Thuja ‘Green Giant’ shrubs, also known as ‘Green Giant’ arborvitaes, not only come with a lush set of evergreen foliage but can also give your yard privacy more quickly than most other shrubs. Still, if you want your Thujas to provide your outdoor space with a greater sense of seclusion and perform well over the long run, you must learn how to plant and care for them properly.
Keep reading to learn about:
- Planting Your Green Giant Arborvitaes
- Thuja ‘Green Giant’ Hedge Maintenance
- Where to Find the Highest-Quality Thuja ‘Green Giant’ Shrubs
- FAQs About Thuja ‘Green Giant’ Shrubs
Short on Time? Check Out Our Key Takeaways:
- Thuja ‘Green Giant’ shrubs are ideal for creating a privacy hedge quickly, reaching up to 3 feet per year.
- These shrubs require minimal pruning and are not prone to many pests or diseases.
- They require well-drained soil, full sun to partial shade, and spacing of 3-4 feet for fast hedge filling.
- Thuja ‘Green Giant’ shrubs should be watered weekly during spring, summer, and early fall. Prune for shape in late winter or early spring if desired.
- PrivacyShrubs.com offers high-quality Thuja ‘Green Giant’ shrubs and delivers throughout the continental US.
While there are many shrubs that work well as hedges, few of them can fill in quickly enough to create an effective screen in a timely manner. As such, many homeowners, landscapers, and gardeners find themselves waiting for years before their shrubs grow into the hedge they initially imagined. Staring at foliage gaps is frustrating, but the good news is that you can avoid those woes through thoughtful plant selection. For many, Thuja ‘Green Giant’ shrubs are the best option.
With that said, for your Thuja privacy hedge to thrive, an informed planting process and maintenance routine are essential. This article will give you everything you need to know about Thuja ‘Green Giant’ care, including planting, pruning, fertilization, and more.
Planting Your Green Giant Arborvitaes
The first step towards giving your thuja hedge a long and healthy life is to plant it correctly. Our instructions below will walk you through the entire process.
Green Giant Hardiness Zones
Before making any other considerations, check to see if your planting location falls within the Thuja Green Giant shrubs hardiness zone. These shrubs survive from hardiness zones five through eight, encompassing most of the continental United States.
Sun Exposure Requirements
Thuja shrubs prefer to live in full sun settings. Your planting location should receive at least six hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight per day for optimal growth. With that said, Thujas can survive in areas with less than six hours of daily sunlight, but they will not grow as quickly.
Soil Preferences
When considering the soil where your ‘Green Giant’ hedge will grow, avoiding soggy soils with poor drainage is most important. Excluding these waterlogged soils, Thuja ‘Green Giant’ shrubs can survive in many soil types. Still, the ideal soil for these plants is slightly acidic and moist, with good drainage and plenty of nutrients.
If you find your soil lacks the nutrient quality that Thujas prefers, you can amend it by adding loam, manure, or compost. Amending soil with these materials simultaneously boosts the available nutrients and encourages ideal drainage characteristics. Enhancing soggy, poorly drained soils is more difficult, but it remains possible by adding gravel or an organic material like compost.
Spacing for Privacy Hedges
When growing thujas for privacy, the spacing you choose depends on how quickly you want your hedge to fill in. To determine your ideal spacing, you’ll need to consider both the growth rate of this shrub and the initial diameter, or spread, of each plant you purchase.
Let’s consider an example to help you understand hedge spacing. Assuming you provide proper planting and care, a ‘Green Giant’ arborvitae can grow up to three feet per year. Let’s also assume you’re starting with shrubs with a spread of about two feet.
If you plant your shrubs about four feet apart, measured from the center of one shrub to the center of the next, you’ll be left with about a two-foot gap between each shrub. Given the rapid growth rate of a well-cared-for ‘Green Giant’ arborvitae, you can expect these gaps to fill in within one to two growing seasons.
Three to four-foot spacing represents the closest spacing you should use for these shrubs if you want your hedge to fill in as quickly as possible. However, if you’re willing to be a bit patient, it’s not necessary to plant Thuja ‘Green Giant’ shrubs that closely together. Spacings of six to eight feet apart will still provide you with a continuous hedge in a relatively short timeframe.
