Content
- 1 Description of the juniper horizontal
- 2 Juniper horizontal in landscape design
- 3 Horizontal juniper varieties
- 4 Planting and caring for horizontal junipers
- 5 Blooming juniper horizontal
- 6 Reproduction of prostrate juniper
- 7 Diseases and pests
- 8 Juniper horizontal is poisonous or not
- 9 Conclusion
- 10 Reviews of horizontal juniper
The horizontal juniper is one of the very popular options for decorating a garden or a summer cottage. In order for the coniferous shrub to please the eye for many years, you need to understand its varieties and basic rules of care.
Description of the juniper horizontal
The horizontal juniper, also called prostrate or flat, belongs to the Cypress family and Juniper species. The most characteristic feature of the coniferous shrub, which distinguishes it from other species, is its short stature - the plant can reach no more than 50 cm in height, and, moreover, the development of the shrub is very slow.
The average width of a horizontal juniper varies from 1 to 2.5 m; the plant lives for about 200 years. Coniferous needles on the branches of a bush can be short scaly, up to 2.5 mm, or long needle-shaped, up to 5 mm. In the photo of a horizontal juniper, it can be seen that it can have a bright green, yellowish, silver or gray color, the color depends on the variety of the shrub and on the illumination of the site.
In the wild, the horizontal shrub grows mainly in North America and Canada on mountain slopes and on sandy river banks. The decorative open juniper is grown all over the world, it is undemanding to the soil, it tolerates drought and frost well.
Juniper horizontal in landscape design
The horizontal coniferous shrub is prized primarily for its decorative qualities. In landscape design, it is used all over the world - the shrub fits well into the Japanese, English and French landscape style, favorably complements the classic and modern design of the site.
Since the horizontal juniper is not very tall, it is most often used:
- for the decoration of borders;
- to create a green carpet on rocky areas of the garden;
- to strengthen the banks of artificial reservoirs;
- for registration of alpine slides;
- to divide the space into functional areas;
- to smooth out irregularities in the soil.
The shrub goes well with other plants - with most varieties of conifers, with heather, with barberry. You can plant a horizontal shrub not far from flower beds - a monochromatic dense juniper will emphasize the brightness and saturation of the flower arrangement.
Horizontal juniper varieties
There are dozens of species and varieties with a photo of a horizontal juniper. Many garden forms of this shrub have been artificially bred, among them you can find beautiful and unpretentious plants for any garden.
Juniper horizontal BlueForest
The horizontal Blue Forest juniper is capable of reaching no more than 40 cm in height and 1.5 m in width. It has a dense creeping crown, the branches of the bush are flexible and short, the lateral shoots are directed vertically upward. According to the description, the Blue Forest juniper belongs to the scaly type with dense short needles, the needles of the plant have a silvery-bluish tint, and in winter the shrub becomes lilac.
Care for the horizontal Blue juniper is quite simple, he prefers loose soils with good aeration, and grows best in sunny areas. The variety tolerates frosts well, another of its advantages is resistance to poor ecology. Thanks to this, horizontal shrubs are planted not only in summer cottages, but also in city gardens and front gardens.
Juniper horizontal Glauka
Juniper Glauka can grow quite tall for a horizontal shrub - up to 1 m. The crown width is usually 2-3 m, a year the juniper can grow up to 5 cm. It has a spreading scaly crown, in the summer the needles of the horizontal shrub are blue-blue, and in the winter the needles acquire a bronze tint.
Juniper horizontal Glauca tolerates droughts and cold snaps well, but requires a lot of sunlight - shading affects the health of the shrub negatively.
Juniper horizontal Jade River
Juniper variety Jade River is characterized by a very low height - only about 15-20 cm above the ground. In width, the shrub can spread up to 1.5 m, the needles have a bluish-green tint, the young shoots of juniper are silvery.
Jade River tolerates poor soils and light shading well. But when growing horizontal shrubs, attention must be paid to watering - during periods of summer drought, additional moisture is required.
Juniper horizontal Glasier
A miniature ground cover type juniper does not exceed 20 cm in height and 1.5 m in width. The needles of the shrub are scaly, the shoots are roller-shaped, the needles have a gray-blue tint in summer and brown in winter.
The variety demonstrates good frost resistance and takes root successfully on poor soils. It is possible to plant horizontal juniper Glacier both in bright sun and in light shade, but it is necessary to monitor the level of soil moisture. The plant does not tolerate stagnant water, although excessively dry air is also harmful to it.
Juniper horizontal Alpina
The Alpina variety grows on average up to 50 cm, and the crown width can be about 2 m. A characteristic feature of the variety is that Alpina, in comparison with other varieties, is a fast-growing horizontal juniper. In addition, Alpina releases young shoots vertically upwards - only then they lean to the ground, due to which the shrub acquires a wavy relief.
