The Repanda juniper (juniperus communis repanda) is very popular in modern landscape design - a creeping form that covers any surface and creates a thick, evergreen carpet. This variety was bred in Ireland in 1934 and is eagerly cultivated all over the world.
Juniper Repanda - planting and care
Brief information about the species
- Colour: silvery green
- Height: by the age of 10 it reaches 30 m.
- Crown width: 1.5 m.
- In which regions is it growing: the plant has good frost resistance and tolerates a drop in temperature to -29 ° C, therefore it is willingly grown not only in the south, but also in middle, central and northern latitudes, subject to good insulation for the winter.
- Landing features: dig holes at a distance of 0.5 to 2 m, depending on the size of the bush. The depth of the hole should be 2-3 times larger than the root system or earthen coma. A sunny place with a little shading is suitable.
- Immunity: there is a high resistance to disease, if you provide competent and timely care.
- Life span: from 100 to 500 years, the performance is influenced by the region and leaving.
General characteristics
The dwarf evergreen shrub-shaped plant has several distinctive characteristics:
- high growth - by the age of 10 it reaches 30 m in height;
- the crown is dense, in an adult specimen, the circumference is 1.5 m;
- slowly develops a young growth - 10 cm per year;
- shoots are branched, creeping, densely covered with needles 6-8 cm long;
- needles are thornless, silvery-green;
- with age, the needles form a thick emerald carpet on the surface of unpaved, sandy or stony ground;
- in the second year of life, it blooms and forms the first cones, at 10 years old the bush is completely covered with fruits;
- in young conifers, cones are of a greenish-gray tone, in adults they are covered with a dense whitish bloom.
The description of the variety includes the ability to change color depending on the season - in winter the shoots are dark, brownish-green, in spring and summer they are bright green.
The plant has good immunity against diseases if it is provided with competent and timely care. Life expectancy is from 100 to 500 years (this is directly influenced by the climatic features of the region and the conditions for growth and development).
Regions
The coniferous shrub has good frost resistance and tolerates temperatures as low as -29 ° C. Therefore, it is readily grown not only in the south, but also in the middle, central and northern latitudes, subject to good insulation for the winter.
Landing rules
The success of growing this crop depends on the quality of the seedlings, the place and soil, as well as the subsequent care.
Sapling selection
Healthy seedlings are suitable for planting
3-4 year old plants with a closed root system are considered the best planting material. You can buy them in containers or with an earthen ball.
Copies with open spines should not be taken, because there is a high risk of drying out the delicate root system before planting in the soil.
It is better to buy in a specialized nursery, where plants with all varietal characteristics of the mother bush are sold.
When choosing, you need to carefully examine each copy for damage by diseases and parasites. In healthy seedlings, the aerial part is greenish-gray in color, contains young shoots. Shoots should be bright green, no cracks or breaks. The optimal plant length is 50-60 cm.
Location and ground
This culture is not demanding on the composition and structure of the soil - it can grow on rocky, sandy or clayey soil without losing its unique properties and qualities. But in order to achieve the highest decorative effect, you should choose a place with loose, fertile and moderately moist soil.
Juniper likes light shading, so it can be planted near tall trees with a spreading crown. In the summer heat, they will protect the ephedra from sunburn, yellowing and death.
The site should be calm and not swampy. From excess moisture, the roots of plants will begin to rot, and the above-ground part develops faded and not so thick.
Timing
Depending on the region, the timing of planting juniper varies:
- in the south, it can be planted in April-May or early September;
- in the middle, central and northern latitudes, spring planting is recommended so that the seedlings have time to take root, get stronger over the summer and prepare for winter by autumn.
Landing technique
Pits are dug, keeping a distance of 0.5-2 m, depending on the size of the bush.
The depth should be slightly more than the length of the earthen coma: for an adult, the ideal is 70 cm, while the width is 60 cm, for a young one - 50x50 cm.
Each pit is filled by a third with drainage - pebbles, crushed stone, broken brick, then a nutrient mixture is poured from garden, sod, sandy and peat soil, mixed in equal proportions, up to half. Additionally, one handful of superphosphate and potassium nitrate are added.
To eliminate the risk of burning the roots, sprinkle the fertile composition with a thin layer of garden soil, then lower an earthen lump with roots, fill up all the voids, compact and water abundantly at the rate of a bucket of water per plant.
Planting is carried out in such a way that the root collar remains 4-5 cm above the surface of the earth, otherwise the young bush will rot from moisture, turn black and die.
To avoid drying out, each plant is mulched with peat, sawdust, wood chips or ordinary earth.
Care requirements
The plant needs to be looked after
Juniper ordinary Repanda immediately after disembarkation demands attention and care. However, he does not need special excesses, all the actions of gardeners are standard.
- In the early days, shading is required, otherwise young shoots and needles may burn from the sun and turn yellow. Agrofibre and burlap are used as shelter.
- Moistening around the bush and in the near-stem zone is carried out only after drying to a depth of 4-5 cm. To avoid scalding, the delicate above-ground part is watered early in the morning or in the evening when the sun sets. The plant has a positive attitude towards frequent sprinkling of the crown. You can irrigate every day in the evening.
- From dressings, a complex mineral composition is used - superphosphate, nitrogen and potassium. Fertilized once a season - in early spring. After fertilization, watering is carried out, which improves the quality of absorption of nutrients and eliminates the risk of burning the root system.
- The horizontal juniper variety does not need pruning, since it independently forms a round crown during its growth. But the plant needs a sanitary haircut every spring - all dead parts are cut off (dried, yellowed, broken off and damaged by diseases, parasites). To eliminate the risk of infection, the cut off areas are treated with a solution of copper sulfate.
