Thuja dwarf

Thuja dwarf are constantly green coniferous shrubs that belong to the Cypress family. Since ancient times, these trees have been widely grown by summer residents, because they have an abundant green crown. Thuja dwarf are widely used as a decorative element of summer cottages, backyards, suburban areas, park areas and alleys.

These varieties of coniferous shrubs are known for their stunning appearance, the ability to have a beneficial effect on the human body. After all, a short, calm walk through the park with planted bushes affects the calming of the nervous system. Specialists working in the field of landscape design use dwarf thuja to recreate a variety of decorative elements on their site.

Dwarf thuja: the main advantages

Dwarf thuja "Little Champion": Photo of the variety

Why is it that most gardeners prefer this variety exclusively:

• First of all, dwarf thuja are conifers. And they delight the eye of the summer resident with their abundance of green mass for all twelve months.
• In urban conditions, the shrub is able to perfectly clean the air. It produces oxygen. Because of this, thuja is planted on plots near hospitals, in parks and alleys, where pensioners, children, and families regularly walk.
• Thuja dwarf are perfect for making a "live" fence. These fences create an excellent decorative element, while reducing the amount of background noise.
• Not demanding in agricultural technology.
• Coniferous dwarf shrubs can easily withstand sudden temperature changes.
• When planting thuja in a summer cottage, backyard, suburban area, it is possible to create a wide variety of unusual decorative elements, since most of them are dwarf thuja only up to 1 meter.

Thuja dwarf: varieties

The most popular varieties and types of dwarf thujas are listed and described below.

Thuja western dwarf "Danica"

This small coniferous shrub has a non-trivial spherical shape no more than one hundred centimeters wide. Small volumetric balls go very well with the style of the country, backyard, suburban area. Especially if you combine this shrub with other varieties of ornamental plants.

Dwarf thuja "Danica": Photo of the variety

Thuja spherical dwarf "Little champion"

A small tree with a beautiful branched crown that looks great for use in alpine slides. The specificity of this variety is its ability to change color depending on the season.

In the summer season, the crown of the western dwarf thuja "Little Champion" is distinguished by its light brownish needles. And during the winter season it changes to a bronze color.

Thuja dwarf spherical "Tiny Tim"

A coniferous shrub with a spherical shape approximately fifty centimeters wide. It grows rather slowly. It reaches its maximum size ten years after the planting of dwarf thujas. Looks great against the background of stones.

Dwarf thuja "Tini Tim": Photo of the variety

Dwarf thuja varieties "Miniature Globoza"

Coniferous dwarf shrub with a crown in the form of a ball with yellow and at the same time greenish needles in the form of small scales. This variety goes well in rock gardens (small gardens). Growth rates are rather slow. Grows up to fifty to sixty centimeters upward ten years after planting.

Craftsmen engaged in the reproduction and cultivation of decorative thujas recommend planting small shrubs in areas with barren land. This is done so that they do not grow in height and do not lose their shape. More about the variety here.

Dwarf thuja "Miniature Globoza": Photo of the variety

How to choose the right variety of dwarf thuja

To achieve an excellent decorative appearance, it is necessary to approach with all attention and seriousness the selection of dwarf shrubs that will grow in rock gardens. From the very beginning, the masters recommend taking into account all sorts of specifics and areas. As well as the size of the territory in which the tree will be grown.

When choosing a variety of decorative thuja, the following aspects must be taken into account:

• the ability to grow in partially or completely shaded areas.
• level of resistance to low temperatures, cold weather.
• whimsy in agricultural technology.

Before purchasing a coniferous dwarf shrub, you need to take a good look at it. Because when buying a thuja with any imperfections, after a while it will often be subject to diseases. And it will not be able to cope with its main goal - to become a decorative element of the territory.

What you should pay attention to when purchasing a tree:

Exposure of the root system - the completeness of a clod of earth on the root system provides for the shelter of branches from negative effects, an underestimated or overestimated temperature indicator, as well as most other external influences. It is also worth paying attention to the degree of development of the root system. If the root system is chopped off, then the thuja with a high probability does not adapt at all.

