The Thuja Green Giants are touted as one of the fastest growing evergreen trees on the market market. Will they unmistakably live up to this adoration?
Here at the nursery, we have grown and sold the Thuja Green Giants for roughly 10 years. The plants are hybrids so they are propagated by cuttings as they will not come back true from seed. Some years we field transplanted some of the cuttings to grow on for larger projects. When field transplanting, we typically used Thuja Green Giant liners that were 6 to 8 inches tall. At the end of the first growing season, the field plants assorted from 10 inches to 30 inches tall. By the end of the second summer, their heights often reached 22 to 40 inches.
Arborvitaes are a slow growing plant collection (generally less than 12 inches per year of new growth), which is why I believe when this crossed hybrid was found to be a more rapid grower, it come to be the "spokestree" for the variety. I do not know from where the studies about the greatest growth rate came, but in my own experience, I haven't seen the greatest of 5 feet of new growth per year on this plant.
About 4 years ago, I lined the entry of my drive with over 100 green giants (18 inches tall). Being far away from the house, I was not able to ordinarily water them as they needed and, to make the situation worse, the soil was highly compacted. After the stress of their first year planted having to survive straight through drought, they pulled straight through amazingly and I only lost 2, which is pretty impressive. Today the green giants that line my drive are now about 6 feet tall.
Green Giants, as my drive way example describes, will grow in the poorest of soil. However, compacted soil seems to stunt their growth considerably. If you have compacted soil, till the area mixing in bags of aged compost or aged manure mix and base sand. Till the area going down as deep as possible (at least 12 inches deep). This will work to help with drainage and right away put nutrients back into the soil. Then, plant the green giants. Giving them the best possible start for growing is all the time the best encouragement.
For the first year, apply supplemental water as considerable to keep the soil cool and moist. Apply shredded bark mulch around each plant going out at least 20 inches from the base of the plant leaving a welled area of about 3 to 4 inches at the base of the plant so that the bark does not touch the trunk of the plant. This welled area is for watering and air circulation.
Their first year in the ground the plants will work to make a stronger and deeper root system. Fertilizing is not recommended while this time as it encourages more top growth rather than root expansion. Any top growth while this time is a plus, but don't expect it as this will not happen to any extent until the following year.
The green giant grows a slight differently. Where most arborvitae grow as a whole, this one sends up a vine looking leader from the top. This leader hardens off and over the next few years it begins to build the tree around itself sending up the leader again each year. A slight odd, but you will see what I mean.
While I am not a fan of looking this plant advertised as a tree that puts on remarkable growth each year, these are plants that be used for hedges, privacy screens and even as specimen trees. Understand that it will not grow as swiftly as some of the faster growing deciduous trees do, but appreciate its uniqueness and you will not be disappointed. While it many only grow a few feet each year once established as an evergreen it would be considered a rapid grower.
Thuja Green Giants - Is the Hype on the Fast Growing Trees, Cedar Green Giants, Fact or Fiction?
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