How to cut and shape thuja in spring and autumn: timing and scheme

We tell and show how to perform three options for a thuja topiary haircut. Take note!

Interest in topiary in landscape design is growing from year to year. All kinds of figures of shrubs have long ceased to be a wonder. However, many owners of suburban areas are still afraid to "swing" the topiary haircut, considering it a garden "haute couture". And completely in vain!

The three most popular shapes - spiral, cone (or pyramid) and column - can be handled even by a beginner. We tell and show how this is done step by step.

For a topiary haircut you will need:

• garden shears (some with a power drive, others without),
• spiral stencil tape,
• wooden slats,
• stencil ring.

Is it possible to trim thuja

The coniferous plant needs to be pruned periodically. Thuja performs the decorative function only if it has been given a certain shape. The shrub does not need to be pruned and will grow well. But in this case, it will not fit into the landscape design.

On the territory of Russia, as a rule, the western variety of thuja grows

Tui are fast-growing coniferous perennials. They tolerate pruning well, accompanied by the separation of excess shoots. Experienced gardeners cut thuja in the spring as an obligatory procedure for caring for the plant.

Description of culture

The woody plant thuja is used in landscape design and gardening to decorate plots. Many varieties are known. In the Russian Federation, the western variety is used. In gardens, parks, in alleys, decorative culture is planted in separate trees and in groups. It is also good for hedges. Belonging to the class of Conifers, the Cypress family, the genus of gymnosperms of conifers, thuja can be attributed to both shrubs and trees. It all depends on the size, which can reach 70 m in height.

According to the botanical description, the following signs are noted:

Flower buds are laid a year before the process. In winter, already formed flowers are hidden in them. Good lighting is especially favorable for their establishment. The pollen matures so much that nearby water bodies turn yellow. Good pollination should be matched by weather and other conditions.

Thuja, as a culture, does not impose special requirements for care during growth. These can be home plants that decorate the dacha, or part of the landscaping of squares, parks, urban areas. They can be used as protection against industrial smoke.Cultivation is usually carried out in the open field, which is facilitated by a significant resistance to frost. Various garden forms are known. Many varieties also grow in nature:

These 5 species are common in North America and East Asia.

Required tools

Before considering the instructions for cutting thuja for dummies, you need to prepare for the procedure. The main point is the preparation of the instrument.

You will need a sharp pruner to trim the shrub and shape it to the desired shape. With its help, dry branches are cut. Garden shears are also used for curly pruning. Thick branches on the thuja, if necessary, are removed with a sickle.

To form a crown, you need to purchase a high-quality pruner or scissors Important! When carrying out work, be sure to protect your hands from sharp branches. To do this, wear thick garden gloves.

Before cutting the thuja, the tool must be sharpened well. If it is not sharp, the procedure will become time consuming. In addition, there is a risk of damage to the plant.

Scissors and other tools for cutting thuja

At first glance, especially to people who perform this type of thuja care for the first time, it may seem that this needs to be learned for many years, and even the equipment is expensive to buy. But we will dispel this myth. All that is needed is a pruner and a pair of garden shears. It is not expensive, it is convenient and does the necessary work.

With the help of a pruner, pruning is performed in order to thin out the crown and remove dry branches. Garden shears shape the silhouette of the plant and gently cut the shoots.

There are two types of scissors: mechanical (manual) or electrical. Here we cannot give you advice in choosing one or the other. With experience, you yourself will come to a decision which is more convenient for you in your work. But note that experienced gardeners recommend electric shears for processing a large number of trees. This recommendation is logical from the point of view of the expenditure of physical forces. The electrical appliance takes on part of the load during use.

Tui grown in private plots, or in the amount of 2-4 pieces, mechanical shears are enough, the work will be done more accurately.

In addition to the above two tools, a sickle or hatchet is used to remove thicker tree branches. Be sure to prepare your tools before starting work. Namely, sharpen them, as dull blades can seriously injure the crown of the plant.

The choice of special clothing is up to you. You will not receive any serious physical harm when pruning, but the tree will release resin in the process, and it, in turn, will stain you and wash it off quite difficult.

When to prune thuja: fall or spring

There are no fundamental requirements for the timing of the haircut. The procedure for the formation of thuja can be carried out both in spring and in autumn. Many gardeners prefer to trim the plant as needed, when a large number of out of shape branches appear on it.

Pruning thuja in the fall

It is recommended to carry out a haircut with the simultaneous formation of a bush at the end of August. During this period, the plant begins to prepare for the upcoming wintering.

Important! Over the summer, thuja grows up to 25-30 cm. A lot of snow adheres to excessively long branches in winter, under the weight of which the plant is subject to deformation.

Thuja can be cut both in spring and autumn.

Thuja can be trimmed in early or mid-September. An important condition is that after a haircut, at least two weeks remain before the expected cold snap. Otherwise, the damaged branches will not have time to restore the normal movement of the juice and may die.

How to cut thuja in the spring

In late February or early March, it is recommended to prune the shrub for sanitary purposes. The exact time of the procedure depends on the climatic characteristics of the region.

