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No lover of ornamental gardening will refuse to have a beautiful evergreen juniper on his plot. However, it is not always possible to purchase high-quality planting material, and shrubs taken from the wild take root rather poorly. In this case, you can try to grow juniper from seeds yourself.
Features of growing juniper from seeds at home
Under natural conditions, juniper almost always reproduces by seeds. However, this process is long, and the seeds of this shrub do not have good germination. Therefore, the reproduction of juniper occurs very slowly; it is for this reason that in many regions the planting of this plant is protected at the legislative level. However, you can collect ripe cones from the bushes with complete peace of mind.
At home, you can propagate common juniper, as well as Cossack and some others, from seeds.Varietal characteristics will not be preserved with this method, so to breed ornamental varieties you need to use vegetative propagation methods. Grown seedlings can be used, for example, for rootstock when grafting. Common juniper can be used for single plantings or to create hedges.
Juniper seed ripening time
Juniper cones are often called cone berries. They really do resemble berries in appearance. After pollination, the cone berries ripen within 2 years. In the first year their color is light green, in the second they become dark blue, almost black. They are collected from early September to early November. Ripe cones are quite easily separated from the branches. Therefore, to harvest, just spread a cloth under the tree and gently shake the juniper by the trunk.
Stratification of juniper seeds
Stratification is a mandatory procedure for juniper seeds. The essence of this process is to keep the seeds at subzero temperatures for a long time (3-4 months). This is a kind of hardening of seeds, significantly increasing their germination. In nature it occurs naturally.
To grow juniper from seeds at home, stratification is carried out either using a refrigerator or keeping the seeds outside under a layer of snow in a special container.
How to plant juniper seeds
Juniper can be planted either directly in open ground or in pre-prepared containers.However, it must be remembered that plants are transplanted to a permanent place only when they reach the age of 3-5 years. All this time they will require increased care, so it would be optimal to germinate juniper in containers and then grow it under cover.
Preparing containers and soil
You can plant juniper seeds in special containers or boxes. They are filled with a nutritious substrate from a mixture of sand and peat in a 1:1 ratio with the addition of sphagnum moss. As a growth stimulator, it is advisable to add a little soil from under an adult juniper to the container. It contains symbionts - fungi that have a beneficial effect on the growth of plant roots.
Seed preparation
To extract the seeds, ripe cones are pre-soaked in water or a weak acidic solution. They are then ground using a scarification method to break down their hard shell. The extracted seeds are dried and stored in a cool, dry place, placed for stratification or prepared for planting.
How to plant juniper seeds correctly
Sowing juniper seeds in containers with prepared soil is done in the fall, in October or November. Seeds are usually planted in rows, embedded in a moistened substrate to a depth of approximately 2-3 cm. After this, the containers are placed in the refrigerator or under the snow for stratification. It is possible to stratify seeds without planting them in the soil substrate. In this case, they are planted in open ground in the spring. They will remain in the ground until next spring, and then they will germinate.
Caring for juniper seedlings at home
After planting juniper seeds, it is necessary to regularly loosen the soil in the container with the planted seeds. After the emergence of seedlings, you need to carefully monitor the dynamics of their growth. Since seeds are sown, as a rule, many times in excess of the required quantity, in the future it will be necessary to cull, leaving only the strongest and tallest seedlings for growing.
Optimal growing conditions
It is recommended to keep juniper seedlings growing in a container on the window. In the warm season, they can be taken out into the fresh air, for example, onto a balcony or veranda. It is necessary to regularly loosen the soil and remove small weeds. In winter, you need to carefully monitor the temperature and humidity in the room where the seedlings are growing. In heated rooms, the humidity in winter is very low, so the soil with seedlings can easily dry out.
If the apartment has a glazed and insulated balcony, plants can be kept there. The main thing is that the air temperature does not fall below + 10-12 °C. There are no other special conditions for growing juniper seedlings.
Watering and fertilizing
The soil in the container should be regularly moistened; it would not be a bad idea to spray the seedlings themselves with water from a spray bottle. However, this must be done carefully. Stagnation of water in the roots has a very negative effect on the health of seedlings and can lead to their death. There is no need to feed the seedlings. The nutrient substrate contains all the necessary substances for the normal development of the plant.
Other events
All other activities, such as pruning or covering for the winter, are carried out after the plant is planted in open ground. Until this time, juniper is not pruned. And even after planting it in a permanent place in the garden, the plant is not touched for another year or two, giving the shrub the opportunity to properly take root and adapt to the new place.
Transplantation into open ground
Planting and caring for juniper grown from seeds is no different from caring for species obtained by vegetative propagation or taken from a nursery. Transplantation of grown seedlings to a permanent place is carried out after they reach the age of 3 years. It is better to do this in the spring, from the beginning of April to the end of May. Seedlings with a closed root system can be planted in the fall, in September or early October. Later planting may result in the plant not having time to adapt to the new location and dying in the winter.
The landing site is important. Most juniper varieties prefer open sunny areas, but they also tolerate light partial shade. It is advisable that the place is closed from the north wind. Common juniper is undemanding in terms of soil composition, but it is better to choose an area with light, breathable sandy soil. It should not be swampy; even after rains, water should not stagnate on it. Common juniper prefers to grow on soils with a neutral acidity level, while Cossack juniper feels better on calcareous soils.
Planting holes for juniper seedlings must be prepared in advance so that the soil has time to settle and become saturated with air.If the soil is loamy, then a drainage layer of coarse gravel or broken brick is placed at the bottom with a layer of 15-20 cm. The size of the hole should be larger than the earthen ball on the roots of the seedling. For backfilling, it is better to use specially prepared soil from a mixture of river sand, peat and turf soil. It is recommended to pre-calcinate the sand to destroy harmful microflora.
The procedure for planting a juniper bush is very simple. The seedling is placed vertically in the hole and covered with nutrient soil. In this case, the root collar is not buried; it should be at the same level with the surface of the earth, and for large bushes a little higher. After planting, the root zone is shed generously with water and mulched with peat or tree bark. It is advisable to place a fence made of plastic or metal mesh around the seedling. This will serve as protection from domestic animals who love to mark coniferous trees. And for a young seedling, animal urine can be destructive because it has a strong alkaline reaction.
Conclusion
Growing juniper from seeds is not difficult, but the procedure is quite long. To get full-fledged seedlings, you will have to be patient, because the process can take several years. However, this work may well pay off. Seedlings have much stronger immunity and can more easily withstand adverse weather conditions.A positive point is that planting material can be found completely free, while ready-made juniper seedlings in nurseries are not cheap.
