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Juniper Cossack Variegata is an unpretentious coniferous seedling used in landscape design. The evergreen plant attracts the eye and creates a cozy atmosphere in the backyard. You can plant one bush or a whole alley – it all depends on the size of the territory and the imagination of the owners or designers.
Description juniper Cossack Variegata
Juniper Cossack Variegata (Latin name Juniperus Sabina Variegata) belongs to the Cypress family. It was bred in 1855. The plant is undersized, creeping. The branches are covered with scaly needles with needle-like leaves. The crown of the Cossack juniper is compact, resembling a funnel. In diameter, the crown of the Variegata variety reaches 1,5 m, and in height about 1 m.
The color of the Cossack juniper Variegata is mostly green, but there are cream-colored shoots. The branches are arched, dense. Juniper Variegata is photophilous, therefore it grows better in open areas, it is unpretentious to the ground, resistant to drought and low temperatures. Under suitable conditions, it grows in one place for more than three decades.
This type of Cossack juniper will fit well into a rose garden or rock garden. An example of the use of juniper Cossack Variegata in landscape design is shown in the photo.
Planting and caring for juniper Cossack Variegata
In order for the Cossack juniper to grow beautiful and ennoble the territory with its appearance, it is necessary not only to choose a good seedling. It is important to properly prepare it for landing, and then follow the rules of care.
Seedling and planting preparation
The best time for planting the Cossack juniper Variegat in open ground is early spring. The site is chosen sunny, because in the shade the plant changes and loses its decorative qualities.
Ground water should not be too close to the surface. If the site turns out to be swampy, the Cossack juniper will quickly rot and disappear.
The preparation of the landing pit is as follows:
- They dig a hole, its size depends on the root system. If the seedling is purchased in a container, then the pit should be 2 times larger than it. For a Cossack juniper with an open root system, the seat should be sufficient to freely accommodate the roots.
- If the groundwater on the site lies very close to the surface, it is necessary to consider a drainage system. A layer of gravel or expanded clay with a thickness of at least 20–30 cm can be covered at the bottom of the landing pit. Therefore, the pit is dug a little deeper.
- The planting hole is filled with nutrient soil mixture. It is prepared from the top layer of earth, peat and mineral fertilizers. The earth is mixed with peat in a ratio of 1: 1, and fertilizers are added at the rate of 5 g per 1 liter of soil mixture. If the earth is clayey, one part of sand is additionally added to the pit.
Rules of landing
The roots of the Cossack juniper variety Variegata are straightened along the mound poured into the pit, without deepening the root neck, it should be at ground level. The pit is covered with earth and carefully rammed. The seedling is watered. The trunk circle is mulched with tree bark or chips. This helps retain moisture and also inhibits the growth of weeds.
Juniper Cossack Variegata is unpretentious to the soil, therefore it can grow even on stony and acidic soils.
Watering and top dressing
Cossack juniper Variegata does not tolerate excess moisture, so the shrub does not need regular watering. Excess water leads to a deterioration in appearance, rotting of the root system to diseases. If the summer is hot and dry, you can water 3-4 times per season.
Sprinkling once a week can be done by spraying water on Variegata shrubs early in the morning or late in the evening so that the scorching rays of the sun do not burn the needles.
A young sapling of the Cossack Variegat juniper needs fertilizing the soil. Top dressing is applied the next year after planting the shrub in the ground. Adult seedlings do not need frequent feeding. It is enough to fertilize 1 time in 2-3 years.
As fertilizers use:
- rotted manure;
- superphosphate;
- ammonium nitrate;
- other mineral fertilizers (phosphorus, potash, complex).
Spring is the best time to fertilize. Usually these works are postponed to the end of April – the beginning of May. Root feeding involves the introduction of nutrients into the soil around the bush. At least 20 cm recede from the trunk, the depth of top dressing is 10 cm. After laying fertilizers, the soil in the near-trunk circle is watered.
In summer, Cossack juniper Variegata can be fed with a complex fertilizer containing several elements (copper, iron, manganese, phosphorus, zinc, potassium). These substances affect the color of the needles, give it brightness and strengthen the immunity of the shrub.
When fertilizing in the autumn, substances with a low nitrogen content are selected. This microelement, introduced in autumn, leads to active growth of shoots, which is undesirable before wintering. Young shoots do not have time to prepare for winter and become woody, which leads to their freezing.
If the upper shoots turn yellow on the plant, then the Cossack juniper Variegata needs magnesium supplementation. This component can be made in the autumn.
