Thuja occidentalis Yellow Ribbon is popular for its interesting color and medium height that does not require global pruning. She comes from North America, and the coquettish name in translation sounds like "Yellow Ribbon". Indeed, its delicate leaves are beautifully laid and all of it looks like an elegant bow carefully tied.
Yellow Ribbon - thuja of a golden hue
Brief information about the variety
- Needle color: golden yellow.
- Height: up to 3 m.
- Crown width: 700-900 cm.
- In which regions is it growing: recommended for winter hardiness zone 4 and warmer.
- Landing features: in a sunny place; the distance between thujas in a row is at least 0.5 meters.
- Immunity: tall.
- Life span: over 100 years old.
General characteristics
Thuja Yellow Ribbon belongs to the undersized varieties (in comparison with other thuja). Its growth does not exceed 3 m, and the width of the crown usually reaches 700-900 cm. The tree is distinguished by a regular and neat conical shape. The branches are short, sweaty, densely arranged. The main difference is the yellow-golden color, which turns orange by winter.
The needles are scaly, dense, very soft and glossy. Small cones (up to 10 mm) appear in the fall. They are oval, brownish in shape. The roots of the tree are well branched: the main part is at the surface, but there are also several deep ones.
Growing regions
Western thuja is highly winter-hardy and can withstand temperatures as low as -30-35 ° C. It is recommended to grow it in a frost resistance zone of 4 and warmer. Thus, cultivation is possible in most of the territory of Russia, with the exception of the extreme northern regions.
Seed planting
The seed planting method has both advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, it requires a lot of time and care, but on the other hand, it makes it possible to get a lot of seedlings at once.
Since Yellow Ribbon is often used to create hedges, the latter circumstance is important (it is much cheaper to sow them yourself than to buy them).
It should be borne in mind that coniferous plants grown from seeds do not always retain varietal characteristics.
Seed preparation
The seeds are harvested in late August or early September. The closed cones are removed from the tree and laid out to dry. Soon they open and the seeds spill out on their own.
Their germination capacity lasts only a few months, so sowing is best done immediately.
In this case, the planting is carried out before winter, but if it needs to be done in the spring, the seeds must first be stratified (hardened).
Sowing
Seeds can be harvested at the end of August
The seeds are sown directly into the ground or into a special box, which is then taken out into the street. They are laid out in beards, sprinkled with a substrate of earth and peat, watered and pressed with a board. The container is placed under the tree and the sowing is covered with a film or non-woven material.
Water as needed, focusing on the weather. The first shoots appear in the spring, when the soil warms up enough.
Seedlings
At first, the young plant does not at all look like a thuja and more resemble dill or a pine branch. They will begin to take on a natural look only after a few months. Every two weeks they need to be fed with complex fertilizers for conifers and watered as needed. Before the onset of cold weather, they add 6-10 cm in height and remain hibernating in a box (or in the same place on the garden bed) under cover. In spring, seedlings can be planted more spaciously.
Planting seedlings
It is better to purchase a seedling with a closed root system. In this case, the soil in the container should be well moistened. The crown of a healthy plant is strong and elastic, without damage or dark spots, and the needles do not crumble.
Landing place
Thuja western grows well in a sunny place and shade, but in the latter case, the crown becomes loose, and the color becomes green.
It is better to plant it in moderately moist loam or sandy loam, but away from groundwater. The tree loves fertile and loose soils, with a slightly acidic reaction.
Technology
The pit for planting should be more spacious than the container in which the seedling grows (1.5-2 times). A drainage layer of sand or expanded clay (about 20 cm) is laid inside it. The plant is placed in a hole so that the root collar is at ground level.
Peat, sand and fertilizers for conifers are added to the soil mixture (they do not fill the hole completely, leaving 60-70 mm for laying mulch). Tuika is watered abundantly, and from above it is mulched with peat chips, sawdust or dry foliage.
Care
Thuja western Ellow Ribbon is considered very unpretentious. Caring for her is not particularly difficult, but it implies several mandatory rules. When growing a tree, you need to pay special attention to watering, fertilizing and mulching.
