Content
- 1 Description of Juniper Chinese Strict
- 2 Juniper Strict in landscape design
- 3 Planting and caring for Chinese juniper Stricta
- 4 Features of caring for Strict juniper at home
- 5 Reproduction of juniper chinensis stricta
- 6 Pests and diseases of juniper Strict
- 7 Conclusion
- 8 Reviews of Chinese juniper Stricta
Juniper Stricta is a variety bred by Dutch breeders in the mid-twentieth century. Thanks to the graceful shape of the crown and the unusual colors of the needles, the plant has gained wide popularity among landscape designers and gardeners, both in Europe and in Russia.
Description of Juniper Chinese Strict
The species belongs to the Cypress family, the Juniper genus. This is an evergreen dwarf coniferous tree of small height. It has a slender cone-shaped shape and is distinguished by a dense symmetrical crown formed by thin straight branches growing vertically at an acute angle to the trunk.The needles are thin, sharp, soft, green-bluish in color; in winter it takes on a gray-blue hue.
In August-October, numerous dark blue cone berries with a whitish waxy coating ripen on female specimens. Their diameter is about 0.8 cm, and there are 3 seeds inside. The fruits are inedible.
A variety close in description is the Stricta Variegata juniper, which differs from the Chinese Stricta juniper variety in its conical-shaped crown and unusual coloring of the needles: against the background of green or bluish-green branches, cream shoots stand out, arranged in a chaotic manner. This picturesque variety has also gained recognition among landscape designers in many countries around the world.
The variety is relatively unpretentious, tolerates frost well, is undemanding to soil composition and does not suffer from air pollution in large cities.
Sizes of Juniper Strict
Chinese Juniper Stricta reaches a height of 2.5 m with a diameter of about 1.5 m, but it is not uncommon for it to grow up to 3 m. These are the optimal sizes for forming hedges.
Root system of Juniper Chinese Strict
Chinese juniper has a powerful, developed root system and can be used to strengthen eroded soils.
When buying a seedling, it is important to remember that the root system of conifers is very vulnerable and quickly dies in the open air, so you should choose plants grown in a container.
Is Juniper Stricta poisonous or not?
Chinese juniper, like other conifers, is known for its ability to purify the air and inhibit the growth of bacteria.This property is often used in preventive and restorative medicine. In sanatorium-resort establishments you can often find walking paths along which Chinese Strict juniper trees are planted. Air enriched with its phytoncides has a beneficial effect on the nervous system and promotes recovery from pulmonary diseases.
However, its needles and fruits contain a certain amount of toxic substances. Close and prolonged contact of the sap with the skin and mucous membranes can be harmful, so when working with shrubs, gardeners should be careful and use protective gloves.
How fast does Stricta juniper grow?
Chinese juniper is a slow-growing crop. Interestingly, an adult tree grows faster than a young one. Over time, growth accelerates, but does not exceed 5–7 cm per year.
Frost resistance of Chinese Strict juniper
One of the most important characteristics of the variety, which makes it attractive for use in Russia, is frost resistance. Only in very severe winters do plantings need shelter. But heavy snowfalls can lead to breakage of branches.
Juniper Strict in landscape design
Chinese juniper is one of the most popular plants among landscape designers. It is difficult to imagine a composition in Chinese or Japanese style without the use of this picturesque tree. It looks no less advantageous in the European style of landscaping.In numerous photos of Strict juniper in landscape design you can see examples of the design of alpine slides, rockeries, single plantings and group ensembles. Thanks to the ability to form a crown, the tree is excellent for hedges. It is also used for landscaping terraces and balconies.
If Stricta can serve as an advantageous backdrop for bright accents created by other plants or elements, then Stricta Variegata is most often the central detail of the composition. Thanks to its unusual coloring, this variety is able to enliven even the most unassuming plant ensemble.
Planting and caring for Chinese juniper Stricta
According to the description of experienced gardeners, there is nothing complicated in growing and caring for Chinese juniper Strict. It is unpretentious, but in order for it not to lose its attractiveness, certain rules of planting and care are required.
Preparing seedlings and planting area
Selecting and preparing a planting site is one of the most important stages in growing beautiful, healthy trees.
This is a light-loving crop, however, its needles can suffer greatly from direct sun. It is most dangerous for young specimens, so it is recommended to choose a well-ventilated place in partial shade.
It is optimal to buy a seedling at a nursery or garden center. There are several recommendations for choosing it:
- It is preferable to buy trees with a closed root system. Ideally - in a container or with a lump of earth;
- young shoots should be visible on the seedling;
- branches should not be dry or brittle;
- You should choose seedlings with a dense, bright green crown, without dry or damaged areas.
Landing rules
Transplantation is carried out in spring or autumn. If the seedling has an open root system, it should be planted immediately after purchase to prevent it from drying out. The tree in the container can wait until the time is right for transplanting.
