Juniper horizontal. Juniper: planting and caring for a universal evergreen shrub How to feed juniper in the spring for lush flowering

We planted junipers, they took root, now we need to learn how to preserve and increase their beauty. Care so that the needles remain thick and fluffy, do not fade from the sun, maintaining a rich green or blue color, and the crown pleases the eye with its perfect shape.

How to fertilize and moisturize juniper

Frequent and abundant feeding, especially organic matter, junipers do not need. Young plants are fertilized once a year, in April-May, with Kemira-universal (15-20 g per bucket of water) or nitroammophoska. It is scattered in a circle near the trunk (but not near the trunk!) at the rate of 30-40 g per 1 m2 and the soil is watered abundantly. Adult plants can generally do without fertilizing. They also do not need frequent watering; even in hot summers, only two or three are enough, with a consumption of 10-30 liters of water per plant.

But spraying or sprinkling is very useful for all junipers and at any age: many of them do not tolerate dry air. Moisture washes the needles, which helps clean the stomata - breathing holes. It is advisable to spray weekly, in the evening or on a cloudy day. You will immediately notice the result - after man-made rain, the needles begin to smell fragrant.

Preparing juniper for winter

Most junipers tolerate our winters well, and their frost resistance increases with age. Only heat-loving European varieties, young plants in the first year after planting and those that are weakened after a dry summer need to be covered for the winter. In the first half of November, the tree trunk circle should be sprinkled with a layer of peat 10-12 cm and covered with spruce branches. In early spring, the cover is removed and the peat is raked away from the trunk to prevent rotting of the root collar.

We have already mentioned that the crown of pillar junipers can be damaged during heavy snowfalls. Therefore, you need to regularly shake off snow from them, and also better in autumn tie tightly with a wide ribbon, in a spiral from bottom to top. But the most dangerous thing for the decorative appearance of junipers is sunburn. When the bright sun begins to warm up, the stomata of the needles open, the plant begins to breathe and evaporate the moisture present in the cells. At the same time, the roots in frozen ground are not working yet, the plant cannot replenish its moisture reserves, and dehydration begins.

Ultraviolet rays deliver an additional blow. Reflecting from the surface of the snow, they fall on the underside of the needles. As a result, the needles turn brown and dry out, which is often discovered only in May, when nothing can be done. You need to protect yourself from this trouble in the fall: water the plant well, saturating the soil with moisture, and at the beginning of winter, wrap the crown with non-woven material.

Formation of juniper, cutting

Nature gave junipers beautiful crown, so there is no need to cut them. An exception is made for those plants that have decided to be shaped in some special way. For example, in spreading and creeping junipers cut out branches if you want to make them compact or restrain growth. Basically, pruning involves removing diseased, broken, old or dried branches.

Only plants in a trimmed hedge are pruned 2-3 times per season, removing side branches: the first time - at the end of April, the second - in mid-summer, the last - as needed, for example, if green wall loses its shape.

Protecting juniper from diseases and pests

Rust brings the most trouble to junipers. The disease is signaled by the appearance of swellings with yellowish gelatinous or mucous secretions of fungi. Diseased branches are removed, and the bush is sprayed with a solution of the drug Abiga-Pik (50 g per 10 l of water), 4 times with an interval of 10 days.

Of the pests, various types of aphids are especially annoying. Fitoverm is used against it (20 g per 10 liters of water): double treatment with an interval of 10-14 days. Double spraying with Decis pro (0.5 g per 10 liters of water) is effective against juniper leaf miner moths, after 10-14 days. WITH spider mite fight using the drug fufanon (15 ml per 10 liters of water). It is also used to treat a bush that has been badly damaged by the sawfly. You can find out about the appearance of this pest by discovering that the branches have become fragile and hollow inside.

Unfortunately, Cossack juniper is a carrier of rust, so it should not be planted close to fruit trees and berry bushes.

Juniper is coniferous plant, and like all conifers, it needs to be planted in early spring

Juniperperennial coniferous plant. Its needles are soft and fragrant. The plant is highly decorative.

Juniper is highly valued landscape design . Its shape, size, texture, various varietal characteristics open big choice for using juniper in decoration. This is a plant planted as a single planting, whole curtains are created from it, placed on different rockeries and alpine slides.

In order for juniper to please the eyes of its owners, it must be planted correctly and properly cared for. This is exactly what this article will discuss.

What you need to know when growing juniper

Juniper is a coniferous plant, and like all conifers, it needs to be planted in early spring. It is at this time that the plant is ideally ready for such procedures. It’s not quite awake yet, but it’s not sleeping either. The root system is ready to absorb nutrients. If you purchased a plant with a closed root system, then you can plant it at any time.

Juniper should be planted in open spaces.. There should be a lot of light, because if there is not enough light, the juniper will not have many branches, and the needles will not be of very good quality.

