Juniper Blue Alps

Evergreen coniferous shrubs are commonly used for landscaping gardens and urban areas, as they look equally attractive at any time of the year. Junipers They are rightfully considered the favorites of domestic gardeners and landscape designers due to their unpretentious nature. Some of these members of the Cypress family are highly resistant to severe frost and drought, making them suitable for growing in regions with
unfavorable climatic conditions. The Blue Alps variety of Chinese juniper grows in the wild in the Far East, East Asia, the Caucasus and Crimea. He does not differ in demanding care and is popular among Russian gardeners. This article will discuss how to properly plant and grow Blue Alps juniper bushes.

Juniper Blue Alps: photo

Chinese juniper Blue Alps: variety description

Like other junipers, the Blue Alps cultivar (Juniperus chinensis Blue Alps) is a long-lived coniferous evergreen shrub. Depending on environmental conditions, the lifespan of juniper bushes can range from several centuries to millennia. The Blue Alps variety of Chinese juniper belongs to tall varieties: the height of an adult bush on average varies from 3-4 m, the plant reaches such indicators by 10 years. Average diameter
the crown is 2 m. The branches of the Blue Alps juniper are directed upwards and are distinguished by the strength and splendor of the coniferous cover. Blue Alps needles are small (up to 1 cm) hard sharp spines. The annual growth of shoots, as a rule, ranges from 0.1 to 0.2 m. The color of the crown of an adult juniper bush "Blue Alps" has a green color with a tinge of emerald and silvery tones. Among the junipers of this variety, both monoecious and dioecious specimens are found. During
fruiting lush gray-green needles "Blue Alps" are covered with black-green specks of fruit, which are medium-sized cones, covered with a grayish-white bloom. The diameter of Blue Alps juniper fruit is on average 5-10 mm. Each of them consists of 4 to 8 scales and includes a couple of seeds.

Despite its attractive appearance, Blue Alps juniper is not harmless - all its parts contain toxic essential oils that are dangerous to humans and animals. The fruits of this plant are unsuitable for food and can cause severe poisoning.
Blue Alps is not a very capricious variety that does not need particularly nutritious soils and can grow on dry and stony soils. Like other junipers, it is quite photophilous and does not tolerate stagnant moisture in the soil. But it is resistant to drought and severe frosts and successfully takes root even in the northern regions.

Chinese juniper Blue Alps in landscape design

Due to its compactness and balanced size, Blue Alps juniper is popular with garden designers. A beautiful color scheme in silvery-green tones adds to its attractiveness to the bushes. Placing a juniper in a garden plot will not only allow you to create a year-round green design, but also serve to purify the air in the garden. Fragrant branches of juniper bushes not only deodorize the surrounding space, but also act as a natural antiseptic that helps to destroy pathogenic microorganisms.

Blue Alps Juniper Formation in Bonsai

The neat crowns of Blue Alps juniper look equally impressive both as single dominants and in combination with other plants. Juniper is a livable neighbor who will easily keep company with other conifers, deciduous and herbaceous plants. Often, "Blue Alps" is used to form living borders and hedges, to create compositions in the bonsai style, for landscaping terraces and lawns, to revive alpine slides and rockeries.

For roses and other lush blooming crops, the emerald-silver needles of the Blue Alps serve as a great backdrop.
Unpretentious juniper bushes are insensitive to the polluted air of the urban environment, therefore they are widely used for landscaping industrial facilities, parks and squares, areas around medical and educational institutions. Green juniper hedges are planted along highways.

Chinese juniper Blue Alps: planting and care

Despite the absence of any specific requirements for the care of juniper, there are still a number of general recommendations that will allow the Blue Alps variety to maximize its decorative qualities.

Preparation for planting juniper seedlings in open ground

The quality of the planting material plays a primary role in the cultivation of ornamental juniper varieties. When choosing seedlings, preference should be given to the strongest specimens that do not have traces of disease and damage. It is best to purchase them in large nurseries, or from trusted sellers. Seedlings can be sold in seedling containers or with bare roots. In the first case, the percentage of survival of young plants is significantly higher, and planting in an open
the soil can be produced throughout the season. Bushes with an open root system take root worse, and they can only be planted on the site in spring. The optimal period for planting Blue Alps juniper is from the last days of April to the first days of May.

A light-loving juniper will do best in a well-lit, open area. In the shade or partial shade, the Blue Alps variety will also take root, but will lose a significant part of its visual appeal. Due to the lack of sun, its needles will begin to turn yellow and crumble, as a result of which the crown will become less lush and dense.

Despite the fact that juniper bushes do not need increased nutrition, fertile soil will allow them to adapt better after planting. As a rule, the Blue Alps variety prefers light loams and sandy loam soils with a neutral or weak acidity level.

