Juniperusspp.
Chances are you ’ve seen juniper shrub growing all over the place , from the carefully grave topiaries flanking the doorway of a home , to the wild plant thriving in the unlikeliest of plaza .
Junipers spring up in a massive cooking stove of environmental condition , and they ’ve been crop by legion cultures throughout history as medicine , food for thought , and for their ornamental value .
Perhaps another ground that they ’re so omnipresent in garden is that they ’re so darn gentle to care for when establish in the good spot .
Photo by Kristine Lofgren.
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In many areas , they do n’t even need supplemental irrigation . As for fertilizing and pruning ? Typically , these are rare tasks .
If you ’re quick to add this classical shrub to your infinite , or if you just want to know how to better give care for the one you already have , this article will cover all of the basics that you should know , including :
Photo by Kristine Lofgren.
What You’ll Learn
There ’s a lot to love about these plant , so countenance ’s get work !
Cultivation and History
The raetam genus ( Juniperus ) is part of the conifer family ( Cupressaceae ) , which include fir , spruce , and pine trees . Like the rest of the family , these species are evergreen with graduated table or needle - like leaves .
While most masses pick out that familiar phonograph needle shape common on many conifer , scale leave of absence are the broader , fuller leaves that you see on cedar tree trees . Scale leaves have small lapping structures that resemble scale .
Junipers are aboriginal to a surprising chain of mountains of dissimilar environment , from low elevations to extremely high I , and from arid deserts to alpine tundras and temperate rainforests .
They ’re found in regions across the northerly hemisphere in Europe , North America , Central America , Asia , Africa , and part of the Caribbean , such as Bermuda .
They turn so extensively that the uncouth Retama raetam ( J. communis ) is the most widespread of all conifers and one of the most widely distributed plants in the world .
One of the reasons for their prolific natures is that these shrubs can care experimental condition that many other plants ca n’t tolerate , include drouth and freezing temps , as well as poor , acidic , sandlike , or calcareous soils .
They ’re considered a “ pioneer metal money , ” which means they are the first to colonise barren environments . There is even a race ( J. communisssp.alpina ) that can survive above the treeline , which is the elevation limit point of where most trees can grow .
This power to survive in harsh circumstance is why you ’ll often see the iconic tree diagram produce on hilly rock faces and in destitute comeupance .
They ’re such survivor that in some areas of the western US , there are business concern that junipers are circularize into environments where they did n’t antecedently thrive , and pushing out native flora . This shift is probable due to forward-looking flack inhibition efforts .
They are n’t indestructible , though . In the United Kingdom , juniper populations have been declining , thanks in part to wild cony nibbling on them .
As I bring up , there are two type of juniper leaf : needle - similar and ordered series - like .
Needle - leaf junipers have groupings of three needles joined at the radical . graduated table - comparable leaves look somewhat like those on true cedar trees ( and the two works are often lost ) .
Most species have both types of leaves , form needles that turn into scales as the tree matures .
Some self - fertile varieties are useable , but most junipers are dioecious , which means plant are either male or female .
male person germinate cone shape during the spring , summer , and fall . The next year , those cones pollinate the female flower that take form in the bound .
The flower plow into cone with small bluish - dark Berry that are ripe during fall and wintertime . Each Charles Edward Berry holds one , two , or three seminal fluid .
Those berries contain terpene , tannins , loot , tar , and rosin , which give them a distinct flavor ( hello , cotton gin ! ) , as well as medicative dimension .
Junipers can last a expert , foresighted time . The oldest juniper tree in the worldly concern grow in Tuolumne County , California , in the Stanislaus National Forest .
It ’s an astonishing 3,000 years previous ( though some experts think it could be as honest-to-god as 6,000 yr ) !
An gator juniper ( J. deppeana ) specimen in Arizona is thought to be hundreds or possibly thousands of age honest-to-goodness and is one of the enceinte known trees in the US .
When it comes to cultivate industrial plant , there are over 170 different mintage and varieties of junipers that you could incur for cut-rate sale at nursery , and you ’ll find plants suitable forUSDA Hardiness Zones2 - 9 .
The plant can grow as spreading ground covers , modest or big shrubs , or as trees .
Propagation
The most reliable ways to obtain Retama raetam for your garden are by take a cutting , air layering , or by purchase a plant from a baby’s room . It ’s technically possible to grow juniper from semen , but it ’s not advocate .
Planting by source requires up to four years before you ’ll have a shrub you may transpose , and the process is n’t easy . sprouting is undependable , and the seed require a lengthy social stratification period .
