Cossack juniper: Knap Hill, Mas, Arcadia, Glauka, Rockery

There are about 70 species of juniper, distributed in the Northern Hemisphere from the Arctic to the equator. Most of them have a range limited to a certain mountain system or region, only a few can be found in the wild over a large area. Juniperus Cossack belongs to the widespread species. It grows in Asia Minor and Southeast Asia, Central and Southern Europe, Siberia, Primorye, the Urals, the Caucasus, and southern Ukraine.The culture forms thickets in forests and groves at an altitude of 1 to 3 thousand m.

Description of Cossack juniper

Cossack juniper (Juniperus sabina) belongs to the genus Juniper from the Cypress family. It is a shrub up to 4.5 m, but more often than not exceeding 1.5 m in size. When describing the characteristics of the Cossack juniper, it would be correct to talk not about the height of the plant, but about the length of the skeletal branches.

Comment! Outside the countries of the former Soviet Union, this species is not called Cossack, but Savin.

Its crown is formed by obliquely located trunks, heavily overgrown with lateral shoots. The branches are more or less creeping, but the ends are usually raised and directed upward. The diameter of young green shoots is about 1 mm. Often the branches grow to the ground and form thickets. Therefore, talking about the crown diameter of the Cossack juniper is problematic. In the interweaving of dense branches lying on the ground and constantly taking root, it is difficult to distinguish where one plant ends and another begins.

Comment! Very rarely, Cossack juniper forms a small tree with a curved trunk.

The bark peels off, the old one falls off, and is colored reddish-brown. The wood is soft but durable, with a strong, not very pleasant odor caused by the high content of essential oils.

Important! The culture has phytoncidal properties, the ability to purify and ionize the air.

The needles on young and shaded plants are sharp, spaced, wrinkled, bluish-green, with a clearly defined central vein. Its length is 4 mm.

With age, the needles become shorter, scale-like, and feel much softer and less thorny to the touch.It is located oppositely, on the main branches it is longer than on the side shoots - 3 and 1 mm, respectively.

Cossack juniper needles live for three years. They have a rather strong unpleasant odor that spreads when rubbed.

Comment! Needles are the leaves of coniferous trees.

Cossack juniper is resistant to low temperatures, anthropogenic pollution, shading and drought, and is undemanding to soil. The root system is powerful and goes deep into the ground. Lifespan is about 500 years.

Cossack juniper varieties

Cossack juniper has been known in culture since 1584, first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753. It has become widespread due to its unpretentiousness, decorativeness and ability to improve the health of the air. Over four and a half centuries, many varieties have been created that can satisfy a wide variety of tastes.

Juniper Cossack Mas

The Mas variety differs from others in having raised shoots with slightly drooping tips. The crown is dense, spreading, up to 3 m in diameter; in an adult plant it looks like a funnel. Since the branches are directed upward, they take root on their own less often than other varieties. The height of the Cossack juniper Mas reaches 1.5, sometimes 2 meters, the annual growth is 8-15 cm.

Young needles are prickly, with age they become scaly at the ends of the shoots, but remain sharp inside the bush. On the side facing the sun, the Cossack juniper is bluish, below it is dark green. In winter, the color changes and acquires a purple tint.

Single cones form only on old bushes. The bark is reddish, the root is powerful. Prefers a sunny position, but tolerates partial shade. Frost resistance – zone 4.

Juniper Cossack Knap Hill

The Knap Hill variety is considered one of the most beautiful. It is distinguished by a rather compact crown - an adult plant reaches a height of 1.5 m with a diameter of 1.6 m. By the age of 10, the dimensions are 0.7-1 and 1-1.2 m, respectively.

The needles are a beautiful green color, young ones are needle-shaped. An adult bush can have two varieties at the same time - soft, scaly and prickly. Cone berries are formed only on adult specimens, are dark brown in color, and covered with a bluish waxy coating.

This variety is quite shade-tolerant, but looks more attractive in an open place. Without shelter it winters in zone four.

