branched, reaching 9–11 m in diameter. The trunk is covered with reddish-brown bark.

(Thuja occidentalis Aureospicata)

Thuja occidentalis Aureospicata has an attractive variegated needle color. Young shoots are golden in color, while last year's needles are dark green. This form of thuja is unpretentious and does not require special care, except for sanitary pruning. The plant is light-loving, but tolerates partial shade. Thuja is tolerant of urban environments. Despite the fact that this variety is quite frost-resistant, you should still avoid planting it in open areas. Thuja suffers from severe frosts and winds. It is used in single and group plantings, in decorative groups of plants.

(Thuja occidentalis Brabant)

Thuja occidentalis Brabant is the fastest growing and most popular variety of thuja occidentalis. In the conditions of the Moscow region it grows up to 4 m. It can grow on any soil, but prefers fresh, sufficiently moist fertile loams. Grows in light and shade. Tolerates both dryness and excessive soil moisture (but not waterlogging). Frost resistance is high. It tolerates pruning and shearing very well. It is used in hedges, alley plantings, and landscape compositions.

(Thuja occidentalis Globosa)

Thuja occidentalis Globoza is a dwarf spherical shrub. It grows best in a well-lit place, but is quite shade-tolerant. May burn in the first spring sun. It grows slowly. It grows well in fertile and moist soils, but does not tolerate stagnant water. Frost-resistant. Needs protection from winds. An excellent plant for small gardens. Used in mixed borders, miniature tree and shrub compositions.

(Thuja occidentalis Globosa Compacta)

Thuja occidentalis Globoza Compacta is a low-growing coniferous shrub with a spherical crown with a diameter of 60 cm. It grows slowly. Winter hardiness is average. Grows well in sunny and semi-shaded places. Prefers moist, fairly fertile soils. Does not tolerate dry air well. During dry periods, additional artificial irrigation is recommended. Recommended for small home gardens, rock gardens, rocky hills and growing in containers.

(Thuja occidentalis Golden Globe)

Thuja occidentalis Golden Globe is a slow-growing dwarf form of thuja with yellow colored needles. The needles are golden-yellow, scaly, and turn orange in autumn. Prefers sunny planting locations and light partial shade. Does not tolerate dry air and waterlogged soil. Winter hardiness is very high. Resistant to diseases and pests. In garden design it is used in border plantings and miniature decorative compositions.

(Thuja occidentalis Golden Smaragd)

Thuja occidentalis Golden Smaragd is the best golden form, bred from the popular variety Smaragd. The needles are golden yellow throughout the year, the crown is almost perfectly conical. Grows best in sunny places and partial shade. In full shade the iridescent hue of the pine needles is lost. Does not tolerate drought, tolerant of pruning. Suitable for single and group plantings, looks great in a hedge.

(Thuja occidentalis Danica)

Thuja western Danica is a miniature spherical coniferous shrub with a dense crown. The growth rate is slow. It is not picky about soil, but still prefers moist fertile loams. Shade-tolerant, drought-resistant, frost-resistant. Used in single plantings, decorative groups, borders, rock gardens.

(Thuja occidentalis Yellow Ribbon)

Thuja occidentalis Yellow Ribbon is one of the varieties of Thuja occidentalis, which has different colors depending on the time of year. Young needles are orange, then turn green and turn brown in winter. The growth rate is average. It is not demanding on soil fertility. Prefers well-lit and fairly moist planting sites. Frost-resistant. May burn in the spring sun. Resistant to pests and diseases. Used in single and group plantings, in hedges.

(Thuja occidentalis Columna)

Thuja occidentalis Columna is a coniferous tree or shrub with a columnar shape. The growth rate is fast. Prefers fertile loams and can tolerate dry soil and excess moisture. Does not tolerate soil compaction well. Grows in sun and partial shade. Winter-hardy. Perfect for alley plantings and hedges. Serves as an excellent vertical accent in tree and shrub compositions.

(Thuja occidentalis Little Champion)

Thuja occidentalis Little Champion fully lives up to its name. This wonderful thuja has dark green needles and grows in a ball shape. At a young age it grows quickly, then the growth rate slows down. It is this form of thuja that can withstand heavy snow loads in winter and is highly frost-resistant. The needles burn in the spring sun. Used in groups or singly on rocky areas, suitable for creating low hedges, borders, and miniature compositions.

(Thuja occidentalis Pyramidalis Compacta)

Thuja occidentalis Pyramidalis Compacta is a coniferous tree about 6 m high (sometimes reaching 10 m). The needles are large, light green, with a slight shine. Grows well in sun and partial shade. Prefers fertile loams without stagnant water. Winter-hardy. At a young age it can get sunburned in the spring sun. Recommended for single and group plantings.

