Reproduction of thuja green cuttings. Propagation of thuja cuttings: useful tips for gardeners

Thuja is a member of the cypress family. With the help of this evergreen plant, you can decorate any household plot, house territory, garden, make hedge or green corridor.

One of the ways to get an unusual thuja in your area is cutting the plant. This is convenient and effective, as the varietal qualities of the plant are preserved and full-fledged trees are obtained in 2-3 years. It is quite possible to propagate thuja at home.

How to grow thuja from a branch?

To carry out spring cuttings of thuja, it is necessary to choose the most beautiful branches of a plant that has not yet become stiff, which is no more than 3 years old. In the question of how to propagate thuja, you need to focus on the quality of the selected branches. It is better to cut half-meter green ones with a small piece of tree bark at the end. It is necessary to carry out such an event in cloudy weather in the morning by hand, picking desired cutting sharp downward movement.

At the end of the plucked shoot, a "woody heel" should be left, which is a piece of bark as the basis for new roots. Need to know one more condition: if the cutting is removed from the tops of the axial shoots of the thuja, then a branched tree will grow, and if the cutting belongs to the side branches of the shrub, the creeping form of the plant will turn out.

It is best to carry out cuttings in the spring, based on the fact that it is during this period of the year that all processes in wildlife are carried out faster, the movement of juices is activated in the shoots of the thuja, and the cut cutting will give the first roots faster.

Propagation of thuja cuttings in the spring is held in late March or early April. If this period of the year is skipped, then in June thuja cuttings can also be done.

Cutting thuja cuttings in the spring, when the first wave of growth occurs, the germination of cuttings captures the entire cycle of plant development. However, in this case, there is a danger that the branches planted for germination will fall under spring frosts. This can be avoided by installing a box with cuttings in a home mini-greenhouse and covering it with a film.

Summer cutting of cuttings affects the second wave of growth. In this case, sufficient watering of the substrate is necessary, in which the branch gives roots. You need to carefully monitor the soil moisture and the frequency of watering. Future seedlings may seriously suffer from the summer heat. At this time, the plant is periodically sprayed with a spray gun 2 times a day - in the morning and in the evening.

Tui propagation occurs using a substrate or ordinary water. This means that a plucked cutting can take root equally well both in a glass of ordinary water and in the soil prepared for it.

How to grow thuja in water?

In this case, the long tail of the “woody heel” is cut off from the newly cut cuttings of the thuja and the lower green growth of the shoot is cleaned so that about 5 cm of a clean stem remains. Then the root of the cutting must lower into the water with Kornevin powder by 2 cm. More than 3 cuttings cannot be placed in one container so that they do not suffocate.

Be sure to make sure that the branch does not start to rot. To do this, do not lower the green part of the sprout into the water. Such home germination of the cuttings in water should take place in a bright, cool, but not cold place.

You need to change the water in a timely manner. Can't let it fade. During the change of water, the stalk is taken out of the container and its root part is wrapped with a damp cloth. V clean water you need to add a couple of crystals of manganese for disinfection.

As soon as the cutting takes root, it can be planted on the site. First you need to prepare a place for him in the ground.

Growing in a substrate

A cut stem of a thuja is also easy to grow in a substrate. This method of reproduction of thuja is considered more reliable, since in this case the sprout is saturated with useful substances. Stages of landing in the substrate:

It should be sprayed daily with water at room temperature from a spray bottle. So the water will not wash away the “woody heel” of the cutting. After two months, the thuja sprout should finally take root. If buds began to appear on the cutting, that is good sign. Do not immediately plant a sprout in open ground. First you need to harden the plant. The box should sometimes be taken out into the street so that the plant gets used to the conditions of the external environment.

During the spring breeding of thuja, already in September, a rooted sprout is planted in a temporary place, where it should spend a couple of three years. This is the so-called school for young plant. The soil should be filled with peat and leafy humus, and the place should be in light shade. If necessary, scatter 1 bucket of peat per 1 m2 of land.

Planting a young plant and caring for it

Do not rush to plant sprouted thuja from school to the place prepared for it. It is necessary to think over all the nuances of the future existence of the plant . It must grow in place, well warmed by the sun, which the sun's rays will especially visit in the first half of the day, and in the second there will be partial shade from neighboring trees.

In the hole for the thuja, you need to put a mixture of manure, compost and garden soil. The roots of the plant should not be broken, and the root collar should be above the ground. After transplanting, water the plant abundantly and put sawdust or pine bark on top. This will protect the root system. It is necessary to ensure that the mulch does not cover the lower branches of the arborvitae and her fragile trunk - they can forbid.

Young shoots should:

Propagation of thuja by cuttings is a very interesting and reverent process. A splendidly growing tree will be a reward for all the efforts made during the entire period of growing the cutting. This plant will fit perfectly into any landscape design..

Foreword

If you have a thuja growing in your garden, the propagation of which, at first glance, seems to be a difficult process, then you probably asked yourself the question: how does thuja reproduce. For experienced gardeners, propagating this plant with cuttings is not difficult, but will it be so easy for beginners to handle?

