Juniper coastal
Content:
This evergreen shrub is loved by gardeners around the world. Currently, it has many varieties. Today we will tell you about the coastal juniper, which is also listed in the Red Book. Read this article and you will get acquainted with the description of the variety, its main characteristics, features of agricultural technology, planting and care. Believe me, you will learn a lot of new and interesting things about this amazing culture, and maybe you will plant a coastal juniper even at your dacha.
Coastal juniper: description of the variety.
Coastal juniper: photo of the variety
As we indicated above, the coastal juniper is also listed in the Red Book. Usually this is a short shrub that spreads along the surface of the earth. However, this variety is considered quite capricious, so not all summer residents are engaged in the cultivation of this crop. In vivo juniper due to the continuous development of shoots, it forms a prickly, beautiful carpet, and unusually bright. This plant is dioecious, also belongs to Cypress. Propagate it either by seeds, or by cuttings or layering. It is believed that this variety is very hardy, so it is especially interesting for novice gardeners. It can be grown in almost all regions of our country, it perfectly adapts to unfavorable climatic conditions. Initially, this juniper grew along the shores of the Sea of Okhotsk and the Sea of Japan, which is why it was named Coastal. Already at the beginning of summer, young and green shoots grow on the tops of the branches. The ephedra is truly dwarf, so landscape designers often plant it on lawns, in park areas and in personal plots. Junipers are planted either singly or in group compositions. This plant covers the top layer of the soil, therefore, from the juniper, beautiful hedges and alpine slides are obtained. Due to the fact that the bushes are usually undersized, they like to plant them even on balconies and loggias. They will be a wonderful decoration for any summer cottage.
Coastal Juniper Varieties
The coastal juniper has many subspecies, so we will introduce you to the main, most common varieties of this culture, as well as acquaint you with the characteristics of each of the plants, however, all subspecies grow rather slowly in the first years, so pay attention to this.
The first subspecies of coastal juniper include coastal juniper schlager... Description of the variety: it is also a creeping plant, however, the bush is not so low in height. When the plant becomes mature, its shoots grow 20 cm from the surface of the earth, and the most mature plants even reach the 60 cm mark. The length of the crown is usually a little more than 1 meter. The branches of the juniper are reddish, and the needles are dark green. The tips of the needles are quite prickly, and the cones are round, with a beautiful bluish bloom; every year such a juniper grows three centimeters high and five centimeters wide. It is not necessary to form a bush too often, therefore, reviews of the coastal juniper Shlyager among gardeners are mostly positive.
Coastal juniper Schlyager: photo
The next subspecies of this variety is coastal juniper golden wings... It is also a coastal juniper, its bushes are low, the crown extends no more than 1 meter in length, and up to 30 cm in height. This plant is interesting because its needles are two-colored. Therefore, such plants are considered unusually bright.Especially in well-lit areas. In the shade, this juniper plant does not like to grow. It is best to choose fertile soil for it, with good structure and drainage. If there is stagnation of moisture on the site, then the shrub may die. Particularly noteworthy is the frost resistance of the variety. It can withstand minus 35 degrees, but it is important to note that all the branches must be well covered, since if the needles are exposed in the bright sun, the branches can get burned. That is why it is recommended to throw agro materials on the shrubs, as well as spruce branches. The shelter should be removed only when the soil has completely thawed. However, the ephedra should not be covered with non-breathable material, as the bush may suffocate.
The next subspecies we will talk about is coastal juniper Blue pacific. As you may have guessed, his needles are bluish. It also grows extremely slowly, belongs to Cypress, spreads along the surface of the earth. However, its crown grows more intensively, in length it can reach a couple of meters, and a height of no more than 40 cm. That is why you should take these features into account when planting and caring for the coastal Blue Pacific juniper. Juniper branches also form a dense and beautiful crown. These needles are quite prickly, so all gardening should be done with gloves. The leaves of the plant are quite bright, radiant, but it is advisable to plant it also in an open space, since the juniper begins to fade in the shade. If we talk about the type of soil, then it should be said: the bushes love well-drained soil. You can plant a shrub on sandy or slightly acidic soil. The plant is also drought-resistant, but excessive soil moisture can harm the shrub. This subspecies of coastal juniper is considered frost-hardy, so even in harsh climatic conditions, this plant does well.
Coastal Juniper Silver Mist (silver mist) - the creation of Japanese breeders. This juniper is unusually compact, and the needles are beautiful and silvery. This type of juniper looks great on alpine hills, as well as in other compositions. This plant is also used to decorate garden paths. But the aroma from the needles is always extraordinary, the shrubs grow quite intensively in height, as well as in width. However, the bushes are still very compact. The branches are arranged chaotically, usually spread along the surface of the earth, the crown of the plants is asymmetric. Sometimes the juniper bears fruit, its berries are blue or green, spherical in shape. This culture is also not demanding, but it is better to plant it also in illuminated areas, since the color of the needles in this case will always be bright and fresh. If we talk about the type of soil, then you need to give preference to slightly acidic soils. This juniper also does not like too moist soil. The variety is distinguished by high frost resistance, it tolerates drought well. It is often planted in park areas, in personal plots, flower beds. The plant exudes phytoncides, which perfectly clean the surrounding area from industrial emissions. Therefore, they like to plant these plants within the city.