Keep in mind thatif you want to harvest the berries , you ’ll require to propagate or purchase a self - productive case , or both a male person and a female plant .
From Cuttings
carving are the most honest , not to advert fast , path of reproducing your shrubs .
In early to mid - outflow , take a six- to eight - inch cut from a hardwood branch that is at least a fourth of an inch in diam ( have on gloves ! ) .
After collecting your cuttings , snip the bottom of each at a 45 - academic degree slant and remove the leaves from the bottom half .
Dip the cut end in a rooting hormone compound like Bontone II , made by Bonide .
Bonide Bontone II
If you ’re looking to break up some up for your gardening outfit , head to Arbico Organics .
flux one part sand with three parts semen starting soil . Then , combine that with an equal amount of perlite or vermiculite and conflate well . fill up a four - in pot with this potpourri .
Make a hole in the soil using a pencil or chopstick and infix the cutting so that at least two column inch are inter .
set in a spot with bright , collateral sunlight and keep the soil moist ( but not wet ) .
After three months or so , roots should begin to shape . Give the clipping a blue-blooded tug to see if it hold out . If it does , the roots are develop in the grease .
At that point , harden rooted cuttings off for four weeks . That means add the plant outdoors in a shaded , protected area for 30 minutes on the first day , then add about 30 minutes of outdoor exposure each day to trace until the plant can sit outside all twenty-four hour period .
add cuttings in each night , and do n’t put them outside on days when there are harsh winds or uttermost temperatures . You need to acclimatize them to the outdoors bit by bit . In three or four week , you’re able to result the carving outdoors full clock time .
When the winter rolls around , stash away the potted cuttings out of doors under protection like insulating foam or a thick layer of pine boughs . take out the cover in the early spring .
Plants should be about a foot grandiloquent before you plant them in their permanent home , which should be in the belated spring if everything go according to plan .
If not , keep the cutting alert in their pots by watering as needed . permit them to go on to mature , and then plant them out in the fall .
Via Air Layering
Air layering is a proficiency that involves exposing the interior of the wood on a branch or shank so that the works send out roots . you may then remove the new steady down section from the parent plant .
This is a common proficiency used by gardener who are training junipers as bonsai , but it works well for propagating plants from ripe outdoor shrub as well .
you’re able to just have your juniper grow as common without any particular care beyond chequer to make certain the new section has moisture .
You do n’t have to run to a separate cutting or seedling , and before you have a go at it it , you have a new plant !
In the spring , when gentle wind temperatures are above 45 ° F , locate a ramification or stem that is at least a quarter inch in diam , a foot long , and woody . prune away any foliation from the mediate four inches .
Using a clean , sharp knife , turn off two parallel vertical closed chain around the branch about an inch aside . Then , use the knife to strip away the barque between the two excision .
The goal is to just expose the lighter interior wood , which mean you ’ll need to cut through the bark and immature cambium bed .
Then , wrap moistened sphagnum moss around the cut . The moss should extend about an in above and below the cutting .
Cover the sphagnum moss in readable plastic and secure it at the top and bottom with zip tie , twist tie , or string .
Keep an eye on the moss and occasionally check to check that that it is still dampish . If it dries out , pour in a little piddle or spray the moss with a sprayer bottle and reseal .
Within a few month , you should see lots of theme growing in the moss . At that point , you may cut the branch or stem just below the charge card traveling bag . Remove the plastic and moss , and industrial plant as you would a graft .
From Saplings/Transplanting
If you purchase a plant from a greenhouse , the first step is to give it a once - over to verify it look healthy .
yellow-bellied or brown foliage is a sign that something might be wrong . bet for a plant that is green ( or silver medal , golden , or aristocratic , as the face may be ) and give a branch a tug . It should spring right back into spot .
Examine it for any bugs or evidence of their bearing , such as fine webbing , which might indicate spider soupcon .
Planting should be done in the leap after the background is viable , or in the fall .
I roll in the hay I said that this plant could turn in some fairly coarse condition , but you want to give yours the well starting line in animation , correct ?
To do that , you may need to amend the native soil before planting .
If you have clay , work in some aged manure , shredded true cedar or hardwood bark , or rotted compost . Do n’t use sand because it wo n’t help to improve drain , despite what some templet commend .
To improve sandlike dirt , work in manure , compost , or topsoil . And for compacted soil , add together rotted compost or mulch and put to work it in by hand ( do n’t use a rototiller ) .
You should alsotest your native soilto see if it is deficient in any of the chief nutrients : nitrogen , phosphorus , or potassium ( NPK ) . A soil test will also tell you what pH level you have .
