In landscape design, the trees of the cypress family take pride of place. They may not give shade, but their crowns are so beautiful that they themselves become a wonderful decoration for garden plots and park areas. In total, there are more than 100 decorative species, one of the most popular for many years is Vipcord folded thuja. Its name alludes to the special appearance of the twigs, which resemble twisted strings of bright green color.
Thuja folded Vipcord: how to properly grow ephedra
Brief information about the variety
- Colour: needles are green in summer, bronze in winter.
- Height: up to 30-50 cm.
- Crown width: about 60 cm, in adult plants it can reach 1.5 m.
- In which regions is it growing: Central, Volgo-Vyatka, Ural, North-Western districts.
- Landing features: in the shade, singly and in groups.
- Immunity: tall.
- Life span: up to 200 years with proper care.
Growing regions
Conventionally, thuja Vipkord refers to frost-resistant, takes root well in the Central, North Caucasian, Ural regions to the Far Eastern District.
- In more northern areas, insulation is required before winter.
- In the southern regions, it can suffer from sunburn, therefore, shading is recommended in the first 5-7 years in the heat.
Unpretentiousness to conditions and small size allow growing the plant in covered galleries and winter gardens.
Description of the plant
Thuja of this species belongs to dwarf forms, during the year the increase is almost invisible.
For 10 years, it stretches only 30, then its height stops growing.
Its feature was the original twigs with scaly needles, tightly pressed to the surface.
In summer, the color of the needles pleases with greenery; with the onset of cold weather, it acquires a noble bronze tint. It belongs to the evergreen varieties.
The branches are drooping, with sharp tips, more like a cap of tall grass of an interesting texture, it does not branch. The crown diameter rarely exceeds 60 cm.
Landing
Sapling selection
Thuja in natural conditions reach gigantic sizes, but decorative varieties were bred at the request of landscape designers, who value more compactness and good tolerance of constant pruning aimed at forming the required crown volume.
Vipkord belongs to the smallest varieties of tui, therefore it is rarely planted alone. Usually they combine several plants of the same species or form an original hedge resembling a border from it.
For planting, specimens with a formed root system are selected, about 2-3 years of life.
Particular attention is paid to the condition of the stem and central branches. They should be elastic, without strong peeling of the bark, with a dense planting of needles.
Bald areas indicate a lack of nutrients and possible root rot. It is better not to buy such a seedling.
A small plant costs about 1100 rubles, as its price increases as it grows.
Thuja is unpretentious to the soil, prefers the western side of the site with a sufficient level of lighting, is not afraid of wetlands.
The root system is superficial, so a wide hole with a good drainage layer is needed.
Feature: it is impossible to bury the seedling in the ground above the root collar, otherwise it will adapt for a long time and may die.
Site preparation
Thuja grows well in calm places
First, you need to define the role of the plant in the overall context of the composition. Most often it is located in a line or in the form of a stylized maze.
For the appearance to be the same, the planting conditions must be uniform.
- A place protected from strong winds is chosen, closed from direct sunlight.
- The composition and type of soil does not really matter, complex fertilizer is introduced into the hole in advance, a drainage layer is created from a mixture of sand, expanded clay and broken brick, a sod layer is required so as not to damage the roots.
- The width of the hole should be 2 times the diameter of the roots.
Landing technology
Planting is carried out in the spring, in warm soil. The prepared hole is moistened, the thuja is carefully removed from the pot along with a lump of earth and transferred to a permanent place of residence.
From above, the hole is filled with loosened soil with a small addition of humus, slightly compacted. For the first months, all-round protection is put in the form of a garden net.
Care
Thuja of the Vipkord variety is unpretentious and does not require special care, except for seasonal protection from the scorching rays in summer and preparation for winter in late autumn.
Watering
With a properly formed drainage, watering is carried out 1 time in 7-8 days. To maintain the moisture level, the root circle is covered with mulch.
On hot days, the frequency of the procedure is increased, you need to focus on the rate of drying of the earth, avoiding a long period of drought. From a lack of moisture, the branches will begin to dry and lose needles.
Top dressing
The first is carried out at planting, then the seasonal schedule is maintained 2 times a year, in spring and autumn. Fertilizers based on nitrogen and phosphorus are applied alternately.
The dosage must be strictly observed, otherwise there is a chance to burn the roots, and the regeneration of the plant is very slow.
Mulching and loosening the soil
Sawdust, peat are suitable as a moisture-saving layer.
I do the loosening very carefully, at a distance from the trunk (taking into account the fact that the roots are very close to the surface).
Usually, the procedure is carried out 2-3 days after watering to ensure root breathing, especially in swampy soils.
Haircut and trim
These measures are almost not required, the annual growth is small, the crown does not have time to grow, the main care for it is to give it the desired shape.
Only sanitary pruning is needed: in early spring, damaged, dry and frozen twigs are removed.
Preparing for winter
Thuja is relatively frost-resistant, but significant changes in temperature have a detrimental effect on its condition.
At the end of autumn, it is covered with a film or covering material, slightly fixing it with tape. Additional insulation can be used if frosts are predicted below -30 ° with little snow.
Reproduction
It is very difficult to propagate thuja on your own.
The process is long, it takes more than 6 years, it is rarely used by summer residents. There are 3 ways:
- seeds;
- layering;
- cuttings.
It is advisable only when planning mass plantings and having a large margin of time. In other cases, already grown thuja are purchased.
Diseases and pests
Root decay and insects that infect the bark remain the main danger to cypress. The greatest damage is done by:
- May beetle larvae;
- aphid;
- scabbards;
- bark beetle.
For prophylaxis, Fufanon is used, for the treatment of Aktar or Fitoverm. Fungal diseases are fatal for needles. The fight against them is carried out by spraying Fitosporin and Karbofos.
Use in landscape design
The drooping twigs of an unusual shape look great in single and group plantings near artificial reservoirs, garden fountains and alpine slides.
In landscape design, dwarf thuja is used in the design of shady corners together with plants characteristic of the coastal zone, decorative moss species.
The neat spherical crowns look great as borders, edging of rock gardens and heather gardens.
Common cultivation mistakes
Despite the detailed description of the care technology, they most often plant thuja in a too deep cramped hole, damaging the roots and deepening the trunk too deep.
The second mistake is insufficient watering, in which the plant loses its decorative properties, which is unacceptable in landscape design.
Another drawback lies in the neglect of preventive treatment against pests. The first spraying is carried out at the beginning of May, otherwise a delay of 2-3 days will result in sharply bald branches eaten by the larvae of the May beetle.
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