Reproduction features

Thuja is an unpretentious and frost-resistant plant. It is often used for landscaping garden plots or country houses. However, thuja is an expensive pleasure, so it is easier to breed them yourself. Moreover, following simple recommendations, thuja can be grown even without being an experienced gardener.

This plant can be propagated in two ways:

• With the help of seeds;
• With the help of twigs or cuttings.

The first method, which includes seeds, is very painstaking and long. It will take two to six years. In addition, it is generally accepted that thuja grown from cuttings are more hardy. If you have decorative look thuja, also do not propagate it by seeds. It is best to choose propagation by branches.

Propagation of thuja cuttings

For those who want to grow a similar plant in their home, there is a very simple and affordable option - breeding thuja with cuttings. Reproduction of thuja in this way should occur in the fall. When preparing to breed a plant, you have probably read many articles on the topic of how to propagate thuja from cuttings, and you know that the shoot must be healthy and strong. Do not choose too young or too old branches. Pay attention to those that grow in the middle of the tree.

Such shoots are usually already strong enough, but not yet stiffened for reproduction. Tear off several shoots 50 cm long. A little tree bark should remain at the end of the shoot.

Experienced gardeners who know how to grow thuja from cuttings gave this plant the name "heel". The longer the "heel", the better the shoot will be rooted. In order to pluck a branch with such a “heel”, they usually use a knife or simply pluck the branch with a sharp downward movement. We remove all unnecessary twigs and leaves. It is necessary to prepare a pot with peat and leafy soil in advance (in a ratio of 1 to 1). We deepen the cutting itself two centimeters into the ground at an angle of 60 degrees. The area around the planted cutting should be sprinkled with sand and lightly pressed with your finger.

It is necessary to ensure that the remaining leaves do not touch the peat. We water and make a greenhouse from a film or a simple can on top of the cutting. The higher the transparency of the bank, the better. After that, you should set aside the pot with the shoot in a bright and warm place. Humidity should be no higher than 70% at an air temperature of 23 degrees, otherwise the cutting may rot. It is better to spray the cutting itself with water, and not to water it under the root.

As soon as new shoots began to appear on the cutting, this means that it is fully rooted.

However, it is too early to plant such a thuja in the garden. Start to open the greenhouse more often and let the thuja “breathe the air”. Increase ventilation time by minimizing greenhouse time. As soon as the thuja gets used to the coolness, you can safely plant it in the garden.

How to grow thuja from a branch?

When deciding how to breed thuja, you can find several alternative methods. On the Internet you can find a lot of information on the question that sounds like this: “How to grow thuja from a branch?”. The "instructions" are based on the same actions as when transplanting with the help of cuttings. However, as elsewhere, there are nuances. If you are interested in how to grow a thuja from a branch, then the cut of the branch itself must first be treated with a root stimulator. This will help the root system develop and take root in the new soil.

The pallet with sand should be treated with a three percent solution of potassium permanganate. The branches themselves should be placed in pre-made holes at an angle of 45 degrees. In one pallet, you can grow several branches at once. To do this, the distance between them should be from 3 to 5 cm.

When transplanting with branches, make sure that direct sunlight does not fall on the pallet with shoots.

You can moisten using the same technology as when propagating by cuttings. It will be necessary to plant rooted branches in the spring or you can keep them in greenhouse conditions until the summer. This will give a greater likelihood that your thuja will quickly get used to the new conditions and will survive the first winter more calmly.

Of the numerous coniferous trees the cypress family, in particular, thuja is most in demand among gardeners and summer residents - this unpretentious, evergreen tree pleases the eye in winter and summer, serves as a wonderful decoration for any site. Thujas are planted along fences, paths, they decorate corners for relaxation, as thujas smell pleasant and fresh, and trees purify the air around them with phytoncides.

Thuja is also interesting for site owners in that it can be propagated and grown at home without spending too much effort and money on it: purchasing seedlings in stores is not cheap.

Growing thuja seeds This is what thuja seeds look like

If it is impossible to provide oneself with the required number of cuttings, they resort to propagating the tree by seed.

This process is painstaking, lengthy (from 3-5 years), but it allows you to grow a sufficient number planting material to embody all the ideas conceived, and the remaining copies can be presented to relatives or friends.

It is necessary to start with harvesting fresh seeds, they will ensure good germination.

The period of seed harvesting falls on the end of summer - the beginning of autumn. Cones with seeds must have time to collect before they begin to open, and spread them out in a dry room until completely dry.

The seeds will be ready in 2-3 days, they will easily begin to spill out of the cones, small, brown or reddish.

After receiving the seeds, it is best to sow them in the near future, with long-term storage in warm rooms, they lose their germination percentage.