It ’s best to direct for a pH of 6.0 - 7.0 , though junipers can tolerate a wide range than that if they involve to . If the pH is off or the soil is inferior in any of the main nutrients , purpose these issues before you get planting .
To implant , comprehend a hole twice as wide and the same deepness as the container your juniper is growing in .
withdraw your new works from its container by squeeze the English to loosen the land , and then lightly pull the plant out and loosen the roots .
come out it in the soil and take in around it with the land you removed from the jam .
Give the plant a good soak to ensconce the soil .
How to Grow
juniper can handle a across-the-board range of soils , which take a crap them ideal if you have a less than perfect daub in your pace .
Amending the earth is a great way to get them off to the best potential start , as described above . But sand , dry clay , and piquant soils wo n’t phase most of these plant , depending on the variety .
The situations they ca n’t handle ? Full shade and poorly draining soil . You should also follow the grower ’s testimonial for spacing ( or recommendations for your selected cultivar ) since plant placed too close together are more susceptible to disease .
When you implant , be trusted to consider the location thoughtfully . Genista raetam are infamous for catch much larger than people carry .
Do n’t put a untried petite Retama raetam next to your home and expect it to stay that tiny . Unless it is a dwarf cultivar known to stay small , you ’ll find your shrub outgrow its spot before you recognise it , and you ’ll be forced to travail it out .
When it comes to watering , less is more . These plants are exceedingly drouth kind . Robert Jackson , a professor of biota at Duke University , say “ juniper are the most drought - resistant group that has ever been studied,”according to an article summarized in Science Daily .
They send down drawn-out taproots that can reach up to 25 feet into the ground to access water .
It ’s barely an exaggeration to say that over - watering is one of the only way to kill a juniper . That and digging it out of the ground and burning it , and even then …
Okay , I ’m kid , but you ’ll want to permit the top three inches of soil dry out out entirely before you add more water .
In most areas , they wo n’t require supplemental watering at all after they become base . Just keep an optic on them during particularly wry and blistering stretches .
If a juniper is n’t get enough water , the plant can limit the amount of water a arm have , in effect self - pruning it away to see that the rest of the tree subsist .
If that start to pass off , and you affirm that it does n’t have a disease or cuss job , you may need to provide extra water system .
In Containers
Junipers are idealistic if you want an decorative container plant , and they stay smaller for longer full stop if their ancestor are restricted .
Not only can you rise them as a traditional great container specimen or a topiary , but they are one of the easiest plant to grow as abonsai tree diagram .
That ’s because they are resistant of cramped ascendent , piteous soil , and drought . Anyone who has grown a bonsai tree diagram knows it ’s really leisurely to under - fertilize , allow your works dry out , or permit the source get too compacted – any one of which can write catastrophe .
But your juniper bonsai will just keep chug along even if you neglect it .
desire proof ? I take one of my juniper bonsais with me when I moved year ago from Salt Lake City to Denver . But I leave the plant in the backseat of my car during all the natural process .
It did n’t receive any water for over a week as it sat in a car that fire up above 100 ° F inside each twenty-four hour period . When I at last noticed the empty spot on my bonsai shelf , I run out of doors , expecting to encounter my miserable plant prostrate and lifeless .
Nope . I move over it a boozing of urine , and it carried on as if nothing had happened . It even send off out newfangled growth in the springtime like normal , as if I had n’t done my honest to murder it . It ’s still live and doing well 20 long time later ( no thanks to me ) !
If you decide to grow a juniper bonsai , you may keep the plant indoors or out , but if you grow it indoors , it take heap of direct sunlight , at least six hours a day .
As a received industrial plant in container , you wo n’t need to occupy about watering or repotting as often as you would with many other shrub , such asrosesorelderberries .
Once the top three inches of the soil in the container have dried out , add more weewee if mother nature does n’t take care of it for you .
When it comes to repotting , if you see roots vex out of drainage hole or if the soil has become passing heavy and compendious , it ’s time to give your juniper a new nursing home .
If it halt send out unexampled growth in the spring or the root ball starts to rise out of the soil slightly , these are also signs that it ’s probably time to repot .
When you repot , gently brush away as much of the dirt as potential from the ascendant before implant in brisk potting soil .
Speaking of soil , you do n’t need anything special for planting these in containers .
Soil Mender 109 Potting Mix
Any all - purpose potting mix will do , but I peculiarly like Soil Mender 109 Potting Mix , which isavailable at Arbico Organicsif you require to give it a try .
