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References to Siberian Juniperus are rare in reference literature. Jan Van der Neer, popular among amateur gardeners, does not mention it, and Krussman, revered by specialists, does not mention the culture. But the whole point is that botanists cannot come to a consensus on whether the Siberian juniper is a separate species.
By and large, for amateurs this does not matter much. They should take note of the information, and since there is little data on the culture, provide the same care as for the Common Juniper (Juniperus communis).
Description of Siberian juniper
Siberian juniper has been in cultivation since 1879. In 1787, it was described by a forester from Germany, Friedrich August Ludwig von Burgsdorf.
It is a coniferous plant, the taxon of which has not been fully determined. It is absolutely certain that Siberian Juniper belongs to the Cypress family (Cupressaceae), genus Juniperus. But a separate species is Juniperus Sibirica or a form (subspecies, variation) of the Common Juniperus Juniperus communis var.Saxatilis, scientists are still arguing.
It is a very hardy plant, widespread, and can withstand low and high temperatures. Moreover, the appearance of Siberian juniper varies little depending on the habitat and climatic zone. It is considered one of the most frost-resistant conifers.
Siberian juniper is a coniferous plant with an open, creeping crown. Very rarely it grows in the form of a low tree. The height of Siberian juniper at 10 years old usually does not exceed 50 cm. In an adult plant it can reach 1 m, but only when the branches partially grow upward.
It is difficult to judge the diameter of the Siberian juniper crown, since shoots lying on the ground tend to take root and over time cover a large area. It is difficult to control whether the branches are growing. Cultures in natural conditions often live in places with very difficult conditions for survival. Siberian juniper can take root through agrofibre and reach the ground through mulch.
Thick triangular shoots are characterized by shortened internodes. Usually they are located more or less in a horizontal plane, but sometimes some stick out randomly upward. The bark on young branches is light brown, bare, on old shoots it is grayish.
The saber-shaped needles are green, with a clearly visible grayish-white stomatal stripe on top; the color does not change in winter. The needles are pressed to the shoots, densely arranged, collected in groups of 3, prickly, hard, 4 to 8 mm long. They live for 2 years.
Round cones with a diameter of up to 8 mm, mounted on short stalks. They ripen 2 years after pollination in June-August.When fully ripe, Siberian juniper cones become dark blue, almost black, with a bluish bloom, each containing 2-3 seeds.
In unfavorable conditions, the root can go 2 m deep. The winter hardiness of Siberian juniper is maximum. It will grow where most other conifers die from the cold. Lives long. In Russia, botanists found a specimen that is more than 600 years old.
Registered varieties of Siberian juniper:
- Viridis;
- Glauca;
- Compacta.
Distribution area of Siberian juniper
Despite the name, the range of Siberian Juniper is extensive. In the north, it grows in the Arctic zone, in the temperate zone and regions with a warm climate - in the mountains at an altitude of up to 4200 m above sea level.
The culture can be found in Siberia, Crimea, Greenland, Inner Mongolia, the Himalayas, the mountains of Central and Asia Minor, the Far East, and Tibet. It grows throughout the Urals at the upper edge of the forest, and in the Caucasus - no lower than 2400 m above sea level. Distributed on the Kuril Islands and in the mountains of Central Europe up to Montenegro. Found in eastern North America.
In the north, the habitats of Siberian juniper are extremely cold regions. In regions with a temperate and warm climate - highlands, mountain slopes and placers, wasteland meadows. It forms pure plantings and grows in deciduous woodlands, often together with dwarf cedar and Middendorf birch.
Planting and caring for Siberian juniper
Siberian juniper has exceptional hardiness and can grow even on peaty soils, stones, rocks with minor soil inclusions. Caring for it is easy.
When planting, do not forget that Siberian juniper grows in breadth. You need to leave enough space for it, so that not only the seedling is fully illuminated, but also the adult plant that has covered a large area.
Preparing seedlings and planting area
Siberian juniper is planted in an open place, perhaps on a crumbling slope or poorly collected construction waste sprinkled with soil on top. The main requirement of the plant for the soil is that it is not dense and too fertile. The matter can be corrected by adding a large amount of sand.
Siberian juniper will not grow on soaking soils, especially with close groundwater levels. The exit is a thick layer of drainage, a bulk hill or a terrace.
The planting hole is prepared in such a size that drainage and an earthen ball or root can fit there. In rich, dense soils, add a lot of sand. It is very good if there is gravel or screenings on the site - they are mixed with the soil before planting.
Siberian juniper is unpretentious, but you need to be careful when choosing a seedling. First, you should not buy a plant with an exposed root system. You can dig up a bush in the mountains, bring it home, soak the root for 12 hours, plant it, and everything will be fine. But this way the owners know for sure that the juniper was taken out of the ground recently, and not a week ago.
