In a modern way Planting juniper trees helps to green the area and give it a noble, well-groomed appearance. It is a close relative of the cypress, but grows in harsher conditions. Different types and varieties (about 15 names: dwarf, giant, erect, spreading) will help the designer create a real masterpiece on the site. Juniper, the planting and care of which will be described in the article, has various shades of green and bluish. Depending on the period of the season, the crown of the needles changes color to a bronze color.
When to plant juniper
Planting time can be chosen in spring and autumn. Juniper will feel good in open ground in April, May, October, but the place for it should be chosen without completely darkening the plant, only partially. Hydrogen levels in the soil should be within 4.5-7 units. taking into account the variety.
Note! Designers love juniper for its unpretentiousness to soil and climate. It can grow even on heavy loams and sandy soils, except in marshy areas. IN winter period it does not need shelter, unless we are talking about young cuttings.
The question of how to properly plant juniper in the spring should also include soil testing to prevent the death of the plant.
Where to plant the plant
Juniper loves direct sunlight, so it is generally planted in open areas. Otherwise, the shadow will lead to the loss of the bright, rich color of the needles and the degenerative formation of the crown. Only one variety can tolerate only a slight lack of sun - the common juniper.
A feature of all species is the development of a long, voluminous root system, so the planting site can even be slopes or unstable soils that need strengthening.
Important! Juniper does not like long-term soaking, so planting in lowlands and swampy areas is not recommended.
If the question is: what to plant next to juniper, then you should avoid proximity to rowan, hawthorn and apple trees, which can be carriers of fungi that affect the crowns of plants.
How to plant a plant at home correctly? The basic rule is to maintain certain parameters:
- from 1.5 to 2 m from each other;
- The dimensions of the hole for a small seedling are 50×50×50 cm, for a large one from 70×70×70 cm.
The preparation of the pit begins 2 weeks in advance, forming a pillow from the following layers:
- drainage (finely broken brick + sand) up to 20 cm thick;
- nutrient soil with fertilizing - 1 part turf-clay soil + 1 part sand + 2 parts + 250 g of nitroammophos.
The peculiarities of each type of juniper should be taken into account. Growing a Virginia specimen will not be successful unless 5 kg of compost and 5 kg of clay are added to the base mixture (if poor, sandy soil). In the case of Cossack juniper, up to 300 g of dolomite flour is mixed into the soil.
After 2 weeks, when the soil shrinks, you should start planting the seedling. It is placed in a prepared hole and covered with the same soil composition as in the hole, excluding fertilizing.
Important! Before planting juniper in your dacha or other area, you should remember correct location root collar in the hole. For small seedlings, location at ground level is allowed, for large ones - up to 10 cm above ground level.
After planting, the plant is watered abundantly, and after the soil shrinks, mulch with a small (up to 8 cm) layer of a mixture of sawdust and peat.
Planting seedlings
The main conditions for the speedy establishment of seedlings are:
- 3-4 years of age;
- container where the plant grew (up to 5 l);
- absence of signs of any disease;
- maintaining the integrity of the earthen ball on the roots to prevent damage to the root system;
- reputable garden center.
Planting of seedlings is carried out at any time during the growing season, except for very hot days. Pre-lowered root system in water for 2 hours, you can add a little potassium permanganate. If the young plant has open roots, then planting in spring or late summer is recommended, and the soil should be moist. To develop healthy roots, a root formation stimulator is used.
If you follow all the points when choosing, the seedling will quickly settle into the soil, and you will not need to use additional auxiliary means for replanting.
Planting seeds is a complex process that requires some experience. A feature of coniferous plants is low germination. You may be lucky and the plant will germinate, but it will be difficult to preserve.
With patience and some botanical knowledge, it is possible. Planting is carried out in the fall, in a pot, which is taken out in the winter open area for 4 months (not paying attention to the weather).
The dead seeds are thrown away, and the surviving ones are planted again in a pot in May, still leaving them outside. Germination can only be expected next year.
Important! Regardless of the type, juniper grows very slowly, and in order to speed up the germination process, fertilizers are added and a favorable regime is provided - sun, soil moisture.
How to grow juniper from cuttings
The question arose, how to plant cuttings? The best option there will be a small pot with an earthen mixture (1 part peat + 1 part sand + 0.25 parts turf soil).
