The evergreen beauty has many fans around the world. Many owners of summer cottages and household plots are happy to decorate their territories with this culture, and therefore the issue of shrub propagation does not lose its relevance.

There are only 2 ways to propagate thuja: seeds and cuttings. The seed method is not so popular and is used less often, because cultivation is delayed for several years. But the latter option is very common, since, according to many gardeners, it is much better and more convenient. Consider the features of this method.

Video: thuja propagation methods

When to cut thuja: optimal timing

On the question of when it is better to propagate thuja cuttings at home: in spring, summer, autumn or winter, experts differ a little. Someone claims that it is better to do it in winter, and someone says that the ideal time is in the spring.

But despite such disagreements, propagation of thuja by cuttings in the summer is the most optimal option. The thing is that the event held in the summer allows the branches of the shrub to fill up with strength, adapt and take root normally for transplanting to a permanent place next season.

Important! Thuja should be propagated at home by cuttings in the summer when the growth of the shoots has stopped.

How to cut thuja cuttings

For reproduction, it is necessary to choose a healthy shrub, you can not take branches from a sick and weak tree. It is also not recommended to take cuttings from side shoots, as it is possible to get a twisted seedling.

For reproduction of thuja, a normally developed skeletal branch in the upper part of the shrub is ideal. For the cutting, you should choose two- or three-year-old lignified growths about 10-15 centimeters long, which are located at the ends of the shoots.

The stalk must be sharply torn off along with a small piece of wood with last year's bark, which is called the "heel" (it is recommended to tear it off from top to bottom). Thanks to the “heel”, the branch will be able to take root faster, as it contains useful material that the plant has accumulated. When peeling the bark on the handle, it is necessary to slightly clean this place with a knife.

In the photo, a correctly cut thuja stalk:

Advice! With strong lignification, you can use a secateurs, it will help to carefully remove the material.

How to prepare thuja cuttings for rooting

First of all, excess needles should be removed from the handle in order to prevent decay. To do this, it is necessary to cut the branches from the lower part and lightly strip the bark. And with an abundance of branches, you can make the needles a little shorter in other places.

After these manipulations, the branches must be placed for about 12 hours in a solution of the drug to stimulate growth and root formation (for example, Epin, Kornevin preparations).

Note! Storage of cuttings is not allowed, as they may deteriorate and become unsuitable for planting. But if for some reason you do not have the opportunity to root, then you can wrap the branches with a damp cloth and leave them in a dark, cool place.

Soil preparation

As a soil for rooting cuttings, it is optimal to use light soil with good drainage properties or ordinary river sand (the main thing is that it is clean). If the first option is more suitable for you, then you can prepare the substrate yourself: you should mix sand, peat, and leafy soil in equal proportions.

For seating it is necessary to use containers with a small depth. They must have aeration and drainage holes. Containers or seedling cassettes are ideal for this purpose.

When using sand, it must be boiled for five minutes before use and be sure to cool. When using both sand and soil mixtures, it is necessary to add a three percent solution of potassium permanganate and mix.

After that, place expanded clay or other stones on the bottom of the container small sizes. Now you can shift the soil or sand into prepared containers.

Direct rooting process

When rooting thuja cuttings, you must follow the following step-by-step instructions:

1. Lightly treat the roots of the cutting in the Kornevin preparation.
2. Insert them into the ground at an angle of 45 degrees to a depth of about one and a half or two centimeters. The optimal distance between the cuttings is five centimeters.
3. Then you should slightly compact and water the plant.
4. Cover the containers with foil or a plastic bag. You can also place a branch in a plastic cup and cover with the same cup on top.

Note! Some time after the event, new shoots will begin to appear on the plant. This means that rooting was successful.

Video: rooting thuja cuttings in a cup.

non-standardmethod of rooting cuttings in potatoes

Some gardeners also practice another equally interesting way of propagating thuja by cuttings - rooting in potatoes. Nutrients potatoes and starch have a beneficial effect on the twig, helping to successfully take root.

To do this, take a few healthy, fresh potatoes, wash them, remove the eyes, then make a hole about 4 cm long in them with a nail. After that, it is necessary to place the thuja stalk in the hole of the potato. Pour in wooden boxes fertile soil and place the potatoes in the soil. Cover the thuja in the potato plastic bottle with cut bottom. Then you can unscrew the cap of the bottle and water.

