Indoor thuja: home care and what to do if it dries out?

The indoor ornamental thuja is a neat shrub in a wide variety of shapes. It is called the "tree of life" for its ability to purify the air and energy of the room in which it is placed.

Few people know that the thuja plant does not have a houseplant variety. What gardeners call ornamental thuja is not actually a thuja. Platycladus orientalis is the only representative of the genus Platycladus (Platycladus, Biota) in the Cupressaceae family. In some sources, it is also referred to as the Oriental thuja. This name refers to the plant's former position in the taxonomy.

Florists love the Platycladus arborvitae for its exotic appearance and low maintenance. Caring for an indoor arborvitae plant requires no special skills, and it thrives indoors. The variety of crown shaping options adds to its charm.

Characteristics of indoor thuja and species diversity

The thuja has a shallow root system, which develops quickly. The trunk is erect, covered with thin, light-brown bark. The trunk has straight, upward-sloping branches. The bark of the branches is slightly darker than the trunk bark.

The shoots are flattened. They develop a system of plates arranged radially toward the main trunk. The shoots are light brown in color.

Unlike many other conifers, the leaves are not needles, but flat scales. They grow very densely, closely packed together. The leaves are green, the shade depending on the variety. The needles lack resin glands.

A distinction is made between male and female cones. Male microstrobili (cones) are oblong and located at the tips of shoots. Female microstrobili are located at the tips of individual branches and are spherical.

Oriental thuja is represented by the following varieties:

1. Aurea. Slow-growing shade-loving trees.
2. Aurea Nano. Dwarf thuja.
3. Cupressoidess. Representatives of this cultivar resemble cypresses.
4. Magnifica. Densely branched thuja.

In indoor floriculture, only the Aurea Nano hybrid is widely used.

The secrets and challenges of caring for thuja at home

Caring for thuja is easy and effortless. The most important aspect of growing it is proper watering.

Soil and pot for planting

The soil composition for young and mature thuja plants differs. The substrate for young thujas should contain the following components:

• sand – 1/7 part;
• coniferous soil – 2/7 parts;
• leaf soil – 4/7 parts.

For adult plants use the following composition:

• peat – 2/5;
• sand – 1/5;
• leaf soil – 2/5.

The flower pot must meet the following requirements:

1. Size. Choose a pot for your thuja to accommodate its growth, so you won't have to repot it as often.
2. Drainage. The pot must have large drainage holes at the bottom.
3. Removable tray. Necessary for collecting unused water.

Location and lighting

Thuja thrives only in partial shade. Direct sunlight has a negative effect on the plant. However, leaving it without light is also unacceptable. Insufficient light causes the plant to stretch its stems, which spoils its decorative appearance.

The ideal location is considered to be on a north-facing windowsill or in close proximity to it. East and west windows are too bright for this plant. Therefore, on an east or west-facing window, the pot should only be placed in the back of the room. A south-facing window is not suitable for growing thuja.

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Temperature conditions

During the spring and summer, keep the plant at temperatures between 20°C and 30°C. When the weather finally improves, it's helpful to move the plant outside. This will help it strengthen and gain strength.

In August, the difference between night and day temperatures becomes more noticeable, so the pot is brought indoors at this time. By winter, the temperature is reduced to 15°C. The transition should be gradual to avoid discomfort to the thuja. The plant is quite frost-hardy, but subjecting it to extreme cold is not recommended.

Watering and air humidity

The plant requires regular watering. Don't allow the soil to dry out, as lack of moisture will cause the thuja to lose its decorative appeal.

The flower thrives in both high and low humidity conditions. Moreover, it even tolerates heat well. However, experts still recommend misting the thuja during the summer heat. The combination of dry air and high temperatures can promote disease or pest infestation.

Fertilizers and feeding

Thuja doesn't need frequent fertilization. Once a month in spring and summer is sufficient.

In spring, it's recommended to consider high-nitrogen fertilizers. In summer, it's best to replace them with potassium and phosphorus fertilizers. In fall and winter, thuja doesn't require additional feeding, so avoid it during this period.

Special mineral fertilizers for ornamental foliage plants can be used as fertilizer. Thuja tolerates organic matter well, so alternating mineral and organic fertilizers is acceptable.

Pruning and shaping

Thuja pruning involves sanitizing the plant and shaping the bush. Sanitary pruning involves removing dead parts of the plant. It can be performed year-round.