Juniper Cossack Arcadia

The slow-growing Arcadia variety is at the same time one of the most resistant to low temperatures. Grows without shelter in zone 2. Does not tolerate overwatering and saline soil, prefers placement in a sunny place. In general, it is considered a very tolerant variety to unfavorable conditions.

Seedlings of the Cossack juniper Arkady grew from seeds obtained from the Urals in the American nursery of D. Hill. Work on the variety was carried out from 1933 to 1949, when it was registered.

The height of the Cossack juniper Arkady at 10 years is only 30-40 cm, but by this time the branches cover an area with a diameter of 1.8 m and are located almost horizontally. They form a uniform, not too dense blanket. An adult bush extends its branches to a height of 0.5 m and covers 2 m.

The young plant has prickly, needle-like needles. With age it becomes soft. The color of the vegetative organs is green, sometimes with a bluish or bluish tint. The variety is considered one of the slowest growing Cossack junipers.

Juniper Cossack Glauka

As the name suggests, this variety of Cossack juniper is distinguished by blue needles. It will be especially bright in the sun, but in partial shade the vegetative organs will become green and the branches will become loose. But only the decorativeness of the plant will suffer, not the health.

Cossack juniper Glauka is considered fast-growing. Its branches spread along the ground, grow and quickly form an extensive colony. At the same time, the beautiful shape of the bush is deformed and lost among the many tangled and intersecting shoots. So, if the design of the site does not require the creation of thickets, the branches need to be monitored, not allowing them to take root.

Advice! To avoid unnecessary spread of varieties and types of juniper growing horizontally, it is enough to mulch the soil with a thick layer of pine bark.

Glauka grows up to 1.5 m in height, spreading 4 m in width.

Juniper Cossack Rockery Jam

From English, the name of the Cossack juniper variety Rockery Gem is translated as Rockery Pearl. It was isolated at the beginning of the last century in a branch of the Boskop nursery Le Febre. The variety is considered an improved and ennobled version of the Cossack juniper Tamariscifolia.

Rockery Gem is a dense, dwarf shrub with a beautifully shaped, spreading crown. The branches are raised to a height of about 50 cm, the diameter of an adult plant is 3.5 m. This Cossack juniper forms flat, dense thickets and can be used as a ground cover plant.

Important! You can't walk on it!

The culture grows slowly and is distinguished by bluish-green needles. On young and adult bushes the leaves are prickly, collected in whorls of 3 pieces.

The variety prefers a location in partial shade, which is where Rockery Jam will be especially beautiful. Tolerates direct sun.Without shelter it winters in zone 3.

Juniper Cossack Broadmoor

A variety bred from Russian seeds. Broadmoor is similar to Tamariscifolia, but its branches are stronger and less coarse.

The bush is horizontal, the shoots lie on top of each other like tiles, forming an outstretched flat crown with branches slightly rising in the center. An adult Broadmoor Cossack juniper reaches a height of no more than 60 cm and spreads up to 3.5 m wide.

The needle-shaped needles are grayish-green and small. The attitude of the Broadmoor Cossack juniper to light makes it necessary to plant it in open areas. In partial shade it will look less decorative.

Juniper Cossack Blue Danub

The translation of the name of the variety Blue Danube sounds like Blue Danube. Bred in Austria by L. Wesser, and offered for sale without a name. The name was given to the variety only in 1961.

It is a creeping shrub with outstretched and upturned branches, similar to tongues of flame. An adult plant reaches a height of 1 m and grows to a diameter of 5 m. The crown is dense. The needles on young shrubs are needle-like, with age they become scaly, only inside the juniper they remain prickly. It grows quickly, adding about 20 cm every year.

The color of the needles is bluish, in the shade and inside the bush it is grayish. It is recommended to plant this Cossack juniper in a large flowerbed or large areas, as it quickly covers a significant area. Winter hardiness is high, can grow in sun and partial shade.

