Juniper is distributed throughout Russia. It can be seen in forests, parks and squares, on flower beds and individual alleys. It is important to know how the planting and care of junipers is carried out in the Urals, Siberia, and the Moscow region. The culture is doing well in these regions. For each of them, it is necessary to select zoned varieties, carry out care measures, taking into account weather conditions, characteristics of the variety and soils.
Juniper in the Urals
In the Urals, juniper varieties grow, which, in addition to performing decorative functions, produce edible berries. They are collected for medicinal, culinary, and beverage use. Of the species growing in the Chelyabinsk region, berries can be eaten from ordinary and Siberian junipers. In the Urals, in the forest, juniper grows in the form of a shrub or tree. Its height is different - from specimens creeping on the ground, to two-meter ones. The berries of the plant are dark blue and have a bluish bloom. Their taste is spicy, sweetish. Fruits ripen in September, but picking them is not very comfortable because of the plant's needles. In the Urals, the collection method is widespread, which consists in spreading fabric under the ephedra, and gently knocking on the branches of the tree and collecting berries that have already ripened and falling on the fabric.
In the Chelyabinsk region, the Cossack juniper grows, the shoots of which are poisonous, and you can distinguish it from non-poisonous varieties by the unpleasant smell of needles and berries. You cannot collect them and eat them.
Where does juniper grow in the Urals
Juniper is widespread throughout the Russian Federation, from the border with Finland to the Yenisei River and the Chelyabinsk Region. The area of growth passes through the South Urals and the coast of the Belaya River.
Most of all in the Urals there is an ordinary juniper. It is a low (65 cm) creeping type shrub. Its diameter reaches 2 m.
It is rather difficult to take a photo of a juniper of the Cossack variety in the Urals, since the plant is listed in the Red Book of the region. Only in the south of the region can this culture be found.
Common juniper is widespread in coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests of the Chelyabinsk region. He loves the edges, glades, well lit by the sun. In Taganai National Park, ephedra grows in the mountains, covering the slopes of Yurma, Kruglitsa and others.
Juniper varieties for the Urals
For landscaping gardens and parks, adjoining territories, garden plots in the Ural region, you can use not only junipers growing in the wild, but also other varieties that are grown in nurseries. The main conditions for choosing a variety will be unpretentiousness, the ability to withstand severe winters without shelter, withstand drought and bright sunlight.
These varieties include the varieties of the Ordinary, Chinese, Cossack and others:
- Arcadia. This is an unpretentious ground cover juniper. It is frost-hardy, prefers sunny locations and dry soils. Ephedra is able to protect the soil from erosion, in addition, it tolerates gas pollution well. The plant has soft, light green needles and harmonizes well with low deciduous and coniferous trees.She tolerates a haircut easily, therefore it is successfully used to create a hedge. Juniper Arcadia has a height of up to 0.5 m and a crown diameter of 2.5 m. The winter hardiness of the culture is good;
- Glauka. The variety belongs to dwarf. The juniper has numerous thin, long shoots that run horizontally. The leaves of the plant fit tightly to the branches, the needles are bluish all year round, scaly-like. Ephedra grows well in lighted places, and tolerates light shade. In the design of landscapes, it is recommended to plant a plant in group and single plantings. In the climatic conditions of the Urals, a young plant should be covered for the winter;
- Blue Arrow. Columnar Chinese juniper. The height of the tree is up to 5 m, the diameter is 1 m. In a year, the crown grows by 15 cm. The shoots are tightly pressed to the trunk, directed upwards. The needles of the plant are blue, scaly. The variety is frost-hardy, loves sunny places. Used mainly for hedges, can be grown in a container;
- Skyrocket. Juniper has a narrow crown, blue needles. The height of the tree is up to 10 m, the diameter is 1 m. Khvoinikov is photophilous, undemanding to the soil, tolerates shearing well. In winter, he needs a garter to the support so that the crown does not fall apart under the pressure of snow. The plant is winter hardy;
- Meyeri. Scaly juniper with funnel-shaped shoots. Its needles are blue, thick, needle-like. The height of the shrub reaches 3 m, the diameter is 2 m. The culture prefers light drained soils. The plant's winter hardiness is very high.