Formative pruning is performed every spring. This involves shaping the bush into the desired shape. The dense foliage offers truly limitless possibilities. You can trim the thuja into a neat bush or miniature tree. You can also shape the plant into a ball.

Experienced gardeners trim the bushes into the shapes of hearts, spirals, and even chess pieces. Some species of the plant are used in the art of bonsai.

Transfer

Young flowers require annual repotting. Mature plants are repotted as needed, but the top layer of the substrate should be replaced annually.

Reasons for replanting an adult thuja may include the following:

1. The flower's roots are growing out of the drainage holes of the pot.
2. The top layer of soil was covered with a salt film.
3. Moss appeared on the surface of the soil.
4. The soil has become very compacted and is interfering with the normal development of the root system.
5. The substrate is infected with infections or pests.

Thuja roots are very long and fragile. To avoid damaging them, transplant them by transshipping them along with the root ball.

Methods of reproduction

Thuja is propagated by seed and cuttings. The first method is rarely used by gardeners for several reasons. First, growing a flower from seed is very laborious. Second, the bush only reaches full maturity in its fifth year. Third, the seed does not retain the varietal characteristics of the parent plant.

Cuttings are considered a faster and more effective method. To do this, simply cut a branch from an adult plant and place it in moist soil intended for growing young thujas. Until the cutting takes root, it is moistened by spraying. The rooted shoot is replanted the following spring. Caring for the cutting is no different from standard thuja care.

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What to do if an indoor thuja dries out?

Gardeners often encounter certain difficulties when growing indoor plants. Most often, this includes yellowing foliage or drying out of the thuja. If the thuja has dried out, it's likely due to care errors.

If a flower turns yellow and dries up, it's important to determine the cause and take all necessary measures to eliminate it. The most common mistakes gardeners make that cause a plant to turn yellow and dry up include the following:

1. Exposure to direct sunlight.
2. The root collar is too deep or protrudes too far from the soil.

If all of the above errors are excluded, this indicates that the flower is affected by diseases or pests.

Diseases

Indoor thujas are often affected by diseases such as cytosporosis and fusarium. These are infectious fungal diseases that can be acquired from exposure to the outdoors or from other indoor plants. Fungicides (Fitosporin, Oxychom) should be used to combat the fungus.

Cytosporosis attacks the bark of stems. Black spots appear on the bark, which over time develop into ulcers. The fungus spreads to the inner tissues of the wood, leading to the death of the plant. The leaves of a plant affected by Cytosporosis turn yellow, then turn brown, and dry out.

Fusarium attacks the root system, disrupting the plant's metabolism. This results in a nutrient deficiency, and the plant dies from starvation. The disease can be identified by the color and condition of the needles. In arborvitaes infected with Fusarium, the leaves turn yellow, then turn reddish-brown, and finally dry out.

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Pests

Thuja can become a victim of the following pests:

1. Aphids. A minor infestation of this pest can be identified by a sticky coating on the needles. However, aphids often attack in entire colonies: the harmful insects cover the entire surface of the branch. If you look closely, you'll notice a mass of beige, moving dots.

   

2. Scale insects. This pest is difficult to spot. Experienced gardeners identify it by the dark, waxy spots on the needles.
3. Bark beetle. The beetle makes small holes in the bark, from which debris falls. The damage to the wood's integrity is accompanied by the drying out of the needles.

Pest control involves the use of insecticidal preparations (Aktara, Actellic).

How to revive a dried out thuja?

If the thuja has completely dried out, you can try to revive it. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Identifying living shoots. Dry needles are not an indicator, as they can also be found on living shoots. Bend the twig slightly: if it's flexible, the shoot is alive and can be saved.
2. Pruning. Once all living shoots have been identified, the thuja is cleared of dead wood.
   Please note!

   It is very important to remove all dead areas as they are infected.
3. Treatment with chemicals. For thuja, many gardeners recommend treating the remaining shoots with Epin. However, other biostimulants can also be used.

If the flower is young, it must be repotted. Before planting, treat the thuja with Kornevin.

Frequently Asked Questions

Ornamental thuja is low-maintenance, making it easy to care for. The plant exudes a delicate aroma, reminiscent of the pleasant scent of spruce resin, which helps restore emotional and physical fatigue after a hard day at work and effectively relieves stress.