Juniper Cossack Tamariscifolia

This variety has been known since 1730. It got its name due to the fact that the young shoots vaguely resemble tamarisk. Forms a prostrate shrub with straight branches raised at an angle.The crown of an adult plant resembles a dome.

Young juniper has needle-like needles, 50 cm high and up to 2 m in diameter. Specimens after 20 years stretch up to 1-1.5 m and spread 3-3.3 m. The needles are green.

Comment! The form Tamariscifolia new Blue has a bluish color.

A significant drawback of the variety is the tendency of adult branches to dry out.

Juniper Cossack Variegata

A slowly growing form, by the age of 10 it reaches a height of 40 cm and a width of about 1 m. With age, it can stretch up to 1 m and reach a width of 1.5 m. The shoots are horizontally spread out, the ends are raised. This juniper is distinguished by cream-colored growth. It grows slowly. It tolerates low temperatures well, but the variegated tips of the branches are prone to freezing.

Cossack juniper in landscape design

Types and varieties of junipers, including Cossack, are widely and readily used in landscaping. The crop requires little irrigation and soil composition and tolerates urban conditions well. The greatest decorative effect can be achieved if the preferences of each variety for lighting are taken into account, otherwise the crown loses its shape, and the needles take on a sick appearance and a grayish tint.

The use of Cossack junipers in landscape design is determined by the shape of the crown - depending on the variety, pressed to the ground or raising the ends of the shoots like the flames of a fire. They are planted:

as undergrowth in large areas and in public parks;
on rocky hills, in rockeries;
to strengthen slopes;
varieties with a beautiful crown in the foreground of landscape groups;
forms with horizontal creeping shoots as a ground cover;
as a drapery in the background of landscape tree groups with highly raised crowns;
frame lawns or large flower beds;
as part of landscape groups;
in flower beds with flowers that do not require too much watering;
as drapery for a high foundation;
shade-tolerant varieties can be placed along the dark side of the fence;
grown in single-row wide borders;
for filling hard-to-reach or unsightly empty spaces.

These are just examples of the use of Cossack juniper in landscape design. In fact, the culture can be considered universal; it is not difficult to find a suitable corner for it in any area.

Important! Cossack juniper can be planted as a soil-protecting plant that strengthens crumbling slopes and slopes.

Conditions for growing Cossack juniper

Although the distribution zone of the Cossack juniper covers the southern regions, the crop tolerates low temperatures well, and many varieties can be planted in zone 2. The shrubs will grow on stones, sandstones, clay and calcareous soils, and are generally undemanding to the composition of the soil.

In general, the species is light-loving, but most varieties tolerate partial shade well, although they somewhat lose their decorative effect. Some forms are specifically designed for growing in areas where the sun rarely shines.

Cossack juniper tolerates anthropogenic pollution well and is drought-resistant.

Planting and caring for Cossack juniper

Cossack juniper is easy to care for. It can be planted in rarely visited areas and in hard-to-reach places where plants are known to not receive much care.

The shrub only needs sanitary pruning, but if necessary, it can easily tolerate shaping pruning.

Preparing seedlings and planting area

Since the species has little demand for soil, the soil in the planting hole does not need to be changed. If it is very bad, the mixture is prepared from peat, turf soil and sand. A drainage layer at least 15-20 cm thick is required. When groundwater comes close to the surface, it should be large.

Advice! If the ground is rich in stones, there is no need to remove them.

The planting hole is dug at least 2 weeks in advance, drainage is laid and covered with substrate. Water generously. The depth of the hole is at least 70 cm, the diameter depends on the volume of the earthen clod, and should exceed it by 1.5-2 times.

It is better to buy seedlings from local nurseries. Imported ones must be in containers; domestic ones can have an earthen ball lined with burlap. You cannot buy junipers with dried out roots or needles that have lost turgor. The branches should be carefully inspected to identify damage, signs of disease and pests.