Planting and caring for junipers in the Urals
Juniper planting in the Urals is carried out with melting snow - in late April-early May. For this:
- A pit is prepared with a depth of 50 cm and a diameter of 1 m.
- Drainage 20 cm thick is laid on the bottom.
- In this case, the root collar of the plant should be located 10 cm above the ground.
- The seedling is watered, the soil is poured into the voids and watered again.
- The trunk circle is mulched with peat, pine bark, a layer of 10 cm.
The first year the seedling is regularly watered, covered for the winter. After a year, you can carry out top dressing. Its time is spring. In the fall, fertilization is undesirable due to the possible lack of time for the formation of shoots. Pruning for sanitary and cosmetic purposes is carried out in the spring, before the buds have blossomed, and also in August. For wintering, young plants should be covered, in adults - thoroughly (with a layer of up to 20 cm) to mulch the trunk circles.
Juniper in Siberia
Common juniper grows in Siberia, it is called heres. Coniferous evergreen plant easily tolerates temperatures below -50⁰oC, therefore it is widely used for planting in harsh conditions.
Varieties of different forms are used for landscaping: from ground cover to bushes and trees. The height ranges from 0.5 m to 20 m. But most often in gardens, specimens with a height of 3 - 4 m are found. Fruits, called cones, ripen on them.
It is believed that a special species grows in the vastness of Siberia - the Siberian juniper. But scientists do not have a consensus on this matter. Many believe that this is just a variety of common juniper, which does not differ from it in anything, except for its geographical location. The plant originates from cypress trees. It looks like a bush creeping along the ground. Its height is about 1 m.
Where does the juniper grow in Siberia
The most common in Siberia, as well as throughout Russia, are three types of junipers: Cossack, Ordinary, Daursky.
- Ordinary - has the shape of a tree or bush. The more severe the climate, the lower the plant;
- Creeping Cossack - a low, widely spreading bush (up to 20 m wide), grows in the mountains of Siberia, densely covering their slopes. This plant is especially fond of the tops of the mountains, on which it connects stones with roots, preventing landslides from developing;
- In the Siberian taiga and the forests of the Far East, there is a variety Daursky: smaller, up to 60 cm high.
Junipers grow in western Siberia, in its northern part. They represent dwarf forms that grow over large areas. Thickets of plants can be observed on rocky areas in mountainous terrain, in rare deciduous forests, in cedar elfin.
Juniper varieties for Siberia
Juniper has good frost resistance. For the conditions of Siberia, varieties are needed in which this indicator is especially pronounced:
- Depressive. It is an evergreen coniferous shrub 0.3 m high and 1.5 m wide. The plant has beautiful golden needles. Young shoots are bright yellow; by winter they turn brown. Juniper loves lighted places or weak partial shade. The plant is frost-resistant, not demanding on the soil, it does not tolerate dry air well, it loves sprinkling. It is recommended to use it in rocky gardens, rock gardens. It goes well with deciduous and coniferous plants;
- Montana. This is a ground cover, creeping horizontal shrub 0.5 m high and up to 2.5 m wide. It has green or gray needles. The soil for juniper requires fertile, well-drained soil. The plant is photophilous, but it can grow in partial shade, has a high frost resistance. In design, it is used in single and group plantings as a ground cover species;
- Green Carpet. Juniper ordinary, dwarf type. Has a cushion crown. The annual growth is 25 cm. Young shoots are erect, but quickly droop and intertwine, form a bush 10 cm high and 1.5 m in diameter. On the branches of the culture there are green needles with a blue stripe and blue cones. The plant is unpretentious, frost-resistant, drought-resistant;
- Hibernica. This juniper variety in adult state has a height of 3.5 m, a diameter of 1 m. A plant with a dense, narrow, columnar crown. Its branches are directed upward, the needles are needle-like, of a gray color. The ephedra grows slowly, it is frost-hardy, loves sunny places, but it is unpretentious to the soil. The culture is for small and group compositions;
- Mac. Juniper with widely spread branches, has a growth of about 2 m, crown diameter - 5 - 7 m. The needles of the plant are bluish-green, with a bronze tint in winter. The shrub loves sunny areas, tolerates partial shade. The variety is frost-resistant, undemanding to soil fertility, poorly tolerates salinity and waterlogging.
