Thuya Spiralis is a tall coniferous tree that looks like a cypress. She got her name for the original shoots that twist around their axis like screws. An adult tree after several haircuts resembles a spiral staircase. The homeland of the thuja is Western America. The tree, brought to Russia long ago, is successfully used in landscape design to create unique bizarre compositions.
Features & Description
Thuja occidentalis Spiralis has a dense dark green crown. Young trees have light green needles. The branches are short, the cones are bright green, oval in shape. The ends of the shoots resemble fern leaves. The bark of young trees is smooth, over the years it cracks and becomes dark brown. The root system of thuja Spiralis is superficial, branched.
Description of thuja Spiralis will be incomplete if we do not note the fact that it grows quickly, annually adding up to 20 cm in height, which is very uncharacteristic forconiferous trees. The crown develops unevenly, therefore it requires constant formative pruning. In young plants, it is narrow and loose, but with age it becomes denser, becomes dense and cone-shaped.
Winter-hardy and undemanding to growing conditions, the tree can be planted everywhere in any region. It withstands drought and frosty winters well. You can choose any site for planting, but rapid growth is observed on sufficiently moist and nutritious soils.
Earlier, western thuja was widely used in pharmacology for the manufacture of expectorant, choleretic, hemostatic drugs. Now it is used only to create homeopathic remedies for warts and remedies for rheumatic pains.
Planting and care
Thuja western Spiralis acidifies the soil over time. It must be planted at a distance of at least 6 meters from fruit trees. Phytoncides emitted by thuja, like all coniferous crops, can destroy berry and fruit bushes.
For landing, you need to choose a well-lit place or partial shade, it is desirable that it be protected from drafts. The plant prefers light, loose soil. When planting, sand or peat (up to 25%) is added to ordinary garden soil. On heavier soils, thuja can also grow, but in this case it needs to provide good drainage.
Young trees are planted in the spring, during the growing season they will have time to take root and not freeze in the winter. After planting within a month, the treesshade them so they don't get burned. It is necessary to focus on an earthen room. The pit should be deeper and 2 times wider.
Options for planting thuja western Spiralis:
- Single. In solitary planting, thuja Spiralis is placed on the lawn or other open areas of the garden.
- Group. Trees are placed at a distance of 3-5 meters from each other.
- Bouquet. In one hole, two or three trees are placed at the very minimum distance. They will look like one bouquet with a thick and lush crown.
- Hedge. A green thuja fence is a great way to protect the site from prying eyes. Trees are planted at a distance of 70 cm from each other. In order for the thuja hedge to look neat, the trees require periodic pruning to the same height.
Irrigation
After planting, the tree needs regular watering (once a week). A bucket of water is poured under the root of each plant. A tree planted in a hot and dry period is watered more often and more abundantly. Thuja branches evaporate a lot of moisture, so it responds well to sprinkling.
Feeding
Fertilize the tree in spring. You can use any complex fertilizers, which are sold in a large assortment in gardening stores. Enough 50 g per square meter. With the onset of the growing season, the thuja does not need top dressing. It is necessary to loosen the soil and mulch the trunk circle with compost or peat. The plant has a superficial root system, so as not to damage it, loosenthe soil must be superficial, no more than 10 cm of the top layer.
Pest control
Despite the fact that thuja is unpretentious to growing conditions, sometimes parasites appear on it, the plant becomes sick and becomes a refuge for harmful insects. Most common diseases and pests:
- Rust. The fungus infects the needles, it turns yellow, becomes dry. Diseases are primarily affected by young trees. Fungicides are used to combat this disease.
- Phytophthora. A dangerous disease can cause the affected root system to dry out and the tree to die. The plant is treated with fungicides, and the soil of the near-stem circle is removed a few centimeters and a new one is added.
- False shield. Yellow ulcers appear on the trunk of the affected tree. To destroy a dangerous pest, the plant is treated with karbofos, rogor or antio.
Thuja in garden design
The tree is perfect for landscaping a personal plot. Thuja is combined with many hardwood plants. The only exceptions are birch and bird cherry. Majestic thujas are planted in high hedges. With a dense wall, they close the garden plot from prying eyes.
It is used as a specimen, but also works well with other trees and shrubs in contrasting panoramic compositions.
The alleys of arborvitae that lead to a house or a pond look very original. The tree can be planted in tubs and placed next to the front doors or on the balcony.
Thuja is recommended for landscaping playgrounds, hospitals, clinics, sanatoriums. Phytoncides, which are emitted by fragrant needles, have a beneficial effect on human he alth.
