How to plant juniper and care for it

When to plant juniper

Instances with an open root system, which are sold with "bare" roots wrapped in cloth or film, are planted in April - May. Juniper will have time to take root well in a new place before the onset of winter cold. It is permissible to move the plant to your garden and from the end of August to the end of September, if you did not have time to do it in the spring.

Juniper with a closed root system is in a pot or container. Such an instance can be moved to the ground throughout the season - from April to October. True, in the summer it is worth choosing a relatively cool and cloudy day. By the way, it is seedlings with a closed root system that can most often be found in stores, garden centers and nurseries.

How to choose a juniper seedling

Plants with "bare" roots take root worse and often die shortly after transplants. The fact is that sellers often dig juniper directly from the ground, severely damaging the bush, and in this state it can wait a long time for a buyer. Therefore, give preference to seedlings in containers: the root system is in an earthen coma, does not undergo injury and does not stop development. Such an instance quickly adapts to a new place.

Decide on a variety

Common juniper is one of the most unpretentious species that will withstand both northern frosts and southern drought. It can be planted both in the sun and in partial shade. A small bush can turn into a cone-shaped tree up to 4 m in height. True, this will take a lot of time: the plant annually adds no more than 5 cm in growth.

Juniper medium is also resistant to adverse weather conditions. It reaches 3 m in height and about 5 m in diameter. The plant is suitable for decorating slopes, creating a low dense living hedges and will look good alone. It can be grown in full sun and light shade.

Juniperus horizontalis a ground cover species. It grows no higher than half a meter and gradually spreads in breadth, capturing the territory with lush branches. Often this shrub is decorated flower beds along the tracks. It does best in sunny areas.

The scaly juniper is distinguished by dense, stiff and long needles, which, as it were, sag at the ends. It forms creeping squat bushes that do not grow above 1.5 meters. This species can be cut, giving the landings the desired shape. After this procedure, the juniper needles will become even thicker. For growing, try to find a sunny or slightly shaded place.

Pay attention to the quality of the seedling

Take a closer look at the needles: in a healthy bush, it is evenly colored green without red or yellowish spots. The ends of the needles should not be dry. Run your hand over the crown and make sure that the juniper does not crumble. Also inspect the trunk: bark should be smooth, without cracks and spots.

How to prepare a site for planting juniper

If you plan to plant several bushes, place them at a distance of 1.5–2 m.

Decide on a plot for juniper

Best of all, these plants feel in well-lit areas - in the sun their needles will be brighter and more magnificent. But light shading is also allowed, especially for undersized creeping species like scaly and horizontal.

Junipers love light and loose soil. It is optimal if the soil is neutral or slightly acidic within a pH of 5–7. But if the land on your site does not have the necessary characteristics for growing coniferous, this can be corrected by proper preparation of the landing pit.

Make a landing hole

Dig a hole, the diameter and depth of which will be 1.5–2 times the volume of the juniper container or its root system.

At the bottom of the planting hole, pour drainage with a layer of 15 cm. To do this, you can use fine gravel, broken brick or expanded clay.

How to plant a juniper

Prepare the ground

You will need it to move the juniper into the prepared hole. Take 2 parts of soil with an acidity level of 5-7, 1 part compost and 1 part river sand. Mix ingredients thoroughly. Pour about 10-15 cm of this mixture into the bottom of the planting hole. Top with 80–100 g of dolomite flour and mix.

plant a juniper

Carefully remove the juniper from the container, being careful not to damage the roots. Place the bush in the planting hole and make sure that the root neck (the junction of the trunk with the roots) is flush with the soil surface on flower bed. If necessary, add soil to the bottom of the pit or, conversely, remove the excess.

Fill all voids around the seedling with prepared soil, compacting it with your palms.

Then stomp around the plant to better compact the ground.

Moisten the soil thoroughly. Under the root of one juniper, you need to pour 5-10 liters of water.

Mulch the trunk circle with dry peat, sawdust or straw. A layer of 5 cm is enough.

How to care for juniper

This coniferous plant needs to be fed at the beginning of the season and occasionally watered. They are able to withstand severe frosts, so you do not have to worry about shelter bushes for the winter.

Water the juniper

Juniper needs watering only during heat and drought. During such periods, pour 10–20 liters of water daily under one bush, depending on its size.

At the same time, from the end of spring to the beginning autumn you can spray the crown with water from a hose with a diffuser nozzle. This helps to saturate the needles with moisture and wash off dust and dirt. The procedure is carried out once a week after sunset, so that drops of water under the influence of sunlight do not burn the plant.

Feed the juniper

For the first time this is done the next season after planting.

Fertilizers are applied once a year. In the spring, when the snow melts and the soil thaws, sprinkle 30–40 g of nitroammophoska on the surface of the soil in the near-stem circle. Then loosen the soil with a chopper, closing the granules about 5 cm deep.

The composition of nitroammofoska contains an equal amount of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium - 16: 16: 16. Instead, you can use any other means with the same formula.