Juniper medium (pfitzeriana): Aurea, Glauka, King of Spring, Compact

Content

1 Description of medium juniper
2 Juniper pfitzeriana in landscape design
3 Juniper varieties
4 Planting and caring for pfitzeriana juniper
5 Reproduction of pfitzer juniper
6 Pests and diseases of pfitzerian juniper
7 Conclusion

Juniper average - an ornamental coniferous shrub, bred by crossing Cossack and Chinese junipers. The plant is very popular in horticulture, because its varieties have very interesting shapes and colors, and it is quite easy to care for the plant.

Description of medium juniper

The middle juniper, or, as it is also called, pfitzeriana, is a fairly young variety, artificially bred in Germany at the end of the 19th century. The shrub got its name in honor of one of the staff of the nursery who took part in the selection - Wilhelm Fitzer.

According to its characteristics, the average pfitzeriana shrub has features of both the Cossack and Chinese varieties. Pfitzeriana juniper differs from horizontal varieties in that it can rise up to 3 m above the ground, and the crown diameter of an average juniper reaches 5 m.However, it remains much lower than vertical junipers and thus occupies an average position in height.

The branches of the middle juniper usually rise vertically upward, but at the ends bend in an arc towards the ground. The needles of the bush are soft and not prickly, on old branches and closer to the trunk of the needle-shaped type, and at the ends of the shoots - with scales. Most varieties of medium junipers are bright green or yellowish in color, although medium blue junipers are also found.

From the point of view of growing, pfitzeriana is a very convenient garden variety. Medium shrub tolerates conditions of lack of moisture and frost well, undemanding to soil and ecology. Planting an average juniper in a summer cottage allows you not only to decorate the garden, but also to improve the air - the phytoncides secreted by the plant eliminate pathogenic bacteria and fill the garden with a pleasant aroma.

Juniper pfitzeriana in landscape design

Gardeners and designers value the average juniper primarily for its versatility when landscaping a garden.

The low plant pfitzeriana can be used for the design of small compact compositions, the medium juniper goes well with flower beds and flower beds, alpine slides, rose gardens.
Pfitzeriana is used in the design of coastlines, borders are distinguished with the help of medium-height shrubs, and it can also be used to create low hedges that divide the garden into parts.
The medium juniper looks good next to groups of taller trees.If you correctly select the shapes and shades of the crown of plants, then the pfitzerian coniferous shrub will help emphasize the grace and beauty of neighboring plantings.
Due to the fact that most varieties of middle juniper are widely spread in diameter, they form stony and desert areas of space with their help, forming a "green pillow" raised above the ground.

Important! For all its beauty, pfitzeriana belongs to poisonous plants, therefore, eating its berries and needles is strictly prohibited for both people and pets.

Juniper varieties

Since the advent of the pfitzerian juniper, dozens of different varieties of medium shrub have been developed. Some of them are in particular demand among landscape designers and ordinary summer residents, since they have attractive shapes and do not require careful maintenance.

Juniper medium pfitzeriana Aurea

The cultivar is characterized by strong growth in width - the middle adult juniper Pfitzeriana Aurea can reach 5 m in diameter. Pfitzeriana has a spreading crown and a bright yellow-green color of needles with a golden tint. It grows slowly, often used to create the lower tier of vegetation in park areas. But for small flower beds it is not suitable, because as it grows, it will simply displace other plants.

It is unpretentious to growing conditions and easily tolerates poor soils and drought. But at the same time, pfitzeriana Aurea requires an abundance of sunlight - in the shade, the average shrub grows much worse and is prone to diseases.

Juniper middle King of Spring

Pfitzeriana differs in dimensions that are non-standard for an average juniper, as a rule, the height of a bush does not exceed 50 cm.At the same time, the plant can spread up to 2 m in diameter, which allows it to be actively used for decorating lawns and living carpets on uneven terrain.

The needles of this variety pfitzerian juniper are bright, green-yellow, but the plant retains this shade only in illuminated areas, and darkens in the shade and loses its unusual appearance.

Juniper medium pfitzeriana Glauka

Juniper Pfitzerianaglauca is capable of spreading branches up to 4 m wide, but reaches no more than 2 m in height. The crown is irregularly rounded and dense, the color of the needles is bluish-blue in the sun or greenish-gray in the shade.

Pfitzeriana Glauka prefers well-lit areas, however she also accepts light shading calmly. It tolerates drought and frost well; it prefers loose and well-oxygenated soils. In landscape design, Glauka looks especially good in combination with herbaceous plants and as part of alpine slides.

Juniper pfitzeriana Compact

The small, slow-growing variety can reach as little as 1.5 m in height and grow to about 2 m in diameter. A young, medium shrub of pfitzeriana has rigid horizontal shoots, subsequently the branches rise slightly upward. The color of the needles of the medium juniper variety Pfitzeriana Compacta is green with a grayish tinge, the needles are scaly at the ends of the branches and needle-like ones closer to the trunk.

