Ural juniper planting and care in the open field

Juniper - an evergreen tree or shrub from the cypress family. Known under the second name - Veres. This is a very common plant - it is found naturally in many countries and different climatic zones. Feels good in Siberia and the Urals.

Perhaps the following articles will be useful to you: how to grow spirea and budley. These decorative crops perfectly decorate the site.

Species cultivated in the northern regions

Juniper tolerates harsh winters and hot summers without difficulty. Therefore, in the conditions of Siberia, it grows and develops well. Still, it is advisable to plant plants that are adapted to your climate. The following types are widespread:

• Juniper Siberian - a low-growing bush up to 1 meter high, creeping along the soil surface. More decorative than ordinary heather - on the upper side of the needle-shaped needles there are bright and white stomatal stripes that last 2 years. In the second year, spherical cones with a diameter of up to 0.8 cm appear on the bush. The plant's winter hardiness is high. Found in Siberia, the mountains of Central Asia, North America and other regions. Protected in reserves.
• Juniper Cossack - a small shrub up to 1.5 meters high, spreading along the soil surface. Young plants have a smooth reddish-gray bark, while adults have longitudinally fissured bark. Fruits with a gray waxy bloom. Photophilous, drought-resistant, winter-hardy, undemanding to fertile soil, resistant to gases and smoke, has soil-protective properties.

Also, hard junipers, Chinese, common, Virginian and scaly junipers are also cultivated in gardens. They tolerate frosty winters and hot summers well.

Reproduction of juniper in the garden - popular ways

To plant a beautiful ornamental plant on your site, they buy a ready-made seedling in gardening stores. But you can propagate heres yourself using one of the following methods:

• Seeds. Pre-prepared seeds are sown on the site in May, when the topsoil warms up slightly. For disinfection, the seeds are placed for half an hour in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, and then in liquid fertilizer for 2 hours. Seeds are sown on a plot according to the scheme 50 × 80 cm. Moderate soil moisture is maintained before germination.
• Layers. One of the simplest and most time-tested methods for breeding juniper. It is used from spring to mid-summer. Choose a young twig that is closest to the ground. An incision is made along the oblique line. The soil around the plant is slightly loosened and the young twig is bent to the ground. Fasten and cover with soil. Maintain moderate humidity. When the roots appear, cut a branch with a pruner and transplant the seedling to a new place.
• Cuttings. A cut 12 cm stalk is cleaned of needles and placed in liquid fertilizer for a day. Fertilizer is used as a root formation stimulator. Fill the pots with a mixture of sand and peat. The cuttings are immersed in pots to a depth of 3 cm, poured over with water and covered with foil. They are placed in a room where the temperature is kept within +22 degrees. To protect against mold, the film is removed every 5 hours. Fresh air is a must. After 1.5 months, the formation of roots occurs. Rooted cuttings are transplanted into separate pots after 2 months, and into open ground after 3 years.

Juniper cuttings. Photo

Conditions for the growth of juniper

When choosing a place on the site, take care of the presence of constant sun. Only on hot days, the plant needs shading, in other cases it loves light. When grown in the shade, juniper needles lose their original color. Therefore, take care of choosing a sunny location.

When choosing a soil, take into account the individual characteristics of each variety:

• The Siberian juniper loves sandy loam or sandy soil. If there is heavy soil on the site, then river sand is introduced to loosen it.
• Juniper ordinary, Central Asian and Cossack grows well in the ground with the addition of slaked lime or dolomite flour. Acidic soils are not suitable. Other species like sandy and peaty soil.

Important. Create on your site for juniper, conditions close to natural. If the plant grows in the mountains, then it cannot be planted in the lowlands. And vice versa from humid places, on a hill.

Watch the video for planting information.

Planting junipers in spring

In the conditions of Siberia and the Urals, a favorable time for planting seedlings on the site is spring, when the weather is not yet too warm. It is recommended to start planting after the snow melts. At a later date, the likelihood of burning out the needles is high.

How to plant a juniper correctly:

1. The seat is prepared in advance. For small seedlings, dig a hole 50 cm deep, 1 m wide and 1 meter long. It is advisable to dig a hole with a volume of twice the root system.
2. A drainage system is formed in the planting pit. Broken bricks, sand and large pebbles are used as drainage. The recommended layer is 20 cm. A small layer of soil is poured on top.
3. The juniper seedling is carefully placed in the hole and the roots are straightened. In adult plants, the root collar should rise 10 cm above the soil level, and in young plants at the surface of the ground.
4. Water the seedling abundantly with water. When the water is absorbed, cover it with soil and water it again. Around the trunk, mulch the soil with a layer of peat, chips, sawdust, pine bark or nut shells. Mulch layer - no more than 10 cm.