(Thuja occidentalis Sunkist)

Thuja occidentalis Sunkist is an evergreen shrub with a cone-shaped crown. The needles are bright golden yellow, bright yellow when blooming, and bronze in winter. The growth rate is average. It is undemanding to soil, but prefers fertile loams. Shade-tolerant, drought-resistant. Can withstand waterlogged soil. Frost-resistant. Suitable for single plantings, decorative groups, borders, rock gardens. It is recommended to use this type of thuja in colorful mixed compositions.

(Thuja occidentalis Smaragd)

Thuja western Smaragd is popular due to the fact that it retains its bright emerald green color and its decorative effect throughout the year. The growth rate is moderate. Sensitive to drought, frost-resistant. Shade-tolerant, but shows its best decorative qualities in well-lit places. Looks great in hedges, alley plantings, as well as in decorative tree and shrub compositions as a vertical accent.

(Thuja occidentalis Teddy)

Thuja occidentalis Teddy is a spherical, slow-growing variety of thuja with unusually interesting needle-type needles and seemingly always young. Thuja Teddy resembles a fluffy ball. It grows slowly. Requires moderately fertile and moist soil. Shade-tolerant (a few hours of sun a day is enough). Does not tolerate dry soil and air. The plant is suitable for growing in containers. Recommended for use in rocky gardens.

(Thuja occidentalis Tiny Tim)

Thuja occidentalis Tini Tim is a beautiful dwarf shrub with a spherical crown. Grows in sun and partial shade. Virtually no maintenance required. Resistant to diseases and pests. It is undemanding to soils, tolerates dry soil and excessive moisture, but prefers fresh, sufficiently moist fertile loams. Can tolerate both arid soil and short-term waterlogging. Used as a foreground in miniature compositions. Used in borders, rock gardens, rockeries.

(Thuja occidentalis Hoseri)

Thuja occidentalis Hoseri is an evergreen dwarf shrub with a spherical shape. In autumn it acquires a bronze tint. It grows slowly. It has little demands on soil fertility. Shade-tolerant, but develops best in light partial shade. Moisture-loving, does not tolerate dry air. Winter-hardy. Used in miniature compositions with other low-growing coniferous plants. Looks great in borders.

(Thuja occidentalis Holmstrup)

Thuja occidentalis Holmstrup is a slow-growing coniferous shrub. Not demanding on soil composition. Photophilous, drought-resistant, frost-resistant. Tolerates haircuts well. Used in hedges and alley plantings. Thanks to its compact crown, it is suitable for use in small gardens.

(Thuja plicata Kornik)

Thuja foldata Kornik is a powerful coniferous tree with a dense pyramidal crown. Shade-tolerant. Demanding on soil and air moisture. Does not tolerate drought well. Frost-resistant. Prefers a sunny planting location or partial shade. It grows slowly. Decorative throughout the year. It goes well with cypress, hemlock, and fir. Good for forming dense groups, alleys, and creating contrasting compositions. Used in park design.

Thuja dwarf is an evergreen coniferous plant that belongs to the cypress family. These shrubs have long been in great demand among gardeners, as they have a dense crown, which is of great importance in terms of decorative decoration of personal plots, parks or gardens.

This variety of coniferous plants is famous not only for its appearance, but also for its ability to influence human health, because a short, quiet walk along an alley lined with thujas helps calm the nerves. Landscape designers consider thuja to be one of the basic plants for creating a wide variety of decorative compositions in the garden.

Advantages

Why do many people prefer dwarf varieties:

1. First of all, thuja is a coniferous plant, which means it is able to delight people with its lush green needles throughout the year;
2. By nature, thujas are capable of purifying the air well. They enrich the environment with oxygen, due to which this plant is planted on the territory of hospitals, along alleys and parks where people constantly walk;
3. Low-growing varieties are excellent for creating hedges, which create a good decorative effect while reducing the permeability of noise from the street;
4. The plant is unpretentious in terms of caring for it;
5. Dwarf conifers tolerate temperature changes quite easily;
6. By planting thujas on your site, you can create a lot of interesting decorative options.

The most common varieties

This thuja is a low-growing variety, has an unusual ball shape, with a diameter of no more than one meter. Small fluffy balls fit very well into the design of a garden plot, especially if combined with other types of plants;

A short shrub with a beautiful branched crown, which looks very good in the composition of an alpine hill. A special feature of this variety is its ability to change colors depending on the time of year. In summer, the crown of the thuja Little Champion stands out for its light brown needles, and during the winter cold it becomes bronze in color;

Globular thuja, diameter about 50 centimeters. It grows very slowly and reaches its maximum size only 10 years after planting. Ideally combined with stones;

A low thuja that has a spherical crown with yellow-green needles in the form of small scales. This variety looks very good in rock gardens (miniature garden). The growth rate is very slow (it grows to 50-60 centimeters in height only 10 years after planting);

Experts who breed and grow ornamental varieties of thuja advise planting dwarf varieties in areas with poor soil. This must be done so that they do not tend to grow upward and do not lose their usual shape.