There is also a method of rooting in a jar of water, but it is not very productive, it is better to do this in a substrate.

How to care for planted thuja cuttings before planting in a permanent place

The optimum temperature of the content is + 18-23 degrees. Humidity should be high - about 70-75%. Storage should be carried out in a warm place, which is exposed to diffused light (direct rays are dangerous!). And the greenhouse itself must be regularly ventilated.

Water the plant as carefully as possible to avoid exposing the “heel” and getting moisture on the needles. For delicate watering, a spray bottle is ideal. Water only when the top layer of soil or sand dries out and remember that an abundance of moisture can adversely affect the plant.

In autumn, after successful rooting, seating should be done in larger flowerpots or in open ground on a special bed (if the weather allows). If you want to plant in flowerpots, then you should prepare a nutrient substrate: just mix garden soil with high-moor peat. After that, be sure to regularly water, feed, eliminate weeds near the coniferous plant.

Video: rooted cuttings of thuja smaragd four months after planting open ground.

Important! In late canopy around November, small thuja should be able to endure the winter cold normally. For this purpose, sawdust, leaves, spruce branches are perfect.

After the winter cold, the covering material can be removed. But you need to do this only if you are sure that the frosts will not return. Continue to do the care that was carried out for the thuja cuttings earlier.

If you dream of decorating your site with lush and luxurious shrubs, then the method of propagating thuja with cuttings is perfect for you. It can be done independently at home without any problems and difficulties. This method is not expensive and economical, and if done correctly, gives an excellent result. Good luck in breeding and growing thuja!

Video: how to properly propagate thuja cuttings at home

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Any gardener would like to see an evergreen on his site that does not require special care, beautiful plant. Most often, these plantations include coniferous shrubs and trees. To decorate garden and household plots, such a type of coniferous trees as thuja is used. It lends itself easily to a haircut, bizarre shapes can be formed from it, as well as hedges.

Description

Thuja belongs to the Cypress family. Came to Russia from North America. These trees delight gardeners all year round with its dense green crown. Each species of this tree has its own specific coniferous smell. Average life expectancy is about 75 years. There are species whose age exceeds 100. To date, more than 35 species of this coniferous tree are known. They are all different in terms of features. The first visual difference that is noticed is the color. The color palette is very wide: from rich blue to mustard.

The tree has increased winter hardiness, unpretentious to the soil composition, does not require constant care, drought-resistant. Often used as an addition to plants involved in landscape design. Some varieties are used as independent decorations in landscape design.

The health of a tree can be judged by its needles. If the greenery of the thuja is juicy, matches the color of the variety, then the tree is healthy and does not require additional watering and top dressing. If the branches and needles are dry, have acquired a yellow-brown hue, the tree needs additional moisture and mineral fertilizer.

You should also choose the right container in which you can plant thuja. Since this tree is quite large, the pot in which it grows should increase by 1.5 sizes with each subsequent transplant. The root system should feel free in the container.

Important! Tui reproduction occurs in places protected from winds and drafts. Very young seedlings require shelter for the winter, for several years. The tree can be grown both outdoors and at home. It is recommended to comply temperature regime for a tree that grows at home. The temperature should not fall below 8°C and rise above 20°C. That is, in an apartment room temperature the seeds will develop well.

In addition to being used in landscaping, wood is also used in recipes. traditional medicine. Tinctures and decoctions are prepared from cones and needles, good medicinal teas are obtained from the bark, and essential oils help to get rid of the initial signs of sinusitis and sinusitis.

Sprouting seeds at home

To decorate the site with decorative thuja, its seedlings can be purchased at the nursery, or you can plant it yourself. Growing thuja from seeds on your own at home is more profitable than buying a large number of seedlings in nurseries.

In order to plant thuja seeds, they should be collected. They are collected from cones that grow on thuja in the first year of fruiting. Seed cones are easily broken off from the branches of a tree, laid out in a warm room in order for them to open. It is not worth delaying the planting process, because a few months after the seeds have fallen out of the seed cones, they will not be able to germinate, since their germination capacity is reduced by more than 50%.

Tui seeds

How to grow thuja from seeds obtained in this way? The most natural way to grow thuja from seeds is to sow them in the ground for the winter. With this method, sowing is done in early December, and the seeds are not soaked, no additional preparations that accelerate plant growth are required. The first shoots can be seen in the spring, after the end of frost on the soil. At first glance, they look like dill shoots. In the first year after planting, the thuja will grow no higher than 10 cm. In the second year, its growth will reach about 25 cm. In the third year, it will grow to 50 cm.

