Rocky juniper Blue Arrow is one of the most attractive species of coniferous plants. Due to its original appearance and adaptability to even the most severe climatic conditions, it is deservedly popular among landscape designers. This variety of juniper is undemanding to the content and feels great when planted, not only in open field in the garden, but also in a container on the terrace or balcony.

Variety Description

Blue Arrow rock juniper (Juniperus scopulorum Blue Arrow) is an evergreen shrub from the cypress family. Some attribute it, according to the description, not to the rocky, but to the Virginian. The cultivar name translates as " blue arrow", which reflects the appearance of the plant. Rigid shoots of the shrub are located almost vertically and begin at the very base. As a result, an elegant and narrow arrow-shaped crown is formed. With an annual growth of the shrub by 15 cm, its height by the age of ten will be 2–2.5 m , and the diameter of the crown - no more than 70 cm. Largest dimensions the height of this variety of juniper is 5 m.

The plant has soft scaly needles of intense blue color, in some cases it can be almost blue. The fruits of the shrub of blue color cone berries. Distinctive feature juniper Blue Arrow is the long-term preservation of the lower branches, which gives it additional decorativeness and expands the possibilities of its use for the implementation of ideas in landscape design.

How to plant a juniper

This shrub thrives in a sunny area protected from the wind. Variety Blue Arrow likes wet air, it is preferable to choose places near the irrigation system. It gets along with any plants, so it can be planted next to deciduous and coniferous trees and shrubs.

This variety is undemanding to chemical composition soil. It is important for him that the soil is well-drained, and moisture does not linger at the roots. Therefore, the ideal place for planting this variety of juniper is a small hill.

When choosing bushes, it is necessary to give preference to seedlings in containers that have already passed acclimatization. Their root system will not deform when landing, so the plant will take root faster and better.

Blue Arrow seedlings in containers with a closed root system can be used at any time of the year. If it is bare, then specimens are allowed to be placed in open ground only in early spring or early autumn, before the onset of frost. The roots of such plants need to be straightened horizontally. If it is necessary to place several pieces, then a distance of at least one and a half meters should be maintained between them so that they do not have to fight for space.

The step-by-step process of planting a juniper looks like this:

1. 1. A pit is prepared, 2–3 times larger than an earthen clod covering the root system of a shrub.
2. 2. A layer of drainage is laid on the bottom.
3. 3. The seedling is placed in a hole and the free space is covered with soil consisting of an equal amount of garden soil and a mixture for coniferous plants. You can make it yourself by mixing 2 parts of peat and 1 part of leafy soil and sand.
4. 4. When planting, it is necessary to ensure that the root neck is not buried.
5. 5. In order for the plant to take root faster, you can apply a complex mineral fertilizer.
6. 6. For giving aesthetic appearance and the best development of the shrub, it is necessary to mulch the near-trunk circle with bark, pine chips or any other material. This will protect the soil from drying out and weeds.

After planting for a week, juniper should be watered daily. This will speed up his adaptation to the new place.

Organization of care

During the dry season, adult Blue Arrow junipers need to be watered once a week. For young plants, more frequent moistening should be organized - every 2-3 days. If the trunk circles are regularly mulched, then the amount of watering can be reduced. Like other junipers, this variety responds well to sprinkling. Therefore, you need to regularly spray it with water.

In autumn, all dried juniper branches must be cut. So that the bushes do not break under the weight of snow, they are tied and wrapped with young plants for the winter with linen or spruce branches. Adult specimens are resistant to frost and do not require special shelter. At trunk circles it is necessary to lay a layer of peat 8 cm thick.

Juniper propagation

Blue Arrow is propagated by cuttings. The process is best done in the spring, so that by the autumn the young seedlings have time to take root. For cuttings, apical shoots are used, leaving part of the old bark and tree. After the cut, they are cleaned of needles by 4 cm.

Coniferous plants at home or in the garden are a fashion trend that has captured a huge number of flower growers. Cedars, pines are huge plants for which there is not always a place. But what if you plant a rocky juniper Blue arrow? A charming medium-sized tree has a number of advantages. It is unpretentious, grows well on any soil, and in terms of decorativeness, it can be given 10 points out of ten.

