The whole history of mankind is a striving for convenience and beauty. Rock paintings in caves, flowers in the manes of horses, flower beds near the house. Juniper Blue Star is a profitable solution for landscape design: minimum effort and time for care, maximum decorativeness, long-term (at least 600 years) use and budget savings. Consider all the secrets of planting and growing a coniferous plant.
Juniper scaly Blue Star in garden design
Brief information about the variety
- Colour: in a young plant - turquoise, in an adult - bluish-green.
- Height: no more than 70 cm.
- Crown width: up to 1.5 m in diameter.
- In which regions is it growing: in the European part of the Russian Federation with the exception of the north, in the south of Siberia and in the coastal regions of the Far East. Frost resistance - up to 4 zones.
- Landing features: sunny place, at a distance of at least 1.5 from neighbors.
- Immunity: High to fungal disease with proper care.
- Life span: over 600 years old.
General characteristics
Juniper is a genus of evergreen coniferous shrubs of the cypress family.
Scaly juniper (squamata juniperus) is a separate species that grows naturally in the mountains of southern China and the eastern Himalayas. Initially, the distribution area made these plants unpretentious to soils and drought-resistant.
The blue star cultivar is derived from a shoot mutation discovered in Holland in 1950.
Selection led to the creation of this hybrid and its introduction on the market in 1964. The color of the needles is pale green with a blue tint. This distinctive feature of the species laid the foundation for a number of "blue" varieties.
Growing regions
Blue Star can be grown in hardiness zones starting from the 4th. The cultivation regions of the variety can be:
- areas of the European part of the country with the exception of the North;
- south of Siberia;
- coastal regions of the Far East.
In colder places, this ephedra can be cultivated by covering it for the winter.
Description of the plant
Blue star refers to the horizontal species of junipers. The plant has a spherical crown up to 70 cm high. The diameter of the bushes does not exceed one and a half meters. Their growth is about 5 cm per year.
The needles are needle-like, short, prickly, in section - like a multi-pointed star. During growth, it releases essential oils and phytoncides. There are 7 colors in color:
- blue with a steel sheen due to longitudinal silver stripes on young shoots;
- turquoise and lilac in winter and autumn;
- green with a bluish tint in adult branches;
- dark blue cones.
The intensity of the color depends on the season and the length of time the crop is exposed to the sun.
Landing
The procedure is usually carried out in the spring. However, seedlings with a closed root system from a nursery can be rooted throughout the growing season, but no later than 1 month before stable frosts.
Sapling selection
It is recommended to purchase seedlings from nurseries
Juniper, like all conifers, is an expensive seedling. If you want to save money, you can buy it at spontaneous roadside markets. But the result is unpredictable.
If you are not rich enough to buy cheap things, then your way is to a specialized nursery. There you will receive comprehensive advice on planting, care and protection from pests.
You will also get a healthy varietal plant in a container with the most suitable soil, filled with long-lasting fertilizer for conifers, i.e. save time, nerves and money.
If there are no such nurseries nearby, and you are already ripe to change the landscape of your summer cottage, then follow the rules when choosing a seedling.
- Root system: unambiguously closed. Tug lightly on the seedling. If it was planted just before the sale, it sways and is easily removed from the ground. It is optimal if roots sprout from the holes of the container;
- Crohn - varietal color. Blue Star has a green-gray color. Rub the tips of the shoots with wet fingers: the needles sprayed before selling will paint over your hands. Leave such a seedling to the seller, let him continue to admire it;
- The presence of pests. No cobwebs, spider-worm bugs should be neither on the surface nor in the depths of the needles. Otherwise you are tortured to heal;
- It's the same with diseases. A sluggish crumbling crown, allegedly due to the fact that they forgot to water before selling - this is not your choice!
Take these recommendations seriously. Calculate in advance the possible costs of money and time for the treatment of such specimens and everything will become clear. And this is despite the fact that any change of residence, even for a healthy plant, is stress!
Site preparation
What's the best for Blue Star? There are few requirements, but they are essential:
- Good lighting. Lack of sunlight, and primarily ultraviolet light, leads to the fact that the needles lose their blue tint;
- Lack of groundwater at the roots. If the roots are constantly in the water, the juniper can pick up fungal diseases. Remember where he comes from? From the mountains, not from the swamp!
- The distance to the nearest neighbors is at least 1.5 m. Plant it closer - do not expect a stylish shape from a juniper;
- Inaccessibility for children. The juniper has beautiful gray berries, but they are very poisonous. Explain to the children how dangerous they are, or better - let the Blue Star be away from the playground.
Landing technology
The size of the planting hole should be 15-20% more than the volume of the seedling earthy clod. Then follow the algorithm.
- On clay soil, drain from expanded clay or pebbles 10-15 cm thick.
- On top of it, pour 20 cm of a substrate consisting of equal parts of earth, sand and peat.
- Pour 0.5 buckets of water. Wait until the water is almost completely absorbed.
- Carefully remove the seedling with the ZKS from the pot or container and place it in the hole.
- Cover with substrate, trying to keep the root collar at ground level.
- Compact the soil around the plant.
- Make bumpers around the circumference of the crown.
- Pour another 0.5 bucket of water.
If you still dare to buy a seedling with an open root system, then before planting, soak it in a root solution in accordance with the instructions on the package.
Planting is best done after 5 pm, when the sun is not so hot, but optimally on a cloudy day. And shade the seedling for a few days. This way he will get through stress faster.
