How to properly plant thuja in open ground and care for it. How to care for thuja in the garden so that it is lush and green? How to feed young thuja planted in autumn in spring

Kira Stoletova

Thuja belongs to the evergreen coniferous species and is used by gardeners in landscape design to decorate home gardens. For good growth, thuja is recommended to be fed 3 times - in spring, summer and autumn. This will ensure her active development and prepare for the coming winter.

What food to choose

After planting in open ground, the thuja is not fed for several years, because. ash, organics, etc. introduced into the planting pit at the initial stage act as a source of obtaining all the necessary useful elements.

Trees usually begin to fertilize after 2-3 years.

The main components that conifers require:

  • nitrogen - in small doses, it serves as a growth stimulator for young seedlings, but its excess leads to a loss of decorative culture and makes the crown loose;
  • phosphorus and potassium ensure full development and are the key to the bright color of the needles and the density of shoots, stimulate the growth of the root system and increase the plant's resistance to the adverse effects of environmental factors.

You can determine which element is missing in the thuja by appearance:

  • iron - the needles become light yellow or whitish;
  • phosphorus - in young shoots, the needles turn red-violet;
  • nitrogen - the appearance of new shoots stops, the needles become discolored (chlorosis occurs);
  • potassium and magnesium - the upper part of the plant turns yellow.

Terms of application

Conifers are fed several times per season.

  • Spring. They are introduced immediately when signs of a lack of nutrition become noticeable - the color of the needles and the general condition of the crown change. Fertilizing in early spring acts as a means of quickly awakening thuja, this helps it recover from cold weather and activates vegetative processes. The right time is March.
  • Summer. Fertilizers are applied if the tree was not fertilized immediately after winter, while more often limited to foliar spraying without nitrogen. The best root dressings for irrigation will be solutions prepared on the basis of biohumus and complex products with protective properties against fungal diseases and pests.
  • Autumn. Top dressing is suitable for thuja grown in the southern regions. The main attention is paid to root fertilization on greenery. The best time is September-October.

Types of fertilizers

You can feed thuja with various fertilizers: organic, mineral and complex compounds.

organic

Such fertilizers improve the structure of the soil layers and activate the vital activity of beneficial bacteria in them.

Organics (humus, compost, rotted manure) for feeding thuja are used mainly in dry form, mixed into the soil to a shallow depth in the root area.

The conifers do not feed fresh, unripe manure and chicken manure - they have an increased concentration and burn the roots.

Finished preparations produced by the agricultural industry based on organic components.

  • Biud - it contains the waste products of cattle and minerals in an easily digestible form;
  • Humvit-eco is made on the basis of biohumus, which stimulates vegetative processes.

Minerals

For conifers in spring, such mineral complexes are needed, where potassium, magnesium and phosphorus are present in high doses.

Ready-made preparations quickly and effectively compensate for the lack of nutrition, eliminating starvation.

Unlike deciduous plants, thujas do not require a lot of nitrogen, which contributes to the growth of green mass, because. this component does not have a significant effect on growth.

It is allowed to feed with minerals only in the dosages indicated by the instructions.

Urea, ammonium nitrate and nitroammofosk help to fill the lack of nitrogen in the soil immediately after planting. They are applied in dissolved or granular form.

Dry top dressing allows you to simultaneously combine the replenishment of missing elements and loosening the soil.

The introduction of nitrogen is stopped at the onset of summer, so that new shoots do not grow, which weaken the conifer, do not have time to lignify by winter and, as a result, freeze.

Fertilizing complexes

You can feed thuja with complex fertilizer preparations designed for coniferous trees.

They contain a set of useful elements necessary for the full development. Their concentration and cumulative effect allows you to save on consumption, using it every 3-5 years.

The most popular with gardeners: Khvoinka, Zdraven, Aquarin, Fertika, Green Needle.

Folk recipes

Fertilizer for thuja can be made up of folk remedies.

Herbs

Fertilizing solutions are often made on the basis of herbs, in the chemical composition of which nitrogen is present: clover, nettle, euphorbia, wheatgrass, wood lice and dandelion.

For the preparation of working fluids, vegetation is harvested before the appearance of seeds.

The chopped grass is put into a plastic barrel (filled 2/3), water is added. Ammonium nitrate or urea is added to the mixture at the rate of 5 tbsp. for every 50 l.

The container is covered with a lid or polyethylene, holes are made for the release of gases and placed in the sun for 1-1.5 weeks, stirring occasionally.

You can increase efficiency by adding wood ash and bone meal.

Ready-to-use herbal solution turns dark brown. The working fluid for feeding is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10.

Yeast

Recipe: 35 g diluted dry yeast, 2 tbsp. granulated sugar is dissolved in 0.7 liters of water and put in a warm place.

The liquid is ready for use after the end of fermentation. For irrigation, the concentrate is diluted in water at the rate of 1 tbsp. for every 10 l.

Basic rules of procedure

  • The interval between the introduction of formulations with different elements should be 2 or more weeks.
  • In autumn, the use of all mineral and organic complexes is stopped, because. late stimulation of vegetation processes adversely affects future wintering, with the exception of conifers grown in southern areas.
  • A day before the scheduled date of feeding, the near-trunk circle is watered with water in order to moisten, fertilizers are not applied to dry soil.
  • Mineral complexes alternate and do not use together those that contain the same components in the composition, because. there will be an oversupply.

You can feed in one of the ways - by applying under the root or by spraying along the crown.

Root top dressing

Root top dressing consists in laying granular preparations or watering with liquid solutions.

Fertilizers are applied to the trunk circle, not reaching closer than 15 cm to the trunk, after which it is mulched with peat, needles or tree bark.

Mulch additionally serves as an obstacle to the evaporation of moisture, creates air permeability of the upper layers and protects against the appearance of weeds.

Terms of introduction under the root:

  • in the spring they are evenly distributed over the surface of moistened soil and dug up, the consumption rate is 30-40 g per tree;
  • throughout the growing season, from May to August, 2 times, the standard is 60 g per 1 m².

foliar top dressing

Foliar spraying along the crown helps to absorb nutrients faster and more efficiently through the needles.

In comparison with the root, the percentage of digestibility of fertilizers is 2-4 times higher and is about 80%.

Common gardening mistakes

In the process of fertilizing, novice gardeners make typical mistakes:

  • do not adhere to the schedule and do not observe regularity, which leads to a violation of the growth rate;
  • they confuse the tree's need for certain nutrients at different stages of development, for example, in the first stage of the growing season, an increased amount of nitrogen is required, and in the second, an increased supply of phosphorus and potassium;
  • exceed the dosage provided for in the instructions, as a result of which the root system is burned, excess fertilizer leads to a slowdown in the growth of the conifer and causes adverse changes in appearance;
  • they do not prepare the soil before applying fertilizer complexes and water it with working solutions and bury granular mixtures in dry, not pre-moistened soil, which causes injury to plant roots.

Evergreens are mostly unpretentious in cultivation, but still require compliance with the simplest rules of agricultural technology. Thuja care in spring is the most important, since at this time the tree is most vulnerable to environmental conditions. Knowing the main nuances, you can save the plant from many troubles and achieve a good growth of needles.

When to open thuja after winter

Although the bright green bushes and trees harmonize beautifully with the snow-white cover, experienced gardeners recommend all thujas to cover for the winter. For this purpose, non-woven, light and breathable material is used. If it so happened that with the onset of cold weather, the plants were left without shelter, it is necessary to provide them with additional protection in February. At this time, daylight hours increase, despite the low temperature, the sun warms.

Under the burning rays of spring, the needles wake up, while the root system is still sleeping. As a result, there is an active evaporation of moisture. The roots do not compensate for the lost moisture and, as a result, the shoots dry out and turn yellow. It is no longer possible to restore damaged branches. Therefore, do not ignore the shelter, it helps to preserve the decorativeness of the tree.

It is desirable to open thuja after winter after the awakening of the root system. Snow should come off the ground, or at least its main amount. The most suitable period is the time of swelling of the first buds on deciduous trees and bushes. But before that, it is advisable to periodically open the plants in cloudy weather so that they adapt to the light.

Features of soil care

The condition of the soil for thuja is no less important than protecting the needles from burns. Evergreens love moderately moist, fertilized, loose soils. Stagnation of water is detrimental to them, so even when planting, you need to take care of introducing sufficient drainage into the pit.