Shrub features

Even if your household plot is quite small, it will definitely fit a certain number of blue bushes. Rock juniper Blue arrow grows slowly, but can stretch up to three meters, forming a cone-shaped crown with a diameter of about 0.7 meters.

The unique structure of the branches allows you to use this variety even as a hedge. The shoots are characterized by high rigidity, they are oriented vertically, and adjoin the trunk very tightly. Rocky juniper Blue arrow is indispensable for framing alleys, landscaping terraces, shores artificial reservoirs and for the implementation of other design solutions.

Short description

If you see it once, then be sure to decide to land the same one on your site. Most impressive is the color of its needles. Rock juniper Blue arrow can be different, it depends on the soil and lighting conditions. In addition, within the species there are varieties that also differ from each other. There are junipers of a dark green hue, which are far from the most spectacular. Much more interesting variety of bright blue hue.

What is very remarkable, the trunk of the plant is practically not bare. For conifers, this is rare. The lower branches grow directly at the base, creating a spectacular image. Group plantings along a path or alley are especially good.

Landing

Tellingly, Blue Arrow is a variety that is completely undemanding to the chemical composition of the soil. It can be planted anywhere without even conducting additional analysis. The only condition that must be observed is good lighting. If the area is dark, then the growth of the plant will slow down. Therefore, we choose the sunniest place, it will be ideal.

If you want to plant several plants, it should be noted that in a group they look much more impressive. At the same time, the recommended interval between wells should be observed. If you break this rule, then the Blue Arrow bushes can oppress each other and slow down growth. In addition, the luxurious crown will be squeezed by neighboring trees, which means it will be twisted. So, between plants you need to leave at least 1.5 - 2 meters. The depth of the holes prepared in advance is selected based on the size of the root system. If an adult plant is transplanted, then it is necessary to leave at least 70 cm. For a young seedling, the depth of the hole should be 2.5 times greater than the size of the earth clod near the rhizome.

We equip drainage

Juniper seedlings do not tolerate stagnant water, so when planting, you need to pay attention to the depth of groundwater passage. In lowlands and pits clay soil better not to plant it. And anyway it won't hurt good drainage. To do this, a layer of brick battle mixed with river sand. The layer should be good, about 15-20 cm.

After planting the seedling, it is important to leave the root collar above ground level. In addition, it is advisable to sprinkle the hole with a nutrient composition, which is prepared from peat, turf and sand.

plant care

The description of the rock juniper initially demonstrates that this plant is unpretentious. That is, it is not difficult to care for him. The only thing to consider is that Blue arrow practically does not tolerate dry air. Warmth and good lighting are good, but the absence of moisture is much worse. In order for the plant to feel good, it is best to equip the site with a device for automatic watering, but not drip, but with the help of sprinklers. Saturation of air with water vapor has a beneficial effect on the development of a coniferous miracle.

Watering

Rocky scop blue arrow requires daily watering for the first week after planting. It is best to repeat it in the morning and evening. So there is a speedy adaptation to a new place. Juniper roots are very fond of oxygen. It is for this that drainage is organized, and the soil around the plant needs to be loosened well, by about 5-8 cm. Additionally, it is recommended to fertilize, but not more than once a year. As a rule, this is done in the spring.

It was not in vain that we started talking about loosening, because it is called dry irrigation. But plants also need water. In the first year of life, it is important to water more often, about every other day. For mature plants, the frequency of watering can be reduced. In hot weather, this can be once every 4 days, and in spring and autumn - once a week. If the landing is made on suburban area, where it is not possible to travel so often, it is advisable to mulch - cover the root circle with a layer of sawdust and needles.

Preparing for winter and spring pruning

This variety has excellent winter hardiness, it calmly tolerates frosts down to -30 degrees. However, given the peculiarity of the crown, it is necessary to protect it from heavy snowfalls. It is best to pull the crown with a ribbon or rope, and the young for the first wintering is completely covered with linen and spruce branches.

