Juniper is an unusually spectacular evergreen plant, characterized by its plastic form and possessing a diverse palette of colors. This original culture is usually grown in gardens and courtyards. But if you wish, you can decorate the city apartment with juniper. Being planted in a tub indoors, this decorative culture forms a small attractive tree.
Juniper: general description
This plant belongs to the Cypress family. In the wild, some of its varieties can reach a height of 8-10 meters. However, under the conditions of Russia, juniper usually forms small sprawling, quite beautiful bushes. Its high forms in nature are quite rare in our country.
The crown in juniper may have a cone-shaped or ovoid shape. This plant is dioecious. That is, there are two varieties of cones on it. Men have the appearance of yellow spikelets and are located in the axils of the needles. Female cones are composed of scales and have a light green color. When ripe, they turn into bright blue fruits .
The trunk of the juniper is straight, branching, covered with a bark of a grayish tint. The wood of this plant is very beautiful - it has an interesting texture and has a pinkish tint. Juniper can grow in nature up to 600 years.
What varieties exist
This plant is appreciated by lovers of decorative cultures, including for the variety of forms. But, of course, not all junipers can be grown indoors. Types and varieties (with photos) that are most suitable for apartments will be considered below.
It is believed that undersized junipers are best suited for indoor cultivation. For example, you can plant a Blue Star variety in a pot . It is very beautiful with blue needles and horizontal shoots of juniper. He prefers slightly acidic soil. Below is a photo of this particular plant.
Also often lovers of decorative cultures grow a variety of m edia in an apartment . This hybrid was bred by crossing ordinary wild juniper and Cossack. Its main advantage is unpretentiousness regarding care. How it looks can be seen in the photo.
Chinese Blaauw variegata - a low indoor shrubbery juniper with branches growing strictly up. This is another popular variety among ornamental plant lovers. In the tub, he looks very beautiful. A photo of him is presented below.
In these, junipers are most often grown in apartments . Species and varieties (with a photo it will be easier for lovers of ornamental plants to decide on the most suitable juniper), these are actually very beautiful. But if you wish, you can grow at home, of course, other varieties of this culture. Very attractive varieties are, for example, Squamata, Sabina, etc.
Propagation by cuttings
Of course, decorative juniper can be purchased at a specialized store. However, there are far from always such plants on sale. Therefore, many lovers of indoor crops just grow juniper from a shank taken from a bush in the country or in the forest. Getting an adult plant using such planting material is easy.
Cuttings for growing should be taken only from a young bush (aged 4-5 years). You can’t cut a branch for planting with a knife. Otherwise, the plant will not be accepted. The handle should be broken off along with the heel. The latter in the future must be cleaned from the bark. Before planting, the lower needles should also be cut with scissors.
A twig prepared in this way should be put in a pot with a nutrient substrate. As the latter, an ordinary moistened garden soil mixed with river sand is perfect . Put the stalk in the substrate at an angle of about 35 degrees. In order for the twig to start the roots and begin to develop, you need to put on a plastic bag on top of the pot, thereby arranging a “greenhouse” . Watering the stalk in the future is not recommended. Before rooting (30-45 days), it should only be sprayed.
Sometimes branches planted in this way are not accepted. Therefore, for fidelity, you can take several cuttings at once. In this case, instead of the pot, you should use a box or simple plastic cups.
Another way to land
Cuttings, in order to get an adult juniper indoor , are usually used only from mid-May to early July. At a later time, it is worth using branches rooted directly in the garden as planting material.
Obtaining juniper layering is also very simple if desired. To do this, the lower branch of a young plant you just need to press horizontally to the ground and pin it in this position. The end should be bent vertically and attached to some peg. The place where roots should subsequently form roots should be kept constantly moist.
Where to put in the apartment
To environmental conditions, the juniper plant is not too demanding. In the wild, it feels pretty well both in the shade of large trees and on the very warm “bare” slopes of mountains and hills. However, with sufficient lighting, the decorative qualities of this culture are significantly improved. Therefore, it is best to put a pot of juniper in the room on the windowsill of the east or west window. This plant is not afraid of direct sunlight. However, for too long they should not affect its branches and needles. Otherwise, the bush will dry out.
You can also improve the decorative qualities of juniper in an apartment by increasing air humidity. This plant does not like dryness. If the humidity in the room is insufficient, the juniper will not die. But some of the needles from him, unfortunately, will begin to turn yellow. To prevent this from happening, juniper should be sprayed periodically.
In the summer, it is advisable to take out the pot with the plant to the balcony or take it to the cottage. Staying outdoors, as well as spraying, will positively affect the decorative properties of juniper.
In winter, pots with plants should be placed in the coolest place in the room. Do not install them near batteries. Otherwise, the juniper may die.
How to water
This decorative culture absolutely does not tolerate stagnation of moisture. Therefore, watering juniper should be moderate. It is impossible to arrange swamps in a pot with this plant. Juniper is not afraid of drying out the soil. Without water, it can grow for quite some time. In gardens, this ornamental plant is often not watered all summer. However, in a pot without periodic wetting, the juniper will still lack nutrients. Therefore, at least once a week to water it is still worth it.
How to fertilize
With regard to top dressing , homemade juniper is also relatively unpretentious . When grown indoors, adult trees fertilize at most once or twice during the warm season. Young people are fed mainly with mineral compounds. Most often for juniper use special mixtures designed for coniferous ornamental crops. Make them in pots with young plants about once a month. Fertilizing juniper with organic matter (manure or humus) is strictly prohibited. The use of such top dressings can lead to deformation of the crown of the tree.
How to crop
In most cases, indoor juniper does not need to form a crown . All that is needed to make the plant look attractive is to remove dried and growing branches from the bush. If the juniper looks too asymmetrical, you can also slightly trim the crown from the right side.
When pruning juniper should be guided by the principle - less is better than more. If too many branches are removed from the plant, it can slow down growth.