Juniper Skyrocket
Content:
If you want to create an interesting design in your garden, then you can use this unique variety of juniper. Juniper Skyrocket (Skyrocket) looks great on personal plots, near office buildings and in parks. In addition, this plant produces phytoncides, purifying the surrounding air from harmful toxins. This plant soars up and amazes with its beauty and interesting structure. In today's article, you will get acquainted with the description of the variety, the main differences and features, and also learn how to plant this juniper correctly.
Juniper Skyrocket: variety description
Rocky Juniper Skyrocket: photo of the variety
In the wild, skyrocket juniper can be found in the mountains of Mexico and the United States. This culture is considered winter-hardy and undemanding. It grows in almost any type of soil. Her needles are always green, so she pleases her owners all year round. This variety was bred a long time ago, but it managed to fall in love with gardeners from all over the world. In height, an adult plant grows up to 8 meters, but in the wild, even up to 20 meters. The tree is incredibly beautiful, since the name of the variety is translated from English as a sky rocket. The crown of this tree rushes high and high, like a huge spaceship, so such a plant can decorate any personal plot.
The stem of the Virginian juniper Skyrocket is quite flexible, but strong. The root system is located almost on the surface of the earth, therefore, the juniper should be planted in places well protected from the wind. Because the tree sways strongly from external influences, and the root system is especially weakened. If the tree is crooked, then it will be quite difficult to fix the defect. The needles, like the sky, have a bluish tint. Twigs begin to grow right at the base, and in an adult plant, shoots grow faster than in a young seedling. The crown grows intensively in breadth, in diameter it can reach a meter mark.
However, Skyrocket juniper should be pruned frequently to keep the plant beautiful and truly tidy. In the first year, the growth is minimal, so the bushes should be formed about 3 years after planting. It is at this time that the intensive growth of shoots begins, each year they grow twenty cm in length and five in width. This variety of juniper cannot be confused with any other, however, many gardeners still note a strong similarity with other plant species, namely, with Blue Airrow.
Let's figure out how to distinguish them. Firstly, the skyrocket juniper is much taller than its brother, and secondly, its crown is columnar in shape, and not pyramidal. The needles are greener and the scale is average. If you do not form the plants, they will look untidy. Therefore, do not confuse this juniper with other similar varieties, the sky rocket has its own characteristic features, which we mentioned above. Alleys and parks are often decorated with shrubs. And many gardeners plant junipers in their backyards.
It should be said that the rocky juniper Skyrocket emits phytoncides that have a beneficial effect on the human body, rest assured that it will always be pleasant to hide under the crown of this tree in the heat. The sizes of the needles will pleasantly surprise you, the needles are very soft and pleasant. If you have lung problems, it is very helpful for you to inhale juniper phytoncides.This plant is considered to be truly versatile, so the designers strongly recommend growing this rocky juniper in areas with rocky ground. They can be planted singly, as well as included in group landings. Junipers are planted near the fence, along the hedge. You can create a real Olympic slide from juniper, it looks great in flower arrangements. The crown of this variety has the correct shape, so lovers of the Scandinavian style always decorate their gardens with this tree.
Rock juniper Skyrocket: planting and care
Virginia juniper Skyrocket: photo of the variety
Usually the cultivation of this plant does not present any difficulties. Juniper Skyrocket is considered an unpretentious and unassuming crop. In addition, it has high winter hardiness, but a certain minimum must be observed. Before planting junipers, you need to take care of good planting stock. If you buy seedlings, you should pay attention to the appearance of the plants. Make sure that the root system of the seedlings is well developed and the needles are intact. Therefore, take into account the size of the plants, usually a juniper is planted, no more than 1 meter in height, since it takes root better in a new habitat, and adaptation will proceed faster.
It is advisable to buy two or three year old seedlings in containers, make sure that the trunk of the plants is alive and healthy, and the shoots are flexible. The root system of such seedlings is usually closed. It is best to contact trusted suppliers and manufacturers, but in online stores you need to buy seedlings with caution, since sometimes the varietal characteristics of such plants disappoint buyers, since manufacturers and sellers often misinform their customers. Do not run into forgery. The plant is watered abundantly with water before planting if your seedlings grow in a container.
If you bought a plant with an open root system, then they must be placed in water. Examine the needles carefully, there should be no defects and damage on it, and, of course, no signs of disease. If we talk about the landing site, then it is best to choose an area well-lit by the sun. Juniper Skyrocket does not like drafts, since the root system of these plants lies close to the surface of the earth, therefore, with strong winds, it tends to loosen.
