Thuja is an evergreen coniferous plant belonging to the Cypress family. It was imported to Europe from North America in 1536. Among the many varieties of special love among gardeners, the thuja "hoseri" - a dwarf bush with a spherical crown, was awarded.
Description
This is a Polish variety, differing in miniature size compared to other species: the height of the plant is on average 70–90 cm. Growth is very slow and does not exceed 5 cm per year.
Thuja western "hoseri" is a multi-stemmed shrub with straight, dense shoots forming a spherical crown. They are covered with dark green, reminiscent of scales of pine needles, the change of which occurs every 3 years. This process is gradual, therefore, crown renewal proceeds unnoticed. The length of each needle is from 2 to 4 mm. Her green color is fickle. From late autumn to spring, it acquires a golden brown or light green color.
Monoecious single flowers appear only at the top of the shoot. In their place small (up to 1 cm long) ovate cones are formed.
Wood contains brown, yellow, and red fibers. Despite the fact that it is quite soft, its strength is very high. Such wood would make good furniture. But, unfortunately, the thuja "hoseri" cannot be used on an industrial scale - how quickly this shrub grows, as described above.
With age, the spherical shape of the plant changes to a more flattened, and the brick-colored bark acquires a dark brown color and is covered with longitudinal cracks.
Garden place
Thuja is hardy and unpretentious. She can grow well anywhere. However, under more suitable conditions, its decorative qualities will be much higher. It is better to choose well-lit, but slightly shaded places for landing, where there are no drafts and wind. Under the action of direct sunlight, the thuja "hoseri" can dry out, and with a lack of light, lose its splendor and beautiful shade. It is important to make sure before planting that neighboring plants do not obscure the shrub with their shadow.
The most suitable soil will be peat and clay, moderately nutritious sandy loam. When planting in heavy soil, a good drainage layer should be created. Its thickness should not be less than 15 cm. Ground water located close to the surface will not damage the plant.
Soil preparation
To improve the soil, other components must be added to the pit intended for planting. For example, clay soil should be diluted with peat and sand, added in equal amounts. For sandy, a mixture of peat and turf land is suitable. Loam and sand are added to the peat soil.
Crushed stone is poured at the bottom of the landing pit, which will act as a drainage. Then the prepared soil is poured.
Thuja landing
The best time for this is autumn or spring. In the first case, the plant after rapid snow will give rapid growth. Any thuja nursery sells seedlings in containers containing a complex of fertilizers. Such plants can be safely planted even in the middle of summer.
For planting, a hole is made in a pit covered with prepared soil, larger in size than the root system of the seedling: about 30 cm wider and deeper by 15 cm. The plant is placed in the center, spreading the roots. The root neck should be 3 cm above the ground. Then the soil mixture is covered, slightly crushing it and compacting. In the near-stem circle, a small side is made from the ground, which does not allow water to flow outside the root system during irrigation. The soil around the shrub immediately after planting is mulched using pine bark or wood chips. This will help to prevent drying out and overheating of the soil.
Watering
Thuja "hoseri" is a plant that evaporates a lot of moisture, so it responds very well to watering. In the first month after planting, re-cultivation of the soil should not be allowed. Thuja needs to be watered once a week, using a bucket of water per plant. In hot weather, this can be done more often. It is best to water the bush in the morning or evening hours.
A procedure such as sprinkling is very effective. After it, the plant simply changes: the needles acquire freshness, juiciness and fill the air with an amazing aroma.
The lack of moisture leads to the fact that the top of the crown begins to turn yellow, and too many cones are formed, which leads to the loss of the decorative appearance of the plant.
Top dressing
They are extremely important for the normal development of the bush. Thuja spherical "hoseri", receiving a sufficient amount of necessary substances, has a lush beautiful crown and tolerates winter colds much better.
Moreover, in the first two years of plant nutrition is not required. In the future, it is enough to make them at the beginning of each season. As fertilizer, you can use compost or cow humus, replacing them with the top layer of earth around the bush. From above it is necessary to mulch with a pine bark.
Complex phosphorus-potash fertilizers designed specifically for conifers are also suitable. The main thing when using them is to observe the dosage so as not to burn the roots.
Winter preparation and pruning
Thuja "hoseri" needs shelter from the snow. This plant is not afraid of frost, another is much more dangerous for it. Shrub shoots grow vertically, and the snow accumulated on them during the winter forms a thick ice cap that can break branches by its mass. In addition, a crown that is not protected from sunlight can be burned.
Many gardeners make strapping shrubs for the winter with ordinary nylon tights. They do not rot, and a smooth surface does not allow snow to linger and at the same time serves as a protective shield from the sun. The main thing is not to pull too much so that the needles do not vypryvaet. Ideal is shelter hut. With the help of wooden slats, a tripod is built, which is wrapped in burlap or spanbond.
In spring, trim dry and damaged shoots, which is repeated one more time during the season. Shorten the branches by a third.
Propagation of thuja "hoseri"
Both seeds and cuttings can be used to grow this plant. In the first case, some varietal qualities are lost, so this method is rarely used. Seeds ripen in late autumn. They are left in the snow all winter. In spring, the seeds are sprinkled with earth, wood sawdust is added on top. The emerged sprouts then need a very long time to care, and only in the third year they become more hardy. They can only be transplanted to a new place at the age of 5 years.
Propagation by cuttings is much faster. A shoot about 15 cm long is cut in the spring with a heel with a sharp knife, soaked in potassium permanganate or growth stimulant and placed in nutrient and moist soil at a slight angle, to a depth of 5 cm. By the autumn, the stalk is rooted. For the winter it is well covered, in the spring a young plant can already be transplanted.
However, the easiest way to grow shrubs is to buy a ready-made seedling. This is best done by visiting a professional nursery tui. They offer only pure and disease-resistant varieties.
Use in landscape design
Thuja "khosery", the description of which is given in the article, will look great both on a small personal plot and in a rocky garden. It fits into almost any composition of coniferous and deciduous shrubs. It can be grown even in containers, it is an decoration of balconies, loggias, terraces and front porches.