Autumn (winter) sowing We make grooves at a distance of 5-6 cm from each other

With this method of propagation, crops will undergo natural stratification, which will provide stronger seedlings and their active growth. This will require:

1. Suitable wooden box fill with prepared soil, consisting of 1 part of soddy land, 2 parts of peat, 0.5 parts of fine sand.
2. Level and compact the soil.
3. in-depth make grooves at a distance of 5-6 cm, slightly expanding them for ease of sowing.
4. Distribute the seeds evenly in rows, sprinkle with a layer of soil 1 cm thick.
5. Pour carefully with a spray bottle, being careful not to wash the seeds.

Install the box in a convenient place on the street, best of all under a sprawling tree, so that the sun dries out the earth less in the box. And in the spring, the branches of the tree will protect the seedlings from direct sunlight. Moderate watering is required as the soil dries out; seeds cannot be poured, otherwise they will begin to rot.

Podzimny sowing can be carried out directly into the ground by preparing a small bed in partial shade, because the bright direct sun for young seedlings will be fatal. Care should be taken that pets do not enter the garden by fencing it or covering it with non-woven material.

spring sowing

If the sowing of thuja seeds was planned for the spring period, they must be subjected to hardening (stratification) so that the seedlings are strong and fully developed. Would need:

1. Before the onset of cold weather, the seeds wrapped in a cloth are buried shallowly in the ground, covered with a layer of fallen leaves.
2. To prevent freezing of seeds, make sure that they are covered with snow, or additionally insulated.
3. With the onset of spring, after the snow melts, remove the seeds from the ground, transfer them to a suitable container, sprinkle with wet sand, and place in the refrigerator until sowing.

By the end of March - the beginning of April, when the earth warms up, you can plan to sow the seeds in the ground. Sowing is done shallow, the distance between rows is 10-15 cm. The sown seeds are sprinkled with a very thin layer of earth and gently watered.

Further care consists in regularly moistening the soil, destroying weeds, and shading the seedlings from the sun.

You can plant each seed in a separate pot so that future sprouts grow and develop individually for a whole year, until the next transplant:

1. Purchase in advance a special soil for coniferous plants.
2. Prepare pots or cups, pour a layer of drainage on the bottom, soil on top, compact it, spill it with a solution of potassium permanganate.
3. Soaked the day before sowing and hatched seeds, place in pots, pour on top warm water.
4. Put the cups in a warm place, cover with foil on top.
5. After the appearance of sprouts, take the cups to a bright, cool place. If the pubescent roots are on the surface, they must be sprinkled with sand and moistened with a spray bottle.

For the summer-autumn period, pots with young sprouts can be taken out into the street, placed under a tree.

Care of seedlings in boxes

• In the first year, seedlings grow only 7 cm., special care is not required for it, the main requirements are watering, spraying, sprinkling the earth, top dressing.
• The following year, in the spring, they start picking seedlings into separate pots or cups with soil for coniferous plants. After the seedlings take root, it can be placed on the street, finding a shaded place, watering regularly and inspecting the seedlings in order to identify diseased specimens in time. In winter, the cups are carried away to the shelter.
• In the third year, the seedlings again need to be transplanted into larger pots., from May they can be safely taken out into the street, and in the fall they can be planted in a prepared permanent place, leaving the root neck at the level of the soil.

Propagation of thuja cuttings

Tui cuttings need to be torn off with a heel

For cuttings, you can use the end of April, until the buds are completely swollen, or the middle - the end of June, when the growth of the shoots ends. Lignified branches 30–40 cm long are taken from young healthy thujas, 2–3 years old. It is necessary to tear off the cuttings so that a piece of bark (“heel”) leaves the mother tree with them.

Remove the needles from the lower edges of the broken branches by 8-10 cm, soak in one of the root formation stimulators (act according to the instructions).

During this time, prepare a bed with suitable soil:

• peat;
• river sand;
• sod land.

The components are taken in the same amount, mixed. The soil is brought into the garden, mixed with garden soil, spilled with a solution of potassium permanganate. Cuttings are deepened by 2-3 cm, watered to compact the ground around the cutting. Further watering is replaced by spraying, so the required humidity is created.

Growing thuja from a branch

This method of propagation is almost no different from planting cuttings. Branches 25–35 cm high are cut from the healthy tree you like with its middle part with sharp scissors, the larger the branch, the take root better. The cut is processed by "Kornevin" or "Heteroauxin", all lower leaves are removed.

1. A hole is being prepared in a secluded, semi-shaded, damp place, the soil is well loosened, organic fertilizer is added, and water is spilled.
2. After the soil is saturated with water, a thuja branch is stuck, the earth around it is slightly compacted.
3. The planted twig is covered with a jar or transparent plastic bottle, the edges are sprinkled with earth, once again a little water is poured from a watering can.

The jar or bottle will need to be periodically removed for ventilation, but not earlier than 2 weeks after planting.

Rules for caring for thuja sprouts from cuttings and twigs

After rooting cuttings and twigs, they need regular watering (but not waterlogging), regular spraying of needles, fertilizing with complex fertilizers 2-3 times, constant weed removal, and frequent surface loosening of the soil.

