Juniper Blue Carpet: description, photo, cultivation
Content:
The article presents the Blue Carpet juniper: description, photo, complete growing guide.
Juniper Blue Carpet: description, photo, main information
Juniper Blue Carpet: description, photo
Juniper is an evergreen, coniferous, shrub and woody crop from the cypress family. There are about a hundred different varieties around the world. They can decorate any garden that you like, whether it's a limited area or an unimaginably vast one.
Briefly about the real variety
A juniper, blue carpet or blue carpet is a coniferous, permanently green plant. Breeders called this variety a blue carpet, because it has rather thick needles and it lies close to the ground, and in color it is blue with a silvery tint, the cone-berries on the plant are dark blue. In the wild, juniper can be found in China and Taiwan on the slopes of the mountains. Later in the article, you will learn everything you need to know about the Blue Carpet Juniper. How it can be used in various compositions, what kind of plants need care and how to plant it correctly.
Juniper Blue Carpet: description, photo, variety presentation
Juniper Blue Carpet: description, photo
Consider the characteristics of this variety.
It is a scaly juniper that was developed in Holland in the late twentieth century. In one thousand nine hundred and seventy-seven, it was officially recognized and the variety received a gold medal at an international exhibition.
The variety is well suited for growing in temperate climates, including in the European territory of the Russian Federation.
The variety is represented by a creeping, that is, located directly near the ground, shrub that forms dense bluish thickets.
There are about sixty-five species of this shrub and in shine they are different from each other.
Blue carpet differs from other junipers in that its needles are blue and soft and scaly.
Shoots grow parallel to the surface of the ground and are fairly dense to each other.
Dark blue cone-berries appear on the plant towards the end of August.
The taste of the berries is very bitter, it is not recommended to eat them, the aroma from them comes out pleasant and spicy.
Juniper scaly Blue Carpet: growth
Juniper scaly Blue Carpet
Consider the growth features of this variety.
After ten years have passed after planting, the plant reaches a height of thirty to thirty-five centimeters.
The shrub is usually one hundred and ninety to two hundred centimeters wide.
When the plants become fully adult, their growth practically reaches hundreds of centimeters, and the plant expands in width to six hundred centimeters.
The needles on this shrub are five to six millimeters long.
It is believed that the Blue Carpet is one of the most compact types of scaly junipers.
The smallest representative of this variety is the squamata of Blue Carpet roses, only up to half a meter.
And the tallest Blue Carpet bonsai can reach sixteen hundred centimeters in height.
How the juniper endures the winter
Consider the features of the wintering of this species.
Juniper is considered sufficient rose resistant, but it needs proper care.
Since there are strong winds and rather severe frosts in winter, the needles can begin to break.
The negative influence of weather factors in winter may be the extinction of needles.
That is, the branches cease to be blue, become more brown, and in a short time the shrub gradually dies.
To protect the plant, you need to cover it.
How fast does this variety grow?
Consider the features of the growth rate of this variety.
Junipers are centenarians.
The average lifespan of a juniper is about three hundred years.
If we compare the growth of the shrub and its age, then the first is carried out quite quickly.
Growth lasts up to seven years, and on average, the shrub grows eight to nine centimeters per year.
The plant loves light, and its lack can affect the growth rate of the plant - it is just that the juniper will grow more slowly.
So that growth is not very slow, it is necessary to properly feed the plants.
What does blue carpet juniper smell like?
Let's consider the characteristic features of the aromatics of the present variety.
The smell of the needles is very pleasant, but pungent.
It is recognized by gardeners that the smell of this plant has healing properties.
If I like carpet to smell needles, you can strengthen your nervous system, relieve headaches, and also heal some diseases associated with the breathing process.
The smell may also help get rid of insomnia.
Plants secrete special phytoncides that purify the air and help treat certain diseases.
Interesting. On the territory of ancient Russia, it was customary to burn juniper branches and fumigate the room, especially if there were sick people in them, this helped to prevent the spread of the disease. Since this shrub is medicinal, it can be seen in the territories of various boarding houses and sanatorium zones.
The use of Blue Carpet by landscape designers
Consider the characteristic features of the use of this variety in landscape design.
This variety is very fond of landscape designers, it is unpretentious, and it is quite easy to care for it.
Also, shrubs of this variety tolerate various methods of formation well, and after pruning, the crown only becomes denser.
These are really ornamental plants, and they are very often used to decorate squares, parks, personal plots and vegetable gardens.
On various sites related to landscape design, you can also very often see representatives of this variety.
Blue Carpet looks good against the background of the lawn.
The only disadvantage of such compositions is that it is very inconvenient to mow the lawn around the juniper, since it is creeping.
A good combination is, flowers plus scaly juniper.
But in this case, it is important to correctly calculate the distance between the plants so that they do not interfere with each other's proper development.
