Among the coniferous ornamental species of trees and shrubs, juniper is especially popular. He received his right to be a favorite in landscape design for his unpretentiousness in soil composition and climate change. Juniper tolerates both severe frosts and prolonged drought, loves light very much. Designers and gardeners are attracted by a variety of bush shapes and needles coloring. A charming, barely perceptible aroma complements all this splendor.
Geography of growth
Juniper is a widespread coniferous plant, for the growth of which both arid areas of Mexico, as well as Asia, America and the Caucasus are suitable. High and medium juniper shrubs feel great in deciduous and coniferous forests, and low - on the rocks.
In the natural environment, planting shrubs in groups occupy small areas. Currently, there are six dozen junipers of various species. This conifer is a long-liver. Under favorable growing conditions, juniper can live for five or more centuries.
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Juniper needles have a bluish-green color and trihedral needles pointed at the tips. In appearance, it resembles the needles of cypress plants. Juniper, the reproduction of which occurs in several ways, has buds. They almost never have scales. The leaves of the plant are replaced by needles, on which they appear with age.
Cones have a spherical, rarely elongated shape. They are very fleshy, scales close tightly, and this prevents them from fully opening. Blue or gray cones look very impressive on green needles with a bluish tint.
Using
Juniper is used for single planting and in large arrays. Low-growing and creeping conifers cover the slopes, from which they build rocky gardens. They strengthen the slopes. Juniper has a drawback - it does not tolerate smoke and gas contamination of air. Therefore, it is rarely used for landscaping urban gardens and parks.
Dwarf species of juniper grow at home, but at the same time they need to be sprayed regularly. Bonsai are formed from these conifers in miniature. For this, seedlings are suitable, in which the needles are stiff, with a shine, and the trunk is curved. If bonsai from dwarf junipers are planted on the street, they must be protected from gusts of wind. In the cold season, you should cover the top of the tree to protect against freezing. If the plant comes into contact with snow, the needles can get burned. Therefore, it is better to plant small trees under a canopy.
Seed propagation
Juniper is a beautiful ornamental plant. Reproduction by seeds gives low germination. Even if they sprout together, the seedlings are easily damaged, and therefore they are not easy to maintain.
But if you are a supporter of seed propagation of this plant, then the procedure is as follows. Reproduction of juniper in the fall involves sowing seeds in boxes with fertile soil. As soon as the cold comes, take out the boxes with landings on the street for a period of four months, so they will harden. In the spring, surviving the winter seeds transplanted into other boxes or pots and again keep on the street. Shoots will appear only next year. They need a lot of sun, they need to be watered and fed. In no case do not allow the soil to dry out. Take your time, a bush or a tree of this conifer will surely grow from the sown seed, if you take good care of it.
Juniper can be grown in many ways. Reproduction by seeds is usually carried out in the spring and requires some preparation. Designed for sowing, they must pass scarification, that is, scratching the shell. So the seeds will give the first seedlings much earlier.
Propagation of the plant by cuttings
Propagation of juniper by cuttings is a common way for gardeners. However, it should be remembered that some species are poorly cut. It is not recommended to take shoots from wild plants . Cuttings will be stronger and better take root if you take them from a young tree or bush at the age of 8-10 years.
Juniper propagation by cuttings in autumn - not the best option for this procedure. It is better to do this immediately after the winter cold, in early spring. To do this, cut off an annual shoot of 10-12 cm in length and place it in a growth-promoting solution for a period of one day. After that, plant the stalk in the ground mixed with peat and sand.
Depth of landing should not be more than three centimeters. Types of creeping juniper are planted taking into account a slope of 60 degrees, and a columnar - strictly vertically. It is important not to confuse the bottom and top of the handle, for which it is cut with a small piece of bark.
Reproduction of juniper by cuttings involves several stages. The next one is to cover them with foil for two months. Look for a dark place. To prevent the cuttings from drying out, spray them with water every day.
When they are well rooted, transplant into other boxes and leave for two years. After this time, determine for them a constant place of growth and plant in the ground. Juniper propagation by cuttings in autumn and winter can also be carried out. Most importantly, observe all the necessary conditions for rooting seedlings.
Juniper propagation by layering
This method of reproduction is simple. It is used from the beginning of spring to mid-summer. To do this, you need to take a young branch of a bush located near the ground, make an incision on it along an oblique line. Insert any stick into it, strengthen it in the ground and fill it with soil from above.
When new roots form, cut a seedling with a pruner and plant in a separate hole. Reproduction of juniper in autumn is not as preferable as in spring. After a few years, the plant will grow, and it will be possible to shape its appearance.