If the plant was closed for the winter, it must first be opened. After that, the bush is left for several days so that it begins to straighten. After 2-3 days, a haircut is performed.

You can not cut branches immediately after rain

Yellowed or dried branches are cut from the bush. At the same time, it is shaped to complement the landscape.

Features of haircuts of some varieties

Pruning needs to be planned in advance. To provide the desired effect, you need to take into account the varietal characteristics of the shrub.

For example, spherical types of thuja need to be cut regularly. Otherwise, they are deformed and can no longer be used as an independent landscape decoration.

Many thujas are used to make hedges. They need to be cut regularly to keep them the same height.

Sanitary pruning is carried out 2 times a year

Most thuja varieties have a good appearance, even if they are not pruned. They maintain a beautiful shape for a long time, decorating the site. However, a sanitary haircut is still required, as it involves the removal of dry shoots.

Thuja trimming forms

Trimming your shrub is easy if you follow simple guidelines. First of all, you need to choose a suitable form for the plant so that it matches the characteristics of the landscape on the site. Consideration should be given to the age, height of the bushes and the growth rate.

To trim a thuja, perform the following steps:

1. Inspection of the crown of the plant to identify problem areas.
2. Removing unnecessary branches.
3. Correction of the shape of the crown.

The first haircut is done 3-4 years after planting the seedling
Thuja is cut based on the natural shape of the plant. Obviously, it is inappropriate to make spherical shrubs from pyramidal or cone-shaped thuja.

Tips and Warnings

In order for the procedure to be successful, several mandatory rules must be followed. Then even inexperienced gardeners will be able to cut the thuja and give a beautiful shape for an ornamental shrub.

Key recommendations:

1. It is forbidden to cut off young plants less than a year after planting in the ground.
2. Shrub trimming is carried out on each side.
3. Dry branches must be cut off completely, at the very base.
4. Remove shoots without needles.
5. There should be no holes in the crown after cutting.

Corrective pruning is carried out in the autumn.
Novice gardeners are advised to abandon complex shapes or green sculptures. First, it is advised to master simple geometric shapes: pyramids, cones, cylinders. In the future, as you gain experience in decorative pruning of thuja, it will be possible to complicate the process.

One of the most difficult options is topiary haircut. It is carried out in the manufacture of green compositions and hedges.

Step-by-step curly haircut of a thuja

Unlike sanitary pruning, shaping can be repeated regularly. Some types of shrubs need to be pruned periodically due to the fact that the branches grow very quickly and provoke deformation of the plant.

To find out how to properly carry out a curly haircut, you can watch master classes from experienced gardeners:

How to trim with a spiral

This option is very popular among landscape designers. The spiral shape is a unique decoration of the site. For such a figure, tall thuja with a straight trunk are ideal. If the shrub has several bases, they are fastened together.

The procedure will require:

• gardening scissors;
• long rope;
• spray paint.

At the end of pruning, the tree should be watered abundantly.
Initially, they carry out a sanitary shearing of the plant, removing all unnecessary from it. In the future, using a rope or spray paint, you need to outline the lines of movement of the spiral. This will allow you to see the areas of the plant that need to be cut to give the desired shape.

Important! A spiral shape is created in a few haircuts. During the first, the shape is outlined, and with subsequent pruning, it is deepened.

The spiral should be symmetrical so that the plant looks attractive from all sides. The top when creating such a figure is usually left, however, some gardeners prefer to remove the upper part of the crown.

How to trim with a cone

This form of the plant is recommended for beginners due to its simplicity. For cutting with a cone, a wooden or wire frame is used. It is made in the form of a triangle with a base located at the roots of the shrub. The use of such a frame allows you to give the correct conical shape.

The procedure can be carried out with a garden shears, pruner or brush cutter.

Pruning is carried out evenly on each side. Periodically, the gardener should move away from the shrub and check for deformed branches. After creating a cone-shaped figure, it is enough to periodically cut a haircut for the purpose of correction. Then the plant will not have time to start up shoots that violate the geometric shape.

Haircut spherical thuja

This pruning option is often difficult even for experienced gardeners. It is difficult to give the shrub the shape of the correct ball due to the need to respect the proportions. There are several ways to solve the problem.

Among them:

• the use of a wire frame;
• the use of a hoop as a template for a haircut;
• using garden shears with rounded blades.

Many varieties of thuja have the appearance of a ball by nature. Therefore, just such varieties should be given a round shape.

Popular globular varieties:

1. Danica.
2. Teddy.
3. Globoza.
4. Golden Globe.
5. Hoseri.

The pruning shear blade must be well sharpened and sharp
Such thuja are best suited for shaping a ball. Due to their natural configuration, they are much easier to round than other coniferous shrub varieties.

Topiary haircut

Thuja crown is great for the formation of complex geometric shapes. Making green sculptures from bush is the main direction of topiary haircut.

To trim trees, it is advisable to choose cloudy weather.

For such a procedure, a frame is required. It follows the shape of a specific figure. Putting it on a bush, it is enough to cut off excess branches. The result is a decorative figure. After giving the bush the required shape, the frame is removed. The preventive haircut is repeated regularly.