There is another way to grow thuja from seeds at home. The breeding method is to process planting material cold. To do this, thuja seeds are placed in a container with wet sand or sawdust and placed in a cold place where the temperature does not rise above 5 ° C.

Note! The best option for placing containers with seeds is the lower shelf of the refrigerator.

Planting seeds in the ground

Seeds germinated in the second way are planted in early February. Containers with germinated seeds are placed under a lamp in order for the earth to warm up and the seedlings to develop further. At the bottom of the container there should be a drainage layer, about 3-4 cm high. To do this, you can use charcoal, expanded clay or even foam. The second layer is the soil mixture. The best option for a soil mixture intended for growing thuja from seeds, prepared soil for growing coniferous shrubs and trees is considered. On packages with earth, you can find step-by-step instructions for preparing the land for planting seeds and seedlings. The third layer should be sand. It should be about 2-3 cm high. Before sowing seeds in this soil mixture, it is treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. This is done in order to rid the soil of bacteria. The seed is planted in a checkerboard pattern. The distance between them should not be less than 1 cm. After planting, the seedlings are sprayed with warm water and covered with a greenhouse film or agrofibre. These containers should be in a room where the temperature is maintained at about 20 ° C. When the first shoots appear, the containers are removed to a cool place that is well lit. sunbeams.

Planting thuja seeds in the ground

After 2 months, the greenhouse film or agrofiber that covered the containers with thuja seeds can be removed. If roots are visible on the surface of the soil, they must be sprinkled with sand. In the first year, the plants need to pour the earth.

A year later, in the spring, when the frosts go away and the earth warms up a little, thuja seedlings can dive. When picking, thuja seedlings need vitamin supplements. It is also necessary to apply fertilizers containing a large amount of nitrogen. It is advisable not to allow the land to dry out, but watering should be moderate. In their second winter, thuja seedlings are not yet ready to grow in the open, even with the necessary shelter. The best option would be to place pots with seedlings in a greenhouse. In the spring, plants should be hardened off. For this, pots with seedlings are taken out to open air. You can transplant them into open ground already in the autumn.

sprouted thuja seeds

Transplantation and care in the open field

But in a too shaded place, the needles will not be saturated green, the crown will not be so dense. good place there will be partial shade, protected from winds and drafts. For planting seedlings, a planting hole 1 meter deep should be prepared. The width should be at least 80 cm. Since the seedlings are planted by the transshipment method, the roots of the plant with a clod of earth should be placed in the pit. At the bottom of the landing pit, a small layer of drainage in the form of wood ash or expanded clay should be poured. The land that the plant will be covered with should be mixed with organic fertilizers. When planting, it is important to ensure that the root neck does not go deep into the ground, but is above its surface. The seedling should fall asleep with earth mixed with sand or peat in a ratio of 1: 1.

Depending on which variety of thuja sits on the site, the distance between the planting pits is selected. If the tree is short and compact, the distance can be about 1 meter. If the plant is tall, with spreading branches, it is better to stick to an interval of 4 meters. For trees that are grown as hedges, a spacing of 1 meter can be followed, regardless of variety and size.

Note! Prepared seedlings are planted in the ground in a place that is in the shade, and not under direct sunlight, because a tree that will be burned by the sun will develop worse in the future, get sick more, etc.

After transplanting the tree to a permanent place, you can make the first dressing, which includes any growth stimulator. In the spring, thuja needs to be fed with potassium and phosphorus. Such top dressing is carried out in two stages with a difference of two weeks. You can take care of the plant and water it twice a week. Not only the planting pit needs watering, but also the crown of the tree. If the tree does not have enough moisture, its top will begin to dry. When irrigating the branches of a tree, it gives out a peculiar coniferous aroma, and the greenery itself becomes rich, green and healthy.

The plant needs to be fed twice a year. It is brought in when loosening. The root hole should be mulched with sawdust, walnut shells.

On a note. In the first three years of life, the plant is not cut. The tree must gain strength and take root in a permanent place.

Diseases and pests

The main pest that affects the crown of the thuja is the gray aphid. In the presence of this pest, the needles turn yellow and fall off. First of all, aphids eat the lower shoots. In order to save thuja from aphids, it is treated with karbofos.