Caring for junipers in the country

The plant develops well without much care. It is enough just to adhere to a few rules to make the needles even more beautiful.

A coniferous plant needs regular watering in the first year after planting. In the future, the juniper is watered in the summer every 20-30 days. Increase the frequency of watering several times, in dry and hot summers. In rare cases, daily watering is carried out.

Spraying with water has a positive effect on the color of the needles. From the pulverizer, weekly wet procedures are carried out in the evenings or early in the morning.

If the juniper grows poorly, it is recommended to feed it with organic or mineral fertilizers. Provide nutrients in spring and summer.

The everlasting green shrub does not need pruning. Only cut off damaged and dry branches in spring and autumn. Remove the branches with a sharp pruner carefully. By cutting off living and healthy branches, the plant weakens and can even get sick.

In the northern regions, to protect against freezing, young plants are covered with lutrastil. Adult bushes do not need shelter.In early spring, when the temperature is above zero, the cover is removed from the juniper.

Important. In spring, snow reflects the sun's rays. During this period, the sun can burn out the needles. Protect the juniper by shading with burlap or cloth. The protection is removed when the snow melts.

Now you know that heather grows without problems in the northern regions. This is an evergreen shrub that will decorate your site for a long time. Some species grow for 1000 years or more.

A beautiful juniper, planting and care in the open field for which is not too difficult at first glance, still require attention from the gardener in order to delight the owners with a beautiful and healthy look and, you need to know how to do it all correctly, at what time, in the fall or in spring, how to feed the plant, how to transplant it to a new place, how to spray it against yellowing and rust, how is pruning done, etc.

How to properly plant a juniper in open ground

Planting in open ground is a laborious process with many nuances, the observance of which will allow you to enjoy a beautiful plant in the country or in the garden.

The best time to plant junipers is the beginning of spring, when the frosts have already ended, but the weather is not yet too warm. An excellent option would be the period when the snow melts. Of course, you can plant the plant later, but then there is a danger of burning out the needles. It should be said that in a later period, young growth should be planted.

Many are interested in the question of how to plant a juniper in the fall. In this case, the plant may not have time to take root, as a result it will die. It is important to note that if a juniper has a closed root system, then it can be planted at any time of the year.

When choosing a site for juniper, take care of constant sun. The sun's rays should shine on the plant all day. Only on hot summer days, some juniper varieties require shading.

How much light hits the plant depends on its appearance. If a shadow prevails on the site, then the plant will grow poorly. The brightly colored juniper will no longer have the original color of the needles.

As for the choice of soil, then the type you choose plays a big role here. So, for the Cossack, ordinary and Central Asian varieties of juniper, soil is required, which includes dolomite flour or slaked lime.

Siberian juniper loves sandy or sandy loam soil, for Virginia - clay soil with compost is suitable.

The remaining species take root well if peat, sand, a protective layer with peat and wood chips are added to the soil to create an acidic reaction.

The plant is sold in various containers. The most suitable plant for planting is a plant in containers, with a volume of 5 liters pots with a closed root system. If you buy a seedling with an open root system, be sure to check the roots, they are white and quite strong. Do not buy a juniper if you notice damage to it.

When planning to plant large plants, certain skills or specialist help will come in handy here. These plants are pre-grown in the ground and must be dug up to be sold.

True, experts do not recommend planting grown adult plants. This is due to the fact that during growth the roots go far into the ground, when excavated, the main root is often damaged, which leads to the fact that the juniper dies after transplantation. Therefore, an adult juniper should be planted in the winter with a frozen soil ball. Disembarkation at such a time increases the chances of good survival and healthy development in the future.

Remember, before planting, be sure to moisten the lump with plenty of water, about 2 hours before planting.

Prepare the site in advance. Dig a hole in it, the size of which directly depends on the size of the plant. For example, for a young plant, a pit 1m × 1m in size, 50 cm deep is suitable.Experts recommend making a hole 2 times the size of a soil coma.

