When to cut thuja. How to propagate thuja by cuttings in the fall at home

Thuja is a member of the cypress family. With the help of this evergreen plant you can decorate any personal plot, local area, garden, make hedge or green corridor.

One way to have an unusual thuja on your property is to take cuttings from the plant. This is convenient and effective, since the varietal qualities of the plant are preserved and full-fledged trees are obtained in 2-3 years. It is quite possible to propagate thuja at home.

How to grow thuja from a twig?

To carry out spring cuttings of thuja, you need to choose the most beautiful branches of a plant that has not yet become woody, which is no more than 3 years old. When asking how to propagate thuja, you need to focus on the quality of the selected branches. It is better to cut half-meter green ones with a small piece of tree bark at the end. Such an event should be carried out manually in cloudy weather in the morning, tearing off the required cuttings a sharp downward movement.

At the end of the plucked shoot, a “woody heel” should be left, which is a piece of bark as a basis for new roots. One more condition you need to know: if the cutting is taken from the tops of the axial shoots of the thuja, then a branched tree will grow, and if the cutting belongs to the lateral branches of the bush, a creeping form of the plant will be obtained.

It is best to carry out cuttings in the spring, based on the fact that it is during this period of the year that all processes in living nature are carried out faster, the movement of juices in the thuja shoots is activated and the cut cuttings will give the first roots faster.

In spring it is held at the end of March or beginning of April. If this period of the year is missed, then cuttings of thuja can also be done in June.

Cutting thuja cuttings in the spring, when the first wave of growth occurs, the germination of cutting branches takes over the entire development cycle of the plant. However, in this case there is a danger that the branches planted for germination will fall under spring frosts. This can be avoided by installing a box with cuttings in a home mini-greenhouse and covering it with film.

Summer cuttings affect the second wave of growth. In this case, sufficient watering of the substrate in which the twig produces roots is necessary. You need to carefully monitor soil moisture and watering frequency. Future seedlings can seriously suffer from the summer heat. At this time, the plant is periodically sprayed with a spray bottle 2 times a day - morning and evening.

Thuja propagation occurs using a substrate or ordinary water. This means that a plucked cutting can take root equally well both in a glass of ordinary water and in the soil prepared for it.

How to grow thuja in water?

In this case, the long tail of the “woody heel” of the newly cut thuja cuttings is trimmed and the lower green growth of the shoot is cleared so that about 5 cm of clean stem remains. Then the root of the cutting must immerse 2 cm in water with Kornevin powder. More than 3 cuttings cannot be placed in one container, so that they do not suffocate.

Be sure to ensure that the branch does not begin to rot. To do this, do not immerse the green part of the sprout in water. Such home germination of cuttings in water should take place in a bright, cool, but not cold place.

Water needs to be changed promptly. It must not be allowed to become cloudy. When changing water, the cutting is removed from the container and its root part is wrapped damp cloth. IN clean water you need to add a couple of manganese crystals for disinfection.

Once the cutting takes root, it can be planted in the area. First you need to prepare a place in the ground for it.

Growing in substrate

A cut thuja cutting is also easy to grow in a substrate. This method of propagating thuja is considered more reliable, since in this case the sprout is saturated with useful substances. Stages of planting in the substrate:

You should spray the cuttings daily with water at room temperature from a spray bottle. This way, water will not wash away the “woody heel” of the cutting. After two months, the thuja sprout should finally take root. If buds begin to appear on the cuttings, that is good sign. You should not immediately plant the sprout in open ground. First you need to harden the plant. The box should sometimes be taken outside so that the plant gets used to environmental conditions.

At spring breeding Already in September, thujas plant the rooted sprout in a temporary place, where it should spend a couple of years. This is the so-called school for young plant. The soil should be filled with peat and leaf humus, and the place should be in light shade. If necessary, scatter 1 bucket of peat per 1 m 2 of land.

Planting a young plant and caring for it

There is no need to rush to plant the germinated thuja from school in the place prepared for it. It is necessary to think through all the nuances of the future existence of the plant . It must grow in a place, well warmed by the sun, which the sun's rays will especially visit in the first half of the day, and in the second there will be partial shade from neighboring trees.