Another pest that can spoil the young shoots of thuja is a butterfly, 5 mm in size, called moth moth. When a tree is affected by this pest, the shoots first turn brown and then dry out. To drive the pest away from the plant, thuja is treated with pyrethroids. This is done in several stages, with an interval of 15 days.

False shield strikes a tree trunk under the bark. The false shield leaves the tree when it is sprayed with karbofos and actellik.

gray aphid

Wireworm larvae feed on the root system of the plant. They thrive in acidic soils. They get rid of the larvae in the autumn, when digging up the site. In this case, you should get rid of high acidity. If there is a lot of wireworm, preparations containing diazolin are introduced into the soil.

Phytophthora is considered the most dangerous disease characteristic of thuja. First of all, it affects the root system of the tree. Tui has the following symptoms:

• The top begins to dry;
• The tree is covered with a gray bloom;
• The trunk, near the root neck, becomes soft.

This disease most often appears in too moist soil. The tree, in case of illness, is treated with fungicides. Since phytophthora is a fungus, with a strong spread of this disease, it is recommended to change the earth, and take the old one, along with fungal spores, away from the site.

Phytophthora

Rust and shute are considered dangerous fungal diseases. These diseases are characterized by darkening and falling of the needles. With rust and shute, the affected branches are cut and burned. The tree is also treated with copper-containing preparations.

Growing thuja from seeds at home does not require a diploma higher education. It is enough to have minimal knowledge of the care of seedlings, and decoration landscape design provided on site.

Tell me, please, is it possible to propagate thuja by seed?
V.S. Sereda

Growing thuja by seed is a long and laborious process. In order to get small seedlings, it will take about 3-5 years. With the seed method of propagation, seedlings will retain only species characteristics, and the form and other parental characteristics will be lost.

Despite its laboriousness, the seed method of reproduction gives good results in obtaining healthy and high-quality planting material.

Thuja seeds for sowing are harvested in autumn from lignified cones. Collected cones are laid out in a warm, dry room, where after a few days they will open, and reddish or brown seeds will fall out. Then there are two ways to germinate them.

Natural germination of thuja seeds

The first way: the seeds are harvested in the last month of autumn or in December and immediately sown in open ground. After sowing the seeds, the soil surface is mulched with sawdust. In the spring, after the earth warms up, shoots appear. Young plants during this period must be protected from the bright sun, which can burn the delicate tissues of the plants. For a year, small thujas will grow by about 7 cm. This method can be attributed to the natural methods of thuja seed propagation.

Artificial breeding of thuja

The second way: the collected seeds go through a period of stratification. A glass container is prepared, which is filled with wet fishing line and sawdust, seeds are added there. Next, the closed container is sent to the bottom shelf of the refrigerator and stored there for 2-3 months, sometimes checking the condition of the seeds.

Sow such seeds begin in February in pre-prepared boxes or pots. Drainage is poured at the bottom of the selected containers, then the prepared soil. Soil mixture is better to buy ready-made in the store for coniferous plants. A layer of sand is poured on top of the soil, slightly leveled and compacted. Next, the surface of the sand is well sprayed with water, and then they begin to place the seeds at a distance of 1 cm from each other. Seeds should be slightly pressed into the soil, then sprayed a little and covered with glass or film.

For better seed germination, an elevated air temperature of at least 20 degrees is required. After small sprouts appear, the container with the plants is moved to a well-lit place with a slightly lower temperature. If plant roots appear on the surface of the soil, they must be carefully sprinkled with sand. Crops must be inspected every day and diseased plants should be removed, if any.

After 1.5 months, the shelter from the plants is completely removed. But be sure to spray regularly so that the soil does not dry out. In the first year of the life of the seedlings, they are not swooped down, but only fertile soil is poured into the container where they grow.

Second and third year of life

Starting from the second year of life, the plants are planted in separate pots or cups. During the period of active growth, they are fed with complex fertilizer, excluding nitrogen in autumn top dressing. In summer, plants are grown outdoors, placing them in the shade. winter period plants spend in a greenhouse or in the house.

In the third year of life, the next transplant is carried out by transferring plants into larger containers. In May, plants can be taken out to the garden, and planted in a permanent place in the fall.