Preparing the site for planting Blue Alps juniper seedlings begins with digging planting holes. Their size should be at least twice the diameter of the earthen coma that protects the root system of the seedling. Otherwise, the young juniper bush will not be able to quickly take root in a new place, the rate of its growth and development will be
slow down, which may further lead to his death. Since juniper is extremely sensitive to moisture stagnation in the soil, care must be taken to drain the planting pits. Their bottom needs to be lined with a layer of expanded clay, small pebbles, brick fragments about 0.2 m thick.A nutritious soil mixture is poured over the drainage layer, which you can prepare yourself. For this purpose, mix 2 parts of humus, 2 parts of peat and 1 part of river sand. It will not be superfluous
increase the nutritional value of the substrate by adding fertilizer for coniferous shrubs to it. The planting hole should be shed with water and allowed to settle naturally. The optimum depth of planting holes is 0.7 m. Avoid areas with a high level of groundwater, as this will adversely affect the roots of juniper bushes and lead to their decay. Wetlands or lowlands are also not suitable for the cultivation of Blue Alps junipers.

The seedlings themselves, shortly before planting in open ground, are recommended to be placed in a solution that stimulates root growth. If the planting material was in seedling containers, you can thoroughly moisten the earthen feed by soaking it for a couple of hours in water. In the event that it is planned to place several juniper bushes on one site, the interval between planting pits should be from 50 to 200 cm, depending on the ability of the crown and root system to grow. Otherwise, the plants will compete for space and food. Also undesirable
plant junipers next to climbing crops.

Algorithm of actions when planting seedlings

Step-by-step instructions for planting juniper seedlings in open ground include the following steps:

• The seedlings are placed in planting holes and buried so that the root collar is flush with the ground.
• The planting hole is filled in layers with a nutritious soil mixture, and each layer is compacted tightly.
• The soil surface is compacted and water spilled.
• The trunk circle must be mulched with sawdust or moss.
• At first, juniper seedlings need frequent and abundant watering.
• It will not be superfluous to build a shelter from direct sunlight, which at first can harm the weakened stress from transplanting seedlings and burn their shoots.

Irrigation and fertilization mode

Only young juniper bushes need abundant watering. An adult plant can be watered no more than 2 or 3 times during the season if the summer is dry. 1 juniper bush "Blue Alps" takes from 10 to 30 liters of settled water. Juniper is not afraid of drought, but in especially hot periods, weekly sprinkling with warm water will not interfere. It is recommended to hold them in the evenings after sunset.

Frequent fertilization is also not required. It is enough to feed an adult plant 1 to 2 times a year to accelerate its development and help the crown become more lush and acquire a rich color. For these purposes, organic fertilizers and mineral complexes are suitable, which are recommended to be applied alternately. In spring, the most effective are complex fertilizing with a high content of nitrogen and other nutrients, which help to strengthen the plant weakened by wintering. As a complex fertilizer, 30-50 g of nitroammophoska can be applied under each Blue Alps juniper bush.
It is better to bring organic matter before winter in order to supply juniper bushes with the necessary amount of nutrients for successful wintering.

Treatments for soil care in juniper beds

For good nutrition and successful development, the root system of the Blue Alps juniper needs a regular supply of oxygen. This can be achieved by loosening the soil in the near-trunk circle of juniper bushes. This should be done very carefully, without going to great depths, so as not to damage the root processes of the bushes.

Weekly weeding and loosening will oxygenate the soil and prevent juniper roots from rotting.It is preliminarily recommended to moderately moisten the soil.
Mulching the soil will keep moisture in the soil and will also prevent the germination of weeds. On hot summer days, mulch protects juniper roots from overheating, in winter - from freezing. For mulching, sawdust, needles, peat, moss, nut shells are suitable. At the end of winter, the mulching must be removed and
replace with fresh, since spores of pathogenic fungi and larvae of pests can winter in it. In addition, wet mulch creates a moist environment around the root collar of juniper bushes and can provoke putrefactive processes.

Blue Alps juniper crown care: cutting and shaping

Juniper Blue Alps in landscape design: photo

Due to the low growth rate of the crown of the scaly juniper "Blue Alps" can retain its shape for quite a long time after cosmetic trimming, so it often does not have to be carried out. Cutting the Blue Alps juniper not only helps to give the plant an attractive appearance, but also contributes to its recovery, the crown after this procedure becomes thicker and denser.
Pruning should be done with sharp and cleaned garden tools.
Spring pruning is sanitary and aims to remove dry, rotten and damaged parts of the juniper bush. The best time for it is March or early April, before the start of sap flow. It is important to wait until a stable positive air temperature is established, optimally above +4 degrees.

Autumn pruning is carried out in late summer or early autumn, so that young shoots have time to woody before the arrival of frost.

Blue Alps juniper shaping cut allows you to give the crown of a juniper the desired shape, usually spherical or elongated. In this case, do not get carried away so as not to cause
plant harm. It is enough to remove about a third of the annual growth, otherwise the stress for the plant will be too strong, it can get sick and die.

