The little evergreen beauty - spherical thuja - won the hearts of gardeners around the world. This is not surprising: an ornamental plant is able to take root in any conditions, without requiring special care. There are only five types of thuja: Sichuan, Korean, Japanese, giant and western. However, in Russia you can grow only western thuja, it will become the main character of this article! Not to be confused - we will not talk about the types of spherical thuja, but about the varieties of one type of thuja.
Teddy
This variety has appeared recently and has already gained unprecedented popularity. It's all about his amazing appearance. Thanks to the dense and lush crown, this spherical thuja variety looks like a bright pillow. In addition, Teddy is the most furry and soft variety, and therefore is in demand even despite the fact that it is considered quite moody. The evergreen dwarf grows slowly, at the age of ten its height is no more than 30 cm, and its width is 40 cm.
Among the advantages of Teddy, one can note its endurance to shaded areas - this grade will last a couple of hours spent in the sun. In this case, the plant needs regular watering, otherwise the needles will turn yellow. So that the branches of the Teddy thuja grow evenly, do not overfeed the bush.
This spherical thuja variety is perfect for creating stone gardens and alpine slides. At the same time, it is important to take into account the change in the color of the needles at different times of the year - in the fall, Teddy changes the saturated green hue to bronze. This variety is combined with other thuja, lush flowers and ornamental shrubs. In addition, Teddy is suitable for placement on verandas, balconies and even in rooms! Green thuja will add color and freshness to any interior.
Danica
This variety was bred in Denmark in 1948. It can be called one of the most compact representatives of spherical thuja. It grows slowly - annual growth in height is about 5 cm, in width - 4 cm. In ten years, with proper planting and care, the thuja Danica can grow up to 50 cm, and its diameter will not exceed a meter!
One of the main advantages of this variety is its unpretentiousness. Danica feels excellent in shaded areas, it grows in direct sunlight. The only thing that thuja will not tolerate is its proximity to groundwater. In this case, the plant should receive enough moisture. It is better to choose fertile soil. How to care and planting thuja Danica? First, you need to choose shoots with a strong root system, without damaged roots. In the planting pit, lay a layer of rubble. By the way, the plant should be planted in the spring - during the summer the root system will develop, the thuja will harden and winter without any problems. Before the onset of cold weather, it is worth sheltering the young shoots with burlap. After each watering, the coniferous shrub must be loosened, and once a year - mulched. Gardeners recommend trimming Danica in early spring. Remove damaged, dry branches.
In garden design, a thuja of this spherical variety can be combined with other shrubs of the same shape. Group landings look organically. Of course, such a hedge will not become an obstacle for prying eyes, but it will add coziness and completeness to the garden!
Teeny tim
Teeny Tim appeared in the gardens over 50 years ago. Thuja needles have a deep dark green color. Representatives of this variety grow extremely slowly - at the age of ten, Tini Tim is only 30 cm tall. The diameter of the thuja can reach one and a half meters.
Caring for Teeny Tim is not difficult even for beginner gardeners. The shrub does not make any special demands on the composition of the soil. The main condition is a large amount of sunlight.
This spherical thuja in landscape design is usually used to create alpine slides. You can plant it in groups, but you can singly. In any case, this delightful shrub will decorate the garden!
Hoseri
This masterpiece was invented by Polish breeders. Thuja Khoseri is tiny, but at the same time has a unique texture. This variety of western arborvitae loves the sun's rays, so it is worth approaching the choice of a place responsibly. Khosery has no special requirements for soil.
The compact thuja looks good next to other miniature plants. Variety of garden compositions with lush flowers, such as peonies. By the way, very often Khosery is planted along the facades of shopping centers, residential buildings. It is suitable for decorating borders.
Golden Globe
Thuja Golden Globe is rich in yellow. With age, the color changes to golden. This dwarf conifer ball enlivens the landscape even on gloomy days! Closer to winter, the color of the thuja becomes copper. A cute dwarf grows very slowly, 7-9 cm per year. By 20 years, the diameter of the bush will be about 120 cm.
Gardeners love the thawed Golden Globe for its unpretentiousness: it does not need to be cut, the soil can be almost any, there is no need for frequent fertilizer. No need to cover the plant for the winter - it is frost-resistant. Occasionally, you need to water and remove damaged branches. Sanitary pruning of thuja stimulates growth, makes the crown thicker.
The low thuja looks great in small kindergartens as tapeworms. Golden Glob shrub is perfect for the formation of hedges, it can be combined with flowering plants and thuja of other varieties. A miniature thuja will become an adornment of office premises, apartments, balconies and terraces, because you can grow it in containers.
Bowling ball
The name of this thuja speaks for itself. This spherical shrub has perfect symmetrical shapes. Its height can reach 70 cm, and the diameter is usually 100 cm. The needles look like a fringe, tightly pressed to the shoots. Closer to the cold, the green color of the crown takes on a bronze hue.
Spherical thuja of the Bowling Bol variety can take root even in a shaded area. The soil for it should be nutritious, it is important to ensure timely watering. With proper care, the annual growth of coniferous shrubs can be 16-19 cm.
Bowling Ball - an indispensable element of Japanese and heather gardens, Alpine slides, walking paths. Thuja will decorate the shore of a small reservoir and forest edges.
Woodwardi
One of the most popular varieties is the spherical thuja Woodwardi. Its low growth (about half a meter) and shade tolerance allow it to be used as an undergrowth and planted among tall trees. Due to this, on the site you can create a landscape as close to natural as possible.
Among the advantages of the variety are good survival rate of seedlings, relative unpretentiousness and resistance to frost. Even -40 ° C will not harm the bush. A young plant will need shelter in the cold. Experts recommend sheltering thuja for the winter with burlap. It is necessary to remove it not earlier than the snow will melt.
