Juniper Golden Carpet

Evergreen coniferous shrubs are deservedly prized by garden owners and landscape designers. With their help, you can create a decorative design for a garden plot that will delight the eye at any time of the year. Junipers are especially loved by domestic gardeners, because they are resistant to winter frost and drought, do not require much care and successfully take root even in an urban environment with its polluted air. Dwarf varieties of this coniferous culture are ubiquitous, since they fit perfectly into the relief of even small areas. One of the representatives of low-growing horizontal junipers is the horizontal juniper Golden Carpet (Juniperus horizontalis Golden Carpet). This article will discuss how to properly grow juniper bushes of this variety, what care procedures are necessary to fully reveal all the decorative qualities of this variety.

Juniper Golden Carpet: photo

Horizontal juniper Golden Carpet: variety description

The horizontal juniper Golden Carpet belongs to a low-growing variety of coniferous shrubs, whose thin and flexible but strong branches spread parallel to the ground surface. Due to the low development rates, they lengthen extremely slowly, the annual growth is, on average, 10 cm. The maximum height of an adult Golden Carpet juniper bush is 15 cm, but the crown diameter can reach one and a half meters. Growing up, the shoots form a solid golden coniferous carpet, for which the variety got its name. Along the entire length, branches of juniper bushes of the Golden Carpet juniper variety are covered with scales of yellow needles: the upper part is painted in golden yellow, in the lower part the shades of gold gradually turn into light green tones. During the fruiting period, small specks of blue-white cones appear on the shoots, growing in rows.
The unpretentious nature of the Golden Carpet juniper allows it to take root even in regions with harsh winters, since its adult bushes can safely tolerate temperature drops down to -35 degrees. In the wild, this variety of juniper grows everywhere in the northern latitudes, including in the mountains and foothills. Despite its resistance to low temperatures, the Golden Carpet juniper bushes feel best in areas well-lit by the sun.

Juniper horizontal Golden Carpet in landscape design

The undemanding horizontal juniper Golden Carpet is popular among domestic gardeners, who are often forced to choose the most persistent and unpretentious varieties for landscaping garden plots located in central Russia and its northern regions with severe winters. The advantage of this variety is the combination of frost and drought resistance with high decorative qualities. Thanks to these features, Golden Carpet is used for landscaping not only suburban areas, but also city parks, as well as adjoining territories and public institutions such as hospital areas, schools and kindergartens.Juniper is not only able to take root in a dusty and gas-polluted urban environment, but is also effective as an air-purifying decor element. Due to its ability to strengthen the soil, the creeping juniper "Golden Carpet" is often used to decorate areas with difficult terrain - its bushes are planted on steep slopes and slopes. With its help, you can form a continuous coniferous cover on the lawn, a low curb, and arrange a rocky garden. The unusual color of the Golden Carpet juniper needles, which does not change during the annual cycle, invariably gives its bushes an attractive appearance regardless of the season.

Juniper horizontal Golden Carpet: photo

Instructions for growing Golden Carpet juniper

Despite the unpretentious nature of the horizontal juniper "Golden Carpet", in order to preserve the beauty of its crown, it is necessary to follow a number of specific agrotechnical recommendations. A generally non-capricious dwarf evergreen shrub still has some preferences that should be taken into account in order to grow it without problems on your site. Juniper "Golden Carpet" takes root on almost any soil, even stony, therefore it is often used in the decor of rock gardens and rockeries. However, its needles are quite sensitive to sunlight - when it is deficient, the needles lose their unusual color. Therefore, it is recommended to plant Golden Carpet juniper in sunny areas, avoiding shade and partial shade.

Preparation for transplanting seedlings into open ground

The preparatory stage of transplanting juniper seedlings to a permanent place includes the selection and marking of the site, as well as the preparation of planting recesses. For planting in the ground, only healthy juniper seedlings that do not have damage and signs of disease are suitable. It is best to purchase them from trusted vendors or manufacturers. The quality of the planting material directly affects the success of the entire event.
When choosing a site for placing juniper plantings, you should focus on neutral loamy soils, since the horizontal juniper "Golden Carpet" prefers them. It is recommended to avoid areas with a high level of groundwater occurrence, as this is extremely dangerous for the root system of the juniper and can negatively affect its health in general.

