When can you plant arborvitaes

After planting, topdress the soil with 1 to 2 inches of shredded hardwood mulch or pine fines, leaving 6 inches from the base of the tree to prevent rotting of the stem. When you receive your Arborvitae trees, the first thing you need to do is carefully unbox it and place it in a shady part of your yard while leaving it in its nursery pot.

Your plant has just experienced a bit of shipment shock and will need some time to acclimate. Since it has been in a dark box for 1 to 5 days, you will want to slowly reintroduce it to sunlight by keeping it out of direct light for the first couple of days before planting.

Make sure it gets plenty of water while it is still in its nursery pot or burlap bag. Dig a hole twice the size of the root ball and center the tree within the hole. It should only be as deep as the original pot and planting it too deep could cause rotting of the stem and death to the plant.

You should still be able to see the top of the root before filling in with soil and mulching. Consider the mature size of your trees before determining spacing so that you can accommodate for their full grown size.

Typically, a double staggered row planted 6 feet apart is best when you want to plant a buffer or privacy screen. For quick privacy, plant 3 to 4 feet apart. However, Thuja Green Giant will grow to be 15 to 18 feet wide so plant the trees about 15 feet apart.

The best time to plant an arborvitae tree is late winter or early spring when they are not actively growing. Planting your evergreen tree or shrub in the spring gives it plenty of time for its roots to establish before the first frost. However, it will have to endure the hot summer during its first year of growth so careful water monitoring is crucial. Although spring is the ideal planting season, you can successfully plant arborvitae in the fall, especially in southern climates. Newly planted trees should be watered regularly until the ground freezes to help root growth enabling it to survive winter's frost.

Arborvitae evergreen trees or shrubs should not be moved after planting so it is important to take careful consideration when choosing a permanent location. The most important factors when deciding on plant placement are light requirements and estimated mature size.

Planting it on the property line is not advised, as a neighbor would be entitled to cut the tree back unevenly if it encroaches on their yard. You will also want to steer clear of planting under power lines and under shade trees that could cause damage or hinder growth. Arborvitae trees are prized for their symmetrical and upright growth habit and you will invest years and years watching them grow to become an impressive and practical landscape staple. Take careful note of the type of arborvitae you plant because their mature height and size can vary dramatically.

Thuja Green Giant Trees can grow up to 60 feet tall at maturity, whereas Emerald Green Arborvitae grow no more than 15 feet typically. Thuja are adaptable plants but prefer moist, well draining soil. They can tolerate a wide variety of soils, even including clay, but do not do well if the site is very dry. Once established, they can tolerate drought conditions but planting in soil that is constantly wet and saturated could cause root rot.

Arborvitae thrives with at least six hours of direct sunlight. Dig a hole at approximately the same depth as the root ball. Measure the root ball from top to bottom, then side to side, and write its measurements down. First, dig down far enough to fully cover the root ball, then make the hole times as wide as your root ball so that the soil will be loose enough for the roots to grow. If your root ball has a 12 in 30 cm diameter, for example, dig a 12 in 30 cm deep hole.

Mix compost into your soil before filling in the hole so that the root bulb will receive more nutrients. You'll want to cover the roots with soil but not any of the tree's trunk to prevent root rot.

Position the tree into the hole and cover it with dirt. Lower the tree carefully into the hole and, when finished, cover its roots up with soil. Inspect the tree afterward to make sure you don't expose the roots or accidentally bury the trunk. Otherwise, the tree may permanently lean. Burying the trunk can cause your tree to develop fungal infections and other diseases. Part 3.

Give your plant at least 1 in 2. Arborvitae plants prefer moist, not dry or soggy, soil. Check your soil's dryness every day by sticking your finger in. If the soil feels dry, water the plant immediately. Use the soil's dryness as a guide for when to water your plant. If your tree's needle tips are brown or yellowing and its foliage turns dull, it may not be getting enough water.

Fertilize your Arborvitae tree in springtime. Annually fertilizing your tree can give it nutrients it needs to thrive. Buy a nitrogen-rich fertilizer from a garden center or nursery and spray it over your plant in a thin, even coating. Mulch your tree during the summer and winter. Apply a 3 in 7. This will cool your tree down during hot temperatures and insulate it in cooler seasons. Prune your tree to maintain its natural shape.

Use pruning shears to cut away dead or dying branches, thin out overgrown areas, and shape your tree as desired. Mark O'Guin. It is not necessary as long as it is tucked well down under the soil surface when planting.

It will act as a wick if left exposed to the surface, drying out the young feeder roots that are trying to grow out. If there is a wire cage, you'll need to remove that; it can cause problems many years later girdling major roots. The burlap buried in the planting hole is quickly biodegradable and does not harm the roots growing readily through.

Not Helpful 6 Helpful 8. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Arborvitae plants thrive in moist, humid climates. If you live in a dry climate, your Arborvitae may need close care as it adapts to the environment. Helpful 0 Not Helpful 1. Because Arborvitae trees can grow up to feet 61 m tall, find a spot where their growth won't interfere with other plants or buildings.

Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0. Related wikiHows How to. Attractive, upright, long-lived coniferous trees, arborvitaes serve to visually enhance your landscape as well as providing food and cover for wildlife. Growing to a mature cultivated height of 20 to 40 feet and a width of 10 to 15 feet, the tree assumes a columnar, rounded or pyramidal crown, depending on the cultivar, and typically grows very slowly, around 3 inches annually for the first several years of its life.

The arborvitae's tiny, overlapping leaves cling tightly to its slender stems, radiating from larger branches in chartreuse to medium-green fans. Arborvitaes are monoecious, which means that the tiny pollen-bearing male cones and slightly larger seed-bearing female cones are produced on the same tree.

Spring pollination is effected by the wind and results in the withering of the male cones and the early-fall ripening of the female cones, which turn from greenish yellow to brown, culminating in the release of small, winged seeds that are also dispersed by the wind. The trees are vulnerable to drought during their early years and prefer planting sites with full sun or partial shade and moist, well-drained, deep, calcareous or calcium-rich soils with a pH of 6. Before planting arborvitaes in the site you have in mind, consider having your soil tested so you can address any pH issues or nutrient shortfalls well in advance.

Evergreens may be planted at any time during the growing season, but planting in spring allows their roots to become better established in the planting site before the onset of winter.

Although they tolerate partly sunny sites, a minimum of six hours of direct sunlight daily is ideal for arborvitaes. In any case, plant them in a location that's somewhat protected from harsh afternoon sun and drying winds. Remove all grass, weeds, large rocks and stubborn clods of soil from the proposed planting site and amend the soil as indicated by the results of your soil test.

Arborvitaes and other evergreens usually aren't available as bare-root plants, so your choices are limited to either containerized or balled-and-burlapped trees. To plant a containerized arborvitae, first turn the container on its side, grab the bottom of the tree and ease it out or remove the container from the root mass, cutting it off if necessary.

Prune off any damaged, diseased or circling roots with a sterilized pruning tool. To plant a balled-and-burlapped arborvitae, remove as much of the burlap as you can and any wiring that's securing it.

For both containerized and balled-and-burlapped trees, use your fingers or a garden fork to loosen some of the roots around the outside of the root mass. To help prevent the spread of diseases between plants, sterilize your pruning tools before and after use by wiping the blades with a paper towel moistened with rubbing alcohol.