Growing thuja involves the following work with the soil:

    weed removal;

    loosening;

    mulching.

The soil must be clean of weeds. The roots of other plants take away some of the nutrients. In addition, they can be carriers of diseases, attract pests. It is advisable to periodically loosen the soil in order to improve its air permeability and moisture absorption. But do it carefully, without going deeper than 10 cm, since the root system is superficial.

To simplify your work, and at the same time create favorable conditions for growth, you can mulch the trunk circle. It is allowed to use compost, humus or crushed coniferous bark as a covering material. Mulch stops the growth of weeds, retains moisture, improves the vital activity of soil microorganisms that enrich the composition of the soil.

Watering and sprinkling thuja

A common misconception among gardeners is that evergreens need to be watered only when the heat comes. In fact, already in April, and in warm regions and in March, under the influence of sunlight, moisture begins to actively evaporate. The soil quickly consumes reserves from melted snow, so they need to be replenished.

So that the needles do not dry out, it is advisable to water the thuja once a week in warm weather. In hot weather, watering should be increased to 2 times a week. A small tree about 3-5 years old requires 1 bucket of water. Under adult plants, you can pour out 2-3 buckets. In extreme heat, the volume of water doubles.

Care in the spring involves weekly sprinkling. This is especially important in the first warm month, when scaly needles evaporate moisture very actively. Spraying the crown helps open the pores, which enhances the coniferous aroma. The plant begins to breathe, and, accordingly, grow faster. Room water temperature is the most suitable for sprinkling. The best time to spray is early morning or evening when there is no sun.

Therapeutic pruning thuja

All damaged branches require immediate removal. Do not leave yellowed shoots in the hope of their restoration. The burnt needles are dead. The same applies to blackened areas. They were struck by a fungal infection that can spread throughout the tree. That's why they need to be cut off immediately and treated with an antifungal drug, for example, "Hom".

It is important to carefully examine the entire plant. If it is large, it is worth pushing the branches apart and looking into the middle. In the depths, dead needles also turn yellow. Definitely need to remove it. Otherwise, the damaged areas may rot, breaking the shape of the crown and provoking the development of diseases.

The best period for medical pruning is April. But if time is lost, don't wait until next year. In the case when the needles turned yellow or blackened, it is removed in any season. In spring and summer, thinning of the crown can be carried out. This is done to improve air circulation, which prevents the development of diseases.

When pruning, it is important to adhere to the following rules:

    Carry out manipulations only in dry weather. You should not do this immediately after rain or in the rain, as the view of the thuja will be slightly distorted.

    First remove dry and diseased branches, and then proceed to thinning. It is important not to overdo it so as not to spoil the crown.

    To form a more lush tree, cut only the top, without touching the side branches.

    It is not necessary to thin out thuja growing in the shade. Usually they do not differ in a dense crown.

For mature plants, it is recommended to carry out annual preventive pruning. Young seedlings up to 3 years old can not be touched if their needles are in perfect condition. If large branches were removed during the pruning process, the cut points must be treated with garden pitch or a special paste. "Sap" and "Robin Green" are best, because they contain pine resin, which compensates for the lack of its own thuja.

Decorative haircut thuja

Shaping haircut is done in 2 cases:

    do not like the natural density of the crown;

    not satisfied with the shape of the tree.

Depending on the pruning is carried out 2 times a year or every few years . If the annual growth is more than 20 cm, you need to adjust the length of the shoots in spring and summer. With a growth rate of 10-15 cm, a single haircut is sufficient. Dwarf plants that grow very slowly are practically not touched at all. They naturally take on a beautiful shape. All that is required of the gardener is to shorten the branches that have broken out of the main mass.

It is important to know not only how to properly trim the thuja, but also when to do it. Removing branches before bud break stops the growing season. This can be useful when removing old branches, when thinning the crown. If it is important to increase the green mass, it is better to cut the thuja after it has faded.

hedge trimming

The easiest way to trim a hedge. Since the trees should fit snugly against each other, the side branches are not touched. It is enough to cut to the same height of the top. At the same time, at least 2/3 of the original height should remain. The next year, it remains only to trim the overgrown top.

Topiary haircut thuja

Now it is fashionable to give thujas various forms. The master with the help of one garden scissors can create any sculpture. For beginners, without practice, the formation of geometric shapes is available: cones, pyramids, balls, cubes. When choosing a form, it is desirable to focus on the natural habitus.

The spiral shape of the crown is very popular. It requires painstaking work, but still not as difficult as it might seem at first. The spiral looks best on tall plants. Suitable varieties are Brabant and Smaragd. To create a figure, you need to do the following:

    tie a rope or ribbon to the top, and then wrap it around the entire length in a spiral, adjusting the desired width of the turns;

    along the resulting markup, make a light outline with garden shears;

    carry out a deeper haircut so that the difference between the branches is smooth, but well pronounced;

    remove the rope from the tree.

Another way to create a spiral is to grow thuja in a wire frame. As soon as the shoots of a young tree begin to peek out of the frame, they are cut along the contour. Then the frame is removed. It is important not to overdo it with pruning and not create bare shoots. The needles will no longer grow on them, and as a result, ugly bald patches will appear.

Fertilizing in spring and summer

Caring for evergreens is easy. Fortified trees and shrubs do not need various growth stimulants. Therefore, some gardeners reduce thuja care to timely watering and sprinkling. Top dressing is more needed for young plants that are intensively growing green mass.

Fertilizers are applied immediately upon planting. They have a positive effect on the strengthening of the root system, the adaptation of a tree or shrub in the open field, especially if the seedling used to grow in a container. Further, you can not fertilize the young thuja for 2 years. A good drink is enough for this time.

Top dressing can be carried out in early spring as soon as the snow melts and the ground thaws. It will start the active growth of the plant, improve its attractiveness. How to feed thuja in spring? Organic and mineral fertilizers are suitable for this purpose. It is best to choose complex preparations intended for coniferous crops. It is allowed to use ammonium nitrate at the rate of 1 tbsp. l. for 1 bucket of water.

Good results are shown by the Finnish top dressing "Fertik". It is suitable for fertilizer in the summer. For medium-sized tui, only 40 g of the product is enough. The Zircon solution has also proven itself. It enhances the ability to absorb nutrients and moisture, protects against ultraviolet radiation, and helps to survive stress after a transplant or a haircut.

Before fertilizing, it is recommended to water the shrub well. And only then add top dressing. After that, it is recommended to mulch the trunk circle. This will improve the absorption of trace elements, prevent the rapid evaporation of moisture. In the country, it is not always possible to make fertilizing in a timely manner. In this case, you can use slow-acting fertilizers. It is enough to plant them in the soil, and then water the thuja from time to time.

It must be remembered that an excess of fertilizers is more dangerous than their absence. Therefore, do not get carried away with top dressing. On average, they are applied once every 10-14 days. Each remedy has a different concentration, so it is important to follow the instructions. If it is necessary to stop the growth of thuja, it is enough to reduce the application of nitrogen fertilizers.

Protection of thuja from pests

Like any other thuja plants, they are susceptible to pests. A special danger for them is thuja aphid, moth-moth, fungus, false scale insect. Timely treatment is the prevention of possible diseases. It is best to do it in the spring. If time is lost, then at the beginning of summer, but not later, since already in June the pests will intensify their activities.

    "Karbofos";

  • "Fundazol";

    "Cypermethrin".

Even sick thujas, with proper care, quickly recover. But still, it is advisable not to neglect preventive measures, or at least start treatment at the initial stage of the disease.

Care for young thujas

Beginning gardeners often wonder when to plant thujaspring or autumn. Both options are possible. But spring is preferable, because during the summer the coniferous plant has time to adapt, build up the root system and, as a result, be more prepared to meet the winter. For this reason, the survival rate of spring plantings is better compared to autumn ones.

Starting from the age of 3, caring for thujas is no different from caring for adult shrubs. But if you grow plants from seeds or cuttings, young plantings need to be given even more attention. The main activities are treatment with strengthening and stimulating drugs. In the first year of life, they help to build up the root system, take root. And on the second - increase resistance to disease.

A good result was shown by the drug "Epin". They need to spray in calm weather, when there is no sun. You can repeat the procedure once every 10 days during spring and summer. It is also recommended to feed the plants with phosphorus and potassium every 3 weeks.

