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Creeping juniper is considered a dwarf shrub. It has a rich resinous odor reminiscent of pine needles. Thanks to phytoncides in the composition, it purifies the air. Kills pathogens within a radius of 3 m. The variety of shapes and shades allows you to create interesting landscape compositions with evergreen crops.
Description of creeping juniper
Bushy type plant. The height is 10-40 cm, and the diameter can reach 2-2.5 m. The branches grow and spread along the ground. There is no foliage. Each branch is covered with short needles or scales. The color of the needles is pale green.
This group includes horizontal and creeping junipers.This type is used to create decorative slopes, low borders, and growing in hanging pots. The creeping shrub can easily adapt to any soil in which it is planted, even in rocky areas.
Types of creeping juniper
There are 60 known crops that belong to creeping junipers, examples are shown in the photo below. Outwardly they are all similar. Creeping shrubs are united by a low trunk size. The structure of the needles, color, and size may differ.
Andorra Compacta
The bush is densely branched. The maximum height of the bush is 40 cm, width – 2 m. The color of the shoots is brown-green. The bark is brown. The surface of young branches is smooth, while older ones have cracks. The type of needles is scaly or needle-shaped. Its structure is soft and pleasant to the touch. The needles are not wide and tightly pressed to the branches. Creeping juniper is green in summer and turns purple in winter.
Blue Chip
In 1945, the Danes developed a creeping variety. Skeletal shoots are rare. The shape of the bush resembles a five-pointed star. The ends of the branches tend vertically upward. This form of juniper has a raised middle. The needles are mostly needle-shaped, sometimes scaly. The color is grayish blue. There are thorns on the shoots. This ground-blooded shrub reacts negatively to excess moisture. Planting in sunny areas is recommended.
Limeglow
Creeping juniper with yellow needles. The bush is compact. The shape of the crown resembles a vase. The needles are feathery. The color changes throughout the season, becoming orange in winter. It grows slowly. The fruits are rare. The variety does not tolerate excessively wet soil. Photophilous. Frost-resistant. The shrub is resistant to diseases and pests.
Prince of Wales
Combining the top layers with the bottom layers gives a deep green color. The height of the creeping shrub is 30 cm, diameter is 2.5 m. The plant is characterized by slow growth. The form is creeping. The bark is red-gray. The needles are scaly, thick, rich green in color. Reacts calmly to frost and sudden temperature changes. They are mainly planted in open areas for greater decorative effect.
Creeping juniper in landscape design
In landscape design, creeping juniper is included in decorative single plantings or acts as an integral part in group compositions. Evergreen shrubs look elegant against the background of snow. Low-growing varieties are planted on rocky hills, rock gardens, to stabilize the slopes. Creeping plants grow within 3-4 years, visually creating the appearance of a green carpet.
Creeping juniper combines beautifully with conifers. Various shades and textures are appreciated by designers of street compositions.
Growing conditions for creeping juniper
Evergreen creeping shrubs grow well in sunny, open areas. If it is planted in the shade or near a wall with climbing plants, its decorative properties will be lost. The bush will become loose and the color will become pale. The plant will lose its beauty. Sluggish, disease-affected branches will appear. Common juniper is suitable for partial shade.
Planting and caring for creeping juniper
Garden crops require standard care. It takes root quickly. Hardy. Grows easily in city conditions. Varieties of creeping juniper give a small increase per year, approximately 5-7 cm.In an environment with optimal conditions, the evergreen shrub has a life expectancy of 600 years.
Preparation of seedlings and planting area
It is preferable to buy creeping juniper planting material in containers (see the photo). Then landing is possible at any time. Creeping bushes at the age of 2-3 years are suitable for planting in open ground. The young plant should not show signs of rot or fungal diseases. Roots that are in a closed form adapt faster to space and grow. If there are dry or damaged shoots, they should be trimmed. Trim the side branches and the top to ½ the length of the growth.
The choice of soil depends on the variety of creeping juniper. Basically, the shrub grows well in sandy, loamy, alkaline soils. Prefers a large predominance of peat in the soil. Heavy soils are not suitable for cultivation.
For rapid growth and rapid development, you can use a substrate: coniferous soil, peat, sand. All components will be required in equal proportions. The depressions are prepared 23 days in advance or on the day of planting.
How to plant creeping juniper
Creeping juniper is usually planted in spring or mid-autumn. When planting a plant in another period, slow development and poor survival are observed. In order not to damage the rhizome in the process, the creeping bush is planted with a lump of earth.
- Dig a hole. The dimensions of the hole should be 2-3 times larger than the root system.
- The depth is provided for at least 70 cm.
- Drainage made of gravel or crushed stone is laid at the bottom. Layer thickness 15-20 cm.
- A creeping juniper sapling is placed in the center of the recess and sprinkled with earth.
- Water generously.
- Carry out mulching around the trunk circle.
When planting creeping shrubs, you should keep your distance. The distance between creeping bushes should be at least 1 m. Otherwise, one plant will overlap another, creating shadow.