In the spring, the plant needs to be inspected and pruned. Even before the start of sap flow, you need to remove all broken and dried branches. Live shoots during the formation of the crown can be shortened by no more than a third.

home content

Some gardeners decide to decorate with a magnificent coniferous plant mine winter Garden, the central hall of the office, the reception room or the greenhouse. Juniper at home grows quite willingly. The main thing is to provide him with optimal conditions. The plant likes the light, but it does not tolerate direct sunlight. The ideal option it will be placed in front of the south window in winter, and in front of the north window in summer.

It is very important to prevent overheating of the air. The recommended air temperature is +20, it is unacceptable to lower it more than to +13 degrees. In the summer, it is best to take the pot out to the balcony or garden. Surprisingly, juniper, which does not tolerate drafts at all, grows very well on fresh air. During the summer in the garden, he can grow a lot.

Planting capacity and soil

Juniper at home is much more demanding on the composition of the soil. Affects closed space in which its roots are to dwell. The ideal option would be porous soil, which will be the key to uniform access of moisture to the root system. Specialists in growing plants from the cypress family recommend using the following composition: sand and peat. This provides a good growing environment and also allows water and moisture to quickly penetrate to the roots.

The pot should be spacious enough, because the root system is quite developed. The choice of containers that are made of natural materials. These are ceramics and clay, porcelain.

Instead of a conclusion

Rock juniper Blue arrow is very beautiful plant with a very dense, stuffed crown. It is perfect for decorating garden paths, alleys and gazebos. With group plantings, it can be cut, giving the track any shape. But even without this, the plants form a beautiful pyramidal crown. Charming color will not leave anyone indifferent.

Juniper Blue Arrow gets its name from unique look. Due to the narrow and columnar crown, the juniper resembles an arrow directed to the sky. You can see for yourself, the photo is presented below.

Shrub Description

Blue Arrow translated from in English means blue arrow. The needles of the shrub are bright blue. It is very soft to the touch. mature plant reaches a height of about 5 m. The bush bears fruit with blue cones. The benefits of Blue Arrow juniper include its lower branches, which grow from the base of the trunk and persist on for a long time. This feature provides a lot of opportunities in the universal use of the variety.

Juniper Blue belongs to the rocky type. This variety is often used in landscape design, as well as in various plant compositions for decorating terraces and porches.

The advantages of Blue Arrow juniper include:

• frost resistance;
• unpretentiousness to the soil;
• resistance to adverse weather conditions.

The shrub can grow in partial shade and in direct sunlight. Juniper does not like hot winds, so choose a draft-free planting site. Thanks to the phytoncides that the needles emit, juniper does not allow the development of diseases. If you want the juniper to show itself in all its glory, then do not allow stagnant water, be sure to drain the soil. The perfect place for landing is considered a small hill.

Blue Arrow: cultivation features (video)

juniper care

The Blue Arrow variety is best planted from a container with soil, in which case the roots remain intact and the shrub quickly adapts to the new site. For the growth of the root system, root or radifarm should be added. The rules for planting the Blue Arrow variety are similar to the general ones.

First you need to prepare the landing hole. It should be at least 2 times larger than the earth ball. Drainage is laid at the bottom of the pit. Then a shrub seedling is placed and the free space is covered with earth. The soil should consist of peat, sand and leafy soil. If the soil content does not meet the recommendations, then you can buy a special soil mixture and mix it in equal proportions with garden soil. The acidity of the soil can be corrected by adding a little lime to it.

During planting, the soil must be fertilized. This procedure also helps to take root in the root system. To give an aesthetic appearance Juniper Blue Arrow, a substrate based on bark and pine chips should be added to the soil. Such a substrate will protect the shrub from weeds and drying out.

You can plant juniper with open roots only in spring or autumn, and shrubs from a container can be planted at any time of the year. If you want to create a juniper alley, then the distance between seedlings should not be less than 1.5-2 m. Dense planting creates competition between plants, and this negatively affects their development.

Before planting a large juniper, it is necessary to cut through the soil at a distance of 30 cm around the bush to the depth of a spade bayonet. This is necessary in order to form young roots.

