Growing thuja in Siberia is not an easy task, since not every variety can endure such climatic conditions. Suitable varieties that have good frost resistance, without losing their decorative and healthy appearance. Consider how to plant this culture and care for it in a harsh area.
Is it possible to plant thuja in Siberia: what varieties are suitable
Suitable varieties
For Siberia, frost-resistant crops are suitable - subspecies of western thuja (thuja occidentalis).
On the basis of this culture, breeders have bred more than 120 varieties, some of them have increased frost resistance and good winter hardiness.
Brabant
Medium-sized tree, reaching 4 m in height. The crown is columnar, the circumference is 1.5 m. The plant is densely covered with emerald needles, which with the arrival of winter takes on a brownish tint.
This variety is characterized by intensive growth - 30 cm in length and 15 cm in width per year.
Thuja Brabant is not demanding to care for, grows well under the sun with little shade. It does not tolerate the wind, so it should be planted in an area protected from drafts.
It blooms in May, after the inflorescences dry out on the tree, egg-shaped cones are formed.
Emerald
Medium-sized needles with a height of 4.5 to 5 m, forms a conical crown with numerous branches covered with dark green needles.
The plant develops slowly, therefore, it does not need a shaping haircut. Suitable for zoning land, creating group plantings along alleys, curbs.
Columna
Ephedra up to 6 m in height, 1.5 m in diameter, with a dense compact aerial part, consisting of creeping twigs. Scaly needles, emerald tone, remains unchanged throughout the year.
The culture is used to create gardens in different styles - Japanese, Scandinavian and Mediterranean. When grown, it needs fertile soil and high humidity. In the absence of watering, it can dry out for a long time. Grows well in a sunny place with shade at lunchtime.
Holmstrup
Thuja western Holmstrup, native to Denmark, is a medium-sized culture with a height of 3 m. The shape of the crown is columnar, with a circumference of 1 m. The needles are dense, curly, of an emerald hue all year round. It grows 10 cm long and 4 cm wide in a season.
A culture that is unpretentious to care for is capable of fully developing on excessively damp ground, in a shaded place.
Fastigiato
Columnar thuja with vertical, tight-fitting shoots, covered with fragrant needles of light green or light green shade. The height of the tree is 5.5-6 m.The size increases by 30 cm every year.
This crop adapts easily after a haircut, and does not change color throughout the year. Withstands a strong drop in temperature down to -40 ° C. Only slight freezing is noted, and only in young plants.
For 3-4 years of cultivation, it forms beautiful, cylindrical cones of chocolate color.
Sunkist
The height of the tree at maturity reaches 5 m, the crown circumference is 2 m. The aboveground part is dense, large, with numerous ruffled branches.
The needles are golden yellow, the old ones take on a bronze tint. Slow growing variety - in 10 years it can stretch up to 2 m.
Tuya Sankist loves to grow in a place well-lit by the sun, tolerates even the most severe frosts.
It is used to create decorations in both group and single plantings.
Wagneri
One of the most highly decorative and winter-hardy varieties for Siberia. Dimensions - 3x1.5 m. The crown is ovoid, dense. The needles are gray-green with a copper tint.
This variety prefers to grow in the sun, on well-humid soil with a high degree of fertility.
The tree initially forms a beautiful and compact shape, so it does not need a haircut.
Clot of Gold
A low-growing shrub measuring 2x2 m.
It has a beautiful elliptical or conical shape. Needles needles or scaly, copper or lemon color.
It grows very slowly, so it does not require much space on the site. Prefers alkaline soils with good drainage and fertile composition. It grows both in the sun and in partial shade. It does not tolerate frequent waterlogging, and may die from this.
Globoza
Globular shrub of short stature. The needles are scaly, depending on the season of different tones - light green in spring, green in summer, and gray-brown in winter.
The plant does not grow rapidly - by the age of 20 it reaches 1.5 m in height. The crown is 2 m in circumference, dense, and consists of numerous vertical branches.
The variety has good winter hardiness, shade tolerance and drought resistance. Loves frequent sprinkling and fertile soil.
It is readily used in the creation of hedges, planted along alleys, curbs.
Woodwardy
A beautiful, spherical thuja with a wide-round, green crown. The height of the shrub is 1.5-2 m, the diameter is about 2 m.
The branches are erect, flat. Needles all year round in an emerald tone.
It tolerates short-term severe frosts, with prolonged cold, the tips of young branches freeze slightly.
Stolvik
Medium-sized ephedra - dimensions 1.5x2 m. The crown is spherical, dense in the lower part, sparse closer to the top. The needles are green, the young growth is yellowish-green or light green.
This culture has good winter hardiness, successfully propagated by cuttings. Likes to grow under the sun, in a shaded place forms a looser aerial part.
Danica
Thuja occidentalis is a compact, low-growing plant with a beautiful, dense and spherical crown from 60 to 100 cm high.
The branches are short, close to each other. The needles are light green with a sheen, closer to winter the needles darken and contain a bronze tint.
