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Juniper Andorra Compacta is a compact cushion shrub. The plant has green needles all season, and purple in winter. This property attracts landscape designers. The evergreen culture, due to its small growth, looks impressive on the garden plot. An interesting tandem of creeping juniper and flowering plants.
The shrub is valuable not only for its decorative qualities, but also for its volatile properties. The substances emitted by them destroy bacteria, make the air cleaner.
Description juniper horizontal Andorra Compacta
Juniper Andorra Compacta is an evergreen, dwarf, flat-round plant. The branches are densely arranged, from the center at an acute angle, they rise up, and then grow horizontally. At an early age, the shape of the juniper resembles a nest-shaped crown.
The shrub grows 40 cm in height, 2 m in width. At the same time, the growth every year: 3 cm in height, 10-15 cm in width. The color of the shoots is brown-green. The bark is brown, in young plants it is smooth, in adults it is prone to cracking.
The root system is superficial, underdeveloped, but grows widely. The wood is resistant to decay, so the culture is often planted near water bodies.
The needles are 0,5 cm long. On the shoots, they are mainly located in whorls, the scaly or needle-shaped type is less common. The needles are soft, pleasant to the touch. Narrow, short needles tightly pressed to the shoots. In summer it is gray-green, and in winter it acquires a purple hue.
Juniper Andorra Compacta forms spherical, fleshy, barely noticeable cones. At the beginning, the fruits are green, with time they become a bluish-blue hue.
Another species is similar to the Andorra Compacta shrub – the juniper Andorra Variegata. General signs:
- shoots grow close to the ground, spread straight along it;
- crown broken wide;
- good frost resistance;
- the possibility of full growth without human intervention;
- use in landscape compositions.
Differences Juniper horizontal Andorra Variegata:
- larger in size: height 0,5 m, width 3 m;
- asymmetrical shape of the bush;
- annual growth: 15 cm high, 20-30 cm wide;
- the structure of the needles is cup-shaped;
- the ends of the shoots are yellow-cream in color.
Winter hardiness zone Andorra Compact
Juniper Andorra Compact easily tolerates sudden changes in temperature and humidity. Belongs to the 4th winter hardiness zone. These are the territories of Moscow, Moscow region, Volgograd, Uralsk, Kazan. Maintains the temperature range — 29-34 °C.
Juniper Andorra Compact in landscape design
The evergreen shrub is used as a separately growing culture, and in a group of plants. Suitable for landscaping home gardens, city parks, alleys. The horizontal juniper Andorra Compact looks beautiful in the photo in landscape designs. It is combined with undersized varieties of shrubs – heather, erica, roses and ground cover forms of pine. In Japanese gardens, shrubs are planted at the edge of retaining walls. When densely planted, juniper is used to strengthen the slopes.
Planting and caring for juniper Andorra Compacta
The plant is undemanding. According to the described characteristics and photos, Andorra Compact juniper easily grows in urban environments. Able to grow independently without human intervention. However, it has a small annual increase of 5-7 cm. Under properly selected conditions, the juniper life cycle is 200 years.
Preparation of seedlings and planting site
First of all, Andorra Compact juniper seedlings should be well developed. Suitable young growth, one or two-year-old plants with a branched root system. The seedling should not show signs of rot or other diseases.
The day before the intended planting, the roots are cut by 3-5 cm and lowered into a solution with a stimulant. In addition, broken shoots are removed, side branches and the top are shortened by ½ of the growth length.
The description of the horizontal juniper Andorra Compact notes a preference for open sunny areas, but can withstand partial shade. A moderate lack of lighting does not reduce the decorative properties of the shrub. The complete absence of sunlight leads to yellowing of the needles.
Grows well in sandy soils with a neutral or slightly acidic pH. Clay, heavy soils are not suitable for planting horizontal juniper. For better plant survival, you can replace the existing soil with a new nutrient mixture. Main components: sod land, peat, sand. Proportions 1:1. Or buy a ready-made substrate for conifers, mixing it with the soil in equal proportions.
A week before planting, a landing container with dimensions of 0,8×1 m and a depth of 0,7 m should be prepared. The dimensions of the pit should be 2-3 times larger than the earthen clod.
