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Western thuja is a coniferous evergreen tree, a representative of the Cypress family. Distribution area in the wild – Canada and North America. Thuya Maloniana is a cultivar with a highly decorative appearance, widely used in landscape design. Due to its high frost resistance, coniferous trees are grown in all climatic zones of Our Country.
Description of thuja Maloniana
Thuja Maloniana (pictured) is a tree of a columnar, strictly symmetrical, vertical shape with a sharp crown. The crown is narrow in diameter – up to 3 meters, the height of the thuja is within 10 m. It grows quickly, adds 30-35 cm per year.
External characteristic:
- The crown is compact, the trunk is straight with tightly pressed skeletal branches. The branches are short, strong, close to each other, with branched tops. The bark of young shoots is smooth, brown with a red tint, over the years the color changes to dark gray, the bark can peel off in long longitudinal stripes.
- The needles are small (0,3 cm), scaly, densely arranged, tightly pressed to the stem, saturated bright green on top, the lower part is matte, the color darkens in winter. It remains on the tree for 3 years, then falls off along with the upper part of the shoots (fall of branches). The needles of young shoots are lighter than last year’s.
- Oval-shaped cones – 12-14 cm long, dark beige, scaly, seeds with narrow yellow lionfish are located inside.
- The roots are thin, intertwined with each other, form a compact system, deepened up to 80 cm.
Thuja western Maloniana is a perennial tree with a life expectancy of 100-110 years. Wood without resin passages, has a pleasant delicate aroma. The culture is unpretentious, tolerates urban gas pollution well.
The survival rate in a new place is high, the culture responds well to pruning and shearing.
Varieties of western thuja Maloniana
Thuja western Malonyan is represented by several varieties with different crown shapes and needle colors. In ornamental horticulture, several varieties are used that, in terms of frost resistance, are suitable for growing in the climatic conditions of Our Country.
Aurea
Narrow-columnar tree with a sharp top and a dense symmetrical crown.
Description of thuja Maloniana Aurea:
- thuja volume by 10 years -1,4 m;
- straight trunk with tightly pressed short branches with intense branching at the ends;
- the needles are golden, the upper part is brighter, the lower part is darker, due to the peculiarity of the color, the crown looks orange on a cloudy day, by winter the needles turn bronze;
- cones few, brown, ripen by mid-autumn.
The annual growth is 25-35 cm. At 10 years old, the height of the tree is 3-3,5 m. The needles do not burn in the sun, poor ecology (smoke, gas pollution) does not affect the vegetation. A tree with high winter hardiness, tolerates temperatures down to -380 C.
Holub
Holub – a dwarf representative of the western thuja Malonian, grows up to 10 m by the age of 0,8. Volume – 0,7 m. Annual growth is insignificant – 3-5 cm.
Shrub of irregular shape, twisted branches grow chaotically. Thuja forms several tops of different lengths. The shape of each plant is individual. The needles are dense, small, dark green, darken by autumn, acquire a slightly yellow tint.
Application in landscape design
Thuja western Maloniana and its varieties Aurea and Holub, due to their high frost resistance, are widely used in regions with cold winters for landscape design, and thuja is also a frequent visitor to southern gardens. Several options for the use of coniferous culture in ornamental gardening are shown in the photo.
As the background of the composition.
Thuya Malonyana Aurea on the sides of the garden path.
Creating a hedge.
Thuja in a group planting with dwarf conifers and flowering plants.
Features of reproduction
Thuja western Maloney is propagated by seeds or cuttings. Seeds are harvested in late autumn. In the spring planted in open ground, seed germination is good. Young seedlings are covered for the winter, after 3 years the seedlings are ready for planting on the site.
Cuttings are a less effective method, because the material does not root well. Cuttings are cut in the middle of summer from last year’s shoots. Placed in a fertile substrate, covered with a film on top. Rooted material is ready for planting next spring.
Rules of landing
Thuja western Maloniana is a plant that does not require special agricultural technology. Subject to the deadlines and planting technology, the thuja takes root well and quickly grows in growth.
Recommended dates
Planting thuja western Malonian in temperate regions is carried out in the spring, when the earth has warmed up enough, approximately at the end of April. The frost resistance of the thuja is high, it does not respond to return frosts. In the southern regions, planting of thuja Malonian is allowed in early autumn. In order for the thuja to take root in a new place before the onset of frost, work is carried out in mid-September.
