Thuja Plicata turned red

Hi

I planted 6 Thuja Plicata 30cm plants a year ago, one of them has turned red a few months ago, the rest are fine.

It's the same height as the other plants and looks healthy apart from the colour. It has also got a green child and abnormally thin base (see pictures).

What is going on, shall I leave it as it is or cut off the child

?
Thanks

I have a thuya a lot older than that and it did the same thing. The reddish bit died and the new bit grew up but it was a bit of a funny shape. Then another new bit grew up and it's like two trees planted very close together. Your thin stem is a bit strange though. I would be inclined to try and find another of similar size and dig up your red one. It would look better, as there are six, if they were the same.

Agree Busy-Lizzie. I don't see much of a future for that one. 

Thanks for your replies. I'll probably give it one more chance and check again in summer.

How quickly did yours grow, does it need to be trimmed at this age ? Ideally I want it to become a solid wall, 2-3ft high.

The base looks as though the bark had been damaged by something (could a mower or strimmer have stripped it?  Perhaps animal or fungal damage?)  I would cut the red (which is dead) top off, immediately above the green growth, which then has a better chance of taking over as the main stem, although it will probably always have an odd shape.

Sorry, can't remember how quickly it grew, I've had it about 18 years. Mine can't be a plicata because it's not big enough and it's quite neat, it's a single specimen not in a hedge. But it is a Thuja. The good thing about Thuja plicata is it does what a Leylandii does but you can keep it pruned to the size you want and you can prune into the old wood. But I expect you know that already, it's probably why you chose it. The RHS site says it's quick growing.