Thuja Reingold (Rheingold) western - description
Content:
The dwarf variety Rheingold belongs to a fairly extensive species of western thujas. A very slowly growing tree does not get tired of delighting the owner, because throughout its life the crown constantly changes its size and shape.
Thuja western Rheingold (Rheingold)
The zest of the variety is a special golden shade of the needles, which gave the name to the plant - Golden Rain. The yellowish-bronze color of the tops of the shoots looks favorably against the background of juicy dark green neighbors, which is widely used in landscape design. With the onset of frost, the bronze color only intensifies, becomes brighter.
Adult thuja Rheingold over 10 years old
Due to its high frost resistance, the variety is suitable for growing almost throughout the territory of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan. For breeding in German nurseries, wild predecessors of the western thuja were chosen as the basis. It turned out to be an unpretentious plant with a high lifespan.
Thuja Reingold - description and dimensions
The culture was specially bred to decorate gardens and parks within the city. The variety is resistant to growth in a gas-polluted atmosphere. The crown is very dense, round in shape, responding well to formative pruning.
Thuja Reingold twig
The needle-like needles on the tops of young twigs have a needle-like shape, after a year turning into a scaly one. Young needles are dense and tightly pressed to the stems, light yellow, even slightly pink. In the second half of summer, they turn bright orange, and turn brown with the arrival of autumn. Older plants have a green underside and an orange crown.
Cones are formed annually in a rather modest amount, have a dark gray color and a diameter of no more than 10 mm. The cone consists of thin, tightly compressed scales, behind which are small brown seeds with light beige tiny lionfish.
For western thuja, a superficial root system is characteristic. In the Reingold variety, it is mixed, strongly intertwined. The main central roots are only 50 cm deep.
How fast it grows
Thuja Reingold changes throughout its life. Young plants have a pillow-like or spherical crown. As it develops further, it becomes more like a cone. Growth is extremely slow - usually about 6 cm per year, maximum - up to 10 cm.At the age of 10, the tree has a maximum height of 1.2 m.In total, over a full life cycle, this thuja will stretch only 2-3 m above the ground.
Planting and caring for thuja Reingold
Strong gusts of wind are not afraid of strong twigs. If the seedling is planted in a place blown through by all drafts, this will not harm it in the least. The air polluted and smoky by car exhaust will not cause noticeable damage to the beauty of the needles. Thuja will reach its greatest beauty in a well-lit place, on which no shadow falls from anywhere during the day.
The needles are renewed every 3 years. The upper part of the shoots is crumbled to form a young substitution instead.
How to plant thuja Reingold
Transplanting a seedling with an open root system to a new place involves preliminary measures that increase the survival rate:
- For 6 hours, the roots are soaked in a manganese solution, after which all damaged fragments are removed.
- The root system is kept in the Kornevin solution for 6 hours to stimulate active growth.
If the seedling is purchased from a nursery, then it is usually a 3-year-old plant in a container (with a closed root system).
3-4-year-old sapling of thuja Reingold
The frost resistance of the ephedra is high - up to -39 ° C. However, young seedlings should be given more attention, since a poorly rooted plant can die in frosty winter without shelter. For this reason, it is recommended to plant in the spring, abandoning the autumn. The optimal time is the second half of May.
Step-by-step planting instructions:
- The hole is dug taking into account the size of the root ball.
- At the bottom, 20 cm of gravel or crushed stone is poured for drainage.
- The removed earth is mixed with a small amount of sand and 50 g of superphosphate is added for feeding.
- A third of the soil is poured back, placing the seedling and the garter rail in the center.
- The roots are carefully covered with the remaining soil, immediately watering abundantly.
- Mulch the near-stem circle with a layer of mulch of 5-10 cm.
Watering mode
Drought resistance of this variety is average. In the absence of rain for a long time, they are watered at the rate of 7 liters of water under each tree 2 times a week. Adult plants need watering only a couple of times a month for 15-20 liters. The best time for watering is morning or evening, and with sprinkling. You can spray the crown daily, especially in hot and dry climates.
Top dressing
In the first 4 years, the seedling will not need fertilization. After feeding is applied annually. In the spring, fertilizers are used for cypress; Kemira-wagon is also suitable. It is recommended to apply organics once in the middle of summer.
Features of summer care
The growth rate of thuja Reingold is very slow, but at the same time the crown forms a dense and regular round shape. Young shoots that grow every year do not stand out untidy, so formative pruning may not be done at all.
Preparing thuja Reingold for winter
Frost cannot cause serious damage to an adult plant. If individual branches freeze, they will recover on their own over the summer. Before wintering, abundant watering is required, mulching of the trunk circle. It is recommended to cover a young seedling with burlap or agricultural cloth to prevent branches from breaking in winter storms.
Reproduction of thuja western Rheingold
Among the breeding methods for this variety, generative and vegetative are recommended. The survival rate of the planting material is excellent. It takes longer to propagate by seeds, so the method is used much less often.
Thuja Reingold saplings grown in containers
Seed propagation
The seeds that are formed every year carry 100% of the parent's genetic information. Cones are harvested at the end of October, and then immediately sown in containers, which are left directly in the garden, covered with a film. Natural stratification will allow the seeds to hatch together next spring. In the summer, the containers are watered, and the covering material is removed when stable warm weather sets in.
The seedlings are kept in containers for a year, and in the second they are planted in separate containers. Only in the third year of life can planting be carried out in open ground. By this time, only strong and viable seedlings will survive, and the weak will die.
Propagation by cuttings
Cutting helps to save a year, since a full-fledged seedling is obtained in just 2 years. The stalk is cut in July from last year's shoots with a lignified part. The optimal length of the cutting is 25-30 cm. It is immersed with its end in fertile soil, and covered for the winter.
Why does thuja Reingold turn yellow
The yellowing of the needles can be caused by:
- Thuya false shield. Its appearance is accompanied by the appearance of yellow spots on the crown. Specialized insecticides are used against it.
- Speckled moth. Following the appearance of brown spots on the crown, the crown of the thuja dies off. Only a quick treatment with a remedy in which a pyrethroid is present will help.
- Thuvaya aphid. The insect sucks the juices of their young needles. For preventive purposes, it is worth treating all plants with specialized insecticides in May or June.
Thuja of the Reingold variety is an attractive dwarf conifer that will decorate any landscape with its unusual crown with a bronze tint. Great for the formation of borders, but no less decorative looks and alone.