Liquid fertilizers obtained from biohumus contribute to the growth of the root system, which allows the plant to become well established in the soil. Such top dressing enhances photosynthesis, therefore, the plant pleases the eye with a more saturated shade of needles.
Mulching and loosening
The juniper of the Cossack Variegat has a superficial root system, so deep loosening can harm the seedling. Shallow digging is allowed.
Mulching the trunk circle can be done using chopped bark or wood chips, as well as coniferous earth brought from a coniferous planting.
Trimming and shaping
Sanitary pruning is necessary for all Cossack junipers, including the Variegata variety, and shaping pruning is carried out at the discretion of the owner of the site.
If the shape of the crown does not suit the owner of the site, does not correspond to the designer’s idea, it is formed. Topiary pruning allows you to give the Cossack juniper Variegata an interesting shape.
General rules for pruning Cossack juniper Variegat:
- cut the branch into a ring, that is, completely or shorten it a little, leaving part of the needles. There are no buds on the bare part of the branches, so when cutting all the greenery, the branch will remain dry and will no longer turn green;
- during formative pruning, you can not remove more than 1/3 of the green branches. The Cossack juniper does not grow fast enough to please the eye with a young and densely growing crown in the new season;
- when working with the Cossack juniper, precautions should be taken: wear work clothes and protect your hands with gloves. The resin of the plant is difficult to wash off, and toxic components can cause skin irritation;
- it is recommended to cover fresh cuts with garden pitch, this will help protect the plant from infectious diseases;
- garden tools should be well sharpened, because the torn edges of the branches heal for a very long time. The secateurs or knife must be disinfected before pruning each shrub;
- before forming pruning, it is desirable to carry out nitrogenous top dressing;
- greenery waste after pruning can be used as mulch. The shoots are crushed and dried, and then brought into the near-trunk circle.
Preparation for winter
Juniper bushes of the Cossack Variegat are distinguished by good winter hardiness, so shelter is not required for them. In October, it is necessary to water the juniper bushes well. You will need 2-3 buckets of water for each instance. Watering is carried out before frost, otherwise the water will only harm, and the wet roots will freeze. The trunk circle is mulched with peat; in regions with unstable weather conditions, it is recommended to cover the roots with spruce branches.
To protect the crown from sunburn, special breathable materials (mesh) of a light color are used. Polyethylene can not be used to protect the crown.
Reproduction
Juniper Cossack Variegata can be propagated in three ways:
- with seeds, harvested in autumn from ripe cones. The seeds are soaked and then planted in boxes. When the first snow appears, the boxes are taken out into the street and buried under the snow. In the spring, the seeds are planted in the ground;
- layering. To do this, the branch is bent to the ground and dug in. You can make an incision in the place that will be underground. The incision is sprinkled with a powder that promotes rapid root formation;
- cuttings. In early spring, cuttings about 15 cm long with old bark are separated from the plant and placed in water. To speed up the process of root formation, the cuttings are treated with indolylbutyric acid. When planting a cutting, it is buried 5–6 cm into the ground. Rooting can take about 3 months. During rooting, it is desirable to create partial shade for the plant, otherwise the stalk may burn out from the scorching rays of the sun.
Diseases and pests
One of the common diseases of the Cossack juniper is rust caused by a fungus. These fungi affect not only Variegata juniper bushes, but also pear, apple, and quince trees. Therefore, on the site should not be planted close to each other.
Shoots affected by red tinder fungus are removed and burned away from the site.
Fusarium juniper Variegata, caused by the fungi Fusarium oxysporum and F. Sambucinum, leads to rotting of the roots and drying out of the crown. A severely damaged plant is removed along with the roots. At the first symptoms of the disease, the soil is watered with Fitosporin or Gamair. For prevention, spraying with Fundazol is used.
Alternariosis is also caused by fungi. The first signs of the disease are brown needles and a black coating resembling velvet.
The following diseases are much less common:
- biotorella cancer of the Cossack juniper;
- nectrios is dry;
- brown coat.
Shrubs can be affected by pests:
- juniper aphid;
- scale insects;
- mealybug;
- juniper moth;
- common gall midge;
- Oregon flathead mite.
Conclusion
Juniper Cossack Variegata is used for decorative purposes. It decorates rockeries and rock gardens, and is also able to strengthen the slopes of the site. The shrub is unpretentious and frost-resistant, which makes it easier to care for it.