The soil for juniper is selected based on the type of plant. For ordinary, Cossack and Central Asian, alkaline soil is required. Other species require acidic soil.

Planting material

Juniper sapling

The best thing buy juniper in a specialty store, nursery or greenhouse. Only there you can buy healthy plant, prepared for landing. In general, there is a large choice, but you need to choose plants that are planted in pots whose volume does not exceed 5 liters. The junipers in such pots are young, which means they will very quickly and easily take root in a new place, that is, on your site.

If you do not have time to wait for the young juniper to take root and begin to grow, or you want the plant to look immediately after planting as if it has been growing in this place for a very long time, you can buy mature plant. Yes, an adult plant is very a good option, but there are nuances. An adult plant is much less accepted, this is explained by the fact that it grows in the ground, which means I dig it up, therefore, one way or another root system is damaged.

Another option that is suitable for thrifty people and those who are used to choosing (or even looking for) a plant for their garden. You can dig up juniper from the forest and plant it on your property. But only young plants are suitable for this. You need to make sure that the plant is healthy. You need to dig with big lump soil, being careful not to damage the root system. After the plant is dug up, it needs to be wrapped in plastic film and tie it up. Moreover, it is necessary to take into account that it is necessary to mark sunny side to plant juniper the way it grew in the forest.

Planting juniper

First, you need to dig landing hole. It should be 2-3 times larger than the plant’s root system. Drainage must be created at the bottom of the pit: sand with pebbles, crushed stone or broken bricks are poured.

Next, the juniper is located in the planting hole, always in the center. Empty places, formed between the root system and the edges of the hole, are filled with specialized soil for coniferous plants (or soil brought from a coniferous forest). You can add complex fertilizers for coniferous plants. Be sure to ensure that the root collar is not buried or embedded in the soil.

After the root system is covered with soil, it needs to be watered well. To preserve moisture for a long time, the tree trunk circle is mulched. Peat is used for mulching, pine sawdust, cones, wood chips. The thickness of the mulch layer should be at least ten centimeters.

Juniper care

As was written above, juniper is unpretentious, but nevertheless, so that his life is long, so that he has an impeccable appearance, you need to follow some rules for caring for it and follow some principles.

Watering. Juniper, like any coniferous plant, can survive for a long time without watering. In hot summers, juniper is watered only once a month. Experienced gardeners, who specialize in growing conifers, recommend giving junipers a spray shower once a week. This procedure is carried out early in the morning or late in the evening, that is, at a time when the sun is not so active and cannot harm wet needles.

Trimming. Juniper does not require much pruning. The only thing you need to do is remove the dried branches. If you decide to form your own juniper bush, then you need to do it carefully; you don’t need to remove too many branches at one time, as the juniper may get sick.

In winter and spring. To prevent juniper from freezing in cold areas, it is covered with covering material, and young plants can be covered with straw or sawdust. If you have not covered your juniper, then in early spring, as soon as the sun begins to get hot, be prepared to do so. This is explained by the fact that under the bright spring sun, juniper can get very severe sunburn, from which it is very difficult to recover. Regular burlap is suitable for covering. After the snow has melted, the covering material is removed, the plant is inspected, and the tree trunk circle is cleared of mulch, since during this period it can lead to rotting of the root collar and roots.

Feeding. Juniper needs to be fed every spring and summer with a complex fertilizer for conifers.

Main diseases of juniper

Juniper is susceptible to various diseases that are dangerous to it.

Various fungal diseases manifest themselves in different ways: the needles and branches dry out, an orange, yellow or black coating appears on the needles. If the soil is very salty, the plant begins to suffer rust. As soon as you notice that the plant is starting to get sick, you need to immediately take certain measures to combat the disease and eliminate the cause of the disease. Juniper is also susceptible to attack by various insect pests, which also need to be dealt with immediately.

Juniper is a beautiful, versatile plant that does not require special attention.

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Juniper is a plant that belongs to the cypress family. It appeared 50 million years ago, and there are about 70 species of this plant around the world. Some types of juniper reach up to 15 m in height.

Types and varieties of junipers used in landscape design

Let's move on directly to the types and varieties of juniper themselves.


– has a light green color and grows up to 10 m in height and about 1.5 m in diameter. Looks great hedge and in compositions. Can be cut.

Red cedar- from North America. It grows above 15 m. The bluish needles of a compact conical shape are suitable for decorating your yard. Interesting varieties of this juniper - Pyramidalis and Glauka.