The planting recesses should be about 0.7 m deep, and their diameter should be 2-3 times larger than the size of the earthen coma that protects the root system of the seedling. It is better to drain the bottom of the hole in order to avoid stagnation of moisture in the soil, which is detrimental to the health of the Golden Carpet juniper. For these purposes, broken brick, expanded clay, crushed stone are suitable. The thickness of the drainage layer should be approximately 0.2 m, in areas with low groundwater levels, it may be slightly less.
A little nutritious soil mixture should be poured on top of the drainage layer, which can be prepared independently of peat, river sand and turf soil, taken in a ratio of 2: 1: 1 and thoroughly mixed.
If a group placement of juniper bushes is planned on one site, a scheme for the placement of planting holes should be outlined in advance - the interval between them should occupy a distance of 1 to 2 m, since the creeping shoots of the Golden Carpet juniper grow quite widely.

The procedure for transplanting juniper seedlings "Golden Carpet"

Juniper Golden Carpet in landscape design

When starting to transplant Golden Carpet juniper seedlings into planting holes, one should take into account the fragility of their root system. To exclude the possibility of damage to it, you should try not to violate the integrity of the earthen coma surrounding the root processes.The seedling must be carefully placed on top of a layer of nutritious soil mixture, straightening its roots, and then sprinkling with the rest of the substrate so that the root collar of the young plant is flush with the soil surface. After transplanting, it is necessary to compact the soil tightly and spill it thoroughly with water. During the first days after transplanting, seedlings need a lot of water, so watering should be frequent and abundant.

Irrigation and fertilization mode

Adult juniper bushes "Golden Carpet" do not need a lot of moisture, because they tolerate drought well, but waterlogging of the soil and stagnant water pose a danger to their root system. During the season, it is enough to water the juniper plantings 2 or 3 times. Sprinkling with warm water will help on especially hot and dry days - despite the dislike of excessive watering, the needles of the Golden Carpet juniper can suffer from too dry air. Sprinkling is best done in the evening when the sun goes down.

An adult juniper of the Golden Carpet variety does not feel the need for frequent feeding; they should be applied in cases where there are signs of weakening of the plant. Young juniper bushes can be fed in the spring, in April or May, using fertilizers rich in nitrogen and other nutrients. For these purposes, nitroammofoska is suitable (40 g of substance per 1 bush is enough) or any other mineral complex dressing. Fertilizers are applied to the trunk circle of a juniper bush, then the soil is abundantly moistened.

Soil care in the area with juniper

The fragile root system of the horizontal juniper "Golden Carpet" needs a regular supply of oxygen, which is necessary for its strengthening and growth, therefore it is necessary to loosen the soil around the juniper bushes from time to time. In view of the same vulnerability of the roots of plants of this variety, this should be done very carefully, with a slight deepening, so as not to damage the root processes of still weak young bushes.

The retention of moisture and useful elements in the soil is facilitated by mulching, which should be carried out immediately after transplanting juniper seedlings into open ground. A layer of mulch will also protect the root system of a young plant from overheating in summer and freezing in winter, and will also help regulate soil acidity. With the help of mulching, you can significantly reduce the amount of weeding required, since the protective layer prevents weeds from germinating in the area with juniper bushes. To create a layer of mulch, sawdust, peat, pine needles are suitable. The greatest effect can be achieved when using peat.

Juniper crown care "Golden Carpet"

Juniper horizontal "Golden Carpet" needs annual pruning - both sanitary and formative. Due to the slow growth rates of shoots, the crown of this juniper can retain its shape for a long time after cosmetic pruning.

Sanitary pruning should be done in the spring, before the vegetable juices are in motion. To heal the juniper bush weakened after wintering, all dry and damaged shoots are removed from it. As a result of these procedures, healthy parts of the plant receive the nutrients necessary for their development in full.
The best time for formative pruning is July. It is recommended to carry out this procedure with a sharp garden tool, while not forgetting about protective equipment. To avoid getting essential oils on exposed skin, it is recommended that you wear garden gloves.