If the initial distance between the seedlings is small, in the spring you can transplant them to a permanent place. A transplant should also be carried out if the root collar is too deep. It is enough to slightly raise the tree and strengthen it. To get a lush thuja in the shortest possible time, in the spring, all young shoots need to be pinched by 1-2 cm. This activates the growth of side branches. This method is good for creating dense crowns, hedges.

Preparing for winter

You need to start preparing for the cold already in August. At this time, top dressing stops. It is better not to stimulate the growth of young shoots, since they will not have time to get stronger and are more likely to freeze. In autumn, before warming the tree, it is necessary to water it abundantly.

So that the evergreen plant does not freeze in winter, it is advisable to carry out the following actions:

    Cover the trunk circle with tree bark or dry leaves. The layer height is about 10 cm.

    Pull the branches of seedlings under 3 years of age around the trunk with a rope and wrap them with breathable non-woven material. This will protect from freezing and prevent the shoots from breaking under the weight of snow.

    The branches of mature trees are also, if possible, pulled together with a rope, in order to avoid deformation under the weight of snow.

Such protection will preserve the decorativeness of the thuja, prevent the development of diseases. Qualitatively preparing for wintering, the gardener greatly simplifies spring care for coniferous plants.

Tui care and planting is not particularly difficult. Even a novice gardener can grow an evergreen tree on a plot. But still in the spring you need to work hard. This is the most important period for the plant, when nutrients are laid, pest protection is carried out. Properly processed thuja do not turn yellow, do not get sick, quickly increase their green mass. And timely pruning gives the shrub a well-groomed appearance.

In landscaping a personal plot, thujas occupy a leading place among ornamental coniferous plants. Varietal diversity allows you to create hedges, decorate alpine slides, build ensembles from single or group plantings. An important point of maintenance from the moment of planting in the spring is the competent feeding of thuja. Mistakes in the application of mineral and organic fertilizers can destroy plants. How to determine what conifers need, what measures to take?

How to determine what is missing thuja

Like other plants, thujas need a balanced diet. In order to ensure it correctly, you should know what signs correspond to the lack of one or another microelement in the soil.

Do not forget that an excess of any of the necessary substances is even more harmful than its deficiency. This is especially true for nitrogen. Excessive nitrogen content in the soil of the near-stem circle leads to increased growth of young shoots during the growing season. Such branches do not have time to mature before winter, do not become woody and freeze.

What and when to fertilize

Starting from planting (for better rooting and adaptation in a new place), and throughout the entire period of active growth (to form a healthy skeleton and lush crown), thujas need regular feeding with mineral and organic fertilizers.

Coniferous trees and shrubs are able to extract everything they need from the soil on their own only in adulthood after the final formation of the root system. But even then, from time to time, we feed our evergreen pets so that they do not suffer from natural soil depletion. This should be done less frequently than during the period of active growth, but throughout the life of a tree or shrub.

Surface application of complex fertilizer in the root zone of arborvitae

Let us consider in more detail the better to feed the thuja, how to do it correctly, what frequency should be observed.

Fertilization at planting

So, the first, most important nutrient application occurs during the planting of young thuja. Good nutrition at the start is provided by adding ash and organic matter - compost or rotted humus - to the planting pit.

For a hole with a diameter and depth of 1 m, you will need about two buckets of organic matter and 3 kg of wood ash. The ash is evenly distributed along the bottom, the compost is mixed with the ground for backfilling.

If the planting pit has been prepared properly, the necessary fertilizer complex has been applied, no additional top dressing is carried out this year. Do not forget that an excess of minerals is harmful to thuja no less than their lack.

Top dressing in the spring

The first fertilization after planting is done the following spring. Further, spring top dressing becomes a permanent element in the care of thujas. It is held from the beginning to the end of March, depending on the climatic region.

During this period, the main minerals that thuja need are:

  • Nitrogen.
  • Phosphorus.
  • Potassium.
  • Calcium.
  • Iron.
  • Magnesium and others.

Tui top dressing in the spring includes superphosphates, ammonium nitrate, mixtures containing potassium and magnesium, calcium preparations, complex long-acting fertilizers. One of the best sources of calcium and healthy organic matter is bone meal.

If young thujas did not survive the winter well, suffered from frost, received wind or sunburn, to help the plants get stronger, root stimulants are used. It could be Kornevin or Agrekol.

Autumn top dressing

The basis of autumn feeding of thuja is laid in the summer. Stretching measures for the introduction of trace elements under coniferous trees and shrubs for September, the beginning of October is allowed only for southern regions with a mild climate and a late onset of the winter dormant period.

Biohumus-based preparations, as well as complexes that provide both nutrition and protection against fungal spores, become a good addition to the “diet” of coniferous plants in summer:

  • Fitosporin-M.
  • Fitosporin-K.

The latter preparations additionally contain magnesium and potassium, according to the letter index.

Depending on the form of release, the working solution is prepared as follows:

  • Powder. For 10 liters of water take 5 g of the drug.
  • Paste. For 10 liters of water - 3 teaspoons.

The treatment of conifers with Fitosporin is carried out in the spring by spraying or watering the root zone. Irrigation is carried out twice with an interval of 14 days in dry weather and 7 days in rainy weather. Watering is also done twice with an interval of 1 month. Thus, you will protect your thujas from fungal diseases and feed them with the necessary trace elements.

In addition, in summer, helping thujas during the heat becomes especially relevant. Even spraying with plain water in the evening greatly helps to avoid drying out of the needles and burns. And if you dissolve Zircon or Epin in water, we get an effective anti-stress cocktail.

IMPORTANT! Do not use nitrogen-containing top dressings in the summer. They must be submitted no later than March.

How to fertilize correctly

To get the most benefit from the use of nutritional formulations, you should follow a number of simple rules:

  • breaks between top dressing with different microelements should be two weeks;
  • with the onset of autumn, the introduction of all types of minerals and organic matter stops (with the exception of the southern regions of the country);
  • it is impossible to water the dry soil of the trunk circle with nutrient compounds. The day before the feeding of the thuja, it is necessary to pour water;
  • do not use different complex preparations containing the same microelement, its overabundance may occur.

IMPORTANT! Apply top dressing no later than the end of August. Untimely stimulation of vegetation will adversely affect the wintering of plants.

There are two main ways to feed thuja:

  1. Introduction under the root.
  2. Top dressing.

Let's consider both options in more detail.

Introduction under the root

Both liquid nutrient formulations and dry ones are applied under the root. One of the best types of organic matter for our species of conifers is compost. In dry form, they cover the near-stem circle with a layer 3-5 cm thick, and then gently mix it with the upper soil ball without damaging the thuja roots. Bone meal and humus are used in the same way.

For conifers, there is a range of granular fertilizers of prolonged action. Being introduced at the beginning of the season, they contribute to the rapid growth and growth of the lush green mass of shrubs throughout the growing season. Well proven drug Fertik "Coniferous for evergreens - Spring" containing water-soluble calcium.

When distributing granules around plants, do not go beyond the crown projection and do not approach the trunk closer than 15 cm. For large specimens, the amount is calculated based on the crown projection area.

Water-soluble preparations, such as ammonium nitrate, superphosphates, biohumus-based liquid formulations, are diluted with water before use according to the instructions on the package.

foliar top dressing

In addition to fertilizing the soil of the near-stem circle, arborvitae respond well to foliar feeding. For example, it is possible and even necessary, during the hot summer period, to spray them with preparations such as Epin, Zircon. These are well-established growth stimulants that simultaneously reduce stress conditions in plants during adverse conditions. Other similar complexes are also on sale.

The scaly thuja needles open up when irrigated and well absorb nutrients from water sprays. Foliar dressings begin to be carried out from the end of April, the beginning of May. Here, too, one should not overdo it, it is better to observe the frequency of 1 time in 2 weeks, the treatment is carried out up to three times.

Even on poor, infertile soils, thuja can be grown, creating beautiful compositions and hedges from its different varieties. Timely feeding, selection of a competent combination of the required microelements and calculation of their quantity will help you admire the lush green needles on your site.

Thuja is a coniferous plant. From Latin, it is translated as the tree of life. Thuja needs top dressing when planting, as well as during the period of active growth. For the tree, organic and mineral preparations are selected that correspond to the vegetative cycle.

