Eastern biota. Thuja eastern Biota, Aurea and others - cultivation in Russia. Preparing for winter
Due to the popularity of conifers, the number of cultivated varieties of thuja today is in the tens and hundreds. More often, western thuja is grown on plots, but eastern thuja deserves no less attention.
More recently, plants with this name were made with thujas common gender, but due to a number of differences in structure, growth and reproduction conditions, they were isolated into a new community consisting of one species of thuja, or rather eastern biota or Biota orientalis.
Biota or thuja orientalis: description of the species
The change in the official classification gave rise to another name, derived from the name of the subgenus of this culture, the flathead.
The homeland of the plant is China and other Asian regions, where the biota grows in the form of large shrubs, and sometimes trees with a fairly wide crown. Adult specimens capable of wild nature live for several hundred years, reach a height of 18, and their diameter at the same time reaches 12 meters.
A feature of the eastern thuja is flat shoots with numerous branching, covered with needles. On the trunk, the branches are located radially and upwards, so from the side they give the impression of thin living plates.
Green, scaly needles do not exceed 1.5 millimeters in length, densely cover the shoots, the ends of which are crowned with cones, unlike those that ripen on the western thuja. As can be seen in the photo, the eastern thuja is decorated with green-bluish horned cones up to 15 mm long, which become brownish-red by the time of ripening, dry out and open in mid-autumn, releasing the seeds.
Green needles of biota with a matte coating turn brown-brown in winter, but do not die. Their life lasts from 3 to 5 years, after which the needles fall off, exposing light shoots.
In culture, thuja oriental pyramidal forms are most often used. There are many varieties of this plant, differing in the shade of the needles and the size of the bush.
Planting biota, thuja orientalis and caring for the conifer
Compared with western thuja, its eastern congener flathead is more thermophilic. In central Russia, culture seriously freezes or dies completely, and if it survives, it loses crown density and darkens.
AT southern regions, for example, on Black Sea coast and in the Crimea, the plant feels great, reaches a considerable size, pleases with a fluffy crown and excellent decorative effect.
Conifer lovers who want to decorate the site with eastern thuja can plant the shrub in a container. In this case, the biota will grow in the open air in the summer, and in the winter the heat-loving beauty will have to be moved under the roof.
Like other cultures from the Cypress family, the flathead is photophilous, but it also takes root in the shade. True, in this case, the crown is more sparse, which worsens the perception of pyramidal varieties. And plants with decorative golden needles in the shade can become completely green.
Planting and caring for the eastern thuja will not burden even a novice gardener. The culture is undemanding to the composition of the soil and the presence of a large amount of organic matter in it. Cultivated sandy loams and loams are suitable for growing biota. The soil must be loose enough for the active development of the root system and drained to prevent stagnant water and rotting of the underground part of the plant.
Annual top dressing is needed only for young specimens up to the age of five. At this time, the drought-resistant shrub is watered regularly, as the surface of the near-stem circle dries up. After 6 years, the eastern biota is watered only during hot dry periods.
Plants of this species are not afraid of transplantation. The deepening of the root neck for the thuja of the flathead is not fatal, as for the western thuja. The shrub will respond to such a gardener’s mistake with the formation of new roots and shoots, becoming denser and receiving extra food and support.
As follows from the description, thuja orientalis propagates by seeds, layering, and cuttings. At the same time, seedlings retain the features of varietal parent plants.
Common varieties of thuja orientalis, biota
There are not as many varieties of eastern biota as those of its western neighbor thuja. Existing varieties differ in size, shape of the crown and color of the needles. As a result of the lecture, individual hybrid plants received greater winter hardiness than species specimens, therefore they can grow north of their natural range.
To popular varieties thuja orientalis Aurea Nana with a dense ovoid crown belongs to the 10-year-old age of the shrub reaching a height of 70–80 cm. A feature of the Aurea Nana biota variety is golden needles, which in autumn begins to cast all shades of bronze, and in spring again becomes bright, yellow.
Depending on the variety, landscape design thuja orientalis are used as large tapeworms, part group landings or the basis for creating a living .
