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Western thuja is an evergreen coniferous tree, a representative of the Cypress family. Wildlife distribution - Canada and North America. Thuja Maloniana is a cultivar with a highly decorative appearance, widely used in landscape design. Due to its high frost resistance, coniferous trees are grown in all climatic zones of Russia.
Description of thuja Malonian
Thuja Maloniana (pictured) is a columnar, strictly symmetrical, vertical tree with a sharp crown. The crown is narrow in diameter - up to 3 meters, the height of the thuja is within 10 m.It grows quickly, adding 30-35 cm per year.
External characteristic:
- The crown is compact, the trunk is straight with tightly pressed skeletal branches. The branches are short, strong, close to each other, with branched tops. The bark of young shoots is smooth, brown with a red tint, over the years the color changes to dark gray, the bark can flake off in long longitudinal stripes.
- The needles are small (0.3 cm), scaly, densely located, tightly pressed to the stem, saturated bright green color on top, the lower part is matte, the color darkens by winter. It remains on the tree for 3 years, then falls off along with the upper part of the shoots (branch fall). The needles of young shoots are a tone lighter than last year's.
- Cones are oval in shape - 12-14 cm in length, dark beige in color, scaly, inside there are seeds with narrow yellow lionfish.
- Thin roots, intertwined with each other, form a compact system, deepened to 80 cm.
Thuja western Malonian is a perennial tree with a lifespan of 100-110 years. Wood without resinous passages, has a pleasant delicate aroma. The culture is unpretentious, tolerates urban gas pollution well.
The survival rate in a new place is high, the culture responds well to pruning and shearing.
Varieties of western thuja Malonian
Thuja western Malonyana is represented by several varieties with different crown shapes and needles color. In ornamental horticulture, several varieties are used, which, in terms of frost resistance, are suitable for growing in the climatic conditions of Russia.
Aurea
Narrow-columnar tree with a sharp top and a dense symmetrical crown.
Description of thuja Maloniana Aurea:
- the volume of thuja by the age of 10 –1.4 m;
- straight trunk with tightly appressed short branches with intensive branching at the ends;
- the needles are golden, the upper part is brighter, the lower part is darker, due to the peculiarity of the coloring of the crown on a cloudy day, it looks orange, by winter the needles are painted bronze;
- cones are few in number, brown in color, ripen by mid-autumn.
The annual growth is 25-35 cm. At 10 years old, the height of the tree is 3-3.5 m. In the sun, the needles do not burn, poor ecology (smoke, gas pollution) does not affect the growing season. A tree with high winter hardiness, tolerates a drop in temperature to - 380 C.
Holub
Holub is a dwarf representative of the western thuja Malonian, grows up to 0.8 m by 10 years. The volume is 0.7 m. The annual growth is insignificant - 3-5 cm.
Shrub of irregular shape, twisted branches grow chaotically. Thuja forms several tops of different lengths. The shape of each plant is individual. The needles are dense, small, dark green, darkens by autumn, acquires a slightly yellow tint.
Application in landscape design
Thuja western Malonian and its varieties Aurea and Holub, due to their high frost resistance, are widely used in regions with cold winters for landscape design, and thuja is also a frequent visitor to southern gardens. Several options for using coniferous crops in ornamental gardening are shown in the photo.
As the background of the composition.
Thuja Malonyana Aurea on the sides of the garden path.
Creation of a hedge.
Thuja in a group planting with dwarf conifers and flowering plants.
Breeding features
Thuja western Maloney is propagated by seeds or cuttings. The seeds are harvested in late autumn. In spring, they are planted in open ground, seed germination is good. Young seedlings are covered for the winter, after 3 years the seedlings are ready for planting on the site.
Cutting is a less effective method, since the material does not take root well. Cuttings are cut in the middle of summer from last year's shoots. Placed in a fertile substrate, cover with a film on top. The rooted material is ready for planting next spring.
Landing rules
Thuja western Maloniana is a plant that does not require special agricultural technology. Subject to the timing and technology of planting, the thuja takes root well and grows rather quickly.
Recommended timing
The planting of thuja western Malonian in regions with a temperate climate is carried out in the spring, when the earth is warm enough, approximately at the end of April. Thuja has high frost resistance, it does not react to return frosts. In the southern regions, it is allowed to plant thuja Malonian in early autumn. In order for the thuja to take root in a new place before the onset of frost, work is carried out in mid-September.