Before the onset of cold weather, warm the ground around the trunks with bark, dry leaves, sawdust or spruce branches, and wrap the upper part of young trees with foil.

September next year- time to transplant grown trees to a permanent place.

It is important not to bury the trees, leave the root neck at the level of the soil, a deeper planting will lead to the death of the plant.

Tips for growing thuja and caring for it Tui is afraid of direct sunlight and drafts

Conical, pyramidal, egg-shaped, spherical - thuja will be a wonderful decoration for any garden, if you provide them with the right care.

A landing site must be chosen such that:

• direct sunlight fell on the trees in the mornings or evenings, exposure to the daytime sun will dehydrate the needles, the plant will lose its beauty;
• thuja does not tolerate strong winds and drafts, if planted in such a place, it will be difficult for her to endure winters;
• a thick shadow will affect the density of the crown, it will be rare and unattractive;
• Tui love moist soil, but prolonged late spring flooding will kill them.
• only a year after planting, when the tree gets stronger and takes root well, you can start feeding it.

To maintain the correct shape, the trees need a decorative haircut: from the age of two, the plants are cut with sharp secateurs, branches that go beyond the shape of the design idea. Experienced gardeners believe that it is better to prune small, but frequent.

Popular coniferous crops in nature are more often propagated by seeds or vegetatively. But in nurseries and in the circle of gardeners, reproduction of thuja by cuttings in spring is more common, allowing:

• save time and effort on sprouting seed and bringing it to the state of a strong viable seedling;
• to preserve all the varietal characteristics of the parent plant, which would be necessarily lost with the seed method.

If a summer resident is engaged in self-cultivation of seedlings for the first time, it is important for him to know how thuja reproduces.

Preparation of thuja cuttings for propagation in spring

The preparation of cuttings from conifers, their adaptation and planting have significant differences from the well-known technology for working with deciduous species.

The optimal time for harvesting planting material is the end of March and the whole of April. Shrubs awakened from winter dormancy begin to grow, so pieces of shoots cut from them receive a natural stimulus to growth and root formation.

In the spring, for propagation of thuja by cuttings from strong, well-developed shrubs, the tops are cut off at least 10–12 cm long. The diameter of the future seedling should not be less than 5–8 mm. Taken as cuttings, one-year-old shoots of lateral branches form roots much faster and more readily than those cut from the top.

How to proceed? How to propagate thuja cuttings at home? In such a case, it is enough to immerse the planting material of many deciduous crops in a container of water. After some time, roots form at the cutting, with which it will go into the ground for further growth. In coniferous plants, the process of root formation is somewhat difficult, so the cutting needs a little help:

1. Fresh cuttings at the base are cut obliquely.
2. Close to the cut, gently pry off and remove the bark.
3. Above the shoot, several thin longitudinal incisions are made.
4. The needles are removed, leaving only at the ends of the shoots.

These operations must be performed fairly quickly so that the cuttings do not fade.

Thanks to the incisions made, it will be easier for future roots to overcome the bark, and removing the needles will help to avoid decay after planting.

In this form, pieces of shoots are placed in a solution of a root formation stimulator. In a jar of water, thuja propagation cuttings should stay from 12 to 24 hours. During this time, the roots are awakened, which increases the likelihood and accelerates rooting.

Rooting and planting thuja cuttings for propagation

While the planting material is waiting for its turn, containers and soil are prepared for planting. The containers must have drainage holes to drain excess moisture. As a substrate for propagation of thuja by cuttings, it is convenient to take washed and disinfected sand mixed with peat. You can neutralize harmful microflora and insect larvae using:

• abundant watering with a solution of potassium permanganate or phytosporin;
• boiling water poured abundantly on a layer of soil;
• calcination in the oven.

Cuttings are planted at a distance of at least three centimeters from each other. With multi-row planting, 8–10 cm are left between rows. The same distance should be to the edge of the container or pot.

Crowding is dangerous for seedlings, whose roots are at risk of intertwining and breaking off during transplantation into open ground.

Shallow, up to 15 mm holes are made at an inclination of 45 degrees. When all the thuja cuttings for its propagation in the spring have found their place, the soil around them is slightly compacted, and then the plantings are watered.

Care for thuja seedlings during vegetative propagation

Until strong roots form on the thuja cuttings, they need protection from the weather:

• direct sunlight;
• wind;
• rain;
• probable spring frosts.

The best shelter for the first two months will be a small greenhouse or greenhouse. At this time, the seedlings are provided with daily watering, which is essential in dry, sunny, warm weather.

On particularly hot days, it is useful to spray rooted cuttings for thuja propagation with warm water, using the finest sprinkling. The film on the greenhouse is changed to a thin fabric or non-woven material.

Over the summer, for those correctly planted and receiving good care plants develop their own roots. Therefore, young arborvitae can be safely transferred to a place where shrubs are fully formed in 2–3 years, or in individual pots for growing in a container.

The roots of decorative conifers are quite fragile. You need to work with them carefully, trying not to damage them. It is more convenient if, during transplantation, the seedling retains a small earthen ball, which will protect the rhizomes and accelerate acclimatization.

