Arborvitae, Thuja occidentalis Smaragd

Thuja occidentalis Smaragd is one of the classics among the trees of life with its slim, upright growth. In many gardens, the thuja species with its aromatic scented needles is cultivated as an evergreen hedge plant. The wood retains its dense, light green foliage even in winter and does not take on a brown color like other conifers. The tree of life is considered to be robust and vigorous, but certain requirements in terms of location and maintenance must still be met. Correct trimming is a particular challenge for hobby gardeners.

Location and soil
The popular plants are extremely easy to care for and make little demands on the planting location and soil. Arborvitae are extremely hungry for light, a shady and too dark location impairs the dense and lush growth pattern of the evergreen plants. Extremely long and light-growing branches are the clear consequence of a lack of light. Choose a full sun to light, partially shaded place in the garden for the trees. When choosing a location, also note that the plants can reach a height of between 4 and 8 meters. The substrate should have four important criteria:

• profound
• rich in humus
• clayey
• slight lime content

The pressure of heavy soil inhibits the growth of the roots. Therefore, if necessary, loosen the soil extensively with gravel. Thuja are extremely moisture-loving, a fact that should also be taken into account when choosing the right substrate. Clay stores water just like a thick layer of bark mulch.
Fertilizing and watering
When it comes to the supply of nutrients, the tree of life is anything but frugal. Mulch the soil sufficiently in spring and late summer and work in a mixture of compost, manure and horn shavings. A special conifer fertilizer from the specialist trade also supports and promotes the growth and health of the slowly growing trees. Solitary and hedge plants have different requirements: If trees of life are cultivated as a dense privacy hedge, the plants compete with each other for water and minerals. Young hedge plants in particular benefit from slow-release fertilizers during the main vegetation period.

Thuja occidentalis Smaragd is one of the few plants that can cope well with waterlogging. In East Asia and North America, the plant is often found on the banks of the river and in marshland. You have to water all year round, even in winter the root ball of the tree of life must not dry out. Even older plants are sensitive to drought and can suffer massive damage in the process. In winter you should protect the moisture in the ground from evaporation with bark mulch, brushwood or withered leaves. At the same time, this material provides the thuja with valuable nutrients. In the cold season, water is poured on frost-free days if possible. Use lukewarm water in sufficient quantities so that the liquid can reach the roots even in frozen soil.
planting
The ideal time for planting is between March and May. Planted in spring, the arborvitae can acclimatise sufficiently in the new location and prepare for the cold season. How exactly you proceed depends on the type of cultivation. The evergreen deciduous trees are adaptable and, as a solitary plant, offer an interesting eye-catcher in your own garden. Due to the narrow and densely branched growth, thujas are also well suited as hedge plants. In every season of the year, the plants shield the garden from the curious glances of outsiders. For solitary plants, proceed as follows:

1. Dig a planting hole with twice the circumference of the root ball.
2. Mix the substrate with humus and horn shavings.
3. Spread a thin layer of compost directly in the planting hole.
4. Insert the thuja up to the upper root neck.
5. Fill back the soil and sludge firmly.

For solitary trees of life, you should create a pouring edge. The soil is placed around the trunk of the wood, sloping slightly conically and flattened at the top. This place makes it easier for you to water and fertilize. Keep this area free of weeds and do not plant any ground cover plants. In the case of hedge plants, this option is not available due to the lack of space.
A little trick can be used to create privacy protection hedges: Before the spade is used, you should mark out the planned area. This gives you a rough overview and allows you to correct errors without any problems. You should keep a sufficient distance to neighboring properties and also to the street. Then dig a trench about 50 cm wide. Its depth depends on the

