An evergreen plant of the Cypress family - juniper, has many bright varieties, some of them have good winter hardiness and disease resistance, therefore they are suitable for planting in regions with a harsh climate. Many are interested in whether it is possible to grow this culture in Siberia, and what kind of care it will need? Let's consider all the nuances.
Juniper in Siberia: what varieties can be grown
A brief description of
- Colour: from light green to emerald green with a bluish or bluish tint.
- Height: ranges from 1.5m to 30m.
- Crown diameter: from 1 to 8 m.
- Growing regions: despite the changeable weather, prolonged severe winters and frosts, many gardeners manage to grow beautiful and lush conifers in Siberia. Several varieties are adapted for this climatic zone. They are also suitable for the south, central and middle lane.
- Landing features: scheme - 2x2.5 m, you need to provide a sunny place with light shading.
- Immunity: disease resistance is good.
- Life span: from 200 to 800 years.
Suitable varieties
Despite the changeable weather, long, severe winters and frosts, many gardeners manage to grow beautiful and lush conifers in Siberia.
Several varieties are adapted for this climatic zone. They are also suitable for growing in the south, in the Central and Middle lane.
Cossack
A dioecious creeping plant, the description of which includes the following characteristics:
- height up to 1.5 m;
- grows quickly in breadth and forms a thick carpet of emerald needles;
- needles are soft, erect, pointed, bluish-green, 4-6 mm long;
- forms beautiful cones, 5-7 mm in size, blackish-brown with a bluish bloom, rounded-oval.
Sometimes the ephedra develops in the form of a tree up to 4 m high with a curved trunk of a red-brown hue.
Siberian
One of the brightest varieties. The common Siberian juniper is represented by a monoecious or dioecious plant up to 1 m high. The crown is dense with numerous outstretched branches creeping along the ground.
The annual growth is 0.5 cm, by the age of 10 it reaches 0.5 m. Young branches of light green color, glossy, skeletal shoots of a gray-brown tone.
Forms a massive root system, which extends 1.5 m deep. The needles are subulate, curved and prickly, green, retains their decorative effect for two years, including in winter.
Cones 6-8 mm long, spherical, fleshy, black in color with a bluish bloom.
Solid
A large-sized tree with a pyramidal crown, 10-12 m high, with a diameter of about 0.5 m. The needles develop in bunches of 3, subulate, prickly, up to 30 mm long, emerald shade. Closer to winter, the needles acquire a brown color.
Forms resinous cones with a grayish bloom.
In nature, this variety can be found on rocky slopes, cliffs, less often on sandy land near the sea coast.
Chinese
Long-lived plant - life expectancy 800 years. Refers to drought-resistant and frost-resistant varieties. Height varies from 20 to 25 m.
This culture is represented by dioecious trees or shrubs with a pyramidal, columnar, narrow or wide cone shape.
The description includes several distinctive qualities:
- shoots of medium thickness - 2-2.5 cm, dark green;
- the trunk is covered with gray-red bark with numerous detachments;
- needles, depending on the variety, are of two types - scaly or needle-shaped;
- cones berries - round, elongated or angular;
- young plants do not differ in intensive development, starting from 4-5 years the growth rate is accelerated.
Virginia
A light-loving plant native to the USA, Canada, reaches 30 m in height and belongs to long-livers - the life expectancy is 300 years.
An evergreen conifer with an ovoid, narrow crown, about 1.5 m in diameter, acquires a columnar shape at maturity. The needles are needle or scaly, 1-2 mm long, gray-green, closer to winter it becomes brown.
Ornamental dark blue cones, in the form of balls, appear in the second year of cultivation, remain on the tree until the first frost. The root system is pivotal and slightly branched.
Scaly
The plant lives for about 600 years, has an open crown with thick shoots and tough needles.
The needles of a two-tone tone are bluish-gray above, dark green below. This culture thinns the rich aroma.
The scaly variety does not differ in rapid growth - by the age of 6-7 years its height reaches 1.5 m.The next year after planting, oval-shaped cones, up to 7 cm long, form on the crown.
Ordinary
Evergreen coniferous shrub, reaching 1-3 m in height, with yellowish triangular shoots. On the central trunk, the bark is dark gray with numerous cracks and scales.
The needles are long (4-16 mm), prickly, pointed at the tips, emerald color.
The first cones are formed in the second or third year. It is one of the few varieties that can be successfully propagated by seed.
The juniper is not picky about care and is highly resistant to severe frosts, therefore it is suitable for planting in Western and Eastern Siberia, in the Caucasus, Ukraine and Belarus.
