Western thuja came to European countries from the eastern part of the North American continent. One of its most interesting varieties is considered to be Filiformis - original and not similar to its relatives. In the article you can familiarize yourself with the description of this type of arborvitae and learn how to grow it at home.
Botanical Description
Thuja Filiformis (Latin: Thuja occidentalis Filiformis), or Thread-like, got its name for its unusual appearance. With long, drooping threadlike shoots, the tree resembles a weeping willow. And the bright green color of the needles makes it very decorative.
Phylliformis is a stunted and slow-growing tree. Over a year, it gains 2–7 cm in growth. It reaches its maximum growth point (150 cm) by 20 years. In this case, the plant is a long-liver and can live 200 years. Thus, it justifies the second name of the Tuya genus - the Life Tree.
Did you know? The tallest species of western thuja is folded (Thuja plicata), or Giant. Under natural conditions, that is, on the Pacific coast, it grows up to 60 m in height, and its trunk diameter reaches 4 m.
Description:
- height - 1.5 m (maximum 2.5 m), diameter - 1.8 m;
- a wide-pyramidal crown, thick, but over the years becomes irregular and transparent;
- branches are weakly branched, long, hanging, threadlike;
- needles are scaly, the color is first bright green, then dark green, and turns brown by winter, has a coniferous aroma;
- the bark is brown, exfoliates with age;
- fruits - small cones of elliptical shape.
Landscape design application
Due to its outstanding appearance, Filiformis stands out against other garden and park plants. Such a thuja is good both in single and in group garden compositions. This is a universal culture that can be used in creating landscape design of different styles. Small size and slow growth make this furry thaw an ideal element of rockery (stone garden) in Japanese and English styles.
It also looks spectacular in the form of a tapeworm on a light background of a house wall. Also, this eternally green bush is indispensable in city parks, as it is not afraid of smoke and smog. A threaded thuja planted in a container can decorate the terrace, balcony and even the roof of the house.
Landing
Frost-resistant and drought-resistant thuja can grow almost everywhere. Nevertheless, when planting, she needs to pay enough attention and choose a suitable site where she will grow for many years.
Both spring and autumn time are suitable for planting. Seedlings purchased in containers can be planted in the ground even in summer, because they sit together with an earthen lump. When planting, they do not experience stress, easily adapt to a new place and take root quickly.
Site selection and preparation
Its health and appearance depend on how well the place for planting the Threaded thuja has been selected.
Site Requirements:
- open and sunny or partial shade (in absolute shadow, the plant loses color);
- closed from strong winds, for example, by the wall of a house or other plants;
- the soil is loose, fertile and moist (loam);
- soil acidity is weak or neutral.
The selected plot of land must first be cleared of weeds. It will also need to be dug up or deeply loosened so that the soil is saturated with oxygen.
Phased disembarkation
The landing technology of Filiformis is quite simple.
Important! Seedlings with a closed root system are planted using the same technology. The difference is that you do not need to fertilize the soil, since the plant is already fed, and there is no need to fill an earthen hill at the bottom of the hole.
Step-by-step instruction:
- Dig a hole approximately 70 cm deep. Its size depends on the size of the root system or earthen coma (if in the container).
- At the bottom of the recess, pour drainage (expanded clay or crushed stone). The thickness of the drainage layer is 10–20 cm.
- Mix the excavated soil with peat and sand in a ratio of 2: 1: 1, as well as with fertilizer (nitroammophos - 500 g).
- Pour a layer of soil mixture onto the drainage and lay a mound out of it.
- Lower the seedling into the pit, spreading its roots on the knoll.
- Sprinkle on top of the remaining earth, tamp it and pour a bucket of settled water. The root neck should be above ground level.
- Cover the trunk circle with a thick layer of mulch (peat or sawdust). Mulch should not cover the trunk and lower shoots so that they do not sing.
Further care
The advantage of thuya Filiformis is its unpretentiousness, so it is not difficult to look after it at all. The main thing is to monitor the weather conditions in order to provide the tree with moisture in time and protect it from the scorching sun and piercing cold wind. Especially the young plant needs such attention.
Watering and moisturizing
Although the threaded thuja becomes drought-resistant with age, the newly planted seedling needs constant hydration. During the first 1-2 months after planting in the ground, irrigation should be weekly. In hot weather, the frequency of watering should be increased to 2 times a week.
The amount of irrigation water is a bucket per plant.
Do not forget about sprinkling: it should be as regular as watering under the root. If it rains, moistening is no longer necessary. The best time for watering and sprinkling is morning and evening. Using mulch will help to maintain moisture in the soil, therefore, it will be possible to reduce the frequency of watering.
Important! With a lack of moisture, the thuja crown will thin out and lose its decorative qualities.
Fertilizer
One of the benefits of caring for a fluffy arborvitae is that it does not need to be fed often. If fertilizer was applied during planting in the hole, then the next top dressing will be needed only after 2 years. An adult plant is fed annually in early spring. For this purpose, mineral fertilizer for coniferous crops or a special composition for thuja are perfect.
Pruning
Thuja usually tolerate pruning well and respond positively to it: the crown becomes more magnificent and thicker. But Filiformis practically does not need formative pruning - it already depends on the desire of the gardener. Mandatory is sanitary pruning. In the early spring, before the juice starts to move, all dry and damaged branches must be removed. The health and beauty of the whole bush depends on this procedure.
Pruning, more precisely, cutting, is also necessary if the Threaded arborvitae form a hedge. In this case, the filamentous shoots of the tree can be shortened by no more than a third of the entire length. Crown formation may be necessary in the case of group composition, so that Filiformis looks neat and combines with other coniferous cultures.
Shelter from the wind and the sun
A special advantage of the adult thuja Filiformis is its resistance to adverse conditions. But while the young plant grows stronger, it needs shelter from the hot sun, strong winds that can break thin branches, and hard frosts. Accordingly, in the summer in the first year after planting, the seedling should be shaded to avoid sunburn.
With the onset of cold weather, it is desirable to tie up the branches of a young plant and wrap it with burlap. This will protect against shoot damage by strong winds or heavy snow. Warming the tree with spruce branches and mulching with a thick layer of peat will help the tree to wait out severe frosts painlessly.
Diseases and Pests
Like other western arborvitae, Filiformis can suffer from pests and diseases characteristic of this species. Shoots and needles on damaged plants turn yellow, dry out and fall off.
Did you know? Thuja western is not very tall, but it belongs to long-lived trees. Some of its varieties survive to a thousand years.
Pests:
- thuja aphid;
- false shield.
In this case, treatment with Karbofos, Fitoverm and other insecticides will be the prevention and treatment.
Fungal diseases to which Thuya Filiformis is susceptible:
- brown shute;
- cytosporosis;
- Fusarium
Prevention and treatment: spraying with Bordeaux liquid, Kartatsidom and other copper-containing drugs.
The filiform thuja Filiformis is quite easy to care for. Applying the elementary rules of planting and care, each gardener will be able to grow this unusual thuja, which will become the highlight of any homestead landscape.