Rules of landing
When choosing the future location of the Andorra Compacta horizontal juniper, it should be taken into account that an adult plant does not tolerate transplants well. Therefore, a suitable site must be selected immediately.
The period of spring planting of seedlings is the last days of April or the beginning of May. Autumn – October. When planting juniper at other times, slow growth and poor survival of the shrub are observed.
- A drainage layer of broken bricks and pebbles is laid at the bottom of the prepared pit. Provide a thickness of 20 cm.
- Nutrient components are added from above: humus or compost, charcoal, 20 g of complex mineral fertilizers.
- The sapling of the horizontal juniper Andorra Compact is placed in the middle of the recess and sprinkled with earth.
- The root neck should be at ground level.
- The soil is not rammed, but abundantly moistened with warm water from above.
- Every day after planting, the seedling is watered, this is done for a week.
Watering and top dressing
The first year a young plant should be watered regularly. The root system cannot yet fully consume water and nutrients from the earth. The first 2-3 months moisten the creeping juniper Andorra Compacta every 2 days. After dry periods, water the shrub once a week.
Fertilizers are applied in the spring. They mainly use nitroammophoska – 20 g per sq. m or other mineral substances according to the manufacturer’s instructions. In September, the bush is fed with potassium-phosphorus fertilizers.
Mulching and loosening
The horizontal juniper Andorra Compact suffers from dry air. So that moisture evaporates more slowly, the soil is mulched with sawdust or pine chips. The required layer is 5-10 cm.
Young bushes need regular loosening. After water has been absorbed, the near-stem circle is loosened shallowly. Thus, they saturate the soil with oxygen without damaging the root system.
Trimming and shaping
Pruning of the Andorra Compact horizontal juniper is carried out in early spring before the onset of sap flow. Remove dry, damaged shoots. Frozen tips on the bush are also removed. At the end of the procedure, the plant is fed with nutrients, and also treated with a fungicide solution. Which further stimulates the uniform growth of branches and protection against infections.
Preparation for winter
Only young shrubs cover for the winter. To do this, use spruce branches, agrofiber or burlap. In adult junipers, the trunk circle is mulched with peat. Layer 10-20 cm. The plant also does not tolerate a pile of snow. Fallen precipitation must be removed from the bush.
More detailed planting rules and conditions for caring for juniper Andorra Compact are shown in the video:
Reproduction
The process of breeding juniper Andorra Compact comes down to the seed method or cuttings. Experienced gardeners prefer propagation by semi-woody cuttings. When planting seeds, most often the characteristic features of the variety will be lost.
At the end of April, a cutting 8-10 cm long is cut off from a shrub at the age of 10-15 years. They are cleaned 5 cm from the needles, but the bark does not need to be touched. To make roots appear faster, a juniper branch is placed in a stimulating solution for half an hour. Then the cuttings are planted in a container with a soil mixture.
The juniper stalk Andorra Compact is pressed tightly against the substrate. Top cover with a film, creating a greenhouse effect. Moisturize periodically, as the earth in the pot dries. After a month and a half, roots appear. At the end of June, it can be planted in a permanent place of growth.
Diseases and pests of juniperus horizontalis AndorraCompact
Within a radius of 3 m, phytoncides of needles destroy bacteria and harmful infections. Therefore, the plant rarely gets sick. However, spider mites and scale insects can still harm the Andorra Compacta juniper. You can fight them with insecticides: “Aktara”, “Match”, “Aktellik”.
A common disease among evergreens is root rot, which occurs due to excess moisture. For the purpose of prevention, juniper is sprayed once a month with systemic fungicides: “Skor”, “Maxim”, “Quadriks”.
If visual changes appear on the bush, then the damaged area must be disposed of. This will prevent the spread of infection and keep growing plants nearby.
Chemicals are dangerous to human health, so do not neglect personal protective equipment while processing the Andorra Compacta horizontal juniper.
Reviews about juniper Andorra Compacta
Conclusion
Juniper Andorra Compacta is an ornamental shrub that pleases with its unfading appearance. Its compact size does not prevent it from coexisting with other plants, creating an attractive composition. It practically does not require care, only at the first stages it is worth taking care of the coniferous culture so that it takes root and winters well.