Planting and caring for junipers in Siberia
In the harsh climatic conditions of Siberia, junipers of Daursky, Far Eastern and other acclimatized and zoned varieties grow.
Planting frost-resistant species is carried out according to the rules:
- the time of work is not earlier than the end of April, when the snow melts and the soil warms up;
- planting before winter is not worth it, the plant may not have time to take root;
- the place must be sunny;
- soil - sandy or sandy loam;
- the absence of a close occurrence of groundwater is required;
- it is necessary to prepare a hole 2 to 3 times larger than the juniper soil ball;
- drainage from bricks, pebbles, sand 20 cm thick must be added to the planting pit;
- the root collar is placed at ground level if the plant is young, and 6 cm above it if it is an adult;
- the trunk circle is mulched with cones, nut shells, peat with a layer of 10 cm;
- watering should be abundant.
Caring for Siberian junipers consists in timely moisture, periodic feeding, pruning, and shelter for the winter.
At first, after planting, watering should be regular, later they can be reduced. It is worth shading the seedling so that the needles do not burn in the sun. Top dressing is carried out until September. Otherwise, after rapid growth, the ephedra will not be able to prepare for the winter, and the immature shoots will be frozen over. Most varieties do not require pruning. If necessary, it should be done in early spring or late summer.
In the first winter, the juniper in Siberia is covered with spruce branches, burlap and other handy material.In the future, this can not be done: the plants acclimatize and overwinter perfectly.
Juniper in the suburbs
Common juniper is the most common species in the Moscow region. It is listed in the appendix to the Red Book of the Moscow Region, since it is endangered. Most often, trees are found in the Kuzminsky forest park, in Losiny Ostrov, on the slopes of the Klyazma River. Ephedra grows well on poor soils in light pine and birch forests. On more fertile lands, juniper does not compete with fast-growing neighbors that drown it out. The culture can grow on the edges and under the forest canopy. Feels good on sandy soils and loams. The plant grows best where others are uncomfortable. Extremely negatively tolerates grass burns and transplantation.
Juniper varieties for the Moscow region
For growing junipers in the Moscow region, there are many varieties that have different shapes, sizes, colors, purposes:
- Horstman. Juniper belongs to the weeping species, has a very original look. When tying the central stem, the ephedra looks like a tree, and if this is not done, it looks like a shrub. In an adult state, it reaches a height of 3 m and a diameter of 3 m. The annual growth is 20 cm. The plant is winter-hardy, unpretentious, prefers sunny places. In the shade, it can stretch out and lose its bright color;
- Gold Con. Slow growing juniper with a dense, conical crown. The plant reaches a height of 2 m, has golden needles. Grows well on light, drained soils, loves sunny areas, and thins in the shade. The variety is frost-hardy, suffers from the pressure of snow, so the plant needs to tie the branches. The culture is used in landscaping parks, alleys;
- DRay Owl. This is a sprawling bush juniper up to 1.5 m high and 4 m in diameter. Its needles are gray-green, 7 mm long. The branches grow horizontally, hanging down at the ends in the form of threads. The plant loves sunny areas and grows well on sandstones;
- Varieties Suecika, Virginia Burqi, Canaherty, and many others are also successfully used for landscaping in the Moscow region.
Planting and caring for junipers in the Moscow region
Planting junipers in the Moscow region differs from a similar process in the Urals and Siberia, primarily in terms of timing. In the Moscow region, conifers can be planted in early spring, in summer (with a closed root system), in autumn and winter (adult plants). Landing rules remain the same for all regions.
For top dressing in May and August, mineral fertilizers and organic matter are used. They are held twice a season: the first time in May, during the intensification of growth, the second in August. Pruning is carried out at the end of winter, before bud break. In the first year after planting, it is worth covering the seedlings for the winter from freezing and burning of the needles in the spring sun.
Conclusion
Planting and caring for junipers in the Urals, Siberia, the Moscow region does not differ much and does not present difficulties and special troubles. A large number of varieties, acclimatized to any conditions in Russia, gives gardeners ample opportunities for decorating a plot, adjoining territories, alleys and squares for many years.
