The thuja hedge performs many functions in the yard: it is the frame of the plot, the background for plants, protection from the eyes of neighbors, the border between the flowerbed and the lawn or garden. Thuja is not a very luxuriant plant, but for the hedge to be healthy and beautify your garden it is necessary to follow some important rules. Here’s what we talk about in this video:
How to create a beautiful thuja hedge
- Choose the right variety of thuja
Choosing the right thuja is half the battle. When choosing, you should think about the future vision of your hedge:
- Thuja ‘Brabant’. They grow quickly and expand rapidly. If your goal is a solid green wall, this is the most likely outcome – this variety is perfect for that. Keep in mind that these thuja will require more frequent shaping due to their rapid growth.
- Thuja ‘Smaragd’. Choose this variety if you like a ‘pot-bellied’ green wall – as ‘Smaragd’ grows like a column, there is no need to prune the sides (but it is recommended), so you just need to level the height to keep it looking neat. If you have doubts about how tall to buy a thuja, about it we told you here. You can also create a solid green wall with thuja ‘Smaragd’ if you form the sides in a smooth line.
Thujas are not sticky, but they do not like to be immersed in water. Therefore, the right choice of planting site is extremely important:
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Landscaping while spending less: 7 practical tips- If your plot is dominated by clay and water tends to stagnate, thuja may not like such a place;
- If the groundwater on your plot is high, the thuja will also soak up. No matter how hard you try to keep Thuja alive, unfortunately nothing will happen.
Be sure to look into this before planting your thuja – this will save you time, investment and avoid unnecessary disappointment when your thuja doesn’t grow as expected.
After choosing the place for the hedge, it is important to prepare the right hole: a healthy hedge starts with good preparation of the hole:
- Do not dig separate holes, but do not be lazy to prepare a trench;
- Keep in mind that the plant will grow: dig a trench at least 30 cm deeper and wider than your seedling is now;
- Fill the hole with a layer of vegetation mixed with compost and plant the thuja.
Under no circumstances fertilize newly planted seedlings. If you see that they are struggling a lot, you can use an organic preparation Humistarwhich helps the roots adapt, but awaits more serious fertilization. And most importantly, keep the young hedge moist, especially on dry days.
- Thuja hedge and its formation
The most common mistake is to wait until the seedling reaches a certain height, and only then cut off the top and prune the sides. If you want a beautiful, thick and regular hedge, start shaping it much earlier. Don’t spare the plant, because that’s why you planted it. The sooner you shape it, the more beautiful its branches will be and the more regular its growth will be. You just need to familiarize yourself with the seasonality of training:
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Diseases of my tomatoes: what happened and how I saved them- Pruning in spring stimulates the growth of the hedge. This is a great time to refresh your hedge, so don’t be afraid to do more drastic pruning or change its shape;
- When pruning in autumn, maintain the shape of the hedge. Thujas pruned in autumn will remain beautiful until the new season begins.
It doesn’t matter whether you choose an electric or petrol-powered modeling tool or just scissors – the most important thing is that the tool is very sharp. Otherwise the twigs will not be cut, but torn, wounds will appear and they will begin to turn yellow. You will not add health or beauty to the hedge.
- Don’t forget to clean the thuja
Don’t be alarmed if you find brown twigs after spreading your thuja hedge. About why thuja turns brown, we have prepared the entire report.
This is not necessarily a disease or a lack of fertilizer, but just part of the thuja regeneration process. But the hedge needs your help: even though it is a natural process, it does not immediately shed all the dead branches, so it is necessary to clean it. You can do this by brushing your hand or shaking the plant.
By removing dead branches, you will allow air into the thuja, allowing new branches to regrow quickly and making your hedge look lush and healthier.
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9 perennial flowers that bloom in summer: find ideas for a flower gardenIf after cleaning the thuja they continue to turn brown, it is likely that they lack magnesium. Fertilize the hedge in early spring or late autumn fertilizer for thuja from browningthis preparation helps keep the needles green.
- Treat the thuja hedge with fertilizer
Thujas are such a patient plant that they will probably look good even without fertilizing. But after pampering the hedge, the difference will be noticeable. Fertilization promotes the growth and thickening of the hedge. But how often and what to fertilize with, you ask?
You can choose a universal fertilizer for conifers – it is important that it is chlorine-free. They are available in different forms, which depend on how often to fertilize:
- Granules. Fertilize them 3 times per season, starting in spring;
- Liquid form – ready to use solution. Liquid fertilizers are absorbed faster, but at the same time they are washed out faster. Therefore, you can pamper your thuja with this fertilizer more often – 4-5 times per season;
- Powder – mixed with water and its properties are equivalent to liquid fertilizer, you can use it even 4-5 times per season.
The best choice is a special fertilizer for thuja. They contain a balanced amount of fertilizers with trace elements specific for the thuja hedge.
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Late asters and their combinations with other plants that flower in autumnI recommend fertilizers «Baltic agro», because the fertilizers produced by them are not created by mixing different elements: each fertilizer granule contains a complete set of nutrients. Thus, you will be sure that the fertilizer will be evenly distributed and the thuja will be properly nourished.
This fertilizer comes in granules: you can use it 3 times per season, starting in spring.
The most important thing to remember is that if you have chosen pellets, you need to water the hedge after fertilizing so that the fertilizer begins to break down and release all the nutrients.
Here are the seemingly simple but essential health rules for a thuja hedge. By following them, you will ensure that the green wall of your garden will be healthy and beautiful. Share in the comments how you maintain your thuja hedge, whether you have applied all these rules and what worked best for you.
We prepared this article together with «Baltic Agro»: pamper your plants with the fertilizers they create. Directly from the manufacturer you can buy here and download it directly to your garden.
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