What is Juniperus Viltoni? This is a delightful cascading shrub, pleasing to the eye with a touch of silver on saturated green needles. Viltoni is an ideal option for rocky gardens, alpine slides. With its help, you can create an evergreen juniper lawn in any area. Today we will get to know the horizontal Viltoni juniper, planting and caring for it.
Description
The homeland of this juniper is Vinal Naven Island, Maine. Discovered a plant by J. van Heiningen.
The variety is very unusual: its height is only 10-20 cm, and its diameter is 2 meters! Unlike many other horizontal junipers, Wiltoni is growing rapidly, its annual growth is about 15-20 cm. The needles are closely adjacent to the branches. The branches themselves are flexible, well branched. The color of juniper in this variety is bluish-silver. The crown of the plant spreads along the ground, and the young shoots are raised up.
Viltoni combines all the advantages of conifers: it is durable, evergreen, special care is not required. There is another advantage - completely covering the soil, juniper will not miss a single weed!
Choosing a place and soil for planting Viltoni
With the help of Viltoni, you can create a lush carpet on your site! The main thing is to choose the right place and soil for planting! What are the requirements for Juniper Wiltoni (horizon.)?
- This shrub is photophilous, dimming can lead to loss of color. Do not plant Viltoni next to tall plants.
- Experts do not recommend planting juniper in too rich soils - because of this, the crown changes, the plant becomes loose. The best option is medium acid, sandy loamy soil.
- Sufficient water is another condition under which Juniper Wiltoni will delight the eye. If the summer is dry, you should water the mini cypress, in the evening you can spray the branches. When watering, it is important to prevent waterlogging, it is worthwhile to ensure that the soil does not compact.
Landing
Juniper is widely "spreading", and therefore the soil in the place of planting must be cultivated. The best way to do this is to prepare a special soil substrate from turf land (1 part), humus (1 part) and sand (2 parts). Young seedlings should be planted in April or October. The diameter of the landing pit should not be less than 30 cm, and the depth should be 60-70 cm. The root neck does not need to be deepened! After planting, gardeners recommend watering the seedling.
By the way, if you plan to plant several bushes of Creeping Juniper Wiltoni on your site, take into account the branching of the root system and keep a distance of at least one meter between the plants! The soil around the planted shrub should be mulched, for this a mixture of peat and wood shavings is suitable. So the plant not only retains moisture longer, but does not require weeding.
Plant care
Unlike the planting of Juniper Wiltoni, caring for it does not require special knowledge and skills. Young seedlings will need only regular (but moderate) watering, while an adult plant needs to be watered twice a month! Juniper is sprayed every 10 days.
In the spring, the bush can be fed with a nitroammophos. For 1 square. m. It will take 35-40 g. By the way, in the spring the silver crown will require protection from sunlight. To prevent the needles from fading, the plant must be covered with a green mesh or tied with a spanbond.
Pruning
From time to time, the juniper is pruned. Sanitary pruning involves the removal of damaged and dry branches. When forming pruning, it is worthwhile to remove incorrectly growing shoots. Proper pruning will allow Viltoni to gain a larger crown.
Please note - like other varieties, Viltoni contains toxic substances. That is, all procedures with this shrub should be carried out in protective gloves!
Horizontal juniper Viltoni: a description of the fight against diseases and pests
The most common diseases that juniper is susceptible to are fungal rust and gray mold. Observe the disease in the early stages will allow the observance of the distance between the bushes. The main method of prevention is planting at a distance from fruit crops. In addition, there is no need to overmoisten the soil, and dry and broken branches must be removed on time. The processing of juniper with preparations containing copper will not be superfluous.
Among the pests that are dangerous for Viltoni, include scutellaria, shoot moths and spider mites. Emerging pests are easily destroyed with the help of chemicals.
Winter preparations
Experienced gardeners say Juniper Wiltoni should not be planted in places where the formation of large snowdrifts is possible. Otherwise, the needles can be severely affected. You can protect the juniper bushes from the load by simply tying the plant with twine.
In general, Viltoni is a winter-hardy bush; it tolerates frosts well up to -31 degrees! This plant needs shelter only in the first two years after planting in the ground.
Juniper Wiltoni: a description of the breeding process
Junipers can be propagated in three ways - layering, seeds and cuttings. The latter method allows you to grow shrubs quickly and without much difficulty. The best time for grafting is spring. Rooted cut shoots can be rooted in a greenhouse, after processing them with any growth stimulator. At the end of spring, the shoots should be transplanted to the garden, under the film cover. In order for the stem to precisely take root, he will need diffused light, regular spraying, watering and a temperature of about 24-27 degrees. When a young juniper develops a root system, it can be transplanted to a permanent place.
An interesting feature: the cuttings of horizontal junipers, which include the Viltoni variety, need to be rooted at an angle!
Viltoni Application
This smart juniper looks great as a lush and fragrant lawn. It will perfectly replace grass! Viltoni looks good against the background of a pebble embankment, mulch from colored bark. Viltoni variety is combined with other varieties of horizontal junipers, which allows you to diversify the site with all shades of green, blue and ocher!
Viltoni is a great option for colorful mixborders. It is best to plant him in the foreground. Gardeners who respond only positively to this variety recommend planting Wiltoni in the coastal zone of artificial and natural ponds, decorating rocky walking paths with it. The variety is used in heather and Japanese gardens, rock gardens and rockeries. Looks great combination of this juniper with lush roses. Flower beds, by the way, can be sprinkled with white pebbles!
Viltoni can be grown in containers, which means that the variety is suitable for decorating terraces, balconies, walls and roofs.