In the thuja hole you need to put a mixture of manure, compost and garden soil. The roots of the plant should not be broken, and the root collar should be above the ground. After replanting, you should water the plant generously and put sawdust or pine bark on top. This will protect the root system. It is necessary to ensure that the mulch does not cover the lower branches of the thuja and her fragile trunk - they can ban.

Young shoots should:

Propagation of thuja by cuttings is a very interesting and sensitive process. A beautifully growing tree will be a reward for all the efforts made during the entire period of growing the cutting. This plant will fit perfectly into any landscape design..

The homeland of thuja is East Asia. This tree quickly gained popularity in our latitudes for its appearance and unpretentiousness. With the help of thuja you can improve any garden; it is an excellent solution for many architectural compositions. Therefore, novice gardeners have increasingly become interested in the question of how to propagate thuja at home, so as not to buy ready-made seedlings.

Advantages and disadvantages of the vegetative method of propagation

If you propagate thuja by cuttings, you can get a completely normal tree, although less hardy than one grown from seeds.

By rooting cuttings, you can get a young plant within 2 years.

But vegetative propagation has its advantages:

When propagated by cuttings, maternal qualities (appearance) are preserved.
Propagation by seeds is a long process. It takes about 6 years from the preparation of planting material to the appearance of seedlings.
You can get a young thuja using cuttings propagation within 2 years.

Among the shortcomings this method The following can be noted: not all cuttings become trees. About 30% of harvested cuttings are lost, despite full compliance with all growing rules. If to this process If treated without special care, the percentage of dead branches increases significantly.

Selection of planting material

Thuja twigs can only be taken at the height of leaf fall. deciduous trees, this period takes place around mid-October.

Planting material must be selected carefully, following a number of rules:

The twig should be woody. Otherwise, it will not take root.
It is best to give preference to the branches at the top of the tree. This guarantees the development of the correct crown of the future tree.
The length of the cutting should be no more than 50 cm.
The branch should be taken from a middle-aged plant, preferably from a specimen that is at least 4 years old.
There should be a “heel” at the end of each branch. This is the name given to a section of lignified bark formed in the previous year.

Cuttings for rooting are taken from trees that are already 4 years old.

Preparation of cuttings

Selected branches need to be prepared for rooting. To do this, unnecessary foliage is torn off from the bottom, and the places where the bark comes off (in the heel area) are cut off.

Features of reproduction in autumn

To reduce the number of dead cuttings, gardeners recommend propagating thuja in the fall. It is at this time that the flow of sap in the plant slows down, and the harvested material suffers less from a lack of water. There are also small drawback autumn breeding– it takes much longer to take root.

Rooting methods

You can root thuja in several ways:

in the substrate;
in water;
in a diaper.

Rooting thuja in the substrate

With the first method, rooting is carried out in the substrate, and the seedlings are more hardy.

To do this you will need to do the following:

Rooting thuja in water

The easiest way to root a thuja from a branch is to use the water method. To do this, you need to choose a container in which the foliage of the cutting will not touch the water. Pour plain water into it and place no more than 3 cuttings. Containers should be stored in a cool but well-lit place.

The main disadvantage of this method is that the water does not contain the necessary nutrients. Therefore, the seedlings turn out weak and do not take root well. But with this method, the cuttings sprout roots quite quickly.

Rooting thuja in a diaper

Another way to root a thuja is to use a diaper.

To do this you need to prepare the following:

Disposable baby diaper.
Plastic bag.
Kornevin or other growth stimulant.
Sphagnum.

Before proceeding with the next procedure, you need to put the cuttings in a solution with Kornevin for 12 hours.

After this you can start rooting:

This method is one of the most effective and at the same time simple. The branches are constantly in a humid environment; the moss completely protects the plant from fungal diseases. The seedlings are hardy and tolerate planting well in the ground.

Caring for cuttings during autumn rooting

When rooting cuttings in the substrate, you need to moisten the soil. A spray bottle is used for this, since such watering will not clot the soil and expose the heels. The soil should be moderately moist. Any deviation from the norm has a detrimental effect on the plant.

