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Juniper is an excellent decorative evergreen shrub, and many gardeners would like to plant it on their site. However, this is often difficult to do. In nurseries, planting material is expensive and not always available, and juniper taken from the wild is highly likely to die. There is a way out of this situation. This is the propagation of juniper by cuttings. It is possible, but doing it at home is quite difficult.
Is it possible to propagate juniper from cuttings?
Coniferous plants take cuttings quite difficult, and juniper is no exception. Even if all necessary conditions are met, the percentage of rooting of cuttings does not exceed 50, which is a good indicator. Growing juniper from cuttings is the only way to propagate decorative species of this evergreen shrub.This can also be done using seeds, but in this way it is possible to obtain only seedlings - plants that have not retained varietal characteristics. The process of propagating juniper by seeds is difficult and long, so most gardeners prefer to use the well-proven vegetative method.
Some gardeners are trying to replant juniper bushes brought from the wild onto their site. However, in most cases this ends in failure. It is better not to dig up forest juniper, but to propagate it by cuttings, cutting several promising branches from a wild bush.
Features of juniper cuttings
You can take juniper cuttings throughout the season, but the best time for this is considered to be early spring or autumn. In the summer this is usually not done. At temperatures above + 25 ° C, the life of the plant slows down greatly, and the cuttings may simply die. Low temperatures also negatively affect this process. Therefore, you can root juniper in winter only at home.
Juniper cuttings have one interesting feature. If you take them from the top of the plant, the future tree will tend to grow upward and form a narrow crown. If cuttings are taken from side shoots, the crown of the future bush will grow in breadth. Therefore, to propagate tree-like junipers with a narrow crown, you need to use branches taken from the top of the tree, and for bush and creeping varieties - from the side. For varieties with a variegated crown, planting material is taken from the sunny side.
When is it better to propagate thujas and junipers from cuttings?
Propagation of thuja and juniper by green cuttings can begin in early spring, as soon as the snow melts, and continue until the end of May. This time marks the peak of active growth of the plant, the maximum of its vital energy. However, not all gardeners consider these terms correct. There is an opinion that the best time for planting cuttings is from September to the end of November. During this period, the stomata of plants are closed and moisture loss is minimal.
Propagation of juniper by cuttings in spring
Planting juniper in the spring with cuttings is done in early April, when the temperature confidently reaches positive values. At this time, the shelters from the bushes are already removed, so visually assessing the quality and choosing the necessary material for cuttings is not difficult.
Cuttings are taken from semi-lignified shoots, cutting them with a knife or tearing them off with your hands along with part of the old wood - the heel.
Juniper cuttings in winter
You can also take juniper cuttings at the end of winter. At this time there are no severe frosts, and coniferous plants are already preparing for the beginning of the growing season. It is important that during this period the trees are completely free of any pests or diseases. After harvesting the cuttings, the winter shelter should be returned to its place, since frost and bright spring sun can severely damage the needles.
Propagation of juniper by cuttings at home in autumn
Planting juniper cuttings in the fall can be done from September to November. During this time, they are rooted in separate containers, and in the spring they are transplanted into greenhouses for growing. Once the seedlings reach 3–4 years of age, they can be transplanted into open ground.
How to propagate juniper from cuttings at home
Growing juniper from a branch at home is quite a difficult task. This is a long process, taking several months. To carry out the work you will need the following materials:
- Epin (plant growth stimulator);
- Kornevin (root formation stimulator);
- knife;
- a piece of clean cloth;
- sphagnum moss;
- plastic bag.
Unlike thuja, when propagating juniper from cuttings, jars of water are not used. Prolonged exposure to a humid environment does not lead to root formation, but only to rotting of the branches.
Rules for taking cuttings
Semi-lignified shoots 8-15 cm long can be used as cuttings. It is better not to cut them, but to tear them off with your hands, since this method also removes a piece of old wood - the heel. Harvested cuttings should be wrapped in damp moss.
