Thuja western, a variety of Golden globe, or in translation thuja varieties "Golden Ball" - a real find for breeders.
Thuja trees and shrubs were first found in North America and described by Carl Linnaeus in the mid-18th century. It turned out that this species is susceptible to natural mutations, useful from the point of view of agricultural technology of decorative crops. Many natural mutations are fixed at the gene level and are now used for further breeding.
Now there are many varieties and varieties of arborvitae that have settled around the world. Consider the description of the thuja Golden Globe plant, how to plant a shrub and take care of it.
Thuja Golden Globe in the fall
Thuja spherical Golden Globe (Golden Globe)
The Golden Ball is a dwarf variety of thuja with a spherical crown, which belongs to the Cypress family. The size of the tree does not exceed 1.5 m in height and 1.2-1.5 m in width. The maximum size reaches the age of 20-25 years. At 10 years old, has a height of 0.8-0.9 m.
The needles in the form of small scales in the middle of the crown have a saturated green color, at the tips of the branches 7-12 cm they acquire a gently yellow, golden color. The variety noticeably enlivens the landscape in summer and winter, when the needles acquire copper and bronze shades.
Sometimes at the ends of the branches seeds of light yellow color are formed, similar in shape to small 10-12 mm ovate cones.
For reference: if you recall Latin, then this thuja is called Occidentalis Golden Globe, which roughly corresponds to its Russian name.
Use in landscape design
The main use of a small coniferous tree is planting in compositions with other coniferous and deciduous crops. Plant species for a composition with the participation of thuja golden are selected based on the contrast of form and color. The spherical thuja Golden Globe goes well with sprawling shrubs with arrow-shaped leaves, with small trees with umbellate or pyramidal crowns (photo 2, 3).
Golden Glob in composition
In compositions with other conifers, it combines well with other representatives of the genus:
- Brabant - a tree or shrub with a conical crown, characterized by rapid growth, reaches a height of 20 m;
- Smaragd - a slender tree with a strictly pyramidal narrow crown, 4-6 m high;
- In rare cases, it can be combined with the ground cover "pillow" form of thuja gold Tuffet (photo 4).
The composition has a contrast in form and color
Important! Golden tree can not be planted next to the spruce. This tree completely oppresses an unusual plant.
In addition to compositions, thuja Gold in landscape design is often used solo as the main element of the site or landscape group, as well as to create hedges and their varieties (photo 5, 6).
Where did the Golden Globe form come from?
Initially, a dwarf mutation was discovered in the thuja west. Plants were characterized by limited growth and a crown, striving for the correct round shape. This dwarf form was called Woodward. From it was found a clone with yellow needles, which was called the "Golden Ball".
Thuja West Golden Globe: Landing and Care
The golden ball can be successfully cultivated in all regions. It easily withstands frosts down to -30 ° C, is not demanding on soil fertility, and withstands the presence of lime in soils. It tolerates urban gas conditions.
Thuja Gold Taffet
Note! A small tree does not tolerate the content of chlorides and sulfates in the soil profile 1 m deep.
How to choose a seedling
Saplings purchased with a container take root well. Such a plant can be planted at any time - in spring or autumn.
The needles should be fresh without dry, falling needles, despite their color, there should be a lot of twigs.
Site selection and soil preparation
The color of the Golden variety is most fully manifested in the sun. In the southern regions, where the summer scorching sun is hot, the thawing Golden Globe can be planted in partial shade. The area for planting the composition with a spherical tree should be protected from the winds, the soil should pass moisture well.
The seat is prepared in advance. The pit should be 2-3 times the volume of the container in which the plant was purchased. The bottom is filled with fertile soil with humus layer of 25-30 cm with the addition of 30-40 g of complex mineral fertilizers.
Important! If in the garden there is a possibility of stagnation of water after the snow melts, then in this case the tree is planted on a hill.
Features of proper planting
Thuja Golden Globe has two types of roots - deep and superficial. Therefore, the soil in the planting pit should be loose, soft and fertile, so that the roots can develop freely.
If the seedling is not in the container, the roots must be carefully straightened, carefully bury and firmly press the soil, then pour 10-12 liters of water.
Growing season
In summer, trees of the Golden Globe variety need abundant watering. They love sprinkling, which is carried out 2 times a week for 1.5-2 hours. The needles are washed with water and exude a delicate aroma. The soil in the trunk circle should be kept under the mulch of wood chips or sawdust.
Top dressing
If the needles began to dry out, the growth stopped, you should give fertilizer with liquid fertilizer Gumat potassium with trace elements.
The fertilizer solution is given under the root with irrigation water.
For better wintering at the end of summer, they give fertilizer Superphosphate and Potassium Sulphate 20 g per tree.
Winter Care Features
In areas with severe snowless winters, so that the Golden Globe thuja bush does not freeze, it can be covered with white covering material from below, leaving the top open and pulling the bush a little with rope and pressing branches to each other.
If the plant does not shelter, in the winter you need to shake off the snow in a timely manner to avoid breaking branches.
Pruning
Older bushes, after 15-20 years, may lose their regular rounded shape. They can be trimmed by straightening the shape with an electric or chainsaw.
Golden Globe in the hedge
Thuja Golden well tolerates molding, suitable for creating topiary figures. Pruning contributes to the fact that the bushes are more overgrown with new branches and become more magnificent.
How thuja propagates
The most preferred method of propagation is green cuttings.
Cuttings should be separated from the mother bush with a piece of bark - the heel. Then they are kept for 2-3 hours in Kornevin and planted in sand or another light substrate, covered with a film or glass. Root formation lasts 3-4 weeks.
For reference: the yield of seedlings is small 30-35%.
Tree transplant to a new place
The plant tolerates the transplant quite well up to 3-4 years of age.
After this period, it is better not to touch the tree, as it forms many deep roots, the damage of which is fraught with the death of the plant.
A species of hedge involving thuja
When transplanting, the rule should be observed that the new pit should be 1.5 −2 times larger than the old place of tree growth.
Possible problems in growing
This variety of thuja, despite its unusual appearance, is very unpretentious.
The most common problem is the lack of golden color of the needles when planting a tree in the shade. But if you follow all the recommendations, the plant will certainly revive the garden with its beauty for many years.
Today, decorating gardens and household plots goes to a new level. The compatriots who own the plots of land seek to ennoble them with the highest quality and most beautiful. The presence of "golden balls" in the garden will certainly be noticed by neighbors. They will certainly be surprised at such beauty and will want to get a seedling.