Junipers need to be watered, but not often. The root system of the Blue Arrow variety is compact and is able to independently consume moisture and other nutrients from the soil.

In dry times, adult shrubs should be watered once a week, and young seedlings at least 2-3 times. If the soil is regularly mulched, then watering can be carried out even less often. This shrub variety, like many other junipers, loves spraying. But excessive moisture can lead to fungal diseases.

Despite the fact that Blue Arrow is resistant to various diseases, their development cannot be completely excluded. Most often, juniper is exposed to rust. The needles become brown and gradually crumble. The infection affects the bark of the shrub. In this case, the affected branches should be removed, and the plant should be treated with phytoncide every 10 days. To avoid rust, junipers should be planted away from apple, pear, hawthorn, quince, and mountain ash trees. Among insect pests, aphids are the most common. You need to fight it with a phyto-farm. The shrub should be sprayed every 10-14 days. From the mining moth, a solution of decis is used.

As a rule, an adult Blue Arrow juniper is frost-resistant, and there is no need to cover it for the winter, which cannot be said about a young plant.

Therefore, with the advent of winter, young seedlings should be covered, but before that, all dried branches should be removed and a cosmetic haircut should be carried out.

So that the branches of the juniper do not break under the weight of snow, they must be tied with twine.

Juniper propagation

Of all existing methods Blue Arrow juniper can only be propagated by cuttings or seeds. Cuttings are considered the most effective and versatile method. It is best to propagate juniper by cuttings in the spring, so that the root system has time to form and the plant can overwinter. As cuttings, it is necessary to take the tops of the shoots. You need to cut the shoots in such a way that the old bark and wood remain on the shoot. Then the cutting must be cleaned to a height of 3-4 cm.

How to plant a juniper (video)

Cuttings should be planted immediately. To young plant take root, the soil should be loose. The soil should consist of peat and sand. It is best to plant cuttings in boxes. Planting depth is about 3 cm. Cuttings should be planted in the soil at a slight angle. Then wooden boxes cleaned in a greenhouse, where climatic conditions must be observed. special care young plants do not require. It is enough to regularly water and spray them. The first roots will appear within 50-90 days after planting.

Juniper seeds are rarely propagated, since a young plant will appear no earlier than in 7-8 years.

Juniper rock "Blue Arrow"

(Juniperus scopulorum "Blue Arrow")

General characteristics

Tall coniferous shrub with a very narrow, columnar crown. Rigid, vertically growing shoots, tightly pressed to the trunk, grow about 15 cm per year. At the age of 10, the plant reaches 2-2.5 m in height and 0.5-0.7 m in diameter. The lower branches grow almost from the very base of the trunk and persist for a very long time. The needles are bright blue, soft, scaly.

The fruits are dark blue with a bluish bloom of cones.

Optimal conditions cultivation and care

It is not picky about soil fertility, it grows on various types soils. Tolerates drought and high temperatures. It is frost-resistant, but in severe winters young shoots can freeze slightly. It will overwinter better if planted in a place protected from the wind. In the spring it is desirable to remove dry branches. The first time after landing on permanent place the crown requires protection from the bright spring sun. Although drought tolerant, watering during the hot season will help better development plants. Does not tolerate stagnant waterlogging. After heavy snowfalls, shake off the crown to avoid breakage of the branches.

Reproduction methods

Varietal forms propagated by spring cuttings taken from short lateral shoots "with a heel" before or at the beginning of bud awakening; Rooting is first carried out at a temperature of +15 - +18 degrees, then raised to +20 - +23 degrees. 50% of winter cuttings take root.

Application

A valuable variety for creating small and large-scale landscape compositions from conifers and deciduous trees and shrubs with different architecture and contrasting foliage. Looks great as a tapeworm or as part of small single-sort groups in heather gardens and rock gardens, as well as in free-growing mixborders. Can create great hedge, which does not require a haircut and takes up very little space. In addition, this variety of juniper is extremely good as a container crop for landscaping front porches, balconies, terraces, etc.

