Content
Juniper is an evergreen ornamental shrub of the Cypress family. It can be used not only in landscape design, but also for medicinal purposes. The plant has many beneficial properties; it perfectly disinfects the air. Propagation of juniper can be done in various ways, however, in order to do this successfully, certain rules must be followed.
Is it possible to propagate juniper
If juniper reproduces under natural conditions, then this can be done artificially, although self-propagation of coniferous plants is a rather labor-intensive task that requires time, as well as certain skills and experience.
Features of juniper propagation
In the wild, the main method of propagation of juniper is by seed. The plant is dioecious and produces both male and female cones, more like berries. It is in them that the seeds ripen. They are small in size and very volatile. When the plant's cones open, the seeds are carried by wind and birds over considerable distances.
How juniper propagates at home
The seed method can also be used at home, but only when propagating common juniper. It is not suitable for ornamental species, since it does not preserve the varietal properties of the plant. In this case, vegetative methods of juniper propagation are much more effective, such as:
- cuttings;
- obtaining cuttings from the mother plant;
- dividing the bush.
Cuttings are the main method of propagating varietal shrubs. Creeping species are propagated by layering. You can also use the method of dividing the bush for propagation, but it requires preliminary preparation.
To independently propagate this evergreen shrub, you can use any of the species listed above.
How juniper reproduces by spores
Contrary to existing belief, juniper does not reproduce by spores. After pollination, the seeds ripen in female cones (cone berries) for 2 years. They appear at the ends of shoots usually at 3-5 years. During this time, their color changes from light green to dark blue, almost black. Each cone contains from 2 to 12 seeds. To obtain seeds from fully ripened cones, the fruits must first be soaked in water and then ground.
Seeds are planted in open ground from September to November, and the soil must be mulched with peat or humus. In the ground, the seeds undergo natural stratification and germinate in the spring. Their germination rate is quite low, so you should not be surprised that there may be no germination at all. Sometimes planted seeds germinate only 2 or even 3 years after planting. You can increase germination if you soak the seeds in a root growth stimulator for half an hour before planting.
Reproduction of juniper by layering
Creeping species of this ornamental shrub are quite easy to propagate by layering. To do this, select a strong side shoot, cut its bark in several places, then bend it to the ground, secure it with a wire clamp and cover it with soil. After this, the area is regularly moistened. In those places where the bark was cut, the shoot will take root, and young shoots will begin to grow.
After the seedlings have grown and become stronger, they can be cut off from the mother bush and transplanted to a permanent place.
Propagation of juniper by dividing the bush
Young juniper bushes can be propagated by division. To do this, they are dug out of the ground and divided into several parts with pruning shears, each of which has its own root system and shoots. After this, all that remains is to plant the juniper in a permanent place.
Propagation of juniper by berries at home
Planting seeds can also be done at home. To do this, you can use wooden boxes filled with nutrient soil. It is advisable to add soil from under an adult juniper to it, since it contains symbiont fungi useful for growth.A box with planted seeds is stratified under natural conditions, for example, buried in snow.
Propagation of juniper by shoots
Reproduction by shoots (cuttings) is the most commonly used method. Green, non-lignified shoots from the top of the bush are suitable for harvesting cuttings. For creeping species, vertically growing branches should be chosen. The length of the cut shoot should be approximately 20 cm. Its lower part (about 4 cm) is completely cleared of bark. The cuttings are planted in a moist substrate of peat and humus, which are mixed together in equal parts.
To plant cuttings, it is necessary to select places with diffused sunlight and moderate soil moisture, which must be controlled and avoid overmoistening. Rooted cuttings can be transplanted to permanent places when they reach the age of 3 years.
Propagation of juniper by drops
To propagate bushes using this method, they are hilled up in advance. This measure allows you to get a large number of adventitious roots on the side shoots. Then the bush is dug up. Rooted shoots are cut off and planted as independent seedlings for growing.
