Tsuga Canadian is a decorative conifergained popularity because of its attractive appearance. In addition to aesthetic appearance, this plant attracts gardeners with its unpretentiousness and ease of planting. Among other things, this tree is also used for planting hedges and other decorative structures.
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Tsuga is a genus of evergreen conifers that are widely distributed in the eastern part of North America in their natural environment. The plant has a conical crown, which consists of hanging branches. The bark of the tree is light brown, and the needles have a flat elongated shape up to 1.5 cm long and a dark saturated green color.
Did you know? Canadian Tsuga is used not only in the woodworking industry, but also in medicine: decoctions help stop blood flow, and essential oils often act as the basis for ointments.
When describing the species, it is worth noting that when the plant turns 1 year old, scaly cones may begin to appear. The genus Tsug is a member of the Sosnovy family, having inherited many properties from it: the method of reproduction, the type of bark, the appearance of the needles and other decorative qualities.
Landscape design application
Like other conifers, a tsuga can become both a central element of the exposition and an auxiliary part of other larger evergreens. The main thing when creating your own unique design is to take into account the requirements for lighting and mineral resources in the soil for all plants in the garden.
- With the Canadian tsuga go well:
- ferns;
- hosts
- astilbe;
- aquilegia.
With these short, but lush plants, it will be possible to create an exposition in which the coniferous tree will be the central object. Canadian Tsugu is often used for landscaping the garden, including in the winter season, or as a knockout for large fir trees.
Weeping trees are often used as the main decoration of the coast of reservoirs, including artificial ones.
Popular varieties
In nature, there are more than 60 varieties of Tsugi. However, in Europe and Russia in particular, less than 10 species can be found. This number includes Jeddeloh, Nana and Pendula. These are all dwarf trees with branches hanging from the crowns. It is the representatives of these varieties that adorn parks and gardens due to their unpretentiousness and the fact that they look beautiful in a classic Russian landscape.
Nana
Nana is a Canadian-style Tsuga variety. The branches grow almost horizontally, which does not allow the tree to exceed a height of more than 1 m. Due to this shape, the crown width can reach 2 m.
This variety, due to its appearance, dense coniferous cover and horizontal branch span, is excellent for planting hedges. At the same time, Nana is frost-resistant, able to grow in the shade, a plant. The only requirement of the tree is regular watering in dry seasons.
Jeddelough
The Jeddeloh variety is an extremely low tree with a dense crown. The peculiarity of this plant lies in the spiral-shaped arrangement of branches, as well as the attractive color of the bark from a decorative point of view: the shoots have a dark purple color, which contrasts with bright green needles.
Due to its size, Jeddeloch at first glance looks more like a bush than a tree. The height and width of the plant are the same and reach only half a meter. Despite the ability to survive in the shade, Jeddelogh can hardly tolerate low humidity in both soil and air. For some gardeners, slower growth may be an even bigger problem.
Pendula
Tsuga varieties Pendula has a weeping form of branch growth. The peculiarity of this type of tree is in many different subspecies, which differ from each other in size and even the color of the needles.
It is Pendulu that is often used in landscape design as an addition for larger representatives of pines due to the density of branches and attractive thin shoots.
As an independent tree, Tsugi of this variety can reach a height of 1.5 m. It is noteworthy that it is suitable for growth in cold climates due to its extreme frost resistance and preference for shade.
Landing
A successful selection of soil, its enrichment and timely planting as a whole will help the gardener to ensure the decorative properties of the Canadian Tsuga throughout the year. The main conditions are easy humidification, the presence of drainage, as well as a neutral soil composition. The best time to plant a tree is in the middle of spring or autumn.
Important! Canadian Tsuga is not a wind-resistant plant. It can not be planted in a place where dry wind is often observed.
April and September in Russia correspond to ideal conditions for the tree to take root and grow actively. Planting near a pond will provide the tree with a sufficient level of moisture. The semi-shaded area is great for the plant because of its love of moderate lighting without an abundance of direct sunlight.
Site preparation
First of all, check the pH of the soil: if acidity is high, neutralize it. After that, you need to dig a landing hole, a depth of 80 cm. The width may vary depending on the variety, but should be 20 cm more than the root system of the Tsugi. Put drainage at the bottom.
It is recommended to add top dressing, which includes peat and compost.