Landing

When planting in spring, preference is given to organic means. Before planting seedlings, the following substances are used:

  • compost;
  • humus;
  • ash.

Substances are added to the hole, providing young plants with strength to grow. One plant takes 2 buckets of fertilizer, 3 kg of wood ash. When filling the pit, compost is added to the ground.

A single top dressing when planting seedlings is enough for 1 year. An excess of trace elements harms the plant.

Compost

Compost is a product obtained from the decomposition of plant waste. It retains useful substances and bacteria. Trace elements are in an accessible form, easy to digest. Compost Benefits:

  • balanced mineral composition;
  • 1 million bacteria per 1 g of substance;
  • improvement of soil structure;
  • providing plants with heat;
  • facilitate the penetration of water to the roots.

The tool is applied to the near-stem circle annually. If there is no such amount of compost, the trees are fed in turn. The compost is covered with a rake into the soil, trying not to touch the roots. If it is dropped deeper than 10 cm, beneficial aerobic microorganisms die. The result should be a layer of about 5 cm. The second option is to dig in with a garden drill. Holes are made in the soil according to the size of the crown, introducing 1 shovel of compost into them.

Сompositum is translated from Latin as folded together.

Humus

To plant thuja, they prepare rotted manure containing a lot of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. It also contains many beneficial microorganisms that facilitate the access of minerals to the roots, improve soil properties. Manure is diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 3, insisted for several days. When planting seedlings, the solution is once again diluted with 3 buckets of water.

Apply only rotted manure, since fresh has a high concentration of substances, it can cause burns.

wood ash

The ash contains a huge range of trace elements, but a small amount of nitrogen. Therefore, it is applied together with other organic and mineral supplements. The ash contains a lot of potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium and sodium. In terms of its effect on thuja, it is similar to superphosphate.

The product is not suitable for soil with alkaline reaction.

To enrich the soil, the following types of ash are used:

  • grape;
  • coniferous
  • deciduous;
  • potato;
  • wheat;
  • rye;
  • sunflower.

Wood ash normalizes the acidity of the soil, protects against root rot and pests, and provides material for the development of arborvitae.

Spring top dressing

After planting, the following fertilizers are applied in a year. At the beginning of spring, mineral preparations are used. Depending on the climate, they need to be applied from the beginning to the end of March.

Superphosphate

Starting from 1 year, thujas are given superphosphate powder. The name of the drug is justified, since it contains more than 20% phosphorus. It also contains calcium, sulfur and magnesium. The powder is scattered under the trees, planting 4-5 cm deep into the ground.

Superphosphate has undeniable advantages - it is suitable for any soil, it is quickly absorbed, it prevents some diseases. The powder helps to form the root system. So that it does not lose its beneficial properties, it is mixed with other drugs according to the instructions. In solution with ammonium nitrate, lime, urea, gypsum, it is neutralized.

If the thuja grows on acidic soil, lime or ash is added a month before superphosphate is applied. They deoxidize the soil, and the drug is more easily absorbed. Experienced gardeners add potassium salt, boron and zinc to superphosphate. For 2 g of the drug, 1 g of salt, 10 mg of boric acid, 20 mg of zinc sulfate are required.

At phosphorus deficiency, double superphosphate is used containing up to 46% trace element. In addition to phosphorus, it contains aluminum and iron.

Ammonium nitrate

The drug contains more than 30% nitrogen, 14% sulfur. The latter improves the absorption of nitrogen by the root system. In the spring, the area is fertilized with a solution of ammonium nitrate. For him, take 30 g of powder and 10 liters of water. This amount is enough for 1-2 plants. If the thuja grows on acidic soil, calcium carbonate is added to the saltpeter.

Bone flour

Bone meal is used for many plants, as it contains many trace elements. It is made from the bones of animals, fish, which are crushed to a powder. The substance is useful for thuja and soil. Phosphorus, which is slowly released, saturates the plants for several more years.

The powder contains the following ingredients:

  1. nitrogen;
  2. phosphorus;
  3. copper;
  4. cobalt;
  5. iron;
  6. manganese;

Due to the high percentage of nitrogen and phosphorus, bone meal is called phosphoazotin.

The drug can be purchased in various variations - standard (up to 15% phosphorus), steamed (up to 25%), fat-free (up to 35%). Flour is used in a dry way, scattering over the site or for digging. A handful of powder (100-150 g) is poured under each tree, as it is quite concentrated. Bone meal can be used when planting - 100 g per well. Stocks after such fertilizer are enough for development throughout the season.

Dry application is effective only on loose soil.

A solution of bone meal is suitable for heavy soil that does not allow air to pass through. It is prepared from 1 kg of dry matter and 20 liters of water. Before this, the liquid is heated, but not boiled. The agent is insisted for 10 days, after which it is ready for application. Bone meal is popular with gardeners, as it is budget-friendly, contains all the necessary minerals, and does not harm the environment.

Rooting stimulator

Thuja responds well to growth stimulants. They are needed when the roots are frozen or the branches are sunburnt. Preparations allow the plant to recover faster.

Kornevin

The drug belongs to the group of phytohormones - agents that stimulate root formation, increase the defenses of plants. Kornevin contains indolylbutyric acid. Once in the soil, it turns into a hormone that stimulates growth. When in contact with the trunk, it irritates the tissues, causing the formation of callus. Callus is an area with new cells that close the wounds of plants.

Kornevin is an addition to standard fertilizers. It does not replace organic and mineral products.

Before use, put on a mask and gloves, prepare a separate container for the solution. 5 g of the drug is diluted in 5 liters of water. Seedlings are immediately watered with liquid: the first time when planting, the second - after 14 days. One plant requires 2-2.5 liters of solution.

The agent is also applied in a dry form - the roots of the seedlings are powdered with powder. Since Kornevin is concentrated, it is mixed with an equal amount of crushed activated carbon. To protect against fungi, a fungicide is added to the powder in a ratio of 10:1. The drug protects the thuja from drought, overflow, temperature changes.

Agricola

Agricola is a mineral preparation for root and foliar feeding. It contains nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, zinc, molybdenum, copper, manganese. Especially for conifers, humic acids are added to it. It can be purchased in the form of granules and a concentrated solution. The wet method is more commonly used: 25 ml is dissolved in 10 liters of water. The agent is poured while stirring the liquid in the container. Depending on the height of the thuja, you need 3-5 liters per tree. The next portion is made after 2 weeks.

When spraying the leaves, trace elements are absorbed faster.

The advantages of Agricola include the absence of heavy metals, chlorine, high efficiency, economy. The tool strengthens the sheets, promotes good growth, increases resistance to adverse effects. Iron, magnesium and sulfur make the color of the branches rich green. It is irreplaceable on dry salty soils. Agricola is used throughout the growing season - from spring to autumn.

All young plants require nitrogen fertilizers. The seedlings have an underdeveloped root system, so they do not extract the necessary trace elements from the soil. When they grow up, top dressing is carried out to maintain the composition of the soil.

Micronutrient deficiency

You can determine which components are missing in the soil by the appearance of the thuja. With a lack of phosphorus, the ends of the sheets become red. Iron deficiency is indicated by a light yellow shade of branches, magnesium and potassium - yellowing of the crown. If few young branches grow during the growing season, there is not enough nitrogen.

With an excess of nitrogen, young shoots grow that do not have time to ripen before winter. In the cold, they freeze. Therefore, fertilizers are applied in moderation.

Complex preparations

Ready-made mineral products are designed to meet the needs of a particular plant. They contain the necessary trace elements in a balanced form.

Activin

The mixture consists of potassium, nitrogen, phosphorus, iron, amino acids and a bioactivator. All substances are in the form of chelates. The drug improves growth and development, gives a juicy color to the leaves, protects the shoots from pests. It is used when planting 25 g per 1 m of thuja height. A single application of Activin is enough for 4 months.

After fertilization, the soil must be watered abundantly..

Brexil Combi

For coniferous plants, Brexil Combi complex fertilizer is also used. It contains boron, iron, zinc, copper, magnesium, manganese. The drug is used for foliar feeding or emergency care for diseases, lack of substances. The agent is sprayed in the morning or at dusk so that the rays of the sun do not fall on the sheets. This protects them from burns.