Size of the roots. With Thuja occidentalis Smaragd, the minimum distance between the individual plants is about 35 - 45 cm. Sludge the trees sufficiently after setting one, you can do without fertilizer in the first two months. Tip: Take the small trees of life out of the tub before planting and place the root ball in a container filled with water for 24 hours.
Multiply
The propagation of conifers is laborious and rarely crowned with success. The best way to do this is through the seeds of the plant. Thuja occidentalis is one of the cold germs, the seeds must go through a cold phase for successful germination. Do not store them in the refrigerator and sow the seeds as early as autumn. The cultivation can also take place in a planter in the garden. You should by no means lose patience, because it can take several months for the first germ tips to show up.
Cut
The thuja tree of life is an extremely robust plant. However, incorrectly performed pruning can cause lasting damage to the wood. Regular pruning is particularly necessary for hedge plants so that they stay in shape and have an even appearance. Proceed carefully and do not remove the old wood under any circumstances. Because the plants do not sprout again here, any bald spots that may have arisen do not regenerate. The easiest way to avoid this problem is to prune already young trees of life twice a year. Always shorten it by a few centimeters. The first pruning is done in spring, before the wood starts to sprout more branches and leaves. The second trim will be made in late summer.
Overwinter
Hibernating is no problem for Thuja occidentalis Smaragd, because even young plants can withstand double-digit minus temperatures. Still, you can apply a protective layer of bark mulch or brushwood. This will warm the soil and at the same time prevent the irrigation water from evaporating too quickly. In contrast to many other Thuja species, the foliage of Thuja occidentalis Smaragd does not turn brown in winter, but shines all year round in its light green splendor.
Thuja and ecology
The thuja, also and especially the thuja emerald, are one of the most popular land bordering plants in Germany because of their positive properties mentioned above. However, you might find that you are some not very friendly in terms of the trees of life like the thuja emerald Read reflections when you find out about hedge plants and their properties and characteristics inform.

In fact, coniferous hedges are generally of less value to the natural environment than hardwood hedges because they are far less beneficial to birds Offer possibilities to build their nests and with their needle dress they would not hide nests so well, if a bird were to build a nest would decide. Conifers, which have their home in completely different areas on earth, are doubly uninteresting for our world of small animals, because they do not give them any food, etc. provide. However, if you have enough native and, if possible, flowering (hedgerow) trees in the rest of your garden, You don't need to worry that the birds and insects in your garden will no longer have enough food Find.

An enrichment for the home garden

In summary, it can be said that the Thuja Smaragd is excellent for delimiting land in the The viewing area in front of modern buildings is suitable, where it fits the design and also makes a very neat impression. In consideration of the ecological balance of the environment, the creation of such a hedge is recommended but only if the overall design of the house garden does not focus exclusively on foreign guests limited. However, you have to live with the fact that you are unlikely to win an innovation award in garden design with a thuja hedge.
The editors' conclusion
Thuja occidentalis Smaragd is a robust and extremely popular arborvitae variety. The conifers are robust and have a dense growth. However, you should never leave the trees to their own devices. Regular pruning is just as necessary as a year-round supply of water. If you value privacy in the garden or at least want to shield individual areas from prying eyes, the evergreen tree of life is the right choice.
Worth knowing about Thuja occidentalis 'Smaragd'

• The thuja emerald is a very popular one Tree of lifevariety whose original home is in the northeast of the United States and Canada.
• Their emerald green, slightly shiny, odorless needles are particularly attractive and stay in the winter fresh green.
• Their growth is conical and slender, the branches are dense and compact.
• The slightly higher purchase price is quickly compensated for by the relatively low maintenance effort.
• This thuja is ideal for creating an opaque one hedge, to delimit the property, but also for individual planting.

use
The range of uses is extremely broad, as it blends in harmoniously in rural areas as well as in parks and villa gardens. Herbaceous borders it serves as an extremely decorative background. best Planting time is at the end of summer, so that it is already well-rooted before the onset of winter - and thus protected against signs of drying out.
Care and pruning of the thuja emerald

• Thuja care: This arborvitae loves fresh, well drained, slightly acidic to alkaline soils, and a sunny to partially shaded location. Water enough! Never let it dry out! Always hand-high, preferably mulch. It is an extremely undemanding, robust plant, but sensitive to air and soil dryness as well as to road salt. With proper preparation (water well in autumn) it is absolutely frost hardy.
• Thuja-cut hedges: Emerald hedges do not have to be cut for years because of their slow growth (10-20 cm per year). And if so, then only for altitude correction. Uncut, this variety can reach heights of four to six meters.
• Thuja fertilization: Thujas should generally not be fertilized in the year of planting. This is especially not recommended for pricked root balls. In the following spring, fertilizers with an organic basis and special fertilizers for conifers are suitable to support the thuja trees in sprouting.

If thuja develop brown needles, this is not necessarily a sign of illness, but of dryness. The soil should always be well watered and also well drained. Its pH value should be in the weakly acidic to alkaline range.