WITH coniferous tree, whose age has reached 10 years, cut an annual cutting about 12 cm long along with the wood. A mixture is diluted in a jar of water to stimulate growth and the branch is lowered into it to a depth of 3 cm. If the cutting was cut without wood, then you need to watch the top so as not to put this particular side in the water.
Important! Before propagating juniper from a branch, you should consider its type. A creeping plant is lowered into a jar with a growth solution at a 60° angle, while a columnar plant is placed vertically.
Common juniper can be propagated through cuttings much better (90%) than other species. If the root system is actively developing, then you can transplant the plant into a separate pot. The only condition is a transfer to open ground no less than 2 years later.
How to fertilize and feed seedlings and young plants
The soil for juniper should consist of a mixture nutrients and fertilizers, only if this condition is met will growth be active and the plant will be resistant to pathogens of various diseases.
Important! When choosing a seedling, you should pay attention to its ability to grow. The needles should not be dry, have no damage or signs of disease (mold, fungus), and there should be an earthen lump on the roots.
How to feed correctly? In spring, mineral fertilizers are applied: superphosphate or nitroammophos. If juniper was propagated by cuttings or young planting material from a nursery was planted in the ground, then soil properties are improved every spring and summer (when obvious signs poor growth and lack of minerals).
By the state of the shoots, you can determine the excess or deficiency of a microelement:
- yellowing of the needles indicates magnesium deficiency;
- crown deformation, death - large number nitrogen. It is available in organic fertilizers(manure).
Growing young planting material impossible without fertilizer. You should also consider what kind of soil the juniper likes. By following these recommendations, you can grow a lush, healthy plant with succulent needles.
Feeding an adult plant
Grow mature tree without fertilizers it is possible, but for rich color and splendor of the crown use foliar feeding. During dry summers and before predicted frosts in autumn, juniper is watered abundantly, which is necessary to accumulate moisture.
Replanting juniper from the forest
How to transplant juniper from the forest to the plot? The best period The best time to move is early spring, when the snow has not yet completely melted. The following recommendations should be followed:
- Before transplanting into the garden, while still in the forest, you need to bandage it with ribbon. sunny side plants and plant in the same orientation.
- Dig only with the “mother” earthen lump on the root system. If it is too heavy to lift, then you can scrape it vertically with a shovel, reducing the depth.
- Place the earthen ball with the tree on polyethylene and wrap it for transportation. This will retain moisture.
- Planting should be done individually or in trenches, avoiding placement near buildings (sliding snow in winter can damage the crowns).
- The size of the hole should be slightly larger than a ball of earth (provide for placing a soil mixture of peat, compost, sand), and shallow so that the root collar does not end up below ground level.
- The roots are straightened in the hole and covered with earth and pine litter (sawdust).
- Form a bowl for watering and pour out 2 buckets of water to compact the soil.
The propagation of a tree and its survival in a new place depends on the degree of care for it. It is especially important to pay attention to the plant in the first six months, until the root system has completely taken root in the soil. To limit growth, it is recommended to prune junipers in early May.
Today let's look at the topic of caring for this shrub, which has a lot of useful properties.
This evergreen has many varieties, ranging from shrubs 20 cm high creeping along the ground to tall trees up to 15-20 m in height.
Regardless of their type, they have one thing in common: they are all fairly unpretentious plants and do not require much time for care. Only the planting process is labor-intensive, as well as caring for the young plant. If you purchased a plant that is more than 3 years old, care is kept to a minimum. You just need to choose the right place and transplant it correctly.
Landing location
Junipers grow well in bright sun, but can also grow quite quickly in the shade. Some varieties are even better planted in the shade - these are the ones that can lose their bright green color in the sun and turn light green or, in some cases, yellowish. Therefore, before purchasing, first consult with the staff of the nursery where you are going to purchase your plant, whether it is this type juniper shade-loving.
Depending on the species or variety, it is necessary to allocate an appropriate area for it, and for creeping species, place the sprouts more than 2-3 m from each other. Since the shrub grows very slowly - 10-15 cm per year, you can plant annual flowers and plants between them for decades so that your flowerbed does not look empty. Large stones at the base look great next to the juniper.
Watering
This is a very hardy plant and, depending on the variety, can withstand both severe frosts and very hot weather. They survive well even in dry climates without frequent rain.