Juniper horizontal– a group of varieties with green, bluish-blue, white-spotted color. Reaches up to 2 m in diameter and up to 0.5 in height. Used for foregrounds in compositions and borders. The most commonly planted are dwarf forms of juniper, such as Andpressa, Andorra Compact and Wiltoni.
Juniper Cossackthis type plants reach up to 1 m in height and 3 m in diameter. The needles can be green, blue, white and yellow-spotted. Used for planting on the lawn and in large rock gardens. There are both tall and dwarf varieties: Variegata, Cupressifolia and Tamariscifolia. Of the dwarf species, Nana is the most famous.

– the plant has a pyramidal shape with a gray-blue color. Reaches up to 12 m in height and 1.5 m in diameter. Used for group plantings in the background of compositions.
- a plant that came to us from China, has a blue color and grows up to 2 m in diameter and up to 2 m in height. The shape of the crown depends on the variety. This group of junipers is used in rock gardens.

How to choose the right juniper seedling when purchasing

First of all, you should choose a juniper variety that will look original in your landscape design.

It is also worth considering that junipers bloom in April-May. The first fruiting begins at 5-15 years of age. The fruits are formed by fusion of scales and ripen annually in the fall. When choosing seeds of this plant, it is important to observe the following time intervals - you need to prepare unripe seeds in August. This will make germination more likely. The collected material must be planted immediately, but juniper seeds will sprout only 2-3 years after planting.


Successful rooting and growth of the plant depends on the quality of the seedlings. Therefore, when purchasing, pay attention to the following:

  1. A plant with an exposed root system is not worth buying;
  2. Buy juniper with an earthen lump in burlap;
  3. The root system and branches should show growth from the current year;
  4. There should be no cracks on the juniper trunk;
  5. New shoots should not break and be flexible;
  6. The color of the crown should be uniform and not have brown spots or white flakes at the base;
  7. We recommend choosing plants that have been grown in containers.
All juniper species love light, and only a few are resistant to drought, pests or pathogens.

The root system of all plants of this species is superficial and fibrous. This allows the juniper to grow strongly and strengthen the soil. This plant is undemanding to the soil - it will also grow on rocky, poor sandy soils.

How to plant juniper in your dacha

Any type of juniper is popular in landscape design. The advantage of juniper is longevity.


Did you know? Juniper can live up to 600 years.

This plant is widely used due to its different colors and shapes. In order for your juniper to grow healthy and beautiful, you should take care of the place and time, which will be discussed in this section.

Timing for planting juniper seedlings

The beginning of spring is the ideal time to plant juniper. Planting is also possible in the fall, closer to October. Juniper is very light-loving, but, for example, common juniper tolerates slight shading well.

Selection and preparation of soil for planting

First you should choose a place to plant juniper. This plant loves an open, well-lit area of ​​the yard or garden. It prefers soil with loamy or sandy loamy light soil. It should be nutritious and moisturized.

If the soil is clayey and heavy, then you should add to the planting hole a mixture of garden soil, sand and coniferous soil, which can be collected under spruce or pine trees in the forest. If you have juniper virginia, then clay soil will do.

Rules for planting juniper seedlings in the ground

Now that we have chosen the variety and the place where to plant the plant, we need to understand how to plant juniper so that it grows and does not die during planting.

A seedling with a closed root system is watered abundantly, but not freed from the coma. The hole dug in advance should be 3 times the diameter of the roots of the purchased juniper. The most successful soil mixture for planting juniper is as follows: mix two parts of turf soil, humus and peat with one part of sand. For optimal survival rate, add 150 g of nitrophoska to each seedling, and after planting - Epin.

The seedling is buried so that the root collar is not deeper than the previous level. The juniper planting ends with watering and mulching. If more than one juniper is planted, leave enough space between them, from 0.5 to 4 meters. Junipers do not like close quarters.

Also, don't ignore 4 main mistakes when planting juniper in the ground:

1. Disturbance of the earthen coma during planting. It is necessary to preserve the earthen lump, otherwise the roots will dry out and die. To better preserve the coma, you should water it well. Some gardeners leave the burlap in the soil, as it will rot anyway, but the stiff wire that remains to hold the burlap in place should be removed.

2. A small planting hole or a large earthen ball. It is worth adhering to the rule: the palm of an adult man should fit between the lump and the walls of the pit, and the root collar of the juniper should be at soil level. After the earthen lump of juniper has been planted, the hole is filled with pre-prepared soil, which includes additives useful for the plant. If there is none, then the soil removed when preparing the planting site will do, but in this case the juniper will develop worse.

3. Backfilling of the root collar. You should fill the juniper roots so that the plant is free from the ground to the level of the root collar.

4. Ignoring the special requirements of juniper when planting. Planting juniper has its own nuances, which depend on the type or variety of the plant. In order for any juniper variety to adapt well to a new place, you should create optimal conditions for its development.

Growing and caring for juniper

Growing juniper does not require much effort. Due to its unpretentiousness to the soil, landscape designers The plant is used very often. Caring for juniper does not require much intervention on your part.

