Content
Juniper Hibernica is a varietal crop, the historical homeland of which is Ireland. Since the middle of the 18th century, a variety of the Cypress family has spread in Europe, thanks to its frost resistance, the shrub has been cultivated for a long time and successfully in Russia. The main application of the variety is landscaping of recreation areas and landscape design.
Description of Hibernica Juniper
A perennial crop is a variety of common juniper, which is represented by tall and ground cover varieties with a varied crown shape. The height of an adult Khybernik juniper reaches 4 m; among the representatives of the species, the shrub is considered to be high-growing. The crown of the plant is of the correct columnar shape. The branches are pressed against the trunk, so the volume of the shrub is only 1.2 m. The juniper forms spambes, thanks to this property, you can give the plant all kinds of shape and height.
Over the long years of cultivation in cold climates, the Khybernik juniper has fully adapted to the weather conditions of the Central, European part of Russia. The plant of this variety can be found in city squares and more northern regions.
Khybernik's drought resistance is average, in conditions of low humidity it loses the decorative effect of the lower part, the needles change color to brown, dry. When grown in open areas, periodic watering is required. Feels comfortable on wet soils with occasional shading.
The Hibernika variety belongs to frost-resistant varieties. It tolerates a drop in temperature to -30 0C. After freezing of annual shoots, it completely restores the crown during the season, which is also a feature of the species. Most of the varieties and hybrids do not recover after winter.
A perennial plant retains its beauty for a long time. A juniper can grow in one place for more than 100 years. The plant is unpretentious to care for, due to its insignificant annual growth, it does not require constant crown formation.
External description of the Khybernik juniper shown in the photo:
- The shape of the bush is narrow-pyramidal, regular, compact. The branches are medium in size, dark gray with a brown tint, tightly attached to the main trunk. Formed low from the ground, at an acute angle. The bark is uneven, scaly. The growth of young shoots begins from the middle of the bush, annual olive-colored branches are thin, growing straight up.
- The needles are triangular, short, soft, light green with an ash tint, the plant is evergreen, not deciduous, by the fall the needles are painted in a rich dark green color. The ends of the needles are pointed, thornless. It grows densely, without gaps.
- The root system is powerful, buried up to 5 m into the ground.
- The berries of the common Hibernik juniper are medium-sized, light green at the initial stage of ripening, then dark brown (closer to black).
Juniper Khybernika in landscape design
The main peak of the distribution of the Khybernik juniper in Russia fell on the middle of the last century.The culture was planted everywhere in the recreation areas, the foreground of the administrative territory was drawn up. Sanatoriums and rest homes without juniper alleys lost their flavor.
A standard shrub of the correct shape is nowadays used for urban landscaping, decorated in the form of a hedge, the Khybernik juniper is planted in the sanitary zone of parks, in public places. A decorative columnar shrub is grown as a single element; to create an alley, they are planted in a row. The design uses:
- in composition with stunted conifers;
- as a tapeworm in the center of a flower bed;
- along the front door and on the sides of the building;
- to indicate the rear perimeter of rockeries;
- on the sides of the alpine slide.
The common juniper Khybernika goes well with Nana Aurea - an ephedra of an unusual yellow color.
In landscape design, a combination of different forms looks interesting - the vertically growing juniper of the common Hibernik and the horizontally creeping Variegat.
The crown of the plant is dense, it lends itself well to pruning, so the Hibernik juniper is planted in the center of the lawn and given all sorts of shapes. On the personal plot, education from the planting of hedges is used, thus separating the zones of the territory. In the photo, the common juniper Khybernika, as an element of the design solution.
Planting and caring for the Khybernik juniper
Juniper ordinary Khybernika grows on any soil. The root is deep, so the composition of the soil does not play a role for it. Before maturation, the tree grows for 10 years. Young juniper needs a fertile composition with good drainage, non-acidic, it can be slightly alkaline, the plant is indifferent to salt licks.
The drought resistance of the juniper is average, if located in an area open to ultraviolet radiation, periodic sprinkling will be required. With dry air, the lower part of the bush dries, the culture loses its decorative effect. Partial shade behind the wall of the building and the crowns of tall trees, ideal for planting junipers. In absolute shade and on waterlogged soil, the culture will not grow.
Seedling and planting plot preparation
The requirements for a purchased or self-grown seedling are as follows:
- the seedling must be two years old;
- with a strong healthy root system, no dry fragments;
- light green bark without mechanical damage;
- obligatory presence of needles.
Before planting, the root system is disinfected in a manganese solution, then placed in a growth stimulator for 25 minutes, Etamon will do.