When rooting cuttings in water, you only need to periodically change the water so that the plant does not rot. The process of changing water is simple. Remove the cuttings from the jar and wrap them in damp cloth. Rinse the jar with water and potassium permanganate. Pour water and place the cuttings again.

When rooting thuja in a diaper, you only need to observe the presence or absence of condensation on the bag. If it is present, then the cuttings are fine. In its absence, you just need to moisten the diaper.

Features of thuja reproduction in spring

Rooting thuja in spring period has its own characteristics. Spring is a time of rapid development of plants. Therefore, rooting usually takes place faster. However this method has its drawbacks - the need for constant hydration. If the cutting is left without moisture for even one day, which is required at this moment in large quantities, then it simply may not give roots.

In spring, thuja cuttings take root faster, but they need more moisture.

Preparation of cuttings in spring

In this case, there are no special differences in the preparation of planting material from those described above. The plant must be healthy and about 3 years old. The only thing is the time when it’s time to tear off the cutting with the heel - mid-April. If you missed this period, then you can tear off a branch in July, at the moment when the plant begins its second growth phase.

Important. You will have rooted seedlings only next spring.

Rooting methods

To properly root a cutting in the spring, it is best to use a method using a substrate. Only this method can fully provide the plant with nutrients, and this is the key to the success of the rooting procedure.

The technology for rooting spring cuttings in the substrate is no different from rooting autumn branches. Therefore, you should follow the instructions described above. The only thing worth remembering is that the plant in the container must be in a room with comfortable temperature. This could be a greenhouse, greenhouse or cool room. You cannot leave a container with cuttings outside; the plant requires a temperature of around 20 degrees Celsius.

Caring for cuttings in spring

Many gardeners have a negative attitude towards rooting thuja in the spring simply because the cuttings need to be looked after daily.

Thuja cuttings that were rooted in the spring require a little more care.

The seedlings are watered with a spray bottle every day. If the weather is hot outside, the amount of watering doubles. In this case, you need to avoid getting water on the foliage, as this can lead to rotting of the plant.

Roots appear on seedlings within 2 months. At this time, the plant is less sensitive to lack of moisture, so there is less maintenance work.

Growing thuja in schools

Grown in any way and in different time Thuja seedlings will need to be transplanted into shkolki - special beds. They will become a home for young trees for the next 3 years. Spring branches that were plucked in April are planted in the ground in September of the same year. Autumn cuttings are replanted the following year.

Schools must be properly prepared:

The site should be in partial shade.
The soil should be loose and fertilized with peat - a bucket per square meter.

To transplant a thuja from a container, you need to moisten the plant and carefully remove it from the pot without disturbing the root system. The seedlings are planted at a distance of 25 cm from each other, with mandatory watering of the soil.

When replanting thuja, do not damage the root system.

After the thujas are placed in schools, they will no longer be such “sissies.” All you have to do is water your trees and rid them of weeds. It will be almost impossible to destroy such a plant. After 3 years, the trees can take over permanent place. The main thing is not to damage the root of the plant during the next transplant.

Thuja grown from cuttings will be a wonderful decoration for any area. These plants do not need special care, but from year to year they delight their owners with evergreen foliage and the ability to shape the crown according to their needs.

In the video, a specialist tells and shows how to properly grow and care for thuja.

Self-breeding thuja local area– the event is not difficult and very exciting. However, it is necessary not only to propagate correctly, but also to plant the ephedra correctly.

Advantages of autumn propagation of thuja by cuttings

The main advantage of breeding ephedra in autumn period is the possibility of obtaining a full-fledged plant in three years. Such a plant will fully comply botanical characteristics maternal culture, but the survival rate is not at high level.

It should be noted that cuttings grown at home are quite difficult to tolerate the replanting process and do not have very high resistance to pathogenic flora and sudden temperature changes. However, it is autumn propagation that is most often practiced by gardeners and flower growers in our country.

When and how to properly carry out thuja cuttings in the fall

Cutting planting material is carried out only from branches that have reached two years of age and are well developed. When slicing, you need to remember that the length of the shoot should be approximately a quarter of a meter. The best option is not cutting the cuttings with pruning shears or a knife, but breaking them off from a branch of the mother plant, which will allow you to get planting material with the presence of a characteristic “heel” of bark.