The rocky juniper Skyrocket is very unpretentious, but it is still necessary to prepare a place for planting. Dig up the ground thoroughly on the site, remove all weeds. They will interfere with the normal development of plants, crushed stone, large pebbles or broken bricks are placed in the planting pit, in order to bring the growing conditions of juniper as close as possible to natural, as you remember, this is a rocky culture. Add peat and humus to the soil here, this will be enough for the plants to develop normally in the first three years. Then the juniper will root well and develop faster. Remember that the adaptation process is slow, so at first there will be no shoot growth. So don't be alarmed. It is best to plant junipers in the spring, but if you buy containers, you can do this at any time of the year. Except, of course, winter. It is important to remember that the juniper does not like heat.
Virginia juniper Skyrocket: photo of the variety
Usually, the planting hole is dug about a few weeks before the planned planting date. It should be spacious, and the root system should be free. In depth, you should dig a hole at least 80 cm, preferably a meter. The soil should be nutritious, not dense, and the groundwater should not lie close to the surface. A layer is usually lined at the bottom of the hole, using broken brick, large pebbles or crushed stone.If you transplant Skyrocket juniper from a container, then do it carefully, do not damage the fragile root system, it is advisable to plant the bush together with an earthen lump in the planting hole. But the root collar should not be buried, it should rise above the soil surface. After planting the plant in the hole, you should fill in the nutritious soil, the earth should be well tamped. In order for the roots not to be exposed, the next day you can add a little soil, as the earth may settle.
Remember that the root system should never be exposed. In order for moisture to be better preserved, the trunk circle should be covered with mulching material; for this, peat, sawdust, hay and straw are used, and such a layer should be at least 5 cm thick. If we talk about leaving, then it should be noted: this plant is unpretentious. It does not need to be watered regularly and abundantly, however, if precipitation does not fall for a long time in your region, you still need to moisten the soil. If the soil is too dry, the needles may turn yellow and the tree may lose its attractive appearance. Also, in dry summers, it is recommended to spray the needles so that they do not dry out.
If we talk about top dressing, then fertilizers should be applied only in the first three years, additional nutrients are not required for adult bushes, they usually have enough of those trace elements that are already contained in the soil. In order to keep moisture better in the soil, as you remember, the top layer should be mulched. From time to time, the near-trunk circle will also need to be weeded, in a timely manner to remove all weeds from the site. The mulch is placed near the bush immediately after planting, so the plants adapt better to the new environment. Rock junipers should be pruned on time, and this is best done annually. Since the shoots grow intensively, they need to be regularly shortened, since over time, from an excess of green mass, the branches can move away from the central trunk, so this tree will look not at all neat and shaggy.
It will be necessary to cut the plants in early spring, before the sap flow begins. Otherwise, you will only harm the tree. Plants are considered hardy, so they can be grown even in harsh climatic conditions. However, it is still necessary to prepare young seedlings for wintering. In late autumn, you will need to wrap a young tree with any agro material, tie it with a rope the way you tie a Christmas tree. The root area should be additionally covered with mulch. But do not deceive the juniper with a rope, as this plant has very flexible shoots, and under the weight of the snow they may well break.
Reproduction and disease
Virginia juniper Skyrocket: photo of the variety
The Skyrocket juniper is propagated in different ways. This plant is usually not planted with seeds, since this method is the most ineffective. It is best to do grafting, transplanting layers. If you want to quickly get new trees, then you will need to cut the cuttings in the spring, each about 10-15 cm long. Then you should soak them in a growth stimulator for a day in order for the roots to form faster. After that, for about a month and a half, the shoots are recommended to be sent to nutrient soil, containing sand and peat. When the roots appear, the Skyrocket juniper can be transplanted to a permanent habitat, but it is advisable to first grow the seedling in a greenhouse.
The rocky juniper has high immunity, however, it also suffers from diseases and pests. Remember that the affected plants lose their decorative effect, therefore, adverse events must be dealt with. Various caterpillars, spider mites, scale insects, and also some other pests often settle on juniper needles. You need to fight insects right away, in no case should you wait for the moment when they begin to multiply.In order to get rid of insects, you need to treat the green part of the plants with insecticides in time. This is done by spraying. Sometimes junipers get sick with rust, so you should spray the trees in time with preparations containing copper. If the tree is severely affected, then there will be nothing to cure, the plant will need to be ruthlessly cut down and burned, since this disease can spread to other plants.
Conclusion.
Rock juniper Skyrocket: photo of the variety
The Skyrocket juniper is considered very unpretentious, and the appearance of this tree is always very beautiful, which is why gardeners love it so much. If you want to grow rocky juniper on your site, then be sure to check out the growing technique. Remember, this coniferous tree will look unkempt if you don't trim and shape it in time. If you cut the Skyrocket juniper annually, then this plant will be able to decorate any personal plot, they like to plant it near office buildings, hospitals, schools. And what aroma the needles exude is simply magical. We hope we have convinced you that this is just an ideal culture that pleases not only the eyes, but also the body, because in addition to the beauty, the juniper needles have a lot of useful properties. Plant the Skyrocket juniper at your dacha and you will not regret it.
Rock juniper Skyrocket: video about the variety
