Thuja is a genus of perennials belonging to the cypress family. She is very popular among landscape designers, because it has decorative form crowns, does not present high requirements to the conditions of its growth, and is also distinguished by a wide variety of varieties. Thuja is planted separately standing groups, and as part of hedges.
Thuja forms
In the territory Russian Federation The most common is the thuja occidentalis. She has several basic forms:
- Pyramid (variety Smaragd).
- Columnar (varieties Columna, Yellow Ribon, Fastigiata, Brabant).
- Ball-shaped (Globosum, Woodwardy, Hosery, Danica).
Requirements for pruning individual varieties of thuja
Whether an individual thuja plant is worth pruning should be judged based on how organically it fits into a specific design plan. Sometimes it happens that individuals initially have perfect shape crown, then there is no need to waste time correcting it. However, most often you have to take garden shears and correct the shape of the plant’s crown. And now more about pruning individual plant varieties.
Thuja Smaragd
This variety is most often found on land plots Russians. It owes its popularity, among other things, to its original regular pyramidal shape. Thuja Smaragd acquires a fairly correct and beautiful appearance on its own, even without the gardener’s intervention in the process. However, sometimes it has to be trimmed in order to give the crown more correct proportions.
Thuja Smaragd is often used to create original living garden figures:
- Spirals.
- Chess pieces.
- Balls on legs and much more.
This type of plant easily tolerates branch removal. Well, if you decide to use thuja Smaragd for growing a hedge, then it is simply necessary to trim it. Otherwise, neither even nor dense vegetation will emerge. When forming a hedge, you need to start trimming the plant in accordance with the intended appearance, immediately after it is planted in the ground. There is no need to wait until the thuja grows in width and height to the specified standards, and then take up the pruning shears.
The plant is trimmed annually, with a gradual increase in size.
Varieties Fastigiata and Columna
Pruning of these plants is carried out according to the same principles as for the Smaragd variety. That is, if the plant begins to deviate from its plan in its development appearance, you should immediately begin shaping or decorative pruning.
Brabant variety
Unlike the previous ones, this variety requires mandatory pruning. Without this work, the plant grows spreading, loose, and not beautiful enough. Therefore, immediately after Thuja Brabant lands on permanent place, it must be cut according to the intended shape. Further, its crown is corrected every year. Only by adhering to this tactic can you achieve a well-filled plant.
As for the use of thuja Brabant for the formation of hedges, in this case its pruning is carried out exactly according to the same rules that apply to the Smaragd variety.
Varieties Danica, Hoseri, Woodwardy
These plants belong to the thuja globulus. They usually do not require pruning. The only case when their crowns should be actively formed is planting of these varieties as part of low-growing, living, border hedges. In this case, they will have to be trimmed regularly until a uniform border is obtained.
Thuja Woodwardi should be pruned every two to three years to achieve a fuller, denser ball.
Thuja plants should be pruned not only to form a crown, but also to remove damaged and dried branches. And it should be done in strict accordance with the instructions:
After completing all work on clearing and shaping the thuja crown, her condition needs to be monitored for some time, so that when a disease or pest is identified, quickly take all necessary measures for their destruction.
Thuja is an unpretentious plant and grows quite quickly, therefore it is very often used as a single planting - when the crown has some clear shape: either spherical or cone-shaped.
Also used as windbreaks and hedges. But in order for the thuja crown to be thick and rich, it needs to be properly cared for, namely trimmed.
The first thing to start with is to examine the shape of the thuja. If you find that somewhere a branch is knocked out in the wrong place, then the shape must be adjusted. But when cutting thuja, remember the main rule - “Measure seven times, cut once!”
Although there are other options - when the crown is too thick, the tree is poorly ventilated, or poorly lit by the sun, then you will have to thin out the crown. When forming the crown, try to cut the branches in one area. If you don't want the tree to grow upward, cut off the central trunk - then it will grow wider. Form a tree from the first years of life, removing little branches at a time, and the tree will gradually grow.
The next stage is working with the tips of the branches. It is not recommended to cut branches longer than one third. It must be removed under the kidney. When you remove such branch tips, the internal branches begin to grow more actively and the crown is filled with green needles. The crown becomes fluffy and thick. Therefore, first you need to use pruning shears to remove diseased or dry, dead branches. You need to cut right to the base.