Video about eastern thuja
Tui are very popular in our gardens due to their evergreen appearance, durability and unpretentiousness. Outwardly, they are very diverse both in color and size, and in habit, that is, in shape, and needles, which allows, if necessary, to select a plant according to any design request. However, in order to make the right choice, it is necessary to know not only the visual characteristics of plants, but also their biological characteristics. When we talk about thuja, we usually mean the western thuja (Thuia occidentalis L.), originally from North America, but in fact the genus Thuja has several species growing in different regions of the globe. So, in North America, in addition to the western thuja, the folded thuja (Thuia plicata Lamb.) grows, it is also the giant thuja (T. gigantea), in East Asia the Korean thuja (Thuia koraiensis Nakai) and the Japanese thuja (Th. standishii (Gordon ) Carriere), she is the same thuja Standish. And in the southern part of Central Asia (in the mountains of China) grows thuja orientalis (Thuja orientalis L.) or, as they say now, oriental flathead (Platycladus orientalis (L.) Franco). Another name for a flathead biota eastern, and this is the name we will use in this article. In landscape design, for a number of reasons, the American thuja western and the Chinese eastern biota, which differ not only in appearance, but also by biological features. It is not easy for a non-specialist to distinguish these species, therefore, in order not to “get lost in two thujas”, you should get to know them better and learn how to distinguish them. Other species of thuja do not have any special advantages over western thuja and eastern biota and are quite rare, mainly in dendrological collections.
Biota eastern
Biota eastern – natural plant China, but for a long time, for several centuries, it has been widely bred in Central Asia and in the Crimea, where it ran wild in places and was even listed in the Red Book. The eastern biota is also found in Ukraine, but, for a number of reasons, it is less popular than the western thuja. In fact, the oriental biota and its forms, like original ornamental plants, can and should take their rightful place in our gardens. Biota eastern- this is a sprawling evergreen monoecious tree (up to 12–15 m tall) or large shrub with an openwork crown formed by branches raised upwards. In shape, the crown of natural specimens is pyramidal or ovoid, often strongly branched at the base and reaches 9–11 m in diameter. The branches of the biota are vertically directed and oriented in the crown with an edge to the trunk.
The branches of the biota are vertically directed and oriented in the crown with an edge to the trunk.
The bark is thin, reddish-brown or gray, lamellar. The needles are scaly, dark green from the beginning of the growing season until autumn, turning brown in winter. Cones are large, unlike other types of thuja, fleshy and bluish-green before maturation, later dry and hard, reddish-brown, ripen in the first year in autumn, harvested at the very beginning of opening. Each cone contains 2 to 8 dull brown wingless nut-like seeds. The seed resembles in size wheat grain. Biota orientalis is a long-lived plant that Buddhist monks call the "tree of life" for a maximum lifespan of 1000 years.
Biota eastern- a more drought-resistant plant than western thuja. The disadvantage of biota in our conditions is severe damage to the needles on the shoots of the annual growth by winter-spring sunburn. Biota grows slowly, reacts poorly to constant waterlogging of the soil, but its requirements for soil richness are low. For successful growth, well-drained loamy soils with an alkaline environment are suitable for it.
Biota grows slowly, reacts badly to constant waterlogging of the soil.
The biota is relatively shade-tolerant, but it grows better in sunny places (do not forget that the tree is southern in origin), it tolerates the conditions of the urban environment well. Sometimes suffers from snowfall. In winter, the needles of the biota turn brown. Propagated by seeds and cuttings, rarely by grafting. It is believed that specimens from cuttings are more capricious and grow slowly. Usually, youthful (juvenile) forms with needle-shaped or semi-acicular needles are well bred with cuttings. The best way reproduction of biota - seed. Now let's get acquainted with the western thuja and find out how to distinguish between these two plants.
Thuja western
In the western arborvitae, in contrast to the eastern biota, the crown is looser, the branches rise and branch only in the horizontal plane and do not create “ribbing”. In addition, western thuja trees in natural forests reach significant sizes (up to 30 m in height). The same capacity awaits specimens of western thuja grown from seeds of ordinary, non-varietal plants. Also, there are differences between these two thujas in terms of needles, but for a non-specialist, this difference is subtle. In winter, the needles of the western thuja turn brown, with the exception of some of its cultivars. And the most obvious signs of the difference between these two species are their cones and seeds.