It is enough to properly water and fertilize the soil, apply mulching in winter and summer, and sometimes prune the juniper. And we will look at how to do this correctly in this section.

Watering and fertilizing the soil


During the growing season, you need to water it only in extreme heat, but you should not do this more than once a month. 10-20 liters of water are required for one adult bush. The plant will also thank you for spraying the foliage weekly in the evening. Especially if you have Chinese or common juniper growing in your garden. You should loosen the soil and remove weeds from time to time. You need to feed the juniper. It is enough to scatter in the spring trunk circle 40 g of nitroammophoska and water the planting site. If the soil at the planting site is poor, the plant will need feeding throughout the season. But you should do this no more than once a month. In the first winter, young juniper should be covered with a thick layer of spruce branches and mulch.

In spring, move the mulch away from the trunk to avoid rotting, since the soil is moist at this time.

Did you know?It was noticed that the air therewhere the juniper is planted,much cleaner. In one day, a hectare of juniper evaporates 30 kg of phytoncides.

The benefits of mulch in summer and winter

There are many advantages of mulching in the summer and winter seasons:

  • mulch prevents the evaporation of moisture from the soil at the roots of the juniper;
  • it protects the roots from overheating or freezing;
  • By using mulch correctly, you can maintain the optimal acidity level in the soil.
  • mulch enriches the soil with useful substances and prevents leaching and weathering.
  • mulch suppresses the growth of weeds and promotes the proliferation of microorganisms in the soil.

Crown trimming and shaping

Forming a juniper crown is not an easy task. Not only the appearance of your hedge, but also the health of the plant itself depends on this. This plant is characterized by its slow growth, so be careful when pruning, as if you make a mistake, your bush will take a long time to recover. For juniper, it is enough to occasionally remove dried branches.


Did you know? When juniper wood becomes strong, it is used to make canes and pencils.

Propagation of juniper in different ways

When you first have this plant in your garden, you will want to propagate it. Due to the nature of the structure, it is quite easy to do this simple and reproduction juniper will give you pleasure. There are several methods:

  • Seeds;
  • Cuttings;
  • By layering.
In this section we will tell you how to do it correctly.

Also note that juniper has a gender - male and female. Many gardeners often wonder why there are no berries on juniper. And it depends on the “sex” of the juniper whether your plant will bear cones or not.

Seeds


Since juniper seedlings are not very cheap, we offer you more economical option breeding - by seeds. This is not an easy task, but it is possible to do it yourself.

The main thing is to adhere to the following rules:

  1. Seed preparation. To do this, you need to find a fruiting bush and pick a dark blue cone from it. You should be careful with this, as there may be cones on the bush Green colour- unripe seeds.
  2. Soak the cones in water and rub it. Since the shell of the cones is very dense, it must be destroyed. To do this, rub the grains between two sheets sandpaper. We wash the extracted seeds.
  3. In the fall, we plant the seeds in a box of soil. The depth of the hole should be small, about 2-3 cm.
  4. We take the box out into the yard and leave it until the end of winter.
  5. The seeds are planted in the garden in May. In the first weeks we protect it with mulching and remove weeds.
  6. Plant grown plants on permanent place 3 years later.

Cuttings

Cuttings are a universal means of propagating all varieties of juniper. It is best to do this in the spring.


The following steps need to be taken:

  1. Take cuttings in August, when the young shoots have already become woody.
  2. Preparation of cuttings is carried out in cloudy weather, since the rays of the sun can cause a negative effect on planting material and mature juniper.
  3. For cuttings, use the tops of lignified shoots. It all depends on the variety: in columnar and pyramidal varieties, shoots that are directed upward are cut off; at creeping varieties you can collect any shoots; In spherical or bushy forms, any shoots can be cut off.
  4. It's worth cutting off the shoots sharp knife. Then they are freed from branches and pine needles.

Important! Cut shoots cannot be stored.

If it is not possible to plant immediately, they are placed in containers with water for 1-3 hours. Plant the planting material in the substrate and water the bud with sodium humate or heteroauxin. This will speed up root formation. Plant the cuttings in wooden boxes and don't forget about drainage. Immerse the cuttings in the ground to a depth of 3 cm at an angle of 60°.


After planting, place the boxes in a dry greenhouse with optimal climatic conditions: high humidity, air temperature not lower than 16°C and not higher than 19°C. After bud break - 26°C. It is also worth protecting the cuttings from sunlight.

Cuttings require watering. The plant should be sprayed at least 6 times a day. Water the soil as it dries. Roots on the cuttings will appear after 50-90 days. But don't rush to replant them. Wait a year for the roots to strengthen and grow. If this is not possible, then replant the cuttings very carefully.

Bends

Some gardeners propagate juniper by layering. But this should be done with species that are creeping. Only young branches that have gained strength need to be rooted.

