American Arborvitae - Green Boundaries!



Posted: Wednesday, October 07, 2009

by
tn nursery

Most Americans grow a common tree to make boundaries for homes or business places, the American arbortivitae. This is the first choice that a nursery suggests when we ask for hedges. It is a native tree of Minnesota and a member of the Cypress family, also called the white cedar. In the earlier stages, this tree requires a lot of care and the growth of this tree is very gradual and slow. This is a conifer and an evergreen tree . The leaves of this tree are green at the top and slightly yellow at the bottom, which changes to brown if the weather is too cold. It normally grows in the shape of a pyramid and people use it as hedge, mainly in their homes. Using a number of these trees in a row would create a boundary. One can also grow it in the corners as a single pyramid to beautify the corners. When the tree grows in a row it, does not require much care. When growing as hedge, put each tree at a distance of minimum three feet.

This tree requires a soft and moist loamy moist soil for better growth. It is good if the water table has a good level, as it cannot bear the droughts for a long duration. If the preferred soil type is not available, you can grow the tree in poor, dry and rocky soil, but the ph balance must be high. The months of January to march are favorable for its rapid development. It can grow up to a height of 50 feet and widen up to 15 feet. Never grow this tree in the shady areas, it can grow well only when the tree gets full sunshine. It is better to grow them in landscapes but if you wish to grow them in the compounds of your house, make sure it gets proper sun light.

Once the tree develops, it does not need much care. If you want to keep adding fertilizers, go for a soil test first. Add only the nutrient that are lacking, if not then fertilize the soil only after every two to three years. If you add the fertilizers in abundance, they will activate the growth of foliage but hinder the flower growth. The growth of this tree is slow but the life span is good.

Remove the tiny stems at the tip in young plants to give way to the branches, this process is pruning. Immediately remove the branches that are infected, this will let the light enter the plant more deeply and enhance the growth. These are for beautifying a place, so shearing would give them a desired attractive shape.

One can use the wood of this tree to make furniture, bowls, boxes and fence. American arbortivitae has medicinal uses too such as making antibiotics from its various parts. It can cure rheumatism, fever, cough, scurvy, toothache etc. and it is also important for providing a habitat and food to the wild life.

This Article has been viewed 231 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
No comments yet.
We want your comments! If you can read this, you don't have javascript enabled, so you can't use this comment system. Please enable javascript.