Content
Juniper is a coniferous evergreen plant, widespread in the northern and western parts of Europe, Siberia, and North and South America. Most often it can be found in the undergrowth of coniferous forests, where it forms dense thickets. The article provides a description and photo of Arnold juniper, a new columnar variety used for landscaping land plots, park areas and sanatoriums.
Description of common juniper Arnold
Common juniper Arnold (Juniperus communis Arnold) is a slow-growing coniferous tree of the cypress family with a columnar crown. Its branches are directed vertically, press tightly against each other and rush upward at an acute angle. The needle-shaped needles are 1.5 cm long and have a green, dark green or green-blue color. In the second or third year, the cones ripen, having a black-blue color with a white-blue coating. Juniper cones are conditionally edible and have a sweetish taste. The size of one fruit ranges from 0.5 to 0.9 mm; 3 brown seeds (sometimes 1 or 2) ripen inside.
In a year, the Arnold juniper grows only 10 cm, and by the age of ten its height is 1.5 - 2 m with a crown width of about 40 - 50 cm. This ornamental tree is classified as a dwarf tree, since it rarely grows higher than 3 - 5 meters.
Juniperus common Arnold in landscape design
In landscape design, Arnold juniper is used to create alpine slides, pine alleys, Japanese gardens, hedges or heather slopes. The beauty of this variety adds sophistication to park areas, and is also often used in garden design. The plant is planted both in single compositions and in row plantings in mixed groups.
Planting and caring for juniper Arnold
Planting and caring for common juniper Arnold is not particularly difficult. The plant loves sunny areas, feels good in light shade, but in dense shade the color of the needles turns pale and the crown is poorly formed. It is desirable that the sun's rays illuminate the juniper throughout the day; the density and growth rate of the needles depends on this.
Arnold does not tolerate harassment, therefore it requires a lot of space - the distance between seedlings should be 1.5 - 2 m. This variety of juniper has no special requirements for soil, but it grows better in drained, sandy loam, moist soils with acidity values from 4.5 up to 7 pH. It does not like clayey, stagnant soils, so it is necessary to add drainage and sand to the root hole when planting.
Arnold juniper does not do well in polluted areas, so it is more suitable for growing in garden plots.
Preparing seedlings and planting area
Before planting, juniper seedlings with an earthen lump are soaked in water for two hours - for good impregnation. A seedling with an open root system is treated with a root formation stimulator, for example, Kornevin.
Planting pits are prepared at the end of April, beginning of May or in the first half of autumn. The width and depth of the hole should be 3 times larger than the earthen clod. A 20 cm layer of drainage made of sand or crushed stone is laid on the bottom.
Landing rules
The soil mixture is prepared from 2 parts leaf soil, one part sand and one part peat. When planting, it is important to ensure that the root collar does not remain buried in the soil. It should be 5-10 cm higher than the edges of the hole for adult plants and level with the soil for young seedlings. If you deepen or raise the neck too much, the Arnold juniper may not take root and die.
Watering and fertilizing
The Arnold variety does not tolerate dry air. After planting, the seedlings should be watered once or twice a week for a month, depending on the weather. One plant should require at least 10 liters of water. If the weather is hot and dry, it is recommended to additionally sprinkle each tree, since the needles evaporate a lot of moisture. Arnold juniper is drought-resistant and requires watering no more than 2 - 3 times per season (approximately 20 - 30 liters of water per adult tree). In dry weather, watering is necessary 1-2 times a month.
Fertilizing is carried out once a year in early May with Nitroammophoska (40 g per sq. m.) or water-soluble fertilizer “Kemira Universal” (20 g per 10 liters of water).
Mulching and loosening
Twice a year, in autumn and early spring, the soil must be mulched with a layer of compost 7–10 cm high. For better growth, it is recommended to regularly, at least once every two weeks, loosen the soil in the area of the root circle.
Trimming and shaping
Juniperus Arnold tolerates pruning well. Pruning is carried out once a year, in early spring, and is limited to removing dry, diseased or damaged branches. This is done to stimulate the growth of new shoots from which the crown is formed. Since Arnold juniper grows very slowly, it should be cut carefully, trying not to damage healthy branches.
Preparing for winter
Juniper is a frost-resistant plant that can withstand low temperatures down to -35 °C. However, this columnar species does not tolerate snowfall well, so in the winter it is recommended to tie the crown with rope or tape. In the fall, young plants are sprinkled with a 10-centimeter layer of peat and covered with spruce branches.
Reproduction
Common juniper Juniperus communis Arnold can be propagated in two ways:
- Seeds. This method is considered the most difficult. Only freshly collected seeds are suitable for it. Before planting, the seeds are scarified (the outer layer is damaged by exposure to cold for 120 - 150 days). This is done because of their dense shell - to facilitate germination. Then they are planted in the ground and watered as the earthen clod dries.
- Semi-lignified cuttings. The most common way. In the spring, a young juniper shoot with a heel (mother fragment) is cut off and planted in a prepared substrate, where it then takes root. The temperature should be +15 - 18 °C at first, then increased to +20 - 23 °C.
Sometimes Arnold juniper is propagated by layering, but this method is rarely used, since this threatens to disrupt the characteristic shape of the crown.
Diseases and pests
Arnold juniper is most often exposed to diseases and suffers from pests in the spring, when after winter its immunity is weakened.
Description and photos of common ailments of common juniper Arnold:
- Rust. This is a disease caused by the fungus Gymnosporangium. The affected areas in which the mycelium is located thicken, swell and die. These growths have a bright red or brown tint.
- Tracheomycosis. It is also a fungal infection caused by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum. At the same time, the juniper needles turn yellow and crumble, and the bark and branches dry out. First, the tops of the shoots die, and as the mycelium spreads, the entire tree dies.
- Schutte is brown. The disease is caused by the fungus Nerpotrichia nigra and is manifested by yellowing of the shoots. Due to the black growths formed, the needles acquire a brown tint and fall off.
In addition to diseases, Arnold juniper suffers from various pests, such as:
- Angled-winged moth: this is a small butterfly whose caterpillars feed on needles without damaging the branches of the plant;
- juniper scale: the parasite is a sucking insect, its larvae stick to the needles, causing them to dry out and die;
- gall midges: small mosquitoes measuring 1-4 mm. Their larvae glue juniper needles together, forming galls, inside which the parasites live, causing the shoots to dry out;
- aphid: a sucking parasite that loves young shoots and greatly weakens the plant’s immunity;
- spider mite: a tiny insect that feeds on the contents of cells and entwines young branches with a thin web.
In order to prevent diseases, Arnold juniper must be sprayed with phosphate or sulfur preparations, as well as fed, watered and mulched in a timely manner.
In addition, to reduce the risk of certain fungal infections, juniper should not be planted next to fruit trees (for example, pear). This is explained by the fact that mushrooms are multi-host pests and move from juniper to pear and back every year. Once the trees are separated, the harmful fungus will die within a year.
Conclusion
The above description and photo of Arnold juniper allows us to conclude that this unpretentious plant, with proper care, will delight the eye with its beauty for a long time. It is enough to carry out annual feeding and spraying activities - and the juniper will reward you with good growth, as well as healthy, green and fragrant shoots.