When to Plant
The best time of year to plant an arborvitae hedge is in the spring. However, it’s also possible to plant these shrubs in the fall if the ground has not frozen.
The Planting Process
After meeting all the above requirements, it’s time to dive into the planting process. Below are the steps you should follow when planting your Thuja ‘Green Giant’ hedge:
- Expose the root ball: When you receive your shrubs, they’ll either be in a container or balled in burlap. In either case, you’ll need to remove the shrub’s root ball and clear away any soil around the trunk that conceals the root flare. Revealing the root flare is crucial for measuring the correct planting depth later in the process.
- Set up your spacing: Before planting, plan out the spacing of your shrubs. At this stage, it’s helpful to use stakes or some other marker to indicate the center points of each individual shrub. Marking the planting locations will allow for consistent spacing and help you keep your hedge straight.
- Dig proper planting holes: The sizes of your planting holes are dependent on the root ball sizes of your shrubs. Dig holes that are at least twice the width of the root ball. If that width causes the holes to connect to one another, it’s alright to dig a continuous trench along the route of your hedge rather than individual holes. Whether you dig individual holes or a trench, they should be about as deep as the root ball is tall. When the root ball sits in the hole, the root flare should be just above the soil’s surface surrounding the hole or trench.
- Score the hole and the root ball: After digging planting holes, rough up both the root ball and the inside edges of the holes using a hand rake or a similar tool. Loosening the soil in this manner will make it easier for the roots to spread outward rather than tangling with each other.
- Place the shrubs in the holes: When placing each shrub, evaluate it from multiple angles to ensure the trunk is vertical and not leaning significantly in one direction.
- Backfill while watering: With your plants in place, it’s time to backfill your planting holes with soil. Add water to the hole while backfilling to moisten the roots and eliminate any air pockets that will cause settling later. Ensure you do not backfill so much that you cover the root flare. Instead, it’s best to create a small mound of soil around the edge of the planting hole. This mound will act as a small reservoir to hold water while it percolates in the soil where the roots need it most.
- Add a layer of mulch: The final step in the planting process is to add a two to three-inch layer of mulch. The mulch will help suppress weeds while maintaining soil moisture and temperature. Choosing an organic material, such as bark mulch, is also beneficial, as it will break down over the years and continually add nutrients that enrich the soil and support healthy plant growth.
Thuja ‘Green Giant’ Hedge Maintenance
After planting your Thuja ‘Green Giant’ shrubs, your work is far from over. The next stage in the process is to keep up with regular maintenance to give your shrubs the best chance of success. Fortunately, this arborvitae cultivar is known to be a low-maintenance plant. Despite that, you should understand a few care requirements, which we’ll reveal in the sections below.
How Often to Water a Thuja
During the first three months after planting, you should water your Thujas once per day or once every other day. Water needs are highest during this period as the roots are still attempting to establish themselves in their new growing location.
However, these shrubs will continue to have relatively high water needs throughout their lifespan. Typically, it’s best to water established ‘Green Giant’ arborvitaes once weekly during spring, summer, and early fall.
Pruning a Thuja ‘Green Giant’ Hedge
One aspect of the ‘Green Giant’ arborvitae that makes it a sought-after shrub is that it develops a neat pyramidal shape without the need for consistent pruning. But while pruning for shape is not always necessary, this does not mean that Thuja ‘Green Giant’ plants can’t benefit from occasional pruning.
Most importantly, you should remove any part of this plant that is clearly broken, damaged, diseased, or dead. Removing these branches helps preserve the health and integrity of the rest of the plant.
Additionally, like most arborvitaes, the ‘Green Giant’ is responsive to shearing. Shearing the exterior foliage can help you create a more attractive shape for your hedge. However, you must be minimal when shearing. Arborvitaes will not sprout new growth from old wood, meaning that if you prune too far, you will have permanent bare patches in your hedge.
Some gardeners also choose to cut the central leader of their arborvitaes to encourage more horizontal growth. However, doing so is not necessary. Regardless of your pruning goals, you should conduct your pruning efforts during the late winter or early spring.