Transfer
When choosing a good site for a coniferous shrub, you should keep in mind that an adult garden crop does not tolerate a change of location. Therefore, creeping juniper is planted on the most successful site, in the gardener’s opinion. Otherwise, the plant will begin to hurt, stop growing for a long time, and yellowing may occur on some branches. A transplanted creeping bush may not survive the winter and wither away.
Watering and fertilizing
Young growth is watered regularly, but not abundantly. During periods of prolonged absence of rain, water the bush once every 7 days. Creeping juniper is a drought-resistant plant, so water procedures are carried out three times a month. In hot weather, the procedure is performed early in the morning or in the evening. The bushes are also sprayed.
Fertilize creeping juniper in the spring season. Use nitroammophoska in the amount of 20 g per 1 sq. m. It is possible to use other complex preparations for feeding conifers. In September, the fast-growing creeping juniper bush is fed with fertilizers containing phosphorus and potassium.
Mulching and loosening
The tree trunk circle should be regularly cleared of weeds. Mulching will help solve this problem. The procedure helps retain moisture in the soil. Natural material for mulch: pine chips, pine needles, gravel. They will have to be laid on black geotextiles.Minimum layer 5 cm.
After watering, a dense crust forms on the ground, which does not allow the root system of the creeping plant to “breathe.” The loosening procedure is necessary to saturate the soil with oxygen and eliminate weed. Use a hoe to lift the top layer of soil shallowly so as not to harm the roots.
Preparing creeping juniper for winter
For the winter, cover with creeping junipers that are no more than 4 years old. They choose burlap and spruce branches for this. In cold climates, overgrown bushes are also protected from frost by tying them with twine. This will strengthen the crown and prevent it from breaking under the weight of snow.
Pruning creeping juniper
Pruning is a mandatory method of caring for juniper, which also has a decorative function.
Is it possible to prune creeping juniper?
It is possible and even necessary to prune creeping juniper. If you do not trim the bush, then in the 3rd year after planting the crown will grow and the bush will take on an unkempt appearance. The timing of the procedure is not strict. The best time will be April and September. The plant loves pruning, so it can be done throughout the year, with the exception of the period of active growth. It is also not recommended to prune shoots in frosty weather.
Trim the creeping low-growing juniper twice a year or as needed. There are 2 types of pruning. Sanitary cutting - removal of dry, damaged, frozen shoots. Thus, monitor the density of the bush. The second type is formative pruning. It is carried out at the discretion of the gardener; if the natural form of an evergreen creeping crop is not suitable, then the juniper is given different geometric shapes.
How to prune creeping juniper
Shrub pruning algorithm:
- Bare branches, not covered with green needles and without dormant buds, are removed completely from the stem.
- In one procedure, you cannot trim more than 1/3 of all greenery. Otherwise, slow-growing creeping junipers will have a difficult time recovering.
- Wood cuts should not be made crosswise, as they take longer to heal and do not look aesthetically pleasing.
- Garden cutting tools must be sharp and disinfected.
- Most varieties of creeping junipers contain toxic substances. To protect your hands while pruning, you should use gloves.
- Open cuts on bushes are treated with garden varnish.
- To make the crown thicker, you need to cut off 1/3 of the current year's growth.
- At the end of the procedure, creeping varieties are fed with useful substances and also treated with a fungicide solution.
How to propagate creeping juniper
The propagation process is possible in 3 ways: layering, seeds and cuttings. The first two methods are used extremely rarely, especially the seed method. Only breeders can grow an evergreen creeping shrub from seed, because seedlings are expected to appear three years after planting.
The main method of propagation of creeping juniper is cuttings. Parts of the shoots are cut from a bush that is at least 8-10 years old. The length of the cutting is 10-15 cm. The needles are removed from the shoot 5 cm from the cut, but the bark must be left. For rapid root formation, a branch of creeping juniper is dipped into a stimulating solution for 30 minutes. Then the cuttings are planted at a slight slope into the ground. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a dark place. It is important to observe the following microclimate parameters:
- temperature + 19-20 °C;
- moderate substrate humidity;
- constant spraying with warm water;
- diffuse lighting.
After 30-45 days, roots appear. At the age of two or three years, creeping juniper can be planted in the ground.
Diseases and pests of creeping juniper
If you carry out preventive care for creeping juniper, then the likelihood of infection by infectious diseases is low. Meanwhile, the evergreen shrub is afraid of gray mold and fungal rust. You can cope with such ailments with systemic fungicides.
Harmful insects are rarely found on creeping juniper. However, you can protect the plant from aphids, scale insects or spider mites using insecticides: “Aktara”, “Aktellik”. If the treatment is carried out in a timely manner, the bush can be saved from complete infection.
Conclusion
Creeping juniper is one of the decorative crops that adorn city flower beds, park alleys, and alpine hills in summer cottages. In landscape design, the ideal combination is rocky, vertical shrubs and horizontal creeping varieties. Interest in this species lies in its undemanding nature, easy care, and attractive appearance.
