The tree of life as an evergreen plant is particularly suitable as a privacy screen or hedge in the local gardens. But for this, the otherwise easy-care tree needs regular pruning. But even here, maintenance is easy, because mostly the tree of life only needs to be brought into shape in height. The species Thuja occidentalis Smaragd has a very special property for this, because you shiny green shimmers in the sun like an emerald and does not change color even in winter brownish.
Required tools
Before starting to cut the Thuja occidentalis Smaragd hedge or the solitaire, you should have the right tools and materials ready:
- Gardening gloves to avoid injuries from the needles and the hard branches on the hands
- ideally also wear long trousers and long sleeves
- a sufficient ladder for a high hedge or a high solitaire
- electric or gasoline-powered hedge trimmers
- Secateurs for individual shoots and branches
- Disinfectant for hedge trimmers and secateurs
- Thread and spirit level for an even, straight cut
Tip: Before each cut, the garden tools used should be cleaned with a disinfectant from the trade or with pure alcohol from the pharmacy, otherwise diseases such as fungal attack
threaten or bacteria could penetrate the interfaces.Ideal time
There is no ideal time to cut the tree of life, it can be cut all year round, just as it fits into the working hours of the hobby gardener. But there are some times when the cut makes more sense:
- in the spring before the new budding
- cut protruding shoots in summer
- Avoid cutting on frosty days
Cut
When cutting the Thuja occidentalis Smaragd, there are not many special features to consider. If you cut from the start and keep the shape, then this work will not take much time. In addition, a tree planted as a solitary hardly needs to be cut at all, whereas a hedge made of Thuja occidentalis Smaragd mainly needs to be cut in height. However, by pruning, the arborvitae may look a little "plucked" for a few weeks until the new shoots have grown back. Therefore, ideally, cut as follows:
- cut before the new shoots emerge
- if shoots protruding from a hedge are to be cut in summer, this is also possible
- However, watch out for any breeding birds and, in the best case, do not disturb them
- therefore only work with secateurs in summer, not with electric hedge trimmers
- Since the tree of life quickly becomes bald from the inside, enough light must be able to penetrate into the interior
- Leave the old wood standing as it will not sprout again and the hedge could then have holes
- therefore always remove only a few shoots, it is better to shorten them
- better cut a few times a year
- if the hedge is growing, shorten it in height as necessary
- this can also arise with a radical cut
- a thread will help work evenly
- cut the hedge so that it is wider at the bottom than at the top
- as a result, more brightness and sunlight penetrate downwards from above
- The natural rainwater also gets to the roots better this way
- this reduces the risk of the tips and shoots turning brown
- if the hedge is not so wide at the top, this prevents an accumulation of snow masses in winter, which could lead to the breakage of the individual plants
- the tree of life as a solitaire should not be cut in height but only in shape
- Do not cut in strong sunlight, as this can cause burns at the interfaces
Tip: When cutting, make sure that there are no small children around who could take the cut shoots in their hands, because the tree of life is a poisonous plant.
Protect interfaces
The tree of life, as robust as it is, is vulnerable at the interfaces. The fresh interfaces in particular must not be exposed to the sun, because then they will quickly turn brown as they burn. It is therefore better, even if the plant can be cut in summer, only to tackle this on cloudy days. In addition, a hedge should be well watered after every cut, regardless of the season. Furthermore, the hedge or the solitary can be protected after cutting as follows:
- working quickly with an electric hedge trimmer is an advantage
- Immediately cover the already cut areas with a garden fleece
- this gives the plant shade at the fresh interfaces
- Evaporation in the fresh areas is prevented and the incisions can be closed quickly
- The fleece can be left over the plants for one to two days on very sunny and warm days
- after that, however, it should be removed again so that no heat can build up under the fleece
Tip: Never use foil to protect from the sun or to provide shade, because this is where the Radiation and the heat intensified, so that it is then even more so to burns at the interfaces can come.
Cutting in case of fungal attack
Unfortunately, the tree of life is often susceptible to fungal diseases. These are needle and scale tans, thuja root rot, kabatina shoot deaths or pestalotia shoot deaths. If the Thuja occidentalis Smaragd gets brown needles, which are completely unusual in this type of tree of life, then it is sick with one of these fungi and action must be taken immediately. So that the tree can then be saved, the use of fungicides and radical pruning are recommended, in which the procedure is as follows:
- Remove all brown tips immediately upon infestation
- if there are still shoots with fungal infestation on the tree of life, it cannot recover
- Do not put the cuttings on the compost in case of fungal attack but dispose of them in the green bin or in the residual waste
- the fungal spores survive for a long time and could cause even more damage in the entire garden
- Clean and disinfect all gardening tools immediately after cutting in the event of a fungal attack
Conclusion
Anyone who has cultivated the Thuja occidentalis Smaragd as a hedge will enjoy it for a long time if it is cut regularly every year. Because the tree of life is easy to care for and the pruning is easy if there is a little pruning here every year. Only trimming the hedge every few years and then radically does not do the plants so well. The tree of life as a solitary in the garden, on the other hand, hardly needs a cut, only if brown shoot tips can be seen, they should be removed immediately.