Content
Juniper Cossack Variegata is an unpretentious coniferous seedling used in landscape design. The evergreen is eye-catching and creates a cozy atmosphere in the backyard. You can plant one bush or a whole alley - it all depends on the size of the territory and the imagination of the owners or designers.
Description of the Cossack Variegat juniper
Juniper Cossack Variegata (Latin name Juniperus Sabina Variegata) belongs to the Cypress family. It was bred in 1855. The plant is undersized, creeping. The branches are covered with scaly needles with needle-shaped leaves. The crown of the Cossack juniper is compact, resembling a funnel. The diameter of the crown of the Variegata variety reaches 1.5 m, and a height of about 1 m.
The color of the Cossack juniper Variegata is mainly green, but there are shoots of a cream shade. The branches are arched, dense. Juniper Variegata is photophilous, therefore it grows better in open areas, is unpretentious to the ground, resistant to drought and lower temperatures. Under suitable conditions, it has been growing in one place for more than three decades.
This type of Cossack juniper will fit well into a rose garden or rock garden. An example of the use of the Cossack juniper Variegata in landscape design is shown in the photo.
Planting and caring for Cossack juniper Variegata
In order for the Cossack juniper to grow beautiful and ennoble the territory with its appearance, it is necessary not only to choose a good seedling. It is important to properly prepare it for planting, and then follow the rules of care.
Seedling and planting plot preparation
The best time for planting the Cossack juniper Variegat in open ground is early spring. The site is chosen sunny, because in the shade the plant changes and loses its decorative qualities.
Groundwater should not be too close to the surface. If the site turns out to be swampy, the Cossack juniper will quickly rot and disappear.
The preparation of the landing pit is as follows:
- Dig a hole, its size depends on the root system. If the seedling was purchased in a container, then the pit should be 2 times larger than it. For a Cossack juniper with an open root system, the planting space should be sufficient for the roots to be freely located.
- If the groundwater at the site is very close to the surface, it is necessary to consider a drainage system. At the bottom of the planting pit, you can fill in a layer of gravel or expanded clay with a thickness of at least 20-30 cm. Therefore, the pit is dug a little deeper.
- The planting hole is filled with nutritious soil. It is prepared from the top layer of earth, peat and mineral fertilizers. The soil is mixed with peat in a 1: 1 ratio, and fertilizers are added at the rate of 5 g per 1 liter of soil mixture. If the earth is clay, add one part of sand to the pit.
Landing rules
The roots of the Cossack juniper of the Variegata variety are spread over the mound poured into the hole, without deepening the root collar, it should be at ground level. The pit is covered with earth and carefully tamped. The seedling is watered with water. The trunk circle is mulched with bark or chips.It helps to retain moisture and also inhibits growth weeds.
Juniper Cossack Variegata is unpretentious to the soil, therefore it can grow even on stony and acidified soils.
Watering and feeding
Cossack juniper Variegata does not tolerate excess moisture, so regular watering is not needed for the shrub. Excess water leads to a deterioration in appearance, rotting of the root system and diseases. If the summer is hot and dry, you can water it 3-4 times per season.
Sprinkling can be carried out once a week by spraying water on the variegated shrubs early in the morning or late in the evening, so that the scorching rays of the sun do not burn the needles.
A young seedling of Cossack Variegat juniper needs soil fertilization. Top dressing is applied the next year after planting the shrub in the ground. Adult seedlings do not need frequent feeding. It is enough to apply fertilizers once every 2-3 years.
The following fertilizers are used:
- rotted manure;
- superphosphate;
- ammonium nitrate;
- other mineral fertilizers (phosphorus, potash, complex).
Spring is the right time for top dressing. Usually these works are postponed until the end of April - beginning of May. Root top dressing involves the introduction of nutrients into the soil around the shrub. At least 20 cm recede from the trunk, the depth of top dressing is 10 cm. After laying the fertilizers, the soil in the trunk circle is watered with water.
In summer, Cossack juniper Variegata can be fed with a complex fertilizer containing several elements (copper, iron, manganese, phosphorus, zinc, potassium). These substances affect the color of the needles, give them brightness and strengthen the immunity of the shrub.
When feeding in the autumn, substances with a low nitrogen content are chosen. This trace element, introduced in autumn, leads to active growth of shoots, which is undesirable before wintering. Young shoots do not have time to prepare for winter and become stiff, which leads to their freezing.