The method is as follows:

The cuttings take root within a year. You disconnect it and transplant it to the right place

Useful and healing properties of juniper

Juniper is also used in medicinal purposes. And in this section we will talk about them.

Mainly mature black berries and young shoots are used. Less often - roots. For treatment, a special decoction of berries or pine needles is made. It can be used externally and internally. The roots are used for bronchitis, tuberculosis, stomach ulcers, and skin diseases. A decoction of branches helps with diathesis.


Juniper fruits are harvested in September - October. Pine needles can be prepared in different time. Berries should be dried in dryers at a temperature not exceeding 30°C or in the attic. The needles are dried in the shade. The shelf life of dried berries or pine needles is up to 3 years.

In former times, people fumigated their homes with the smoke of set fire branches and chewed berries during severe epidemics of influenza and cholera. This plant improves kidney function and disinfects the urinary tract.

Important! You should not use juniper or preparations made from it for acute or chronic inflammation kidney

Also, decoction and tincture are used for joint diseases, tumors, rheumatism: rubbing with insulation is done for neuralgia and paralysis.


Juniper oil is considered a very valuable medicine. It disinfects and accelerates the healing of wounds, eliminates depression, and normalizes blood pressure. For influenza or acute respiratory infections, juniper oil is rubbed into chest and neck.

Alcohol tincture is used as an expectorant. For skin diseases, rashes, lichen, scabies, wounds, ulcers, bruises, juniper tincture is used. If you have ear pain, use the tincture - bury it in your ears and rub around them.

Pests and diseases of juniper, their treatment

Juniper, like other plants in your garden, is often affected by pests and diseases. In this section we will tell you why juniper dies and how this can be prevented; how to deal with pests that can ruin the appearance of your plant.

The causative agent of this disease is the Fusarium fungus. It causes root rot. The fungus penetrates into vascular system, and the juniper roots begin to turn brown, as nutrients do not reach the crown. This causes the juniper to turn yellow , and then the needles turn red and fall off. The plant itself begins to die. Most often, fungi settle in young plants. A gray-white coating appears on the roots at high humidity.


Control measures are very simple. It is best to promptly destroy dried plants with roots. For prevention, young plants are treated with a solution of Baktofit or Vitaros before planting. At the first signs of wilting, the ground under the plants is watered with a solution of Fitosporin-M or Gamair.

The main causative agent is the fungus Gymnosporangium. The spores of these fungi germinate on shoots, needles and cones. Thickenings appear on the affected areas, shaped like a spindle, and the branches begin to die.


Swellings form on the trunks, then the bark dries out and small wounds appear. They form a golden-brown coating, the so-called rust. The spores spread quickly in strong winds and infect rosaceous crops. Over time, the juniper dries out and the needles fall off. Control measures are the same as for drying out branches. You should also place juniper away from rosaceous plants.

The causative agents are several species of fungi: Cytospora pini, Diplodia juniperi, Hendersonia notha, Phoma juniperi, Phomopsis juniperovora, Rhabdospora sabinae.

When affected by this disease, the juniper bark dries out and small brown or black bodies appear on it. The needles gradually turn yellow, and the branches of the bushes dry out.

Control measures are as follows:use high-quality planting material, cut off affected branches and disinfect wounds on all cuts with a 1% solution of copper sulfate. Also remember to collect and burn any affected branches that are cut off.

Juniper Alternaria

The causative agent is the fungus Alternaria tenuis. A black coating appears on the affected needles. It falls and the branches dry up. You can fight the fungus using the same methods as when branches dry out.


The causative agent is the fungus Nectria cucurbitula, during the development of which red sporulation pads form on the surface of the affected bark. Over time, the branches dry out. The fungus also causes the bark of individual branches to die. The needles turn yellow and the affected branches dry out.

Control measures are the same as for drying out of juniper branches.

Juniper aphid

Juniper mealybug

It is very difficult to get rid of scale insects. It is necessary to treat juniper with poisons at least 3 times with an interval of 10 days. The drug Engio is best suited for treatment.

Juniper moth

The pest settles in the middle of the crown. During April, the caterpillars weave branches into large nests.

In early June, butterflies lay larvae for a new generation in the same nests. Young caterpillars damage 75-80% of the needles.

Juniper should be treated with pesticides from the end of June at least 2 times, with an interval of 11 days. Engio and Calypso preparations are suitable.

The larvae form cone-shaped galls on the tips of juniper shoots. When the gall matures, the tips of the needles bend outward.

The affected juniper branches should be treated with pesticides 2 times with an interval of 12 days.

Oregon flat beetle mite

Treatment is carried out with Caesar and Actellik at least 3 times with an interval of 10 days. In this article we looked at the varieties and types of juniper, methods of growing it and methods of caring for it. We learned how to properly prune juniper without harming its health, and how to protect the plant from pests and diseases.