Seedling Selection
Considering the fact that in the natural environment to find Canadian tsugs, and therefore cones with seeds, it is problematic - gardeners buy seedlings. They must be in containers.
Thoroughly examine the seedling before buying: the height of the largest varieties should not exceed half a meter. View and branches: they should have a bright color with a color inherent in a particular type of Tsugi. The root system should be sprouted and not crumpled into a single ball.
Step-by-step instruction
The process of planting a Tsugi seedling should begin with a closed root.
It is necessary to act according to the following algorithm:
- Expand the root system.
- Place the seedling in the center of the planting pit.
- Add top dressing to the ground.
- Water 1 bucket of water per unit of planting material.
- Mulch the soil with mowed grass, for example.
When planting several trees, consider the distance between them. The interval should be about 2 m, so that both plants do not interfere with each other's growth, and also grow well in width.
Important! It’s not possible to grow a tsugu near Moscow. This is due to the fact that the plant cannot grow in a polluted environment, the source of which is the metropolis.
Features of care in the suburbs
The Moscow Region is a region with a fairly cold climate, which is ideal for a Canadian Tsugi. However, droughts are often observed in the summer, which requires additional tree care at this time of the year.
It is important to maintain a normal pH value. If the acidity is slightly increased or neutral, then everything is within normal limits. However, a strongly acidic or alkaline soil can not only inhibit the growth of a tree, but also prevent it from living for long.
Video: Canadian Tsuga in the suburbs
Watering and feeding
Tsuga requires regular watering. This property is inherent in almost all coniferous plants. Once a week, irrigate at the rate of 10 liters of water per 1 m² of vegetation. It is worth spraying the crowns of the tree every month. This action will help maintain the moisture that Canadian Tsuga loves.
It is convenient for gardeners that active growth does not require annually applying special fertilizers to the soil: it is enough to add compost or phosphorus-containing feed mixture to the soil in spring or autumn. It is enough only in the amount of 200 g per 10-liter bucket of water.
Loosening and mulching
To preserve moisture at the root and prevent its overheating in the hot season, Tsugu must be mulched. In the autumn, the mulching layer is thickened. 
It is best suited for this bark or wood chips as the main material, although in fact any residual vegetation other than weeds will do. Weed grass itself must be destroyed by weeding and loosening the surrounding soil tree during spring.
Pruning
Tsuga, in view of its small height, requires trimming branches in rare cases. Due to the decorative qualities of the crown of most varieties, it is not recommended to violate its integrity. A gardener can prune an already grown tree only if a completely even hedge is needed.
To do this, shorten the shoots that do not fit into the boundaries of the contours of the coniferous fence. Also, a haircut is necessary when the branches touch the soil - without trimming, they can begin to rot, weakening the health of the Tsugi and worsening its appearance.
Shelter for the winter
Although this plant is frost-resistant, it needs to be covered before the cold, given the severe frosts in the Moscow region. To do this, you need to water the tree well in mid-autumn, but at the same time prevent water stagnation. At the end of the fall season, shortly before the onset of cold weather, a tsugu is covered with a spruce.
For this procedure, special polymers like spanbond are also suitable.
Diseases and Pests
Among the ailments, the most common fungal diseases. The main one is root rot. At first, the disease slows down the growth of Tsugi, which is not immediately noticeable due to its naturally low rate of development. After, it can lead to the death of a tree due to damage to its roots. To combat rot, it is enough to reduce the amount of watering, as well as treat the plant with a special drug like Fundazol.
Did you know? Due to the thin shoots and elasticity of the branches, the Indians used Tsugu in everyday life. From it, Native Americans weaved baskets and even made toys for children.
Among the main pests are a small number of insects and some rodents. The second, mainly American hares, harm the tree only in natural conditions in the vastness of North America. Insect pests are also found in the vastness of Russia.
These include:
All of them absorb Canadian Tsugi juices: by eating plant needles or destroying the root system. To combat them, it is enough to treat the plant with insect venom.
Tsuga Canadian is a wonderful small dwarf tree that takes root well in the suburbs. It looks beautiful and helps to green the garden for the winter, and can also serve as a good basis for creating a hedge. Although the plant is rarely used in landscape design, do not underestimate it: it is suitable for the role of the central object of the exposition, and as an additional element near large trees.