The needles of the Alpina variety are gray-green, scaly type, turns brown in winter. The shrub prefers light soils and sunny places, tolerates frosty winters well.
Juniper horizontal Winter Blue
The decorative variety Winter Blue grows on average up to 60 cm in height and reaches 1.5 m in length, has dense creeping shoots that form a pillow-like crown. The needles of the bush are acicular, with a greenish-blue or gray tint. An atypical feature of the Winter Blue variety is that in winter the shrub does not change color.
The variety withstands frosts and light shading well, but the soil for it needs to be selected light and well aerated - Winter Blue does not tolerate dense soil. Horizontal shrub loves moisture, but reacts negatively to stagnant water and waterlogging.
Juniper horizontal Gray Pearl
Gray Pearl is a slow-growing, horizontal shrub, capable of reaching at most 40 cm in height and 1.5 m in width. The shoots of a dwarf bush are directed upwards and are densely covered with needle-shaped blue-green needles with a steel shade.
Horizontal juniper Gray Pearl perfectly tolerates frosts and wintering under the snow, does not impose increased requirements on soil fertility. But the soil for the shrub needs light, air-saturated, and the site for the variety needs to be chosen well-lit - in the shade, the juniper quickly withers away.
Juniper horizontal Yukon Bel
The Yukon Bel variety is a dwarf ground cover shrub, reaching an average of 10-20 cm in height and about 1.5 m in width. The shoots of the horizontal Yukon Belle juniper are dense, creeping, and the needles are scaly, silvery-gray.
The horizontal shrub of this variety spends winter under the snow and tolerates even severe frosts well. Yukon Bel is undemanding to the amount of moisture, therefore, when planting, it is only important to choose a sunny area and take care of good aeration of the soil - heavy soils are contraindicated for shrubs.
Planting and caring for horizontal junipers
Since the plant is unpretentious, caring for a horizontal juniper is not particularly difficult. This coniferous shrub is suitable for growing in the middle lane and requires minimal care. However, the basic rules for growing creeping juniper need to be known.
Seedling and planting plot preparation
Juniper seedlings that have reached 2-3 years old take root best in the open field. Before buying planting material, you need to carefully examine its trunk and shoots, the seedling must be absolutely healthy, a diseased plant may not tolerate planting or create too much trouble when growing. A few hours before planting in the ground, it is recommended to soak a young horizontal shrub together with a lump of earth in water; if desired, you can add a solution to it that stimulates plant growth.
An important stage is the choice of a place for planting a coniferous bush. Most varieties of horizontal juniper prefer well-lit areas, although light shade is also acceptable. Juniper does not tolerate strong winds, so it is better to plant it under the natural cover of tall plants or not far from buildings and walls.
Coniferous horizontal shrubs take root well on poor soils, but can die in heavy and dense soil. The soil for the juniper should be light, loamy or sandy loam; in order to avoid stagnant water, it is recommended to organize high-quality drainage. If the soil on the site is not suitable for horizontal juniper, you need to create a soil mixture with your own hands - mix humus and sod soil, add peat and add sand in proportions of 2: 2: 2: 1.
How to plant horizontal juniper
When transferring a horizontal juniper seedling into the ground, first of all, it is necessary to determine the timing of planting. Planting horizontal juniper in the spring is carried out most often, especially if the root system of the bush is open. The optimal period is April-May.
The landing pattern is as follows:
- on the site, a spacious hole is dug in advance, in size exceeding the diameter of the seedling by about 2.5 times - taking into account the earthen coma;
- drainage is laid on the bottom of the hole, and a layer of prepared soil is poured on top of about half;
- together with a lump of earth at the roots, the juniper is lowered into the hole and the hole is covered with soil to the top.
The soil must be slightly crushed, but it is not necessary to trample it down - the soil should sink on its own. If we are talking about planting several horizontal shrubs, you need to take into account the maximum diameter of the crown of each of them and leave gaps of at least 1.5 m between individual seedlings.
Immediately after planting, the juniper is watered, and the ground is sprinkled with foliage or sawdust in a layer of several centimeters.
Watering and feeding
Most varieties of coniferous shrubs tolerate drought well, but do not tolerate waterlogging. Accordingly, it is necessary to water horizontal shrubs only in the hottest summer periods, and if groundwater passes close to the surface of the earth, limit the amount of water to the maximum.
In addition to watering, it is recommended to sprinkle the crown, spray the shoots with soft water at room temperature. Sprinkling should be done in the morning, in the evening or on cloudy days - under the bright sun, spraying can lead to burns of the needles.
