Everyone wants to spend a minimum of time caring for the garden, but at the same time, so that it remains beautiful and delights everyone around. To make this dream come true, there is a solution - give preference to the slowest growing varieties of evergreen conifers. Thuja Danica is considered one of the best.
Thuja western Danica - easy-care and attractive ephedra
Brief information on the variety
- Colour: dark green.
- Height: up to 80 cm.
- Crown width: up to 100 cm.
- In which regions is it growing: throughout the territory of the Russian Federation, except for the Far North.
- Landing features: in the sun, in group compositions - at a distance of at least 50 cm from neighboring plants.
- Immunity: to fungal diseases with proper agricultural technology.
- Life span: up to 200 years.
Description of the plant
Thuja western Danica bred in 1948 by Danish breeders and named after Denmark, it has firmly entered the set of reliable landscape design tools.
A small unpretentious bush will not take up much space on the site, but it will make it elegant and stylish without a lot of time and effort.
Evergreen ephedra, characterized by slow growth and natural spherical shape. The growth rate is no more than 4-5 cm per year.
By the age of 15, it reaches the parameters declared by the breeders, after which it can live up to 150-200 years in an unchanged state.
Description of the plant:
- dense shiny crown;
- vertically directed short branches;
- the needles are small, soft;
- compact size.
Danica blooms rarely, the cones are very small (up to 0.6 cm), rounded, brown. They do not in the least spoil the decorativeness of the thuja.
Overview of varieties
Danica is represented by two types:
- traditional (Thuja occidentalis Danica);
- gold (Thuja Aurea Danica).
Traditional thuja
This ephedra has a dark green color; by winter it acquires a bronze tint. In spring, when the temperature rises, it returns to its original color.
Young plants look somewhat disheveled, fluffy: juvenile needles grow in different directions.
Over time, the needles turn into scales that fit tightly in the branch. The crown looks homogeneous, dense, shiny.
The shape becomes spherical, its dimensions:
- up to 100 cm wide;
- up to 80 cm in height.
Golden thuja
The plant will decorate your site
Tuya Danica Aurea is even smaller:
- maximum height - no more than 80 cm;
- width - up to 90 cm.
The needles of a very spectacular golden-green color, in which yellow shades appear with winter cooling.
In the sun, Danica Aurea is dominated by yellow tones, in the shade, green.
The advantage of this species is its high winter hardiness - up to -30 °. However, golden thuja does not withstand the spring rays at all, it requires shelter from sunburn.
Growing regions
The homeland of the western thuja is the eastern regions of North America and Canada. The tree has good frost resistance and can grow in any region of Russia, except for the Far North.
Danica is a variety that has inherited frost and drought resistance from its parents.
Landing
Danica belongs to unpretentious plants, however, there are obligatory operations, without which she will not be able to reveal her potential.
The choice of planting material
The safest way to buy seedlings is from specialized nurseries:
- the likelihood of purchasing a misgraded is reduced to zero;
- constant supervision of high-level specialists ensures high quality of planting material;
- the opportunity to receive professional advice on planting and caring for purchased trees.
Of the two options - with an open root system or with a closed one - it is better to choose seedlings in a container. The survival rate is almost 100%.
The price for Danica depends on:
- height (the price increases every 10 cm, so thuja grows very slowly);
- time of purchase (it is more optimal to plant in spring, therefore, seedlings are cheaper in autumn);
- varieties (The golden variety is more expensive than the traditional one, because it is more spectacular in appearance and is more resistant to frost);
- places of purchase (in the southern and western regions, the cost is less than in Siberia and the Far East).
Prices in nurseries in Central Russia:
Thuja height (cm) | Price, rub.) |
15-20 | 900 |
20-30 | 1 500 |
30-40 | 2 200 |
40-50 | 3 300 |
Preparing the landing site
The seedling must be planted in a windless place
Culture is demanding of the sun. The variety belongs to shade-tolerant, however, with a lack of lighting, the crown becomes loose, "shaggy".
Danica Aurea especially suffers in partial shade - she loses her golden hue (turns pale).
It is preferable to choose the soil fertile, loamy, with an acidity index from 5 to 7.
Thuja does not tolerate long and strong winds, therefore it is important to provide for the protection of the site from drafts.
Roots - superficial, fibrous, nearby trees with a powerful root system will oppress it, inhibiting growth and development.
The moisture of the ground is important, but the plant survives a short-term drought better than constant waterlogging. Therefore, the landing site must be chosen without a close approach of groundwater.
Landing technology
Thuja is planted in early spring or autumn, a month before the onset of constant frosts. It is preferable to carry out the procedure in the spring, during the summer the tree will get stronger and better take root.
If the seedling is in a container, then the planting time can be any, it is important to have time to do this before the cold snap.
The planting hole is prepared in a day so that the earth has time to settle. In size, it is made 10 cm larger than the lump of the seedling.
A 20 cm drainage layer is placed at the bottom of the well:
- broken brick;
- expanded clay (large fraction);
- pebbles.
The pit is filled 1/3 with fertile light soil of the following composition:
- 2 parts of leaf or vegetable garden;
- 1 part sand;
- 1 part peat;
- 2 tablespoons of complete compound fertilizer.