At the very bottom of the pit, where it is planned to plant the plant, drainage is added, with a layer of about 20 cm (it is better to use broken brick, large pebbles and sand). The free space is filled with cultivated soil. This kind of soil is suitable for any kind.

When placing, be very careful not to damage the root system and the earthy ball. Make sure that in young plants the root collar is at the surface of the earth, and in adult specimens it rises by about 10 cm.

Then pour abundantly with water. The area near the trunk is covered with a protective layer (mulch), which can be peat, pine bark, chips, sawdust, crushed cones or pine nut shells. The mulch should be 10 cm thick.

Transplanting a juniper from the forest is not very difficult, the main thing is to follow the rules:

1. Only young and small plants are suitable for transplantation, because they have not yet formed a large root system
2. After you choose a plant, be sure to mark the sunny side of it (so as not to get confused, before digging it up), and plant it on the exact same side
3. Dig up the plant along with a lump of earth, place it in a film or burlap, wrap and tie
4. Plant in the same way as for a plant purchased from a nursery.

Juniper, care in the garden and in the country

Summer residents appreciate the juniper for its beauty and ease of care. By adhering to some rules of care, you can grow a healthy and beautiful plant.

A juniper goes without water for a long time, but in the summer it should be watered at least once every 30 days. As practice shows, this happens much more often, especially in hot sultry weather, you need to water the plants every day.

Sometimes it should be sprayed with plain water from a spray bottle. Spraying is best done weekly in the morning or evening, so as not to burn the green part of the bush.

In the spring, the soil is fertilized with nitroammophos in a proportion of 45 grams per 1 sq. M. In the summer, you can use organic fertilizers and mineral fertilizers, if the plants require it. Fertilize the soil if the juniper grows poorly.

As for the transplant, the juniper takes root very poorly, therefore, it is carried out only if necessary. To do this, be sure to prepare the soil - mix sand, coniferous soil and peat in equal proportions. After transplanting, water well.

Juniper does not require pruning, you just need to remove dry branches. If you want to create a beautiful crown, then you cannot cut off too much, the plant will get sick.

In winter, the young juniper is covered with lutrastil, the adult plant is simply tied up so that the branches do not break off under the weight of the snow. If there is a lot of snow, shake off the plant occasionally.

The onset of spring is a dangerous period, the sun can burn out the needles. To avoid this, shade the juniper with a cloth or burlap. When the snow has completely melted, the burlap can be removed. Clean the trunk circle, remove the protective layer so that there is no root rot. Dig up and loosen the ground. After the soil has dried, a new protective layer can be applied.

Now you know, dear readers, that a juniper, planting and caring for which is not difficult, can delight you with a beautiful view for many years.

Somehow, quite separately, among other evergreens in the garden, the juniper is valued, whose very presence heals many diseases. The plant, friendly to people, is one of the favorite crops that fills the air with life-giving resins and amazes with a beauty that is dear to the heart, perfectly combined with many green friends. Juniper is a rather unpretentious coniferous plant. But in order to properly plant it and take care of it, you need to know a few basic rules.

Types (types) and varieties of juniper

Among junipers, their following shapes and sizes can be distinguished:

• Tree-like;
• Columnar;

  Virgin spartan

• Shrub (with spreading bushes);

  Cossack Sabina

• Low-growing (creeping, ground cover).

  Horizontal Prince of Wales

The most popular types and varieties of juniper are:

• Ordinary (Depressa Aurea, Meyer, Green Carpet, Horstman, Repanda, Arnold);
• Virginian or North American (Gray Oul, Skyrocket, Hetz, Glauka);
• Cossack (Variegata Blue and Gold Tamariscifolia, Rockery Jam, Glauka, Sabina);
• Horizontal or outstretched (Lime Glow, Wiltoni, Blue Chip, Prince of Wales);
• Chinese (Strickta, Kurivao Gold, Spartan, Variegata);
• Rocky (Blue Arrow, Blue Haven, Munglow);
• Scaly (Dream Joy, Blue Star, Blue Carpet).

In more detail you can get acquainted with the appearance of different junipers in the following videos or in the last paragraph “What is it better to plant - a juniper or a thuja? "

Video: types and varieties of junipers

When and how to plant a juniper outdoors

Landing dates

The main thing when planting conifers is to keep the earthen lump around the roots moist, and you can plant junipers in spring, autumn, and even summer.

Note! If you decide to plant a juniper in the summer, then a young seedling should definitely be shaded and watered more often (but not overflowed!) Throughout the summer.

