All emerald green arborvitae trees are loved for their easygoing nature and the lush green foliage year-round. This semi-dwarf green arborvitae comes with fan-like leaves and is bright green and glossy. It grows in a narrow pyramidal shape and thus makes an excellent garden border and foundation plant for many homeowners. While other Thuja hedges, like boxwoods, require careful attention, thuja emerald plantations look great with little care and attention. Let’s discuss everything you need to know about the amazing thuja emerald green plant.
The Appearance of Emerald Green Arborvitae
Emerald green Arborvitae trees are also known as Smaragd because of their danish origins. It grows in a narrow pyramid shape and eventually gets 10-15 feet tall and 3-4 feet wide. Due to their size, they become ideal foundation plants that act as natural privacy screens in smaller yards and narrow spaces. These plantations can grow up to 1-2 feet per year and, when established, then grow about 6-9 inches per year.
Planting Emerald Green Arborvitae
The best time to plant Emerald Green Arborvitae is during the fall season. This is the time when these plants will face minimal heat stress and won’t struggle to grow. While planting, do remember to choose a location where the tree will receive complete sunlight ideally and sometimes partial shade too.
Remove all the turfgrass, weeds and debris from the area you are planting. After that, loosen the soil with the help of a spade. Next, dig a hole that is almost twice the width of the root ball of your Emerald Green Arborvitae but not deeper than the root ball’s height.
Once done, take the root ball out of the container, gently tease it, and then set it in the hole. Remember, the root ball should be slightly higher than the soil surrounding it. Water your plant twice a week until it is established. After that, it will only need ½-1 inch of water weekly.
Emerald Green Arborvitae Care
We all know emerald green arborvitae is actually notable plant species because it does not require special care and maintenance. However, it requires a few things that help in its dense and easy growth, and you must know these things about this evergreen shrub.
Fertilizing
Emerald-green evergreen shrubs are the perfect choice for anyone who is looking forward to hard privacy trees. These trees require no special attention, including the fertilization part. If you wish to make this hedge grow faster and fuller, you can add fertilizer to its soil yearly during the spring season. You can choose any brand of your choice and go with slow-release fertilize with a 10-10-10 ratio.
Light
Arborvitae plants grow the best when placed in full sun. Emerald-green evergreen shrubs require at least six hours of sunlight every day. The amazing thing is even the young emerald green plants can handle full direct sunlight. But, the plants will also be fine if you need to locate them in a partial shade to make a privacy screen o a windbreak. The sun preferences of emerald green arborvitae are quite similar to prunus laurocerasus Novita.
Soil
Plant arborvitae grows the best in moist but well-drained soil that boasts a neutral alkaline pH level. These plants do not like to have their roots in soggy soil. Thus, it’s better to apply a heavy layer of compost or mulch over the root zone every year in order to preserve soil moisture. In short, the plant does its very best in well-drained, alkaline and loamy soil types.
Temperature & Climate
Emerald green arborvitae easily tolerate cooler and drier temperatures better than the scorching heat. On the other hand, these plants don’t do well in the heat and humidity season. So, it can be said that cold winters are a no-problem season for green emerald evergreen plants. The best time to plant this species of plant is during the fall season, as it gives free time to develop its root system and reach a mature size before summer.
Watering
You need to water it twice weekly for the first few months after you plant it in your garden. After that, you can transition yourself to watering ½ to 1 inch per week. Remember watering the right amount of water is always very important. That’s because too little water can leave the dry yellowish, and too much may make the tree suffer from root rot.
Pruning
These plants or trees do not require regular pruning but trimming the leafy growth of the branches is always a good idea. That’s because when you perform trimming during the early spring season, it encourages thicker and denser growth. Additionally, you should also remove dead and diseased branches as soon as you spot them.
Takeaway:
The emerald green arborvitae is one easy outdoor garden hedge plant that is perfect for every location. It is not only a vibrant plant but also very low maintenance, disease resistant and easily coexists with other plants too. So if you are planning to add a new hedge plant to your garden, green emerald arborvitae is always the best choice.