It is known that needle scales open better when irrigated. Minerals quickly enter the tissues. An hour before watering, prepare a nutrient solution. A 10 liter bucket of water requires 20 g of powder. This volume goes to 5-10 adult thujas.

Fertika Spring

For coniferous plants, a long-acting top dressing has been developed. It is applied at the beginning of the season. Minerals from 1 top dressing are enough for the entire growing season. Fertik is rich in calcium in water-soluble form. It is used for young plants - 30 g per tree. The agent is scattered on the surface or embedded in the ground.

Fertik is given to adult thujas 2 times per season (from May to August). For 1 sq.m. leaves 60 g of the drug. It is recommended to pour granules, retreating 15 cm from the trunk. The tool improves growth, promotes the appearance of lush greenery.

Autumn top dressing

The basis for the nutrition of thuja is laid at the end of September. For southern regions with a warm climate, it is permissible to make the last fertilizer in October. If I use the drug later, the roots actively grow. With the onset of cold weather, they freeze out, and the thuja can get sick.

Fitosporin

Phytosporin is a preparation based on biohumus, with protection against fungal spores. It is produced in 2 varieties: M - with magnesium, K - with potassium. Ephedra is treated with Fitosporin by spraying or by watering. For irrigation, 5 g of the product is dissolved in 10 liters of water, used every 14 days. If necessary, it is mixed with Epin, Zircon.

In rainy months, the drug is applied to the top every 7 days.

To carry out root dressing, take 3 teaspoons of Fitosporin and a bucket of water. The solution is poured into the root circle every 2 weeks. After 2 cycles take a break of 1 month.

Feeding later than September is possible only in the western regions.

Thuja is a beautiful ornamental plant that can be grown even on infertile soil. The main thing is to provide it with nutrients, adequate watering, and protect it from pests. With proper care, it will become a decoration of any suburban area.

In order for the thuja to survive the winter without problems, it is necessary to carry out the correct feeding of the plant in the fall. The procedure is carried out carefully, without interfering with the plant to prepare for wintering. Top dressing of thuja in the fall is an indispensable part of autumn care, like mulching, pruning branches or sheltering young trees. It is necessary to observe the timing of fertilization. What to use for such top dressing and how to carry it out? Let's figure out how to grow thuja on the site, what care is required for it.

Conditions for growing thuja

Thuja should grow in well-drained, fertile and moderately moist soil. In dry soil, it may die. You can take ready-made soil for coniferous trees, offered in stores, or a peat substrate mixed with rotted compost or pine bark. Around trees, gardeners recommend covering the soil with forest soil or soil with a mulch of needles and pine cones. In what soil should thuja be planted, given the type of plant? It should be remembered that the western thuja (Arborvitae) grows better on calcareous soil, and the eastern thuja, or eastern cedar, loves acidic soil.

In the place chosen for planting, there should be no weeds, earthen clods. If the arborvitae are planted as a hedge, you need to prepare a piece of land at least 80 cm wide. The entire area is closed until planting with a black film so that weeds do not appear.

When planting thuja take a lot of fertile soil. Its amount should be three times the size of the hole. At the bottom you need to pour thirty centimeters of soil, immediately spill it with water. Put a seedling on it, sprinkle with earth, press the earth and pour water again.

After planting the seedling, you need to apply mycorrhizal inoculum. To slow down the development of weeds and reduce the evaporation of water, a thick layer of pine bark is laid out around the thuja.

Why supplements are needed

For normal growth and development, any plant needs a balanced diet. But the soil cannot remain fertile forever; every year there are less and less nutrients in it. Half of them are washed out with groundwater, half are absorbed by plant roots. Without getting enough nutrients, the plant begins to get sick, and then it may die. How to recognize what elements thuja lacks for proper development?

Signs of nutrient deficiency in thuja

When applying this or that fertilizer, you need to remember that an overabundance of trace elements is even more harmful than a deficiency. And excessive nitrogen content is also dangerous, because it causes increased growth of young shoots during the growing season, and they do not have time to mature before winter, freeze, which leads to the death of the entire plant.

When to fertilize

You need to feed thuja under the following circumstances:

  • if you need to quickly enrich the earth with nutrients;
  • to improve the agricultural background;
  • after transplanting the plant in the fall.

How to feed thuja? Depends on the quality of the soil. Only the initial composition of the soil determines which fertilizer is suitable for a plant in a certain period. In autumn, thuja needs top dressing and fixed assets. Most often, gardeners use growth stimulants, complex fertilizers designed specifically for coniferous plants. If the thuja was planted in the spring, it will not need top dressing in the coming year. Excess fertilizer applied to young plants can lead to the death of young roots. A weak plant can simply die.

How to carry out autumn dressing of thuja

Autumn feeding of thuja should be carried out correctly, and it has many features. Very often, after feeding, the thuja feels bad, becomes even more weakened. Something went wrong. Young plants do not require feeding at all, and adult thujas do not require special fertilizers if they grow on fertile soil. If it is planted in a container, and not in open ground, complex fertilizers must be applied every 2 weeks, regardless of the season.

For those who doubt whether top dressing will harm the plant, we can recommend the only type of safe top dressing - bedding. For this manipulation, one of the following materials is used:

Backfill around the tree allows you to enrich the soil. Thuyami is well perceived by such top dressing, preventing young shoots from growing intensively. If the soil was enriched in the spring, mature trees can not be additionally fed.

If necessary, liming of saline soil can be used. Gypsum is introduced into the soil before planting trees, after which the soil is plowed. If the soil is podzolic, you need to add quicklime, do it in September-October.

Fertilizers for feeding thuja

When choosing a fertilizer, you need to take into account the condition of the soil, the condition and age of the tree. The availability of nutrients in the soil can be:

  1. high (from 5%);
  2. medium (3-4%);
  3. low-income (2-3%);
  4. low (up to 1%).

You can use the following types of fertilizers:

Organic. These are manure, peat, various types of composts. They can quickly deliver nutrients to the soil. Green manure fertilizers are another popular and effective option. They do not lead to the growth of shoots after the end of the growing season. Such fertilizers are also used to improve the general agricultural background.

Complex fertilizers for conifers. They are able to provide an attractive appearance of trees, a good annual growth. Universal complex fertilizers are not suitable for thuja fertilizer.

Some fertilizers should be used with caution in the autumn:

Nitrogen. Fertilizers containing nitrogen are needed to feed stunted and weakened seedlings before planting them in the soil. But before planting seedlings in the ground, such fertilizers do not need to be used, they enhance the growth of the tree. And for winter feeding of thuja, which are grown in containers and pots, fertilizer is suitable.

Potash. Various potassium salts, calcium chloride, sylvinite are fertilizers for conifers that have proven themselves. The lack of calcium in the soil leads to the fact that the needles lose their attractive appearance and quickly turn yellow. This can lead to the fact that the upper shoots will die. The introduction of mineral fertilizers with potassium helps to improve the agricultural background.

Bacterial fertilizers. They are used only in cases where there are very few nutrients in the soil. In acidic soils, liming the soil is carried out before applying bacterial fertilizer.

Microfertilizers. Such fertilizers can enrich the soil with useful trace elements: manganese, boron, molybdenum, cobalt. If preplant seed treatment has not been carried out, it is necessary to carry out spot dressing. It is especially important for seedlings in the second year of life.

The frequency and amount of fertilizer depends on the age of the trees and the composition of the soil. Industrial fertilizers must be diluted strictly according to the instructions. Autumn top dressing of thuja is a complex process, with untimely introduction of top dressing, you can only harm the tree.

Industrial top dressing for thuja

Preparations based on biohumus are a good addition to the diet of coniferous plants. They provide protection against fungal spores and nutrition. Fitosporin-M and Fitosporin-K are often used. The preparations contain potassium and magnesium. The solution is prepared according to the instructions. It is better to process conifers in the spring. You can use watering the root zone or spraying.

Autumn top dressing of thuja actually begins in mid-summer. The most common fertilizers for thuja are:

  • Stimovit;
  • Green Guy for needles;
  • Embiko;
  • Novofert;
  • Royal Mix Grane Forte;
  • Green nutrition for conifers.

In addition to these top dressings, fertilizers for arborvitae with magnesium can be used. Magnesium deficiency can cause needles to die off and needles to turn yellow. It must be remembered that too acidic soil reduces the ability to absorb magnesium.