On cool days, adult plants do not need to be watered often - 2-3 times during the summer are enough. But junipers love spraying, and you can do it every day, but preferably in the evening. Water washes the needles and cleans the stomata - breathing holes, and after such spraying the plant begins to emit its smell stronger.
As we already mentioned, ephedra grows very slowly, however, the growth rate can be adjusted better conditions watering and fertilizing. If you want to grow a young plant faster, water it generously on hot days at least once a week. In general, after planting in the first year, do not allow the soil under the sprout to dry out in any weather. By the way, first-year ones also require shelter for the winter.
Juniper care
Weeding and mulching. Like any plant, this conifer requires weeding, otherwise grasses and weeds will spoil the appearance of your bush. In order not to waste time pulling weeds, mulch around the bush: fill it with pine bark or sawdust from pine cones and needles 5-8 cm thick. If the soil is loose enough, you can fill it with gravel or pebbles.
Feeding. Every spring for better growth The plant is fertilized once with nitroammophos. This is quite enough for feeding.
Wintering. Almost all types are frost-resistant, so there is no need to cover them for the winter. Vertical spreading trees are tied to prevent branches from breaking due to snow. But if the winters are not snowy, this is not necessary.
Junipers are completely protected for the winter not from frost, but from bright winter sun, which has a bad effect on needles. The period from mid-January to February is especially dangerous. Under the bright sun in winter, the needles begin to turn brown and dry out, which can lead to the death of the entire plant. Therefore, if you do not want to lose the bright color of your pet, wrap the juniper entirely in a breathable material. Plastic films should not be used.
The situation is different with young, newly planted plants. For the first two years after transplanting into open ground, young animals must be covered. To be on the safe side in areas with harsh winters, the plant needs to be covered for the winter for up to four years after transplantation.
For strength, you need to tie the young sprout with ribbon, additionally build a frame from sticks over it and stretch the burlap in two layers.
It is necessary to remove the winter cover from adult plants and young plants carefully. Wait until the ground thaws to the depth of a shovel and remove the material not immediately, but within 3-4 days, so as not to “blind” the needles with a sharp change in illumination, giving you the opportunity to recover from dormant mode.
At correct landing and caring for juniper, in gratitude you will receive strong and fast-growing shrubs and trees. In addition, almost all species have beneficial properties, which you can read about in our other .
Somehow, quite separately from other evergreens in the garden, juniper is valued, whose very presence cures many diseases. This people-friendly plant is one of our favorite crops, filling the air with life-giving resins and stunning with its sweet beauty, combining perfectly with many green friends. Juniper is a fairly unpretentious coniferous plant. But in order to plant it correctly and care for it, you need to know a few basic rules.
Types (types) and varieties of juniper
Among the junipers we can distinguish the following shapes and sizes:
The most popular types and varieties of juniper are:
- Common (Depressa Aurea, Meyer, Green Carpet, Horstman, Repanda, Arnold);
- Virginia or North American (Gray Ole, Skyrocket, Hetz, Glauka);
- Kozatsky (Variegata , Blue and Gold , Tamariscifolia, Rockery Jam, Glauka, Sabina);
- Horizontal or prostrate (Lime Glow, Wiltoni, Blue Chip, Prince of Wales);
- Chinese (Stricta, Curivao Gold, Spartan, Variegata);
- Rocky (Blue Arrow, Blue Haven, Moonglow);
- Scaly (Dream Joy, Blue Star, Blue Carpet).
You can get acquainted with the appearance of different junipers in more detail in the following videos or in the last paragraph “What is better to plant - juniper or thuja?”
Video: types and varieties of junipers
When and how to plant juniper in open ground
Landing dates
Pay attention! If you decide to plant juniper in the summer, then the young seedling should definitely be shaded and watered more often throughout the summer (but not overwatered!).
But still, the optimal time for planting juniper is spring, around April-May, when the earth warms up a little. But it is often planted in the fall in September-October.
How to choose the right seedling
Warning! Never buy seedlings from random people. As a rule, they have a bare root system, and such juniper seedlings actually do not survive.
It is better to purchase cypress seedlings in garden centers. In them, junipers are sold in special containers, in other words, their root system is closed and well developed.
As for the age of the seedling, it is optimal to purchase a 3-4 year old one.
Also, when buying a seedling, you should pay attention special attention on the tips of the needles. They should be green and elastic (bendable). If upon inspection you notice that the tips are dry and breaking, then such a plant is not worth buying. It is quite obvious that it is sick or has been overdried, which means that the likelihood that it will take root well is quite low.