Watering
The tree needs weekly watering, and in the hot season - frequent evening sprinkling. In the dry season, you need to water the thuja more often - 2-3 times a week. For an adult plant, 12-20 liters of water are used, for a young seedling - 5-7.
It is worth considering that it does not like waterlogging (excessive soil moisture increases the risk of fungal diseases).
Top dressing
The plant is fertilized twice a year
During the season, the tree is fed with minerals twice. Phosphorus and nitrogen are introduced in the spring, potassium in August.
In both cases, you can use complex fertilizers for conifers. In addition, in March and September, compost or leaf humus is poured into the area of the trunk circle.
Mulching and loosening
The tree needs to gently loosen the soil and weed as needed. Trunk circle mulching keeps moisture in the ground and makes maintenance easier.
As mulch, you can use bark, needles, peat, dry foliage, sawdust.
Pruning
This species is undersized, so every year it only needs sanitary pruning. Thuja perfectly retains its conical shape and requires only minimal thinning. Damaged shoots and dried twigs are removed in early spring.
Preparing for winter
Before the onset of cold weather, the tree trunk circle is insulated - mulched with peat by 10 cm.
Adult plants do not need shelter, and it is better to wrap the crowns of young ones in burlap or put on special covers (from snow and wind). In February and early spring, the thuja must be protected from the bright sun to avoid burns.
Reproduction
Tuiku is propagated by seeds or cuttings. The second method is preferred in cases where it is important to maintain varietal characteristics.
Twigs 10-12 cm long are broken off with a "heel", dipped in water and a growth stimulator, and then placed in a nutritious substrate (soil with peat and a complex of fertilizers).
Cuttings can be rooted in a container or directly in the open field. To maintain the required temperature, they make "greenhouses", covering them with film or plastic bottles. Watering is carried out several times a week, focusing on the condition of the soil. Cuttings planted in April are "unpacked" in about two months.
Diseases and pests
- May beetle becomes a dangerous pest for thuja, therefore it is better to resort to prevention in advance and stock up on means of struggle. Birds will become natural helpers - you can hang a birdhouse or a feeder on a tree or nearby. In order to avoid larvae, it is recommended to plant lupine, spill the earth with manganese and infusion of onion peels. In serious cases, use special drugs like Aktara, Antichrushch or Bazudin.
- Sometimes the plant is harmed by thuja aphids, false scutes, spider mites. At the first sign, the leaves should be washed with a solution of laundry soap, and in case of an invasion, spray them with an insecticide or acaricide.
- When the soil is waterlogged, the tree can be affected by fungal diseases, most often - Schütte or Fusarium. As a prophylaxis, tuika is sprayed with Bordeaux liquid, and in case of damage, they resort to medicinal preparations.
Use in landscape design
Due to its small size, golden color and beautiful crown, the tree is very popular in landscape design. Most often it is used for growing hedges.
The plant keeps its conical shape well, but at the same time it is convenient to form densely spaced branches. Tuika is used to create a variety of compositions (geometric, colored, fantasy, etc.), planted individually or with other conifers.
Thuja western Yellow Ribbon. Brief overview, description of characteristics of thuja occidentalis Yellow Ribbon
Thuja western Yellow Ribon (yellow ribbon) 🌿 review: how to plant, seedlings of thuja Yellow Ribon
Thuja western "Yellow Ribbon" (Thuja occidentalis)
In the first 10 years of life, a compact tree can be grown in a container, landscaping not only the garden, but also balconies, roofs, and front entrances. It serves as a bright sunny accent among the greenery and harmoniously combines with flowering plants. This elegant thuja is often placed in alleys, public gardens, near monuments, schools, libraries, and administrative buildings.
Reviews
According to the description of gardeners, thuja practically does not cause trouble to care for, especially in moist fertile soils.
An exception is dry summers, when the plant needs frequent watering and sprinkling. Tuika responds well to feeding, but it cannot be overfed with nitrogen.
The tree keeps its shape perfectly if it grows in the sun, and in the shade it turns out to be somewhat loose. It can withstand frost without deforming under lumps of snow and not succumbing to winds. According to the description of many, even in winter, the thuja looks smart and elegant, decorating the site and creating a sunny mood.