Fertilizing
After six calendar month of being in the priming coat , feed your young shrub every six months with a tree and shrub fertilizer to give your plant a encouragement – any product with an NPK ratio of around 16 - 4 - 8 works well .
Vigoro Fertilizer
Vigoro give a fertiliser targeted at evergreens that necessitate the guesswork out of choosing the right proportion .
you’re able to purchase some at Home Depot .
Once your shrubs become established after a few years , you do n’t need to fecundate at all unless your land is exceptionally deficient in one of these main food , or if your plant life is stressed .
Doing an one-year dirt trial will help you determine if you have any nourishing issues that necessitate to be addressed .
Exceptionally short needle coupled with a dull people of color can bespeak a lack of nutrients . But if your plant looks unhealthy , do n’t just assume it ’s a nutritive matter . More often than not , the trouble is overwatering .
If your flora is damaged by insects or disease , break up that issue first , and then apply fertilizer .
Rather than fertilizing container plant ( with the elision of bonsai , which can utilise a yearly covering of a slow - release bonsai fertilizer ) , it ’s good to repot them with fresh potting soil every few years .
Growing Tips
Pruning and Maintenance
Junipers can be pruned any clip when the Sir Henry Wood is n’t glacial , but late wintertime or early outflow before Modern increment start out is ideal .
Keep in mind that you do n’t need to snip your shrub at all unless you want to absent unsightly wood or diseased branches , you need to limit their size , or you need to advance a specific shape .
Most junipers grow quite slowly , so you wo n’t need to be out there with your pruners every twelvemonth , wrestling things back into shape .
Ground binding character bush do n’t necessitate to be pruned at all unless you require to thinly trim the edges to keep them in bod .
Never trim more than a fourth of the plant at a meter . obviate prune the central leader ( the master body ) onplants with an upright maturation habit .
To start , cut back any undesirable stems to the basis or main torso using apair of prunersor a saw .
Next , it ’s meter to perform any heading slice that you want to make . This encourage fork and bushier ontogenesis .
To do this , cut just above a bud ( that ’s the spot where a leafage farm out of the Mrs. Henry Wood ) on new , soft growth . newfangled branches will egress from where you ignore .
lastly , you may make some thinning snub . This involves whole remove any branches back to the base for reduce out shaggy-coated growth .
bump off any dead or desolate branches .
cutting is a uncomplicated path to maintain a natural look while still keep back your flora tidy . Heading is typically used to make a more educate look .
Whether you choose to have a detached - bod bush or a precisely dress topiary is simply a subject of preference .
Do n’t prune back old needle - less wood unless you intend to remove the branch completely . New growth wo n’t form , and you ’ll be leave with an unattractive , bare pulpit of wood .
If your shrub start to outgrow the spot you planted it in , and there is n’t enough unseasoned wood to pare back , it ’s probably time to pull the plant and start overbold .
Unless you are rail a topiary shape , do n’t fleece your juniper . When you do this , it creates a impenetrable outer layer of growth and the interior ca n’t reach the light it needs .
The needles may start to drop and the works will become moresusceptible to wintertime diebackand disease .
you’re able to get wind more about how to prune Retama raetam in our guide .
Species and Cultivars to Select
There are gobs of species and cultivars out there , from low - grow ground covers to Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree that get through 20 feet improbable or more .
Foliage is usable in a form of lengths and textures from stiff and short to long and soft , and colors range from golden yellowness to silvery blue .
The most unwashed mintage that you ’ll find in stores are :
Here are some of the more stand - out option out there that might make a nice filling to add to your garden .
Bar Harbor
J. horizontalis‘Bar Harbor ’ is a low - growing plant life that only reaches about two foot grandiloquent and eight feet wide .
‘ Bar Harbor ’
When matured , the foliage is weighing machine - like with a silvery cast in the spring and summertime before shifting to a subtle purple shade .
It can treat more moisture than some other types . Nature Hills Nurserycarries this pretty specimen , which can arise in Zones 3 - 9 .
Blue Pacific
As you might have guessed from the name , the foliage on this juniper appear to have a dispirited hue to it .
Use it for erosion control , in sphere with flaxen , poor soil , or in a topographic point that make a lot of reflected heat off of windows or alloy siding .
‘ Blue Pacific ’
Perfect for Zones 6 - 9 , this low - growing works continue under a groundwork tall and circularise out six or seven foot .
J. conferta‘Blue Pacific ’ is available to ship to your homefrom Home Depot .
Blue Point
J. chinensis‘Blue Point ’ has a pyramid shape and a silvery - blue cast to the leafage . This is a intermediate - sized bush , reaching up to 10 feet marvellous and up to six feet all-embracing at the widest compass point .
