Content
- 1 Description of the juniper of the Chinese strickt
- 2 Juniper Strickt in landscape design
- 3 Planting and caring for strickta juniper
- 4 Features of caring for Strickt juniper at home
- 5 Reproduction of the juniper chinensis Strict
- 6 Pests and diseases of Strickt juniper
- 7 Conclusion
- 8 Reviews of Chinese strickt juniper
Juniper Stricta is a variety developed by Dutch breeders in the middle of the 20th century. Thanks to the graceful shape of the crown and unusual colors of the needles, the plant has gained wide popularity among landscape designers and gardeners, both in Europe and in Russia.
Description of the juniper of the Chinese strickt
The species belongs to the Cypress family, the Juniper genus. This is an evergreen dwarf coniferous tree of low height. It has a slender conical shape, it is distinguished by a dense symmetrical crown formed by thin straight branches growing vertically at an acute angle to the trunk. The needles are thin, sharp, soft, greenish-bluish; in winter it takes on a gray-blue tint.
In August-October, numerous dark blue cones with a whitish waxy bloom ripen on females. Their diameter is about 0.8 cm, there are 3 seeds inside. The fruits are inedible.
A close-knit variety is the Stricta Variegata juniper, which differs from the Chinese Stricta juniper in its conical crown and unusual color of the needles: creamy shoots, located in a chaotic order, stand out against the background of green or bluish-green branches. This scenic variety has also received recognition from landscape designers in many countries around the world.
The variety is relatively unpretentious, tolerates frost well, is undemanding to the composition of the soil and does not suffer from air pollution in large cities.
Dimensions of Strict Juniper
The Chinese Juniper Strickta reaches a height of 2.5 m with a diameter of about 1.5 m, but it is not uncommon for it to grow up to 3 m. This is the optimal size for the formation of hedges.
The root system of the Chinese Strict juniper
The Chinese juniper has a powerful developed root system and can be used to strengthen erosional soils.
When buying a seedling, it is important to remember that the root system of conifers is very vulnerable and dies off quickly in the open air, so you should choose plants grown in a container.
Juniper Strickt is poisonous or not
Chinese juniper, like other conifers, is known for its ability to purify the air and inhibit bacterial growth. This property is often used in preventive and restorative medicine. In sanatoriums, you can often find walking paths along which are planted juniper trees of the Chinese Strickt. The air enriched with its phytoncides has a beneficial effect on the nervous system and promotes recovery from lung diseases.
However, its needles and fruits contain a certain amount of toxic substances.Close and prolonged contact of the juice with the skin and mucous membranes can be harmful, therefore, when working with shrubs, gardeners should be careful and use protective gloves.
How fast does the Strickt juniper grow?
Juniper Chinese belongs to the slow-growing crops. Interestingly, an adult tree grows faster than a young tree. Growth accelerates over time, but does not exceed 5 - 7 cm per year.
Frost resistance of Chinese Strickt juniper
One of the most important characteristics of the variety, which makes it attractive for use in Russia, is frost resistance. Only in very harsh winters do plantings need shelter. But heavy snowfalls can break branches.
Juniper Strickt in landscape design
The Chinese juniper is one of the most popular plants among landscape designers. It is difficult to imagine a composition in Chinese or Japanese style without the use of this picturesque tree. It looks no less advantageous in the European style of landscaping. On numerous photos of Strickt juniper in landscape design, you can see examples of the design of alpine slides, rockeries, single plantings and group ensembles. Thanks to the ability to form a crown, the tree is perfect for hedges. It is also used for landscaping terraces and balconies.
While Stricta can serve as a winning backdrop for bright accents created by other plants or elements, Strictta Variegata is most often the central detail of the composition. Thanks to its unusual color, this variety is able to revive even the most unassuming plant ensemble.
Planting and caring for strickta juniper
According to the description of experienced gardeners, there is nothing difficult in growing and caring for the Chinese Strickt juniper. It is unpretentious, but in order for it not to lose its attractiveness, certain rules for disembarking and leaving are required.
Seedling and planting plot preparation
Choosing and preparing a planting site is one of the most crucial stages in growing beautiful, healthy trees.
It is a light-loving culture, however, its needles can suffer greatly from direct sun. It is most dangerous for young specimens, therefore it is recommended to choose a well-ventilated place in partial shade.
It is optimal to buy a seedling in a nursery or garden center. There are several guidelines for choosing it:
- it is preferable to buy trees with a closed root system. Ideally - in a container or with an earthen ball;
- young shoots should be visible on the seedling;
- branches should not be dry or brittle;
- you should choose seedlings with a dense, bright green crown, without dry and damaged areas.
Landing rules
The transplant is carried out in spring or autumn. If a seedling with an open root system, it should be planted immediately after purchase to avoid drying out. A tree in a container can wait for a suitable time to transplant.