The Blue Carpet looks very good on a variety of slopes.
This variety is almost ideal for decorating an Alpine Hill or rockery.
You can also often see this variety of juniper around home ponds.
Creeping plants prevent landslides, which is why blue carpet is often planted on slopes.
Since the blue carpet variety tolerates polluted city air well and lends itself to shaping, they are often decorated with city parks and squares.
It can also be planted as a container crop.
How to plant and care for Blue Carpet juniper
As mentioned above, caring for a juniper is not difficult. But there are four nuances that will need to be monitored while growing a juniper:
1) Nuances of soil.,
2) Technique for planting a bush.,
3) How to properly water and fertilize shrubs.,
4) Wintering of the Blue Carpet.
How to prepare seedlings and planting sites?
Consider a few recommendations for stratification of the planting material of this variety.
It is best to buy seedlings that have a closed root system.
An open root system is only suitable for planting in April, May or September. During these periods, the weather is quite humid.
In order for bushes with an open root system to grow well, they need to be treated with various preparations to accelerate the formation of new roots.
Suitable soil for this variety
There are several simple parameters for future juniper soil. Consider a few recommendations for soil stratification for this variety.
The area should be well lit.
The ground should not be excessively salty.
Groundwater should not run next to bushes.
The ideal soil for the Blue Carpet variety is neutral or slightly acidic.
In order for the composition of the earth to be optimal, it is necessary to add:
1) sod land.,
2) peat land.,
3) coarse sand, in a ratio of one to two to one.
Stagnant water is discouraged, as are very small and poorly lit areas.
Juniper planting rules
There are some simple rules for planting a juniper. Consider a few recommendations for cultivating this variety.
The plant pit should be larger than its root.
The average normal depth of a blue carpet pit is about seventy to seventy-five centimeters.
Juniper needs drainage.
The drainage layer should be about twenty to twenty-five centimeters, and it can be made from pebbles, bricks or rubble.
Then fill in the earth mixture from:
1) sod land.,
2) peat land.,
3) coarse sand.
It is necessary to plant a bush so that the neck of the bush sticks out a little, then you need to cover the entire root system with earth.
There is no need to trample the soil, it will gradually settle by itself.
Saplings should not be less than one and a half meters apart.
If your plant is not very large, then the distance may be at least half a meter.
For the first week, the juniper should be watered frequently.
Blue carpet is best planted in the spring, after the snow has melted.
If there are seedlings to be planted later, the plant may get burned due to the fact that the sun is already too active.
Waterlogging of the earth and excessive watering is detrimental to the plant, it is important to monitor this.
Juniper can tolerate dry periods well.
It can grow in places where there is no constant exposure to sunlight.
It is not recommended to cover plantings with snow in winter; snow can break plants.
A very good place for planting junipers will be a territory protected from cold air currents.
How to properly water and fertilize plants
The right watering regime for this variety.
Consider a few recommendations for the watering procedure for this variety.
Young plants need a fairly frequent watering and constant, when stretched, becomes an adult, it is necessary to water it only when the drought period sets in.
The ideal way of watering is by sprinkling the needles.
The Blue Carpet plant does not tolerate the summer heat very well.
They love spraying from a spray bottle and good watering up to twice a day.
So that no burns appear on the needles, it will be better to water the plants in the evening, when the sun is no longer so strong.
The plant loves light, but direct exposure to strong sunlight can affect its health and plants, it can get burned.
Cover shrubs to avoid damage to plants.
In addition to non-woven light-colored material, special green nets can be used for this.
Juniper Blue Carpet fertilization schemes description
Consider a few recommendations for applying dressings and fertilizers for this variety.
Top dressing will need to be done in May or April.
Fertilizers such as nitroammofoska or mineralized complex fertilizers are suitable for spring dressings.
In order for the plant to receive the necessary supply of nutrients for the winter, in the fall it will need to be treated with fertilizers containing potassium and phosphorus.
In order for young plants to feel good and take root quickly, it is necessary to periodically loosen the soil next to them.
Mulch use and loosening
Consider a few recommendations for loosening and mulching for this variety.
As mentioned above, loosening is necessary for young seedlings, as well as weeding from weeds.
After the shrub has been planted, it is necessary to fill it with mulch.
Peat is used as mulch, the layer height should be about nine to ten centimeters.
So that the root collar of the shrubs does not rot, it is recommended to remove the mulch in the spring.
To prevent damage to the upper fragile roots of the plant, loosening must be done very carefully and not deeply.
Mulching the circle around the juniper helps keep moisture from evaporating too quickly.
In addition, mulch helps to reduce the number of weeds that prevent the plant from developing properly.
Humus and compost are used as mulch; sprinkle with a layer of bark or sawdust on top.
Cones and needles of other trees are also applicable.
The height and layer of mulch should be about five to six centimeters.
How to form the Blue Carpet
Let's consider a few recommendations for the formation of a real variety.