Mycorrhizal preparations for thuja

Mycorrhizal vaccines can be applied in addition to fertilizers. The composition of the preparations contains mycorrhizal fungi, which have the following effects on plants:

  • increase the absorbing capacity of the root system;
  • improve water supply;
  • reduce sensitivity to environmental stresses;
  • increase resistance to fusarium, late blight and other diseases;
  • stimulate root growth;
  • increase the availability of nutrients.

With proper feeding of the thuja, proper care, the plant will delight with its beautiful appearance, green needles.

How to care for thujas in the fall: how to feed, how and when to cut

The longevity and appearance of the plant depends on how correctly you will take care of the thujas in the fall. When and how to fertilize an evergreen tree and what top dressings it is better to refuse, how to cut it and prepare it for the winter cold, what mistakes should not be made: we will talk about this in more detail later.

Autumn care for thuja

With proper care in the fall and the necessary operations to prepare the plant for winter, you will provide it with the necessary conditions for a successful wintering. What you should pay attention to:

  1. Plant nutrition.
  2. Stimulation of the root system.
  3. Watering.
  4. Pruning.

Termination of nitrogen fertilization

In autumn, you should stop feeding the thuja with nitrogen. This fertilizer stimulates the formation of young shoots. By the beginning of cold weather, they will not have time to get stronger and may die during the winter. Top dressing with this fertilizer for the last time should be carried out in mid-August.

Stimulation of the root system

Another, no less important operation that you must carry out in order to properly prepare the thuja for winter is to stimulate the root system. Not everyone needs it, but only young shoots and those plants that were transplanted to a new place before winter. To do this, treat the shrub with preparations that stimulate root growth: Kornevin or Zircon. Dilute the preparations in 10 liters of water: Kornevin - 10 g, and Zircon - 40 drops. Water the tree with the resulting solution. A few days after this procedure, it is required to water the bush with 30 liters of water, pouring it into the near-trunk circle. This procedure is needed to drink the moisture of the roots and prevent them from freezing.

Watering

If the region in which you live is characterized by autumn without much rainfall, then you should regularly water the thuja. The conifer loves moisture, but keep in mind that its excess will lead to root rot. Abundantly water the plant should be before winter. Then moisture will saturate the roots for a long time, and the frozen earth around the bush will protect them from hypothermia due to longer freezing of the soil.

pruning

Pruning is another necessary action in the autumn to care for a coniferous tree. It provides him with healthy development and beauty of form. It is very important not to overdo it when pruning a coniferous bush in the fall. If you expose him too much, then he will not have time to recover and may not endure the winter cold.

What is pruning for? You need to prune, first of all, to remove dry and diseased shoots. Untimely processing can lead to the death of the entire thuja.

It happens that not all of the branch is affected, but only a small part of it. Then you don't have to delete it completely. Trim only the part that is affected. You can only run your hand along the branch, and the dried, diseased needles will fall off by themselves. You can well expect that healthy needles will grow in place of the fallen ones and the tree will be saved.

Additionally, thuja is cut to adjust the shape. In order for the bush to retain its original appearance, cut off the trunks that have grown a lot up. This will also ensure the growth of side branches. By pruning the tree, you will create good air circulation and protect it from pests.

Thuja well tolerates procedures for removing unnecessary processes both in spring and autumn. Nothing bad will happen if you trim a third time. There is no clear time frame for trimming. The main condition that you must adhere to when processing a plant is dry weather without precipitation and an air temperature of +4 degrees.

It is important to properly trim the thuja. To do this, follow these steps:

  1. Remove all dried, insect-damaged branches from the top of the coniferous bush.
  2. Trim off any shoots that are sticking out.
  3. Remove excess branches from the inside of the plant.

You can form any shape of a coniferous bush at your discretion. Purchase a metal shape mold from a garden store and place it above the plant. When the free places are filled with shoots, remove the sprouts that protrude upwards. This manipulation is called topiary haircut. In addition to it, there is a spherical and spiral trimming. These types of haircuts are carried out in the likeness of topiary pruning: branches knocked out upwards are removed until the bush acquires the desired shape.

Do I need to feed thuja in the fall

The thuja does not need special fertilizer in the fall, except for the time after pruning the tree: then it should be fed. After these manipulations, the plant is weakened and must be carefully examined. If you notice pests: false scale insects or aphids, be sure to spray the bush with preparations to protect coniferous trees from insects. After you have trimmed the crown, feed the thuja using the following fertilizers:

  • green manure;
  • manure;
  • complex mixtures intended for coniferous plants.

The main thing that you should remember when feeding is a reasonable measure. A large amount of fertilizer can lead to the death of the plant. This is explained by the fact that top dressing strongly stimulates the development of the tree. Young roots and newly formed shoots are not able to withstand the cold and the thuja may simply die.

The safest type of plant nutrition in the fall is fertilizer with peat, wood ash or compost. This type of top dressing enriches the soil in which the thuja grows well, and at the same time it is correctly perceived by the tree: fertilizer does not lead to the active formation of young shoots.

Steps to prepare thuja for winter

Thuja is considered a frost-resistant coniferous tree. The exceptions are decorative varieties and recently planted trees that have not yet had time to get stronger. With them, you should take the actions necessary to protect against low temperatures. After proper care of the thuja in the fall, it is necessary to prepare it for the winter.

  1. Carry out the warming of the soil with the help of mulching. To do this, dig up the soil near the trunk of the plant, remove all weeds and lay down protective material. Suitable mulch: compost, manure, dry leaves, straw. The height of the insulation layer can reach from 10 to 30 cm.
  2. Warm up the bushes. To do this, you need to lift the branches of the plant up, pressing them against the trunk and securing with a wire or rope. Put a light-colored bag on top of the bush: photosynthesis processes take place year-round, so the plant needs a constant source of sunlight, otherwise it may turn yellow. The protective material should not fit snugly against the tree. This is necessary for constant air circulation.
  3. To shelter a young tree, use 5-liter plastic containers. Cut off the bottom of the bottle and place it on top of a coniferous tree.
  4. Preventing bark burns is another important step in caring for thuja and preparing it for the winter. To do this, starting from February 15, from the side of an active source of sunlight, install shields near the tree.

Insulation is removed immediately after a stable positive temperature is established.

Features of the regions

The scheme of sheltering thuja for the winter may differ. It depends on the region in which the coniferous bush grows. For example, in the Middle lane, the thickness of the mulch should be 15 cm. After warming the soil, all necessary actions are taken to protect the crown of the plant.

In the Volga region, the difference in the preparatory procedures for the winter is to increase the thickness of the mulch by 6 cm. That is, the protective soil layer should be 21 cm.

On the territory of the Urals and Siberia, a large amount of snow falls, which can damage the thin branches of the arborvitae. To protect the bush, before covering it with a protective layer, build a cone-shaped wire frame. This will prevent heavy snow masses from settling on the plant.

Fall care mistakes to avoid

The following mistakes when preparing a thuja for winter can lead to its damage and death, so when caring for a tree, you should definitely know them.

  1. When does winter come? coniferous tree do not cover with protective material.
  2. The tree is not protected from active sunlight by shields.
  3. Instead of fertilizers for coniferous plants, which you need to feed the thuja, use preparations for deciduous trees.
  4. Pruning is carried out during a period of active sunlight. This leads to the fact that the needles acquire a brown tint.

It will not be difficult to properly care for an evergreen beauty in the autumn. This does not require special knowledge and special skills. It is necessary to perform all of the above simple steps to care for this coniferous tree in the fall, be sure to cover the crown of the bush, as well as insulate the soil for the winter. Then this coniferous tree will decorate the garden plot, delighting with eternal greenery for many years.

Fertilizer for thuja in the fall, how to feed?

In landscaping the garden and the local area, thuja occupies one of the first places among decorative coniferous crops. The variety of varieties allows you to create a hedge, decorate an alpine hill, build an ensemble of group plantings. One of the main points of the maintenance of coniferous crops is competent top dressing. Errors in the process of introducing nutrients and improper preparation of the thuja for wintering can adversely affect the condition of the plants.