The general algorithm is as follows:
- prepare a pit with a volume of 2-3 times larger than the size of an earthen clod with roots;
- leave a distance of 1.5 - 2 m between the holes;
- fill the drainage (broken brick or pebbles) at the bottom of the pit;
- deepen the seedling, leaving the root collar above the surface;
- sprinkle the tree with a mixture of sand, peat and turf;
- shelter from the sun;
- water abundantly.
Watering and feeding
Juniper Chinese Strekt is not too picky about moisture and tolerates drought quite well.For several months after planting, he needs to ensure regular, abundant watering.
In dry summers, it is watered 2 - 3 times so that each tree has up to 30 liters of water. When growing a Chinese variety in ensembles, it should be borne in mind that excess moisture is destructive for it, therefore it is necessary to select crops with a similar irrigation regime.
But dry air can be very harmful, so it is recommended to often spray the crown. To avoid burns, do not allow water to get on the needles; on a sunny day, spraying should be done in the morning or in the evening.
Once a season, at the end of April or in May, the plantings are fertilized. Mineral complexes for conifers have an optimal composition.
Mulching and loosening
Mulching is optional. To avoid the rapid drying of the topsoil, watering less often and get rid of weeds, you can use mulching. Chips or pine bark are used as mulch.
The Chinese juniper has a developed strong root system, so only young plants need loosening. It must be produced shallowly so as not to hurt the delicate roots.
Pruning Strict Juniper
Juniper Chinese Strikta lends itself well to crown formation. In landscape plantings, pruning is done regularly, and in hedges, as a rule, only dry branches are removed. Prune plantings in early spring.
For the prevention of fungal diseases, it is advisable to treat the crown with a fungicide after pruning.
Shelter for the winter of Strickt juniper
Despite the fact that the Chinese Strickt juniper variety is frost-resistant, the trees need to be prepared for winter. So, at the end of autumn, trunks are mulched with a thick layer of peat, and young trees are completely insulated with spruce branches. The crown can suffer from heavy snowfall, so the branches are tied to the trunk.
If the winter promises to be extremely frosty, for preventive purposes, you can insulate the plantings with burlap, agrospan or other covering materials. You can shoot the shelter at the end of April. It is advisable to choose a cloudy day for this, so that the plant adapts to the sun's rays.
Features of caring for Strickt juniper at home
Junipers are rarely used as houseplants. Despite the fact that this is an evergreen culture, it, like all conifers, needs a dormant period, therefore it is demanding on the temperature regime. However, now with increasing success these small trees are kept in living quarters. On the forums of indoor flower lovers, you can see photos in which the Chinese strickta juniper not only grows at home, but is also used as an element of whole plant compositions.
Due to its slow growth, Strickta juniper is one of the most suitable varieties for growing at home in a pot. In order for a juniper tree to delight its owner for a long time, you must adhere to simple rules:
- the purchased seedling should be immediately transplanted into a larger pot;
- optimal use of soil for coniferous trees. Peat soil is also suitable;
- pour drainage on the bottom of the pot to avoid destructive stagnation of moisture;
- after transplanting, sprinkle the top layer of earth with mulch and sprinkle with fertilizer for conifers;
- water sparingly - in summer as it dries, in winter no more than twice a month;
- often, up to several times a day, spray the crown with water from a spray bottle;
- in winter, carry the pot away from heating appliances;
- fertilize in spring and summer every 2 weeks with mineral complexes added to water for irrigation;
- the pot should be on the sunny side. In summer, avoid direct sunlight on the crown;
- the temperature in summer should not exceed +25 ° C, in winter +13 ° C;
- young trees should be transplanted into larger pots every spring. It is important to know that even minor damage to the root system will lead to juniper disease.
Reproduction of the juniper chinensis Strict
It is almost impossible to grow a tree from seeds, so propagation by cuttings is most suitable for the Strickt juniper. In the spring, one-year-old branches are separated from the trunk and rooted in a mixture of peat and sand. A variety of the Chinese juniper Strict Variegat reproduces better by layering. The branches creeping along the ground are laid in grooves filled with the same mixture of sand and peat, sprinkled with soil, and pinched the top. Branches rooted in this way become independent plants.
Pests and diseases of Strickt juniper
Despite its unpretentiousness, the Chinese Strikta juniper, like other conifers, is susceptible to fungal diseases. Allocate up to 40 types of fungi. Some affect the root system, while others suffer from branches and needles. In addition to the signs characteristic of each disease, a common signal of defeat is yellowing and drying of needles, and then whole branches. It often looks as if the Chinese strickta juniper is drying out due to lack of moisture, but the real cause is fungus.
The most common diseases: Fusarium, Alternaria, rust, Schütte.
Pests are no less troublesome. Most often these are sawflies, aphids, needle mites and juniper scale insects. Insecticides help well from their invasion.
Conclusion
It is no coincidence that the Strickt juniper is considered one of the most interesting plants for landscape design. The unpretentiousness of this tree allows it to be used both in small private areas and for landscaping large cities. Thanks to its decorative properties, it is possible to create spectacular compositions with other plants and natural materials.