A video about propagating thuja with cuttings at home will help beginners understand the intricacies of the process and avoid mistakes that will delay the appearance of new evergreen shrubs on the site for a year. After transplanting into the ground, thujas receive the same care as their adult counterparts. But you need to be especially careful to monitor the cleanliness of the soil under the plants, otherwise the weeds can “suffocate” small shrubs.

Wick rooting of thuja cuttings - video

Propagation of thuja cuttings in summer

Thuja reproduction

Coniferous trees are very popular because of their diversity in shape, variety, color. They majestically decorate not only public places, but also suburban areas. It is possible to propagate thuja by cuttings or seeds. The first method gives a stronger and disease-resistant tree, while the latter is not very popular, since it takes from 2 to 6 years to grow.

Thuja propagation by cuttings: timing

It is best to propagate thuja by cuttings in the summer in the last ten days of June, during the second growth period. But these seedlings will not take root immediately, but will sleep until next year. Cuttings are also harvested in April, using green annual shoots, but they are harder to root, and they often get sick and die.

Cutting thuja in the summer makes it possible to grow a sufficiently powerful root system for the seedling over the winter after the tree begins to wake up. If the soil was taken from the place of future planting, this will develop adaptability and enhance survival.

Thuja cuttings

The stalk is taken 15-20 cm long from the top of the crown from the growth of 2-3 years. If you take the side branches, then the seedlings can grow twisted.

Please note that the branch is not cut off, but pulled out, since in this case a part of the last year's wood with bark, called the "heel", remains on it. It is in it that the components accumulated by the tree are contained, they serve as a source for rooting a new seedling. The longer the heel, the better rooting occurs.

Branches are suitable, in which the upper part is green, and the lower part is slightly woody. It is better to pluck the branch from top to bottom, so most likely there will be a heel. If the bark on it is flaking, lightly scrape it with a knife to level it. If this is not done, then the cuttings may rot or dry out.

Free the lower part of the cuttings from needles to prevent the formation of rot as a result of contact with sand. Soak them in the Kornevin root-forming stimulator for a day.

Planting cuttings in boxes

Can be dropped off at wooden boxes filled with coarse river sand. To drain and ensure air flow to the roots, make several holes at the bottom of the box, install brick supports at the edges.

Soil preparation

Boil the sand first for disinfection. Pour it into an unenamelled bucket, fill it with water and boil for 5 minutes. Cool and drain. You don't have to wait for it to dry. Add half a glass of 3% potassium permanganate solution, move and pour into boxes.

Landing

• Make holes with a peg at an angle of 45 degrees.
• Plant the cuttings deepening by 2 cm, at a distance of 5 cm from one another.
• Seal and water.
• Put the boxes in the shade.

In case of frost, cover with polyethylene. Rooting cuttings requires high humidity (up to 70%) at 18-23 °C. If the temperature is higher, remove the film and cover them with damp gauze.

Care

For two months after planting, spray daily, and in hot weather - twice a day. Ventilate the greenhouse regularly. If it is under the film, then water the sand, under the gauze - spray it abundantly.

In autumn, transplant the cuttings to the garden or flowerpots. To prepare the soil mixture, add peat to the leafy soil (in equal proportions). When transplanting, you will see that the rhizome of the cuttings is quite large - 8-10 cm. The seedlings grow for 2-3 years, they need to be watered and weeded.

In addition to the box, there are other methods of rooting cuttings. One of the most favorite methods of professional gardeners is growing in potatoes. Starch and juice nourish the plant and help to quickly develop the root system.

Planting seedlings in the ground

Cuttings can be planted in a greenhouse or greenhouse. The soil should consist of peat, sand and sod land in equal proportions. Disinfect the soil mixture with potassium permanganate (3%).

You can grow thuja from cuttings at home:

• To do this, they must be planted in flower vases with a diameter of at least 12 cm.
• Make a hole in the soil at a 45 degree angle and place the cutting there.
• Cover with foil, plastic or glass jars.
• Cover from direct sunlight, but leave partial shade and access to light;
• Water as needed and air once a week.
• Roots will appear after 25-30 days, in some varieties - after 15.

The fact that the plant has taken root is indicated by the appearance of new shoots. For the winter, it is better to remove the film, and cover the former greenhouse with fallen leaves or needles. In the spring, the cuttings will wake up and the roots will begin active growth, so as soon as the frosts are over, transplant them by digging them with the ground.

Outcome:

Anyone who wants to decorate their garden will want to plant coniferous trees in it. To get the most out of the process and save money, it is better not to buy seedlings, but to propagate the thuja with cuttings on your own, especially since following the recommendations of experts, this is not at all difficult to do.

The thuja plant belongs to the cypress family. This evergreen shrub is often used to decorate suburban areas, as well as adjoining areas, city parks and gardens. A perennial plant loved by many summer residents. Some garden compositions require many seedlings. Reproduction of thuja by cuttings in the fall at home will be possible even for a beginner.

