Arborvitae are evergreen coniferous trees. These trees are frequently grown as privacy hedges around the borders of properties. Come learn more about the proper care and maintenance of these Thujas.
Plant arborvitae in late winter or early spring to construct a privacy screen, living fence, or windbreak. Choose a well-draining spot where they get full sun or partial shade and have plenty of room to grow. Space plants according to their anticipated mature size, not how big they are when planting.
Arborvitae are easy to grow, but they are often trimmed incorrectly. Make sure to remove overgrowth in the spring and fine tune in the summer. Prune heavily before plants break dormancy, and never remove more than one-third of the plant’s foliage. Avoid cutting into old wood and constantly step back to observe your work.
Growing 3-5 feet a year, and topping out at 60 feet tall, Green Giant arborvitae are perfect for hedges and privacy screens. They stay full and green year-round and are resistant to insect pest problems, as well as deer. These evergreens are adaptable to most hardiness zones if they have well-draining soil and plenty of room to grow.
The narrow pyramidal shape and decorate fan-shaped leaves of the Emerald Cedar make it a popular arborvitae species in landscapes. These plants thrive in growing zones 2 to 7, and grow to about 15 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide. Younger plants have a bright-yellow green foliage that deepens to emerald green with age.
Seeing your arborvitae trees turn brown is quite disheartening. They may turn brown naturally due to seasonal needle drop or because of fungal diseases, winter burn, and pests. Understanding why it’s turning brown is essential to keep it from reoccurring.
Arborvitae are common landscape plants as they are easy to care for and resistant to insect and disease problems. The most popular types are Emerald Green, Green Giant, Firechief, American, Dwarf Golden, Golden Globe, and North Pole. Each type has its own striking characteristics that make it popular.
Arborvitaes are evergreen trees that thrive with proper fertilization. We typically recommend an N-P-K ratio of about 3-1-1 for these thujas so that they can flourish on your property.