Frequent pruning of shrubs is not needed, it is needed only in the spring.
Spring pruning is necessary in order to remove branches damaged in winter, as well as modified shoots.
If your juniper grows in close proximity to deciduous trees, you need to make sure that no leaves remain in the needles.
The leaves in the needles can start to rot and this can cause disease and damage to the juniper.
Juniper Blue Carpet winter preparation description
The plant can survive temperatures as low as minus twenty-nine degrees. Consider a few recommendations for preparing this variety for the winter period.
When the plant is only one year old and when it is young enough, it needs to be covered.
Under very unfavorable conditions, the plant may die in winter, and also, due to severe frosts and wind, the needles may become of a different shade.
In order to prevent such consequences, it is necessary to protect the juniper in the fall.
Protection consists in the shelter of the juniper, as well as mulching the anchors with peat.
The mulch layer should be about nine to ten centimeters.
For better preservation of the needles, it can be glued with spruce branches.
So that after winter the plant is not damaged by strong sunlight, it must be covered with a net.
Juniper Blue Carpet breeding description
Variety Blue, Carpet is represented by dicotyledonous plants. Accordingly, the bushes can also be female and masculine. The type of your bush can be determined by its appearance.In male varieties, the crown resembles an egg and is narrower; in female varieties, on the contrary, it is more widespread on the surface of the earth and not so thick. In the spring, male shrubs, a little coniferous color to me, yellow. A cone appears on female shrubs - berries.
There are two main ways of reproduction of a juniper, these are cuttings and with the help of seeds. Cutting promotes the germination of quality ornamental plants better.
Propagation of a real variety using seeds.
Consider a few recommendations for propagating this variety using seeds.
The cone-berries ripen by September.
The diameter of one berry is on average seventy five to eighty millimeters.
As the buds mature, it changes color from green to dark blue, and a slight whitish bloom appears on them.
Three seeds are found inside the berry and can be used to propagate the plant.
In the autumn, the seeds must be deposited in a box and left in a warm place until spring.
The boxes can be exposed to air.
In late spring, the seeds must be planted in the ground.
If you plant junipers in this way, do not forget that something shoots will appear only a year after you have planted the seeds.
Reproduction of this variety using cuttings.
The more common breeding method for junipers is through cuttings. Now you will learn how to do this. Consider a few recommendations for propagating this variety using cuttings.
From the grown bush, it is necessary to divide the cuttings, the length of which is about eleven to twelve centimeters.
The coniferous branches that are below must be cleaned.
During the day, the cuttings must be soaked in an aqueous solution with a growth stimulant.
After that, the cuttings can be planted in the ground.
A soil consisting of peat and sand is best suited for better rooting of plants.
Then the cuttings are covered with a film, and they must be moved to a darkened place.
Regular watering and spraying with water is important for cuttings.
After carrying out all the grafting procedures, sprouts may appear in a little more than a month.
In a month, the root system will have time to get stronger enough.
In a permanent place, that is, in open ground, cuttings can be planted three months after rooting.
If desired, you can plant it completely, the plants are formed in the ground after a few years.
What pests and diseases are dangerous for blue carpet
The first possible disease is rust.
Consider the characteristics of a disease such as rust.
The most common diseases for juniper is rust, it occurs due to fungi.
Orange growths begin to appear on the needles.
The disease can last for several years, and in this case it is very dangerous for plants, it gradually begins to dry out and lose its decorative effect.
The second possible disease is trachyomycosis.
Another common disease is trachyomycosis. Consider the characteristic features of a disease such as trachyomycosis.
Mushrooms also act as pathogens.
The disease occurs if the water near the plant stagnates and rot forms.
The disease begins at the roots and gradually spreads throughout the plant.
In fact, due to this disease, the transfer of nutrients inside the plant stops, and it gradually begins to die, dry out.
If you find dried shoots on your plant, then they must be removed to prevent the spread of the disease.
Pest insects.
The most dangerous pest for the Blue Carpet is the spider mite, also the moth and the scale insect. It is very important to fight them and take preventive measures, as they pose a great danger to the culture.
Prevention and treatment
Consider the recommendations for carrying out preventive and therapeutic measures in the fight against diseases and insect pests.
With a disease such as rust. Spraying the bushes with a solution from arceryl will help from the disease. Processing is carried out four times every two weeks.
With a disease such as trachyomycosis. Fungicides are good for this disease.
When attacked by insect pests. For prophylaxis, plants can be treated with various solutions containing karbofos, karate and decisu. Treatment with these drugs is carried out constant, once every seven days.
Conclusion
The Blue Carpet variety is very loved by all landscape designers and gardeners, it looks very beautiful and is unpretentious in maintenance. It will certainly delight you and your loved ones if it grows on your site. Do not be afraid, plant.
Juniper Blue Carpet: description