If the upper shoots turn yellow on the plant, it means that the Cossack juniper Variegata needs magnesium feeding. This component can be applied in the fall.
Liquid fertilizers obtained from vermicompost promote the growth of the root system, which allows the plant to harden well in the soil. Such feeding enhances photosynthesis, therefore, the plant pleases the eye with a more saturated shade of needles.
Mulching and loosening
The Cossack Variegat juniper has a superficial root system, so deep loosening can harm the seedling. Shallow digging of soil is allowed.
Mulching the trunk circle can be done using chopped bark or tree chips, as well as coniferous soil brought from a coniferous planting.
Trimming and shaping
Sanitary pruning is necessary for all Cossack junipers, including the Variegata variety, and shaping is carried out at the discretion of the owner of the site.
If the shape of the crown does not suit the owner of the site, does not correspond to the designer's idea, it is formed. Topiary pruning allows you to give the Variegata Cossack juniper an interesting shape.
General rules for pruning Cossack juniper Variegata:
- cut the branch into a ring, that is, completely or shorten it a little, leaving part of the needles. There are no buds on the bare part of the branches, so when all the greenery is trimmed, the branch will remain dry and no longer turn green;
- during formative pruning, do not remove more than 1/3 of the green branches. The Cossack juniper does not grow so fast as to please the eye with a young and densely growing crown in the new season;
- when working with Cossack juniper, you should take precautions: wear work clothes and protect your hands with gloves. The resin of the plant is difficult to wash, and toxic components can cause skin irritation;
- it is recommended to cover fresh cuts with garden pitch, this will help protect the plant from infectious diseases;
- gardening tools should be well sharpened, since the torn edges of the branches heal for a very long time. The pruner or knife must be disinfected before cutting each shrub;
- before formative pruning, it is advisable to carry out nitrogenous feeding;
- green waste after pruning, can be used as mulch. Shoots are crushed and dried, and then introduced into the trunk circle.
Preparing for winter
Juniper bushes of Cossack Variegat are distinguished by good winter hardiness, so no shelter is required for them. In October, you need to water the juniper bushes well. You will need 2-3 buckets of water for each instance. Watering is carried out before frost, otherwise the water will only harm, and the wet roots will freeze. The trunk circle is mulched with peat; in regions with unstable weather conditions, it is recommended to cover the roots with spruce branches.
To protect the crown from sunburn, special breathable materials (mesh) of a light color are used. Polyethylene cannot be used to protect the crown.
Reproduction
Juniper Cossack Variegata can be propagated in three ways:
- with seeds, collected in the fall from ripe pineberries. The seeds are soaked and then planted in boxes. When the first snow appears, the boxes are taken out into the street and buried under the snow. In the spring, seeds are planted in the ground;
- layering. To do this, the branch is bent to the ground and buried in. You can make an incision in the place that will be underground. The incision is sprinkled with a powder that promotes rapid root formation;
- by cuttings. In early spring, cuttings about 15 cm long with old bark are separated from the plant and placed in water. To accelerate the process of root formation, cuttings are treated with indolylbutyric acid. When planting a cutting, it is buried 5–6 cm in the ground. Rooting can take about 3 months. During rooting, it is desirable to create partial shade for the plant, otherwise the cutting may burn out from the scorching rays of the sun.
Diseases and pests
One of the most common diseases of the Cossack juniper is rust caused by a fungus. These fungi affect not only the bushes of the Variegat juniper, but also pear, apple, and quince trees. Therefore, on the site, they should not be planted close to each other.
Shoots affected by red tinder fungus are removed and burned away from the site.
Fusarium of juniper Variegat, caused by the fungi Fusarium oxysporum and F. Sambucinum, leads to rotting of the roots and drying of the crown. A heavily damaged plant is removed along with the roots. At the first symptoms of the disease, the soil is watered with Fitosporin or Gamair. For prophylaxis, spraying with Fundazol is used.
Alternaria is also caused by fungi. The first signs of the disease are brown needles and black plaque, reminiscent of velvet.
The following diseases are much less common:
- biorella crayfish of the Cossack juniper;
- nectriosis of the bark;
- brown shute.
Shrubs can be affected by pests:
- juniper aphid;
- scabbards;
- mealybug;
- juniper moth;
- gall midges;
- Oregon squat mite.
Conclusion
Juniper Cossack Variegata is used for decorative purposes. It decorates rockeries and rock gardens, and is also able to strengthen the slopes of the site. The shrub is unpretentious and frost-hardy, which makes it easier to care for it.