General description of culture

This evergreen plant has excellent decorative properties. Thuja is a very durable tree. It is bred by many gardeners, the shrub is considered very popular among landscape designers. The wood of the plant is often used for making furniture and for carving.

Thuja is a low tree or shrub that is covered with cracking bark. The whole plant consists of skeletal branches, short, they can be sticking up or outstretched in different directions. Branches create a narrow crown. In young shrubs, the needles are needle-shaped, with time it turns into a drop-down.

The crown of the thuja is oval or pyramidal in shape, the root system is not too voluminous. The plant grows very slowly, however, it can reach a height of 20 m. In young specimens, the bark is smooth, red-brown in color, but with age it becomes Brown. In older plants, the bark peels off, and narrow strips extend from the trunk. In thuja, fruits are formed in the form of scaly cones, the diameter of which is from 8 to 12 mm. These cones emit a pleasant pine aroma.

Main varieties

Science knows a large number of varieties of thuja. Specialists also bred special varieties of plants that are planted in city gardens, parks and squares. In the conditions of the Russian climate, 14 frost-resistant species of arborvitae can be grown, which are adapted to the natural conditions of Russia. The most popular of them are:

Tui propagation methods

Quite often, dozens of shrub seedlings are required to decorate a garden composition, for example, to form a hedge, so the question of plant propagation methods is relevant for gardeners and summer residents. This coniferous plant can be propagated in three ways:

• cuttings.
• Seeds.
• Ready seedlings in the form of grown bushes.

Sowing seeds

It should be noted right away that the propagation of thuja by seeds is a very long process, labor-intensive. Basically, until the moment the shrub is planted in open ground, about 5 years pass from the time of sowing the seeds. In addition, it may lose all its varietal characteristics while it develops. The only advantage of this propagation method is that plants for such long time development adapted to climatic conditions one area or another. Before sowing seeds you will need to prepare a substrate consisting of the following components:

• Coarse-grained river sand.
• Coniferous land.
• Deciduous land.

It is worth taking care of acquiring high-quality seed. To do this, you need to make sure that the seeds have been stratified before being sold, which means wintering under a layer of snow.

Sowing is recommended in the spring. At this time, the seeds of the plant are placed in a jar or container with nutrient soil mixture, and sprinkled on top with earth, which must be mixed with sawdust of coniferous trees. Reproduction of a coniferous plant using seeds at home implies a certain amount of care:

• Protection of young seedlings from direct sunlight in the hot season.
• Timely watering.
• Regular cleaning of weeds.
• Periodic feeding.

When the seedlings grow up, and this happens, as a rule, in the fifth or sixth year of their life, young trees can be planted in open ground.

Planting cuttings

Speaking about how thuja propagates at home, it is worth noting that the most convenient and effective method propagation is cuttings. Both an experienced gardener and a beginner in this business can grow a thuja from a twig.

The main advantage of this breeding method is the preservation of the varietal qualities of the plant, as well as the ability to grow full-fledged small coniferous trees in just a couple of years. The only negative can be attributed to poor endurance and a small percentage of the survival of the bushes. But if everything is done according to the rules, then there will be no problems with reproduction and cultivation from cuttings.

Before rooting a thuja from a branch, you should decide on the time. Cuttings take root best in the spring. The main stages of cuttings of thuja in the spring:

Some choose to breed coniferous plants autumn. Before propagating thuja with cuttings in the fall, it should be borne in mind that the rooting process at this time of the year takes longer. This is best done in October, when the leaves have already fallen from the trees in the garden. Cuttings are recommended to be cut from the top of the shrub, whose age is about 3 years. For this, only lignified branches are selected, the length of which is not more than 50 cm. Further, the cuttings take root in exactly the same way as in the case of propagation in the spring.

In addition, there is also another convenient way to propagate thuja in the fall, which requires peat moss. This breeding method is swaddling cuttings in sphagnum. In addition to peat moss, you will need polyethylene film, clean shreds of tissue and growth stimulator Kornevin. Walkthrough:

This thuja propagation method is the simplest, thanks to sphagnum, the necessary level of air humidity is created, which is constantly maintained.

Tui propagation is a very productive and interesting procedure, because up to 10 new plants can be obtained from one shrub. After a couple of years, full-fledged small bushes are formed, with which you can arrange your own suburban area giving it some personality.

Representatives of the cypress family have become welcome guests in personal household plots a large number people. Therefore, gardeners are interested in propagating thuja cuttings in the fall at home. This procedure is simple and entertaining, accessible to any purposeful and inquisitive owner. True, it should be understood that breeding a thuja is only half the battle, it is also necessary to properly plant it and provide it with full care.

Advantages of propagation by cuttings

Although the method of propagation of thuja by cuttings gives less hardy plants than the seed method, This approach has a number of significant advantages:

• When breeding varietal thuja by cuttings, there is a guarantee that the resulting young plants will retain all maternal characteristics, including appearance, and this is not always available with seed propagation.
• Cuttings allow you to get full-fledged healthy seedlings, suitable for planting in a permanent place in three years.