Landing rules
The tree grows beautiful and fluffy
To grow a beautiful ephedra in a harsh climatic zone, you should choose healthy and high-quality planting material, choose a good place, and give the plant the necessary care and attention.
Sapling selection
Almost all juniper seedlings have a delicate and fragile root system, so gardeners recommend buying plants with closed roots - in an earthen coma or container.
So, during transplantation, the risk of injury and drying out of the roots is minimal.
When choosing conifers, examine their aboveground and underground parts:
- the crown should be lively, saturated, uniform color without any spots, dried organs and rot;
- in healthy bushes, the earthen lump does not contain mold, acidity;
- the buds are green, the shoots are flexible and juicy.
The optimal time for planting is late April or early May. During the summer, the plants will have time to take root, get stronger and prepare for wintering.
Site preparation
Regardless of the variety chosen, the culture likes to grow in a sunny place with a little shade. It can be planted near tall trees with a spreading crown, which will create the necessary shade in the sun.
The plot is suitable for a flat, where there is no stagnation of moisture and strong winds.
Juniper grows in any soil, the main thing is to provide good drainage.
- When planting on loam, a couple of buckets of sand, vermiculite or screenings are introduced per 1 m².
- If you plan to grow on sandy loam, you need to add 20 kg of clay.
The tree does not tolerate acidified soil, it develops slowly and looks faded, so if the acidity level exceeds 5-6 units, 350 g of calcite, slaked lime or dolomite flour should be added.
After that, deep digging and leveling are carried out.
Landing technique
Pits are dug about two weeks before planting so that the soil and nutrients have time to settle. The approximate dimensions are 70x80x90 cm. The main thing is that the drainage, the earth mixture and the entire earthen lump fit into the hole.
Half a bucket of rubble, pebbles or brick chips are poured to the bottom. The top is half filled with a fertile composition of sod land, peat, sand and coniferous sawdust in a ratio of 3: 2: 1: 1.
A pre-moistened lump with roots is lowered so that the root collar remains above the surface of the soil, sprinkled, tamped, watered abundantly - at the rate of 10 liters per seedling.
After that, mulch with a thick layer of peat or pine chips to avoid rapid evaporation of moisture.
Care requirements
Junipers require proper care
The main care of Siberian junipers is practically no different from the rules of cultivation in other climatic zones.
Watering
At the initial stage of growth, seedlings need frequent and moderate moisture.
During the dry season, under one bush, it is necessary to pour 6-7 liters of water every seven days. So the plants take root faster and begin to build up green mass.
The next year, watering is reduced to 4 times a year. 10-15 liters of water are poured under one seedling.
Adult junipers, aged from 3 years, moisturize no more than three times - in spring, in the middle of summer and in autumn one month before the onset of cold weather. Consumption per plant - 40-50 liters.
The coniferous culture responds well to frequent sprinkling of the crown - it is sprayed every three days in the evening to prevent burns.
Loosening and mulching
After each watering, the soil is loosened to ensure good access of moisture and oxygen to the roots. Loosening is carried out superficially so as not to damage the root system. In parallel, the aisles are weeded and weeds are removed.
Then a thick layer of mulch is introduced into the near-stem zone from peat, pine chips or sawdust. These components protect the soil from drying out and prevent the growth of unnecessary vegetation in the garden.
Top dressing
Juniper grows well and practically does not get sick, which is periodically fertilized.
The first feeding is carried out one year after planting - a liquid solution of nitrogen-containing preparations - nitrophoska or ammophoska - is introduced. Prepared from 30-40 g of substance per 10 l of water.
Such dressing promotes intensive growth of roots and green mass.
Additionally, in early autumn, you can feed with a complex mineral composition of superphosphate and potassium - 15 g per bucket of water.
To maintain the decorative crown and protect against the invasion of various parasites, foliar nutrition is carried out with preparations in a chelated form — Quadris, Epin or Heteroauxin. Irrigate three times per season in the evening.
Pruning
Almost all varieties of junipers do not need a haircut, as they initially form a beautiful and compact crown.
But to create different original forms, a slight cut of shoots to a length of 3-4 cm is allowed.
All parts damaged by frost, winds and diseases are removed every spring.
To prevent infection, they take a sharp, sterile object, and after the operation, the cut off places are treated with fungicides - Bordeaux liquid or copper sulfate.
Preparing for winter
The main care for young bushes includes careful preparation for wintering, which is carried out on the eve of the first frost:
- mulch with a thick layer of pine chips, sawdust or peat;
- twigs are bent to the central trunk, tied up with a rope or twine;
- wrapped in burlap or covered with spruce branches.