Since the shrub does not make high demands on the composition of the soil, it almost does not need feeding. In the spring, it is recommended to apply nitrogenous fertilizers to the soil for better growth - about 30-40 g per square meter. But it is categorically impossible to use bird or cow humus - for conifers, such feeding is destructive and leads to chemical burns of the roots.
Mulching and loosening
Mulching for horizontal shrubs is recommended immediately after planting - the moist soil around the seedling is covered with a dense layer of coniferous bark, peat or wood chips. Mulch not only prevents moisture evaporation, but also protects the trunk circle from weeds, and in winter protects juniper roots from freezing.
However, it is recommended to remove the mulch at least once a year, and loosen the soil - to saturate the earth with oxygen and to avoid decay of the root collar. In this case, loosening must be done very carefully - the roots of a horizontal juniper lie close to the surface, and they are easily damaged.
Juniper pruning horizontal
For coniferous shrubs, pruning is divided into 2 varieties - sanitary and decorative. The first is recommended to be carried out annually, removing all dried, weakened and diseased branches.
Decorative pruning is carried out as needed, in those volumes that are required to form a beautiful crown. It is important to use a sterile and very sharp instrument when pruning branches. In addition, you cannot cut off more than 7 cm of healthy shoots, otherwise the horizontal shrub will be too severely damaged, and with a high probability it will die.
Preparing for winter
Preparation of horizontal juniper for winter consists mainly in the construction of a shelter. Although the plant tolerates lower temperatures well, the shrub can still be damaged by severe frosts, in addition, the horizontal shrub is sensitive to heavy snow cover, strong winds and bright winter sun.
The following materials are mainly used as shelter for horizontal shrubs:
- snow - it perfectly covers shrubs from wind, frost and sun, however, it is recommended to throw snow on a protective frame, otherwise the branches of the plant may break;
- burlap, kraft paper and cotton light fabric - the material is fixed in the upper part of the crown, it is not recommended to use the film, since high humidity forms under it;
- screens - they are installed on the illuminated side to protect the juniper from the winter sun, the best for shielding is a metallized substrate used when laying the laminate, but it is better to refuse cardboard sheets and lutrasil.
Blooming juniper horizontal
In June, the horizontal shrub blooms profusely, but its flowering has its own characteristics.The coniferous shrub does not produce ordinary flowers, but female light green cones of a rounded shape and male elongated earrings with several stamens. It blooms in June, and from August to September, the ornamental shrub bears fruit - small dark purple berries.
Reproduction of prostrate juniper
Wild-growing juniper can also be propagated by seeds, however, cuttings are used for decorative horizontal shrubs. It is carried out in the spring, and the process looks like this:
- in an adult plant, a shoot about 12 cm long is cut;
- remove all the needles from the cutting and immerse it in a solution with a growth stimulator for a day;
- after that, the cutting is planted in a small pot in prepared soil - a mixture of sand and peat in a ratio of 1 to 1.
The cuttings are deepened by about 3 cm, immediately after planting they are watered and covered with a film for 1.5 months. Throughout this time, the film must be removed every 5-6 hours so that the cuttings can breathe. The substrate is moistened as necessary, the temperature is maintained at least 22 degrees.
Reproduction of horizontal juniper by cuttings will bring results in 2 months, the cuttings will give roots, and it can be transplanted into a larger pot. Planting in open ground is carried out only after 2-3 years, when the seedling is well strengthened.
Diseases and pests
The horizontal shrub is a fairly disease-resistant plant. However, it is affected by some common diseases of coniferous shrubs, namely:
- shute - a fungal disease that develops mainly with a lack of light;
- fusarium - a disease that is provoked by excessive moisture;
- rust - the disease appears due to the poor composition of the soil.
In addition, insects such as spider mites, scale insects and aphids can harm the shrub. It is recommended to fight diseases and pests first of all with the help of prevention. Once a year, the shrub must be treated with fungicides and insecticidal agents; sanitary pruning and cleaning of fallen material in the immediate vicinity of the bushes is mandatory.
If the shrub has already suffered from pests and diseases, the first step is to remove all damaged parts. After that, the plant must be treated with Bordeaux liquid and fungicides - and in the future, carefully adhere to the growing conditions.
Juniper horizontal is poisonous or not
Only the fruits of the common juniper are suitable for culinary and medicinal purposes. As for the horizontal juniper Juniperus Horizontalis, such a shrub is very toxic - its berries can lead to serious poisoning. It is recommended to breed an ornamental shrub only for aesthetic purposes.
Conclusion
The horizontal juniper is a beautiful ornamental plant, represented by many varieties. Coniferous shrubs can beautify almost any landscape, and they are easy enough to care for, even for beginners.