When propagating thuja by seeds, taking into account natural stratification, it will take as much as 5-6 years to get full-fledged ready-made seedlings.

The vegetative method also has a significant drawback. Even if all the rules of cuttings are observed, the survival rate of seedlings, as a rule, is no more than 75%, and in case of violation of the technology for growing coniferous plants, the amount of healthy planting material is sharply reduced.

It is preferable to engage in cuttings of the conifer in the autumn. In this case, there will be more chances for rooting the maximum number of branches, because sap flow slows down in autumn, which means fewer cuttings will die from lack of moisture. True, it will take more time for rooting than when harvesting in the spring, when intensive plant growth occurs.

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cutting process

Experienced gardeners successfully propagate thuja, like other conifers, on their own. To increase the number of these representatives of the cypress family, there are such plant breeding methods as seed and cuttings. In the second case, cuttings can be harvested in spring or autumn. To decorate, for example, a hedge, you will need a lot of thuja seedlings. Propagation by cuttings in autumn is the most popular way to increase the number of conifers.

Harvesting shoots

You should not be engaged in the preparation of planting material for breeding evergreen thuja immediately with the onset of autumn. It is better to choose a cloudy October day for this event at a time when active leaf fall has already begun. First of all, you should responsibly approach the choice of processes. Cuttings should be branches aged 3-4 years. It is better to choose the apical shoots of an adult tree, then a beautiful, lush crown of the correct shape will form in future seedlings.

Absolutely healthy shoots should be selected, making sure that they do not have peeling of the bark from the wood. It is important to ensure that the cuttings have lignified bark, otherwise the rooting process is unlikely to be effective. The optimal length of the cooked shoot should be 25-40 cm. It is better not to cut the branch, but to break it off so that wood and lignified bark remain at its end - the so-called heel. A piece 3 cm long from the heel should be freed from scaly foliage.

Rooting methods

At the end of the procedure for harvesting cuttings for plant propagation, you can begin to choose a method for their rooting. You can root thuja both in water and in a substrate or diaper.

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The easiest method of rooting lignified twigs is in water. Pour water into the prepared container. Place only the heel in it, avoiding the leaves touching the surface of the liquid. Up to three cuttings should be placed in each jar. It remains to place the containers in a cool place with natural light.

The disadvantage of the method is that plain water contains virtually no nutrients needed for normal development plants, cuttings take root poorly and then take root poorly.

The method of propagation of thuja in the substrate is devoid of this drawback, although it is more laborious. The procedure in this case will be as follows:

You can root cuttings in another simple way. This will require: peat moss, a plastic bag, a baby diaper and a root growth stimulator. The sequence of actions will be as follows:

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This method is good because the peat moss and the absorbent layer of the diaper do not allow moisture to evaporate and the heels of the cuttings are constantly wetted. In addition, sphagnum has a bactericidal property, preventing rot from appearing on the branches. This method is highly efficient and in a simple way rooting thuja that does not require special care.

Care during the rooting period

In the first case, when only water is used to root the autumn thuja cuttings, care consists only in the timely replacement of the liquid. To do this, remove the cuttings by wrapping their heels with a damp cloth. Wash the container, pour water into it again to the previous level. You can add a little potassium permanganate to the liquid. Put the branches back in place.

The second method, using a substrate, requires timely and regular watering, and this should be done with a spray bottle so as not to wash the soil off the plants and expose the heels. It is important to prevent the soil from drying out with the formation of lumps, but excess moisture can also lead to decay of the resulting roots.

The simplest, in terms of care, is the third way to propagate thuja - using sphagnum. The peat moss and the retaining layer of the diaper retain moisture very well, so additional moisture is rarely needed. It is enough to periodically check visually the package with the cuttings and, by the presence or absence of condensate inside the package, make a decision on additional wetting of the sphagnum and the diaper.

Coniferous plants may have once been associated only with the forest. Today they honorably occupied the niche of summer residents and even settled in apartments. Thuja is often planted. It takes up little space, requires almost no maintenance, and multiplies easily.

Growing thuja from cuttings: process features

There are 2 possibilities for propagating thuja: cuttings and seeds. The second is much more convenient. From seeds, seedlings are obtained with a much greater probability. But a similar method of growing thuja, if you want to use it as a hedge, does not always give the desired result. Often this leads to deformation of the entire structure. Yes, and with a variety it is not always possible to guess.

If it is required, for example, to create a whole alley of identical trees, they must be grown and planted using the vegetative method. Another nuance is stratification. Each coniferous crop requires a certain period of time for this, and in the case of thuja, sometimes you have to wait as long as 6 years. During the entire period, at first the seeds will live under the snow, and then the seedlings will slowly begin to stretch, gaining strength. But their endurance in the end will greatly please. They will become stronger than those that were planted vegetatively. And yet, propagation of thuja by cuttings is more profitable and reasonable, although somewhat more costly in terms of effort.