Clear signs of the difference between these two species have their cones and seeds.
The cones of the western arborvitae are ovate-oblong, located at the ends of the shoots, consist of 1-3 pairs of barren leathery-woody scales and 2-4 pairs of fruiting ones, arranged crosswise and tiledly overlapping each other. In size, the cones of the western thuja are smaller than those of the eastern biota (0.8–1 cm), from 3–5 pairs of thin scales. They ripen in autumn in the year of flowering. Seeds are oblong, flat, thin to the touch, usually with two narrow wings and two resin glands. Thuja western- hardy and resistant plant. It is frost-resistant, unpretentious to soil conditions, can tolerate partial shade, does not suffer from winter-spring burns and does not require winter shelter. The disadvantage of this beautiful plant is considered to be moisture-loving, because in nature the western thuja grows on wet sands along the banks of rivers, therefore, in culture, it also requires sufficiently moisture-intensive soils.
In nature, the western thuja grows on wet sands along the banks of rivers, therefore, in culture, it also requires sufficiently moisture-intensive soils.
The western thuja has many varieties and forms that are often found in gardens, parks and on the streets of our cities. Since most gardeners do not have problems when growing western thuja and its many forms, we will consider varieties of eastern biota and find out how to make this noble plant grow with us and delight with its original beauty. Behind long years cultivation in eastern biota highlighted a large number of varieties and forms. They differ in crown size and shape, branching density, shoot length, needle color and quality, but we will only get acquainted with some of the most popular modern varieties.
Popular varieties of biota
- a tree with a wide-pyramidal crown shape, up to 4 m high and up to 1.5 m wide. Annual growth in height - 10 cm, width - 5 cm. The needles are scaly, yellow-green, almost lemon in color. Grows in any moderately nutrient-rich soil, from slightly acidic to strongly alkaline. Photophilous. Franky Boy- a dwarf egg-shaped variety, at 10 years old it reaches 1.2 m in height and 1 m in width. The needles are bright golden, filiform, in winter period orange-bronze. - a variety with a dense ovoid crown, slow-growing, with an annual growth of 10-15 cm, reaching 2.5 m in height at 10 years, light green needles, bronze in winter.
Platy Morgan(Morgan) - dwarf, at first spherical in shape, later ovoid variety, reaching 1 m in height, with an annual growth of only 2-4 cm. Main Feature of this variety is the ability of needles to seasonal color changes. In summer, the needles are light green with golden tips, turning dark orange in autumn, and copper with a purple tint in the winter months. Pyramidalis Aurea- fast growing young age narrow-pin-shaped variety, later the base becomes wider, and the shape of the tree takes on a pyramidal appearance. Young shoots are golden yellow in spring, later turning greenish yellow in summer and do not turn brown in winter.
For the winter, only plants growing in sunny places are covered. Plants growing under protection can be left uncovered. Varietal plants are propagated exclusively by vegetative means (cuttings). I hope that this article was useful, and now you can easily distinguish the western thuja from the eastern biota, which will come in handy when choosing the right plants for decorating your site.
The evergreen thuja tree has many varieties that differ in size, crown shape, and needle color. Depending on the type of thuja, they are used as an independent element of garden design or as an addition to flower beds, alpine slides, rockeries. Tui are unpretentious, unique in their own way - we will consider the types and varieties with photos of the most common coniferous representatives. On the territory of Russia, it was precisely western varieties. They may take the form of a lush shrub or tree with a columnar, pyramidal, spherical or spherical crown, there are also so-called weeping thuja.
Types of thuja western, what are the varieties
One of the most favorite, common varieties of these conifers is the thuja western Smaragd. This majestic tree outwardly resembles a cypress, grows up to 5 meters high. Whatever time of year it is, its needles have a constant emerald hue. Smaragd is hardy, frost-resistant, undemanding to the type of soil, but especially loves loam or calcareous soils. For him, places lit by the sun or, in extreme cases, partial shade are preferred. This type differs in slow growth (up to 10 cm per year), is optimally suited for decorating a variety of, creating hedges.