Shelter for the winter

Juniper horizontal "Golden Carpet" tolerates winter frosts well, however, it will not be superfluous to take care of the minimum shelter of its root parts for the winter.To do this, you can use spruce branches or peat and cover the soil surface with them in an area with juniper plantings. As a preparation for the winter season, you can sanitize pruning and remove damaged shoots so that the plant does not waste the nutrients necessary for successful wintering on them.

Breeding methods for juniper varieties "Golden Carpet"

There are three methods of propagation of the horizontal juniper "Golden Carpet": seed method, propagation by cuttings and layering.

Seed propagation is the most time consuming and time consuming option. It is usually used by breeders and the most experienced gardeners. In autumn, it is necessary to extract seeds from juniper fruits and place them in containers with a nutrient substrate to a depth of about 2 cm. It is recommended to take containers with seedlings out into the open air and leave them until spring. After the snow melts, they can be transplanted to the beds and the soil surface is well mulched to protect the seeds from frost and overheating. For the 3-4 season, full-fledged seedlings will be formed, which can be transplanted on a long-term basis.

Reproduction of Golden Carpet juniper by cuttings is the most popular among gardeners. For this procedure, the lignified tops of young shoots are suitable, which can be cut in August, choosing a cloudy and dry day. Having cut the cuttings, they should be cleaned of needles and small shoots, and then placed in a solution that stimulates the development of the root system. Having sustained them in this way for an hour, you can start transplanting them into a nutritious soil mixture. The seedling containers must first be drained to protect future seedlings from rotting, and then filled with a substrate in which the cuttings are placed at an angle of 30 degrees. Further, containers with cuttings are placed in a room (greenhouse or greenhouse) with an air temperature of +16 to +19 degrees and left there until buds appear on the shoots. After that, the temperature should be raised to +26 degrees and the cuttings should be kept until shoots with needles appear.

Creeping juniper varieties, including Golden Carpet, are successfully propagated by layering methods. To do this, thoroughly loosen the soil in the area with juniper bushes, fertilize it with peat and water it abundantly. Next, you need to select the lower shoot and clear it of needles and twigs, and then, stepping back from the trunk about 0.2 m, place it in a specially dug hole or trench in the ground and fix a branch in it. Then the shoot is covered with soil, watered and earthed. After a year, the cuttings will form an independent root system, and it can be easily separated from the parent bush and transplanted to a new place.

Disease Prevention and Pest Control

Juniper horizontal "Golden Carpet" is resistant to infectious diseases, but some diseases still pose a danger to it. These include:
1) Fusarium infection of fungal origin, as a result of which putrefactive processes develop in the root system of juniper bushes. As a result, the whole plant suffers - it gradually weakens and then dries up. Dead bushes must be dug up and destroyed without leaving root shoots in the soil, since they can serve as a source of disease to neighboring plants.
2) Needle rust is also caused by fungi and can seriously harm the decorative qualities of the Golden Carpet juniper.
3) A common problem with juniper plantings is the drying out of the branches. There can be several reasons for this phenomenon - from mechanical damage to fungal diseases.
4) Strong damage to the appearance of juniper bushes causes necrosis of the bark, expressed in the formation of ulcers.
Preventing diseases is much easier than trying to cure them later.Therefore, you should take care of preventive measures in advance - treat the juniper with fungicidal solutions or liquid mixtures containing copper.

Processing will also be required to protect the juniper from harmful insects - mealybug, gall midge, juniper aphid and moth. For preventive procedures, insecticides like Aktara, Confidora Extra, Aktellika KE, Calypso, Angio 247SC or Mospilana are suitable.

Finally

Thanks to its versatility, the creeping juniper "Golden Carpet" has become widespread in Russia and recognized by domestic gardeners. High decorative qualities are combined in it with an unpretentious character and the ability to survive in the most adverse conditions. The variety "Golden Carpet" is suitable both for decorating garden plots of various sizes and for landscaping urban areas. With the help of a few agrotechnical recommendations, even a novice gardener can easily grow this bright and attractive coniferous shrub in his garden.