How to root juniper using cuttings
Before rooting begins, juniper branches are kept for 12 hours in water with the addition of a growth stimulator - Epin. If this is not available, you can use its natural substitute - sugar or honey water (proportions of 1 liter of water and 1 teaspoon of sugar or honey). The lower 3-4 cm of the cutting must be cleared of needles. It is also necessary to remove berries from the branches, if there are any. Along with removing the needles, several notches are made on the bark in the lower part of the cuttings; it is in such places that the juniper branch will give roots in the future.
Lay a layer of damp sphagnum moss on a piece of clean cloth. Then the cuttings are placed on it, having previously powdered their lower part with Kornevin. The fabric is folded into a pocket and rolled into a roll, which is secured with several elastic bands for banknotes.The roll is placed in a plastic bag. When tied, it is hung between wooden window frames, but it is important that it is not exposed to direct sunlight. Periodically, the cuttings need to be taken out and inspected. In a few months, when they have their own roots, they can be planted in separate peat cups, and after final rooting, planted in open ground.
Rooting juniper at home can also be done in containers filled with a mixture of sand and peat. The cuttings prepared and treated by Kornevin are buried 5-7 cm into the moistened substrate. Then the containers are placed in a thick plastic bag and placed on the windowsill. In this way, greenhouse conditions are simulated. There is no need to tie the bag at the top. The nutrient substrate must be moistened from time to time. After the cutting has formed its own root system, it is transplanted into open ground.
Caring for cuttings
Planted cuttings must be periodically inspected, and the nutrient substrate in which they are located must be loosened and moistened. It is very important that the air temperature does not exceed + 25 °C; + 20-22 °C is considered optimal. There is no need to feed the cuttings, however, for insurance, you can use a solution of heteroauxin or sodium humate, prepared in accordance with the instructions for use.
Transplanting a seedling into open ground
The best time to transplant grown seedlings into open ground is spring, from April to May. Seedlings with a closed root system can be planted in the fall, in September-October, but spring planting is still preferable.
Junipers are demanding on lighting, so the place for planting them should be open and not in the shade of large trees and buildings. Light partial shade or constant illumination with diffused sunlight is allowed. It is advisable that there are no strong winds on the site, especially from the north. The soil is preferably loose, well-drained. Common juniper and its Chinese variety do not tolerate dry air; they will grow well if there is a natural body of water nearby.
Different types of juniper prefer different types of soil. For example, Virginian will feel better on slightly acidic clay soils, Cossack prefers calcareous soil, and Siberian juniper should be planted only in sandy soil. Acidity levels and soil composition must be checked before planting and, if necessary, adjusted to the required values.
Before planting, it is necessary to prepare a sufficient amount of universal soil substrate with which the planting hole will be filled. To prepare such a mixture, a mixture of soil taken from under an adult juniper or other coniferous plant, coarse river sand and peat is best suited. All components are taken in equal proportions and thoroughly mixed together.
It is better to prepare the planting holes in advance so that the soil has time to settle and become saturated with air. Their size must be guaranteed to exceed the volume of the earthen lump on the roots of the seedling. A layer of drainage made of broken brick, expanded clay or crushed stone is poured onto the bottom of the pit. Then a layer of nutrient soil is poured on top. The pit is left in this form for several weeks.
For planting, choose a cloudy, cool day.Containers with seedlings are spilled with water in advance so as not to damage the roots when removing them. The seedling is placed vertically in a hole on an earthen hill, and then covered with a nutrient substrate. The earth around the trunk is slightly compacted to prevent the formation of voids. The root collar of the seedling is not buried; it should be at soil level. After planting, watering is carried out, and then the root zone is mulched with peat, bark or sawdust of coniferous trees.
Over time, juniper grows quite strongly, so when carrying out group plantings it is necessary to maintain certain intervals between neighboring plants. Dwarf species are planted at a distance of 0.8-1 m from each other; when planting larger varieties, it would be advisable to increase this distance to 1.5-2 m. This measure will allow the plants to avoid competition and develop normally without inhibiting each other.
Conclusion
Propagating juniper by cuttings is an excellent way to increase or diversify the species composition of coniferous plants grown in the garden. It may not always end successfully, however, thanks to it, you can gain invaluable experience in such work. Many garden plants are propagated by cuttings much more easily. If you learn how to take cuttings of conifers, then working with other shrubs will most likely bring a positive result.