Place in the garden
After you select and buy a seedling, you will need to find right place for planting it in your country garden. Juniper loves sunny and well-lit places. Growing under the sun, it will acquire all its best properties. If you plant it in deep shade, the crown will begin to deform and become loose. However, its varieties, such as Virginia and ordinary, can grow in light partial shade.
Important! Chinese juniper tends to burn heavily at the end of winter or at strong wind, so it is better to plant it in a quiet place, or next to taller conifers.
If you want to plant several seedlings nearby, it is advisable to do this at a distance of 50 to 200 centimeters, depending on the size (shape and type) of the juniper seedling.
Planting pit and soil
The diameter of the planting pit for juniper should be about 2-3 times larger than the seedling's earthen ball, and its depth should be about 50-70 centimeters.
Junipers do not tolerate waterlogging, so a drainage layer must be laid at the bottom of the planting hole. You can use broken bricks, stones, pebbles, crushed stone or gravel for drainage. Then you should pour a small layer of sand.
This conifer cannot be called a soil-demanding plant, but it is still recommended to fill the planting hole with fertile soil. For example, you can prepare the following soil mixture: 2 parts peat, 1 part turf clay soil and 1 part river sand. Or this: 2 parts turf or leaf soil, 1 part peat and 1 part sand.
Clarification! Each juniper variety has slightly different soil requirements. For example, if you are planting Virginia, then put more turfy clay soil, If Siberian - sand, Cossack- add , dolomite fly or lime(in other words, it is necessary to reduce the acidity level of the soil).
Direct phased disembarkation
Step-by-step instructions for planting juniper in open ground:
Video: planting and caring for juniper
Caring for juniper in open ground
Newly planted seedlings require a fairly large amount of moisture, so they should be watered at least once a week.
Mature and well-established plants watering practically not needed. Unless the summer is hot and dry, it is still worth watering 2-3 times per season, pouring out 1-3 buckets at a time, depending on the size of the bush.
Remember! Juniper does not tolerate dry air very well, so it will respond well to periodic spraying with water, irrigation by sprinkling method.
Juniper not required frequent and abundant feeding, especially since it doesn’t need organic matter. Unless young plants should be fed in the spring- in April-May. Take 30-40 grams of nitroammophoska, potassium nitrate or other complex mineral fertilizer of a similar composition and scatter it around the tree trunk, and then pour it well with water.
As such pruning juniper does not require (another matter is cutting and giving the plant a certain shape), unless early spring you need to carry out sanitary cleaning, in other words, cut off all dried and broken branches (although some gardeners do this and late autumn).
If you notice that some branch has deviated to the side, but is still alive, then it is not necessary to cut it off, you can simply pull it up with a string. After a certain time, it will return to its original position again.
Important! Essential oil Juniper resin is quite caustic, so before pruning, be sure to wear thick canvas mittens and sleeves. Otherwise, long-term irritation may occur on your hands.
In caring for juniper, the most important role is played by its antifungal treatments. They must be performed regularly, and not wait until the fungus appears. It is especially important to spray it with fungicides (for example, excellent systemic fungicide Topsin - M) after warm and humid weather, as well as in late autumn.
By the way! At the end of winter and beginning of spring, juniper may get sunburned, in other words, it may burn out(this often happens in Siberia), so it should be shaded. For example, by throwing burlap over the plant or installing screens. But by no means Not should use agrofibre, because it actually transmits ultraviolet radiation.
Video: proper care behind juniper in open ground
Important! You can find all the detailed information about preparing juniper for winter (shelter, pruning).
What is better to plant - juniper or thuja?
Many gardeners, when they begin to think about which coniferous tree is best to plant on their plot, cannot decide - juniper or thuja. Let's try to understand the differences and advantages of planting each of them.
Both juniper and thuja belong to the same family - Cypressaceae, so they are similar in many ways.
Pay attention! You can read detailed information about planting, growing and caring for thuja
By shape and size
For example, Thuja occidentalis Columna is very similar to rock juniper Blue Arrow, they have equally smooth and clear tall silhouettes.
Left - Juniper Blue Arrow, right - Thuja Columna
And the Chinese juniper Stricta, with skillful pruning, can be made completely similar to the conical western thuja Smaragd.