Compacta is one of the few medium-sized junipers that can tolerate shaded conditions well. Pfitzeriana is distinguished by its increased endurance and tolerance to almost any conditions, therefore it is especially often used in urban gardens and in summer cottages with poor soils.

Juniper Medium Blue & Gold

As you can see in the photo of the Blue and Gold juniper, an unusual feature of this variety is the two-color color of shrubs, some shoots of which are yellow and others are greenish-blue. This is the reason for the name of the juniper medium Blue and Gold. The shrub can rise by 1.5 m in height, and spread by 2 m in width, and it grows very slowly, several centimeters per year.

Growing Blue & Gold is necessary in the same way as most other varieties, paying special attention to sunlight and loose soil.

Juniper Medium Gold Coast

Pfitzeriana is characterized, first of all, by a bright and cheerful color of the crown - green-yellow needles with a golden tint. In height, the average Gold Coast juniper usually reaches no more than 1.5 m, in width it can grow up to 3 m, scattering shoots to the sides, inclining to the ground.

As a rule, Gold Coast pfitzeriana is planted singly or in small groups to emphasize its beautiful shape and color. It should be borne in mind that the plant can boast of an unusual color only in illuminated areas.

Juniper medium Mordigan Gold

The variety belongs to the category of low-growing pfitzerian bushes - an adult plant does not rise above 1 m, although it can spread shoots 2 m wide. The branches of the middle shrub are horizontal and inclined towards the ground, and the very soft needles of the pfitzerian juniper Mordigan Gold have a pleasant golden yellow hue.

The Mordigan Gold Medium Juniper is highly adaptable to almost any environment and thrives on poor soils and in regions with cold winters. But when planting a plant, it is necessary to monitor the good illumination of the selected area and select light soils.

Juniper medium Dubs Frostaed

The undersized Dubs Frosted variety reaches only a meter in height in adulthood and about 3.5 m in width. The crown of the pfitzeriana is spreading and dense, the ends of the shoots slightly sink to the ground. Adult needles are light green in color, while new shoots are bright gold in color.

There are very few requirements for the growing conditions of Dubs Frosted. However, it is necessary to plant the variety in sunny places, otherwise its original color will greatly fade.

Juniper medium Methot

Juniper average Pfitzeriana Methot belongs to the group of tall varieties - in adulthood, it can reach about 3 m in height and 4-5 m in diameter. The needles on a spreading crown are scaly, soft to the touch with a yellow-green tint. Fresh shoots of the shrub have a golden color. Methot's branches are usually horizontal and slightly raised, but drooping at the ends.

Methot shows great tolerance for growing conditions and is ideal for planting in poor soils. It is only worth taking care that the shrub has enough light; in conditions of constant shading, it will lose its attractive color.

Juniper pfitzeriana Carbury Gold

The spectacular undersized variety Carbury Gold was awarded an award by the Royal Horticultural Society of England for its beauty and pleasant golden color of the crown. The height of an adult shrub rarely exceeds 1 m, the diameter of the pfitzerian can reach 2.5 m. The shoots of the shrub are directed slightly upwards, but are located horizontally and at the ends lean to the ground.

Like most juniper varieties, Carbury Gold tolerates rather harsh growing conditions. But the shrub remains demanding to the amount of sunlight, in the shade of its needles dim and become less beautiful.

Juniper pfitzeriana Wilhelm Pfitzer

This variety, named directly after one of the breeders of the medium shrub, has a bright green color of needles and a spreading crown. Juniper medium Wilhelm Pfitzer belongs to the category of tall shrubs and in an adult state can reach 3 m in height and 5 m in width. True, it grows at the same time rather slowly, no more than 10 cm per year, even under ideal conditions.

Juniper medium Blond

The variety called Blond is characterized by a rather short stature - the size of an average juniper does not exceed 1.2 m in height and about 2 m in diameter. The shoots of the shrub are dense and spreading, sloping downward, the needles in a well-lit area acquire a golden hue.

Pfitzeriana Blond tolerates drought and winter frosts well, but is sensitive to soil density. The soil at its roots should be loose and well-drained, since moisture stagnation also poses a danger to the plant.

Juniper medium Cybrook Gold

Cybrook Gold, when grown up, grows to about 1.5 m and can spread shoots up to 3 m wide. At the beginning of the life cycle, the branches of the plant are creeping, then they become raised, but at the ends they still bend down. The color of the needles of a medium-sized plant is green with golden ends in young shoots.

The variety tolerates drought and winter cold snaps well. Cybrook Gold prefers lighted areas and grows as beautiful as possible under the sun's rays, but feels good in light shade.

Juniper medium Mint Julep

The variety, especially popular for hedging, has a dense crown and strongly curved arcuate shoots. In height, it can reach a maximum of 1.5 m, the color of the needles in an adult medium plant is bright green.

Juniper medium Gold Kissen

The variety Gold Kissen, which is also called the "golden pillow", reaches up to 1 m in height and about 2.5 m in diameter, and can add 15 cm per year. The crown of the middle shrub is spreading asymmetrical, the shade of the needles is golden in fresh shoots and is bright -green on old branches.

