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The representative of the Cypress family, the western thuja, became the progenitor of numerous breeding varieties created for ornamental gardening. Thuya Yellow Ribbon is the most sought after cultivar with exotic coloring of needles. Due to its high winter hardiness, the ornamental plant is used in landscape design in all climatic zones of Our Country.
Description of thuja Yellow Ribbon
A low pyramidal tree with a dense dense crown, with 2 or more crowns. The height of the thuja Yellow Ribbon is up to 2,5 m, the volume is 0,8 m. This is an indicator of a 15-year vegetation period. The western thuja grows slowly, it adds 12 cm in height during the year, 8 cm in width. The plant is perennial, the duration of biological life is 30-35 years.
External description of thuja western Yellow Ribbon (pictured):
- The crown is dense, compact, the trunk is even, straight with tightly pressed, short, strong skeletal branches. Young shoots with powerful branching at the ends, the tops seem to be turned outward, parallel to the central trunk. The bark of young shoots is olive, perennial – dark gray.
- Needles of scaly structure, small – up to 2,5 cm in length, densely located, tightly pressed to the shoot. The color of the needles is bright orange, light yellow at the ends of the shoots, by mid-summer the needles turn green, in autumn they turn dark red.
- Cones are brown, scaly, formed in small quantities, length – 13 cm. Seeds are small, beige, equipped with lionfish.
- The roots are thin, numerous, deepened by 60 cm, form a compact intertwined system.
Thuja western Yellow Ribbon resists strong winds well, is not afraid of drafts. It calmly reacts to gas pollution, smoke in the environment.
The use of thuja Yellow Ribbon in landscape design
Western thuja Yellow Ribbon is characterized by a highly decorative look. A distinctive feature of the thuja, which makes it in demand for gardeners and professional designers, is the variability of color and the correct compact crown. Thuja does not create problems with rooting and care, withstands temperatures down to -38 0C, tolerates a haircut well, and keeps its shape for a long time. All these advantages have made the western thuja Yellow Ribbon a favorite in ornamental gardening almost throughout Our Country. A few photos of the use of thuja Yellow Ribbon in landscape design are presented below.
Western thuja in the foreground in a group planting with ornamental shrubs.
In composition with large-sized and dwarf conifers.
Thuja in combination with flowering plants.
As a tapeworm in the center of the flower bed.
Western thuja as an accent of the foreground of the composition. 7
Thuja as a hedge.
Features of reproduction of the western thuja Yellow Ribbon
The western thuja Yellow Ribbon propagates in a generative and vegetative way. Cultivar seeds completely retain the characteristics of the mother plant. Seeds are collected in mid-autumn, the material is planted in the spring in a mini-greenhouse or container. In autumn, seedlings dive, after 3 years they are planted on the site.
Propagation by cuttings of western thuja is a less productive method, but faster. Cuttings are harvested from the middle of last year’s shoots in early August. The material is placed in a fertile substrate, creating a greenhouse effect. If the cuttings are planted on the site, shelter is needed for the winter. If in a pot, then the cuttings of the western thuja are lowered into the basement. In the spring, thuja is planted on the site.
Thuja Yellow Ribbon can be propagated using layering. The lower shoot is dug in in the spring, covered for the winter. At the beginning of next summer, it will be seen how many plots have turned out, they are cut and planted in a permanent place.
Rules of landing
For planting the western thuja Yellow Ribbon, a seedling is taken at least 3 years old, the material purchased from a specialized nursery is pre-disinfected. If the thuja seedling is grown independently, before planting, the root system is immersed in a solution of manganese for 5 hours, then for the same time in a growth stimulant preparation.
Recommended dates
The planting time of the thuja Yellow Ribbon depends on the climate zone. In temperate regions, autumn planting is not considered. Thuja is planted on the site in the spring, approximately in May, when the earth warms up to +7 0C. In areas with a warm climate, planting work is carried out in spring (about mid-April) and early autumn (early September).
Site selection and soil preparation
According to gardeners, the thuja Yellow Ribbon has a bright decorative crown only with sufficient lighting. In the shade, the vegetation slows down, the crown becomes not thick enough, so the planting site is chosen without shading, on the south or east side, protected from drafts.
Western thuja prefers slightly alkaline or neutral soils, light, drained, enriched with oxygen. Loamy or sandy loamy soil is suitable, the close location of groundwater is not allowed. Waterlogging of the root ball leads to bacterial infection, which is difficult to get rid of, the disease often leads to the death of the thuja.