The best time to trim thuja
The best time The time to prune thuja is the beginning of summer, when the buds have just blossomed and young shoots have appeared, and the end of summer, when the tree is already preparing for winter. The main rule when pruning thuja is to trim it a little bit, but regularly. Adjust your shape regularly. If you miss the moment, the branch will grow very strongly, deviate to the side and you will have to cut out a lot, and if you make a slight mistake, you may end up with a hole that will take a very long time to fill up. Never prune in damp, rainy weather - the tree will remain open wounds, and all sorts of diseases can seriously infect your tree. Always use sharp and well-sharpened pruning shears - they will cause less injury to the plant. Trim a little at a time, but regularly. Adjust your shape regularly. If you miss the moment, the branch will grow very much, deviate to the side and you will have to cut out a lot, and if you make a slight mistake, you may end up with a hole that will take a very long time to fill up.
Thuja belongs to the evergreen cypress family. The plant is very often used by gardeners and landscape designers to decorate various areas. Its popularity is due to the fact that the perennial tree has beautiful shape crowns, undemanding in care. Thuja also has a variety of varieties. Trees can be planted either in groups or individually.
An important point in basic care is pruning the thuja. In Russia, as a rule, the Western variety grows. To form the crown of a thuja, you need to purchase high-quality garden pruners or scissors, as well as growth stimulants.
- Pyramidal;
- Columnar;
- Ball-shaped.
- Before starting the procedure, it is necessary to study the outline of the perennial and navigate according to them.
- So that the tree does not experience severe stress, trim only one third of all branches at a time. In the fall, you need to remove a third of the branches that have grown over the summer in order to correct the already formed crown.
- If spherical pruning is carried out, then in this case it is extremely undesirable to leave “bare” branches, since the perennial does not have dormant buds, and such branches will simply dry out.
- During the procedure of pruning a tree, it is important to remember that its trimmed stems release resin, which is very difficult to wash off, so it is recommended to wear gloves before pruning.
- Choosing the right tool is very important. Depending on the thickness of the stems, you can use garden shears, pruning shears or a hedge trimmer. It is very important that the blade is well sharpened and sharp. Thanks to this, you can avoid breaks and dents on the stems.
- It is advisable to periodically wipe the garden pruner with resin and plant juice as the blade becomes dirty.
- It is recommended to choose a cloudy day to start working. This will help prevent yellow and brown areas of the needles from appearing.
- At the end of the procedure, the tree must be watered abundantly.
- 1. Preparation. At this stage it is necessary to prepare all the tools. This could include garden shears, a sickle and gloves.
- 2. Inspection of the tree. At the second stage, you need to inspect the tree for the presence of dry or damaged branches, and also visually give it the desired shape.
- 3. Removing dry and damaged branches.
- 4. Decorative pruning. At the fourth stage, the perennial is given the selected appearance. The most optimal time for this it will be the beginning of April or the end of June.
- To trim the plant, it is advisable to choose cloudy weather.
- Trim dead stems. It is advisable to thin out a heavily thickened crown.
- To give the desired height, the upper shoots can be cut off. After this, the perennial will grow in width.
- To create a dense spherical bush, you need to remove all long stems, which differ from the bulk of greenery.
- Decorative pruning involves periodic removal of young greenery throughout the spring and summer.
- The trimmed plant needs to be watered abundantly.
- Before starting the procedure, you must carefully examine each branch. Then you need to visually give the desired shape and, based on it, begin the procedure.
- It is advisable to remove unnecessary branches on a cloudy day. The weather should be dry. This will avoid the appearance of yellow and brown spots on green needles due to active evaporation of moisture.
- You should not trim branches immediately after rain. In this case, you can provoke the appearance of pests and various diseases.
- Both professionals and beginners are recommended to use special blanks to shape them into arches or rectangles. In addition, you can use special twine. With its help you can determine the level of crown formation.
- The "Brabant" variety needs to be pruned very strongly the first time in order to prevent subsequent strong thickening of the crown. In case if this type Do not trim at all; the branches of the tree will be loose and sparse.
- To form the crown of the Smagard variety, you should adhere to its natural pyramidal shape. It is advisable to remove only those stems that extend beyond the main contour.
- The varieties "Danika" and "Woodwardy" are low-growing. In this case, it is also recommended to adhere to the natural shape of the crown. You only need to remove those branches that extend beyond the main contour.
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When to prune a tree?