This variety has a remarkable variety, which is also loved by summer residents, owners adjoining territories- Golden Smaragd thuja. It got its name due to the golden hue of the branches, which does not change throughout the year. mature tree reaches 2 meters in height, has a cone-shaped crown with dense, short shoots. This representative of conifers loves fertile soil, which must be well-moistened, drained. He does not like gas pollution, the dirty air of the city, so a summer cottage or a suburban area will become suitable growing conditions for him. An ideal place for planting such a thuja is slightly acidic loam, a sunlit area. Smaragd is adapted to the Russian climate, hardy.
Golden Smaragd, photo:
Gentle loosening of the soil is shown for this variety, as it has a superficial root system that can be easily damaged. The digging depth should not exceed 10 cm, for the same reason, with the onset of a hot summer, it is advisable to mulch the ground near the trees in order to slow down the evaporation of moisture. The thickness of the mulch layer should be approximately 8-10 cm.
Description of the variety: thuja western Danica is a shrub that has the shape of a ball, which is called dwarf because of its small size. The height of this bush reaches about half a meter, the width is 1 meter. Characterized by a dense soft needles, upward-growing shoots. Growth is slow, no more than 5 cm per year. Due to its compact size, unpretentiousness, and external decorativeness, Danica fits perfectly into any design or garden composition. The crown of the shrub lends itself well to shaping, cutting. green hedges, curbs - great option for this dwarf species. This conifer is also called spherical.
Spherical thuja Danica, photo:
Another representative of the dwarf spherical Danica is the Aureya variety, which is distinguished by a more yellowish tint of needles. Requirements for the conditions of detention, the characteristics of both species are similar. These shrubs love fertile soil, fresh water, regular moisture, crown irrigation when it's hot. Haircuts do not require, lend themselves well to formation, frost-resistant. It should be borne in mind that in the first years of life, the bushes need to be insulated for the winter (mulching, shelter with appropriate material), and also protected from sunburn in early spring. In 2-3 years, thuja will get used to a new place.
Aureya Danica - globular thuja, a photo:
Among the varieties of these coniferous crops, there are also giants that differ rapid growth can reach a height of up to 20 meters. In central Russia, this variety most often grows up to 2-3 meters, less often - up to 5. Thuja western Brabant adds about 30-40 cm in height every year, the width of the columnar crown also does not stand still - it is approximately 10-15 cm in growth. This variety does not change the color of the needles with the change of season, has rich green branches, sometimes with golden tips.
It's unpretentious frost-resistant variety, which gets along well on any type of soil, but fertile soil is more preferable for it. Tolerates well both weak and excessive abundant watering. It blooms in April-May, lends itself well to haircut, crown formation. Also popular for new variety varieties Brabant-Golden, which demonstrates the golden color of the needles while maintaining all the basic qualities.
Brabant thuja, photo:
Oriental thuja - Aurea Nana, Biota - photo, description
Oriental species of thuja have about 60 varieties. Although they are more demanding than their western counterparts, under the right conditions these trees can become a real decoration of the site. All varieties of thuja orientalis have differences in the color of needles, bark, crown shape, shoots, and other characteristics.
They all love the sun, a lot of light. If you plant an eastern thuja in a shaded place, then its crown will not develop properly, which will subsequently affect the decorative effect. Such trees are great for creating living barriers from the wind, decorating rocky gardens. Like Western varieties, they are tall, upright, dwarf (eg Aurea Nana). Types of eastern thuja are not winter-hardy.
Thuja orientalis, photo:
Dwarf Aureya Nana, photo:
Eastern thuja Biota, photo:
Most of the eastern representatives of conifers are heat-resistant, tolerate drought well, feel normal in areas with close occurrence ground water, stony soils.
Fluffy green thuja, species whose varieties may be similar, is actually unique in each of its species. The color of the needles can be golden yellow, juicy green or even blue tint. The size, height, shape, structure of the branches, their direction can also be very diverse.
Choose for yourself which thuja you like best, the types and varieties with photos were presented above.
These are the most popular representatives of the cypress family, which are chosen by gardeners, cottage owners, country houses. With proper care, it is decorative, useful tree will decorate your territory, please the eyes for many years.