It is possible to develop the root system of thuja cuttings not only in various special formulations, but also in a bank with clean water. Its volume should be such that the height does not exceed the phalanx of the index finger. More than 3 cuttings are not placed in the jar at once. If cuttings have to be carried out for more trees, a greenhouse will help. It must maintain a certain humidity (70%) and a sufficient amount of light. In the absence of a natural source, fluorescent lamps are used.

In addition, the cultivated cuttings need constant ventilation so that its root system does not rot. The rest of the needles should not touch the substrate. The optimal depth is no more than 3 cm: this value is sufficient for the competent development of the roots.

How to propagate thuja cuttings?

• First of all, you have to wait for the onset of autumn, since at other times of the year the vegetative propagation method for thuja is not suitable. Attempts to do this during the warm period lead to the rapid drying of the cutting. The root system simply does not have time to develop. In a young tree (no more than 3 years old), lateral shoots are selected. The length should be 50 cm. To get the correct lower edge, the stalk breaks off with a sharp movement or is cut off obliquely.
• Part of the shoot to the width of the palm from below is deprived of all existing needles. After that, for 3-5 hours it is worth sending it to a container with water. During this time, another vessel will be prepared, filled with turf and peat, as well as river sand. The proportions between the components of the substrate are equal. The soil is treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, and cuttings are planted in it. They will be in a transparent greenhouse with the previously indicated conditions for humidity and light.

• Watering gardeners recommend replacing spraying. As for the moment of transplantation, it occurs only after the tree is fully rooted and hardened. On warm days, the containers are taken out to the open balcony. The time of their stay in the air gradually increases. Gardeners recommend starting from 15 minutes, leading up to 10-12 hours.
• Only after hardening and strengthening the root system, the thuja is transplanted either to a summer cottage or to a more spacious pot. This is done using the method of closed roots, when there is still enough land around them. If the plant is transplanted into open ground, then with the onset of cold weather, the soil around it must be insulated with spruce branches and leaves. After that, the tree itself is protected by covering material. So it will be necessary to take care of it for the first 2-3 years, if it is winter-hardy.

Thuja: planting, care and reproduction

Particular attention is paid to landing on suburban area. The depth of the hole dug under a strengthened seedling should reach 70 cm. Let such a figure not be intimidating, especially if the tree itself is not yet 1 m in height. When filling the recess, part of the depth is leveled. Drainage is poured at the very bottom. It will prevent stagnation during the rainy season. Then water is added there. The plant "shrinks". Its root neck will not go low after subsidence of the substrate, but it will not be exposed either. It is this factor that will guarantee the correct and long growth of the tree.

Those who are going to create a landscape composition from thuja should know that it is not worth planting several trees close. They are growing very fast. Already on next year they will be tight. The halo around each of them is within 1-2.5 m. As a result, the distance between adjacent specimens will be 2-5 m.

Asian beauty with a dense crown, characterized by high density, has been actively grown in the last 15 years and in middle lane. This tree can even be dwarf - from the strength of 30 cm in height. This allows him to "seat" on the windowsill in the apartment. Larger specimens are easily mastered on garden plot. There, after simple manipulations, they become one of the best decorative elements. Due to the ease of cutting and shaping the crown, the number of landscape compositions in which thuja can be used is growing inexorably.

She has many varieties. Even especially frost-resistant ones have been bred, tolerating temperatures down to -45 ° C. Therefore, the issue of planting thuja in the middle lane has been resolved. The same species that do not like the cold too much are initially grown by enterprising gardeners in large portable containers. They are brought into a heated room for the winter. More resistant varieties allow you to either bend the trunk to the ground so that it is completely covered with snow, or wrap them with a cloth and tie them. The latter is required to preserve the tender twigs in their original state. From the falling snow, they can simply break.

In addition, too bright sun, characteristic of spring in some regions, also requires covering material for arborvitae. Here, white fabric is used, which has the ability to reflect rays. And it is for this reason that in the apartment the thuja should not live on those window sills that are too much lit. In the country, you should identify a tree in partial shade.

Thuyu loves abundant watering. It is recommended to carry it out not too often, but with high quality. Optimal daily watering in the morning. Thuja will not refuse a shower from a hose that affects the tree from the crown to the base of the trunk. This will not only refresh it, but also deprive it of dust, small insects and other troubles. If it grows in an apartment, then you can bring a container with a tree into the bathroom and pour it from the shower. It is also worth spraying it abundantly from a spray bottle.

Feeding, unlike watering, is not as relevant. For the purpose of prevention, gardeners recommend introducing a little complex fertilizer into the substrate. But basically, this is required for a plant located in an apartment where the earth does not have the ability to renew itself, and there is nowhere to draw nutrients from. At their summer cottage, there is no particular point in working with fertilizers for thuja.

Propagation of thuja by cuttings is not such a difficult task. Even if this is your first year as a gardener and you have never tried the vegetative method before, don't expect bad results. If you follow all the above tips, the process will go smoothly.