Left - western thuja Smaragd, on the right - Chinese juniper Stricta
If spherical junipers have not yet been bred, then thuja is quite widely represented - these are Globoza, and Woodwardy, and miniature Teddies.
Thuja Teddy But junipers have a huge assortment of spreading and creeping crowns. These include the following: Kozatsky, Virgin Hetz, Scaly Blue Carpet.
Scaly Blue Carpet
By color (color)
In addition to the natural (standard) green color, juniper and thuja today can be of virtually any color: green, blue, and yellow.
For example, Thuja Miriyam is a green thuja with yellow tips.
Blue and Gold Juniper is a plant with blue and yellow tops.
For use in landscape design
Junipers, as a rule, are planted either as single plants or in “loose” groups of several bushes.
The use of juniper as a hedge is quite limited: the price is high and it grows very slowly, so thuja varieties such as Columna and Brabant are better suited for this.
If you need to design a slope on your personal plot, decorate alpine slide or rockery, then optimal choice there will be creeping or groundcover varieties of juniper.
According to growing and care conditions
Thuja perfectly tolerates the dusty and polluted air of city streets, so it is very often used for landscaping large cities and industrial centers. On the contrary, junipers will suffer and wither from dusty and polluted air, so they are usually planted only in suburban areas.
Juniper is an exceptionally light-loving, frost-resistant, drought-resistant plant that is not demanding on soil conditions. This is explained by the fact that its root system goes several meters into the soil and from there receives all the necessary nutrition.
Thuja is a moisture- and light-loving plant that can grow relatively successfully in the shade, but it is noticeably more demanding of soil. If the land is infertile and poor, then for normal development the plant will need additional regular feeding.
In general, both thuja and juniper are considered quite unpretentious coniferous plants. However, young, recently planted seedlings should be insulated and covered for the winter, especially if you live in a cold climate.
By beneficial properties
Juniper is more beneficial than thuja. Because the phytoncides secreted by its needles kill almost all pathogenic microbes. Traditional medicine I often use juniper cones, which have diuretic and disinfectant properties. It is useful to chew 1 berry a day during a flu epidemic; this will significantly reduce the risk of illness. These berries are also used in cooking: kvass, beer and gin are made from them, used for smoking meat (6-8 pieces per 1 kg of meat), and also made juniper brooms for a bath.
By the way! Junipers can live up to 1000 years, while arborvitae tend to live to a maximum of 100 years.
Video: which is better to plant - juniper or thuja
If you follow all the rules for planting and caring for juniper in the open ground, you will have summer cottage This beautiful plant, which will delight you with its appearance and make the atmosphere in your garden healing and beneficial.
Video: secrets of growing and features of caring for juniper
Juniper is an evergreen tree or shrub that belongs to the Cypress family. Depending on the type, its height can be from 50 cm to 20 meters. Recently, it has become fashionable to decorate areas with juniper; it not only attracts with its nobility, but also exudes the aroma of forest pine. Many gardeners, when purchasing a seedling, think about when to plant juniper and how to do it correctly. And also what you should pay attention to when growing this amazing tree.
How to plant juniper correctly?
When buying a seedling, you need to collect as much information as possible about the variety you like. The gardener should be interested in such aspects as winter hardiness, height of an adult specimen, care features, shape and color of the crown. When purchasing, it is advisable to give preference to seedlings with a closed root system; it is better if they were grown immediately in a shipping container rather than dug out of the ground. The color of the crown should be rich and uniform, and the bark of the trunk should be without cracks.
When to plant juniper and how to choose a suitable place?
Gardeners often have doubts about when to plant juniper, in spring or autumn? If the seedling was purchased in the fall and has a well-developed root system, then it can be planted in open ground in October. This is especially true for specimens with an open root system, which should be planted as quickly as possible. If the seedling is in a spacious container, then planting can be postponed until spring. It is believed that at this time the juniper takes root better and has time to get stronger before the onset of winter. The most favorable time for spring planting- from the beginning of April to the end of May, depending on the climatic characteristics of the region. Professionals recommend carrying out the procedure as soon as the snow begins to melt.
Particular attention should be paid to the location on the site; juniper will need a lot of sunlight to maintain its decorative beauty. Therefore, it is best to plant it in open meadows, flower beds or along the site on the south side, forming hedge. A tree growing in the shade will become dull in color and its branches will grow very slowly.