Beautiful, evergreen thuja - beautiful tree to create a hedge. It is characterized by good winter hardiness, unpretentiousness. Dense needles well protect the site from cold winds at any time of the year. However, the price of thuja seedlings often forces one to abandon this option. What should those summer residents who cannot afford to buy thuja seedlings do? There is an exit! You can grow a plant from seeds. Is it difficult to do this? No. The main thing in the process is patience and quality care. How to grow thuja from seed? We will learn the answer to this question from the article.

Growing thuja from seeds

How to grow thuja - where to start?

If you think that this is too difficult and this is for you, then we hasten to assure you of the opposite. Thuja can be grown from seeds on its own, in any quantity. It does not matter that in the first year the seedlings grow no more than 10 centimeters. In subsequent years, when the thuja root system is finally formed, its annual growth is 25-30 centimeters.

To obtain seeds, thuja cones are harvested in the horse of August - early September, they just ripen by this time. You need to hurry to have time to collect them before full disclosure. They are laid out in one layer, the room should be dry and warm. When the dried buds open, the seeds will fall out freely. It is desirable to plant them immediately, since storage adversely affects the germination of seeds. If, for some reason, it is not possible to plant seeds in the fall, before spring planting they need to be stratified. Tui seedlings sown before winter grow stronger and healthier than their counterparts sown in spring, grow earlier, winter better, which is especially important for them in the first years of life.

How to sow thuja seeds? Consider the most practical tips:

• It is possible to sow thuja seeds directly into the open ground, on the garden bed reserved for them, or in boxes, it is more convenient to move them around the site. Soil for sowing thuja consists of one part of sod or garden soil, two parts of peat and a small amount of sand. It is poured into a box, leveled and compacted so that it is at least 2 centimeters below the sides.
• Then planting grooves are laid, the seeds are evenly laid out in them and covered with soil, which is then compacted. In dry weather, crops should be watered moderately, making sure that the seeds do not float to the surface.
• A box with crops is placed in partial shade so that in spring the seedlings do not fall under the burning sun.

Tui reproduction

Thuja from seeds - timely care

Young arborvitae require regular (every two weeks) application of complex mineral fertilizers including nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and trace elements. The first wintering of thuja seedlings takes place in the old place. In the second spring, the strongest plants can be planted in the "school", which must necessarily be slightly shaded. The soil for planting must be dug up on the bayonet of a shovel, add humus, nitroammophoska, ash into it. Seedlings for further growth are located at a distance of at least 30 cm.

When transplanting seedlings, care must be taken not to deepen the root neck, in which case it will begin to rot, and the thuja most often dies. The root neck must necessarily be located at ground level. After transplanting, seedlings need to be watered and mulched with peat. Water them in dry weather, while loosening the soil and removing weeds. Top dressings are made every 2-3 weeks. At proper care by the end of the third year, seedlings grow up to half a meter, now they can be transplanted to a plant intended for further cultivation place.

If seedlings are grown for hedges, you need to choose those that have the maximum similarity in the emerging crown - so the hedge will be more uniform in density. However, if all the seedlings turned out to be “variegated”, it doesn’t matter either, since the thuja tolerates a haircut perfectly, which allows you to form a hedge of any configuration.

So, now you know how to grow thuja from seed. We hope that everything will work out for you, and in a few years you will enjoy your own grown thuja, which will decorate everything.

Thuja: growing by sowing seeds. Master class, photo

The simplest and most convenient breeding technology for thuja is sowing seeds before winter in the ground. Seedlings come out strong, develop well. You can get any number of seedlings at a pretty short time. Here's how it's done:

Why it is convenient and easy to propagate thuja seeds

After planting, water and mulch with peat. Feed once every 2-3 weeks in the same way as in the previous season, water in dry weather, loosen the soil after watering and remove weeds at the same time as loosening. In the third year of cultivation, when the thuja grown from seeds reaches a height of 50 cm, it can be planted in a permanent place.

How to select thuja seedlings for a hedge

For hedges, uniform planting material is needed, but when growing thuja from seeds, splitting of forms occurs: seedlings from sowing are obtained with different outlines and crown densities. This problem has a solution. At the age of 2-3 years, the future shape of the crown is already clearly visible in thuja seedlings. You can easily select the required amount of homogeneous planting material for a hedge or other purposes. In addition, thuja tolerates a haircut very well, and desired shape hedges can be obtained even if the seedlings are slightly different.

Illustrations for the material: OOO Publishing House Gastronom

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