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Juniper is a fairly common plant that has been decorating gardens for countless years. This genus of cypress is known under a rather interesting name - Veres. If we proceed from the scientific approach to naming of this plant, juniper is usually called Archa (Turkic name).

It’s worth starting with the fact that this plant is quite unpretentious to its habitat and therefore is a favorite among gardeners throughout the CIS. Along with this, it has a refined aroma and evokes associations with the coniferous vegetation of the forest.

Juniper is a representative of evergreen plants, it is a bush 1-3 m in height, or a tree 7-13 m. The bark is dark gray, the needles are from bluish-blue to bright green and yellow color. It has a prickly shell with a pronounced odor. The sex of the plant is distinguished by female and male cones, which, after fertilization, grow into cone-berries.

The plant loves light, is resistant to drought and does not require excessive demands on the soil, but grows best in light and nutrient soil. The lifespan of a juniper bush can reach 600 years. Under no circumstances should it be cut or torn; it is almost impossible to restore the growth of the heather. Many species of this plant are listed in the Red Book. Juniper varieties vary depending on the place of origin and climate.

IN environment The plant secretes phytoncides - substances that suppress and destroy most microorganisms. If you enter a juniper grove, you will breathe almost sterile air, free of bacteria and germs.

Range of uses of juniper

The plant is used both for gardening purposes and in forestry as a soil strengthener.

It has wide range Applications:

  • brew beer;
  • make wine, vodka, gin;
  • extract sugar;
  • make spices;
  • spices;
  • essential oils.

Common juniper has many subspecies and forms. It makes an excellent marinade for meat; veres not only improves the taste, but also fully reveals all the subtleties of the dish. Pairs well with lamb, pork and in confectionery production.

Medicinal properties of juniper

Since ancient times, juniper has been considered a powerful medicinal plant.

  • The roots treat tuberculosis, ulcers, bronchitis, and skin diseases.
  • The cones are widely used in medicine.
  • The berries have diuretic, choleretic, antimicrobial and expectorant effects.
  • Treats toothache, improves heart function, relieves swelling, normalizes blood pressure.
  • Contraindicated for pregnant women, hypertensive patients, and people with kidney disease.
  • The percentage of vitamin C is equal to its content in lemon.

Juniper. Planting and care

Important Rules

  • Not every plant can withstand juniper in the neighborhood.
  • Propagation by cuttings is much more effective than when grown from seeds. But for the cutting to take root, you need to invest a lot of patience, effort and knowledge on how to plant juniper correctly. Sometimes the rooting process can last about 2 years.

The soil

  • In the spring you need to fertilize the soil by adding nitroammophos (about 40-50 grams per square meter).
  • Before planting juniper in the ground, you should make a good drainage system, because it does not tolerate the accumulation of excess moisture. Excess water in the soil leads to rotting of the root system and death of the plant. To avoid similar situation, it is necessary to properly prepare the growing site. A layer of expanded clay and sand (about 20 cm), covered with a layer of earth 40-60 cm.
  • When preparing the soil, the ideal mixture is: soil, sand, peat in a ratio of 1:1:2.
  • After two weeks (when the ground has settled), water the soil generously.

The preparation procedure at this stage is absolutely not complicated in comparison with many other conifers. You should absolutely not ignore the preparation stage. Compliance with all the rules will ensure high growth intensity and the absence of deficiency of microelements necessary for nutrition.

  • The landing site should be sunny; in extreme cases, partial shade will do.
  • Juniper is unpretentious to drought, but if you want to get good results, it is recommended to spray the crown of your seedling. It is best to do this in the morning and no more than once every 10 days.
  • In autumn, juniper should begin to be prepared for winter. Remove dry branches, inspect for pests and neutralize the soil around the bush with a solution of Bordeaux mixture. Since juniper grows very slowly, it is necessary to carefully trim only dry branches.
  • In order for the planted plant to survive the winter, it needs to be covered, but this should be done only in the first year of planting.
  • If the plant has a large crown, tie your bush with rope for the winter for a safe winter.
  • In the spring, at a distance of 30-40 cm from the trunk, make a trench around your bush. Until the fall, new shoots will appear inside the coma and, if transplantation is necessary, the procedure will be as painless as possible.

Reproduction

This technique provides a higher growth rate compared to germination from seeds. You are guaranteed to receive a plant of the same type as the source of the cloning material.

The best period for cuttings is autumn.

  • The cutting, measuring from 20 cm to 40 cm, should be separated from the mother plant using a blade previously disinfected with an alcohol-based solution. It is preferable to cut off the lower branches of the plant.
  • Requires treatment with stimulants that help accelerate root formation. “Kornevin” powder is ideal.
  • Place the clone in a small greenhouse. For soil, use soil with peat in a 1:1 ratio.

