Thuja western Woodwardi is a representative of conifers, characterized by a rich spherical crown, small size and original decorative appearance.
Such a dwarf variety is very popular in landscaping garden plots and creating hedges.
Woodwardi - decorative thuja
An evergreen and relatively shade-tolerant shrub is often planted as an undergrowth on the background of tall trees, forming a landscape as close to natural as possible. Originally, the thuja Woodwardi, the description of which is of genuine interest to gardeners and designers, looks in compositions of shrubs and trees of various sizes with a contrasting color of foliage. Also, a compact shrub can perfectly coexist with evergreen dwarf plants on an alpine hill or in a heather garden, often used in mixborders and as a single plant on lawns. Woodwardi is a thuja that has established itself as a container tree for landscaping balconies, roofs and terraces.
Description of a coniferous plant
Outwardly, Woodward is a thuja characterized by dense shoots and needles of green color of various saturations of tones (from light to dark). In the 10th year of growth, the crown in size reaches 0.5 meters in width and height; over time, it acquires an ovoid shape and grows to 2.5 meters.
Originally, in the dense crown of the plant its fruits look - brown small cones.
Breeding
Thuja western Woodward propagates, the description of which causes a sincere desire to acquire such a plant on its site, vegetatively: by cuttings, division and horizontal layering.
A plant is rarely grown from seeds unless it is necessary to preserve the inherent decorative properties of the plant. After all, with the seed method of planting, parental signs practically do not repeat.
When propagated by cuttings, the best period for which is autumn, the plant retains the characteristics of the variety. At the end of June or July, it is required to select lignified (about 40 cm long) two-, three-year-old shoots and cut them so that the base is with a “heel” (a small piece of an old tree). Cuttings must be treated with a growth stimulant and planted in soil or sand to a depth of 1.5-2.5 cm, covered with a jar and pritenit.
Thuja Woodwardi: landing and departure
Planting a plant at a constant place of growth is made in the spring, in a previously prepared hole. Its bottom should be covered with a drainage layer, on top of which a composition of peat, river sand and sod land is placed. In areas with heavy soils, it is recommended to use a thick layer of drainage (about 20 cm), which can be used as a broken brick. Thuja western Woodward prefers fertile land, so it is recommended to enrich the planting mixture with compost, and light sandy soil with clay. The location for such an ornamental plant is preferably with plenty of sun, although the shade will tolerate partial penumbra. When planting several plants at once, the distance between them should be at least 50 cm. The root neck cannot be deepened, it should be located at the level of the soil.
After planting, watering is required to be done once a week, at the rate of a bucket of water per bush. In the dry period, it is recommended to increase the supply up to 2 times a week, 15-20 liters of water for each plant. And so that the water does not evaporate, after determining a permanent place of growth, it is advisable to mulch the trunk circle with straw, peat or mowed grass, a layer of about 7 centimeters. This will help to keep moisture in the soil as long as possible and protect against weed growth. In addition, with each watering, the mulch will give the roots of the bush available organic matter. Also, in the evenings or early in the morning it is advisable to carry out sprinkling, during which dust is washed off the crown of the shrub and an incredibly refreshing aroma of needles spreads. After watering, the soil must be loosened to a depth of 10 cm and mulched.
Thuja western Woodward, whose landing and care is not particularly difficult, is absolutely not capricious in leaving. It is important to provide the plant with watering in a timely manner, which is the key to the lush crown of the plant, and conduct organic and mineral nutrition.
Protective measures
Woodwardi is a thuja that, along with other evergreens, can suffer from sunlight in the first couple of years after planting. Therefore, to protect a valuable shrub, it is recommended to cover it with burlap. In winter, the young plant also needs protection, which can be achieved using the same covering material. In winter, adult plants need to be shaken off the branches of snow or tied up so that the bush does not lose its decorative shape.
With the advent of spring, it is required to remove dead shoots. When forming hedges, a moderate haircut is recommended, with removal of no more than a third of the shoot. You can trim the plant up to 3 times per season.
Woodward's Tui Disease
Like any plant, thuja can be exposed to diseases, for the presence of which it needs to be inspected often. Indeed, unlike deciduous plants, it is much more difficult to determine them on a thuja:
- rot of the trunk can be determined by a change in the color of the needles;
- rotting of the roots is revealed by the gray color of the needles, the softness of the lower part of the trunk and the drying of the bush as a whole;
- brown mold is determined by mycelium on dead needles. It appears on young plants after the snow has melted and looks like a cobwebbed raid of black and gray color.
To avoid the appearance of fungal diseases, thuja several times a year should be treated with a solution of “Fundazole”.
In the spring, yellowing of the needles can be observed, due to two reasons: a bright spring sun and a lack of moisture. In the first case, the plant should be shaded, in the second - to scoop up snow from the bush and well pour the soil with warm water.
Pests
The plant is not insured against attack by pests. A spider mite, aphid, thuja false scutellum - sucking parasites that cause yellowing of the crown and its drying. For example, a thuja false shield in mass reproduction causes enormous damage to the plant. Its larvae wait the winter under the bark of young shoots. And the aphid lives in whole colonies on the underside of the shoots, is characterized by a gray-brown color, it mercilessly damages the thaw, reducing its decorativeness.
The brown color of the leaves and the death of the tops of the shoots is the result of the activity of the motley moth and leaflet. The root system and the trunk of the shrub are harmed by the thuifolia beetle, scutellum and pseudoscutum. To control pests in early May, it is recommended to treat the plant with such drugs as Actellik, Karbofos, Fufanon and others. Repeated spraying can be applied as needed.