If you would like to create an opaque garden hedge as a privacy screen, the Thuja hedge is perfect. In addition, the thuja plant is easy to care for, robust and hardly susceptible to diseases and pests. Therefore, there are no special things to consider regarding location and care. This type of hedge grows relatively quickly and can therefore provide a perfect privacy screen in just a few years, which also looks wonderfully beautiful and natural. This makes them just as popular as the privet hedge.
Thuja hedge – the pretty tree of life in the garden
The thuja is also calledTree of life. It is an evergreen plant that consists of so-called scale leaves and grows by around 20 to 30 cm every year. If you have chosen this type of hedge plant, the article will be very helpful to you in terms of care. If you are still not sure about the choice, perhaps our information will convince you.
Location for the hedge plant
It is important for the tree of life that it receives a place in the sun. The hedge can make a compromise if it is just a location with little shade. The plant needs the sun in order to grow quickly and well. If it does not receive enough sunlight, the scale leaves cannot turn green and instead acquire an unsightly yellow to brown color. In this case, the plants cannot grow densely but instead have holes.
The floor
You don't need to worry about the floor. The soil in the garden is usually perfect for the thuja hedge. The only important thing is that the soil can store moisture for a longer period of time. In principle, you can follow the rule that swampy soil is better for the tree of life than dry soil. Acidic soil is also well suited.
Compost for the soil
You can support good growth in the Thuja hedge by adding some compost to the soil. In this way you provide it with important nutrients. Alternatives to compost include humus or peat waste.
The right distance
Anyone who believes that a garden hedge can be achieved by planting individual plants close together is wrong. Adequate spacing should be ensured not only for the Thuja hedge, otherwise the nutrients will be too low and a kind of competition will arise between them. This means the plants cannot develop well.
Here are the general recommendations for planting spacing, depending on the height of the plants and their variety:
- Plant height up to 80 cm: distance of 30 cm (approx. 3 plants per meter)
- Plant height 80 to 140 cm: distance of 40 cm (approx. 2.5 plants per meter)
- Plant height 140 to 180 cm: distance of 50 cm.
- Plant height up to 220 cm:
- Emerald and Golden Emerald: Distance of 50 cm.
- Brabant and Yellow Ribbon: 60 to 70 cm apart.
- Atrovirens, Excelsa and Martin: distance from 80 to 90 cm
It is advisable to leave enough space in front of and behind the hedge to allow for growth in width. At a height of up to one meter should be at least40 to 60 cmSpace for the fence must be planned.
Plant the tree of life as a garden hedge
Before you plant the individual hedge plants in the ground, it should be loosened. This is important because the roots need air. Then dig the holes. Width and depth is determined by the circumference of the roots. The hole must be twice as large as the root ball so that the young roots can spread easily. Before you plant the thuja hedge, line each hole with compost, humus or peat, as already mentioned. The roots should also be approx. 5 cm underground after planting.
When to plant?
Any time in spring or early summer is suitable for planting, provided it is one day after the frost period. If you missed this period, you have another opportunity in early autumn, ideally at the beginning of October. Again, remember that this should be done before the first frost.
irrigation
Once you have planted the Thuja hedge, you will of course need plenty of water so that the plants can adapt well. It doesn't matter whether it rains or not. Water excessively within the first three weeks of planting.
You can then leave the thuja hedge to its own devices. Additional irrigation is only necessary during very hot summer periods. A great way to reduce worry about watering is to add a layer of bark mulch when planting. This stores moisture and also reduces the evaporation of water. Another advantage of this layer is that weeds cannot form and “steal” nutrients from the plants.
How to fertilize correctly
If you want to accelerate or promote the growth of the Thuja hedge, annual fertilization is necessary. You can do something good for the shrub, especially with nitrogen and magnesium. Midsummer is the best time to do this because the plant still has enough time to prepare for winter and the rest phase.
Fertilizing too late would prevent this. For this reason, fertilization should not be repeated if it was forgotten in the summer. If you have fertilized the hedge plants, you should water them abundantly again so that the nutrients can be better absorbed by the plant.
Cut the thuja hedge
Cutting the Thuja hedge is recommended at two times. The cut should be carried out before the first shoots in spring, but after the last frost. Alternatively, or for a second cut, late summer is also suitable.
Straight cut
To get a straight cut, you can stretch out string. Otherwise, a shape that tapers towards the top is best. The reason for this is that in this way sufficient sunlight can reach the lower areas, which in turn prevents the leaves from wilting.
Cut the tree of life pointedly
In addition, no snow can remain on the top. Otherwise, the heavy snow could break the branches and ruin your pretty garden hedge. Under no circumstances should you cut back the old wood, only young shoots. Otherwise, unsightly holes will arise that will hardly and only slowly grow over.
Poisonous hedge
Remember that the tree of life is a poisonous plant species. This is especially important to consider if you have children or pets. Consuming the leaves can cause diarrhea, vomiting and, in more serious cases, even kidney damage. This should definitely be explained to children so that they do not come into contact with the hedge plants. Since the thuja hedge can also irritate the skin, gloves should always be worn when cutting.
Possible pests and diseases
As robust as the Thuja hedge is, it can sometimes happen that the plants are attacked. Most of the time, the problem is limited without you having to intervene. If an infestation does occur, you should take action before it is too late.
Brown leaves indicate pests
Typical pests of the tree of life are the thuja bark beetle, the thuja leaf miner or caterpillars. There are also fungal diseases caused by the Didymascella and Kabatina thujae mushrooms. However, you don't have to worry about pests if you trim the tree of life regularly. The new shoots that you remove serve as food for the pests, which is what you are missing after cutting.
Cut affected leaves
Otherwise, you can recognize an infestation if the leaves first turn yellow and then turn brown. Fractions are also often visible, while the fungi cause spots and spots. Before you resort to chemical means to combat it, try to control the infestation by cutting.
Dispose of infected branches properly
Sick, cut branches should first be well packaged and then ideally not disposed of in the garden. In this way you risk a new infestation and a spread to other plants in your garden. Instead, throw them into household or organic waste where they will be disposed of accordingly.