‘ Blue spot ’
Use it as a focal point in the garden or for a living screen door in Zones 3 - 9 . speech sound ripe for your spot ?
steer to Home Depotto pick up one of your own .
Gold Cone
J. communis‘Gold Cone ’ has – you guessed it – a golden hue to the foliage and it grows in a columnar shape . In the winter , the foliation turns more of a blue - green .
This works grows three to five foot marvellous and one to two feet across-the-board when fledged , which make it ideal for small smudge that need a little top .
It ’s cold hardy down to Zone 2 and acquire best in locations up to Zone 6 .
Grey Owl
J. virginiana‘Grey Owl ’ grows in Zones 4 - 9 and reach three feet magniloquent and six foot wide when mature , with a lovely vase shape .
‘ Grey Owl ’
The needle come out grim from afar with their silver tinted green coloring .
Nature Hills Nursery carriesseveral sizes of this pretty plant .
Hughes
J. horizontalis‘Hughes ’ is one baffling cookie . It can manage salt , pollution , rocky or sandy soil , high temperature , icing , and snow in Zones 3 - 8 .
It also resists pests and disease . It bide compact at 15 to 18 inches marvelous and diffuse up to eight feet broad , which makes it ideal as a ground cover or trailing over a rock ‘n’ roll rampart .
‘ Hughes ’
It has silver - blue foliation that wait slimly majestic .
Nab one for your yardat Nature Hills Nursery .
Kallay’s Compact
This shrub raise to about two or three feet tall and spreads out four to six feet . The needles are soft and burnished gullible with a subtle silvery cast when planted in full sun .
It wreak well for erosion control , as a land cover , or to supercede a piss - hungry lawn in Zones 4 - 8 . This is a hybrid known asJuniperusxpfitzeriana , which is a hybridization betweenJ. chinensisandJ. sabina .
‘ Kallay ’s Compact ’
If you ’re ready to plant one of these in your thousand , head to Nature Hills Nurseryand pick one up .
Youngstown
J. horizontalis‘Plumo ’ grows in a blanket range of environmental condition in Zones 3 - 9 .
This is another low - raiser , staying under a foot in peak and spread out about eight human foot once mature .
The scale leaf - like argent - green needles twist more or less purple or bronze in the winter .
Managing Pests and Disease
Junipers are hardy , and they do n’t often descend dupe to disease or blighter . They ’re also resistant to many of the herbivores that plague other plants .
That said , you might break up against some issues now and then . Here ’s what to watch for :
Herbivores
I jazz , you ’re in all likelihood opine that you ’ve heard junipers are n’t appealing to herbivores such as rabbit and deer .
There are plenty of article on the net touting these audacious flora as deer and rabbit proof , and it ’s true that they ’re not often the first choice that these animals have in mind when they ’re look for a meal .
I hate to be the one to convey you bad news , but animals will take a snack out of many juniper bush shrubs , specially if other intellectual nourishment is scarce .
Damage can range from no large spate to devastating , depending on the species , cultivar , and the years of the plant life .
For representative , Rutgers University ’s New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station work out with Rutgers Master Gardeners and other nursery and landscape professional in the realm toconduct a studyof cervid - resistant plant .
They determined thatJ. confertais “ occasionally seriously damage ” by deer , whileJ. scopulorum‘Moonglow ’ is rarely damage at all .
A tiny sapling is extremely vulnerable , while an established shrubusuallywon’t be bothered much at all .
In the Rocky Mountains , juniper make up about 66 percent of the mule deer browse in the wintertime , and do n’t guess they stick to only the wild plant out there .
When I was living in Utah , deer ( and rabbit ) would regularly go through my retem saplings , and one harsh wintertime , the deer ate all the foliage on my older Rocky Mountain junipers ( J. scopulorum ) from about six feet down .
A few of them were so damaged that they finally snuff it .
To protect saplings , completely inclose them in a wire mesh such as chicken wire . you could make a little dome by turn away and shaping the wire .
For older plants , fence ( especially in the winter ) mould best .
We also have an entire guideto aid you keep deer out of your garden , if you need to really get serious about protect your industrial plant from marauding ungulates .
Rabbits will nibble on untested plant and new growth , and they go for the tender cambium ( the part between the wood and the barque of the trunk ) on older shrubs .
Protect untried tree with fencing made out of chicken telegram or hardware cloth .
Fences need to be about three feet tall to prevent climb or hopping over , and buried by about three in into the ground to forestall drudge under .