Juniper: vaccination propagation
In order to preserve the valuable qualities of a rare species of juniper, propagation is carried out by grafting the shoot onto a plant similar in appearance. With this reproduction, the best qualities of the mother plant are accurately transmitted. You should know that grafted bushes grow slowly. But this method allows for reproduction on 3-5 year old seedlings and to obtain new varieties of juniper.
The vaccination is carried out at a time when the plant woke up from winter and sap flow began. The grafting material is young shoots from the upper tiers of the bush, which are grafted onto any type of juniper.
Juniper, the reproduction of which is carried out by vaccination, must be hidden from the sun. If the buds on the shoots bloom in a month and a half, the process was successful.
Cossack Juniper
This type of conifer is most widely distributed among other representatives of the cypress family. This is a very branched creeping shrub, the height of which reaches 1.5 meters and a width of 20 meters or more. For their unpretentiousness and chic appearance, Cossack junipers are very loved by landscape designers. It tolerates frosts, resistant to winds and drought. And his ability to kill microbes developed in the conifer resistance to damage by various diseases.
The bush of the Cossack juniper does not lose its decorative effect throughout the year. It looks great on soil, snow and rocks. It is used in solitary landings and in groups, a hedge is created from it. Cossack juniper has an unpleasant odor if rubbed with needles.
Juniper is undemanding to growth . Care and reproduction are carried out in soil rich in nutrients. But still, it will grow better if you add a little dolomite flour or lime to it. Greasy chernozem soil can harm the plant. Growing on it, it is susceptible to damage by fungal diseases.
Reproduction of Cossack juniper seeds
This method of propagation can be carried out using stratification. Before the onset of frost, sow the seeds in the prepared boxes and bury them under the snow. There they will remain throughout the winter period. Stratification is necessary in order to accelerate seed germination.
Sow them in the spring and wait for seedlings. And if this procedure is not carried out, then the seeds will sprout only next year. In this way, the conifers mainly reproduce in natural nature.
Cuttings
Cossack juniper, propagation of which is carried out by cuttings, is well established. It must be carried out in the spring, before the movement of juices, or in the fall. You need to plant cuttings in cloudy weather so as not to harm the seedlings and adult trees from which they were taken. Cuttings will be better if you cut off the tops of the shoots. They should not remain dry for long. Therefore, immediately wrap them in a well-moistened cloth or place them in a bag of water.
Cut the cuttings with a piece of bark, otherwise they will not take root. Treat them with a solution for the growth of conifers and plant them in the designated area for planting.
As a rule, further growth of seedlings is carried out in the nursery for 1-3 years. The root system of large cuttings develops faster, which means that the time of their growing in the nursery will be reduced.
Reproduction of Cossack juniper layers
During the entire vegetative period, the Cossack juniper, the reproduction of which is carried out by layering, requires appropriate care. Branches bent and pinned to the ground must be watered periodically, and the earth around the plant should be spudded.
To better take root shoots of Cossack juniper, you need to add coconut shells, a little sand and peat to the soil. Tear off the needles at the end of the shoot, the stem should be bare. In six months or a year, rooting of layers and the appearance of vertical shoots will occur. Separate them and transplant into the ground.
If juniper is of particular varietal value, propagation is by grafting. However, it should be remembered that the survival rate of shoots with this reproduction is small.
Juniper Varieties
- Chinese - it is also a high twenty-meter tree, and a dwarf-shaped shrub.
- Juniper is a cone-shaped tree with a height of up to ten meters. If it grows with a bush, it is very slow and has an ovoid shape.
- Horizontal - a creeping or creeping shrub up to half a meter high.
- Cossack - it can be a four-meter tree and creeping bush.
- Scaly - a bush with dense branches and bright green needles. It is resistant to frost and drought.
Care
These plants love light, in the shade their decorativeness is lost. Many varieties are resistant to frost. Only young plants and heat-loving species need shelter for the winter. The conifer tolerates pruning well. It must be done to form a certain shape of the bush or to limit the growth of creeping junipers. Although dry branches can be removed as soon as they appear.
Juniper needs regular maintenance. Planting and care, reproduction are carried out with abundant watering, which is especially necessary for the conifer in a drought. During this period, water the plant several times a season, 10-30 liters of water under one tree. And in the evening, when the sun doesn’t bake like that, do sprinkling.
The ground around the trunk of young trees or shrubs should be regularly weeded from weeds and loosened after each watering or rain. After each procedure, apply fresh mulch. With proper and regular care, the juniper will always delight with its appearance.