If you decide to buy a juniper with an already developed root system, carefully inspect the specimen to determine the condition of the seedling. If the needles look sluggish, then it is better to refuse such a purchase.

To plant juniper seeds you need:

  • To scarify the seeds, you can rub them between two sheets of sandpaper.
  • Sow seeds in boxes with soil
  • Stratify (subject cold treatment). Take the boxes out into the garden and store under the snow for about 4-5 months.
  • In May, sow the seeds in the beds to a depth of 2-3 cm.
  • Mulch the bed and water as needed.
  • During the first two weeks, we cover the bed from the sun's rays, loosen it and weed it from weeds.
  • At the age of 3 years, you can transplant the seedlings with a clod of soil to a new permanent place of growth.

Disembarkation

  • We are preparing a hole that should be twice as large larger size the seedling itself.
  • The recommended age for planting seedlings is at least 3 years.
  • Immediately after transplanting, water the heather around the trunk generously.
  • It is best to plant juniper with a closed root system. If the rhizomes are open, then best time for planting cuttings - April-May, when the weather is moderately humid.
  • After planting, we mulch the soil - cover the soil with any breathable material, such as peat or leaves. The mulch layer should be about 10 cm.

Disease and pest control

Juniper most often suffers from a fungal disease that looks like rust and appears on shoots, needles and branches. The bark dries out, the needles turn brown and fall off. However, this is not the only problem that a gardener may encounter when growing heather.

Juniper rust

  • The main signs: the trunk becomes covered with abundant swellings, the bark slowly dies and in its place wounds form in the form of brown cracks.
  • Prevention and treatment: ideal solution To avoid infection, do not plant next to pink-flowering plant crops. If it occurs, remove the affected branches and destroy them away from the juniper. Disinfect the cut areas copper sulfate at 1% concentration.

Tracheomycosis wilt

  • Main signs: occurs when infected with a fungus. The spread of the disease into the root system blocks the absorption of nutrients. Manifests itself in the form of yellowing and shedding of needles and plant branches. Young seedlings are at risk. It is extremely difficult to detect the spread of the disease in a timely manner, due to the manifestation of symptoms primarily on the rhizome.
  • Prevention and treatment: disinfect the soil before planting in the ground. Unfortunately, if infected, the plant must be destroyed along with the root system.

Alternaria blight

  • Main signs: fungal type disease. It appears in the form of round spots of plaque, mostly dark in color. It mainly damages branches, but can also be found on the coniferous part of the plant.
  • Prevention and treatment: destruction of damaged areas of the plant and carrying out a disinfection procedure.

Brown Schutte

  • Main symptoms: primarily occurs in plants in places oversaturated with moisture, mainly in the shade. The heather becomes dark brown in color. The causative agent of the disease is a fungus.
  • Prevention and treatment: disinfect the soil and plant surface. Burn all damaged and fallen parts of the plant away from the site.

Juniper is a plant that grows in the form of bushes and trees, has a huge number of subspecies and places of origin. I’ll tell you about the most interesting of them, which affect completely different shapes and are as dissimilar as possible.

  • Juniper blue. A variety of juniper with shoots that creep and form irregular shape in the form of a pillow. The color of this juniper is quite specific - silver blue. Like any juniper, it is not picky about the climate, grows in dry weather and is resistant to cold. An excellent choice for garden decoration or potted plant. In the garden, the plant looks charming against the background white snow. Good to use to cover the soil and protect against cold weather.
  • Cossack juniper. Resistant to drought and hot climates. The branches of this juniper are covered with coniferous scales, which are very rich in essential oils. A good weapon against moths! Has a pronounced pleasant smell. It is widely used in gardening because of its picturesque branches and unpretentiousness. Be careful, the branches of this juniper can be toxic.
  • Rock juniper. The plant, which grows in nature in the form of a tree, can reach up to 10-12 meters in height. Belongs to the cypress family. Will perfectly transform your garden. Often used to decorate park areas and streets. It's not only beautiful plant but also useful, because it has healing phyto-properties and has a beneficial effect on respiratory system. Like any juniper, this species does not survive well when water stagnates in the roots, so it is better to plant it in a dry place with good drainage and protected from the wind. The soil must be unsalted, otherwise the tree will simply die. When landing on open area, at first the cuttings need to loosen the soil.
  • Chinese juniper. Reaches a height of 20-25 meters. The plant is native to China, as a result of which and the name appeared. Young shoots grow rather slowly, but gain momentum over time. It is best to plant in sunny areas of the garden, because... if planted in the shade, the needles may fall off and the cuttings will stop growing. Water no more than once a month.
  • Juniper horizontal. Has roots from the USA and Canada. If the air humidity is moderate, this shrub does not require additional watering. Natural environment are sandy shores near large lakes. Due to the fact that this species grows in the form of a bush creeping along the ground, it is often called flat. The needles are rich green or gray. Like any juniper, it is quite undemanding and difficult to take root when transplanted. It grows well provided that the air in the place of growth is humid.
  • Juniper scaly. Dense shrub with creeping forms. Origin begins in East Asia. The plant is not frost-resistant enough for cold weather; frost causes the needles to turn brown and fall off. It has a large number of forms and types for gardening (about 70).
  • Juniper gold. An excellent look that is suitable for decorating any garden to create a hedge. Maximum height- 1 meter.

