Arborvitae (Thuja spp.) Is an evergreen conifer developed because of its feathery needles and its own awesome, conical form. It is frequently employed as a hedge due to its fast growing habit and its capacity to “knit together” to a thick planting. Arborvitae’s thin divisions can be damaged by high winds and fierce precipitation. Should you see splitting divisions on your own arborvitae, or wish to stop them, there a few straightforward things you can do to mitigate the problem.
Plant Characteristics
Arborvitae grows in all but the coldest North American climates. It quickly rises 30 to 60 feet tall. It is not picky about soil and takes only moderate amounts of water. Its loose, conical form enables it to be planted close together so it is going to form a thick hedge. Even though it has a pioneer — a central dominant trunk — it can still be trimmed into cubes, spheres and formal cut hedges.
Splitting
The upward-facing branches of arborvitae are slender and, while elastic, can be bent beyond their breaking point by extreme weather. The divisions are especially vulnerable when snow or ice accumulates on them. The branches split away from the pioneer. Splitting usually happens on branches that stick out of the primary body. If left alone, a split division can damage the pioneer and compromise the general shape of the tree.
Caring for Splits
Cut off split divisions as soon as you observe the damage to prevent further splitting. Cut the division all the way back to the base of the damage, which is generally in the pioneer. Do not try to lash or bind a split division back together as this approach is rarely successful. In addition, it can introduce disease and will often generate a weak branch. There is no requirement to use tar or pitch to seal the wound. The bare spots will soon be filled with fresh divisions.
Prevention
Do not be tempted to double up on fertilizer in a bid to get your trees to grow quicker. The weak, spindly growth that results is subject to damage. Similarly, growth that comes after a tree is cut down to size is poorer than divisions on a organic form arborvitae. When cutting boughs for vacation trimmings, cut division sections back to external- and upward-facing divisions. Merely cutting a division midway is called heading and creates weak growth.