Fifteen Thuja standishii x plicata (Green Giant Thuja)

We'd like a bit more privacy on the back line, plus something that will stay evergreen and give a bit of wind protection. Thuja standishii x plicata, Thuja Green Giant, fit that bill perfectly. Our local nursery, Glenmar, promised 2 gallon, 2 foot plants. We got 2 gallon, 3 foot or taller plants, so I'm very pleased and the price was extremely reasonable at around $27 per shrub. Glenmar always has incredibly healthy plants and the prices are good.

Fifteen of those are now on the back line, one every five feet for a faster privacy screen and to limit their adult height and width. They shouldn't go taller than 20 feet, whereas a single specimen can get very wide and 40 feet tall.

For soil preparation, I used six small handfulls of corn meal mixed with a bit of alfalfa and a small amount of kelp meal in around thirty cubic feet of soil (per plant). That was mixed in to the soil and the holes were dug about 2' away from the bushes to give them a clear field with no competition. I didn't dig any deeper than the root mass to give them a solid base.

Advertising says they grow three to five feet per year, but that tends to be once they're established. Starting at 3 feet, I don't expect much more than six inches of growth this year, 18" next year, and then they should begin to grow quickly.

If you have questions about Thuja, visit the Bestlawn forum and use the Around the Yard section. You can sign up for free, and they have people who know a lot more than I do.