Care
The health of the juniper depends on the correct care
Juniper Blue star is not capricious and does not require time and effort. But there are operations that must be done without fail.
Watering
In summer, in the absence of precipitation, 3 waterings per season are enough. In this case, a single serving of water is 1 bucket per bush. If it's too hot - sprinkling, 1-2 times per season.
Top dressing
A full complex of mineral fertilizers is applied in the second year of planting, in the spring, during the awakening of the plant. Reduce the nitrogen dose as it will cause overgrowth of shoots and loss of round shape. Optimal - the introduction of special fertilizers "For conifers".
Mulching and loosening the soil
Loosening is necessary for aeration of the roots; it is carried out 2-3 times per summer. This ensures the vital activity of microorganisms in the ground that live in symbiosis with the plant. Weeds are removed at the same time (they can be a breeding ground for pests).
Mulching prevents weed growth and crust formation. It is enough to spend 1 time per summer. Chips, sawdust, coniferous litter, peat can be used as mulch.
Haircut and trim
The Blue Star does not need a shaping haircut.
Sanitary pruning is done in the spring. Dry, damaged, diseased branches are removed from plants.
Preparing for winter
Here, too, everything is simple and fast. Young juniper needs care, an adult copes well even with frosts up to 30 degrees. And most importantly, Blue Star is not afraid of spring burns.
- With the onset of freezing temperatures, the roots are insulated with a 10-centimeter layer of peat.
- The branches are tied with a rope or ribbon so that they do not break under the weight of the snow.
- Very young seedlings are covered with spruce branches, which at the same time protected young needles from the burns of the bright spring sun. Then you can cover it with agrofiber, and over it the plant is tied with a nylon cord.
Reproduction
Of course, everyone wants to create an array of juniper. Moreover, there are no worries and hassles with him, and the beauty is extraordinary. But alas ...
The Blue Star variety cannot be propagated by seeds - in this case, it loses its decorative qualities.
But there is another way out: there are two vegetative ways for the propagation of conifers:
- cuttings;
- layering.
The first way
At the age of three, the plant can be planted in the ground
Cuttings are shoots with buds, which are cut off together with a piece of stem bark (heel) from which the shoot grew. Plants at least 5 years old are suitable for harvesting cuttings. The event is held in late April - early May.
- Cuttings 10-15 cm long are cleaned of needles in the lower part, placed in a growth stimulator for a day.
- Rooted in containers with a mixture of peat and sand. Until the roots appear, they are kept at a temperature of 20 ° C for a month or a month and a half, regularly watering and sprinkling. To avoid accidental drying out, the seedlings should be covered with a transparent cap or a mini-greenhouse should be built.
- The plants can then be transplanted into flower pots and grown at home for up to 3 years, after which they can be rooted in a permanent place. Another option is to root directly in open ground. This assumes reliable protection from the winter cold.
Second way
The procedure with cuttings is quite troublesome. It is much easier and more reliable to grow by layering.
To do this, a shallow groove is made next to the bush, the middle of the branch is pressed to the bottom with metal brackets and sprinkled with a fertile substrate.
It is also important here to constantly keep the soil moist in the recessed area.
To root a dug-in branch, it takes from six months to a year. Then the cut is cut from the bush and transplanted to a permanent place.
Diseases and pests
Juniper, like all conifers, is not very susceptible to disease. The main danger for him is represented by fungal diseases, such as:
- brown gray mold (Schütte);
- rust;
- biorella cancer;
- fusarium;
- alternaria.
All these misfortunes are provoked by excessive soil moisture and thickening of the plantings. There are many fungicides on the market.
The most common way to fight fungi is copper salt solutions. Usually, it is copper sulfate or Bordeaux mixture.
Of modern means, phytosporin is effective, which, moreover, does not leave traces on the crown. Spraying of plants must be carried out once every 7 days until the problem is completely solved.
Among the pests of culture, they note:
- aphids;
- spider mite;
- mole;
- shield.
But there are no particular problems here - modern insecticides easily cope with these insects. The main thing is to notice the threat in time and take action.
These critters breed in dry, warm weather. We saw the cobwebs - pour water on the juniper, preferably with sprinkling (a couple of times), treat with insecticides - and you will be happy.
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Use in landscape design
Let's move on to the most pleasant thing - creating beauty in the garden.
This scaly juniper is so flexible and showy that even beginners can create stunning paintings around their homes. A group of conifers of different colors and different heights will look ideal, in the foreground of which is Blue Star.
Of course, professional designers will create more sophisticated compositions with this blue plant. They like to combine it with:
- low bulbous;
- lavender;
- ground cover flowering plants;
- in the center of an ideal lawn;
- at the foot of an alpine slide.
Reviews
Gardeners note the unpretentiousness of the Blue Star juniper, they like that in a little time and with little effort, you can create stylish compositions that do not require constant maintenance.
Many highlight such a positive quality as resistance to diseases and pests. It is also believed that the culture does not attract bees and bumblebees.
But most of all the admiration from the landscape workers - modern designs cannot be realized without the participation of conifers, especially the original color, which changes its shade depending on the season and the intensity of lighting.
Of the shortcomings, summer residents note soil acidification by juniper, although not to the same extent as spruce and pine trees. And also the danger of poisonous berries for children.
For the South of Russia, the problem may be excessive dryness of the air, which the ephedra does not tolerate very well due to increased evaporation of moisture.