All prepared ephedra cuttings must be placed for several hours in a container filled with water with the addition of a growth stimulant and bio-rooting agent. It is advisable to carry out the main process of germinating cuttings inside a special greenhouse, which must first be filled with clean river sand, peat chips and turf soil mixed in equal proportions.

Methods of propagation of thuja (video)

It is important to remember that the nutrient soil mixture must be disinfected before backfilling, using for this purpose a fairly strong solution based on potassium permanganate.

Prepared and passed pre-treatment in growth stimulants, cuttings should be planted in a moistened nutrient substrate, maintaining a distance of 50-70 mm. The depth into the nutrient substrate should be approximately 20 mm. Plantings in a greenhouse must be covered with transparent plastic film, which will make it possible to shade rooted ephedra cuttings from direct contact sun rays.

Why you can’t store thuja cuttings

Cuttings can be done in spring or autumn, but such planting material cannot be stored, since extremely rapid dehydration and death of the wood occurs. Such vegetative method, in comparison with seed propagation, is the most convenient in indoor and home gardening conditions.

Cuttings from spring or autumn harvesting need to be properly grown. For this purpose, it is necessary to form special ridges, which are called “school”. In such conditions, the planting material will remain for a couple of years, after which the transplant will take place. coniferous seedling to a permanent place. Planting material cut in the autumn is planted on shkolka ridges only in next year.

Technology for rooting thuja cuttings at home in autumn

At home, rooting conifers for autumn propagation is most often done using sphagnum peat moss. It is also necessary to prepare plastic film, a clean cloth and a growth stimulator, including Epin or Kornevin. The technology for this method of rooting conifers at home is not complicated, but must be carried out taking into account the following recommendations:

place the thuja shoots in a container filled with water with the addition of any for about twelve hours;
pour sphagnum moss with boiled warm water for about three hours, which will allow natural material increase in size and also be well saturated with moisture;
lay a wide strip of fabric on a flat surface, visually divide the width of the strip in half, and evenly distribute moistened sphagnum moss over the entire upper part;
It is necessary to place chopped conifer cuttings at a slight distance from each other, and then cover them with damp sphagnum.

On final stage it is necessary to cover the cuttings with the bottom of the fabric strip and roll them into a not too dense roll, which is placed in polyethylene. The workpiece must be placed in a room with sufficient natural light. If necessary, moss must be moistened periodically clean water at room temperature from a household spray bottle.

How to cut thuja (video)

What you need to know about planting thuja cuttings in open ground in the fall

Thuja is photophilous plant, and on shady areas such a conifer can quickly lose its natural splendor and all its decorative appeal. The site must be represented by fertile and well-permeable soils with sufficient moisture. Before you start planting coniferous plant, you need to prepare a good planting hole, the size of which depends on the development parameters of the crop roots. To the bottom landing pit a drainage layer is filled in in the form of broken bricks or expanded clay. A nutrient substrate based on sand, peat and garden soil is poured on top.

The ideal time for planting is September and early October, but always before sufficiently strong and stable frosts appear. The roots of the plant must have time to take root before the onset of winter. When planting, the root collar of a coniferous plant should be placed at the same level with the ground.

After planting, watering is carried out, and timely and proper feeding will allow the plant to take root well and easily withstand the stress caused by planting. As autumn feeding You can use potassium and phosphorus fertilizers. After planting, you need to provide the decorative crop with daily irrigation and regular sprinkling with a hose.

If you follow the planting regime and care rules, you can count on getting a beautiful and strong coniferous plant.

How to root thuja cuttings (video)

It always seemed to me that in order to have a home on personal plot Such a beautiful plant as thuja requires spending a lot of money.

After all, these plants are quite expensive. But it turns out that it is quite possible to grow such a beauty yourself without spending money on it. Since I succeeded, I want to tell you how to do it yourself and completely free.

If you have a dream to grow lush and luxurious thujas on your plot, then the cutting method will great solution, which can be implemented without problems and costs. And if you follow the rules it will give excellent results.