You can cut thuja both in spring and in autumn period time. Any type of tree must be pruned immediately after planting. It is necessary to give the necessary shape urgently, without waiting for it to grow. Subsequent pruning procedures are carried out in such a way that the tree can grow peacefully. Side branches are pruned depending on the chosen crown shape.
To make the tree bushier, it is necessary to pinch the upper shoots.
There are several common crown shapes:
The timing of your haircut depends on your goals. Spring is carried out mainly for sanitary purposes, to remove dry and frozen branches. Autumn - to prepare the tree for winter.
Types of pruning
There are two types of pruning of an evergreen coniferous plant: formative and sanitary..
Sanitation is carried out, as a rule, twice a year: in spring and autumn.
Formative begins in the spring and continues until the fall. In summer, you only need to thin out the crown and adjust the already given shape.
The first formative cutting is not carried out for the first year after planting the seedling. The most acceptable will be the third or fourth year after planting the seedling. During this time, he will gain strength and become stronger, taking root in a new place. It is best to start the procedure in mid-summer and until autumn.
In one season, the plant requires one formative pruning and two or three corrective ones. Corrective pruning is carried out in the autumn.
Many gardeners and landscape designers are interested in the question of how to prune thuja. In order for the procedure to be successful, you must adhere to simple rules:
How to prune branches in spring?
Spring pruning of thuja is preferable, because it is during this period that the evergreen perennial can be given the desired shape and all dried branches can be cut off.
Pruning is carried out in four main stages:
Step-by-step thuja haircut:
In case if evergreen overgrows very quickly, it is necessary to reduce the amount of applied organic and mineral fertilizers.
Autumn pruning
Step-by-step procedure for pruning in autumn:
Features of trimming for different varieties:
After the pruning has been completed, the trees need to be treated with a growth stimulant, as well as organic and mineral fertilizers. This could be supplements such as "Florovit" for coniferous plants.
The main advantage of the perennial is its unpretentiousness. The main thing to remember is annual pruning. As a rule, this procedure is carried out exclusively decorative function. With its help, the desired shape is given. Another purpose of haircut is sanitary. This haircut is most often carried out in the spring. During the procedure, old, dried and pest-infested stems are removed. During the summer, corrective pruning can be done.
In the vast expanses of our vast country with a fairly diverse climate, the western thuja takes root well. From the many varieties of this species, you can create hedges that are not only different in height and shape, but also in color scheme. Thuja lends itself well to cutting, so the hedge can be given any shape.
From tall growing dense varieties such as Brabant, Maloniana, Cristata, spiral columns and tiered columns can be formed. The medium-sized varieties Argentea, Smaragd, and Golden Smaragd make beautiful curly hedges with the outlines of a cube, cone or ball. The spherical and dense bush varieties Dumoza, Erikoides, Globoza are material for low borders and voluminous cropped figures.
Haircut time
You can cut thuja at any time of the year. She tolerates this procedure well both in spring and autumn. Some species need to be cut two or three times a year. Then the procedure is repeated in the summer.
Any variety of thuja is pruned immediately after planting. Correctly, if you immediately give the plant the required form without waiting for it to grow up. In the future, pruning is done in such a way that the thuja slowly grows. To do this, only the apical shoots are cut off to cause tillering. The Brabant variety reacts especially to this. The sides are trimmed to create the desired shape and width of the hedge.
Sanitary pruning in the spring will include the removal of dead branches. And after the hedge has reached the desired height, only formative cutting is carried out.
Spiral-tiered or spherical-tiered pruning of western thuja is carried out in the third year after planting. In the first two years, you need to allow the plant to take root and develop well. After this, the bushes are given the desired shape, and in subsequent years it is maintained with the help of small adjustments.
Features of cutting some varieties
One of the most common types of western thuja is the Smaragd variety. The pyramidal shape of the crown allows you to produce only sanitary pruning. You can sometimes cut it to give it a more regular shape. If your imagination runs wild, then you can use it to make any garden figure - a chess piece, a ball on a leg, a spiral column. To get a tight beautiful hedge from thuja Smaragd, it is necessary to carry out a shaping haircut.
Thuja Columna and Fastigiata grow very beautifully on their own. But if you see that some branches stand out from the overall composition, then you can safely take up the garden shears.
But the Brabant variety requires regular cutting. If this is not done, the plant will be loose and ugly. Curly pruning is carried out immediately after planting. In the future - only corrective. In hedges, Brabant undergoes shaping pruning in order to obtain a dense and bushy defense. To limit hedge growth, Thuja Brabant should be pruned in March and August.
