Thuja Brabant is in great demand among gardeners. And this is not surprising, because this unpretentious plant remains attractive all year round. In addition, the culture is growing rapidly, it is not difficult to create a hedge from it in a short time. You will learn about how to plant and care for a plant in this material.
Description
Thuja Brabant, whose photo is presented in the article, is a prominent representative of the Cypress family. In the natural environment, this attractive tree is found in the forests of North America. There it grows up to 20 meters in height. At home, the size of the conifer is much more modest. And the culture does not exceed the mark of 4-5 meters. But height is not the main quality that this plant is valued for. After all, the main advantage of Brabant is its rapid growth. For a year, the seedling adds up to 30 cm in height and 10 cm in width. Due to this quality, a beautiful hedge can be grown from trees in 2-3 years.
Seat selection
Thuja Brabant is a photophilous plant, so choose well-lit areas for it. Of course, the green beauty will take root in the shade. But from a lack of light, color saturation and density of needles will suffer. An ideal place for a plant would be the east or west side of the site.
As for the soil, the plant takes root on any type of soil. But the thuja's most decorative qualities are manifested in fertile loams. If the soil is depleted, then do not forget to regularly feed the crop. Then it will delight with a magnificent crown and emerald color all year round.
Landing
You can plant coniferous thuja Brabant in spring and autumn. But experienced gardeners are advised to start work in September-October. Then the plant manages to take root well before the cold, and with the advent of spring continues its growth. In addition, during autumn planting, you do not need to water the plant.
Although thuja is unpretentious to the soil, it is advisable to prepare the soil in advance. Then you will be sure that the culture has enough nutrients. To do this, mix the following components:
- turf land - 2 parts;
- sand - 1 part;
- peat - 1 part;
- humus - 1 part.
For seedlings, dig holes 0.7 m deep and 1 meter wide. If you grow an alley from coniferous plants, then keep a distance of five meters between the crops. If you want to create a hedge of thuja Brabant, then the distance between the trees should be 0.5-0.7 meters. So, how to plant a plant:
- At the bottom of the recesses, lay out a 20-cm layer of drainage. For these purposes, use expanded clay or broken brick.
- Cover the drain with a layer of prepared soil. It is advisable to add 500 g of nitroammophosphate to each well.
- Remove the plant from the container and place it in the recess along with an earthen lump. To make the thuja easier to leave the pot, do not water it before planting for 2-3 days.
- Fill the voids with soil. At the same time, make sure that the root neck is level with the ground.
- Tamp the soil, make a watering circle and moisten the plant well.
- When the water is absorbed, mulch the surface with a layer of sawdust, peat or pine needles.
The first 2-3 years after landing, the thuja Brabant needs careful care. In spring and summer, shelter gentle needles from the scorching rays of the sun. Also, do not forget to remove dry shoots. When the plant takes root, it will require a minimum of attention.
Watering
If thuja Brabant was planted in the spring, then water the plant once a week at the rate of 10 liters per tree. In summer, increase hydration, especially in hot and dry weather. At this time, each seedling needs 20 liters of water 2 times a week. Reduce watering in the fall. An adult plant has enough rainfall and groundwater. And thuja should be watered only in dry periods.
The plant responds well to sprinkling. After this event, the needles acquire a rich color and brilliance. Therefore, carry out the procedure as often as possible. Remember that thuja Brabant tolerates waterlogging much easier, from which only the growth of seedlings slows down. But the lack of moisture affects the plant much worse: the tree drops needles, its needles turn yellow and die.
Top dressing
The first 2 years after planting, feed the seedlings every spring with mineral fertilizers for conifers. In the summer it is advisable to make compost. But do not overdo it with fertilizers and in no case do not increase the dosage. Otherwise, you risk burning a coniferous beauty. In the future, feeding thuja is recommended once every 2-3 years.
Loosening and mulching
The day after each watering or rain, loosen the soil. Otherwise, a crust forms on the surface of the soil, which blocks the access of air to the roots. But do not go deep. The roots of the coniferous beauty are superficial. And they can be damaged by loosening.
After the procedure, be sure to mulch the soil. This will help the plant retain moisture at the roots. In addition, mulch nourishes the culture and does not allow weeds to grow. For this purpose use sawdust, dry grass, peat or needles of conifers.
Pruning
The first time to trim the plant should be two years after planting. Moreover, it is better to hold this event in late spring, when twigs and buds are formed. Further trimming is carried out in this way:
- Every spring, as soon as the snow melts, cut out all the damaged and broken branches. This will improve the appearance of the plant and protect it from diseases and pests.
- Carry out shaping pruning annually at the end of summer. Then next year the needles of thuja will become thicker.
Sanitary or shaping pruning is best on cloudy days. Then the shoots hidden under the crown will not get burns. If you give a certain shape to the coniferous beauty, then shorten the branches no more than 1/3 of the length. Otherwise, the “bare spots” will be overgrown for a long time.
Winter preparations
Young plants will not be able to survive frosts on their own, so prepare them for the cold. To do this, tie the crown and cover the cultures with lutrasil or other non-woven material. In addition, do not forget to mulch the soil near the plant and cover the roots with spruce branches. Adult thuja calmly tolerate a drop in temperature to -25 ° C. Therefore, sheltering them is optional. But still tie up the needles of the trees. Otherwise, it will break due to the weight of snow.
Propagation by cuttings
Coniferous beauty seedlings are quite expensive. Therefore, if you want to propagate cheaply thawed Brabant, use the cuttings method. But keep in mind that shoots of a plant that has reached at least 2 years of age are suitable for this. Start your event at the end of summer. Then the sprouts will strengthen during the fall and winter, and in the spring they can be planted in a permanent place.
For cuttings, choose strong shoots 50 cm long. Moreover, do not cut the branches, but tear out with a piece of bark. Before rooting, keep the shoots in a solution of potassium permanganate or heteroauxin for several hours. So you disinfect the places of cuts and protect cultures from pathogenic microbes.
Root the cuttings in a special substrate consisting of equal parts of turf soil, sand and peat. Be sure to sanitize the soil before planting. How to root cuttings:
- Pour the substrate into boxes or containers and moisten.
- Trim the lower part of the needles of the cuttings, treat the slices with “Kornevin” and root them in the soil. Bookmark depth - 2-3 cm.
- Cover the landing with glass or polyethylene and place in a warm, bright place.
So that the cuttings give roots, regularly moisten the soil from the spray gun. In addition, do not forget to periodically ventilate the seedlings, otherwise they will rot. In winter, provide the cuttings with additional lighting with a phytolamp. When the plants take root, and new shoots appear on them, temper the seedlings. To do this, first remove the film for 5-10 minutes and gradually increase the time. After that, accustom the plants to open air. Ensure the proper care of the Thu Brabant, and the coniferous beauty will delight you with its attractive appearance and rapid growth over the years.
Advantages and disadvantages
Gardeners argue: what is better to plant for a live fence - thu Smaragd or Brabant? Each grade has its advantages and disadvantages. For example, in Smaragd, the color of the needles is more saturated. But Brabant grows faster, and over the year the growth of the variety is 0.5 meters, in contrast to 10-20 cm of the first grade.
At the same time, Smaragd's frost resistance is much higher, and the variety takes root in the shade, but does not tolerate overmoistening. Brabant, on the other hand, feels well in areas with a close occurrence of groundwater. But the species loves a lot of light. In general, which of these varieties is suitable for the site, you decide. In any case, these types of western thuja will not disappoint you. After all, they are unpretentious and delight with their beauty all year round.