How to propagate thuja - grafting and transplanting

Thuja is an evergreen plant belonging to the cypress family. Juniper, cypress, thuja and other representatives of this genus are widely used in landscape gardening design due to their attractive appearance. The desire to plant such a shrub in their summer cottage makes many people look for ways to reproduce these plants.

How to propagate thuja: a quick and easy way

Thuja reproduces in two ways: seeds and cuttings. Each of these options has its own characteristics and difficulties, therefore, it requires at least basic knowledge and experience from gardeners.

What does it look like

Reproduction of thuja using seeds is a long process, during which the plant goes through several stages of development. The following features are named as advantages of this approach:

• quick adaptation to the climate of the region after transplanting into open ground;
• increased resistance to adverse environmental conditions.

However, there are a number of disadvantages:

• the duration of the preparation of seedlings (it will take about 5-6 seasons to grow a seedling from seeds);
• the need for mandatory stratification (by this definition it is customary to understand the aging of the sprout in the cold);
• small chance of maintaining the qualities of the mother tree.

Cutting thuja for propagation is used much more often than germinating seeds. There are several reasons for this:

• the speed of obtaining seedlings;
• complete preservation of the quality indicators of the donor (the tree from which the shoot was cut).

This breeding technology also has disadvantages:

• lower endurance rates of young trees;
• the survival rate of seedlings after transplanting is only 70-80%.

Thuja propagation by cuttings

Thuja propagation by cuttings in spring

Some experts advise cutting the shoots in the spring, but there are also propagation techniques that harvest the branches for rooting in the summer and fall.

If the decision is made in favor of the reproduction of thuja by cuttings in the spring, then the harvesting of shoots should be started immediately after the snow melts. At this time, the active growth of branches has not yet begun.

Gardeners recommend starting work in the spring for several reasons:

• a minimum of time is required for the formation of roots (about 2-3 months);
• at this time, active growth has not yet begun.

However, there is also a serious drawback, which is that the plants do not have time to fully mature before winter.

How to grow thuja from a twig

In order for cut cuttings to quickly root and take root well in the future, gardeners recommend following a few tips:

• the right choice of the mother tree. When propagated by cuttings, the young tree adopts all the characteristics of the donor;
• cutting off shoots and preparing them for further work is the most important component of growing;
• the correct choice of soil for transplanting thuja affects the growth rate;
• care of seedlings.If the rules of care are not followed, even those plants that have already managed to give roots can die.

The named features of reproduction are applicable for all varieties of these plants (both globular and emerald).

Choice of mother plant and propagation time

Before growing thuja from a twig, you must carefully choose a donor tree. The shrub must be completely healthy and strong. It is more difficult for shoots to take root from a weak and sick tree, in addition, there is a high risk of getting the same sick seedling.

No less requirements are imposed on the branch from which the shoot will be separated. The one located at the top of the bush is best suited for this purpose. Curved shrubs often grow from the lateral processes.

Thuja shoots need to be selected and prepared correctly

Rooting substrate preparation

For rooting thuja, a light type of soil is best suited, which is characterized by good drainage properties. You can choose one of two options:

• clean river sand (it is important that there is no pollution in it);
• substrate.

To prepare a substrate at home, you will need several components:

• leafy land;
• peat;
• sand.

These components must be mixed in equal proportions. It is recommended to add a solution of potassium permanganate (3%) to the resulting soil, after which the soil is mixed and used for its intended purpose.

If sand is used for rooting, then it is preliminarily boiled for 5 minutes, after which it is treated with a solution of potassium permanganate.

As containers for planting seedlings, you can use special boxes, cassettes or seedling jars. Check for holes (drainage and aeration). Expanded clay is laid at the bottom of the container as a drainage layer and the container is filled with soil.

Rules for harvesting cuttings for home rooting

To quickly germinate seedlings, cuttings need to be harvested taking into account several conditions. The intended processes must be torn off from the mother tree. This should be done with your hands, with a confident, sharp movement from top to bottom.

As a result of this action, the shoot should come off with a small piece of last year's tree bark. This part of the cutting is called the heel. It contains the nutrients that the tree has accumulated. As practice shows, twigs with a heel give roots faster and take root better.

Rooting cuttings with moss

There is also an alternative way to propagate thuja. This will require moss (sphagnum). The advantage of this option is called rare decay and the rapid appearance of roots.

To do this work, you need to stock up on the following materials:

• plastic bag;
• a piece of fabric;
• growth stimulant (any can be diluted);
• a piece of moss.