Preparing for winter

The main task of gardeners is to prepare plants for winter. Only the implementation of all necessary measures will help the trees to safely survive the harsh period and protect themselves from possible freezing. Among the main works:

  • stopping the use of fertilizers for the active growth of the plant;
  • the introduction of a special complex of fertilizers to strengthen the root system;
  • carrying out high-quality watering, which will help the roots of the thuja to replenish the water deficit;
  • mulching with a layer of 4-5 cm with sawdust or bark to smooth out temperature differences, protect the soil from moisture loss;
  • checking the tree crown and removing dry, yellowed, twisted, inward-growing branches;
  • soil insulation to protect the root system from frost;
  • tying the crown of the plant with twine in regions with snowy winters to avoid damage to branches breaking off under the weight of snow;
  • protection of young specimens from freezing in winter by covering them with special materials that allow moisture and air to pass through, which will ensure a normal microclimate.

When all activities are completed, the thuja will have a better chance of successfully surviving the cold. And the plant, feeling cared for, in the spring will begin to actively grow, develop and delight with its bright emerald green color.

Work time

It is not recommended to feed the thuja later than mid-September. As the plant prepares for rest, the growth of branches stops, they ripen. And top dressing will only stimulate growth, young shoots will go into the winter weak and die. Therefore, the end of August is considered a favorable time.

In some situations, feeding with nutrients in the fall is necessary:

  • to improve the general agricultural background;
  • quickly saturate the soil with useful substances;
  • after the autumn transplant.

To get the maximum benefit from the use of nutritional formulations, you must follow a few simple rules:

  • the minimum break between top dressing should be 14 days;
  • do not water dry soil with useful substances on near-stem circles, but water well a day before top dressing;
  • do not use different fertilizer complexes, which contain the same substance.

Warning! Apply top dressing no later than the end of August - the beginning of September. Untimely stimulation of vegetation will negatively affect the outcome of wintering thuja.

Fertilizers and top dressings

Thujas, like all coniferous crops, require fertilizers for intensive growth: these top dressings will keep the plantings decorative throughout the entire period of life. When choosing fertilizers for thuja, one should take into account the age of the plant and the condition of the soil.

To enrich the soil with useful substances in autumn, it is best to use:

  • Complex fertilizers for coniferous crops. These compositions are able to provide excellent annual growth and attractive appearance of plants.
  • Organic fertilizers, which can serve as peat, compost, bone meal or wood ash. These funds will not harm, but will only benefit, as they will help to quickly enrich the soil with nutrients and make it breathable.
  • Green or green manure fertilizers. They provide high soil fertility, while not enhancing the growth of trees at the end of the growing season.
  • Nitrogen, potash and phosphate fertilizers. These substances must be added to the soil carefully and only in August. If they are introduced into the soil in the fall, they can provoke active growth. When frost sets in, fragile young shoots that have time to develop by this time will simply die. Nitrogen is also considered the main enemy for evergreens at this time. Therefore, it is necessary to exclude all fertilizers in which this element is located.
  • Bacterial fertilizers. They are used only when necessary, when it is necessary to accumulate various useful substances in the soil, which is characterized by a low content of humus.
  • mycorrhizal preparations. Additionally, mycorrhizal vaccines can be used. They will help improve water supply, encourage root growth, increase disease resistance, and reduce sensitivity to environmental stresses.

Important! Do not overdo it with the dosage of fertilizers, otherwise you can burn the root system of the plant, as a result of which the thuja will acquire a red color and a dried-up ugly appearance.

There are two main ways to feed thuja:

  • foliar top dressing;
  • root entry.

Foliar top dressing has received wide application. Fertilizers must be applied in the form of aqueous solutions of low concentration, spraying the aerial part of the tree. In addition, the nutrients of the preparations introduced by spraying are absorbed by the plant up to 80%.

Important! When using fertilizers in liquid form, strictly observe the concentration in order to avoid burns of the root hairs.

Root top dressing includes the introduction of not only liquid formulations, but also dry ones. Good means are compost, humus, bone meal. In dry form, they can cover the ground in the near-stem circle with a layer of 4-5 cm and gently mix with the upper part of the earth without damaging the root system of the thuja. The use of water-soluble preparations, which include ammonium nitrate, superphosphates, liquid formulations based on humus, involves diluting them with water in accordance with the instructions indicated on the packages.

Thanks to timely feeding, proper selection of the necessary nutrients and the correct calculation of their number, thuja will delight with its lush green crown for a long time.

Remedies for yellowing

It often happens that decorative coniferous trees turn yellow, crumble and lose their magnificent appearance. In this case, it is necessary to identify the causes of the color change and take timely measures to restore the natural state of the evergreen beauty. The main reasons include:

  • Natural yellowing of thuja. The duration of each needle is 5 years. After that, chlorophyll stops being produced, and individual shoots or parts of them turn yellow. This is considered a natural process. The branches will dry up and fall off, and young shoots will grow in their place.

Advice! In this case, no action should be taken. Withered shoots are carefully trimmed to speed up the process.

  • Seasonal color change as a reaction to cold snap and adaptation to frost.
  • Improper planting and plant care. Thuja requires careful planting and competent care, so the appropriate procedures should be followed without fail in accordance with the rules.
  • Planting density, which leads to insufficient air circulation around the plants. In this case, it is necessary to replant the trees, observing the required distance between planting units.
  • Damage by diseases and pests. This problem will help to cope with specially designed tools, which include the commander, kartotsid or Bordeaux mixture. Processing should be carried out several times, maintaining an interval of 14 days.
  • Incorrectly selected fertilizer or calculation of its dose. The solution to this problem will be a well-designed system for fertilizing.

The health of a coniferous tree, its growth, development depends on the efforts spent by the gardener on important agricultural practices. All planting and care activities will extend the life of the thuja, give a beautiful look to the garden, and prevent the development of insidious diseases in it caused by viruses, fungi and bacteria.

Conclusion

A luxurious coniferous tree with its exquisite appearance will decorate any territory. And the annual autumn preparation of the thuja for wintering will allow you to save the green beauty in the cold season.

How to choose top dressing for the rapid growth of thuja

Thuja belongs to the evergreen coniferous species and is used by gardeners in landscape design to decorate home gardens. For good growth, thuja is recommended to be fed 3 times - in spring, summer and autumn. This will ensure her active development and prepare for the coming winter.

How to choose top dressing for the rapid growth of thuja

What food to choose

After planting in open ground, the thuja is not fed for several years, because. ash, organics, etc. introduced into the planting pit at the initial stage act as a source of obtaining all the necessary useful elements.

Trees usually begin to fertilize after 2-3 years.

The main components that conifers require:

  • nitrogen - in small doses, it serves as a growth stimulator for young seedlings, but its excess leads to a loss of decorative culture and makes the crown loose;
  • phosphorus and potassium ensure full development and are the key to the bright color of the needles and the density of shoots, stimulate the growth of the root system and increase the plant's resistance to the adverse effects of environmental factors.

You can determine which element is missing in the thuja by appearance:

  • iron - the needles become light yellow or whitish;
  • phosphorus - in young shoots, the needles turn red-violet;
  • nitrogen - the appearance of new shoots stops, the needles become discolored (chlorosis occurs);
  • potassium and magnesium - the upper part of the plant turns yellow.

Terms of application

Conifers are fed several times per season.

  • Spring. They are introduced immediately when signs of a lack of nutrition become noticeable - the color of the needles and the general condition of the crown change. Fertilizing in early spring acts as a means of quickly awakening thuja, this helps it recover from cold weather and activates vegetative processes. The right time is March.
  • Summer. Fertilizers are applied if the tree was not fertilized immediately after winter, while more often limited to foliar spraying without nitrogen. The best root dressings for irrigation will be solutions prepared on the basis of biohumus and complex products with protective properties against fungal diseases and pests.
  • Autumn. Top dressing is suitable for thuja grown in the southern regions. The main attention is paid to root fertilization on greenery. The best time is September-October.

Types of fertilizers

You can feed thuja with various fertilizers: organic, mineral and complex compounds.

organic

Such fertilizers improve the structure of the soil layers and activate the vital activity of beneficial bacteria in them.

Organics (humus, compost, rotted manure) for feeding thuja are used mainly in dry form, mixed into the soil to a shallow depth in the root area.

The conifers do not feed fresh, unripe manure and chicken manure - they have an increased concentration and burn the roots.

Finished preparations produced by the agricultural industry based on organic components.

  • Biud - it contains the waste products of cattle and minerals in an easily digestible form;
  • Humvit-eco is made on the basis of biohumus, which stimulates vegetative processes.