Before planting, they dig up the site, add dolomite flour, if the composition of the soil is acidic, add compost. A nutrient substrate is prepared for planting, sand, peat, turf soil are mixed in equal parts, 10 g of ash and 200 g of urea are added per 150 kg of the mixture.
Landing algorithm
A hole is prepared 3 days before planting. The width of the recess is 10 cm larger than the root system, the depth is 0,7 m.
The sequence of work on planting thuja Yellow Ribbon:
- A drainage cushion is placed at the bottom, consisting of a lower layer of a large fraction and an upper layer of a fine one. Use gravel, brick chips.
- The nutrient mixture is divided into two parts, half is poured onto the drainage, a cone-shaped embankment is made.
- The seedling is placed in the center.
- Fall asleep with the remaining nutrient substrate and soil.
- Compact the near-stem circle, water, mulch.
If planting is massive, the interval between seedlings is 2,5-3 m.
Growing and care rules
The rules for growing western thuja Yellow Ribbon are watering, fertilizing and pruning, crown formation.
Watering Schedule
Thuja Yellow Ribbon is a moisture-loving plant; sprinkling is required at any age. In adult plants, drought resistance is higher than in seedlings up to 5 years. Watering depends on precipitation, if it is in abundance, then the trees are not watered. Young thuja requires at least two waterings per week, mature trees are moistened 3-4 times a month with plenty of water. After planting and every spring, thuja Yellow Ribbon is mulched to preserve moisture.
Additional fertilizing
Nutrients when planting western thuja Yellow Ribbon are enough for 3 years of growth. Then, in the spring, before sap flow, complex mineral products are applied, designed specifically for Cypresses or the universal fertilizer “Kemira”. In mid-July, thuja is watered with a solution of organic matter.
Trimming
Thuja Yellow Ribbon is pruned in the fourth year of vegetation, until this time the seedling does not need a haircut. The natural shape of the crown is quite decorative, so it is often left unchanged. If the design plan provides for the formation, the thuja tolerates the intervention of the gardener well, keeps its shape for a long time, and quickly recovers. The photo shows a variant of the haircut of the western thuja Yellow Ribbon. In addition to the formation of the crown, sanitary pruning is carried out every spring, frozen and dry fragments are removed.
Preparation for winter
The older the thuja Yellow Ribbon, the higher the frost resistance. An adult plant does not need a crown shelter, water-charging watering and an increase in the mulch layer are enough. Young thuja, without prior measures, may not tolerate a drop in temperature to -30 0C. Preparing thuja for winter:
- The plant is spudded.
- Double the layer of mulch, use peat mixed with sawdust, pour straw on top.
- The branches are pulled together with a rope, fixed.
- Top covered with insulating material.
In winter, a snowdrift is thrown over the trunk circle.
Pests and diseases
Varieties of western thuja are not distinguished by high immunity. The plant is subject to a number of fungal infections. Thuyu Yellow Ribbon is affected by the following diseases:
- fitoftoroz. Pathology develops due to prolonged waterlogging of the root ball, a fungal infection affects the entire plant. Get rid of the fungus with fungicides, reduce watering or transplant to another place;
- rust. The infection affects the needles and young shoots, at risk of thuja up to four years of vegetation. Eliminate the disease “Hom”;
- death of shoot tips. The reason is fungus. For the treatment of thuja use “Fundazol”.
Garden pests parasitizing on the thuja Yellow Ribbon:
- moth caterpillars. To get rid of, thuja is processed with Fumitox;
- spider mite. Neutralize the insect with acaricide preparations, carry out constant sprinkling;
- the weevil appears at high acidity of the soil – they destroy the parasite with insecticides and neutralize the soil;
- the main and frequently encountered pest is aphids, they get rid of it with a solution of laundry soap, the plant is sprayed abundantly. If the measure turned out to be unsuccessful, they are treated with Karbofos, anthills are removed from the site.
Conclusion
Thuja Yellow Ribbon is a selection variety of western arborvitae. This is an evergreen culture with an unusual color of needles, which changes color three times during the spring-summer period. Thuja Yellow Ribbon is unpretentious in care, responds well to a haircut, the growth of the culture is small, so the western thuja retains its shape for a long time. A winter-hardy plant is grown in all climatic zones of Our Country.