Soil composition requirements
Before planting juniper, you should carefully study the composition of the soil on the site. Some species (common juniper, Cossack and Central Asian) prefer alkaline soil composition. For others, an acidic reaction is more acceptable. To create an acidic environment, peat with sand is added to the ground or mulched using wood shavings and sawdust. If, on the contrary, an alkaline environment is required, slaked lime or dolomite flour is used. Juniper needs to ensure good aeration of the root system, so drainage must be added to the planting hole: crushed bricks, river pebbles or large expanded clay.
Planting juniper
Juniper - planting and caring for it will require certain skills, in addition, the younger the seedling, the better it will tolerate this procedure. It is not recommended for an amateur to purchase adult specimens older than 3 years. Before removing the seedling from the container, you need to generously moisten the lump of earth and let it stand for about two hours.
Planting is carried out in several stages:
- It is necessary to dig a planting hole measuring 100x100x60 cm, where 60 cm is the depth. The hole should be two to three times larger than the lump of soil from the shipping container. Place a drainage layer on the bottom.
- For better rooting, it is necessary to prepare a nutrient substrate and plant the tree in it. The mixture is prepared depending on the requirements of a particular type of juniper. A universal composition suitable for most types: turf, humus, peat and river sand in a ratio of 2:2:2:1. It is recommended to add universal fertilizer - nitroammophoska in an amount of 200–250 grams - to the planting hole.
- The seedling is carefully placed in the hole, trying not to injure the root system. Very young specimens are deepened into the ground to the same level at which they grew in the container. Older seedlings are planted in such a way that the root collar rises 8–10 cm above the top layer of soil.
- Caring for juniper after planting consists of: abundant watering and mulching the soil. Peat, wood shavings or sawdust, and small wood chips are used as mulch.
When planting a group of junipers, it is important to maintain a distance between them. For low-growing shrubs 0.5 m is enough, for tall trees with a spreading crown - from 1.5 m to 2.5 m.
Features of caring for juniper
The tree will not require much attention, but by following certain rules, you can preserve its beauty for many years.
Watering juniper
The tree doesn't need frequent watering, if the summer was rainy, then additional soil moisture will not be needed. During periods of drought, it is recommended to water the juniper, but not more than once every 2-3 weeks.
Will have a good effect on appearance juniper weekly spraying of the crown. It is better to carry out the procedure early in the morning or after 17.00 so that the branches with drops of water are not damaged by the scorching sun.
Fertilizer application
After planting the juniper, caring for it should include regular fertilizing. However, if fertilizer was added to the planting hole, then this is not necessary this season. Every spring it is recommended to apply nitroammophoska (45 g of substance per 1 sq.m.). If it has been noticed that the tree is growing slowly, then several more feedings can be done during the summer. mineral fertilizer, but not more than once a month.
Juniper, like other coniferous trees, cannot be fertilized with mullein infusion or bird droppings. Even careful application of such compounds will cause burns to the roots and, possibly, death of the plant.
Juniper pruning
If shrubs are used to decorate a hedge, then the crown needs to be formed every spring and, if necessary, adjusted throughout the summer season. The same applies to junipers, which the gardener decided to give a special shape - a cone, ball, pyramid, etc. If the crown has natural look, then you can limit yourself to removing old and dried branches.
Preparing for winter
Most junipers have good frost resistance; they can withstand even harsh winters. To prevent branches from breaking under the weight of snow, they are bent to the trunk and carefully tied with twine. The twine is secured to the bottom of the trunk and then tied in a spiral around the entire crown to the very top. It is recommended to cover the ground around heat-loving species with a layer of peat at least 10 cm thick for the winter.
Some gardeners, when deciding when to plant juniper, give preference autumn planting. In this case, the fragile seedling will need shelter. To do this, you can purchase a special insulating material or use spruce branches.
Juniper care in spring
After cloudy days winter days needles are very sensitive to sunlight. Starting in February, the sun is especially active, so the gardener should take care of covering the bush. During this period, it is recommended to shade the plant with a thin cloth, burlap or other suitable material. As soon as the snow melts, the shelter and last year's layer of mulch are removed, and the soil is carefully dug up. When the weather becomes consistently warm and the soil dries out, the circle around the trunk is covered with a fresh layer of mulch.
