Seemingly completely he althy and juicy green thujas in the middle of the crown can hide an unpleasant surprise in the form of brown and dry twigs. When we move them by hand, dry twigs easily fall off.Browning of the thuja from the insideis a very common problem. Fortunately, once the cause is found, it can be remedied quickly. Here are the top 5 reasonswhy thujas turn brown on the insideSee what to do in this situation!
Browning of the thuja from the inside
Fig. forum.PoradnikOgrodniczy.pl
1. Natural browning of the thuja from the inside
The browning of thuja twigs in the center of the crown is a natural phenomenonIt results from the thickening of the twigs, which block the access of light to the inside of the crown. The twigs inside the crown naturally die due to the lack of light, as a result of which they turn brown, dry and fall off, and the plant replaces them with new ones.
If this process is not very intense, it is not a threat to the plant and only requiresregular cleaning of the thuja from brown twigsto make it look he althy and aesthetically pleasing. Regular removal of the drying inside the crown of the twigs ensures proper air circulation, prevents the growth of mold and creates space for the growth of new shoots.
2. Thujas turn brown on the inside because they are too densely planted
The natural process of browning thuja twigs inside the crown intensifies rapidly when they are planted too denselyThis problem occurs most often in hedges where they are planted too closely apart the trees shade each other.Over time, the plants begin to get too little light, which causesrapid browning from the insideIn addition, the roots of thuja growing too close to each other become entangled with each other, which is not beneficial for them. Plants then begin to compete with each other for water and minerals. This leads to a weakening of the plants, which makes them grow less and become ill.
In this case, you shouldregularly trim the thuja hedge and systematically clean the trees of browning shootsSuch treatments will provide the thuja growing in the hedge with better access to sunlight. When setting up a hedge, pay attention to the appropriate spacing of the plants. The average distance between thujas in a hedge should be 50-60 cm.
3. The thuja turns brown on the inside because they are too dry
Anotherthe reason for browning thuja twigs in the middle of the crown is the lack or too little wateringWatering thuja is a very important care procedure, especially in the first year after planting.Prolonged periods of drought may inhibit growth, make the needles more susceptible to fungal diseases and brown the needles of thuja.
The thuja growing in the garden should be watered abundantly , but not every day, once a week is enough. For watering, we use as much water at a time as the soil layer is strongly wetted to a depth of 30 cm. We water the thuja planted in pots in a slightly different way, e.g. on the balcony. These in hot weather may need to be watered daily.
Thuja should be watered abundantly before winter(second half of October), and because they are evergreen plants, they also require irrigation in winter, especially in longer periods without rainfall and no snow cover. Tui is not watered during frosts, but in laps with warming. The ground around the thuja should be covered with pine bark. Such a litter will make the moisture stay in the ground longer.
4. The thuja turns brown on the inside because they have been over-fertilized
Too intensive fertilization of thuja may lead to the destruction of their root systemand slow dieback, which is initially manifested by excessive exuberance of plants, and with time browning and drying of the twigs inside the crown.Large doses of mineral fertilizers are toxic to plants, therefore it is very important to use fertilizers rationally.
Overexposed thuja is very difficult to save.The solution is to water the plants abundantly(even one bucket of water per plant) repeated every few days to flush excess fertilizer from the soil around the roots. Unfortunately, with a very high over-fertilization, the plant becomes poisoned and killed, and such treatments do not bring results.
5. Browning of the thuja from the inside as a result of illness
Drying of thuja inside the crown may be caused by the development of a fungal disease . The following contribute to the development of diseases:
- soaking thuja branches when watering (it is better to water directly on the soil),
- excessive watering and cultivation in clay, impermeable soil in which water remains for a long time (leads to rotting of the roots).
One of the most common diseases of thuja is gray mold (Botrytis cinerea), the first symptoms of which are visible deep in the crown, in the form ofwatery spots on the scales and shoots, which turn brown over time The symptoms spread from the trunk towards the outside, so it begins with a browning of the thuja from the inside.
To combat gray mold on thuja , it is necessary to use fungicides (eg Signum 33 WG, Topsin M 500 SC, Polyversum WP). Before spraying, the thuja should be thoroughly cleaned of all brown scales. After spraying, additionally water the thyme with the preparation used. Repeat the operation after 2 weeks.
To protect the thuja against fungal infections , grow them on permeable substrates that eliminate the problem of water retention near the roots. If we have highly impermeable clay soil in the garden, a layer of drainage should be made before planting the plants at the bottom of the dug holes. You can use small pebbles for this purpose, and even better, expanded clay. After placing the thuja in the well, fill the well with a loose, light substrate.
MSc Eng. Agnieszka Lach
