Thuja western “Smaragd” is a plant of unique beauty that can decorate any personal plot. It perfectly ionizes and purifies the air. Tuyu can be used as a hedge. Thuja western "Smaragd" is considered one of the best columnar thuja, characterized by moderate growth. At the age of ten, it reaches six meters in height and a half in width. Thuja western "Smaragd" has a rather thick, narrow-conical crown. The branches of the plant have a dark green color, which does not change even in winter.
Thuja columnar - rather demanding plant growing conditions. In contrast, the thuja western Smaragd is unpretentious, but prefers fertile and moist soil. It is well grown even in special containers. It grows on both alkaline and acidic soils. Like all evergreens, it does not tolerate drying out of the soil.
As this plant is characterized by intensive growth rates, unpretentiousness in leaving, an attractive form, shade tolerance, frost resistance, it is often used for landscaping.
Thuja landing
You need to prepare a thuja seedling, a shovel, perlite, peat, water and Evergreen fertilizer. Next, select the most suitable place - sunny or partially darkened. The tree must be exposed to direct sunlight for at least six hours a day. The soil should be moist, well-drained. To enrich it, you can use perlite, peat and manure. For young plants, after watering and weeding, shallow loosening is carried out to a depth of 10 centimeters.
Water the plant regularly (in dry weather - twice a week for 1-2 buckets), so that the ground at the base of the thuja is always moist. Frequent watering is especially relevant for young plants that are trying to adapt and gain a foothold in a new place. For watering, you can use a watering can or garden hose.
Thuja western "Smaragd" requires regular fertilizer (April, May, August). To feed thuja it is better to use specialized fertilizers that are designed for evergreens. In the first year of tree growth, the fertilizer should be diluted in half to avoid burning the hypersensitive root system of the plant. Further fertilizers are used in accordance with the instructions on the packaging. Western thuja "Smaragd" needs timely cutting of colorless, diseased or damaged branches.
Western thuja: breeding
The plant propagates by seeds and vegetatively (horizontal layering, division or cuttings). It should be noted that the second of them is preferable. Among gardeners, the most popular way of propagating thuja is cuttings. The best results are obtained in the spring, when the buds of the tree have not yet awakened. Cuttings are planted in a warm bed, preferably with bio-heating. Gardeners do not recommend grafting after the appearance of buds, since the root system does not have time to form and freezes in winter. If thuja is propagated by dividing, then the young tree is first earthed out, after which it is divided into several plants. When propagated by horizontal layers, the branches of the plant bend to the ground and sprinkle, during the year the thuja takes root. The least popular method of thuja seed propagation. In this case, the seedling will grow only after three to five years.
Pests and diseases of Thuraga Smaragd
The main pests of this plant are aphids and false shields. They damage the needles of the tree, as a result of which it turns yellow and falls. To destroy these parasites, insecticidal drugs are used - for example, karbofos (90 grams of the drug per 10 liters of water).