Secondly, you need to buy local plants. Siberian juniper brought from Crimea to the tundra will immediately die from the cold. The northern seedling will not tolerate the southern heat. These are, of course, extreme cases, but you cannot move a plant from one climate to another without long-term adaptation.And since Siberian juniper is not such a rare crop, it is better to take it locally.
Landing rules
On loose, moderately fertile or poor soils, the planting hole need not be prepared at all. They simply dig a hole of suitable size, as many novice gardeners like, lay down drainage, fill in the roots, and water the crop.
But, if you do everything according to the rules, planting is done in the following sequence:
- The pit is prepared 2 weeks in advance. Its depth should be equal to the height of the earthen ball plus 15-20 cm for drainage. Cover it 2/3 with earth or prepared substrate and fill it with water.
- Immediately before planting, part of the soil is removed and set aside.
- A plant is placed in the center. The root collar should be at ground level.
- The hole is filled in and the soil is compacted.
- Water and mulch the tree trunk circle.
Watering and fertilizing
Only the young plant is watered regularly until it takes root. As soon as it begins to grow, moisture is reduced to more than moderate. After 3-4 years of stay on the site, if the crop feels satisfactory, watering is stopped. They are made only in dry summers. At the end of the season, they carry out abundant moisture replenishment.
Sprinkling the crown is beneficial. They can be done once a week at sunset.
It is imperative to feed Siberian juniper in the first 2-3 years after planting. In the spring it is given a complex fertilizer with a predominance of nitrogen, in the fall, and in the north at the end of summer - phosphorus-potassium.
In the future, if the Siberian juniper feels good on the site, until the age of 10 you can limit yourself to spring feeding. And then stop fertilizing altogether.But when the plant is sick and is often attacked by pests, it needs to be fed twice a season.
Foliar fertilizers are important for the health and decorative appearance of the plant. Through the needles, they supply the juniper with those substances that are poorly absorbed by the root.
Mulching and loosening
It is only necessary to loosen the soil under the plant for the first 1-2 years after planting in order to break up the crust formed after rain or watering. Then it becomes inconvenient to do this - the branches of the Siberian juniper lie on the ground, and there is no need.
But mulching with pine bark, peat or rotted sawdust is very useful for the crop. To pour covering material, the branches are carefully lifted.
Trimming and shaping
Sanitary pruning for Siberian juniper is mandatory. Its branches lie on the ground; dead wood, when decomposed, can become a breeding ground for diseases or a haven for pests, which will certainly move to healthy shoots.
But the plant does not need a shaping haircut. But only when the garden design is built in a free style. If you need to give the juniper clear contours, or to prevent the branches from sticking out in different directions, you can cut it however you like. It is better to do this in spring or late autumn.
Preparing for winter
It is necessary to cover Siberian juniper only in the year of planting, preferably with spruce branches. And then to clear the conscience. The crop is one of the most frost-resistant; in temperate climates and in the south there is no need to even mulch the soil for the winter.
Reproduction of Siberian juniper Juniperus Sibirica
You can grow Siberian juniper from seeds, cuttings, specially root cuttings or separate branches that have grown to the ground. It reproduces easily; it is from this crop that one should learn to propagate other, more demanding crops.
It is important not to let the planting dry out, protect it from trampling, loosen the soil and remove weeds.
Siberian juniper seeds require long-term stratification, and amateurs should not mess with them. But cuttings can be taken all season. They take root well and take root in 30-45 days. Then the young plants are transplanted into an individual container or school, and the next year - to a permanent place.
Diseases and pests
Siberian Juniper has common pests and diseases with Common Juniper. This is a healthy crop, but the branches lie on the ground. This is where the root of most problems lies. Please pay attention to the following points:
- On soaking soils, or if Siberian juniper grows next to crops that require frequent watering, rot may develop. Watering needs to be adjusted. And if this is not possible, lay a thick layer of treated pine bark under the branches so that a layer is formed between the shoots and the soil. Other mulch will not help.
- Dry air is the cause of spider mites. Still, the crown of the Siberian juniper needs to be watered. In hot, dry summers - at least once a week.
- Sprinkling must be approached responsibly and done in the early morning or early evening. If the needles do not have time to dry before night, there is a danger of rot, and in hot climates also damping off.
- In the spring, after the snow melts, a specific disease can develop on Siberian juniper - juniper schutte, the spores of which survive at low temperatures.
- In warm climates, mealybugs may appear. It is difficult to fight it on junipers.
So preventive treatments cannot be neglected. Moreover, they need to be carried out especially carefully, carefully lifting the branches to spray from the side pressed to the ground.
Pests are destroyed with the help of acaricides and insecticides; fungicides will help fight diseases.
Conclusion
Siberian juniper is a crop that residents of the northernmost regions can decorate their plots with. It is easy to care for, undemanding to soil and resistant to drought. The decorative value of the crop is high, and besides, the color of the needles in winter remains green with a silvery tint, and does not change to brown, grayish or yellowish.