Site selection and soil preparation
Thuja is a light-loving plant, the decorativeness of the color of the needles directly depends on the abundance of sunlight. Maloniana and Holub can grow in a periodically shaded place, but they give preference when planting to an open area. Thuja western Maloniana Aurea responds poorly to the shade, the color fades from the lack of ultraviolet radiation.
Soils choose neutral, fertile loams, salinization and waterlogging of the soil are not allowed. Thuja is a moisture-loving plant, but a constantly wet root ball will lead to decay. Therefore, lowlands and areas with close groundwater are not considered.
Before planting, the soil is neutralized, if necessary, and organic matter is dug up. A nutritious substrate is prepared from peat, sand, compost in equal parts.
Landing algorithm
If a seedling with a closed root system, a planting hole is dug according to the size of an earthen coma, if the roots are open, then the depth of the hole should be about 1 m, and the width is 15 cm larger than the size of the rhizome.
Sequence of work:
- A drainage cushion is placed on the bottom, consisting of a layer of coarse gravel, and on top of a fine one.
- Pour out a layer of the nutrient mixture.
- A thuja seedling is placed in the center.
- Fall asleep with the rest of the soil mixture.
- Soil is added to the top, tamped, watered abundantly.
To create a hedge, the distance between the thuja is 3 m.
Nursing cultivation rules
According to gardeners with experience in growing thuja Maloniana, the plant does not require increased attention, it tolerates spring temperatures and a lack of moisture well, and reacts calmly to molding.
Watering schedule
Young seedlings of thuja western Malonian are watered every 7 days. Mature trees are moistened less often, if seasonal precipitation is normal, then watering is not needed. To retain moisture, the trunk circle is mulched with peat, sawdust or chips.
Top dressing
Thuja Maloniana is fertilized in the spring, using complex mineral fertilizers, for example, Kemira-wagon. In the fall, watered with an organic solution.
Pruning
Thuja Maloniana pruning begins only after 3 years of growth. The procedure has a healing and formative character. Thuja responds well to haircuts, quickly restores young shoots.
Tue is trimmed in the spring to give the tree a pyramidal or any topiary shape according to the design concept, pruning starts from the top of the head. At the end of August, the procedure is repeated, the branches protruding beyond certain boundaries are trimmed.
Preparing for winter
Adult thuja Malonian trees do not need a crown shelter for the winter, the plant is frost-resistant, tolerates a drop in temperature to -42 0C, if young shoots freeze over the winter, the tree quickly forms a replacement. An adult thuja is mulched with a root circle and watered with plenty of water.
Increase the layer of mulch. The branches are pulled together and wrapped with any covering material that does not allow moisture to pass through.
Pests and diseases
Thuja Maloniana and its varieties are not highly immune to infection and pests. The plant is affected:
- funguscausing the death of young shoots. Eliminate the infection with "Fundazol";
- rust... Young plants up to 4 years of age fall into the risk group, the fungus affects the needles and the upper part of young shoots, the plant is treated with "Hom";
- late blight... The infection covers all plants, the reason lies in the overmoistening of the root ball. To combat the fungus, fungicides are used, the plant is transplanted. If it was not possible to save the seedling, it is removed from the site.
Of the pests on the Malonian thuja, they parasitize:
- a weevil appears if the composition of the soil is acidic. The soil is neutralized, the plant is treated with insecticides;
- spider mites appear in dry weather with low air humidity, the pest does not like dampness. Tue is sprinkled and treated with acaricides;
- caterpillars of thuja moth-moth feed on needles, cause serious harm to thuja, eliminate the pest with "Fumitox";
- frequent pest on thuja - aphids, get rid of insects "Karbofos".
Conclusion
Thuja Maloniana is a cultivar of western thuja, an evergreen coniferous plant is represented by several varieties with different shapes, sizes and colors of needles. Maloniana is a highly decorative tree with a symmetrical crown. The winter hardiness of the plant allows it to be used in landscape design in a temperate climatic zone. Thuja Maloniana is unpretentious in care, lends itself well to haircuts, keeps its shape for a long time.