The root system and trunk are considered indicators of an external assessment of the condition of the seedling. If the top of the coniferous bush crumbles and exfoliates, then most likely this tree will not survive.

The crown is to be examined with close attention. And the trunk will help you find out in time about all kinds of existing defects or the presence of parasites and various diseases. It is immediately clear that it is not worth purchasing infected planting material, because there is no one hundred percent chance that it will adapt to you.

Dwarf thuja: planting and care

Thuja dwarf: photo

For planting a dwarf thuja, there are no special options that must be preferred. However, experienced summer residents consider the autumn season or March, or rather its first ten days, to be the optimal time for planting. If you believe this recommendation, the tree will grow much more powerful and with a high level of resistance to external factors.

At the time of planting a dwarf thuja, the root collar should be flush with the ground. It is not recommended to deepen it too low. However, it is also undesirable to place it above the ground. This can contribute to the onset of the disease.

If the rock garden has an area with groundwater, then to prevent the process of decay of the root system, a drainage layer must be made. To do this, a layer of crushed brick or gravel about twenty centimeters thick is poured on the bottom of the landing pit.

To make an alley from shrubs, the space between plants should reach up to one hundred to two hundred centimeters.

When planting a dwarf thuja in the form of a "living" fence in one row, you need to leave a space of about one hundred centimeters. These are approximate figures, it all depends specifically on the size of the selected variety.

Dwarf thuja: instructions for growing

• A positive feature of the dwarf thuja is its ability to adapt to all kinds of soils: it can be clay, turf, sand.
• Small trees prefer to grow in soil with sufficient humus and low acid levels.
• Coniferous small trees show excellent growth rates in an area with sufficient sunlight or in a partially shaded area. It is not recommended to plant it in full shade. Because the needles will become smaller and the shrub will lose its former shape and volume.
• The site should be in sunlight all daylight hours. The tree prefers to avoid dry places.
• Dwarf thuja respond well to moist soil. However, it is not recommended to plant them in places with an excessive amount of groundwater. The dwarf thuja also tolerates dry weather normally. It is necessary to moisturize the soil twice to three times a week to maintain its stunning appearance.
• Shrubs can be planted in fresh air and in containers.

Agrotechnics

An important and basic agricultural technique is sufficient and correct soil moisture. For thirty days after planting in the soil, the shrub must be moistened at least once every seven days, adding approximately ten liters of liquid. If the drought lasts for a long time, then the wetting number is multiplied by two.

Maintaining an optimal soil moisture level is one of the important rules that ensure a beautiful and voluminous crown in a coniferous shrub. For the first three years after planting, you need to constantly loosen the soil near the trunk. However, do not overdo it (no deeper than ten centimeters), so as not to harm the root system, located almost on the top layer of the soil.

For the production of a layer of mulch, it is recommended to use sawdust or peat (a layer about six to seven centimeters thick). In order to prevent damage to the crown in the winter season, when the time of heavy snowfall may come, you need to tie up small trees.

With the onset of the spring season and warming, it is recommended to move young coniferous shrubs to partially shaded places to reduce the influence of the sun's rays. This is done in order to avoid burns on the bush.

Sharp garden shears are recommended for pruning old wood. Only one third of the plant is pruned.

Diseases and various parasites that dwarf thuja are susceptible to

Thuja dwarf is not often exposed to all kinds of diseases, when compared with other types of Cypress, however, sometimes there is a sharp acquisition of a yellowish color. This can have a number of reasons:

• failure to follow the planting instructions - shallow or too deep placement of the root system in the ground.
• burns from constant exposure to the rays of the sun.
• fungus diseases attack the shrub.

These indicators do not 100% guarantee the presence of diseases. Some varieties can change the color of the crown depending on the season. For example, with the arrival of cold weather, the needles can turn yellow, but with the onset of the spring season, they acquire a greenish color.

The use of dwarf thuja in rock gardens

A rock garden is an artificially created element of landscape design. It recreates in a small size the terrain of the mountains, which means the natural habitat for the growth of dwarf thujas.

It is recommended to purchase dwarf thuja for the manufacture of rock gardens.