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The wild-growing western thuja has become the ancestor of various varieties used for decorative design of the urban area and private plots. Western thuja Golden Smaragd is a unique representative of the species. A variety was created in Poland, in 2008 the thuja won the third prize at the international exhibition.
Description of Golden Emerald
The western variety of thuja Golden Smaragd is medium-sized. The height of the tree rarely exceeds 2,5 m. The thuja has a minimum annual growth, it is 8-13 cm. The shape is narrow pyramidal, closer to the columnar, the crown volume is 1,3 m. The thuja is a frost-resistant, unpretentious crop with an average degree of drought resistance.
Description of thuja western Golden Smaragd (pictured):
- The central trunk is of medium diameter, tapering at the top, dark in color with a rough, exfoliating bark.
- Skeletal branches are short, strong, grow vertically at an angle of 450, converge into one crown.
- Shoots are flexible, thin, light brown with drooping tops. Due to the compact arrangement, they form a dense crown of the correct shape, annual shoots do not go beyond the visual boundaries.
- The needles are soft, scaly, formed tightly to each other along the entire length of the shoots. At the base it is green-yellow, closer to the upper part the green tint is completely replaced by bright golden. At the end of the shoots, young needles are painted maroon.
- Thuja forms small cones every year, they are oval, dark brown, 1 cm long.
Thuja varieties Golden Smaragd refers to evergreen perennials. The decorative habit retains throughout the year, by autumn the color does not change.
The use of thuja Golden Smaragd in landscape design
Thuja variety Golden Smaragd is considered an elite variety, popular among landscape designers. They use thuja for decorating the territories of personal plots, as well as decorating flower beds adjacent to the facade of administrative buildings. For mass gardening of urban recreation areas, thuja Golden Smaragd varieties are rarely used, because the price of planting material is quite high.
Thuya Golden Smaragd with a bright color and the correct shape of the crown, due to its small growth, does not require constant haircuts. Not the last factor in choosing a variety is 100% rooting of seedlings on the site. Thuja is combined with various varieties of conifers, flowering herbaceous shrubs. Favorably emphasizes large-sized and dwarf forms. Thuja is planted as a tapeworm or in a group. Below in the photo are a few examples of how you can use the western thuja Golden Smaragd in the decorative design of the landscape.
On a flower bed in front of the main entrance to the building.
Thuja on the sides of the garden path
In group planting with flowering plants and ornamental shrubs.
Golden Smaragd in mass planting as a hedge.
Thuja as a tapeworm in combination with horizontal juniper for lawn decoration.
Thuja serves as a color accent in the design of the discount.
Foreground landscaping rockery.
Features of reproduction
Thuja varieties of Golden Smaragd are propagated independently by seeds and vegetatively. Cones ripen in the second decade of September. The resulting planting material is planted immediately on the site or in February in containers for seedlings. After sowing seeds in autumn, the bed is mulched with small wood chips. During the winter months, the seeds of the Golden Smaragd thuja variety will undergo stratification, and young shoots will sprout in the spring. Before planting in containers, place the material for 30 days in the refrigerator.
The vegetative propagation method of the Golden Smaragd cultivar includes cuttings and obtaining seedlings from layering. For harvesting cuttings, last year’s shoots are chosen. To do this, 5 cm recede, cut off, then cuttings 15 cm in size are cut. Needles are removed from the bottom. Thuja is placed in the ground at an angle, covered with a film on arcs from above. Work is carried out in July.
Activities for the reproduction of the western thuja Golden Smaragd by layering begin in the spring. The material is obtained from the lower branch, close to the surface of the earth. Several incisions are made on it, fixed in a shallow furrow, and fall asleep. The next spring, they are carefully removed from the ground, the places with rooted buds are cut and planted in a mini-greenhouse, the thuja will be in it for another 2 years.
Rules of landing
The decorativeness of the future tree depends on the correctly chosen cutting and the place for its further growth. Planting material with thin roots and an undeveloped central part for reproduction is not suitable, the thuja will not be able to take root. Attention is paid to the external condition of the needles, the needles should be thick, soft, without dry patches and with a bright color.
Recommended dates
According to the varietal description, thuja western Golden Smaragd is a frost-resistant plant that calmly reacts to temperatures as low as -33 0C, the winter hardiness of the culture is also high, a sharp spring temperature drop to -7 0C is not reflected on the thuja.
These are features of an adult tree, thuja under the age of 4 years is less resistant to natural factors, therefore, planting a plant in a temperate climate is carried out only in spring (in May), warming up the soil to + 6 becomes a signal for placing a thuja on the site 0C. In the South, planting in the spring is oriented to the temperature of the soil, in the fall they plant the Golden Smaragd thuja at the end of September, before frost the seedling will take root safely.