Juniper medium Old Gold

A small variety, capable of reaching up to 1.5 m in height and only about 1 m in width. It has a compact crown of regular geometric shape, the adult needles of the middle juniper of this variety are green-golden, and the needles on young shoots are yellow.

Juniper Medium Gold Star

Slow growing variety, reaching up to 1.5 m in height and width, has a spreading horizontal crown. In sunny areas, the needles of the middle juniper acquire a golden hue, and this is the decorative value of the Gold Star.

Planting and caring for pfitzeriana juniper

The average juniper Juniperus Pfitzeriana is not very picky about growing conditions, not least for this it is loved by gardeners. But in order for a shrub to grow beautiful and healthy, you need to know the basic rules for caring for a plant.

Seedling and planting plot preparation

The area for growing medium juniper can be almost any. Just a couple of basic requirements must be met:

good illumination of the site - most medium-sized pfitzerian junipers begin to fade in the shade;
loose and aerated soil - junipers do not tolerate dense soils.

If the soil in the selected area does not meet the requirements, you can prepare it yourself - make a soil mixture consisting of peat, sand and coniferous soil. A seedling hole is dug in a month, it should be about 2.5 times larger in size than the roots of the seedling itself, along with an old clod of earth.

Attention! As for the seedling, it is necessary to transfer young shrubs 2-3 years old to open ground. Since the roots of all medium junipers are characterized by increased fragility, the seedling must be purchased together with a lump of earth and planted right in this form, after soaking it in water for several hours.

Landing rules

Planting a plant in the ground is carried out in the spring according to standard rules.

Light soil or artificial soil mixture is poured into a prepared drained hole until the middle, and then the seedling is lowered into the hole along with a lump of earth at the roots.
The hole is covered with soil to the very top, while it is not necessary to carefully tamp the earth around the trunk.
Immediately after planting, the shrub is properly watered and mulched with bark or sawdust.

Advice! Since immediately after planting, pfitzerian seedlings are characterized by increased vulnerability, in the first week they can be slightly shaded from the sun.

Watering and feeding

It is very easy to care for a medium juniper during the warm season. It needs additional watering only during the driest periods, and the rest of the time it is content with the natural amount of moisture.

As for feeding, it is done once a year - in April or at the beginning of May, nitrogenous fertilizers must be applied to the soil. At the same time, it is categorically impossible to feed the average shrub with organic matter, for a coniferous plant, fertilizers of this type are destructive.

Mulching and loosening

It is recommended to mulch the soil at the roots of an average juniper once a year with peat, cut grass or needles. A layer of mulch will prevent weeds and will not allow moisture to evaporate prematurely. Loosening of the soil is necessary, but it must be done very carefully and carefully, since the roots of the plant are located close to the surface of the earth and can be damaged.

Trimming and shaping

Sanitary pruning for medium juniper is mandatory. Removing dry, broken and diseased branches is essential to keep the plant healthy. As for the decorative formation, it is performed as necessary on grown shrubs.

Attention! You need to try to cut the shoots to a minimum - after overly diligent pruning, a medium-sized shrub may not recover.

Preparing for winter

In the fall, shortly before the onset of cold weather, the ground around the roots of the middle juniper must be covered with a dense layer of peat. Young undersized shrubs for the winter are thrown with spruce branches or form a snow cushion on a special protective frame. If the juniper grows in a sunny area, then in winter, a screen should be installed from the most illuminated side - the bright winter sun can cause burns to the plant.

Reproduction of pfitzer juniper

Pfitzeriana, like other varieties, reproduces successfully using cuttings.

As a planting material, young spring shoots about 12 cm long are cut off from the shrub and cleaned of needles from both ends.
For a couple of months, the cuttings are placed in a mini-greenhouse - a small box with a substrate suitable for juniper.
From above, such a box is covered with plastic wrap to create a suitable temperature and humidity, but the film needs to be opened for a short time every day.

Rooting takes place after about 2 months. After that, young seedlings, together with the existing substrate, are transplanted into more spacious boxes and grown in closed conditions for another 1-2 years, after which they are planted in open ground.

Pests and diseases of pfitzerian juniper

In general, the hardy plant is susceptible to a number of fungal diseases. The greatest danger to shrubs is represented by:

brown shute - manifested by yellowing and shedding of needles;
drying out of branches - shrub shoots dry and bend;
rust - orange growths appear on the shoots and needles of the middle juniper.

The fight against diseases is carried out, first of all, by cutting off all affected parts of the plant. Then the shrub is thoroughly treated with fungicides - copper sulfate, Bordeaux liquid, specialized agents.

Insects such as aphids, scale insects and mealybugs can also damage pfitzerian. Their appearance is easy to prevent, it is enough to treat the bushes 1-3 times a season with insecticidal agents, for example, Aktara or Aktellik.

Conclusion

The average juniper is a beautiful coniferous plant that does not require special efforts from the gardener when growing. When caring for him, it is enough to follow the most basic rules so that the shrub will please with beautiful shapes and bright color of the needles.