The site and the planting recess are prepared 2 weeks before the placement of the seedling. The site is dug up, for better drainage, river sand of a coarse fraction is introduced. If the soil is acidic, neutralize it with alkali-containing products. Lighten the soil with peat, humus or compost. The planting hole is dug in accordance with the size of the root, at least 15 cm should remain to the edge of the recess. The depth is calculated according to the scheme: the length of the root to the neck plus 20 cm per drainage layer, on average 65–70 cm is obtained.
Landing rules
Work begins with the preparation of the soil, it consists of peat, humus, leaves, sand and soil from the planting site (in equal proportions). If the soil is acidic, add 150 g of dolomite flour to 10 kg of the mixture. At a normal acid-base index, the mixture is left without additive. Landing Algorithm:
- Gravel (20 cm) is poured at the bottom.
- The prepared mixture is divided into two parts.
- Part is poured into a pit, a small cylindrical hill is made in the center.
- The seedling is placed on a hill in the center vertically.
- Distribute the roots, disassemble the weaves.
- The rest of the soil is poured out gradually, each time carefully compacted so as not to damage the root and leave voids.
After planting is complete, the plant is watered, the root circle is mulched.
If the Khybernik juniper is distributed in one line, as a mass planting, the distance between the bushes is left 1-1.2 m.
Watering and feeding
Watering is required, but moist soil can be destructive for a young plant. Juniper responds much better to daily sprinkling. Irrigation is carried out before sunrise. Young seedlings are watered at the root for two months with a small amount of water. There is no need to feed the plant; up to 2 years of growth, the seedling has enough nutrient mixture introduced during planting. After this growing season, the root system deepens, there is no point in feeding.
Mulching and loosening
Immediately after planting the Khybernik juniper, the soil is mulched near the root with straw, sawdust or chopped bark. The composition of the mulch for the culture is not fundamental, its main function is to preserve soil moisture. In the fall, the layer is increased.
Loosening is indicated for young seedlings, it enriches the root with oxygen and removes weeds. The frequency of weeding depends on the growth weeds... For an adult tree, the soil is not loosened, but mulch, the layer retains moisture well, weeds do not grow under the dense crown. For an adult juniper, the development of weeds at the root is not scary, weeding is purely cosmetic in nature.
Trimming and shaping
In the spring, the Khybernik juniper is sanitized, dry and frozen shoots are cut off. If the plant overwintered safely, there is no damage to the crown, no pruning is carried out.
The shrub is formed in accordance with the design decision. The standard plant can be grown to any height and the dense crown can be given the desired shape. Shearing is carried out in early spring or late autumn, when the sap flow is slowed down in the culture.
Preparing for winter
Preparatory work:
- An adult plant is given water-charging irrigation.
- Increase the layer of mulch.
- Juniper branches are fragile, they can break under the weight of snow, they are tied to the trunk in a spiral.
In addition to mulch, young seedlings are pressed against the trunk and wrapped with insulation. Top covered with spruce branches and covered with snow in winter. These procedures are carried out to the juniper until the age of four.
How fast the Hibernik juniper grows
The growth rate of the Khybernik juniper is insignificant. A plant up to 10 years old gives an increase of no more than 25 cm per year. When the end point in height is reached by the culture, the growth continues in volume - 5–10 cm. The crown does not increase more than 1.5 m.
Reproduction of common juniper Hibernica
The common juniper Khybernika is propagated generatively and vegetatively.
Juniper seeds are rarely bred, the culture grows slowly, growing in a generative way is unprofitable. For the Hibernika variety, the grafting method is more suitable. The material is taken from annual shoots in the spring. It is possible to propagate the shrub by layering, if it turns out to bend and fix the lower branch to the ground, it must be taken into account that the juniper has a fragile wood structure.
Diseases and pests
According to gardeners' reviews, Khybernik's juniper practically does not get sick. If no fruit trees grow nearby, there is no threat of bacterial and fungal infection. The situation with garden pests is more complicated. Parasitizes the Hibernik juniper:
- Juniper sawfly - eliminate "Karbofos".
- Shield - are treated with appropriate insecticides.
- Aphid - branches with the main accumulation of pests are cut and removed from the site, the plant is treated with contact biological agents.
They make sure that there are no anthills on the site, this is the main reason for the appearance of aphids on the Hibernica juniper.
Conclusion
Juniper Khybernika is a perennial columnar-shaped shrub, a type of common juniper. The variety is frost-resistant, does not require constant care, grows slowly, so there is no need for constant crown formation. It is used for the design of private areas and landscaping of urban recreation areas.