Thuja western Spiralis 
On the right - thuja Smaragd, on the left - thuja yellow-leaved Luteya 
An example of a design with thuja 
Recreation area with thuja Syn: thuja orientalis.
evergreen coniferous woody plant. It is valued for its excellent decorative qualities, high environmental resistance and the ability to purify the air from pathogens.
Ask the experts
In medicine
Biota orientalis (thuja orientalis) is not a pharmacopoeial plant and direct use in official medicine have not found yet. However, the essential oil of the Eastern biota has long been used in medicine and homeopathy. Biota oil gives good effect during treatment colds therefore, it is recommended for congestion in the lungs and bronchi, especially for bronchitis, pneumonia, bronchial asthma as a thinning and expectorant.
In the 19th century, American homeopaths used infusions of Eastern biota to treat uterine and intestinal bleeding, hemoptysis, prostatitis, prostate adenoma, venereal diseases, and bronchial asthma.
Contraindications and side effects
Preparations based on Eastern biota have contraindications for use, in particular, they are not recommended for children, pregnant and lactating women, as well as people suffering from epileptic seizures. If they are abused, exacerbations of diseases of the stomach and spleen are possible.
You should know that it is necessary to check a person for individual sensitivity to oriental biota oil, that is, for the absence of an allergy to it. Therefore, before treatment with biota-based products, it is advisable to consult a doctor.
In other areas
The essential oil of the oriental biota is used in the medical and perfume industries. It is used in the manufacture of disinfectants, as fragrances in cologne, fougere, chypre and amber accords (more often in men's fragrances). It is also used in fragrances household chemicals and air fresheners, diffusers. In the cosmetic industry, biota oil is used in the manufacture of emollient ointments used to treat sycosis (inflammation of the hair follicles).
Pleasant, balsamic, refreshing, turpentine scent essential oil eastern biota, used in aroma lamps.
Biota orientalis has a light, dense, decay-resistant wood, which is highly valued in industry as construction material. The value of the eastern biota, in addition to high-quality wood, lies in its environmental resistance - it successfully tolerates the adverse conditions of megacities (air pollution, dust, smoke and soil compaction), brings a tart resinous aroma to cities, releasing essential oils, in particular phytoncides, which have an invaluable useful property - kill pathogenic microbes, thereby contributing to the improvement of the air.
Biota orientalis is an original, very showy plant, with beautiful decorative qualities- forms a wide spreading bright green pyramidal crown. Since ancient times, it has been widely used for landscaping cities, in park construction to create hedges, borders, alleys, landscape gardening groups, green sculptures and their compositions (curly haircut). In addition, the eastern biota is used in small gardens and rock gardens.
Classification
Eastern biota (lat. Biota orientalis) - belongs to the widespread genus thuja (lat. Thuja) of the Cypress family (lat. Cupressaceae). Genus - includes 6 species, combined into two subgenera (thuja and platycladus - lat. Platycladus), growing in North America and East Asia. The thuja subgenus has 5 species. The second subgenus Platycladus (lat. Platycladus) is monotypic, represented by a single species, the eastern biota (Eastern arborvitae), sometimes classified as a separate genus of biota (lat. Biota) (Elenevsky et al., 2004).
Botanical description
A tree (rarely a shrub), reaches 15-18 m in height, forms a wide spreading crown (10-12 m in diameter), consisting of numerous twigs-plates. Leaves are scaly, bright green, ovate-rhombic, up to 1 mm long. Wood without resin passages, but with resin cells. Monoecious plant: male and female cones are located singly on the tops of short lateral branches. Cones up to 10-15 mm long, with 3-6 opposite scales, blue-green when immature, dry reddish-brown when mature. Cones ripen in the first year, while the scales diverge and the seeds are released. Lives up to several hundred years. Propagated by cuttings, layering and seeds.
Spreading
It grows wild in the mountains of China. It has been grown for many centuries in almost all countries with a warm climate. In Russia, it is found only in culture; it has also been grown since very ancient times as ornamental plant especially in the southern regions of the European part.
At present, due to frequent felling in some mountain plantations accessible to humans, biota tree trunks have an ugly appearance, so botanists are trying to expand cultivation areas and these original plants have begun to be grown in gardens and parks in many cities.
