Thuja or, as they call it in the people, "life tree" - an evergreen plant from the cypress family. Tui are unpretentious to the ground and the climate, so it is easy to get along in large cities. They are widely used not only for landscaping megalopolises, but also in gardening. Shrubs well mark the territory and plant out of them living corridors. Cultivation of a plant is often done by cutting. We will tell in this article how to root a thuja from a sprig.
How to prepare cuttings
Choosing the right cuttings and stocking them is the most important step. Most of the evergreens propagate by cuttings, and thuja is no exception. The best time for harvesting cuttings is autumn, it is during this period that the juice slows down throughout the plant. The likelihood that the bush will take root, increases. You need to choose branches closer to the crown or on itself.
It is advisable to stay on the shrub, which is 2 - 3 years old. Tear off branches should be a sharp movement, so that at the end remains a kind of "heel", the rest of last year's bark. And the longer this residue is, the better. Another important point: you need to cut the bark, which began to flake off. The lower part of the twigs must be removed from the needles about 3 cm. The leaves of the needles should be healthy with a length of 15-20 cm (no more than 50 cm).
Ways rooting cuttings
There are several ways to grow thuja from a sprig. The most common methods: the method with ordinary water, the preparation of a special substrate or the cultivation of roots in the film. For each of the methods need a certain approach, time and resources.
How to root autumn cuttings in water
The easiest way. For this you need a water tank and the twigs themselves. It is necessary to pour water into the prepared vessel, put cuttings in it, immersing only the heel. Leaves should never touch the water. This can lead to decay of the needles, and the cutting will deteriorate. In one container with water you can immerse no more than three branches. Put the cuttings in a cool but sunny place.
Changing water during rooting is not recommended. It is best to gradually pour fresh water. With a complete replacement of the fluid, the beverage of the roots can be broken, and the cutting will slow down or stop growth completely. In normal water, nutrients are not so many, so the cuttings often weaken and subsequently poorly take root in the soil.
Rooting cuttings in the film
Diluting a thuja with a film will be a little more complicated than a method with water. For this you need a film, a small piece of cloth and peat moss or, as it is also called, sphagnum. First, we plant any growth promoter in water and drop prepared twigs there for about 10 hours. Fill the moss with warm boiled water, leave it to be fed with water for several hours.
After that, you can start rooting cuttings thuja. We spread a wide piece of cloth and mentally divide it in half. We place wet moss over the entire length of the upper length, and leave the lower part free; she will need to cover the cuttings themselves. We spread twigs close to each other. Diligently we cover with sphagnum the place of breaking of the cutting. We take the lower part, we cover the cuttings and, leaving the free needles, we fold everything into a neat roll. What turned out, we wrap in a plastic bag and hang it in a bright place, but away from direct exposure to the sun.
The film, which covered branches, will serve as a specific moisture meter. If the polyethylene is covered with strong condensate, you need to slightly raise it, thereby ensuring a good air flow. And if the film is dry, you should moisten the fabric with a sprayer. This method is good because the moss will keep moisture for a long time, feeding the cuttings and having bactericidal properties, thereby saving the roots from rotting.
How to prepare a substrate for rooting
And the best way to root a thuja from a sprig is with a substrate. Substrate - a nutrient medium for plants, and prepare it is not so difficult. We mix in equal proportions peat, deciduous humus and sand. We place the mixture in the oven and properly calcined at the maximum temperature.
Dilute saturated solution of potassium permanganate and pour the resulting mixture. As in the case of the film, you need to put the cuttings in a solution that stimulates growth for 10 hours. Tanks for rooting thuja cuttings in the fall need to pick up with several holes at the bottom for better oxygen saturation. At the bottom lay out drainage - small gravel. We fill the containers with the substrate and make small indentations for the branches. The cuttings themselves are placed about 2 cm and sprinkled them with sand, which would also do well to pre-heat.
Lightly rammed the sand, cover it with cellophane film and set it in a bright place, but protect it from direct sunlight. If there is condensation on the film, slightly raise it with one side for fresh air. One of the highlights of this cutting is watering. It is best to implement it with a spray.
Did you know? If the thuja began to appear new needles, the plant is well rooted.
Care rules for cuttings
After you have rooted thuja cuttings in the fall, you need to be cared for before landing in open ground.
Cuttings in water
When growing twigs in the water there is only one important factor. This is water care. There are two ways to look after the cuttings. In one case, you can completely replace the water. To do this, remove the cuttings and wrap them in a pre-moistened rag. Rinse well, pour fresh water to the bottom and immerse the cuttings back.
You can add a little weak solution of potassium permanganate. The second method is considered more reliable for growth. It consists in adding water as moisture is absorbed by cuttings. Thus, without disturbing the impregnation of the roots, the cuttings are more likely to grow on the site.
Cuttings in the film
The easiest care for cuttings that sprout in the film. Sphagnum and fabric very well maintain the desired level of moisture. Pre-moistened moss can maintain moisture for a very long time. To understand what cuttings need now, check the cellophane with which you covered the twigs. If the film is dry - you need to moisten a little cloth. This is best done with a spray bottle. And if there is excessive condensation on the film, slightly lift it up and air the sprouts.
Cuttings in the substrate
To care for cuttings in the substrate should be approached with the utmost seriousness and responsibility. The most important task is to control the amount of moisture. In no case can not water the cuttings of the watering can. Abundant amount of water may slightly lower the ground, exposing the heel. This will lead to the decay of the process or its roots. Need to use, as in the case of the film, spray gun.
Do not allow strong drying out of the soil, but you should not overdo it with watering. In the case of early cooling or late rooting, you need to fill the container with cuttings foliage. And if the temperature drops below 5 degrees, it is recommended to cover them with a film, occasionally opening them up, giving a stream of fresh air.
Important! If you decide to plant thuja to the quality of the green fence, then you need to take care of timely cutting the plant. After two years of slow growth, thuja actively seeks up. You do not need to allow the height of the plant above 1.5 meters, otherwise it will be inconvenient to cut it.
What to do after rooting
After you have prepared the cuttings in one of the ways, the question arises: what, how and when to do next. When autumn rooting branches of thuja planted in a special front garden, they can only next year. For disembarkation beds are formed, which are called shkolka. For beds, choose a place with an average shadow. After the land on the plot will be dug up, you can slightly fertilize it with regular peat.
Before you get the cuttings from the tank (in the case of the substrate), pour them a little, so it will be easier to get the twigs. Young bushes should be planted at a distance of 25 cm from each other. After landing, pour the ground. After the cuttings are in natural soil, the risk of losing the plant is minimal. Water the soil regularly and remove weeds. Under such conditions, after three, or maybe two years, it will be possible to land a thuja at her permanent place of stay.
Did you know? Tuya is easy to give the desired shape: you can arrange the shrub in the form of a cube or even a trapezoid with giving a flat crown to the plant. Sometimes they make it lively green corridor.
Reproduction of thuja cuttings in the autumn does not present much difficulty. You need a little attention and patience - and evergreen shrub will decorate any part of your site.