But still, the optimal time for planting junipers is spring, around April-May, when the ground warms up a little. But it is often planted in the fall in September-October.

How to choose the right seedling

A warning! Never buy seedlings from random people. As a rule, they have a bare root system, and such juniper seedlings practically do not survive.

It is better to purchase cypress seedlings in garden centers. In them, junipers are sold in special containers, in other words, their root system is closed and well-developed.

As for the age of the seedling, it is optimal to purchase 3-4 years old.

Also, when buying a seedling, you should pay special attention to the tips of the needles. They should be green and elastic (bendable). If on examination you notice that the tips are dry and breaking, then such a plant is not worth buying. It is quite obvious that it is sick or has been overdried, which means that the likelihood that it will take root well is quite low.

Place in the garden

After you select and buy a seedling, you will need to find the right place to plant it in your summer cottage garden. Juniper loves sunny and well-lit places. Growing under the sun, it will acquire all its best properties. If you plant it in deep shade, the crown will begin to deform and become loose. However, such varieties as Virginia and ordinary, can grow in light partial shade.

Important! The Chinese juniper tends to burn strongly at the end of winter or in strong winds, so it is better to plant it in a quiet place, or next to taller conifers.

If you want to plant several seedlings side by side, then it is advisable to do this at a distance of 50 to 200 centimeters, depending on the size (shape and type) of the juniper seedling.

Planting pit and soil

The diameter of the planting pit for a juniper should exceed the earthen clod of the seedling by about 2-3 times, and in depth it should be about 50-70 centimeters.

Junipers do not tolerate waterlogging, therefore, a drainage layer must be laid at the bottom of the planting pit. For drainage, you can use broken bricks, stones, pebbles, rubble or gravel. Then a small layer of sand should be poured.

This ephedra cannot be called a plant demanding on the soil, but it is still recommended to fill the planting hole with fertile soil. For example, you can prepare this soil mixture: 2 parts of peat, 1 part of soddy clay soil and 1 part of river sand.Or this: 2 parts of sod or leafy land, 1 part of peat and 1 part of sand.

Clarification! Each variety of juniper has slightly different soil requirements. For example, if you are planting Virginiathen put more turfy clay land, if Siberian - sand, Cossack - add wood ash, dolomite fly or lime (in other words, it is necessary to reduce the level of soil acidity).

Immediate phased disembarkation

Step-by-step instructions for planting juniper in open ground:

1. Choose the sunniest and well-lit place on the site.
2. Dig the required planting hole and lay a drainage layer on the bottom, sprinkling it with sand.
3. Prepare a soil mixture depending on the species and fill the hole, but not completely.
4. Carefully remove the seedling from the container, being careful not to fall apart, and transfer to the center of the pit. The root collar should be slightly higher than the level of the pit (by 5-8 centimeters). When the earth settles down after watering, the seedling will drop to the right place.
5. Cover the entire space around the seedling with soil mixture and tamp it lightly with your hands so that there are no air voids.
6. Thoroughly spill the trunk circle evenly from all sides.
7. When the moisture is absorbed, the earth will sag a little, it will be necessary to fill it up.
8. Mulch the trunk circle to trap the rapid evaporation of moisture. For mulch, you can take peat, wood or pine chips (bark), sawdust, or even dry leaves. The mulch layer should be about 5-10 centimeters.

Video: planting and caring for a juniper

Outdoor Juniper Care

To preserve the beauty of this ephedra, so that the crown of this tree is fluffy and dense, and the color remains throughout the season, you need to properly care for the juniper.

Newly planted seedlings need plenty of moisture and should be watered at least once a week.

Adults and well established plants watering practically unnecessary. Unless the summer will be hot and dry, then 2-3 times per season it is still worth watering, pouring 1-3 buckets at a time, depending on the size of the bush.

Remember! Juniper does not tolerate dry air very well, so it will respond well to periodic spraying with water, sprinkler irrigation.

Juniper not required frequent and abundant feeding, especially since he does not need organic matter. Except that young plants should be fed in the spring - in the month of April and May. Take 30-40 grams of nitroammophoska, potassium nitrate or other complex mineral fertilizer similar in composition and scatter it around the trunk circle, and then spill it well with water.

As such pruning the juniper is not required (another matter is cutting and giving the plant a certain shape), except that in early spring you need to sanitize, in other words, cut off all dried and broken branches (although some gardeners do this and late autumn).