In the early years, Woodward has a strict spherical shape, but with age it stretches and takes the form of an oval. By the way, among other advantages, gardeners highlight the healing properties of the plant - Woodwardi ionizes and purifies the air!
Howea
This variety is considered one of the fastest growing. The spherical thuja by the age of 10 grows to 1.5 meters! The shape of the ball changes with age to ovoid. Howe has many advantages:
- it is unpretentious, grows in almost any soil;
- thuja tolerates frosts well;
- drought and high humidity are not terrible for this variety;
- mowing will not be a stress for the bush.
In winter, the juicy green color acquires a brown hue. How can spherical thuja be used in landscape design? Howea is a great option for small areas. But it looks advantageous in spacious panoramic parks. Due to the ability to grow thuja in a container, you can decorate balconies and loggias, roofs of buildings.
Emerald
This is another representative of the western thuja. At the very beginning of its growth, the thuja Smaragd is spherical, but significantly stretches over the years. A few decades after planting, the shrub can reach a height of five meters! But for this it is important to follow all the rules for caring for a capricious conifer!
Smaragd prefers loams, soil with a high content of lime. Landing thuja is recommended in sunny places. The plant needs periodic watering, mulching and loosening. The result of proper care will delight - the thuja will acquire a dark green color, which will not lose even in winter! If you want the thuja to please more than one generation of your descendants, feel free to plant a thuja of this variety: its lifespan can be more than 150 years!
An amazing plant is used as hedges. Less commonly, gardeners plant it in containers. Smaragd is the best suited for creating garden sculptural compositions.
Little Champion
Bright and compact - this is how you can characterize the spherical thuja of the Little Champion variety. The maximum height of the bush does not exceed one and a half meters, and the width is 90-100 cm. True, the growth process is extremely slow. By the age of 10, the Champion will grow only to 70-80 cm.
This thuja is frost-resistant, but it will need light shelter to protect it from snow pressure. The plant prefers partial shade, it needs moist fertile soils. With proper care, the thuja will acquire a beautiful green color, which in the winter will change to bronze brown.
Seat selection and landing
You are now familiar with the main varieties of spherical thuja. How to grow these pretty shrubs? Begin by choosing a place.
Experienced gardeners say thuja will be able to grow in any area. But to improve the appearance, it is better to choose a bright place. In the shade, coniferous shrubs can lose their splendor and change color. It is important that there are no drafts in the selected area.
Two weeks before landing, you need to prepare a pit. Depth should not exceed 70-80 cm. Drainage should be laid out on the bottom. The soil needs to be prepared independently: it is necessary to mix two parts of turfy land and one part of peat and sand. It is worth adding 5 grams of nitroammophoski to the mixture. It is best to plant thuja in open ground in a permanent place at the age of 5-7 years. This is worth doing in the fall, before frost, or in early spring.
It is important to observe the interval between plants. For small spherical thuja it should not be less than one meter. After planting, the plant will need watering and top dressing. Any growth stimulant is perfect. The substances in their composition will help plants take root and protect the seedlings from diseases.
Care
Care for miniature conifers consists of three main stages - watering, fertilizing and pruning.
Both young shoots and adult thuja prefer a moist environment. It is best if the water will flow not only to the roots, but also to the crown. Moisture will help maintain a good shape of the plant: the color of the needles will become brighter, in addition, it will gain luster, the branches will become elastic.
The optimal watering regime is 10 liters of water per week. In the summer heat, the plant will need 10 liters of water every two to three days. To understand that thuja needs water is quite simple - due to lack of moisture the crown will turn yellow, a large number of not very beautiful cones will appear on the plant. To prevent decay will help loosening, carried out immediately after watering.
In the first two to three years after planting, thujas do not need to be fed. Later, you can add organic and mineral substances at the rate of 100 grams per 1 sq. Km. m. Thuja reacts to fertilizing with increased growth, splendor. Often it is not necessary to fertilize shrubs, it is enough to do this 1-2 times at the beginning of the season. You can use ordinary compost, fertilizers for conifers are also suitable.
Thuja trimming is necessary to limit height and crown formation. More than 10% of the crown cannot be cut from miniature plants. If you cut more, the plant may die. The best time for this procedure is April, but you can slightly adjust the shape of the crown throughout the summer. You need to start with branches that grow incorrectly. Then it is recommended to remove diseased and dry shoots. Thaw thinned out for air circulation.
Pests and diseases
Problems with spherical thuja arise only in two cases - with the appearance of diseases or pests.
Excessive fertilizer leads to burns of the root system, and therefore to yellowing of the crown of the coniferous shrub. Another reason for the appearance of a yellow shade is the defeat of a thuja aphid. It usually damages the bottom of the shoots. Protecting the plant from this pest will help spraying malathion.
Another dangerous pest is speckled moth. Its size is only 4 mm, but it is a serious danger. After defeating the thuja motley, the upper part of the shoots of the bush dies, the needles turn brown. As prophylaxis, you can treat thuja several times with drugs based on pyrethroids. The best time for this is the end of June.
With excess moisture, the plant can affect late blight. This disease affects the root of the thuja, and then goes to the upper layer. The shrub withers, the needles acquire a gray color, the trunk becomes soft. Thuja roots get the smell of rot.
Phytophthora is easier to prevent than to cure. To do this, you need to loosen the earth around the thuja, water it with fungicides. If the disease nevertheless got to the bush, the thuja should be burned, and the earth should be changed.
In early spring, the plant can affect another disease - it appears brown shoots. If treatment is not started in time, the branches of the plant will begin to die. To avoid this, remove all brown shoots. After - be sure to add limestone and spray with foundationazole.