Fertilization for Fast Growth
In most cases, your ‘Green Giant’ arborvitae will grow at a fast rate whether you fertilize it or not. If you want to further hasten that growth, you can apply a standard, slow-release fertilizer once per year in the early spring.
Fertilizers with a 10-10-10 ratio of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium work well and are widely available in garden centers. Alternatively, organic fertilizers like manure and compost can also support Thuja growth.
Managing Pests and Diseases
Part of the reason these shrubs have a reputation as low-maintenance plants is that they typically do not encounter many pest and disease issues. This is particularly true if you follow all the steps in the planting process we outlined earlier in this article.
It remains possible for your Thuja to run into issues. For instance, arborvitaes that live in waterlogged soils often experience root rot and bagworm infestations. Conversely, a lack of soil moisture can lead to browning foliage, especially just after planting or during summer heatwaves.
Protecting Thujas in Winter
In some cases, it may be necessary to provide winter protection for your Thuja ‘Green Giant’ shrubs. Winter protection is most needed if you live in the colder parts of this plant’s natural range, where winter storms can be particularly harsh. Likewise, young plants may be more vulnerable to winter winds than established plants.
An easy way to protect these shrubs is by setting up a burlap windscreen. With nothing more than a set of stakes and a roll of burlap, you can surround your shrubs or set up the screen between your shrubs and the general wind direction. Still, in most climates, arborvitaes will survive the winter without relying on additional protection.
Where to Find the Highest-Quality Thuja ‘Green Giant’ Shrubs
Following our planting and maintenance guide will set your Thuja ‘Green Giant’ shrubs on a path to success. However, it’s also critical to note that the quality of the plant you start with plays a significant role in that success. Since that’s the case, you should take time to find a plant supplier that consistently delivers high-quality plant stock.
If you want to buy Thuja ‘Green Giant’ shrubs or any other privacy plant, PrivacyShrubs.com should be your go-to plant source. At PrivacyShrubs.com, we’re proud to offer the highest quality shrubs you can find and provide convenient delivery throughout the continental United States.
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FAQs About Thuja ‘Green Giant’ Shrubs
While our guide provides plenty of essential information about Thuja ‘Green Giant’ shrubs, the chances are that you have more questions about these plants before you make a purchase. To help increase your knowledge of this fantastic shrub option, we’ve included answers to some of the most commonly asked questions below.
How Fast Do Thuja ‘Green Giant’ Shrubs Grow?
Part of the reason ‘Green Giant’ arborvitaes are so popular as hedge plants is that they grow quickly. With proper growing conditions and maintenance, these shrubs will increase their size by about three feet each growing season.
How Tall will a Thuja ‘Green Giant’ Grow?
As the name suggests, Thuja ‘Green Giant’ shrubs grow to be quite tall. In some cases, they may even reach 60 feet tall at maturity. Since these plants have a considerable mature height, ensure there is plenty of open space above them before you plant.
How Long Do ‘Green Giant’ Arborvitaes Live?
As is true regarding growth rate and height, the lifespan of a ‘Green Giant’ arborvitae depends on its growing conditions and the care it receives. When the ideal conditions and care are in place, you can expect your ‘Green Giant’ to live for up to 70 years.
Do Thuja ‘Green Giant’ Shrubs Need a Lot of Maintenance?
What many homeowners and hobbyist gardeners love about the Thuja ‘Green Giant’ is that this plant has a well-earned reputation for being low-maintenance. While these shrubs have relatively high water needs, they are otherwise very easy to care for, requiring minimal pruning and rarely encountering pest and disease problems.
Get the Plants and Plant Help You Need from PrivacyShrubs.com
If you’re convinced that the Thuja ‘Green Giant’ shrub is right for your yard, don’t waste time searching your local nurseries for healthy versions of this plant. Instead, we encourage you to check out our stock at PrivacyShrubs.com.
At PrivacyShrubs.com, you can find a wide range of plants, including ‘Green Giant’ arborvitaes, that can add both beauty and privacy to your yard. You’ll also find plenty of helpful resources like this one to help you transform your property into a peaceful oasis that you’ll love.