Thuja can be propagated in two ways: using seeds and cuttings.

Reproduction using seeds is not popular, since this method takes longer, and it is possible to see the result of your labor only after a few years. While propagating thuja by cuttings is much faster and more convenient.

It is best to propagate thuja by cuttings in spring or autumn. This method is the simplest and most effective. Its advantage is the ability to preserve varietal qualities, and the ability to get a full-fledged small tree in just a couple of years.

There are also disadvantages to this method, since such trees are not very hardy.

Strong and healthy individuals are suitable for this purpose, since prepared cuttings from diseased plants will also be weak and diseased. In addition, cuttings not taken from upright shoots may not grow erect, but may have a bent trunk. That's why the best material there will be branches cut from the apical part of the plant.

As material for cuttings, you should take shoots that are already lignified, 2 or 3 years old, grown to 10-15 centimeters, cut from the ends of the shoots. Older plants lose the ability to form a root system.

It is recommended not to cut off the branch for cuttings, but to tear it off along with the heel. This is a piece of last year's bark, which contains nutrients accumulated from last year. For better rooting of cuttings, these branches are the most suitable.

You can root thuja cuttings at different times of the year, but the autumn period is considered the most promising. Although rooting occurs faster in cuttings prepared in the spring. To do this, you need to wait about three months for the root system to form.

But the roots of thuja cut in the fall will have to wait much longer. These plants will only be able to take root next year.

Nevertheless, such seedlings suffer less from lack of water because sap flow stops in the fall. Hence, large quantity plants will be able to take root. Although rooting will take longer.

It is best to collect material in October, when leaf fall has already ended. It is better to choose a cloudy day for harvesting cuttings. And if the thuja is pyramidal in shape, then it is better to choose cuttings from the side shoots. Great importance has the appearance of the tip of the cutting, its color should be green.

When starting the further rooting stage, you should remove small twigs and leaves to a height of 3-4 centimeters from below. Excess needles at the bottom of the cutting can contribute to further rotting, so you can even shorten the needles at the bottom of the stem somewhat.

After this, the cuttings are placed in a solution of a root formation stimulator for 10-12 hours (Epin or Kornevin are suitable for this).

Cuttings cannot be stored, as they deteriorate and become unsuitable for rooting. If it is not possible to immediately begin rooting, then they are wrapped in a wet cloth and stored in a cool place.

Priming

Light soil with fairly good drainage is best suited for rooting thuja cuttings. Very good in this sense, ordinary river sand. It is also possible to prepare a soil mixture by mixing peat with sand and leaf soil in equal proportions.

To plant cuttings, shallow containers are used, which must have good drainage and be breathable. If you use ordinary sand as a primer, it is very important to first boil it thoroughly for at least five minutes and then cool it.

In addition, a 3% solution of potassium permanganate should be added to both the sand and the soil mixture before planting, mixing it with the substrate.

Expanded clay or pebbles can be placed at the bottom of the container as drainage. small size. Then the prepared soil mixture or boiled sand is poured on top.

Rooting cuttings

The rooting process itself can be reduced to the following instructions:

Before planting, cut thuja cuttings are treated in a growth stimulator;
Insert the branches into the prepared soil at an angle of 45 degrees, deepening them 1.5-2 centimeters into the soil;
When planting, maintain a distance between seedlings of at least five centimeters;
After planting, the soil is slightly compacted and watered;
Containers with cuttings are covered with film or a plastic bag;
Alternatively, you can use a plastic cup and cover it with another similar glass on top.

If the rooting process proceeds normally, then some time after planting the cuttings in the ground you will be able to see the appearance of young shoots on the branches.

Non-standard rooting method

You can also root cuttings in a non-standard way - in potatoes. After all, potatoes contain nutrients and starch, which contribute to the successful rooting of the cuttings.

For this purpose, you need to choose fresh and healthy potatoes. They are thoroughly washed and the eyes are removed, and then with a nail, indentations about 4 centimeters in length are made, into which the prepared thuja cuttings are placed.

Then a fertile substrate is poured into the prepared containers, into which potatoes with cuttings are dropped.

