Basic difficulties you may encounter when growing thuja, also known as northern white-cedar

Thuja is often difficult to grow an there are various reasons for it. If your thuja trees do not look the way you like, then read on and we shall explain the various signs that your tree may be giving you – and you should be able to identify the problem and eliminate it . So let us take look.

Bad watering

Watering is very important and needs to be addressed. You should water seedlings well after planting, but do not over do it. Do not drown your seedlings! If you planted in a heavier soil, be careful with watering. Observe the total soil moisture before the seedlings take a good root.

Drying in winter

Thuja may dry out in winter can dry , due to a lack of moisture in the soil. Trees in buckets are most at risk. Make sure to water your plants in the garden before freezing.

Too much fertilization

If you want to fertilize your thuja, do not put the fertilizer directly over the roots right after planting. Wait for about one month with the first fertilization. We recommend applying fertilizer when the whole root system is fully developed.

Winter salting and winter warming

Problems often appear if you trees are near roads that are treated with salt during winter. If salt leaks from the road it will affect your trees badly. Think before planting your trees and choose appropriate location for your seedlings. Winter warming can also cause problems because when warmer weather comes around budding occurs. In this case, you need to clip them out.

Fungus and pests

If your tree is attacked by a fungus or mould, you will notice blackened dead shoots during late summer. If this occurs, you need to completely remove the affected branches and spray the tree with a suitable fungicide. As for pests, you have to watch for certain butterfly larvae. The most common is the thuja shoot moth (Argyresthia thuiella) but thankfully, there are good products you can use to get rid of moths.

Photo: Radek Štěpán