And the last subspecies of coastal juniper - Emerald Sia... This shrub usually has a spreading crown, and the branches are especially long, creeping along the surface of the earth. However, the shrub is not high, even mature trees are not taller than 30 cm. The needles of the plant are bluish green, rather soft. In winter, sometimes the leaves turn yellow, but do not fall off. It is also a frost-hardy plant that can grow in completely unfavorable climatic zones. Juniper thrives on absolutely all types of soil. However, too compacted soil adversely affects the development of the plant. In addition, waterlogging of the soil should not be allowed, since the shrub may even die from this.
Coastal juniper: planting and care
It is best to plant junipers in a well-lit area, sheltered from the wind. In partial shade, these plants also feel fine, but the decorative effect of the shrub is lost in this case. Seedlings are recommended to be grown in containers. So they take root better, grow faster. The color of the needles must correspond to the varietal characteristics, and the root system must certainly be well developed. If you notice rot or any defect on the roots of the seedling, then it is better not to buy such a plant. Before replanting the seedling from the container into the open ground, the soil will need to be intensively moistened, so that in the future it will be easier for you to remove the plant from the container, and it is best to do this together with the root ball. As you remember, shrubs should not be planted near fruit and berry crops, since juniper develops poorly next to them and often suffers from fungal infections, and needles - rust.
Before planting a juniper, the soil should be dug up, sand, peat, drainage should be added there. If acidity is increased on your site, then wood ash or dolmite flour can be added to the soil. Observe the distance between the plants, since the crown of adult bushes is quite large, the distance between the seedlings should be at least 2 meters. The size of the hole in depth should be twice as large as the root of the seedling. And this is at least 50 cm. At the bottom of the hole, it is advisable to lay out a layer of drainage, for this use large pebbles, sand, broken brick. At the same time, this layer should be massive enough so that moisture can well move away from the roots. The seedling is installed in the center of the planting pit, and then sprinkled with prepared earth. Remember that the root collar should rise above the soil, after planting the plants in open ground, the trunk circle should be watered abundantly with water, and also compacted.
In order for moisture to be better preserved, it is advisable to mulch the soil. Young plants should be watered regularly, and this should be done about a week after planting seedlings in open ground. In the future, the abundance of watering should be reduced, and it will be necessary to moisten the soil only if precipitation does not fall on your site for too long. If the air in the surrounding area is too dry, the needles can change color. It is advisable to feed the bushes with special fertilizers containing nitroammofosk, and this should be done in early spring, adult plants practically do not need feeding. In order to retain moisture, the soil will need to be mulched. Moreover, the thickness on this layer should be at least 8 cm, sawdust, dry grass and straw are used as mulching material. Before mulching, it is advisable to loosen the soil well in order for the root system to breathe.
Regularly carry out in spring and sanitary pruning of plants, removing damaged and dry shoots. This must be done before the start of sap flow, however, if the juniper overwintered normally, then you do not need to cut the plant. The growth of the bushes is slow, so the formation of the bush should also not be carried out too intensively. After the procedure, all sections should be treated with fungicides, and then the plants must be well fed. Only young seedlings are prepared for winter, they must be covered with spruce branches, and sprinkle with peat around the trunk circle. Adult bushes are frost-resistant, so they do not need shelter.
About reproduction and pests
If we talk about the propagation of culture, then it should be noted that it is best to do this either by seeds or by cuttings. Seeds are usually planted before winter, but they must first be stratified, processed for 30 minutes in concentrated sulfuric acid. The sprouts will appear only next spring. Coastal juniper can be propagated by cuttings by rooting the shoots in nutrient soil.It is best to do this in a greenhouse, as there is a more welcoming environment. Transplanting cuttings is carried out only when roots are formed, usually a year after grafting.
But it is not recommended to propagate this variety by layering, since many varietal features are lost. The coastal juniper has high immunity, so the most common diseases are not terrible for him. However, the shoots of the juniper often dry out, the needles are affected by rust, fusarium, and the bark by necrosis. Therefore, you will need to carry out preventive examinations on time and treat plants with fungicides, as well as products containing copper. Remember that for prevention, you should not plant a juniper next to fruit and berry crops. Juniper suffers from fungal infections in such a neighborhood more often.
If we talk about pests, it should be noted that spider mites, aphids, scale insects, juniper moths often settle on needles. In order to get rid of these insects, plants are often sprayed with insecticides in early spring and autumn.
Conclusion
Coastal juniper can decorate any site. It is planted both in cities and in small villages. This shrub is considered a real long-liver, and all of its parts can be used for medicinal purposes. The plant is very easy to care for and frost-resistant. Do not forget to prune old and damaged branches in order for new shoots to grow more intensively. Many varieties have an interesting two-color coloring of the needles, and difficulties in the cultivation process are practically not encountered. The crown spreads evenly over the surface, but there is practically no need to water the juniper. Try to plant this amazing variety of ephedra, and juniper can become a real decoration of your site, neighbors and friends with an outlandish alpine slide or green border, you will undoubtedly surprise.