They remove the shelter in the spring, when the heat of the street stabilizes, the snow melts and the threat of return frosts passes.
Adult plants from the age of three years do not need insulation, as they have good immunity against severe and prolonged frosts.
The only thing that needs to be done is to spud the near-trunk zone with any insulating material.
Reproduction
Growing in different regions
There are two ways to propagate this crop in Siberia - by seeds and cuttings. Each method has advantages and disadvantages.
Seeds
For sowing, both self-collected and purchased seeds are suitable. Dates - mid or late May.
A loose and light mixture of sand and peat is used, mixed in equal amounts.
- Expanded clay or pebbles are laid at the bottom of the container, then filled with soil substrate.
- The seeds are soaked in a raspberry solution of potassium permanganate for half an hour, then dipped in a solution of Epin or Kornevin for an hour.
- Sow in grooves to a depth of 2-2.5 cm. Sprinkle with warm water, cover with foil, put in a warm place with diffused daylight.
Further care consists in maintaining a stable heat at a level of 20-23 ° C, regular ventilation and irrigation as the earth dries up.
Shoots should appear in 2-3 months. Then the shelter is removed, the seeds are transferred to a room with a temperature of 17-19 ° C, and continue to water. 30 days after the emergence of shoots, a pick is carried out.
They are transplanted to the site after a year and a half of growing at home. During this time, they will build up a strong root system and green mass.
Cuttings
Shoots are cut from the top of the mother bush. To do this, use a healthy plant from 3-4 years old.
Twigs 15 cm long with several internodes are freed from needles and outgrowths below, sprayed with a solution of Epin or Heteroauxin, then planted in a light mixture of peat and sand (1: 1). Planting depth 3-4 cm.
Water, cover with foil, put in a well-lit place.
During rooting (2-3 months), the seedlings should be regularly ventilated, irrigated with warm water, loosened and, if necessary, removed weeds.
As soon as the first buds appear on them, the shelter is removed, the conifers are transferred to a room with a temperature of 18-19 ° C, they continue to moisten and loosen. They can be transplanted to the site after 1-1.5 years, after home cultivation.
Diseases and pests
With good care, this plant is rarely affected by diseases and pests. The phytoncides that needles release scare away harmful insects.
Sometimes a fungal disease called rust appears. Spots in the form of growths of red or orange color cover the trunk, adjacent shoots.
The infection spreads rapidly and quickly destroys the plant - needles, branches turn yellow, crumble. First, the damaged parts are removed, then the crown is irrigated with Ridomil Gold, Tilt or a solution of copper sulfate twice with an interval of 7 days.
Drying of shoots is another dangerous sore that turns a beautiful ephedra into a heated broom.
At an early stage of the disease, it is necessary to remove and burn all infected organs, after which the soil and ephedra must be treated with copper sulfate, Bordeaux liquid or a chemical agent - Skor, Ridomil Gold.
Of the parasites, the spider mite annoys. In the fight, acaricides are used - Actellik or Aktara. Decis helps from the shield.
You can get rid of aphids using several folk methods - infusion of garlic, onions, hot pepper or tobacco, as well as an ash-and-soap solution.
Varieties and types of juniper. conifers
Decorative conifers. Juniper. Harvest beds.
Types and varieties of junipers.
Application in garden design
In Siberia, junipers are very popular in landscape design:
- from them create a beautiful, evergreen hedge;
- planted both singly and in groups along alleys, curbs;
- combined with different conifers - thujas, pines;
- used in the creation of original rock gardens, mixborders, gardens in Japanese, Scandinavian style, planted on rocky hills.
Application in medicine
Juniper needles are valued for their unique healing properties and are readily used in both folk and traditional medicine:
- preparations based on the plant have a diuretic, bactericidal and disinfectant effect of action, therefore they are used in the treatment of pathologies of the bladder, kidneys, bronchitis, cough and diseases of the respiratory system;
- a medicine from berries and needles helps to cleanse the blood, is indicated for the prevention and treatment of tuberculosis;
- due to the increased content of organic acids, ascorbic acid and amino acids, the remedy enhances immunity, improves the functioning of the digestive tract and normalizes blood pressure.
Gardeners reviews
This culture has earned only positive ratings:
- the plant retains its decorative effect all year round, practically does not get sick, does not freeze and perfectly cleans the air;
- successful reproduction by seeds or cuttings makes it possible to independently obtain a large number of new seedlings;
- for beginners, the needles were attracted by their undemanding care - a shaping haircut is not needed, and a shelter for adult specimens is also not required.
Many people grow Siberian juniper to decorate their site. According to gardeners, it only brings joy, no trouble arises with it.