How to propagate juniper correctly
It is noteworthy that you can work with juniper for breeding purposes throughout the entire season, and even the winter period is no exception. Although each of the above methods of propagation of this ornamental plant can be used only at certain times of the year.
Juniper propagation in summer
Summer is not the best time to propagate thorny evergreen shrubs. The only exception may be creeping species, which at this time can be dug in or propagated by layering from the mother bush. This work can be completed until mid-July.
How to propagate juniper at home in the fall
In autumn, you can plant common juniper seeds to obtain seedlings. These plants are the strongest planting material that can be grown either independently or used as a rootstock for grafting more valuable species. You can plant seeds throughout the fall. Both open ground and special containers are suitable for this. A prerequisite is the stratification of seeds, that is, keeping them for a long time at low temperatures. Only in this case will a healthy, strong bush grow.
How to propagate juniper in winter
Propagation of juniper in winter is done by cuttings, but in this case the cuttings are not planted in open ground, but in a special substrate and stored in a warm room. To obtain planting material, side branches with a piece of wood (heel) are used. The lower part of the shoot is completely cleared of needles. Then the cuttings are kept for 12 hours in Epin solution.
While the cuttings are receiving a boost of energy for growth, it is necessary to prepare a nutrient substrate. For this, it is preferable to use sphagnum moss, previously soaked in water. The further progress of work is as follows:
- Cut a strip of clean fabric. It will act as a container with a nutrient medium.
- Wet moss is laid out in a strip along the entire ribbon.
- The lower part of the cuttings is powdered with Kornevin.The cuttings are laid out so that the upper part is above the level of the fabric tape, and the lower part remains on the moss cushion.
- The lower part of the tape covers the cuttings.
- The entire strip of fabric with cuttings is rolled up like a medical bandage and secured with an elastic band.
The roll is placed in a plastic bag and put away in a cool, bright place, for example, on a window. By spring, the cuttings will have given good roots, and they can be planted in a greenhouse for growing, and then in a permanent place.
Juniper propagation in spring
Spring is also good for propagation by cuttings. In addition, at this time you can dig in plants for further division of the bushes, and in the spring you can fix side shoots for propagation of juniper by layering.
Gardeners' tips for propagating juniper
Juniper propagation usually does not cause problems. Here are some tips that will be useful to a novice gardener and will help to avoid many mistakes.
- The seed method of propagating this plant is long and unreliable. Due to the low germination rate of seeds, it can take several years, but plants grown from seeds are the strongest. Therefore, this method of propagation should be used only for breeding common juniper, planted to improve the ecology of the site. To breed ornamental species, it is worth using other methods.
- Juniper is relatively easy to take cuttings and, if all the rules are followed, gives a high percentage of rooting. Cuttings are the most reliable way to propagate juniper, suitable for all its species.
- Digging is the fastest and easiest way to propagate juniper.If the gardener is not ready to work with cuttings, then this method will probably be the most suitable for obtaining a small number of seedlings. The method of propagating juniper by air layering is not particularly difficult.
- Juniper shoots have an interesting feature. If the material for cuttings is taken from the top of the bush, the new plant will stretch upward. This quality is used when growing columnar varieties. If cuttings are taken from the side branches, then the young bush will tend to grow in breadth.
- For cuttings, bushes no younger than 8-10 years old are used. By this time, the plant is fully formed, and the cutting will fully retain all its characteristics.
- Harvesting cuttings should be done early in the morning.
- Rooting juniper with cuttings at home can be carried out and be quite successful without additional treatment with special preparations. However, to increase the percentage of rooted shoots, it is advisable to use root formation stimulants.
Conclusion
Propagation of juniper at home is possible, and this can be done in several ways. Which one to use is decided by the gardener himself, based on his experience and skills. This procedure is not particularly complicated, and if it is successfully completed, you can independently decorate your garden plot with these wonderful long-lived evergreen bushes.