There is another option for making green sculptures and hedges. The frame is put on a young plant until it has grown. The shrub will acquire the desired shape during the growth process, after which a haircut will be required only for correction purposes.

Horizontal crown formation

This option will certainly appeal to those who do not want to deep prune the plant due to the potential harm. Horizontal formation is carried out on young shrubs that have not yet grown to a constant height.

The main way to change direction is to limit the ability of the branches to grow upward. For this, a wire is pulled, which prevents the vertical growth of shoots. As a result, the branches are forced to turn and grow horizontally.

The wire is fixed on young thujas at the end of winter or at the beginning of spring. It is necessary to remove the limiter in the fall. At the same time, you need to cut the thuja in height in order to remove the branches that are above the level of the wire.

Another way of horizontal shaping is with a garter. The bases of the bush are tied with a rope to supports, which are fixed in the ground. Usually metal tubes or wooden posts perform their function. This method is best for tui, whose height does not exceed 60 cm.

If you cut off the upper shoots, then the perennial will grow in width.

Some gardeners advise tying weights to large branches that will change the direction of growth. This method is not recommended, as heavy objects fixed to the bush can cause damage or severe deformation of the plant.

Spring pruning - how to do it right

First cut - sanitary... Its purpose is to prune, possibly remove completely, dried or broken tree branches by winter winds and snow. When the tree completely wakes up from hibernation, and the average daily temperature approaches 10 ⁰С, then you can start shaping haircuts.

Thuja occidentalis is a very plastic material for the formation of almost any topiary pattern: it easily tolerates haircuts, "responds" to them with a new growth, which fills in the gaps in the crown. Pruning will turn a thin thuja with an openwork transparent crown into a lush, dense beauty.

Often, after a harsh winter, thujas, which exceed the threshold of 3 meters in height, bend the crown under the weight of snow, by their own weight, or shy away from the large trees shading them, cut in height.

As a rule, thuja "Smaragd" has several trunks (from 3 to 5, depending on age): 1 - leader and several accompanying ones. Pruning begins with the main central trunk, which is cut 20 centimeters below the point that should be the top of the tree. The accompanying trunks and branches are cut in such a way that the upper part of the thuja looks natural, conical. This requires the experienced hand of a gardener who understands the basic principles of forming the crown of coniferous trees.

Is it possible to cut the top of a thuja

Coniferous shrubs grow very quickly. For 1 year, one thuja can increase by 30 cm or more. Because of this, the question arises about the need to remove the top. Cutting off the upper part of the crown is not only possible, but also necessary. The procedure promotes the emergence of new shoots.

Trimming the top is especially important if the thuja are planted as a green hedge. The procedure will be needed to align the plants, otherwise the overall composition will be disturbed.

If the perennial grows quickly, you need to reduce the amount of fertilizers used.

Important! The top should be trimmed at least once every 2 years. It is best to carry out this procedure simultaneously with a sanitary shearing of the bush.

Cutting off the top of the shrub is also necessary for another reason. An overly abundant and dense top crown can cause the lower shoots to receive insufficient sunlight. This will harm the plant and can provoke a change in the color of the needles, which will also affect the decorative qualities.

Thuja haircut: types and purposes

Thuja sanitary pruning

As it became clear from the above, there are two types of trimmings: sanitary and decorative.

1. Sanitary processing is performed with all types of thuja for healthy and harmonious development and growth. In the process of this pruning, yellowed and aged needles are removed both from the upper part of the crown and directly from the tree trunk. Such an event is the prevention of fungal infections and the colonization of pests. In addition, dry and damaged shoots are removed during sanitary pruning to increase density and improve appearance.
2. Formative pruning is aimed only at the aesthetic improvement of the plant or giving it some specific complex forms, for example, animal figures. It also helps to correct and control plant growth.

Care after pruning

Thuja is considered an unpretentious plant. But after the bush is pruned, it needs special attention. Additional care allows you to eliminate the negative consequences of the procedure. This is especially important if a large number of live branches have been cut.

Mandatory procedures after a haircut:

1. Abundant watering.
2. Removal of weed plants.
3. Loosening and mulching the soil around the bush.
4. Top dressing with fertilizers.

Small thujas need from 10 liters of liquid. If a large specimen was cut off, it needs 30-50 liters of water. After the branches are removed, the rate of evaporation of the liquid increases. Therefore, abundant watering is needed every week for the first month after cutting.

After pruning, trees can be treated with a growth stimulant.

After that, the soil is loosened. The procedure prevents fluid retention. Compost, crushed bark and wood chips are used as mulch for thuja.

If thick living branches were cut off from the shrub, the places of removal should be covered with crushed coal or peat. Thanks to this treatment, the risk of pathogenic microorganisms entering the cut site is reduced.

It is necessary to feed the thuja with mineral or organic fertilizer only if it was cut in the spring. In the autumn period, it is impossible to make recharge, since otherwise the plant will not have time to prepare for wintering.

Immediately after cutting, it is forbidden to spray the shrub from pests or diseases. Poisonous substances can get into the cut and provoke the process of dying off the affected areas.