Pruning Thuja In The Spring: How To Properly Prune Large Trees? Scheme Of The First Haircut. Spring Pruning Timing

2024 Author: Beatrice Philips | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-18 12:09

Thuja is an ornamental coniferous tree. It is especially common among landscape design enthusiasts. The plant does not require special care, and the owners can give its crown to almost any shape. This ephedra can be planted both in the city and in the country. However, to maintain a presentable appearance, the tree needs to be trimmed periodically. This article will talk about the rules and schemes for pruning this plant.

Varieties and need for pruning

Trimming scheme depends on its purpose:

• sanitization - the crown is partially processed, dried and diseased branches are removed;
• formative - allows you to control the height of the tree, to give the crown the desired appearance.

There are varieties of thuja that do not need to be adjusted; over time, they themselves take a certain shape (ball, pyramid or cone). Formative pruning should be used if the owners do not like the natural shape or the crown is too thick . And if some varieties do not require a formative haircut, then sanitization is an important part of caring for any variety of tui. It is especially necessary if too many yellow leaves and dry branches have formed in the crown.

Thuja western is the most widespread variety in Russia. It perfectly tolerates subzero temperatures, high air humidity, heat and other unfavorable climatic conditions. All varieties of thuja differ in their growth rate, therefore, they need to adjust the crown in different ways . The varieties "Smaragd", "Holmstrup" and "Vangeri" grow no more than 12 cm per year, so they need to be cut only once a year. "Brabant" and "Columna" are able to increase in height by 20-30 cm per year, so the need for pruning during this period will be 2 times.

All of the varieties listed above form a pyramidal or columnar shape. Globular representatives usually do not differ in height and grow rather slowly, so they hardly need a haircut. Once a year, only sanitization can be carried out by removing damaged branches.

Terms and rules

Tui are ornamental plants, they cannot be cut at any time of the year. Almost all conifers differ in some physiological characteristics, so they should not be looked after like fruit crops. The haircut should be done either in the spring or in the summer . The vegetative phase directly affects the timing. Thuja buds bloom 10 days after the average temperature reaches + 10C. As a rule, in central Russia, the tree begins to bloom in May 5-10, in the north-west - in early June, and in the south - in early April.

Please note that if you plan to trim in early spring before the first buds appear, you may disrupt the natural vegetative process. This technique is resorted to only if it is necessary to significantly thin out the crown by cutting off the affected branches. If you want the tree to keep growing, then delay pruning until the flowering phase is complete. Below are the most common mistakes that many inexperienced summer residents make.

• You can't cut too much - this is the most important point. Remember that the part of the crown to be cut should not exceed 30% of the total mass.
• Branches should not be exposed. Only deciduous plants can grow green mass. Bare branches of a coniferous tree will simply dry out.
• Pruning near a bud is not permitted. The cut is carried out at a distance of 2 cm above the kidney. Thanks to this technique, the kidney will not dry out during the healing process of the pruning site.

Experienced gardeners make the cut based on the position of the branch and the desired direction of growth. If the branch grows upwards, then it is necessary to cut above the outer bud from the trunk, and if downwards - above the inner one.

How to cut?

A haircut does not require a lot of tools. The shoots are not particularly thick, so for comfortable work you only need a pruner with scissors. The pruner is a long-handled tool and is great for ornamental trees and shrubs of all sizes . This product can be either electronic or mechanical. Experienced gardeners argue that at home there is no point in overpaying for electrical models - they are useful only in professional activities when processing a large number of trees.

Regardless of the type of instrument, it must always be kept clean. Scissors need to be sharpened periodically. Pruning a plant with a blunt pruner will not only negatively affect the speed of work, but also affect the health of the tree.

Pruning schemes

Consider several thuja haircut options.

• Formation of a hedge. If you decide to create a hedge, then thuja will be one of the best solutions. After you have planted the plant, the following points should be followed:
• first cut off the tops of the sprouts by about 30%;
• after a year, perform a light formative pruning, adjust the height - pruning the tops promotes the growth of lateral shoots. Thanks to this technique, the hedge will grow evenly, and the crown will become thick.
• Topiary pruning.

Many dacha owners love to experiment with a thuja haircut. The crown easily takes any shape of geometric shapes, and with the right approach, the gardener can create green sculptures . Such a haircut is called topiary. Even an inexperienced gardener can handle such pruning, although at first glance it may seem that not everyone can do a curly haircut. Based on the given shape of the plant, you should choose a new suitable figure. The lightest in execution are the spherical, cuboid and pyramidal shapes. The spiral is considered one of the most difficult.

Stages of the formation of a spiral crown shape

• You need to tie a rope to the top of the tree and start wrapping the crown with it from top to bottom.
• After you have "drawn" the contour, it must be carefully "cut" with a secateurs.
• Using this markup, you need to make a cut even deeper. The depth should be increased gradually. It is important that the transition is smooth.
• Untie and remove the rope from the tree.

Landscape designers practice another scheme of curly trimming of wood - frame fastening . The frame must be completely made of metal. It is usually made from wire, installed in the right place, and a plant is planted inside. When the tree grows up, and the branches begin to reach the frame, they should be cut along the contour. After the thuja shape is fully formed, the frame can be removed.

Please note: during the formation of the sculpture, there should not be a single bare shoot in the crown, otherwise a “receding hairline” will form in the future, which you cannot get rid of.

Thinning and maintenance

If the crown has already formed, then its appearance should be constantly maintained in good condition. Maintenance clipping should be done in the summer when new shoots appear that break the tree's shape. If the crown becomes too thick, then it should be thinned, following the points below.

• Pre-inspect the ephedra, visually identify areas that need adjustment.
• Remove dead, damaged and diseased branches.
• If the crown is too dense and almost does not transmit light, then some branches need to be evenly removed. Thinning should be done symmetrically, otherwise “holes” and voids may form.
• If, in your opinion, the plant is too tall, then the crown should be trimmed to the desired size.
• All shoots that stand out from the total mass must be removed. The growths sticking out can be cut off throughout the summer.

How to care after a haircut?

Thuja, like many conifers, tolerates the cutting process well. However, like any plant, it is stressed and requires some maintenance after pruning.

• The ephedra should be watered immediately after cutting. A minimum of 10 liters of water is required.
• If you are pruning branches in the spring, then feeding is a must. Many gardeners recommend Kemira Universal fertilizer. If the treatment is carried out in the summer, then there is no need to fertilize the soil.
• After pruning is complete, the leaves should be sprayed with special stimulants. Zircon and Epin Extra are especially popular.

If you have removed large branches, a large wound will remain at the cut site. Conifers regenerate well, however, if you notice that the plant has begun to emit a small amount of resin, then the wound should be treated with a special putty. There are no special treating agents for conifers, so putty for fruit trees can be used . The best option is considered to be Robin Green pasta, but you can also purchase Ranet, Fasco or Gardener products.

Instead of ready-made preparations, a paste recipe is often used - the Reshetnikov var, made with his own hand:

• melt 100 g of wax and 1 kg of resin;
• pour 150 ml of medical alcohol into a container, mix and pour into a glass container;
• after cooling, the mixture can be applied to damaged areas of the plant.