Site selection and soil preparation
The decorativeness of the thuja Smaragd Gold completely depends on the illumination of the site. In the shade, the needles are faded, the crown is loose, so a place for a thuja is taken away in an open space. The optimal acidity of the soil is neutral, but slightly acidic is also suitable. The soil is light, fertile, with satisfactory drainage, enriched with oxygen. Preference is given to clay sandy loams, the occurrence of groundwater should not be too close to the surface.
The area under the thuja is dug up, weeds are removed, if necessary, the composition is neutralized with alkali-containing agents, a mixture of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium is added (about 120 g per seat). For better rooting, a substrate is prepared from compost, topsoil, sand and peat before planting.
Landing algorithm
The root of a seedling of the Golden Smaragd variety is lowered into Kornevin for 3 hours. During this time, they dig a hole 65 cm deep. The width depends on the size of the thuja root, the size is determined taking into account that 10 cm of empty space remains to the walls of the recess.
The sequence of planting thuja western Golden Smaragd:
- The bottom of the landing hole is covered with drainage.
- From above fall asleep 15 cm of the nutrient mixture.
- Thuja is placed in the center, the roots are distributed so that they are not tangled.
- Pour out the remains of the substrate, tamp.
- The pit is filled to the brim with soil, compacted, the neck should remain at the surface level.
In mass planting, they maintain an interval between pits of 1,2-1,5 m, the thuja does not respond well to close proximity.
Growing and care rules
According to gardeners, thuja western Golden Smaragd does not create any special problems in care. Formative pruning is not required for the plant, preparatory measures for winter are not laborious. The main attention is paid to watering and preventing the spread of pests on the thuja.
Watering Schedule
In the Golden Smaragd cultivar, only the central part of the root is deepened, the main intertwined system is close to the surface, therefore, constantly waterlogged soil provokes the development of rot. The lack of water affects the state of the needles, it becomes stiff, darkens and crumbles, and the thuja loses its decorative effect.
The daily watering rate for an adult tree is in the range of 5-7 liters, for seedlings, the drying of the root ball is detrimental, so the earth must be constantly wet. The irrigation schedule is directly dependent on rainfall. Thuja intensively releases moisture during the day, it evaporates from the needles. If the summer is hot and the humidity is low, the thuja is completely watered not only under the root, but also the crown is sprayed. So that the thuja does not get sunburn, sprinkling is carried out in the evening or in the morning.
Additional fertilizing
Fertilize the cultivar Golden Smaragd after three years of vegetation. In the spring, complex mineral fertilizers are applied, which should contain phosphorus and potassium. In mid-June, thuja is fed with nitrogen-containing products. At the end of summer, along with watering, thuja is fertilized with organic matter.
Trimming
If the goal of pruning is to give the crown a certain shape, events are held at the end of summer. Most often, thuja is not formed, because it has a strict geometric shape that does not require correction. A prerequisite for agricultural technology is health pruning. In the spring, for sanitary purposes, broken or dry branches are removed, shoots with dry or frozen needles are cut.
Preparation for winter
Thuja of this variety is a frost-resistant culture that can winter without warming. Preparation for the cold period is as follows:
- In October, thuja is watered with a large amount of water.
- The seedlings are spudding.
- Double the layer of mulch.
- To prevent the branches from breaking under the weight of snow, they are fixed to the trunk with twine or rope.
Shelter is necessary to protect the thuja not so much from frost as from the burns of the spring sun.
Pests and diseases
Golden Smaragd has a stronger immunity than the classic look. Subject to all the conditions for planting and care, the thuja practically does not get sick. The infection is caused by waterlogging of the soil or the location of the tree in the shade. With adverse factors, thuja is affected by late blight. The first foci are localized in the root, then the infection spreads to the crown. Without timely measures taken, the thuja will die. The disease is eliminated by treating the tree with fungicides, then transplanted to a dry area.
Of the pests, the thuja pseudo-shield affects the pests “Aktellik”, the insecticide is also used for preventive spring treatment. In the rainy season, thuja aphid can parasitize on the Golden Smaragd variety, they get rid of insects with Karbofos.
Conclusion
Western thuja Golden Smaragd is a compact cone-shaped tree with a bright dense crown. The yellow-green color of the needles persists throughout the year. Thuja is classified as an elite variety, grown for decorative design of gardens, household plots, front areas of administrative and office buildings. Thuja is unpretentious to the composition of the soil, does not require a shaping haircut.