Due to its slow growth, it is suitable for planting even in the smallest areas. Annual growth is 5-6 cm. It belongs to frost-resistant and shade-tolerant varieties.
Danica is used for growing on alpine hills, along curbs, alleys and for landscaping small compositions.
Landing rules
Planting and growing thuja is a long process
In order to successfully grow one of the varieties described above, it is necessary to plant at a certain time and provide the seedlings with good and timely care.
Timing
Experienced summer residents recommend planting in spring - at the end of April or at the beginning of May. So over the summer, the ephedra will be able to take root, get stronger and prepare for wintering.
If you come across a seedling in the fall, then it is better to plant it in the first or second half of September, with a later procedure it may not have time to take root - it will die from frost.
Instances must be insulated, since they have a weak degree of frost resistance.
Sapling selection
You can buy a real plant with all varietal characteristics in a specialized nursery.
When buying, you should conduct a thorough examination of the crown of the tree: it has a uniform tone according to the species.
- It is better to take specimens 2-3 years old with a closed root system - in a container or with an earthen clod. They take root well in a new place, and their roots are protected from injury during transplantation to the site.
- The surface of the coma should be free of mold and acidity.
- On a healthy ephedra, shoots, needles and buds are alive, without black, red or yellow spots.
- The optimum length of a seedling for planting is from 1.2 m.
Before planting, an earthen lump is spilled with water with the addition of one of the stimulants - Epin, Kornevin or Heteroauxin. These drugs accelerate the survival rate and stimulate the growth of the root system.
The price depends on the variety and height of the plant:
- 1.6-1.8 m - 1,500 rubles;
- 1.8-2 m - 1800 rubles;
- 2-2.2 - 2000 rubles.
Site and soil preparation
Most frost-resistant varieties prefer to grow in a sunny place with little shade at midday. Choose a flat area, protected from winds and without stagnant moisture, otherwise the roots of young seedlings will quickly rot and the bushes will die.
It is recommended to grow thuja on soil with neutral acidity values - 5-6 units. To achieve it, 350-400 g of calcite, dolomite flour, slaked lime or chalk are applied to a plot of 1 m².
You can plant on sandy loam or loam. In the first case, the place for planting is sprinkled with clay - 20 kg, when planting on clay soil, drainage is added - screening, sand or vermiculite - 2 buckets.
After that, the earth is dug up, leveled and spilled with water.
Landing technique
Pits are harvested two weeks before the planned planting. Their size should be 2 times larger than an earthen coma. Approximate dimensions - 70x70x70 cm.
In group cultivation, a certain distance between seedlings is observed, depending on the variety:
- for large - 2x2.5m;
- medium - 1x1.5 m;
- dwarf - 0.7x0.9 m.
Half a bucket of drainage from broken bricks, rubble, pebbles or small stones is poured into the bottom of the pits. Then, half the depth is poured with a nutritious mixture of sod land, peat, sand and wood chips in a ratio of 3: 2: 1: 1.
The lump soaked with moisture is lowered so that the root collar is on the surface of the soil, sprinkled with the remaining fertile composition, tamped, watered. 10 liters of water are consumed per plant.
To prevent rapid evaporation of moisture, the near-trunk zone is mulched with a thick layer of sawdust, pine chips or peat.
Care requirements
Thuja decoration and care
Caring for Siberian thujas is simple, but in order to grow them strong, healthy and beautiful, you need to carry out several activities.
Watering
In the first months of life, it should be frequent and moderate, which will provide the seedlings with rapid growth of both underground and aboveground parts.
A bucket of water is poured under each bush - at least once a week, provided that the summer is dry and hot.
During the rainy season, the soil is moistened only as it dries out to a depth of 5-6 cm.
Adult specimens are watered less often - starting from the age of five, the frequency is 3-4 times per season.
Almost all varieties of thuja respond favorably to periodic irrigation of the crown. It is enough to carry out such a procedure once a week in order to wash off all dust and dirt from the needles, and also to protect against pests.
Loosening and mulching
The main care for thujas in Siberia includes a loosening procedure. It is necessary to maintain the moisture and breathability of the soil. This allows the root system to have good access to moisture, oxygen and nutrients.
They are loosened to a depth of 4-5 cm so as not to damage the delicate roots of the plant. Together with this procedure, weeding and weed removal are carried out.
Finally, they introduce mulch from peat or coniferous sawdust, which protect the soil and roots from rapid drying, prevent the growth of unnecessary vegetation.
Top dressing
To stimulate growth, strengthen immunity from diseases and parasites, as well as support decorativeness throughout the year, thujas in Siberia need regular nutrition.
The first top dressing is applied the next year after planting - it is spilled with a solution of nitrophoska or ammophoska at the rate of 15 g per bucket of water. Consumption per seedling - 5 liters.
The second fertilization can be applied in early autumn to increase the frost resistance of the crop and strengthen the root system. Use a mineral complex of superphosphate (15 g) and potassium salt (10 g) in a bucket of water.