To obtain dense, stuffed balls, varieties such as Woodwardy, Hosery, Danica are cut 2-3 times a year. In this case, only those branches that stand out from the general outline are pruned, since low-growing varieties They themselves are in excellent shape.
Thuja Woodwardy Tools and devices for cutting thuja
Proper pruning of thuja can be done using pruning shears, garden shears or electric shears. To avoid creases on the branches, the tool must be well sharpened.
Main types hand tools for circumcision To curly hedge turned out to be the correct shape, you need to use templates, or vertical racks. For this you can make metal arches, if you want to get a rounded outline of the hedge. Rectangular shape easy to create if you take ordinary pieces of reinforcement and stretch twine between them.
The twine is stretched at the level at which the top point will be. This marks the line above which all unnecessary branches are cut off. Then the twine is lowered lower. There is no need to rush to get the shape right.
A few rules for proper thuja cutting
- You should cut thuja with a confident hand. The more branches are cut, the thicker the crown will be. This is especially true for the Brabant variety.
- The branches must be trimmed correctly, leaving part of the young shoot.
- If you leave a slightly narrower area in the upper part of the bush, then over time you will get the right hedge trapezoidal shape. In this case, the lower part of the bushes will not be exposed. This will allow sunlight to penetrate deeply. New shoots will grow faster and develop better.
- To begin work, it is better to choose a cloudy day to avoid the appearance of brown and yellow areas of thuja needles as a result of increased evaporation of moisture.
- After trimming the thuja, it should be watered well. The first time you need to observe the condition of the thuja. If the needles begin to turn yellow, then it is necessary to urgently take measures to prevent diseases.
If you follow these simple rules and trim the plants correctly, you can end up with a thick and beautiful hedge of the correct shape that will decorate your area for many years.
Watch also the overview video:
A popular evergreen coniferous plant from the Cypress family, thuja, grows quickly and does not require fancy care. Being decorative due to its unique crown, it will decorate any landscape. It will look especially impressive if you follow the rules for pruning it. This procedure is an important part of tree care. The article will tell you how to prune thuja and in what seasons it is best to do it.
Description of culture
The woody plant thuja is used in landscape design and gardening to decorate plots. There are many varieties of it known. In the Russian Federation, the Western variety is used. In gardens, parks, alleys decorative culture planted as individual trees and groups. It is also good for hedges. Belonging to the class Conifers, the Cypress family, the genus of gymnosperms conifers, thuja can be classified as both shrubs and trees. It all depends on the size, which can reach 70 m in height.
According to botanical description, the following signs are noted:
In the rhythm of development, the following 2 phases are observed:
- Budding of buds, their increase in size, which occurs with the gradual establishment of stable temperature conditions up to + 5 degrees C.
- Flower blooming and flowering occurs when the temperature increases from +5 to 10 and 20 degrees C.
Flower buds are laid a year before the process. In winter, already formed flowers are hidden in them. Good lighting is especially favorable for their establishment. The pollen ripens so much that nearby bodies of water are colored yellow. Weather and other conditions must be appropriate for successful pollination.
Thuja, as a crop, does not have any special requirements for care during growth. These can be home plants decorating a dacha, or part of the landscaping of public gardens, parks, and urban areas. They can be used as protection against industrial smoke. Cultivation is usually done in open ground, which is facilitated by significant resistance to frost. There are various known garden forms. Many varieties also grow in nature:
- Karelian;
- western;
- gigantic;
- Japanese;
- Szechuan.
These 5 species are common in North America and East Asia.
Arbor vitae
Pruning thuja Brabant, Smaragd
Pruning thuja allows you to form a crown, which enhances decorative properties tree and serves the sanitary purpose of removing affected branches. You need to get:
- pruning shears good quality or garden shears;
- growth stimulants.
Different varieties have their own rules. For example, Brabant is pruned significantly for the first time so that the crown does not subsequently thicken excessively. But if this thuja is not trimmed at all, the branches will become sparse and become loose. That is, the procedure is mandatory, otherwise the decorative effect will be lost. The shape is given immediately after planting, after which it is adjusted annually as it grows.