Choosing the right plant

To achieve the best possible decorative effect, you need to be very careful when choosing a dwarf thuja that will grow in the garden. To begin with, experts advise taking into account all the features of the area, and the parameters of the site where the shrubs will be planted (soil and sunlight).

When choosing a variety of dwarf thuja, you need to consider the following nuances:

• Tolerates shady areas;
• Resistance to severe frosts;
• Demanding in terms of care;

Before buying a dwarf thuja, you need to pay attention to its appearance. After all, if you buy a plant with defects, in the future it will often get sick and will not be able to fulfill its main task - decorative decoration of the site.

What to look for when buying a shrub:

1. Bareness of the root system - the integrity of the earthen coma on the root system provides protection for shoots from the negative effects of low or high temperatures, as well as many other external factors. In addition, you should pay attention to the degree of development of the same root system. If the roots are cut off, the plant will most likely not take root at all;
2. Roots and trunk - A visual assessment of the condition of a seedling also includes assessing its dryness. If the upper layers of the dwarf thuja peel and flake off, then most likely such a shrub will die;
3. Crown – A careful examination of the crown and trunk will help to promptly determine the presence of any abnormalities in the seedling (presence of diseases or pests). It is immediately clear that buying an unhealthy seedling is not the best idea, because there is no guarantee that it will take root successfully;

Planting a low-growing variety

There are no restrictions regarding the season for planting dwarf thuja, but according to experts, the best period for planting thuja is autumn or early spring. If you follow this advice, the shrub will grow stronger and more resistant to the environment.

When planting thuja, the root collar should be at the same level with the soil; it should not be immersed too deeply, but raising it above the soil is also undesirable, as this may result in plant disease.

If there are areas with stagnant water in the garden (rainfall or melted snow), then to prevent rotting of the roots it is necessary to create a kind of drainage (a layer of gravel or broken brick, about 20 centimeters high, is poured at the bottom of the planting hole). To create a high-quality alley of thujas, the planting distance of thujas should be 1-2 meters.

In the case of planting dwarf thujas as a hedge in one row, it is necessary to maintain a distance of about 1 meter (but more accurate measurements must be taken taking into account the final size of the bush).

Growing conditions

• A positive feature of the dwarf thuja is its ability to take root on any soil: it can be sand, clay, or even turf;
• Low-growing shrubs feel better in soil with a fairly good layer of humus and a slightly acidic reaction;
• Low shrubs exhibit good growth rates in sunny or semi-shady places. It is better not to plant them in the shade, as the needles will thin out and the thuja will lose its lush shape and greenery;
• The location of the thuja should be chosen in a place where the sun will not shine all day. The shrub does not really like drought;
• Thuja has a positive attitude towards moist soil. But you should not plant them in areas with abundant accumulation of groundwater. In addition, thuja tolerates drought quite well, and during a long dry period it is enough for it to carry out 2-3 waterings per week in the form of sprinkling so that the needles do not lose their decorative beauty;
• Thujas of the dwarf variety can be planted both in open ground and in a pot.

Shrub care

The main methods of caring for dwarf thuja are timely and well-organized watering. Within 1 month after planting in the ground, thuja should be watered at least once a week, adding about 10 liters of water. If the weather is dry outside, the number of waterings increases by two.

Maintaining a normal level of soil moisture is one of the main conditions that ensures a luxurious and lush crown of thuja. During the first three years after planting, it is necessary to regularly loosen the soil near the trunk, but not too deep (no more than 10 centimeters) so as not to damage the root system, which is located almost on the surface.

To mulch dwarf thujas, it is better to use peat or sawdust (a layer of about 6-7 centimeters). To prevent damage to the crown in winter, when heavy snowfalls may occur, it is necessary to tie down low shrubs.

When spring warming comes, it is best to place young thujas in the shade to reduce the influence of sunlight and avoid burns on the needles.

To trim adult shrubs, it is recommended to use sharp pruning shears. No more than 1/3 of the plant should be pruned.

Diseases and possible pests

Thuja quite rarely suffers from various diseases, unlike other types of plants, but in some cases unexpected yellowing of the needles may occur. This symptom can have several causes:

• Violation of planting rules - insufficient or excessive immersion of the root system into the soil;
• Burns from frequent exposure to sunlight;
• Infection of needles with a fungal disease.

Such a sign does not necessarily mean a disease. Some varieties of thuja are able to change the color of their crown depending on the time of year. For example, with the onset of the first winter frosts, the needles may acquire a yellow color, but with the arrival of spring they become green again.

The use of dwarf thujas in rock gardens

Rock garden is an artificially created landscape composition that recreates in miniature a decorative area of ​​a mountainous area, that is, the place in which coniferous plants occupy an important place.

For the full creation of a miniature rock garden, small varieties of decorative thujas, which differ from their relatives in their compactness and slow pace of development, are excellent.