If you notice that some branch has deviated to the side, but is still alive, then it is not necessary to cut it off, you can simply pull it up with a string. After a certain time, it will return to its original position again.

Important! The essential oil in juniper resin is caustic, so be sure to wear heavy canvas gloves and oversleeves before pruning. Failure to do so may cause long-term irritation on the hands.

In caring for a juniper, it plays a vital role. antifungal treatments... They need to be done regularly, rather than waiting for the fungus to show up. It is especially important to spray it with fungicides (for example, the Topsin-M systemic fungicide is excellent) after warm and humid weather, as well as in late autumn.

By the way! In late winter and early spring, juniper can get sunburn, in other words, it canburn out (this often happens in Siberia), so it should be shaded. For example, throwing burlap on the plant or installing screens. Only in no case not should use agrofibre, because it just transmits ultraviolet light.

Video: proper care for junipers in the open field

Important! You can find all the detailed information on preparing juniper for winter (shelter, pruning) in this material.

What is better to plant - a juniper or a thuja?

Many gardeners, when they begin to think about what kind of ephedra is better to plant on their site, cannot decide - a juniper or still a thuja. Let's try to understand the differences and advantages of planting each of them.

Both juniper and thuja belong to the same family - Cypress, so they are in many ways similar.

Pay attention! You can read detailed information about planting, growing and caring for thuja in this article.

By shape and size

For example, thuja western Columna is very similar to the Blue Arrow rocky juniper, they have equally smooth and clear high silhouettes.

Left - Blue Arrow Juniper, right - Thuja Columna And the juniper of the Chinese Strikt, with a skillful haircut, can be made completely similar to the conical western thuja Smaragd.

Left - western thuja Smaragd, right - Chinese strickta juniper If the spherical junipers have not yet been bred, then the thuja is quite widely represented - this is Globoza, and Woodwardy, and miniature Teddies.

Tuya Teddy

But junipers have a huge assortment of spreading and creeping crowns. These include the following: Cossack, Virginian Hetz, Scaly Blue Carpet.

Scaly Blue Carpet

By color (color)

In addition to the natural (standard) green color, juniper and thuja today can be in fact any color: green, blue, and yellow.

For example, Tuya Miriyam is a green thuja with yellow tips.

The Blue & Gold Juniper is a plant with blue and yellow tops.

For use in landscape design

Junipers, as a rule, are planted either as single plants or in "loose" groups of several bushes.

The use of juniper as a hedge is rather limited: the price is high and grows very slowly, so thuja varieties such as Columna and Brabant are better suited for this.

If you need to decorate a slope on your personal plot, decorate an alpine slide or rockery, then creeping or ground cover varieties of juniper will be the best choice.

According to the conditions of growing and care

Thuja perfectly tolerates the dusty and gassed air of city streets, therefore it is very often used for landscaping large cities and industrial centers. On the contrary, junipers will suffer and waste away from dusty and gas-polluted air, so they are usually planted only in suburban areas.

Juniper is an extremely light-loving, frost-resistant, drought-resistant and not demanding plant for soil conditions. This is due to the fact that its root system goes several meters into the soil and receives all the necessary nutrition from there.

Thuja is a moisture and light-loving plant that can grow relatively successfully in the shade, but it is noticeably more demanding on soils. If the land is infertile and poor, then for normal development the plant will need to be additionally regularly fed.

In general, both thuja and juniper are considered quite unpretentious conifers. However, young, recently planted seedlings for the winter should be insulated and covered, especially if you live in a cold climate.

By useful properties

Juniper is healthier than thuja. Because the phytoncides secreted by its needles kill almost all pathogenic microbes. Traditional medicine is often used cone-berries of juniper, which have diuretic and disinfectant properties.It is useful to chew 1 berry per day during a flu epidemic, this will significantly reduce the risk of illness. These berries are also used in cooking: they make kvass, beer and gin, use them for smoking meat (6-8 pieces per 1 kg of meat), and also make juniper brooms for a bath.

By the way! Junipers can live up to 1000 years, whereas thujas tend to live up to a maximum of 100 years.

Video: which is better to plant - juniper or thuja

Subject to all the rules for planting and caring for junipers in the open field, you will have this wonderful plant in your summer cottage, which will delight you with its appearance and make the atmosphere in your garden healing and wholesome.

