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Juniper horizontal Andorra Variegata is a coniferous shrub of short stature and moderate branching. A distinctive feature of this variety is the cream color of the growth cone of each young branch, which is different from the main color of the needles. The plant is very decorative and is used in landscape design.
Description of juniper Andorra Variegata
At a young age, the Andorra Variegata variety is a relatively small, compact bush with a very dense crown. Bushes of a more advanced age grow significantly in width and resemble creeping varieties of juniper (for example, Cossack juniper). They can reach a very large diameter, more than 2 m, but in any case the height of the Andorra Variegata juniper does not exceed 35-50 cm.
The location of the shoots in the bush is radiant.They always grow upward (rarely at an angle exceeding 45°), but very quickly the direction of growth of young branches changes, and they go into the horizontal plane. The needles of the bushes are short and thin; they are pressed quite tightly against the shoots. The texture of the needles is scaly and pronounced. The color of the needles in summer for this variety located in the sun is ash-green, and for those that grow in shade or partial shade, it is emerald green.
At the end of October, with the arrival of the first frosts, the needles change their color to purple-violet. In spring, as new shoots begin to grow, the color changes again. The growth cone of each branch is cream-colored with a yellow or whitish tint throughout most of the season. This is a characteristic feature of this variety.
The fruits of Andorra Variegata are small and inconspicuous. Unlike most junipers, which have a contrasting blue fruit color, the whitish fruits of the Andorra Variegata juniper are almost invisible against the background of its branches.
The annual increase in the length of shoots rarely exceeds 10 cm. However, due to the large number of shoots formed annually, it covers with its vegetation the entire surface of the soil, where the tips of its branches reach.
Juniper horizontal Andorra Variegata is shown in the following photo. The coloring of the bush corresponds to the summer period.
Although Andorra is a light-loving shrub, it tolerates partial shade very well. At the same time, the growth rate decreases slightly.
Juniper Andorra in landscape design
Creeping juniper Andorra Variegata stands out against the dark or grayish shades of the “background” of rock gardens - bark mulch or pebble mound. That's why designers like it so much. In addition, the neutral ash-green or emerald green colors of this variety can be perfectly combined with almost any conifer on the alpine hills.
The bush can be a wonderful decoration not only for a rock garden, but also for a rocky garden, clearing, edge, roadside or coastal area. Separately, it should be noted that the tips of the shoots of the bush give it a very elegant look, which can also be played out in the design by combining it with cream or white shades of flowers in the flower beds.
One of the advantages of the shrub is the possibility of using it in design without the need for stationary planting - horizontal juniper Andorra Variegata can perfectly perform its decorative functions when in a pot or container.
The excellent “performance” qualities of this variety of juniper are also highly valued by designers. Endurance and unpretentiousness allow this juniper to be placed on almost any soil and conditions that are most unsuitable for the growth of other plants.
Planting and caring for horizontal juniper Andorra
Juniper is planted in mid-spring or early autumn. Usually there is no preliminary preparation other than digging a hole for the plant. Caring for horizontal juniper Andorra Variegata is quite simple and does not require the gardener to take a lot of time or require particularly complex procedures.
Preparing seedlings and planting area
Despite the fact that juniper horizontal Andorra Variegata can grow in almost any light, the plant prefers sunny areas with low acidity soil. The optimal soil for it will be fertile loams that are well permeable to moisture. If there is no suitable soil nearby, you can make it yourself. The soil mixture includes the following components:
- peat – 2 parts;
- sand – 1 part;
- turf soil - 1 part.
The hole for the bush should be approximately twice as large as the earthen ball of the seedling. There is no treatment of the seedling other than sanitary pruning of diseased and damaged branches.
Rules for planting juniper Andorra
Planting is carried out according to a 2x2 m pattern. The pits for adult specimens should have a depth of at least 70 cm, for young ones - the size of an earthen coma. A drainage layer of broken brick or crushed stone is laid at the bottom of the pit. The thickness of the drainage layer is at least 15 cm.
The plant is placed in a hole, leveled and covered with earth, after which the surface is thoroughly compacted.
The plant needs plenty of watering for a week after planting.
Watering and fertilizing
Watering a rooted bush is done no more than once every 2-3 weeks. At the same time, it is recommended to use sprinkling with each watering, since, despite good drought resistance, horizontal juniper Andorra Variegata does not like dry air.
Fertilizing is applied twice a year:
- mineral nitrogen or complex (for example, nitroammophoska) - late April or early May;
- organic (mulching with a 10 cm layer of peat) - just before the start of winter.
Mulching and loosening
For 1-2 years after planting young plants, the soil under them should be loosened with each watering to a depth of 3-5 cm. An adult plant does not need loosening, since the soil under it is almost always mulched using the bark of coniferous trees or spruce branches. The mulch layer can be replaced once a year. This is usually done in early spring.
Trimming and shaping
According to the description, the horizontal juniper Andorra Variegata has a crown whose shape does not change over time. In addition, it has a low growth rate, and no formative pruning is provided for it.
If there is a need to change the shape of the bush to suit the owner’s design whims, then this can be done at any time of the year, but it is best to form the bush in the spring.
Preparing for winter
The bush does not need any specific preparation for winter, since it has winter hardiness of the third zone, that is, it is able to tolerate frosts down to -40 ° C. In those cases when there is a desire to be on the safe side and protect the plants from frost, it is recommended to cover the Andorra Variegata juniper bushes with a layer of polyethylene. A layer of fallen leaves 20-30 cm high is placed on top of it.
Propagation of juniper Andorra
The propagation process of juniper Andorra Variegata is carried out using the seed method or by cuttings. It is believed that obtaining semi-lignified cuttings with their subsequent germination is the most optimal way to divide this subspecies of juniper.If seeds are used for this purpose, then there is a high probability of losing the characteristic exterior qualities of this variety.
Diseases and pests of juniper AndorraVariegata
The main diseases of horizontal juniper Andorra Variegata are rust and drying of branches. Both are caused by fungi (sporangium and cytospora), living mainly on coniferous and rose plants.
Rust is practically incurable, although the symptoms can be significantly relieved with the help of fungicidal preparations, and drying out can be dealt with by simply spraying copper sulfate at a concentration of 1%. In this case, damaged branches should be removed by treating the cut areas with drying oil and garden varnish. The main form of preventing plants from diseases is to plant them apart from each other, as well as from representatives of the Rosaceae family at long distances.
The main pests of juniper are juniper aphids and juniper scale insects. They are helped by drugs related to systemic insecticides - Confidor, Calypso or Mospilan. Typically, there are no preventive measures to combat pests; insecticides are used only when they appear.
Conclusion
Juniper horizontal Andorra Variegata is a low-growing plant that is widely used in the design of gardens, parks, alpine slides and rockeries. The plant is a typical representative of junipers and has all the pros and cons of this species. The peculiarities of Andorra Variegata are exclusively external, consisting in the special shape of the crown (up to half a meter in height and no more than 2 m in diameter) and the cream color of the tops of the shoots, giving the plant an extremely elegant appearance.
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