Rheingold Arborvitae(Thuja occidentalis)

[GroovyGreg]

Saved this from the compost pile after my wife dug it up. Cleaned it up and repotted to allow recovery. 10+ years old.

 

[RKatzin]

Nice save! Very groovy tree, man! I love mine.
Thing is that you will not see any back budding on the old wood. You may be able to push it back on the branches, but if there's anything there you cherish and nurture those.
If it were mine to do with I would let it recover and then let it run for two or three seasons and really bush out. Then cut it back hard to get to the tree within. Let it bush out again and begin training branches for shape and position.

 

[GroovyGreg]

Nice save! Very groovy tree, man! I love mine.
Thing is that you will not see any back budding on the old wood. You may be able to push it back on the branches, but if there's anything there you cherish and nurture those.
If it were mine to do with I would let it recover and then let it run for two or three seasons and really bush out. Then cut it back hard to get to the tree within. Let it bush out again and begin training branches for shape and position.

Thank you ... Appreciate the advice! It's been about a week or so and it seems to want to live. Not one thing has browned and died ...yet.

 

[RKatzin]

They are a most hardy and durable tree. The golden foliage is a nice splash of color all summer and it'll turn a nice rusty color in winter. They like as much sun as you can give it. I feed and water along with everything else. Just a great, never a problem tree! I hope yours does as good for you as mine has for me.

 

[sorce]

Welcome to Crazy!

Sorce

 

[HorseloverFat]

Cool tree!

When was it upearthed? I would worry about the timing if it was like.. NOW.. Not saying it will NOT survive.. just saying it’s ALSO possible that it dies slowly all summer.. slowly... making you THINK it survived, but is suffering other ailments.. this is SO common amongst beginner conifer collections. (Just ask all my first season conifer collections that USED to live on my benches.)

So I’d recommend giving it a GOOD while to recover (as others have stated)... make SURE it survived collection before investing any of yourself/time into the design.

 

[Japonicus]

you will not see any back budding on the old wood. ...cut it back hard to get to the tree within.

I don't see anything to cut back to to find anything not too leggy already, given that they do not back bud on old wood.

I voted other, to make attempts at grafting, or follow the wife's original idea.
I have one in ground over 10 years with fantastic nebari. I cut it back really hard last year
as it is too leggy like this one, and no back budding has occurred. Mine is getting dug out
and will be burned on the rubbish pile.

 

[HorseloverFat]

I believe that Thuja Occidentalis will/is able to backbud in areas where growth EXISTS, already.. I could be wrong.. I’ll take an interesting picture when i’m out for my next smoke break.

 

[HorseloverFat]

So here’s the base..

And here’s my new leader!

 

[Japonicus]

I believe that Thuja Occidentalis will/is able to backbud in areas where growth EXISTS, already.. I could be wrong.. I’ll take an interesting picture when i’m out for my next smoke break.

I get that, it's not there or it is not photo-ed in a way to prove good foliage to cut back to on this one.

 

[HorseloverFat]

This one is also TRYING to bud here..

 

[HorseloverFat]

I get that, it's not there or it is not photo-ed in a way to prove good foliage to cut back to on this one.

Oh yeah! Agreed!

I ALSO voted “other”

 

[GroovyGreg]

Cool tree!

When was it upearthed? I would worry about the timing if it was like.. NOW.. Not saying it will NOT survive.. just saying it’s ALSO possible that it dies slowly all summer.. slowly... making you THINK it survived, but is suffering other ailments.. this is SO common amongst beginner conifer collections. (Just ask all my first season conifer collections that USED to live on my benches.)

So I’d recommend giving it a GOOD while to recover (as others have stated)... make SURE it survived collection before investing any of yourself/time into the design.

Thanks for the heads up & advice! I figured it could be going through a slow and painful death, but hopeful it'll survive. It was in weird spot where it didn't get the sun it needed so I'm hoping it'll give itself a new lease on life

 

[GroovyGreg]

I don't see anything to cut back to to find anything not too leggy already, given that they do not back bud on old wood.

I voted other, to make attempts at grafting, or follow the wife's original idea.
I have one in ground over 10 years with fantastic nebari. I cut it back really hard last year
as it is too leggy like this one, and no back budding has occurred. Mine is getting dug out
and will be burned on the rubbish pile.

I tried to edit the poll with your exact choice of words but couldn't suppose I thought of it too late!

 

[GroovyGreg]

So here’s the base..
View attachment 378439
And here’s my new leader! View attachment 378438

Cool base.. how many more years in the making is this one?

 

[RKatzin]

They will back bud on the branch. If there's anything there you won't see it until the tree pushes out a good head of growth and is running strong. At this point you can cut it back hard, not to a backbud, just deadheading the ends of the long stems leaving just a few stems to grow out and replenish the tree. This is when it will push back on the branch, as this next round of foliage comes out. Takes time with these.

 

[HorseloverFat]

Cool base.. how many more years in the making is this one?

This one was collected THIS season.. so last Fall Or this spring..

Rings put it at 15-18.