Additionally, the care includes foliar feeding with chelating preparations three times per season. Take Quantum, Meristem or Brexil Combi. Irrigation of the crown is carried out in the evening to avoid burns.
Pruning
Most varieties intended for planting in a harsh climatic zone naturally form a beautiful, lush and compact crown. But if you want to trim them or give them an unusual shape, it is allowed to lightly cut all the shoots to a length of 3-4 cm.
Every spring, sanitary pruning is carried out - all branches damaged by frost, winds and diseases are removed.
For these procedures, a sharp, sterile object is used - a knife, pruner or scissors. After manipulation, the cut sites are irrigated with a solution of copper sulfate. Such measures will protect the crown from infection with various infections.
Shelter for the winter
For the first three years after planting, ephedra should be covered, because in their youth, they have not yet formed immunity from severe cold.
First, the near-trunk zone is mulched with pine chips, sawdust or peat. Then the twigs are carefully bent to the central trunk, fixed with twine or rope, wrapped in burlap or wrapped in spruce branches.
Under such a shelter, the needles will have good access to oxygen, they will not dry out until spring. You can open thuja after winter when the snow melts and the threat of the last spring frosts has passed.
Breeding features
Big and strong tree
You can grow Siberian thuja yourself in two ways - by seeds and cuttings. Each of them has pros and cons.
Seeds
Seed collection is usually carried out in the fall after the cones are fully ripe.
Before planting, the seeds are dried in a warm place for several days, then placed in wet sand, in a refrigerator for 2-3 months. The stratification procedure increases the percentage of their germination.
For sowing, I use seedling boxes or containers with drainage holes. Expanded clay is poured to the bottom, filled to the top with a mixture of peat and sand (1: 1).
Seeds are spread in beards to a depth of 2-2.5 cm, sprinkled with sand. After that, it is spilled with warm water, covered with a film and placed in a warm place with a temperature of 20-23 ° C.
Germination can take 2 to 3 months. During this time, crops are periodically irrigated, ventilated and weed sprouts are removed.
After the emergence of shoots, the shelter is removed, placed in a cool place (17-19 ° C) and diffused daylight, continue to water.
The grown seedlings dive several times by transferring the earthen clod into separate containers. They are transplanted into open ground after 1.5 years of germination at home.
The seed method has two drawbacks:
- only a small percentage of seedlings survive, most die from disease, parasites, lack of moisture, light.
- it is not always possible to obtain plants with all the varietal characteristics of the mother bush.
Cuttings
Cuttings are harvested in the spring during a sanitary shearing - the apical shoots are cut off from an adult and healthy tree over 5 years old.
For better survival, a piece of lignified bark is left at each segment. In the lower part, the segments are cleaned of outgrowths and needles, sprayed with Epin or Kornevin, planted in a wet substrate of peat and sand in a 1: 1 ratio.
The cuttings are deepened at an angle of 45 ° by 3-4 cm. Then they are watered, covered with a transparent film and placed in a warm place with diffused daylight.
Germination can take two to three months. During this time, the planting is regularly aired, irrigated as the top layer of the earth dries up, and carefully loosened.
When new buds appear, the shelter is removed, they continue to moisturize.
A transplant to the site is carried out one and a half years after rooting at home. Planting scheme and rules are the same as for purchased plants.
Diseases and pests
With good care and adherence to all the rules of agricultural technology, fragrant needles are rarely damaged by diseases and parasites, because secretes phytoncides that repel various insects.
Infection is possible without regular sanitary cutting, with thickened plantings, lack of nutrition and systematic moisture.
Rust
Fungal infection that affects the branches, kidneys, central trunk. It manifests itself in the form of growths of orange or red color. Infected needles quickly dry out and crumble.
Before treatment, remove all the affected areas, then carry out a double treatment with the drug Ridomil Gold, Strobi or Skor with an interval of 7 days.
Shrinking branches
Another fungal sore, which leads to massive yellowing of shoots, needles, their drying out and falling off. The process takes place after winter, when the shelter is removed.
In treatment, fungicides are used - Bordeaux mixture, a solution of copper sulfate. From modern means, Skor, Tilt or Ridomil Gold will do.
Of the pests, spider mites can annoy. Acaricides - Aktellik, Aktara will help to cope with them. To combat aphids, use an ash-soap solution, infusion of garlic or tobacco. To get rid of the scale insects, use the drug Decis.
TUYA IN SIBERIA We grow, cut, cover the Siberian Mini Dacha
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Tui is a plant for Siberia!
Helpful hints
Subject to certain rules, growing thuja in Siberia will bring you great pleasure:
- select zoned varieties that easily tolerate cold and have high immunity against diseases;
- when buying, give preference to strong and healthy plants, so they will quickly and successfully take root on the site;
- observe the terms and rules of planting so that the conifers fully grow and develop;
- water regularly, fertilize and cut the needles, which will increase its decorative effect and protect against various infections;
- preventive measures and regular inspection after winter will help to avoid the appearance of diseases and harmful insects.