The branch is covered with plastic bottle, whose bottom is pre-cut. The bottle cap is then periodically removed, and the plant is watered through the hole.

Rooting cuttings in water is also possible, but this method is not very effective.

Care

Caring for plants until they are planted in a permanent place involves maintaining a certain humidity and temperature.

An indispensable condition is high humidity, at least 70%, as well as an air temperature of 20-23 degrees. In addition, it is necessary to regularly ventilate the seedlings. The container with seedlings should be in a well-lit place, but at the same time, the bright sun is dangerous for tender young plants.

Watering plants should be done with the utmost care to avoid exposing the “heel” and avoid getting the needles wet.

It is best to use a spray bottle to moisten the soil. In addition, it is necessary to water the plants only after the top layer of soil has dried, since waterlogging can destroy young thujas.

With the onset of autumn, when the plants take root, they are transplanted into slightly larger containers, or into a special school - a bed allocated for these purposes in a secluded place in the garden.

When planting in containers, prepare a nutrient mixture. To do this, mix with peat garden soil in equal proportions.

The rest of the care will consist of timely watering, fertilizing and removing weeds.

Before the onset of cold weather, young seedlings must be covered to protect them from the winter cold. You can use spruce branches, sawdust, and fallen leaves as covering material.

With the onset of spring, the shelter from the seedlings is removed. At the same time, you need to be completely sure that frost will not return. Further care carried out to the same extent as before. And you can plant young thujas in a permanent place in two years.

Propagation of thuja by cuttings, video:

Any conifer tree, grown on the site, gives it a unique flavor. IN Lately Western thujas are increasingly in demand. The variety of colors and shapes of these is extremely interesting plants allows you to satisfy yourself demanding buyer. But it’s not always affordable to buy the desired variety of thuja in a nursery or store. And there is a possibility that the purchased seedling will not take root in the new place.

You can grow the thuja occidentalis variety you like from a petiole. Thuja cuttings are considered the most effective and simple method thuja breeding. When propagating thuja by cuttings, all grown plants receive same characteristics, which is very convenient when forming thuja alleys. It is, of course, possible to propagate thuja by seeds, but the seed propagation method is more labor-intensive and does not make it possible to fully preserve varietal qualities.

Let's talk about timing

Even professionals cannot give a definite answer to the question of when is the best time to take thuja cuttings. Here, opinions are divided: some believe that it is best to take cuttings of thuja, like all conifers, in winter, others insist that the best time for this is mid-spring, and others are confident that the best time to harvest petioles is in the summer. Each named method has its own advantages and disadvantages. General rule cuttings are as follows: petioles are harvested only when the growth period of the shoots has ended.

Most gardeners believe that for propagation by thuja cuttings best time is summer. During warm and long periods summer days the petioles have time to get stronger and take root securely by the next season.

Proponents of propagating thuja by cuttings in the fall point out that summer cuttings may die during the summer drought.

In spring, petioles are harvested in April, at the beginning of rapid spring growth of the plant. Cuttings prepared during this period can take root by autumn. In early September, such cuttings are planted in separate flowerpots or in open ground. Experience shows that by this time the branch has time to form root system up to 10 cm long.

Basic rules for cuttings

In order to prepare cuttings, you should choose healthy and strong specimens of thuja. Closer to the top of the plant, a fairly branched shoot is selected and the woody growths, 2-3 years old and 10-15 cm long, are sharply torn off from it. It is advised to tear off the petioles with the heel (the so-called small piece of bark that is set aside at the base of the cutting) - it is believed that this will speed up the process of their rooting. Cut off the branches quickly; if necessary, use sharp pruning shears.

It also matters where exactly the cutting is cut from. It has been noticed that a thuja grows from a petiole taken from a side shoot irregular shape. Plants with signs of disease are not taken from cuttings at all - a diseased tree will most likely grow into a diseased tree.

It is better to root cuttings immediately after cutting. It is not recommended to leave them for storage - after time, the branches may not produce strong roots. If the petioles still need to be put aside for a while, they are wrapped in a moistened napkin and put in a cool place.