How to plant Cossack juniper

The crop can be planted in spring and autumn. Container plants - all season, except hot months. Planting Cossack juniper in the spring is preferable in the northern regions, in the fall - in the south. Then the culture will have time to take root well.

Planting rules mean that the bush is placed in a hole at the same depth as it grew in a container or nursery, without deepening the root collar. The soil is constantly compacted to prevent voids from forming. After planting, the plant is watered abundantly, and the soil underneath is mulched.

Replanting Cossack juniper

The crop needs to be replanted in the north in the spring, in the southern regions - by the end of the season. They dig up the bush along with a lump of earth, place it on burlap, and transfer it to a new place to the prepared hole.When some time must pass between removing the juniper from the ground and planting, the root is protected from drying out.

Advice! If, after digging, the earthen lump falls apart, it is better to tie it with burlap and plant it together with the cloth.

The operation itself is no different from that described in the previous chapter.

Watering and fertilizing

Cossack juniper in regions with a temperate climate needs to be watered several times a season. In hot summers or in the absence of precipitation for a long time, it may be necessary to moisturize twice a month. Sprinkling of the crown is carried out in the evening, at least once a week.

Important! Immediately after planting, water the crop frequently so that the soil does not dry out.

It is advisable to feed the bush twice a season:

in spring, complex fertilizers with a high nitrogen content;
at the end of summer or beginning of autumn - phosphorus-potassium fertilizers.

Often gardeners fertilize crops only in the spring. This is allowed, but it is better to do two feedings.

Mulching and loosening

The soil is loosened only under young plants. Then they limit themselves to mulching the soil - this does not injure the roots, retains moisture and creates a suitable microclimate.

Shelter of Cossack juniper for the winter

Cossack juniper tolerates low temperatures well. It grows low, and if the winter is snowy, the bush will not need protection even in a region with winters more severe than indicated in the varietal description.

In the first year after planting, the crop is covered with a cardboard box or white agrofibre or spunbond. In the future, the soil under the Cossack juniper is mulched in winter.

What to plant next to Cossack juniper

Here, first of all, it is necessary to note the crops that cannot be planted close to the Cossack juniper.Rust often develops on conifers. A fungus from the genus Gymnosporangium does not cause any particular harm to the juniper itself, but it seriously affects fruit crops, especially pears and plums. Here the ephedra acts as an intermediate host when transmitting the disease.

Ornamental crops are planted next to Cossack juniper such that they have similar needs for watering, soil composition and lighting. The choice of plants is huge, so landscape designers and owners can create any composition.

The ideal combination would be Cossack juniper with the following crops:

roses;
heathers;
ferns with light fronds;
cereals;
bulbous;
mosses and lichens.

Cossack juniper flowering

Cossack juniper is a monoecious plant, prone to dioecy. This means that the culture has male and female flowers on each individual specimen that are unevenly distributed. There are individuals that have reproductive organs of only one sex.

The male flower is an oval-shaped earring with many stamens, the female flower is collected in a cone with 4-6 scales. Their opening and pollination occurs in May. The fruits are called cones and ripen at the end of the first season or in the spring of the next.

Black-brown, appearing bluish-gray because of the bloom, the fruits are poisonous. They have a round-oval shape, size 5-7 mm, and do not open when ripe. Each contains up to 4 seeds.

The flowering period of Cossack juniper does not add decorative value to the plant. But ripe cones are a real decoration, but they cannot be eaten, and children must be watched especially carefully. Although the toxicity of the culture is low, this may be enough for a fragile organism.

How to propagate Cossack juniper

The specific Cossack juniper is easy to propagate with stratified and peeled seeds. Varieties rarely inherit the properties of the mother plant, so such breeding for amateurs does not make sense.

When only a few new bushes are needed, Cossack juniper is easy to propagate by layering - its shoots themselves fall to the ground and take root. But if you “tear” an attached branch from the ground (it’s difficult to do this carefully), many roots will be torn off, and it will be difficult for the plant to take root in a new place.