Many lovers of gardening know what a rocky juniper is. This small shrub is often used to decorate gardens. Often it can be found in squares and parks, near the administrative buildings of the region. For landscape design today, many varieties of culture have been bred, which this article talks about.

About culture

An evergreen coniferous shrub is called rocky juniper. The culture belongs to the Juniper family, from the genus Cypress. The place of growth is considered to be the highlands of North America, with a height of 1.5 to 2.7 meters above sea level.

Individual species are found in Canada, British Columbia, southwestern Alberta, the United States, and northern Mexico.

Juniper rocky

The plant is distinguished by the duration of development and life, special specimens have existed for more than a thousand years.

As a decorative culture, it has been known since 1839. In Russia, rocky juniper has been actively grown since the 60s of the last century. The first step was the cultivation of crops for the purposes Agriculture. Juniper type of wood was valued for its strength and durability of use. Making the first household items of this material was seen in North America by the first Native American settlements. Such items in everyday life differed in the duration of use, pleasant color and aroma.

Interesting. Often, juniper skalnik was used in medicine, contributing to the healing of minor injuries, to treat joint and skin problems.

Description of culture

The culture is shrubs and dioecious trees. At home in nature, such plants can reach 18 meters in height, with a trunk girth of 0.8 to 2 meters. garden views are smaller in size. Starting from the base, a crown of irregular conical shape grows, which gradually rounds off.

The color of the foliage can vary from dark green to gray-blue.

An excellent feature of the plant is the reddish-brown color of the bark and the pale blue color of young stems. The foliage is oppositely located with an ovoid-rhombic plate shape, often resembling scales, the length of which is not more than 0.2 cm, the diameter is 0.1 cm. The color of the foliage can vary from dark green to gray-blue.

The fruits are distinguished by an interesting spherical shape of dark blue color with a characteristic bluish coniferous coating. The length can vary from 0.4 to 0.6 cm. The first ripening of the fruit occurs only towards the end of the second year after planting. Inside the cone hides a seed, brown-red in color, with a diameter of not more than 50 mm.

The best varieties

As a result of selection, the world knows more than one variety of culture, they are gradually gaining the trust of gardeners. American breeders have bred the following varieties that are popular today, planted in mid-latitudes ：

• Rocky juniper Blue Arow. The height of the plant can vary from 150 to 250 cm. A feature is considered to be a narrow, columnar crown, no more than 50 centimeters wide. The needles are needle-shaped, green-blue in color, scaly with a metallic sheen;

Rocky Juniper Blue Arow

• Blue Haven - low bushes, 0.2 meters high. They have a pyramidal crown, the width of which is 0.1 m. Plant color all year round light blue;
• Juniper Blue Sky - one of the few winter-hardy species, reaches 6 meters in height at 10 years of age. It is distinguished by a narrow and slender trunk and straight, adjoining stems. The needles, like other species, are scaly, green-gray in color. Most susceptible to attack by fungal infections;
• Moffat Blue. The difference of the variety is winter hardiness. Dense wide crown of a pyramidal shape. The needles are greenish-blue. Max Height- 6 meters, with a crown width of 130 cm. Does not like excess moisture, which makes it impossible to grow a variety in regions with high humidity;
• Moonglow is similar to Blue Haven in many ways. The only difference is the color of the needles is blue-silver, which becomes even brighter in winter time;
• Silver King. Bush with wide spreading branches. At the age of 10, it reaches 60 cm in height, with a crown width of up to 2 meters. Like everyone else, the needles are scaly, blue in color;
• Table Top Blue - has a characteristic oval-shaped crown, with a blue-silver color. After ten years from the date of planting, the plant has a compact size: 2 m in height with a crown span of up to 2.5 meters;
• Wichita Blue. It has open branches, the maximum width of which is 150 cm, with a height of 10 summer tree 40 cm. Color - silver-blue.

Wichita Blue

In addition to the species described above, others are also used in horticulture: juniper Fisht, Green, Erekta, Medora, Gray Glim, etc.

Features of agricultural technology

Landing

Bushes with a closed root system can be planted all year round. Planting seedlings with open roots in open land carried out only after the arrival of spring and sufficient warming of the soil, without waiting for the start of sap flow. Subject to the rules of agricultural technology, caring for a tree is not difficult.