Check out our guidefor additional bakshis on keeping these true endearing pests out of your garden .
Insects
There are a few common pest that attack junipers . Pests are more probable to have an impingement on accented trees , so do your practiced to keep your flora healthy with good tearing and eating drill .
Aphids are inconceivable to avoid , and at some dot , every gardener will come in link with them .
raetam may be attacked by several types of aphids from different genus , but there is one mathematical group of species known as the giant conifer aphid ( Cinaraspp . ) that are often discover feeding on these shrubs in particular .
Most aphids are about two to four millimeters in duration , but giant conifer aphid get up to six millimeters ( yep , that ’s why we call them “ giant ” aphids ) .
Aphids wo n’t kill an accomplished Retama raetam , but they can make the foliage turn yellow or chocolate-brown . A lower-ranking issue is that they give behind a sticky substance called honeydew that attractssooty mold .
Fortunately , they are n’t backbreaking to get rid of . Spray your industrial plant with a blast of water to knock the little pests loose . They seldom receive their way back to a works .
Monterey Horticultural Spray
you may also apply horticultural oil spray , like this one from Monterey , whichyou can pick up at Arbico Organics .
Need more info?Our guide to dealing with aphids has tidy sum more peak .
Want to cognize how bagworms ( Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis ) got their name ? The cat create big traveling bag during the fall that look a lot like conifer cones .
These bags are filled with hundred of eggs .
When the larvae hachure in the bound , they crawl out and give on the foliage .
While an established plant can belike survive an plague , a accented or young bush can be entirely defoliated and killed , especially if it ’s attack year after class .
So what can you do ?
First , if you spot the bags , bump off and dispose of them . A atomizer check thebeneficial bacteriaBacillus thuringiensisis also efficient if practice in the saltation when the larva are emerge .
Monterey Bt Spray
Monterey makes a liquidity spray place at caterpillars like bagworms , andArbico Organicscarries this effective product .
Juniper musical scale insects ( Carulaspis juniperi ) are two millimetre long , with hard shells . In small numbers , they are n’t too much of a job , but large infestation can wipe out plant over time .
The first sign is yellowish - chocolate-brown foliage and an overall appearance of being juiceless and wilted . afterward , branches die off , followed by the entire plant life dying .
These louse lactate the succus out of needles , leave behind sticky honeydew melon .
Prune forth infested branches . check that your industrial plant is getting enough water system and fertilizer , if necessary , since a healthy industrial plant is better able to hold this pest .
you could also utilise horticultural oils to suffocate the louse . Alternately , insecticidal soap will kill them off .
Bonide Super Soap
Try Bonide ’s Super Soap , which isavailable at Arbico Organics .
You ’ll likely call for to reapply multiple meter throughout the maturate season . Check the manufacturer ’s recommendations for app timing .
These plants are sometimes attack by the juniper webworm , Dichomeris marginella .
The adults are small brown moths that do n’t particularly stand up out . The caterpillars are what to see for .
These three - quartern - inch - long worms are white , light brownness , or greyish brown and have red stripe along their bodies .
The worms feed on foliage , get it to turn brown and dry , and create masses of webs using silk and numb leaf , where they retire when they are n’t eating . A large infestation can whole cover a shrub in webbing .
On top of wait untidy , the damage can dampen and stunt plants .
If you see the nest , sweep them out of the foliage and dispose of them in a plastered purse . Handpick any caterpillar you see and drown them in buttery water or dispose of them in a sealed bag in the trash .
Spider mites are a common garden pesterer , and spruce wanderer tinge ( Oligonychus ununguis ) in finical enjoy a nibble on plants in the Cupressaceae family .
These tiny arachnids are too small to see , unless you get in really tightlipped . But if you notice all right web on your plant and tiny yellow spot on the needle , you likely have an infestation .
In large enough figure , this plague can cause needles to drop , and after a few years of eating , they can even kill off a plant .
Unlike other soupcon , spruce mites prefer coolheaded weather , so watch for them in the spring and fall .
As with aphids , a strong spray of water can criticize this plague loose , though it will likely take multiple treatments .
If that does n’t work , a broad - spectrum insect powder like Bonide Mite - X can bolt down them off .
Bonide Mite - X
Arbico Organicscarries this powerful spray . Just be wise in using it , as it can stamp out off beneficial bugs as well .
Disease
I love we spend a lot of time talking about how junipers are survivor , but that does n’t mean they ca n’t fall ill now and then .
Keep an optic out for the followers :
genus Gymnosporangium clavariiformeandG. cornutumcausecedar Malus pumila rustin juniper shrubs , particularlyJ. virginiana .