Site selection and soil preparation
Thuja is a light-loving plant, the decorative color of the needles directly depends on the abundance of sunlight. Maloniana and Holub can grow in a periodically shaded place, but an open area is preferred when planting. Thuja western Maloniana Aurea does not respond well to the shade, the color fades from a lack of ultraviolet light.
Soils choose neutral, fertile loams, salinization and waterlogging of the soil are not allowed. Thuja is a moisture-loving plant, but a constantly wet root ball will lead to decay. Therefore, lowlands and areas with close groundwater are not considered.
Before planting, the soil, if necessary, is neutralized, digging up organic matter. A nutrient substrate is prepared from peat, sand, compost in equal parts.
Landing algorithm
If a seedling with a closed root system, a planting hole is dug according to the size of an earthen coma, if the roots are open, then the depth of the hole should be about 1 m, and the width is 15 cm more than the size of the rhizome.
Sequence of work:
- A drainage cushion is placed at the bottom, consisting of a layer of gravel of a large fraction, and on top of a fine one.
- Pour out a layer of nutrient mixture.
- The thuja seedling is placed in the center.
- Fall asleep with the rest of the soil mixture.
- Soil is added to the top, tamped, watered abundantly.
To create a hedge, the distance between the thujas is 3 m.
Rules for growing care
According to reviews of gardeners with experience in growing Malonian thuja, the plant does not require increased attention, tolerates spring temperature fluctuations and lack of moisture well, and calmly reacts to molding.
Watering Schedule
Young seedlings of the western Malonian thuja are watered at intervals of 1 time in 7 days. Mature trees are moistened less often, if seasonal precipitation is normal, then watering is not needed. To preserve moisture, the trunk circle is mulched with peat, sawdust or wood chips.
Additional fertilizing
Thuya Malonian is fertilized in the spring, complex mineral fertilizers are used, for example, Kemira-universal. In autumn, water with a solution of organic matter.
Trimming
Pruning of thuja Malonian begins only after 3 years of growth. The procedure is healing and formative in nature. Thuja responds well to a haircut, quickly restores young shoots.
Thuja is given a haircut in the spring to give the tree a pyramidal or any topiary shape according to the design plan, pruning starts from the crown. At the end of August, the procedure is repeated, the branches protruding beyond certain boundaries are trimmed.
Preparation for winter
Adult trees of thuja Maloniana do not need shelter for the winter, the plant is frost-resistant, tolerates temperatures as low as -42 0C, if young shoots freeze during the winter, the tree quickly forms a replacement. An adult thuja is mulched with a root circle and watered with plenty of water.
Increase the layer of mulch. The branches are pulled together and wrapped with any covering material that does not allow moisture to pass through.
Pests and diseases
Thuya Maloniana and its varieties are not distinguished by high immunity to infection and pests. The plant is affected:
- a funguscausing death of young shoots. Eliminate the infection “Fundazol”;
- rust. The risk group includes young plants up to 4 years of growth, the fungus affects the needles and the upper part of young shoots, the plant is treated with “Hom”;
- late blight. The infection covers all plants, the reason lies in the waterlogging of the root ball. To combat the fungus, fungicides are used, the plant is transplanted. If it was not possible to save the seedling, it is removed from the site.
Of the pests on the thuja Malonian parasitize:
- weevil appears if the composition of the soil is acidic. The soil is neutralized, the plant is treated with insecticides;
- spider mite appears in dry weather at low humidity, the pest does not like dampness. Thuja is sprinkling and treated with acaricides;
- caterpillars of the thuja moth feed on needles, cause serious damage to the thuja, eliminate the pest with Fumitox;
- a frequent pest on thuja is aphids, they get rid of insects with Karbofos.
Conclusion
Thuya Maloniana is a cultivar of the western thuja, an evergreen coniferous plant represented by several varieties with different shapes, sizes and colors of needles. Variety Maloniana is a highly decorative tree with a symmetrical crown. The winter hardiness of the plant allows the use of thuja in landscape design in the temperate climate zone. Thuja Maloniana is unpretentious in care, lends itself well to haircuts, keeps its shape for a long time.
