How to propagate a juniper.

This plant belongs to the Cypress family, it is always green and very beautiful. This ornamental shrub is often planted in home gardens, thus beautifying the surrounding area around the house. In addition, it can also be used as a medicine. Juniper perfectly disinfects the air around, and its branches have many other useful properties. The juniper is propagated by different methods, however, in order to properly carry out this event, you will need to read this article, since the success of reproduction depends not only on the skill of the gardener, but also on compliance with the rules of agricultural technology. Reproduction of juniper in stages will be described below, and in this article

About the peculiarities of shrub reproduction.

As you understand, any plant can be propagated, so if this shrub reproduces well in natural conditions, then you can do this on your personal plot. However, breeding these very conifers is quite difficult, so you will need to follow our recommendations, as well as have certain gardening skills. This shrub is considered dioecious, so there are both female and male cones on it, and they are very similar to berries. It is in these very cones that the seeds ripen. Due to the fact that they are small in size, they spread well in the surrounding area, while the buds open, the wind carries the seeds over long distances. Birds also help in this process. Therefore, in natural conditions, juniper usually reproduces in this way.

How to propagate a shrub at home.

If the juniper reproduces in the wild, then it can be propagated at home. However, for this you need to follow certain rules. Only the common juniper can be planted by seed, but decorative species should be propagated by other methods. Otherwise, the varietal properties of the plant will lose. In this case, it is best to use methods such as dividing the mother bush, cuttings and using cuttings. Moreover, it is cuttings that are considered the most popular shrub propagation method. It is advisable to propagate creeping juniper subspecies using layering. But if you decide to transplant a bush, then the division method is suitable for you. But remember, before breeding, both the bush and the soil must be prepared. You can use one of these breeding methods, all of them are quite effective.

Disputes.

It is believed that this shrub does not multiply by spores. Planting material in female cones usually matures for about 2 years. But the spores themselves appear on the tips of the branches only in the third or fifth year. Moreover, at this time the color of the twigs and cones also changes, they become darker and darker every year. Moreover, it should be said that about 12 seeds can ripen in one cone. Therefore, if you want to get seeds from these berries, then you will need to soak the cones in water, and then crush them well. Seeds are best planted in open ground in the fall; the ground should first be mulched with peat or humus. Usually, in the spring, seeds sprout, and the seeds go through natural selection, so there will not be so many sprouts, perhaps nothing will grow at all.Some gardeners note that these same seeds often grow not for the first year, for this the juniper may even need 3 years. If you still want to increase the percentage of germination, then you should hold the seeds for some time before planting in a special growth stimulator, which is sold in a specialized agricultural store.

Layers.

If an ornamental shrub spreads over the surface of the earth, then it can be propagated using layering. To do this, you should choose the most powerful and strong shoot, cut the bark on it several times in different places, and then bend the branch to the ground. It is best to fix it to the surface with a bracket and sprinkle it with earth. Do not forget to regularly moisten the soil in this place. Usually, where there were incisions on the bark, roots later appear. After that, the young growth will begin to grow actively. When the plants get stronger, then they can be separated from the mother shrub, and transplanted to a permanent habitat. Propagation by layering is quite simple, especially if the shrub spreads along the surface of the earth.

Division of the bush.

If you decide to transplant a juniper bush, then you can get several from one plant by dividing. To do this, you should dig up a juniper, and then use a pruner to divide it into parts, and make sure that a well-developed root system and shoots remain on each new plant. Further, you can already transplant new seedlings to another place. Plants find it difficult to survive this, so it is advisable to provide favorable conditions for growth and development during this period.

Reproduction of juniper berries.

Reproduction of juniper is also possible by berries, namely by planting seeds. Moreover, you can do this at home. To do this, you should fill containers or other containers with special soil, then it is best to add to this very soil a little earth collected near the bushes of an already growing juniper, since it will contain the necessary symbiote mushrooms that have a beneficial effect on the growth of this culture. It is better to stratify seeds in natural conditions, for example, many gardeners bury boxes in the snow. When shoots appear, young plants should be dived. But bushes should be transplanted to a permanent habitat at about the age of 3 years.

Juniper propagation by Shoots.