Thuja variety Smaragd is trimmed in compliance with its natural pyramidal shape. Only those branches that go beyond the main contour are removed. The plant has its own regular outline. Only the proportions need correction. Sometimes whole Smaragds are made garden figures: chess, balls, three-dimensional images of animals. The variety is easy to remove branches. hedge you just need to prune, which you start immediately after planting. As they grow, the procedure is repeated annually. The columnar thujas Columna and Fastigiata are subject to similar rules.
Thuja Danica or Woodwardi are low-growing, which also requires compliance with the natural outline, removing branches that extend beyond it. After the procedure, growth stimulants are applied to the plants and organic, mineral supplements. For example, this is “Florovit”, corresponding to coniferous species.
The sanitary treatment of thuja, its pruning and the formation of a decorative crown differ according to the seasons in which it is most favorable to implement a haircut aimed at certain purposes.
Thuja pruning time
Thuja is trimmed regardless of the variety. This is done for the first time after planting, without waiting for the tree to grow, which will give it the required shape. The next procedures are carried out so that growth continues calmly. Pruning of side branches is carried out depending on the chosen form. This is how a bushy tree is obtained by pinching the upper shoots. The formation of the thuja crown can occur according to the following most common varieties:
- Pyramid shape.
- Columnar.
- Ball type of pruning (spherical).
As for the season, both spring and autumn are suitable. The first option is sanitary pruning of dry or frost-damaged branches. The second serves the purpose of preparing for winter. How to trim a thuja, taking into account these two options and additional crown adjustments? The sanitary type of treatment is carried out twice throughout the year: in the spring and autumn. The formation of a tree can begin with warming and be carried out before the season of withering of nature.
Thuja pruning
It is allowed to cut off excess crowns from the first year of life. But optimal time– 3 or 4 years, when the plant gets stronger and takes root. When can you start trimming thujas relative to the time of year? Choose summer period, its middle, continues until autumn. So the tree will be trimmed once during the season to form a shape and 2-3 times for the purpose of adjustment, which is best planned closer to autumn.
How to prune thuja in order to do it successfully will be indicated by the following basic recommendations:
- First, they study the natural outline in order to focus on it.
- To reduce stress, the tree should be pruned by 1/3 of the total number of branches at a time.
- Resin is released from cut branches, so it is advisable to wear gloves and protect your clothing.
- The thickness of the stems varies. Therefore, they prepare tools: pruning shears, hedge trimmers, garden shears. Everyone is for separate diameter cut. It is important that it is sharp enough so that the plant does not break.
- You should start in cloudy weather. This prevents yellowing of the needles and brown areas from forming.
- When finishing processing, you need to water the tree.
How to trim thuja in spring if this is the preferred season? You can not only remove dried shoots, but also give the tree the intended shape. There are four steps to follow:
Is it possible to prune a thuja tree to reduce its height? The rules include removing the top shoots for this purpose. Further growth will extend in width. They also thin out the crown if it is too thick.
Pruning for winter
The required shape of the thuja is maintained as needed. Sometimes you have to do this every month until the coldest weather. The condition for successful work is dry weather. If the garden or park is damp, there are many microorganisms in the air that can infect open wounds. First of all. eliminate damaged branches.
Pruning in autumn
The branches that have grown on the tree over the summer should be removed by 1/3 of their number with the onset of autumn. This will correct the already created form. Step-by-step instruction next:
Summer pruning
Thuja pruning done in summer only involves thinning the crown. They also adjust the existing form. Decorative haircut continues in the spring, as well as the entire summer season. Young greens are periodically removed. After the procedure, you should water the plant generously. If fouling occurs at a rapid pace, reduce fertilizing and reduce the amount of fertilizer applied.
How should a thuja be formed if the required shape is a ball? Bare branches are not left, as they are doomed to dry out, because this tree does not have dormant buds. If you limit vertical growth by cutting off the shoots at the top, they will develop in width. This way you can create a plant with a spherical outline. To do this, long stems that stand out from the mass are removed.
From the western variety of thuja, the following varieties should be used to give a similar shape:
- Woodwardy;
- Danica;
- Hosery;
- Globosum.
Thuja is popular all over the world. It attracts attention with its amazing natural shape, year-round greenery and unpretentiousness. It is necessary to trim the tree annually so that it looks as decorative as possible and has the desired shape. The procedure also provides sanitary care and regular adjustments.
Now, having mastered the basic rules, gardeners know how to cut thuja. By following them, you can make yourself attractive for a long time. various varieties located on the site. Systematic care does not take much time. But the result pays for these costs.