Adding Arborvitae to My Maze
If you’re looking for fast-growing, easy-to-care-for evergreen trees to use in your garden as a border hedge or privacy screen, consider arborvitae. These lush, dense, bright green conifers are so versatile.
I'm in the process of planting a living maze in a pasture just outside my Winter House. Much of the three-acre area is now complete and all the plants are growing excellently. Some of the latest plants include Technito Arborvitae, Thuja Occidentals 'BailJohn' and Lemon Burst Arborvitae, Thuja Occidentals 'Rutthu3' - both from First Editions Shrubs and Trees.
Here are some photos.
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- I’ve been working hard on my living maze since I started planting it in the spring of 2022. I carefully plan and design every puzzling path and row of plants. And then I print a detailed schematic for my gardeners to follow. I am very proud of how it is growing so far. And yes, like a true maze there is only one right way from the entrance to the goal location.
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- Last spring, we planted these Tiny Tower® Green Giant Arborvitae – noted for its upright, compact habit with lively green foliage that is soft to the touch.
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- This season while we can still plant in the gardens, I am adding these Lemon Burst Arborvitae, Thuja Occidentals ‘Rutthu3’ which are moderately sized with broadly conical form and tight habit.
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- Yellow-green new growth keeps its color even when grown in full sun. And then during winter, the foliage turns a lovely orange tone.
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- First, the team is planting a row of Technito Arborvitae, Thuja Occidentals ‘BailJohn.’
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- The foliage has attractive dark green color that stays through winter. It grows up to 10-feet tall and five feet wide when mature.
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- Cesar measures the precise distance between each plant. It is crucial to give plants enough room to grow. Their roots need space to spread out and absorb water and nutrients from the soil, while their leaves need space to access adequate sunlight. If plants are planted too close together, they compete for these vital resources.
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- These plants are not too big, so Pete uses a post hole digger to make the holes. It actually works perfectly for this task and plant hole size.
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- Several holes are made before planting begins. Each hole is dug precisely with enough room for the plant’s root ball. The rule of thumb when planting is to dig the hole two times as wide as the rootball and no deeper than the bottom of the rootball, similar to how it is in its pot.
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- As each specimen is planted, fertilizer is dropped into the hole and mixed in with the existing soil. We use an all-purpose formula from Miracle-Gro.
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- The best way to release a plant from its pot is to tap on the outside of the pot first to loosen the root ball.
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- I teach all my outdoor grounds crew members how to scarify. Scarifying stimulates root growth. Essentially, small portions of the root ball are cut to loosen the roots and encourage new development. First Pete scarifies in one direction diagonally across the root ball, then in the other direction…
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- … and finally at the bottom. Scarifying also encourages the roots to penetrate the soil and grow in different directions.
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- Pete places it in the hole and makes sure it is planted at the right height. The top of the root ball should be level with the top of the hole when in place.
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- Then Pete backfills the hole, tamping down as he goes.
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- Pete also scarifies the sides of the hole with his hori-hori knife. Doing this roughens the surface, allowing roots to grow into the surrounding soil and eliminates air pockets.
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- Pete does this for all the arborvitae, stopping occasionally to assess the line up of each specimen.
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- They should all be straight, but if not, adjusting now is easy as the soil is still soft and workable.
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- Cesar gives the plants a good soaking. Where is the rain? We really need some rain here in the Northeast.
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- After the water has been absorbed, Pete rakes the bed and removes any tags or labels.
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- Arborvitae comes in many shapes – from pyramid and conical to ball-shaped. And they are long lived. Arborvitae can survive up to 150-years old if planted in the right environment. I am sure these specimens will thrive in the living maze here at Cantitoe Corners.
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