Juniper: the rules of planting, care and reproduction. 80 photos of shrub application in design

Juniper plays a special role in the creation of garden and park ensembles. All evergreens, because of their picturesque coniferous colors, are most often assigned solo parts in landscape design. Juniper is no exception. Its needles have a whole range of unique tones and semitones that complement the off-season park.

In addition to its beautiful appearance, juniper also has medicinal qualities. Even the ancient Greeks used juniper berries as an antidote to snake venom. And the ancient Romans revealed the diuretic qualities of juniper. During epidemics, the dwelling and attire of the sick were fumigated with the smoke of the branches of this plant.

In our country, dishes have been made from it for a long time – the products in it did not spoil for a long time. Pagans attributed miraculous qualities to him – amulets and amulets were created from him.

Summary of the article:

Juniper belongs to the Cypress family. Its other name is veres or juniper. Today it is known about the existence of approximately seven dozen species of this plant belonging to the genus of evergreen trees or shrubs.

The place of growth of creeping varieties is the mountainous terrain of Nepal, India, Pakistan, and the tree-like form can be seen in the Mediterranean, North America and central Asia. The life time of juniper is from 600 to 3000 years. Its height can reach 15 meters. Below we consider the description of juniper.

The most common shrub form has the form of a bush 1-3 meters high with an erect branched trunk. The color of the bark depends on the age – in young plants it is a terracotta shade, in old plants it is brown. The leaves are needle-shaped or scale-shaped collected in whorls.

The main feature is the hard and sharp needles, the length of which can reach 1 cm. Juniper begins to bear fruit for 2-3 years. The fruits initially have a green color, and when ripe, they become blue-black. Their size ranges from 5 to 10 mm in diameter.

The flowering time is May, and the ripening time of the cones is September, October. Juniper berries are considered medicinal and are widely used in medicine.

Kinds

To date, there are approximately 75 species of juniper, most of which are used in landscape design.

Juniper vulgaris was described above. Therefore, we will not dwell on it. Consider the following most common types of juniper:

Cossack. The place of growth is the Crimea, the Carpathians. Poisonous. Only external use is possible. Medicinal infusions are made from fruits and branches to treat the affected areas of the skin. Douching is quite useful. In powdered form, it is used to sprinkle wounds, ulcers, etc. damage.

Crimean. It combines 5 species that can be found on the Crimean peninsula – Cossack, ordinary, prickly, smelly, high. Usually, prickly juniper berries are used for harvesting. Oil is squeezed out of them, which is used both for medical and cosmetic purposes. They also have a diuretic and anthelmintic effect. Other species are valuable for their wood.

Also quite popular are Chinese juniper, scaly, medium, Verginsky, horizontal, rocky.

How to choose the right seedlings

The quality of the seedling itself has a significant impact on how successfully the shrub will take root. When buying material for planting, the following nuances should be taken into account:

Refrain from buying a seedling with open roots.
It is better to give preference to a plant in a container or with a lump of earth wrapped in non-woven fabric.
The current growth of branches and roots should be viewed.
The absence of cracks or any other damage on the trunk is also important.
The new increment must be flexible and not break.
The color of the leaves must be uniform, without spots.
It is advisable to purchase seedlings that were originally grown in pots.

Landing rules

Juniper planting should be done in the spring. Large bushes should be placed 1.5-2 meters apart, and small bushes – 0.5 meters apart. The depth of the planting pit is affected by the volume of the earthen coma of the young plant. It must exceed it by 2-3 times.

Half a month before the start of planting, it is necessary to make a 15-20 cm thick drainage in the pit, using sand and broken bricks. Next, you need to fill it 2/3 with a mixture of earth, sand and peat in the proportions of 1 to 1 to 2 and 0.2 kg of nitroammophosky.

After the soil settles, and this usually happens in two weeks, you can start planting. As soon as the seedling is planted, it must be watered and then mulched with peat or sawdust.

Care instructions

It is quite easy to take care of a juniper shrub. Every year in the spring, juniper needs fertilizing with nitroammophos at the rate of 50 g per m2. It is permissible to use other fertilizers, but it should be done no more than 1 time per month.

Remember that manure should never be used as a top dressing. This can lead to burning of the roots and to the death of the plant. In addition, juniper does not tolerate loosening of the soil, as it can damage the roots and disrupt the nutrition of the shrub.

This plant quietly tolerates drought. In dry weather, systematic watering is necessary. Juniper is a fan of spraying, its leaves need to be moistened with a spray gun once every 10 days. This should be done either early in the morning or late at night.

Speaking of haircuts, this plant does not require it. Only at the beginning of spring and autumn it is necessary to cut off all dry and withered branches. The exception is live fencing. They must necessarily be cut regularly.

Juniper tolerates the cold well, but one-year-old plantings need to be covered with burlap or a special film for the winter. As can be seen from the photo of juniper, if the shrub has spreading branches, it is better to tie them with twine before the onset of winter frosts.

Medicinal properties

Juniper improves appetite, heals wounds well, fights inflammation perfectly, cleanses the blood perfectly. It also has a calming, diuretic, disinfecting and analgesic effect. Not only berries have healing properties, but also needles together with roots.

Juniper evokes associations with coniferous forests. It disinfects and purifies the air, and also has many other amazing qualities. It will undoubtedly become an ornament of your site.