So it’s better to manage the process yourself - choose a suitable shoot, secure it in a convenient place, and cover it with earth. To make it more convenient to dig out the layer, you can place pine bark, cardboard, or a piece of roofing material under the soil-free part of the branch. Then there will be no unnecessary injuries - roots will simply not form in the wrong place.

Propagation by cuttings of Cossack juniper is carried out in cases where you need to get many plants at once, or if someone “shared” a sprig of a variety they liked. The procedure is simple, although it requires careful attention to the seedling until rooting is complete.

Cuttings of Cossack juniper can be carried out at any time, but it is better to propagate in the spring. From a bush at the age of 8-10 years, a shoot of 10-12 cm is taken with a “heel” (a piece of bark from an older branch), the lower part is freed from needles, and treated with heteroauxin or another stimulant.

Important! You can store the cuttings for no more than 3 hours in a cool place (for example, in the refrigerator), wrapped in a damp, clean cloth.

The cuttings are planted in a light nutrient mixture, perlite or clean coarse sand at an angle of 30-45°.You cannot stick shoots into the substrate; holes are made with a pencil or a specially planed stick.

The soil is compacted with your fingers, watered, and the container is covered with film. The container must contain drainage and holes for the outflow of excess water. The planting should be regularly ventilated, instead of watering it should be sprayed generously with a spray bottle. Cossack juniper cuttings are kept in a place protected from the sun at a temperature of 16-19°. Already at 25° problems can begin.

After 30-45 days, the cuttings will take root and can be planted in separate cups with light but nutritious soil. Young Cossack junipers are moved to a permanent place after 2 years.

Pests and diseases of Cossack juniper

Cossack juniper is a healthy crop. If you avoid mistakes in care and regularly carry out preventive treatments, use sterile instruments when pruning and carrying out sanitary measures, problems should not arise. Sometimes:

If you ignore sprinkling of the crown and dry air, spider mites may appear.
Overwatering provokes the development of rot.
Too high humidity is the cause of mealybugs.

It must be taken into account that diseases and pests are more difficult to combat on young plants and forms with sharp needles. When processing, you need to literally pour the preparation over the bush so that the solution gets into the sinuses of the hard, angled needles. It is there that pathogens remain, which are destroyed with fungicides, and pest larvae. Insecticides will help deal with them.

Conclusion

Cossack juniper is an unpretentious ornamental crop that can be planted in low-maintenance gardens.In many areas it does not occupy a dominant position, and is often not very noticeable. But if the Cossack juniper is removed from the site, it will become less decorative and lose some of its charm.

Reviews about Cossack juniper

Gennady Fedorovich Kurochkin, 52 years old, Kazan

I would like to share my experience of growing Cossack juniper Glauk. It grows quite quickly, which my wife and I did not know about. They planted me next to English roses, and for some reason they didn’t take root well here, but here, after many years of attempts, as many as three bushes took root. The flowers looked fantastic against the juniper background. But we were not happy for long. The juniper grew and began to push the roses. I couldn’t even raise my hand to delete anything. Then I took pruning shears and cut holes for the roses right in the crown. I thought: “come what may!” It turned out so beautiful, if you want to make it up on purpose, it won’t work. Now I only support it by trimming the recess. And I can’t loosen roses, but they apparently liked the juniper’s proximity - and they grow so well.

Mikaela Genrikhovna Radieva, 40 years old, Nizhny Novgorod

Cossack juniper does not occupy a place of honor on our site, but it is impossible to do without it. Of course, this culture is not very fond of shade. But if the yard is like ours - narrow, long, dark most of the daylight hours, the choice of plants is small, and you have to plant them according to the principle “if only they can stand it.” Along the fence in the background were placed 10 bushes of the Cossack juniper Tamariscifolia. At first they grew freely, then they closed and formed a dense group. Of course, you have to cut out dry branches every spring and regularly spray them with epin to increase viability. But overall, we are very pleased with the Cossack juniper.

Cossack juniper: photo and description