Distribution regions on the map of Russia.
Procurement of raw materials
Seeds (nucleoli) and leaves are used as medicinal raw materials.
Raw materials can be harvested at any time of the year; for this, small branches are cut off and thicker stems are removed. The raw materials are dried in the shade, in a well-ventilated, dry place, in the attic or under a canopy, or in dryers at a temperature of 30-40 ° C. Store finished raw materials in bags made of natural fabric for 24 months.
Chemical composition
The leaves and wood of the oriental biota contain essential oil, sesquiterpenoids, cedrol, vidlen, caryophyllene, aromadendren, toxifollin, pinipicrin, pillene, tannins, pectin and resins. One of the components of the essential oil are quinikithiol, α-pinene (55-60%). The seeds contain fatty and essential oils.
Pharmacological properties
Biota orientalis has some medicinal properties. Especially useful is the essential oil of biota leaves, rich in biologically active substances, of which quinikithiol is especially valued for its antifungal effect. In addition, biota oil exhibits antiseptic properties, suppresses the development of pathogens and supports the immune system. In addition to enriching the air with oxygen, biota leaves (constantly releasing essential oil) purify it from pathogenic bacteria. Essential oil contributes to the regulation menstrual cycle in women and sexual dysfunction in men, as it eliminates congestion in the pelvic organs (ovaries, uterus, prostate). The kernel of the seeds of the oriental biota has a tonic, strengthening and expectorant effect. Preparations from the leaves of the eastern biota have astringent and hemostatic properties. The balsamic smell of biota has a tonic effect on the body, helps to restore strength after serious illnesses, physical exertion and stress; calms, promotes concentration of forces and attention. In addition, it refreshes, tones the skin, relieves signs of fatigue, relieves itching, swelling, eliminates allergic dermatitis, stretch marks, eczema, neurodermatitis, lichen, cellulite, calluses.
Application in traditional medicine
Biota orientalis is not only a beautiful ornamental, but also medicinal plant. About her useful properties has been known for a long time. Representatives of American Indian tribes used healing potions from the bark and leaves of biota to treat various inflammatory processes, diseases of an infectious nature, from rheumatism and for their prevention. Therefore, the biota acquired in those days another eloquent name - the “tree of life”.
In folk dermatology, tincture (10%) of biota sprigs is used in the treatment of lupus as a photosensitizing agent. It is also used in the treatment of warts and papillomas, local fungal and viral (herpes) infections, since it has a resolving effect on various neoplasms of the skin and mucous membranes. Oriental biota in alternative medicine is used in the form of a powder, water and alcohol infusion for the prevention and treatment of many diseases. For example, lupus and skin rashes are cauterized with biota leaf powder. The dried leafy branch of the Eastern biota is used for external and internal bleeding (hemoptysis, epistaxis, blood in the urine and feces, uterine bleeding). In addition, the biota branch is used for chronic bronchitis, pulmonary tuberculosis, and dysentery. In case of hypertension, the crushed dried branch of the biota is brewed with boiling water and drunk instead of tea.
Biota is also used for bleeding localized in the uterus and intestines, with hemoptysis. Hinokitiol, which is part of the essential oil of this plant, has an antifungal effect on the human body. Oriental biota seed kernels are used as a general tonic and tonic. Seeds can be used as an expectorant for respiratory diseases (acute and chronic bronchitis). Baths with the addition of biota oil help to increase frigidity, biota ether is used for massage rubbing. Biota oil is effective in heart failure, cystitis, congestion in the pelvic organs, enuresis, rheumatism, helminthic invasion, in the treatment of warts, condylomas and papillomas.
History reference
In culture, as a sacred tree, it has long grown near sanctuaries (especially in Asia), since the pre-Islamic period. And then it was grown by Muslims near mosques, which were guarded by local residents.
The scientific name "biota" was given to the plant by Carl Linnaeus, while he used its ancient Greek name "bios" (life). At the beginning of the 16th century, the king of France called thuja - "the tree of life."
Other names: thuja orientalis, platycladus orientalis.
Literature
- Biological encyclopedic Dictionary/ Ch. ed. M. S. Gilyarov) 2nd ed., corrected. M.: Sov. Encyclopedia. 1989.