Minerals

The health of the tree depends on the correct application of fertilizers.

For conifers in spring, such mineral complexes are needed, where potassium, magnesium and phosphorus are present in high doses.

Ready-made preparations quickly and effectively compensate for the lack of nutrition, eliminating starvation.

Unlike deciduous plants, thujas do not require a lot of nitrogen, which contributes to the growth of green mass, because. this component does not have a significant effect on growth.

It is allowed to feed with minerals only in the dosages indicated by the instructions.

Urea, ammonium nitrate and nitroammofosk help to fill the lack of nitrogen in the soil immediately after planting. They are applied in dissolved or granular form.

Dry top dressing allows you to simultaneously combine the replenishment of missing elements and loosening the soil.

The introduction of nitrogen is stopped at the onset of summer, so that new shoots do not grow, which weaken the conifer, do not have time to lignify by winter and, as a result, freeze.

Fertilizing complexes

You can feed thuja with complex fertilizer preparations designed for coniferous trees.

They contain a set of useful elements necessary for the full development. Their concentration and cumulative effect allows you to save on consumption, using it every 3-5 years.

The most popular with gardeners: Khvoinka, Zdraven, Aquarin, Fertika, Green Needle.

Folk recipes

Fertilizer for thuja can be made up of folk remedies.

Herbs

Fertilizing solutions are often made on the basis of herbs, in the chemical composition of which nitrogen is present: clover, nettle, euphorbia, wheatgrass, wood lice and dandelion.

For the preparation of working fluids, vegetation is harvested before the appearance of seeds.

The chopped grass is put into a plastic barrel (filled 2/3), water is added. Ammonium nitrate or urea is added to the mixture at the rate of 5 tbsp. for every 50 l.

The container is covered with a lid or polyethylene, holes are made for the release of gases and placed in the sun for 1-1.5 weeks, stirring occasionally.

You can increase efficiency by adding wood ash and bone meal.

Ready-to-use herbal solution turns dark brown. The working fluid for feeding is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10.

Yeast

Recipe: 35 g diluted dry yeast, 2 tbsp. granulated sugar is dissolved in 0.7 liters of water and put in a warm place.

The liquid is ready for use after the end of fermentation. For irrigation, the concentrate is diluted in water at the rate of 1 tbsp. for every 10 l.

Basic rules of procedure

The soil must be moistened before fertilizing.

  • The interval between the introduction of formulations with different elements should be 2 or more weeks.
  • In autumn, the use of all mineral and organic complexes is stopped, because. late stimulation of vegetation processes adversely affects future wintering, with the exception of conifers grown in southern areas.
  • A day before the scheduled date of feeding, the near-trunk circle is watered with water in order to moisten, fertilizers are not applied to dry soil.
  • Mineral complexes alternate and do not use together those that contain the same components in the composition, because. there will be an oversupply.

You can feed in one of the ways - by applying under the root or by spraying along the crown.

Root top dressing

Root top dressing consists in laying granular preparations or watering with liquid solutions.

Fertilizers are applied to the trunk circle, not reaching closer than 15 cm to the trunk, after which it is mulched with peat, needles or tree bark.

Mulch additionally serves as an obstacle to the evaporation of moisture, creates air permeability of the upper layers and protects against the appearance of weeds.

Terms of introduction under the root:

  • in the spring they are evenly distributed over the surface of moistened soil and dug up, the consumption rate is 30-40 g per tree;
  • throughout the growing season, from May to August, 2 times, the standard is 60 g per 1 m².

foliar top dressing

Foliar spraying along the crown helps to absorb nutrients faster and more efficiently through the needles.

In comparison with the root, the percentage of digestibility of fertilizers is 2-4 times higher and is about 80%.

Application time - from May to August, frequency - once every 14 days. The number of irrigations per season is 3-4 times.

The crown is sprayed with sprays and sprayers with preparations based on complex metal compounds - chelates. These include Quatum, Brexil, Aninomax, Kafom.

Epin and Zircon act as growth stimulants that reduce stress in plants under adverse growing conditions.

Top dressing thuja in the fall

Proper feeding of thuja in the fall will allow the plant to survive the winter without problems. At the same time, it is necessary to feed the tree in the fall correctly so as not to interfere with preparing for the winter. This is as much a necessary part of care as removing branches, mulching, watering and sheltering young plants. It is undesirable to make any fertilizers after the beginning of September. This will prevent the thuja from preparing for the winter in time and can harm it.

An important exception to the rule is the mandatory feeding for the winter after the autumn transplant. To do this, it is worth using liquid mineral fertilizers, peat and even forest land.

When to feed thuja

The answer to the question "how to feed the thuja in the fall" directly depends on the initial quality of the soil. It is the composition of the soil that determines which fertilizers each particular plant needs. Unlike spring, feeding thuja in autumn means the end of the growing season.

It is necessary to make useful substances in the fall when:

  • To improve the agricultural background;
  • It is necessary to quickly enrich the soil with useful substances;
  • After the autumn transplant.

At this time, the main and feeding means are introduced. Special fertilizers for conifers, growth stimulants and complex products are used. If the tree is planted in the ground in the spring, it does not require top dressing in the coming year. Excessive fertilization of young trees can lead to the death of young roots. In the worst case, this causes the death of a weak plant.

How to properly feed thuja

Autumn top dressing has many important features. In most cases, it is poorly tolerated by thujas and as a result leads to a significant weakening of the tree. Adult thujas are able to grow even on poor soil, having an excellent appearance. If the thuja grows in a container instead of open ground, you need to fertilize the soil every 2 weeks, regardless of the season.

In this case, top dressing does not prevent the plant from overwintering safely. But the only type of safe top dressing that ensures the winter rest of the tree in the open field is adding soil.

For this you can use:

This helps to enrich the soil around the tree and is well accepted by the arborvitae, without leading to intensive growth of young shoots after the end of the growing season. If the soil is enriched in advance, mature trees do not require the introduction of any funds for additional feeding.

Also, if necessary, liming of saline soil is used. To do this, it is enough to add gypsum to the ground before planting trees, and then plow the soil. Quicklime is added to the podzolic soil, it is best to do this in September - October.

Preparations and means for feeding thuja

When choosing fertilizer for thuja, factors such as the age and condition of the tree, as well as the condition of the soil, must be taken into account. The supply of soil with nutrients can be:

  • low (up to 1% humus);
  • low income (2 - 3% humus);
  • medium (3 - 4% humus);
  • high (from 5% and above).
  • For autumn feeding of thuja of different ages, the following types of fertilizers can be used:

Complex for conifers. Provide good annual growth and attractive appearance of trees. It is advisable to use them for feeding thuja, since universal complex fertilizers and garden mixtures are not suitable.

organic fertilizers. Popular products such as peat, slurry and various types of compost help to quickly saturate the soil with useful substances. Another popular option is the so-called "green", or green manure fertilizers. They do not lead to increased tree growth after the end of the growing season. They are used mainly to improve the general agricultural background.

More carefully in the autumn, such types of fertilizers are used, such as:

  • Potash. Calcium chloride, various potassium salts or sylvinite are well-established fertilizers for conifers. The lack of calcium in the soil leads to the fact that the needles quickly turn yellow and lose their attractive appearance, and then leads to the gradual death of the upper shoots. This is an affordable option for mineral fertilizers used to improve the agricultural background.
  • Nitrogen. If necessary, top dressing of weakened and stunted seedlings before planting in the ground. They provoke increased tree growth, so they can not be used before the autumn planting in the ground. This is a good option for winter feeding of thuja growing in pots or containers.
  • Microfertilizers. They are used to enrich soils with such useful trace elements as boron, manganese, cobalt, zinc, molybdenum and others. If pre-planting seed treatment with all the necessary substances has not been done, this is done using spot feeding. Most it is needed in the 2nd year of the life of seedlings.
  • Bacterial fertilizers. They are used exclusively when it is necessary to accumulate various nutrients in soil with a low humus content. If the soil is acidic, before this it is necessary to carry out liming of the soil.

The amount and frequency of fertilization depends on the composition of the soil and the age of the trees. They must be used exactly as directed. Autumn top dressing of thuja is a complicated procedure. If introduced incorrectly or untimely, this can harm the tree instead of the desired effect.