Arborvitae
Info
They are evergreen trees growing from 10 to 60 feet tall, with stringy-textured reddish-brown bark. The shoots are flat, with side shoots only in a single plane. The leaves are scale-like 1-10 mm long, except young seedlings in their first year, which have needle-like leaves. The male cones are small, inconspicuous, and are located at the tips of the twigs. The female cones start out similarly inconspicuous, but grow to about 1-2 cm long at maturity when 6-8 months old; they have 6-12 overlapping, thin, leathery scales, each scale bearing 1-2 small seeds with a pair of narrow lateral wings.
They are widely grown as ornamental trees, and extensively used for hedges. Usually, homeowners will plant them as a privacy screen between them and their neighbors. The wood is light, soft and aromatic. It can be easily split and resists decay. The wood has been used for many applications from making chests to shingles. Poles are often used to make fence posts and rails.
Varieties
Emerald Green
Pyramidal growth reaches 10-15’ with spread of 3-4’. Bright, lustrous, green foliage with little or no discoloring in winter. Excellent privacy hedge or windbreak.Green Giant
Vigorous, fastest growing of all arborvitae. Nice pyramidal shape with dense, rich green foliage that has a graceful fern-like texture. Great for privacy screens and borders. Reaches 40-60’.
Care and Maintenance
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Preparing the Hole
Dig the hole as deep as the root ball, and as much as three times as wide as the diameter of the root ball. Breaking up the soil around the tree provides the newly emerging roots room to grow into loose soil to hasten establishment.
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Placing Your Tree
Place the tree carefully in the center of the hole after removing it from the container. The tree's root collar (the bulge right above the root system) should be just above the top of the soil. Don't dig the hole too deep. It is better if the root collar is slightly (1 to 2") higher than ground level because of possible setting.
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Filling the Hole
Carefully fill the hole with soil when the tree is positioned and straight. Fill the hole about 1/3 full and lightly push the soil around the base of the root ball. Fill the remainder of the hole taking care to gently but firmly pack soil to eliminate air pockets that may cause the roots to dry out. Don't plant the tree too deep. Back fill the soil to the height just below the root collar.
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Mulching
Place 2 to 4 inches of mulch in a 2 to 3 foot circle around the tree. Keep the mulch from touching the trunk to keep fungus from growing on the trunk. Mulch can be aged wood chips or bark. Mulch helps keep roots moist and insulates them, and prevents weed growth. It is not recommended to apply fertilizer at the time of planting.
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Watering
Water the tree well as soon as you plant it. Water the tree at least once a week for the first year after planting. A slow, root-saturating, one-hour trickle once a week is recommended for a new tree. The watering schedule should be adjusted accordingly if it rains or is very dry.