Choosing a place for planting, you need to prefer sunny open space. Care should be taken that the distance to groundwater was at least 10 meters. For low-growing varieties, you need to choose poor soils, otherwise the dwarf property will remain on the sidelines. Full-fledged species are grown in nutrient soil in open areas.

When choosing a planting site, you need to prefer a sunny open space.

Should be taken into account! The size of the hole under the tree should be at least 2 times the volume of the root system. Dwarf varieties planted with an interval of 50 cm. For tall representatives of the culture, a larger distance is needed, given the annual increase not only in height, but also in the volume of crowns.

First of all, the bottom of the pit is covered with a drainage layer, its thickness should be at least 20 cm. You can use broken stones, bricks or crushed stone. Next, a bush is lowered into the planting pit, filling everything with a mixture of peat, soddy soil and sand (proportion 2: 1: 1). Now a freshly planted bush needs to be watered abundantly, wait until the moisture is completely absorbed.

The layer of mulch should be at least 8 centimeters, consist of peat, wood chips, sawdust or pine bark. When planting a tree, you need to pay attention so that the root neck after planting is flush with the ground.

The layer of mulch should be at least 8 centimeters

Important! To carefully pull the seedling out of the pot, first, a few hours before planting, the pot must be placed in a container of water. Thus, the tree can be removed from the container without damaging the roots. All this will help the plant take root better.

Care

In the greater mass, the rock is valued precisely for its unpretentiousness. At the same time, it must be understood that, regardless of the care provided, the growth of the tree slows down in the first years. For full development, the newly planted juniper is watered several times a month, provided there is no natural precipitation. Additionally, it is recommended to spray the bushes warm water, exclusively in the evening. Adult representatives are watered only during periods of drought, while during the season they can be moistened no more than a few times.

It is strictly forbidden to use juniper for feeding organic fertilizers. For young trees, one top dressing is enough, carried out in the transitional period from April to May. For 1 bucket of water, use 20 grams of Kemira-universal or add nitroammophoska at the rate of 30-40 grams per square meter. Plants that have taken root do not need fertilizer.

Kemira wagon

The need for care in winter period may be cultivar specific. For columnar trees, it may be necessary to chip the snow from the branches, saving them from damage under weight. Also in the fall, you can pull the branches, pressing them to the trunk, so that the crowns do not break from heavy snowfalls.

Diseases and pests

Most coniferous trees suffer from fungal infections. Diseases and pests that juniper suffers from:

1. Rust is a fungus that manifests itself as growths of a rich orange color. To combat it, the affected areas are cut off and treated with any fungicide;
2. Tracheomycosis (fusarium wilt) is a disease of the root system associated with waterlogging of the soil. It is recommended to replace the top layer with fresh earth, cut off the affected parts, spray the surface of the soil under top layer fungicides against fungal infections;
3. Drying of the branches - the needles begin to die off, turn yellow, small fruit mushrooms begin to cover the trunk. For treatment, the affected branches and other areas are removed, the entire tree is treated with fungicides.

Landscape

Juniper Moonglow

Weakly spread culture gradually gained popularity. Today, rocky juniper is actively used to create design compositions on private estates and public areas. Such bushes help to create recreation areas as close as possible to natural conditions. Various varieties look great without additional elements landscape design and can be combined with other plants.

Moonglow juniper is the most popular in landscape design due to its compact size and interesting color. The plant looks especially impressive in winter, when its color on a snowy background becomes even brighter. The popularity of rock climbing in the landscape is due not only to ease of care and maintenance, but also to unusual geometric shapes. Often, juniper becomes a favorable background for other plantations, complementing various design compositions. Culture is great in cases where a garden landscape is created based on Japan and for decorating large alpine slides.

The rocky juniper crown is quite spectacular due to the fact that it is geometrically correct and clear. It is often used as a background for other plants or as a central link in a garden composition. This plant is perfect for those areas that are decorated in English or scandinavian style, juniper will also look great in alpine or Japanese gardens.