Scaly juniper Blue Alps: shelter for bushes for the winter

The winter-hardy Chinese juniper Blue Alps is able to withstand quite severe frosts without shelter. However, it will not be superfluous to create more favorable conditions for him during wintering. First of all, this applies to one-year-old seedlings and very young bushes, whose root system and still weak shoots can freeze. You can protect them from snow, wind and frost with the help of spruce branches. Adult juniper bushes of Blue Alps tolerate winter cold more easily, therefore, to warm them, it will be enough to mulch the soil. To protect the shoots of single junipers from damage under the weight of snow or under gusts of wind, it is recommended to tie them or strengthen them on a vertical support.

Juniper Blue Alps: breeding methods

Juniper Chinese Blue Alps: photo

There are two ways to propagate the Blue Alps scaly juniper: seed and cuttings. The first method is less popular, since it is rather laborious and leads to a loss of the varietal qualities of the juniper. In order to grow juniper bushes from seeds, the following steps should be taken:

• the seeds collected in the fall are stratified, after which they are sown in the spring in containers with nutrient soil;
• the first shoots will appear in the next season, they can be transplanted into open ground only after 2 years.

Another option for seed propagation of juniper involves sowing seeds before winter. Previously, they should be soaked for half an hour in a solution of sulfuric acid (so
called seed scarification) - this will help them hatch faster and germinate.
Because of its simplicity, cuttings of juniper bushes are more popular. This method gives quick results and does not require much effort on the part of the gardener.

To propagate Blue Alps juniper by cuttings, the following steps are required:

• cuttings should be cut in the spring, before the buds appear;
• young shoots up to 12 cm long with "heels" are suitable as cuttings;
• chopped cuttings are soaked in a solution that stimulates the formation of roots (for example, "Kornevin");
• then they can be transplanted into containers with a nutritious soil mixture consisting of equal proportions of sand, chernozem soil and needles;
• it is recommended to place a drainage layer with a thickness of about 0.1 m at the bottom of the container;
• the cuttings are deepened 2 cm at an angle;
• it is optimal to place containers with cuttings in a greenhouse, which should be regularly ventilated;
• future juniper seedlings need systematic sprinkling with warm water;
• after 2 months, the cuttings will form an independent root system and will be suitable for planting in open ground.

Disease prevention and protection of Blue Alps juniper from pests

Juniper "Blue Alps", like its other relatives, is mainly susceptible to infections of fungal origin. The most common infections are the following:

• Root rot develops due to waterlogging of the soil, resulting in a favorable environment for the development of pathogenic microorganisms. The fungus affects the root system of juniper bushes, which begin to lag behind in growth and development, lose their attractive appearance, and then completely die. Treatment methods are not effective, therefore, to prevent an epidemic, the best way out is to destroy the diseased plant. It must be removed from the site along with plant debris and burned to prevent the spread of infection to healthy specimens. The soil on the site should be partially replaced, partially dug up in order to destroy the pathogens of the disease.
• Needle rust is also quite common and appears in brown spots appearing on juniper shoots. Having found the first symptoms of infection, you should immediately cut and burn the diseased shoots with sterilized garden shears or pruners. Healthy parts of the juniper bush should be treated with a fungicidal preparation.
• Another fungal infection, alternaria, leads to yellowing of the needles. It arises due to the thickening of juniper plantings and poor air circulation between the bushes and inside the crowns. The lower branches are the first to be affected and perish, gradually the alternariosis captures the entire juniper bush, and the plant dies. When the first yellowed needles are found, it is important to immediately remove and destroy diseased shoots, and treat the entire bush with a fungicidal solution. The wounds at the site of the cuts must be thoroughly disinfected.

As for harmful insects, most often the plantings of Blue Alps juniper are attacked by the pine moth, juniper scale insects, red ants, and various kinds of snails. The presence of parasitic insects is evidenced by a weakened species of juniper, dull needles, damage on the surface of the bark.
Having found these signs, you should use preparations of the insecticidal spectrum, spraying not only the bushes themselves, but also carefully moistening the soil around them. The procedure should be carried out twice with an interval of 2 weeks in order to prevent the preservation and development of pest larvae, which can remain in the soil for a long time.

Finally

The combination of unpretentious nature and high decorative qualities made the Blue Alps juniper a favorite of domestic gardeners and landscape designers.

Winter-hardy, drought-resistant and undemanding to the composition of the soil, the scaly juniper Blue Alps takes root equally well both in suburban garden plots and in an urban environment with its gassed and dusty air.The compact size, splendor and pleasant color scheme of the crown, as well as a pleasant aroma, combined with the bactericidal properties of the plant, make it an ideal decoration for the site. Compliance with simple agrotechnical recommendations will make it possible to successfully plant and grow Blue Alps juniper even for those gardeners who do not have special knowledge and skills.