Thuja western Europe Gold is in great demand among gardeners. First of all, increased attention is due to easy care of the plant and its spectacular appearance. In this article you will learn how to properly care for this sort of arborvitae, what are the nuances and features, as well as patterns of using the tree in the formation of landscape groups on your site.
Description
In recent years, Occidentali Europe Gold or Western Europe Gold has grown in popularity. Today, it is no longer surprising and attracts glances with its appearance. The main difference from the next of kin is the incredible golden yellow color of the needles. It practically does not depend on the season, only in winter the needles acquire a shade of orange, which only adds warmth to your site.
If you are looking for a cone-shaped, low and unpretentious tree for your garden, thuja is a suitable option, because, as a rule, it does not grow above 3 m and its width is about 100-120 cm. Also, the tree has an average growth rate: about 10 a year cm high and 5 cm wide.
Did you know? The name thuja comes from the Latin "Thuja" and translates as "incense". This is due to the fact that in ancient Greece, plant branches were used for burning during ritual sacrifices.
Often located, short branches are saturated with yellow-golden, dense needles. In other words, the yellow thuja is ideal for low hedges, and also fits perfectly into your collection of conifers.
Use in landscape design
The site on which thuja will grow should be chosen sunny, located on nutrient soil. It is important to choose a place where the tree will be under periodic sunlight under periodic regularity. This condition is necessary for the uniform formation of the conical crown, as well as to maintain a beautiful golden color.
Important! When buying, you need to make sure that the thuja seedling is in good condition. To do this, squeeze the branch of the needles for a few seconds: if the greens immediately align, then this seedling is all right.
The most favorable time for planting is considered to be spring, although the procedure can be performed at any time, except for hot summers. Seedlings are planted at a distance that adapts to mature trees. In the case of creating a hedge, bushes should be planted close to each other, leaving 50-60 cm. Europe Gold variety differs from the others in the specific golden color of its crown.
The popularity of the variety began to grow only recently. Not so long ago, these thujas were reluctant to buy, since the color of the crown was associated with a sick tree. This variety is ideal for hedges and will be a real highlight of your site. You do not have to control its growth and you will only need to monitor the vertical cropping.
Video: how to use conifers in landscaping
Single and group landings
Due to its unique color, regular shape and small stature, Europe Gold will become a real decoration of your garden plot. The active attention of gardeners is explained by a rather exotic appearance and simple tree care. When planting thuja, it is important to take into account the requirements for the soil: it must be fertile and without stagnation of moisture.
It is important not to plant the tree too close to the "neighbors" so as not to interfere with the formation of a uniform crown. If you have chosen this variety for group plantings, you should especially carefully approach the selection of trees for growth and color of the crown. However, you will not have problems with Europe Gold, since actively it needs only vertical cropping. Looks great in a group with other varieties, such as Aurescens and Aureospicata, which have a similar crown color.
Hedgerow and Alley
This variety was simply created to form attractive hedges and alleys up to 3 m high. When planting trees, it is recommended to adhere to a certain pattern. Tui need to be planted at a distance that will ensure uniform development of the crown of the correct form. To form denser hedges, it is recommended to keep a distance of about 50-60 cm, for alleys this distance can be increased to 1 m.
Did you know? Thuja is used in perfumes. It is added to flavor some brands of shoes, as well as in men's colognes, for example, Hugo Boss and Ralph Lauren Safari.
Songs
Tui can be used for planting in compositions. They are combined both with other trees of medium height, and with dwarf varieties. Other plants can also be used. The flowers planted next to the thuja look especially bright. When forming alleys, they can be planted between trees, which will add color to the composition.
Thuja is also combined with different junipers and other conifers, however, in this case it is important to consider the location of the root system of plants. When forming the composition, special attention should be paid to its color scheme, the height of the plants that are used, as well as the period of their flowering and growth.
Step-by-step landing instructions
Most often a plant is planted in the ground in spring. To do this, choose a fertile, well-moistened area.
To plant a thuja, follow these steps:
- Dig a hole slightly larger than the root system of the seedling. If necessary, it is recommended to sprinkle it with a drainage mixture, chalk or limestone.
- Place the tree in the pit so that the root head is level with the ground.
- Sprinkle with soil, lightly compact and pour to shrink the ground.
It is recommended to protect young trees for the winter, tie the crown and shelter from frost. Adults do not need such care, as they are quite frost-resistant.
Care Features
Thuja in care is absolutely unpretentious. The only condition for its favorable growth and development in the garden is the sun. A tree loves light, because without it, golden needles lose their uniqueness, namely their shade. It should also be remembered that pests such as thuja aphids, chafer, and false insects are very dangerous for thuja and often encroach on the plant.
Important! Thuja has an increased resistance to diseases and pests due to its unique composition. The tree is resistant to bad ecology and is able to improve the situation on the site.
Some of them do not mind eating the crown, and after their invasion, the needles begin to fall away, while others, such as Khrushchev, completely destroy the root system. Based on this, one should not forget about the need to regularly treat the tree with a solution of fungicides for prevention, it will protect the plant from invasions of these parasites.
Watering and feeding
Moderate watering will be enough to ensure that the surface root system nourishes the plant, because it does not tolerate stagnation of water in the soil. Oversaturation can cause the death of young shoots and is the main mistake of inexperienced gardeners.
Fertile and moist soil will be an excellent place to plant your arborvitae, but do not forget about the mandatory drainage holes, which will protect against stagnation of water in the upper soil layer. Also in some cases, it is allowed to add a little chalk or limestone to enrich the soil with minerals.
Video: how to fertilize thuja
Cropping and shaping
Due to the moderate growth of the tree, you don’t need to cut the top, you can do only with vertical pruning, which, in turn, only emphasizes the conical shape of Europe Gold. In summer, it is recommended to stop no more than 1/3 of the shoots, and in the spring - get rid of dry, damaged and diseased branches.
Shelter for the winter
Despite all the unpretentiousness of this species, do not deprive young trees of care. Crohn thuja from the age of one to three years should tie and cover for the winter. And adult specimens perfectly cope with the cold and do not need additional care, confirming their unpretentiousness.
Now you know how to properly care for the arborvitae so that it becomes an adornment of your garden plot. Planting these trees will not cause difficulties even for a novice gardener, and compositions of them in combination with other conifers will delight you all year round.