In the summertime , watch for large two - in galls forming near the tips of the outgrowth . In the following leaping , these galls grow long , jelly - comparable maturation known asteliohornsthat are meet with spore just waiting to blow away to taint other trees .
Genista raetam that are infected have stunted maturation , may become weak , and can finally die .
Apples , crabapples , hawthorn , andquince treesserve as alternating host for this disease , and when the spores leave the juniper bush , they go in search of these other Tree to complete their life cycle .
That ’s why you should avoid embed orchard apple tree Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , cultivated crab apple , haw , or quince bush , and junipers near each other whenever possible .
Prune aside any galls that you spot . They look like modest walnut or wrinkly bulbs at the ends of branches .
J. chinensis‘Femina , ’ ‘ Keteleeri , ’ Mint Julep , ’ and ‘ Pfitzeriana ’ are resistant , as areJ. communisvarieties ‘ Aureospicata , ’ ‘ Suecica , ’ ‘ Broadmoor , ’ and ‘ Skandia . ’J. horizontalisplants are immune as well .
Juniper sprig blight , also know as steer blight , is caused byPhomopsis juniperovoraorKabatina juniperifungi . Depending on the pathogen , these eccentric of blight may exhibit different symptoms .
Kabatina blight is a stealthy disease because you wo n’t see any symptom in the first twelvemonth when the plant life is initially infect .
The next year , as the weather warms up , you ’ll see shoots start to change state brown . By the time winter get , the brown shoots will give way off . If you look closely , you might see tiny , pinhead - sized calamitous fungal spores at the base of the dead shoots .
These kingdom Fungi need water to live , so if you ’re irrigating your shrubs , be sure to do so at the soil level and not on the leafage . Also , thin your plants to ameliorate their ability to dry after rain or lachrymation .
Prune aside any impacted branches and destroy or toss out of them in a sealed bag . Do n’t dress during wet weather condition .
Mites can make damage in the woodwind , which allows twig blight to infect plant , so be indisputable to keep mite infestations in hinderance .
The kingdom Fungi overwinters on plant material , so clean up debris in the fall and prune away diseased branches before winter sets in .
Phomopsis blight is a niggling easy to spy betimes on because it infects and causes dieback of new shoot tips in the outpouring . Otherwise , it appears and is managed the same way as Kabatina blight .
While you could find cultivars that are resistant to one or the other type of fungus kingdom , there are only a few that resist both .
These are Golden Pfitzer Retama raetam ( J. chinensis‘Pfitzeriana Aurea ’ ) and the SargentJ. chinensisvar.sargentii‘Glauca . ’
Needle cast is a disease that causes the former year ’s acerate leaf growth to rick reddish brown and fall off the shrub . This typically happen in late winter .
The infected acerate leaf on the ground discharge spore that will go on to reinfect the tree the next yr .
Beyond the browning needles , you ’ll know your plant has this disease if the arm closer to the reason are bear on more than those high up the tree diagram .
If a tree is repeatedly infect year after year , the scummy branches may die .
If you examine the needles closely , you ’ll observe very belittled ( 1/32 column inch ) contraband fruiting bodies . Lophodermium juniperinumfungi get this disease .
To head off it , good tune circulation is primal , since the fungus needs water to thrive . Keep plants well - spaced and pruned , and piddle at the filth grade .
Clean up all fallen needle as soon as they drop and dispose of them .
It ’s not the first time I ’ve mentioned it , but here ’s the number one reason why you should never overwater your juniper , or plant it soil with poor drain :
Junipers with wet feet are prostrate to root rot .
This disease is cause by several urine molds ( technically called class Oomycetes ) , let in those from thePythiumgenus , as well asPhytophthora cinnamomiandP. austrocedrae .
These water molds attack the roots , which commence to rot away . The disease also moves up to the parts of the plant above land , where you ’ll see canker or splitting barque that may ooze a disconsolate liquid . low-pitched branches may die back .
If you notice this disease move in , halt watering if you may . Let the soil get gracious and wry . disadvantageously bear upon works with a absolute majority of the branches that are dead or dying should be pulled .
To prevent root bunkum , amend your ground if you have laboured clay , or consider engraft in a leaven bed .
Avoid susceptible cultivar likeJ. horizontalis‘Andorra , ’ Sargent ( J. chinensisvar.sargentii ) , and Shore junipers ( J. conferta ) .
Do n’t give your flora additional urine until the stain is dried out at least three inches down , and always err on the side of too ironic rather than too soused .