Juniper fertilizer

Despite the fact that conifers do not require regular feeding at all, to speed up rooting and ensure high growth rates, it is still worth devoting a little time to this process.

To provide juniper with everything necessary nutrients for several years, compost or vermicompost is ideal. Expand organic fertilizer on the surface with a layer of 5 cm and mix with soil. This way you will ensure the supply of microelements with every watering. It is strictly not recommended to overuse fertilizers, because in this case you risk burning the root system and injuring the plant.

You should definitely avoid fertilizers with a high nitrogen content. If there is an excess of this microelement, juniper is likely to receive an overdose, the consequences of which can kill the plant or completely stop its growth. Avoid such stress.

Precautionary measures

It is better to work with juniper with gloves, because juniper juice is an allergen and can cause skin irritation due to the toxins it contains.

If there are contraindications, you should absolutely not take juniper products.

Juniper. Photo

It is not for nothing that gardeners and landscape designers have chosen such a plant as juniper. This distant relative of pines and spruces has a delicate aroma, soft needles of various colors and is completely undemanding to growing conditions. Moreover, juniper bushes purify the air around them, killing pathogenic microbes. Its unique aroma can calm nervous system, and sometimes relieve headaches.

The bushes of this plant do not require special care, just choose appropriate place for planting and provide watering during dry periods.

Suitable lighting

Ideal for most types of junipers sunny places, and only for one species (common juniper) partial shade is acceptable. If the bushes are planted in the shade, they may lose their decorative properties and become shapeless.


Optimal watering

Cannot tolerate juniper plants at all excess moisture, if you overdo it with watering, the plant will begin to hurt, and in the worst case, the entire root system will rot. Therefore, it needs to be watered only during dry summers, but no more than two or three times a season.

Bush pruning

You need to trim juniper bushes carefully, since due to slow growth, restoration will take quite a long time; the main task is to remove all dry branches that interfere with the growth of the bushes. To form a hedge from it, protruding shoots should be trimmed. This representative of the cypress family is quite frost-resistant, but seedlings of the first year of planting should be covered for the winter. If an adult plant has a spreading crown, then for the winter the branches of the crown must be tied with twine.


Planting juniper

For correct landing a certain set is required suitable conditions. This is both the right place and good soil, and the distance between bushes.

If you plan to plant several juniper bushes, then keep in mind that the distance between them should be at least 1.5 m for short representatives of the species and about 2 m for tall ones.

Once you have decided on a place to plant, you can safely start digging a hole; its depth is determined by how developed the root system is. As a rule, the size of the hole is made several times larger than the size of the earthen ball, and for large bushes the depth can reach a meter. Then a small layer of drainage with sand is laid in the dug hole and then a bush is planted.

Juniper species

There are quite a few species of juniper; in today’s article we will look at the most popular and frequently used in landscape design.

Chinese juniper

Chinese juniper can be used in both group and single plantings and is perfect for decoration alpine slides, slopes and rocky gardens. This type of juniper is unpretentious and requires minimal attention. Thus, you should pay attention to the prevention of fungal diseases and protect the needles from burning.


Common juniper

Common juniper is the most common type of this plant, having many varieties. It grows both in the form of tall multi-stemmed trees and spreading low or tall shrubs. Caring for this type of juniper is incredibly simple: it is drought-resistant, does not require feeding and can withstand almost any conditions. In spring, 40-50 grams of nitroammophos per square meter are added to the soil.


Juniper scaly

Scaly juniper is able to adapt to any conditions: it easily tolerates frost and summer heat, and grows on any soil. Only young plantings that are not yet sufficiently rooted and are in the active growth phase need feeding. Like Chinese juniper, it is sensitive to spring rays, so it is better to cover it during this period.


Juniper Cossack

Cossack juniper is a common creeping shrub. Only freshly planted bushes need care; adult plants require virtually no care. Young juniper requires constant watering and periodic loosening of the soil, as it does not like too much compaction of the soil. Like all other junipers, Cossack responds very well to sprinkling or spraying several times a week. It is recommended to feed in the spring with a small amount of complex fertilizers or nitroammophoska.