Most often, the juniper is propagated by cuttings. In order to prepare the necessary material, you should choose green shoots, it is advisable to cut them off from the top of the branches. If you have a juniper growing on your site that spreads along the surface of the ground, then it is best to choose twigs that grow vertically. The stalk should be about 20 cm, and the bottom of the shoot should be peeled. It is recommended to plant cuttings in a well-moistened substrate. Peat and humus are often added to the soil in order for the root system to form better. Some cuttings should be planted at a slight slope. The scions are best placed in a well-lit and wind-protected area. Remember to water the cuttings as well as feed the soil. When the processes take root, they can be transplanted, and it is best to do this also at the age of three. Another little trick, before reproduction by dividing, the bushes are recommended to huddle. This procedure will allow you to stimulate the growth of lateral shoots and roots. So many new plants can be obtained from one mother bush. And such seedlings take root better in new habitats.

Juniper breeding rules.

breeding juniper

The reproduction of juniper is permissible practically during the entire spring-summer-autumn season. And sometimes gardeners carry out certain work even in winter.But each of the methods is effective only at one time of the year, so read this paragraph of the article carefully, because the effectiveness of the entire breeding process depends on the correct period. In summer, it is best to breed creeping shrub species. Sometimes during this period, gardeners breed junipers with layering, and also add side shoots. But remember, you need to do this only at the beginning of summer, in extreme cases, until the middle. In autumn, it is advisable to propagate the juniper by seed method. You will be able to grow good, healthy planting material. And you can even graft the most valuable types of juniper into a common variety. Seeds are planted throughout the fall season. This can be done both directly in the open ground and planted in a special container. It is advisable to stratify the seeds beforehand, keeping them previously at low temperatures. If this is not done, then the plants do not adapt well, and a healthy and strong shrub will not grow. In winter, it is good to harvest cuttings, but they will need to be planted not outside, but in a warm room, in special boxes. It is best to cut off pieces from the side branches. As you remember, cuttings should be at least 20 cm long, but too long shoots should also not be harvested. It is advisable to clean the bottom of the peel and needles, in order to stimulate the growth of the root system, they are often kept in special solutions. Cuttings are planted in nutritious soil, sometimes sphagnum moss is used for this, which is pre-soaked in water. It will need to be wrapped in a clean cloth in the future, creating a kind of container. The cuttings are moistened in a growth stimulator, and the peeled part of the shoot is placed in the moss. Also, a strip of clean cloth is used to cover the bottom of the cuttings. Fix it with bandages or elastic bands. It is advisable to remove the cuttings in a cool place, but do not forget about the lighting, you cannot send junipers to the basement. Usually in the spring, roots begin to form on the branches, as soon as you notice this, you can transplant the plants into the greenhouse. And only after a certain time they can be transplanted to a permanent habitat. In the spring, you can propagate a juniper using cuttings. Plants are often added dropwise, fixing lateral shoots. This method, as you remember, is called layering. Juniper usually reproduces well, but many budding gardeners make mistakes. Do not count on the fact that you can grow several shrubs at once using the seed method. Seeds usually have low germination, so you can grow these same plants for several years. But it is not a fact that something good will turn out from sprouted seeds. It is best to propagate only ordinary juniper in this way, decorative species often lose their varietal characteristics, so you will get nothing but disappointment. Therefore, it is better to propagate decorative varieties using other methods. Cutting is considered the most reliable propagation method, which is suitable for almost all varieties and species. The percentage of rooting in shrub shoots is high, but if you want to quickly get new plants, then it is best to propagate the juniper by dropping. This is especially helpful if the shrub is prone to the formation of lateral shoots. This method is not particularly difficult, so even novice gardeners can cope with the dripping method. An interesting fact, if you want to get a plant with a vertically directed crown, then it is advisable to cut the cuttings just from high shoots, and if you want the bushes to grow in breadth, then it is worth cutting the shoots from the side branches. Cutting is effective only if the bush is young, its age should be no more than 10 years. It is best to harvest the scions early in the morning. Cuttings should be soaked in growth stimulating solutions before planting.

Conclusion.

Breeding a juniper is not such a difficult process. You can plant new plants using the seed method, layering, divide a bush, cuttings. However, it is advisable to follow all the rules, recommendations for reproduction. And then your personal plot will resemble a real greenhouse, since exactly juniper is considered a beautiful evergreen little tree. Try to plant at least one bush of this beautiful plant in your country house, and from one bush in a couple of years you may well be able to grow many new wonderful centenarians.