First of all, moss is soaked in cool boiled water. In this form, it should be about 2-3 hours. After that, the sphagnum is placed in the center of a piece of fabric and several cuttings are placed on it. All of them should be at some distance from each other.

The fabric is folded, and then pulled over with an elastic band or rope and placed in a bag. In this form, the cuttings should spend some time before the roots appear.

Thuja care before planting in a permanent place

Before transplanting thuja into the ground, several care requirements must be taken into account.

• the ambient air temperature should be within 18-23 ° С;
• humidity is desirable to maintain at the level of 70-75%;
• the place in which the seedlings can be planted should be sufficiently bright and sunny, however, the shrub must be protected from direct ultraviolet rays;
• to maintain optimal temperature conditions, regular ventilation is required.

During rooting, seedlings require constant care.

Water the plants carefully, avoiding exposing the heel. The easiest way to achieve this result is using a spray bottle.

How to transplant thuja

Even after the roots appear, the thuja sprouts are still not strong enough to plant in a permanent place. For this reason, they are sent to grow. If thuja was cuttings in the spring, then the plants are transplanted in September.

For growing, you can use two schemes:

• transplant to flowerpots;
• transplant to open air bedding.

You can grow thuja in flowerpots

If landing in the open air was preferred, then the garden should be chosen not in direct sunlight, but in partial shade. The work is carried out taking into account step-by-step instructions:

1. Before you root the thuja, you need to dig up the ground. In the process, the soil is fertilized. For 1 m², 0.5 buckets of sand and 1 bucket of peat are required.
2. At a distance of 25-30 cm, holes are prepared for planting. The size of the holes should correspond to the size of the plant's earthy coma.
3. You need to transplant thuja by transshipment. After that, the lump is covered with a layer of earth and immediately watered.

To protect against cold weather, the seedlings are covered with foliage or needles.

Most often, young plants are transplanted into open ground.

How to transplant an adult thuja in the spring to another place

The method of replanting a mature tree may differ slightly from planting seedlings. The best time for such work is autumn (late September and early October). In this case, one must take into account the fact that it is necessary to move the tree to a new place before the cold weather. During this time, the shrub will be able to give new small roots and consolidate in the soil. The planting site should be in partial shade. In addition, there must be protection from strong winds.

A planting hole must be dug 15 days before transplanting. Its depth should be no more than 0.5 m, and its width should be 3 times the width of the seedling crown. The bottom is lined with gravel. This is to prevent water stagnation.

To remove a tree from the ground, it must be dug in a circle and carefully removed. The soil remaining on the roots should not be removed. This clod of earth preserves the roots of the plant and helps to quickly adapt to new conditions. Thuja roots are located superficially and compactly. If very long roots are found, they can be carefully cut off with a sharp knife or pruner.

Before planting, you need to water the hole with plenty of water. Planting soil is prepared from several components:

• peat - 2 parts;
• sand - 1 part;
• sod land - 1 part.

Coniferous litter and humus are added to the resulting soil. After planting, the soil is compacted and watered.

After transplanting, the soil must be watered abundantly.

How to grow thuja from seeds

For those who are going to propagate thuja in a quick and easy way, it is better to choose planting cuttings, since germinating seeds is an extremely time-consuming and lengthy task.

For breeding, only fresh seeds are required. They are harvested in the fall from September to December. There is a simple way to extract seeds from buds. To do this, the cones are placed in a warm place on paper. During the night they open, and the seeds spill out on their own. All that remains is to collect them and start growing.

Soaked seeds are planted in the ground

Growing thuja from seeds at home

There are two ways to propagate thuja from seeds.

• sow seeds in the garden beds;
• use boxes for planting. In this case, you can cultivate seedlings at home or on a loggia.

A pebble is placed at the bottom of the box as drainage, a layer of sand is poured over it, and only then the boxes or pots are filled with prepared soil.

Seeds are planted taking into account the 4 * 4 scheme. All manipulations should be performed carefully, since the root collar should be located at ground level. If this requirement is not taken into account, most of the seeds will die during germination.

Thuja seeds give good germination

For good moisture, the soil should be regularly sprayed with a spray bottle, but the seeds should not be heavily poured. Top dressing must be carried out regularly - once a month.

Having studied all the features of how thuja multiplies, everyone can plant a garden with their own hands or prepare seedlings for sale. Despite the length of the process, financial investments in this case are minimal.