Video on how to care for juniper
Juniper belongs to the cypress genus of evergreen plants. They are quite unpretentious to the soil and do not require careful care. But in order for the juniper to grow healthy and please the eye, it is still necessary to perform a number of procedures.
Plant care
To provide favorable conditions For the growth and development of juniper, it is necessary to follow special rules for caring for it. Required:
- Watering. Juniper does not require much water. Even in hot weather, one watering per month is enough. It is recommended to give the plant a “shower” once a week by spraying water on it. It is best to do this in the early morning or late evening to prevent damage to wet needles by active sunlight;
- Trimming. Apart from the systematic removal of dried branches, the plant does not need pruning. If desired, you can give the bush an individual shape, but this should be done carefully, without cutting off many branches at a time, as the plant may get sick;
- Care in winter and spring. In order to prevent freezing (if the juniper grows in cold areas), the juniper is covered with a cloth, and the young seedlings are sprinkled with sawdust or straw. If the plant was not covered for the winter, then this must be done at the beginning of spring, when the intensity of solar activity intensifies. This will help prevent the risk of burns due to exposure to sunlight, from which it is difficult to recover. After the snow melts, the plant is freed from the covering material, then it is carefully inspected, protective mulch is removed around the trunk - this will help protect the basal trunk and roots from rotting.
Pay attention! Another important component of juniper care is feeding. This is a necessary procedure, especially for transplanted, young plants, since they are still weak and susceptible to all kinds of diseases.
It is also necessary to fertilize if the soil at the planting site is poor. This process must be carried out throughout the season. Feeding should begin a month after planting, adding nutrients in small quantities.
Soil requirements
Before planting juniper, you need to carefully study the composition of the soil on the site. This is due to the fact that each type of plant has an individual need for soil. For example, Cossack, Central Asian and common juniper For favorable life activity, soil with an alkaline composition is required. For other species, an acidic environment is more suitable. To create it, add peat, sand or mulch using sawdust or wood shavings. To create an alkaline environment, dolomite flour or slaked lime is used.
It is also important to create natural air exchange (aeration) for the root system. To do this, be sure to add drainage: broken bricks, river pebbles, large expanded clay.
There is a recipe for preparing a universal soil composition suitable for all species. It is necessary to mix peat, river sand and soil from a coniferous forest in proportions of 1:1:1. Be sure to mulch with wood shavings or peat, adding them near the base of the trunk.
Important! After planting any type of juniper, it is watered with a large volume of water. Then, for protection purposes, mulching is done around the trunk of the plant. The material used is the shell pine nuts, peat, sawdust, pine bark, crushed cones. The thickness of the pillow varies from 5 to 10 cm.
Fertilizers and fertilizers
While the juniper bush is still young, it requires annual fertilization. It is allowed to start fertilizing the plant only in the second year after planting. If this is an adult representative of the cypress family, then it is necessary to feed it once every 2-3 years. Superphosphate, rotted manure, ammonium nitrate and other mineral fertilizers can act as fertilizing material.
The most optimal time to apply nutrients is the period from late April to early June (the period of bud swelling). Fertilizers should be applied to the ground around the plant, retreating 15 cm from the trunk, to a depth of 10 cm. After fertilizing, water the plant with water.
In the summer, it is necessary to feed the juniper with special compounds and substances that are useful for coniferous representatives. They must contain the following elements:
- copper;
- manganese;
- iron;
- potassium;
- phosphorus;
- zinc.
Such elements enrich juniper with essential substances that have a beneficial effect on the richness of the color of the needles, strengthen the plant’s immunity and increase resistance to weather conditions.
When choosing fertilizer for feeding shrubs in autumn period preference should be given to mixtures in which nitrogen is present in minimal quantities. This is due to the fact that this component reduces the ability of juniper to tolerate low temperatures. This occurs due to the active growth of shoots that do not have time to harden before the onset of cold weather, as a result of which they freeze out. The plant also needs magnesium at this time of year to prevent yellowing of the top.
Organic, liquid fertilizers based on vermicompost dissolved in water are favorably accepted by juniper. This fertilizing can stimulate root growth and also activate photosynthesis.
Conclusion
Proper care of juniper will help not only extend the life of the plant, but also preserve it natural beauty, which will delight the owner for many years. An integral part of caring for this shrub is the application of fertilizers to the soil, which strengthen the plant’s immunity and its root system, ensuring its healthy appearance.