When preparing the petioles for rooting, the branches are freed from excess needles by cutting them off from the bottom. If the branch is branched, it is partially shortened. The bottom of the petiole is slightly cleared of bark. After this machining The branches are placed in water with the addition of a growth stimulator and left for 10-12 hours.

In order to root, prepared branches are immersed in a special substrate that contains river sand and light drained soil. To root thuja cuttings, it is recommended to prepare a mixture containing peat, leaf soil and sand in equal proportions. The soil is laid out in small containers - boxes for seedlings are quite suitable.

The presence of drainage holes in the boxes is a must; this will improve the aeration of the roots. It is even better if the boxes are on small legs, which will also provide air access to the growing roots. A layer of expanded clay, crushed stone, or other small stones is placed at the bottom of the containers.

Before the soil substrate is poured into the boxes, it is treated with a 3% solution of potassium permanganate. It is also recommended to treat the soil mixture with boiling water for complete disinfection.

The ideal medium for rooting petioles is sphagnum moss. It retains moisture well and has an antiseptic effect. By germinating cuttings in this way, you don’t have to worry about the branches drying out and becoming infected with fungal diseases.

The petioles are embedded in the soil mixture at an angle of 45 degrees, no more than 2 cm in depth. When planting branches, you must ensure that the remains of the needles do not come into contact with the ground (otherwise they may rot). When planting, the soil around the cuttings is compacted with your fingers, carefully watered and covered with film or in a plastic bag. When propagating thuja by cuttings in the fall, the cuttings are placed in a greenhouse and special conditions are created there: air humidity should be 70% with sufficient lighting. To maintain moisture, use a humidifier and cover the greenhouse with a transparent film. It is also recommended to periodically ventilate the greenhouse and moisten the soil by spraying - this makes it easier to avoid excess water in the soil and maintain the desired level of humidity.

When using sphagnum, the petioles are simply wrapped in moss, then wrapped in gauze and placed in a plastic bag.

How to care for cuttings

A container with petioles or a bag of sphagnum moss is placed in a warm and well-lit place. Important for germinating branches diffuse light. Direct sunlight is extremely dangerous for thuja cuttings - the branches wither and die.

The soil mixture is moistened as the top layer dries. Excess moisture for germinating branches is as undesirable as its complete absence.

The formation of roots at the petioles can be judged by the appearance of new shoots. If germination was carried out in a greenhouse (as is done with autumn cuttings), then the rooted seedlings gradually begin to harden at this time.

If the rooting of thuja cuttings took place in sphagnum or a seedling box, then 14 days after the formation of roots they are planted for further growth in separate pots or on a bed, where they will grow before being planted in a permanent place of growth. Soil mixture must necessarily contain the addition of peat and leaf humus.

When caring for the cuttings in the future, they are regularly watered, fed and weeded. By winter, the young growth is covered with spruce branches or fallen leaves. In the spring, young thujas are freed from covering material and continue to be cared for according to the previous scheme. Young thujas are planted in a permanent place of growth at 1 or 2 years of age.

Let's draw conclusions

There is quite a lot of advice on how to propagate thuja from cuttings. And there are very different opinions regarding when to select petioles.

If cuttings are cut in the spring, during the first wave of growth, the development of cutting branches takes over the entire development cycle of the plant. But there is a danger here that the cuttings planted for germination will be exposed to spring frosts. To do this, boxes with cuttings are placed in a mini-greenhouse and covered with film.

It is important to take summer cuttings during the second wave of growth. When germination, it is necessary to monitor soil moisture and frequency of watering. Future seedlings can be seriously damaged by the summer heat. At this time, the plants are periodically sprayed with a spray bottle 2 times a day - morning and evening.

It is also possible to propagate thuja by cuttings in the fall. Petioles cut at this time can be considered the strongest and hardiest. But to germinate them, you need a greenhouse - it is sometimes difficult to count on stable weather conditions in autumn.

As you can see, any time of year (except winter) is suitable for cuttings of thuja. The choice of period depends on whether you can then create optimal conditions for germination of the branch. By strictly following the simple rules of care, you can grow a beautiful thuja tree from any petiole.