Video: secrets of growing and features of care for juniper

One of the popular solutions for landscaping a summer cottage is a coniferous tree. Among the ornamental conifers, the juniper stands out: this plant has many varieties and adapts well to adverse conditions. Planting and caring for it is not difficult, but the plant has several preferences for the place of growth, warmth and humidity.

Plant features

The genus juniper is a representative of the cypress family. Among the species of this genus, both trees and shrubs are found. The height of trees reaches 30 m, shrubs - up to 1.5 m. The shape of the crown of the tree is usually cone-shaped or pyramidal, the bush is creeping. It is formed by flexible branches, densely covered with scaly or needle-like needles. That is why a tree or bush seems lush.

The variety of juniper varieties allows you to choose a tree for any composition, taking into account the possibilities of the site. Of interest is not only the various shades of needles, but also the fruits of the juniper - cones. They are dark blue and have both beauty and useful properties. The needles of a plant release phytoncides into the atmosphere - substances that disinfect the air and saturate it with a pleasant aroma. The smell is also emitted by the wood of the juniper.

Types and varieties for a summer cottage

The variety is selected in accordance with the growing region. There are decorative forms of junipers that will tolerate long-term frosts well in the Urals and Siberia. Most of the representatives of the genus are not demanding on watering, wintering, feeding and do not need pruning. At the same time, junipers are not very susceptible to diseases and pests.

There are about 70 species of juniper, 15 of them are cultivated, but the most popular are scaly, rocky, ordinary, Chinese, horizontal, Cossack, middle and Virginia. For growing outdoors, frost-resistant varieties are often used. The most unpretentious species are rocky and Virginia.

Popular decorative species and varieties:

1. Common - a kind of cone-shaped juniper. The tree grows up to 10 m, but develops very slowly. The plant has a lifespan of approximately 200 years. The species is frost-hardy, not particularly demanding, grows well in partial shade and in drought conditions.
2. The rocky Blue Errow variety is a representative of the rocky juniper species. They are very hardy, cope with drought, frost. This tree is of medium height, usually no more than 5 m. Blue Arrow has a narrow conical crown and rich blue needles. Looks most decorative on rocky areas.
3. Juniper Chinese Strikta is a tree up to 2.5 m tall with vertically growing branches. Thorny needles in spring have a blue-green tint, and by winter they become steel.
4. Meyeri is an evergreen shrub. The needles at the tips are silvery-blue. An excellent participant in the mixborder.
5. Horstmann is a tall shrub with drooping branches, which makes it look like a weeping willow. Shoots cover up to 2 m in diameter. The needles are small, prickly, dark green.
6. Juniper scaly Holger is a spreading bush, the decorative effect of which is a combination of dark green old needles and young golden needles.
7. Prince of Wales is a horizontal juniper. One of the most popular species, it forms dense dark green thickets.
8. Juniper scaly Blue svid is a shrub with blue needles, which acquire a metallic hue by winter. The bush has a compact cushion shape. Its height does not exceed 1.5 m.
9. Old Gold is a representative of the medium juniper species. This species is a hybrid of common and Cossack juniper. The variety is a shrub with golden needles.
10. Mint julep is another medium juniper variety. This is a shrub with a spreading crown, its needles are rich green. Demanding on the light.
11. Andorra compact is a variety of horizontal juniper. This shrub does not exceed 0.4 m, but it is 1.5 m in diameter. The needles are scaly, blue-silver.
12. Repanda is a creeping evergreen shrub of the common species. Unpretentious in care, withstands frosts. Suitable for creating a coniferous lawn.

How to choose a seedling

The best planting material is bought in special containers. Such conifers develop well after transplantation. Another option is a tree with a lump of earth, which is wrapped in wet burlap.

Recommendations for choosing a seedling:

1. It should be 3-4 years old, such a plant tolerates transplanting better.
2. The root system is closed, but open is also allowed.
3. The color of the needles is uniform, corresponding to the variety.
4. There should be no cracks or other damage on the bark of the trunk.

Where and when is it better to plant a juniper on the site

Juniper cultivation starts with choosing the right planting site. These ephedra prefer good lighting and generally do not tolerate shading well. Sunlight is especially important for varieties with unusual color of needles.

Other requirements for the landing site:

1. It should not be waterlogged or close to groundwater.
2. Protection from drafts is mandatory - junipers react poorly to constant exposure to direct air currents.
3. The plant is planted at a distance from buildings and other plants.