Plants with an open root system are soaked for 40-60 minutes in a solution of any root former before planting, after which the roots are gently spread in the pit and covered with the remaining soil.
Plants with a closed root system are planted by transshipment, trying not to damage the earthen ball.
Important! The root collar should be at ground level.
Watering the seedling when planting is necessary in 2-3 steps, constantly compacting the soil after watering in order to remove air voids.
Care
Taking care of Danica will not be difficult and will not take much time. It consists of standard operations that the most inexperienced or busy gardener can do.
Watering
Moderate watering leads to a juicy and shiny color of the needles. However, excessive and prolonged humidity can lead to root rot.
The procedure is carried out only after the surface layer has dried. Humidification should be abundant: for such a small plant you need at least 8 - 10 liters of water.
Thuja is demanding on the quality of irrigation
In the heat of the thuja, sprinkling is necessary, because strong evaporation occurs through the coniferous plates.
Correct watering (2 times a week - in the heat and 1 time a week - at a moderate temperature) will not only improve the appearance of Danica, but also increase the evaporation of essential oils that freshen the air in the area.
Top dressing
Evergreen conifers do not require constant feeding and do not tolerate excess organic matter at all.
If mineral fertilizers were applied during planting, then during the next 2 years the thuja is not fertilized.
Starting from the age of 3, special products containing a reduced percentage of nitrogen are introduced.
Note! Excess nitrogen has a bad effect on the decorative properties of thuja, makes the needles loose due to excessive growth of shoots.
Mulching and loosening the soil
Weeds take nutrition from the root system, serve as a breeding ground for pathogenic fungi and pests, so their removal is a mandatory operation when caring for Danica.
During this, it is advisable to loosen the soil to provide air access to the roots. However, this procedure should be done with care, not going deeper than 10 cm so as not to damage the superficial roots.
The process of removing weeds and loosening becomes less labor-intensive if you mulch the trunk circle.
For ornamental plants, a coating of special water and air-permeable geotextiles is used, which prevents the germination of weeds.
Top mulch with bark, pebbles or chips. The soil under such a shelter remains moist and loose.
Pruning
Thanks to the natural spherical crown, Danika does not need a shaping haircut, unless it is planned to make garden figures from it.
Before 3 years of age, this operation is not performed, otherwise it may weaken the plant. Usually, no more than 1/3 of the branch length is removed.
It is advisable to perform a sanitary haircut regularly, in spring, when the snow melts.
In the course of getting rid of:
- gray-brown diseased shoots;
- damaged branches;
- broken or growing stems in the wrong direction.
The operation is carried out with a sharp disinfected instrument.
Preparing for winter
Danica is a frost-resistant variety, but before wintering, it is recommended to cover the bush with spruce branches or build a special frame on which to stretch burlap.
This is done in order to:
- preventing the crown from breaking by falling snow;
- protection from sunburn in the spring.
It is better to throw a layer of snow on top of the shelter to protect the plants from severe frosts.
Reproduction
Danica variety can only be propagated by cuttings
It is impossible to propagate by seeds - they are sterile. This variety propagates only by cuttings cut in a special way - "with a heel" (part of the main stem with a dormant bud) from the mother plant.
The stalk 5 cm from the base is cleaned of needles and placed in a root solution for several hours.
Then they are placed in loose moist soil, consisting in equal parts of peat, leafy earth and sand.
A cut plastic bottle is put on top to maintain constant moisture. To prevent decay, the plantings are regularly ventilated. It can be removed after 3 weeks.
Diseases and Pests
Thuja belongs to those plants that heal themselves. The allocated phytoncides prevent the development of pathogenic microflora and fungi, however, errors in care can provoke diseases.
With a lack of moisture, spider mites and aphids develop. At an early stage, it is enough to carry out regular sprinkling; with a large amount of pests, it is necessary to apply insecticides.
With an excess of moisture, damage by brown mold and various rot caused by fungi is possible. In this case, you need to treat the plant with fungicides and give it a slight drought.
Use in landscape design
Danica looks advantageous in a composition with columnar or ovoid conifers, creating a balanced triangle according to the rules of the "golden ratio".
This spherical thuja is perfectly combined with ground cover and creeping flowering perennials, roses, acting as a solo plant.
Tuyu is used as a low dense curb near paths or along the boundaries of zones within the site.
Low-growing unpretentious annuals:
- Marigold;
- Petunias;
- Ageratum;
- Lobelia planted in an array around the plant or along the perimeter of its near-stem circle favorably set off the shiny needles and emphasize the exquisite shape of the thuja.
Reviews
Gardeners note the unpretentiousness and minimal care of the plant: Danika does not need a haircut, constant feeding and processing.
Small garden owners can create finished compositions in a variety of styles using thuja.
Many people like that the tree grows well in containers that can be rearranged in a garden location, as well as carried out to loggias and balconies.
Thuja western Danica spherical / Thuja planting and care
Thuja planting and care / thuja western danica / spherical thuja
Thuja western Danica (thuja occidentalis danica danica) 🌿 review: how to plant, seedlings of thuja Danica
As a merit, gardeners distinguish the easy survival rate of thuja during transplantation.
Landscapers celebrate the possibility of cutting a plant, realizing beautiful and unusual shapes.
The overwhelming majority consider the disadvantages of high prices and long-term growing from cuttings.