- Young specimens need to provide good insulation for the winter - the near-trunk zone is covered with earth, and the above-ground part is covered with spruce branches. Adult bushes tolerate short-term severe frosts well, but if they drag on for a long time, the needles can be sprinkled with a snowdrift or spruce branches.
Breeding methods
The description includes successful propagation by seed or cuttings. The first method is more laborious and requires a lot of patience and time. Therefore, many gardeners prefer rooting cuttings. This procedure is carried out in winter (in February) or in summer (in July).
Harvesting cuttings
Cut apical segments (length 15-20 cm) with a piece of lignified bark do not need treatment with growth stimulants, because they take root well in a light soil substrate of peat and sand (1: 1).
Disembarkation
They put them in seedling boxes. Expanded clay, pebbles are laid at the bottom, then the nutritional composition. The depth of planting shoots is 3-4 cm. The plantings are irrigated with warm water, covered with a film and placed on a sunny windowsill with the possibility of shading at midday.
Care
The whole care of cuttings is to provide several conditions:
- stable heat within 20-21 ° С;
- humidity not higher than 60%;
- daily ventilation so that moisture does not accumulate inside the greenhouse and mold does not form;
- irrigation with standing water at room temperature;
- weed removal.
Rooting of Repanda juniper is a protracted process and lasts from 2 to 3 months. As soon as the first vegetative buds appear on the cuttings, you can remove the shelter and continue to irrigate and gently loosen the soil.
Transfer to the site
This procedure is carried out no earlier than after 1.5 years of growing at home, because a young plant has very thin and delicate roots, which during transplantation can be injured and lead to the death of the entire bush.
The transplanting scheme and technique is identical to the rules for planting purchased seedlings.
Diseases
Juniper is immune to disease
Ephedra is rarely damaged by diseases, this is possible only if the rules of planting and care are violated.
Rust
A fungal infection that causes the shoots, needles, and the central trunk to swell.
The manifestations of the sore are red, shapeless growths on the surface of the branches. The plant can be sick for several years without losing its decorative effect; over time, its branches begin to dry out and it dies.
Treatment at an advanced stage is useless - the bushes are burned, because they are a clear threat to healthy specimens.
At an early stage of infection, the damaged organs are removed with a sterile pruning shears, then they are sprayed with fungicides - Skor, Ridomil Gold MC, Bayleton, Vectra or Tilt. The same funds are used for preventive treatment in the spring.
Tracheomycosis
Fungal disease that develops in conditions of constant dampness, waterlogging and compaction of plantings. The infection penetrates the root system, then clogs the vessels of the shoots and the trunk, blocking access to oxygen and moisture. As a result, a full-fledged metabolism is disrupted and the bush dies. First, the upper part dries out, after that the entire crown.
Infected bushes must be disposed of, and the soil in which they grew must be spilled with a solution of copper sulfate, since the infection remains in the ground for a long time. Often it is transmitted to other plants through already affected planting material, therefore, dubious seedlings must be treated with Fitosporin, Quadris or Maxim before planting. If the ephedra has an open root system, it is soaked for a couple of hours in the Maxim preparation.
Drying of shoots
Another dangerous fungal sore, which leads not only to the loss of decorativeness, but also to the death of the entire bush. You can notice signs of infection in early spring, when the shoots and needles have turned yellow, and the bark on the trunk is covered with small, black fruiting bodies of the fungus.
The cause of the appearance of the disease is thickening, planting of plants on heavy, acidified soil.
With a minor lesion, the yellowed parts are removed with sterile scissors or pruning shears, the cut sites are treated with fungicides. If the area of infection is large, it is better to dig out such a bush and burn it.
For prophylaxis, at the end of April and in the last days of October, the bushes are irrigated with the drug Skor, Tilt or Ridomil Gold MC.
Schütte brown
This is a fungal disease that peaks in the summer. Signs - mass dying off and shedding of needles of the current year and darkening of last year's needles. Black fruiting bodies appear on them - the sporulation of the pathogen.
Junipers growing on waterlogged soil and in thickets are most susceptible.
On the ailing bushes, remove all damaged needles, and collect the crumbling needles. The plant and the soil around it are irrigated with the preparation Ridomil Gold MC, Strobi or Skor. The same funds are used for preventive purposes for irrigation in mid-April and late September.
Pests
The description of the ephedra includes high resistance to pests, rarely on the crown you can find a shoot moth, spider mite or scale insect.
To destroy them, chemical preparations are used - insecticides. The best remedies are Fundazol, Actellic or Aktara. Processing is carried out three times at weekly intervals.
Juniper ordinary Repanda. Brief overview, description of characteristics of juniperus communis Repanda
Juniperus communis Repanda
Common juniper. Landing
Application in landscape
A compact horizontal juniper will be an excellent element in garden landscaping and will decorate any composition:
- it is planted on a rocky area, along paths, in a rock garden or on extensive lawns;
- crops that grow in breadth are planted in places with difficult terrain to strengthen stairs, slopes from crumbling;
- many are grown as a pot culture and placed near gazebos, arches, terraces;
- Repanda goes well with any flowering and decorative deciduous plants - roses, petunias, begonias, chrysanthemums, pelargonium and oaks;
- you can plant them alongside other varieties of junipers, creating an evergreen composition in your garden design.
Gardeners reviews
Many gardeners admire the ridge of Repand. They literally fell in love with coniferous culture - and for good reason.
The plant is very beautiful, forms a dense, evergreen rug that covers various defects and ugly places on the backyard.
It tolerates wintering well, therefore it is revered by gardeners not only in the south, but also in the middle, northern and central zones.
They note the significant advantages of this variety - it does not require pruning, which greatly facilitates maintenance.