The general algorithm is as follows:
- prepare a hole with a volume 2–3 times larger than the size of the earthen ball with roots;
- leave a distance of 1.5 - 2 m between the holes;
- fill the bottom of the hole with drainage (broken brick or pebbles);
- bury the seedling, leaving the root collar above the surface;
- sprinkle the tree with a mixture of sand, peat and turf soil;
- shelter from the sun;
- water generously.
Watering and fertilizing
Chinese juniper Stricta is not too demanding of moisture and tolerates drought quite well. For several months after planting, it needs to be provided with regular, abundant watering.
In dry summers, it is watered 2-3 times so that each tree receives up to 30 liters of water. When growing the Chinese variety in ensembles, it should be taken into account that excess moisture is detrimental to it, so it is necessary to select crops with a similar watering regime.
But dry air can be very harmful, so it is recommended to spray the crown frequently. To avoid burns, do not allow water to get on the needles; on a sunny day, spraying should be done in the morning or evening.
Once a season, at the end of April or May, the plantings are fertilized.Mineral complexes for conifers have an optimal composition.
Mulching and loosening
Mulching is not a mandatory procedure. To avoid rapid drying out of the top layer of soil, water less frequently and get rid of weed, you can use mulching. Wood chips or pine bark are used as mulch.
Chinese juniper has a developed strong root system, so only young plants need loosening. It should be done shallowly so as not to touch the delicate roots.
Pruning Strict juniper
Chinese juniper Stricta lends itself well to crown formation. In landscape plantings, pruning is done regularly, and in hedges, as a rule, only dry branches are removed. Plantings are pruned in early spring.
To prevent fungal diseases, it is advisable to treat the crown with a fungicide after pruning.
Winter shelter for juniper Strict
Despite the fact that the Chinese Strict juniper variety is frost-resistant, the trees need to be prepared for winter. So, at the end of autumn, the tree trunks are mulched with a thick layer of peat, and young trees are completely insulated with spruce branches. The crown may suffer from heavy snowfalls, so the branches are tied to the trunk.
If the winter promises to be extremely frosty, for preventive purposes you can insulate the plantings with burlap, agrospan or other covering materials. You can remove the shelter at the end of April. It is advisable to choose a cloudy day for this so that the plant adapts to the sun's rays.
Features of caring for Strict juniper at home
Junipers are not often used as houseplants.Despite the fact that this is an evergreen crop, it, like all conifers, needs a period of rest, therefore it is demanding on temperature conditions. However, now these small trees are kept in residential premises with great success. On the forums of indoor flower lovers, you can see photos in which Chinese juniper Stricta not only grows at home, but is also used as an element of entire plant compositions.
Thanks to its slow growth, Strict juniper is one of the most suitable varieties for growing at home in a pot. In order for a juniper tree to please its owner for a long time, you must adhere to simple rules:
- the purchased seedling should be immediately transplanted into a larger pot;
- optimal use of soil for coniferous trees. Peat soil is also suitable;
- add drainage to the bottom of the pot to avoid harmful stagnation of moisture;
- after replanting, sprinkle the top layer of soil with mulch and water with fertilizer for conifers;
- water moderately - in summer as it dries out, in winter no more than twice a month;
- often, up to several times a day, spray the crown with water from a spray bottle;
- in winter, take the pot away from heating devices;
- fertilize in spring and summer once every 2 weeks with mineral complexes added to water for irrigation;
- the pot should be on the sunny side. In summer, avoid direct sunlight on the crown;
- the temperature in summer should not exceed +25 °C, in winter +13 °C;
- young trees should be transplanted into larger pots every spring. It is important to know that even slight damage to the root system leads to juniper disease.
Reproduction of juniper chinensis stricta
It is almost impossible to grow a tree from seeds, so propagation by cuttings is most suitable for Strict juniper. In the spring, one-year-old branches are separated from the trunk and rooted in a mixture of peat and sand. The variety of Chinese juniper Stricta Variegata reproduces better by layering. The branches creeping along the ground are placed in grooves filled with the same mixture of sand and peat, sprinkled with soil, and the tops are pinched. The branches rooted in this way become independent plants.
Pests and diseases of juniper Strict
Despite its unpretentiousness, Chinese juniper Stricta, like other conifers, is susceptible to fungal diseases. There are up to 40 species of fungi. Some affect the root system, while others affect branches and needles. In addition to the signs characteristic of each disease, a common signal of damage is yellowing and drying out of the needles, and then of entire branches. It often looks like Chinese juniper Stricta is drying out due to lack of moisture, but the real reason is fungus.
The most common diseases: fusarium, alternaria, rust, schutte.
Pests cause just as much trouble. Most often these are sawfly, aphids, needle mites and juniper scale insects. Insecticides help against their invasion.
Conclusion
It is no coincidence that Juniper Stricta is considered one of the most interesting plants for landscape design. The unpretentiousness of this tree allows it to be used both in small private areas and for landscaping in large cities.Thanks to its decorative properties, you can create spectacular compositions with other plants and natural materials.