The soil for cultivation should be light, loose and fertile. Junipers grow well on sandy, sandy loam and loamy soils. For dwarf specimens, soils with an average nutrient content are better suited. Their abundance negatively affects the decorative properties of conifers.

It is customary to plant junipers in the spring, when it gets a little warmer. The planting time depends on the type of root system. It is better to plant with open roots in April or September, with closed ones - at any time from April to October.

How to plant an ephedra correctly

Planting and caring for junipers is easy. You just need to adhere to a few rules, and then the plant will develop healthy and strong. When a good landing site has been selected, you need to prepare a landing pit. Its size depends on the size of the root system, it should be about 2.5 times the size of a clod of earth with roots. On average, for small seedlings, a hole is dug 50 × 50, for large ones - 70 × 70.

How to plant a juniper correctly:

1. A drainage layer is laid at the bottom of the planting pit so that the plant does not suffer from moisture stagnation at the roots. Expanded clay, broken brick, sand are taken as drainage. Drought is not as terrible for the ephedra as the constant waterlogging of the soil.
2. If the soil on the site is too clayey and heavy, then a mixture of garden soil and coniferous, sand and peat must be added to the hole. An example of a substrate for planting: 2 parts of peat, 1 part of sand, 2 parts of humus and 2 parts of turf.
3. For tall varieties, it will not be superfluous to add fertilizers to the planting pit. Suitable "Kemira wagon" in the amount of 150 g or 300 g of nitrophoska.
4. Seedlings grown at home are moved out of the pots by the transfer method - that is, together with a clod of earth on the roots. This will minimize possible damage to the root system.You need to plant the plant quickly so that the roots do not have time to dry out. This is especially true for purchases with an open root system.
5. The seedling is sprinkled with the remaining substrate, tamped a little. The root collar must remain above the soil level.
6. It remains to water each hole abundantly with warm settled water and mulch the near-trunk circle. This is necessary to retain moisture. Mulch also prevents weeds from growing. Mulch composition: peat, wood chips.
7. After planting, you can apply fertilizer for growth - "Epin".

Advice! When planting a group of plants, keep a distance of 0.5 to 2 m between seedlings, depending on the type of planting and the size of the adult plant.

Care rules

To properly care for ornamental junipers, you need to know their preferences. Many varieties love light and moderate humidity, but not all of them tolerate drafts and polluted air.

Young plants need protection from the midday rays of the sun, as fragile needles and bark are afraid of burns. Mature shrubs and trees do not need shading, as the plant as a whole is light-requiring.

Junipers are prized for their drought tolerance, but that doesn't mean you can leave them dry for long periods of time. During a period of intense heat, one bush takes an average of 10-20 liters of water. For some varieties, spraying is of great importance. So the needles are cleaned of dust and saturated with moisture. The procedure is recommended to be carried out in dry weather in the evening or morning, when the sun will not actively evaporate the drops. If you spray the top of the juniper during the day, there is a risk of burns.

In order to get air to the roots, after each watering, a small loosening of the soil is carried out. More often it is required for young animals while they are actively developing. If mulching is carried out, then it is not necessary to loosen the soil.

Fertilizing the junipers is optional. Only in dry periods, it is advisable to introduce complex fertilizing or fertilizers with nitrogen into the soil, 2-3 times per season.

Hygienic pruning is carried out every spring: all dried and damaged branches must be removed. A haircut for shaping is rarely done, since junipers do not differ in their growth rate. Shoots should be shortened by no more than a third. It is not necessary to form tapeworm plants, but bushes in hedges are necessary.

In order for a young juniper to successfully winter in the country, it must be protected from frost and bright sun. Shelter is usually only required in the very first winter after planting.

How to cover young seedlings for the winter:

1. Cone-shaped trees are tied with ropes so that the branches do not break under the weight of the snow.
2. Plants are covered with air-permeable material. It is allowed to use burlap, cotton cloth, kraft paper.
3. To cover young bushes with spruce branches, it is placed from bottom to top in two layers.
4. In particularly cold winters, a double shelter is made.
5. The fabric or spruce branches are not removed until March so that the bush or tree does not suffer from the bright spring sun. Common juniper varieties are especially susceptible to burning.

Regardless of the type and variety, the juniper works in the summer cottage as a natural air purifier. Planting an ephedra will not take much effort, as well as caring for it, but the decorative properties of a growing tree or bush will not cease to amaze gardeners.