- Plant life (under the editorship of A.L. Takhtadzhyan). M. Enlightenment. 1978. V.6. 539 p.
- Elenevsky A.G., M.P. Solovyova, V.N. Tikhomirov // Botany. Systematics of higher or land plants. M. 2004. 420 p.
Description
Thuja orientalis Aurea Nana (Thuja orientalis Aurea Nana)- a very beautiful dwarf evergreen tree with a well-defined main trunk and a large number lateral branches, the shape of the crown is ovoid. Grows slowly. Young annual and biennial shoots are flat, green, arranged in two rows. In the third year they become round, brown. Shoots are densely spaced. Size after 10 years reaches a height of 0.7 m. The needles are scaly, yellow-green, wide-rhombic, tightly pressed to the stem.
| Description: | dwarf ovoid shrub up to 1.2m tall and up to 0.9m in diameter. The needles are thick, golden-green in the sun, in winter with bronze tint. |
| Growth features: | grows slowly. The annual growth is about 5-6 cm. |
| The soil: | undemanding to soils, prefers fresh, sufficiently moist, drained fertile loams with a slightly acidic reaction. |
| Light: | photophilous. |
| Frost resistance: | good. USDA zone 5a (see).For the winter, the crown is recommended to be tied or covered with a snow cone. |
| Landing: | planting in places with light penumbra and sufficient soil moisture is recommended. |
| Purpose: | for small gardens, rock gardens or heather gardens. A miniature shrub looks good as a tapeworm in a flower garden or in a mixborder. Oexcellent for creating low, free-growing hedges and borders, for creating contrasting compositions of trees and shrubs with different architecture. Suitable for growing in containers to decorate balconies, rooftops or terraces. It tolerates city conditions well. |
Planting and caring for western thuja Aurea Nana
For planting thuja choose sunny places. Although the plant tolerates shade, however, the plant develops worse and the crown becomes less attractive. The soil is suitable for light (peaty, dry and clay sandy loam). When planting in heavier soil at the bottom of the landing pit, it is necessary drainage layer at least 15 cm thick. landing pit it is dug out to the size of a plant clod, from a depth of 60 to 80 cm. The soil mixture can be prepared in advance. A mixture consisting of sand, peat and leaf (turf) soil in a ratio of 1: 1: 2 is optimal. The acidity level for thuja is desirable in the range of 4.5-6.0 pH (see). For better growth add nitroammophoska (on mature plant up to 100 g.). It must be remembered that the root neck should be at ground level.
Planting and caring for thuja Eastern Aurea Nana
For planting thuja choose sunny places. Although the plant tolerates shade, however, the plant develops worse and the crown becomes less attractive. The soil is suitable for light (peaty, dry and clay sandy loam). When planting in heavier soil, a drainage layer of at least 15 cm thick is required at the bottom of the landing pit. A planting hole is dug to the size of a plant coma, with a depth of 60 to 80 cm. The soil mixture can be prepared in advance. A mixture consisting of sand, peat and leaf (turf) soil in a ratio of 1: 1: 2 is optimal. The acidity level for thuja is desirable in the range of 4.5-6 pH (see). For better growth, nitroammophoska is added (for an adult plant up to 100 g). It must be remembered that the root neck should be at ground level.
After planting, thuja should be watered regularly, about 1 time per week with one bucket of water per adult plant. If planting was carried out during a hot dry period, then the frequency of watering should be increased. Thuja is a plant that evaporates a lot of moisture, so it loves watering and sprinkling, and responds well to it.
Top dressing is usually carried out in the spring, any complex fertilizers (Kemira-Universal, etc.), 50-60 g per m 2, are suitable for this.
At the onset of the growing season, the soil is loosened to a shallow depth (10 cm), so the thuja has a surface root system, and mulch (compost, peat, bark, etc.)
An adult plant tolerates winter frosts well. However, arborvitae suffer from sunburn in the spring. Therefore, they must be covered, especially young plants (see). For the winter, the crown is tightly pulled together with tape to avoid damage to the crown from wet snow. In the spring, damaged dry shoots are removed, sanitary pruning is carried out (see).