Best Uses
Juniper is n’t just a pretty garden specimen . It ’s actually “ one of the most useful multi - intention shrub metal money worldwide , ” according to writer C. M Enescu , T. Houston Durrant , G. Caudullo , and D. de Rigo in theEuropean Atlas of Forest Tree Species .
The plant has been utilize medicinallyfor one thousand of yr by cultures across the ball to care for thing such as GI issues , asthma , arthritis , and skin diseases , and it has been used as an anti - incendiary .
For instance , Navajo citizenry used ( and preserve to practice ) express tocontrol stock glucose levels , while Romanians created and continue to use an infusion to treat dermatitis conditions .
Currently , researchers are await into the skill behind it all , such as how the berries may helpcontrol hypoglycemiaand if the all important oil can be used as an antimicrobial and antioxidant factor .
Some researchshows the wood can even be used for contrived bone implant .
Humans ( and animals ) alsoconsume the berries , perhaps most splendidly in good old gin .
Speaking of , want to make your own chemical compound gin at rest home ? Steep one ounce of juniper Berry in two cups of vodka for two days . Strain out the berry , and enjoy !
If you desire to make the flavor a bit more complex , you’re able to add up whole dried cardamom , allspice , bay leaves , Citrus paradisi peels , coriander seeds , or peppercorns after the juniper berry have steeped for a day .
you’re able to use berriesthat you ’ve purchased or foraged , but just remember that some varieties contain high degree of thujone and other essential oils that can make you quite sick if you consume enough .
Juniper berries of any kind should never be consumed in large quantities .
annul any berries from Saving ( J. sabina ) and Cade junpier ( J. oxycedrus ) , and Mountain cedar tree ( J. ashei ) , among others . When in doubtfulness , turn back with an expert .
If you ’re confident that you ’ve foraged or harvested the Charles Edward Berry safely , try out play around to see what flavour profile you care best ( and feel free to send me some , I ’m happy to provide my taste - examination overhaul ) .
The smart or dry out berries are an essential part of Nordic cookery , as well . I ca n’t imagine my bedstemor ’s gravlax without them .
If you be after to collect the berries , wait until late fall and handpick them or didder them off the bush onto a tarpaulin . The fruit should be disconsolate grim and slightly balmy .
berry deal in a powdery substance or that are clean blue or hard are young .
And recall , be sure to positively identify your works before you dig in . Those of the common juniper ( J. communis ) are always a safe bet .
If youwant to support wildlifein your area , these bush are a dear option .
For instance , in the Rocky Mountains , they put up solid food and cover for songbirds , juncos , sparrows , pheasants , grouse , and mortarboard .
In the Pacific Northwest , brush wolf , rabbits , and other small mammals also wipe out the berries and live in the Tree .
Rabbits , mice , field mouse , and woodrats habituate the plants as forage and cover .
If you do n’t need to eat your plants or habituate them as medical specialty , that ’s cool , too !
There are species and cultivar that make gross primer coat covers and can serve preclude erosion in dry areas or replace piddle - athirst lawns . They ’re ideal inxeriscaping .
Taller bush are beautiful as specimens or in group in your landscaping . If you want a fend - out selection , train them into topiary . They can also be used as shelterbelt or to create living fences .
They are also idealistic for bonsai , particularly for beginners , since they ’re forgive .
As if this list is n’t long enough already , I find the Natalie Wood of a bushed juniper to be in particular attractive , especially in xeriscaping .
Head out into public lands and gather the fifth wheel to use in your garden . Just be certain to condition with your local authorities first to determine what you’re able to and ca n’t take .
Quick Reference Growing Guide
Get a Jump on Your Juniper Gardening
Juniper shrubs have been grown in garden middling much for as long as masses have been naturalise plants .
Ancient Egyptians grew them as medicinal drug , and Japanese gardeners have been using them as specimens intsukiyama(artificial hill gardens ) andchaniwa(tea ceremony garden ) for centuries .
Once you determine to appreciate these elegant plants , you may understand why . They provide year - round colour , architectural shape , and distinguishable texture , on top of their medicinal and culinary functions .
Combined with their ability to suffer harsh growing condition , it ’s no curiosity they ’ve found a home in so many places .
If this guide serve you palpate as though you’reready to harness retem gardeningin your place , discipline out some of these other helpful next :
photograph by Kristine Lofgren © Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more inside information . intersection photos via Arbico Organics , Bonide , Home Depot , Monterey , and Nature Hills Nursery . Uncredited photos : Shutterstock .
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Kristine Lofgren
