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Juniper Old Gold is used in garden design as one of the best varieties of coniferous shrubs with golden foliage. The bush is unpretentious in care, winter-hardy, retains high decorative qualities throughout the year. The plant is undemanding to the quality of the soil and the environment, therefore it is suitable for planting in the urban landscape.
Description juniper medium Old Gold
Juniperus medium (juniperus pfitzeriana Old Gold) is a coniferous evergreen plant with a greater growth in width than in height. One of the most beautiful varieties of juniper with golden needles. The variety was obtained in Holland, in the middle of the last century.
The long-growing shrub adds about 5-7 cm in height and 15-20 cm in diameter every year. By the age of 10 years, the height of the Old Gold juniper is 50 cm, and the width is 1 m. In the future, the shrub grows only in diameter, the maximum size of which can reach 3 m. Thus, in adulthood, the bush forms a symmetrical, flat and dense crown of bright color .
When growing in sunny areas, the needles acquire a golden hue, turning into a bronze color in cold weather. The needles are graceful and retain a pleasant shade throughout the year.
When growing juniper, it must be borne in mind that parts of the plant are poisonous, and should not be allowed to be cut off by children or animals.
Juniper hardiness zone Old Gold
The winter hardiness zone of juniper pfitzeriana Old Gold is 4. This means that the culture is able to tolerate winter temperatures in the range of -29 … -34 ° С. The 4th frost resistance zone includes most of Central Our Country.
Juniper average Old Gold in landscape design
In landscape design, it is used in single and group plantings on lawns and in compositions with other plants. In container culture, they are used to decorate balconies and loggias, in open ground – borders and flower beds.
Undersized junipers are used to decorate the lower rows of coniferous corners with the participation of other evergreen crops, for example, pines and arborvitae, junipers of other varieties. When planting a young plant in open ground, one should take into account the growth of the diameter of the Old Gold juniper crown by 2,5-3 m.
Juniper Old Gold is used in joint plantings with hydrangeas and heather. Bulb crops are planted in the aisles of the juniper alley:
- tulips;
- hyacinths;
- gladioli;
- decorative bow.
Planting and caring for Chinese Juniper Old Gold
Juniper Old Gold is planted in open, sunny areas. When growing in the shade, the shrubs become shapeless, with a loose crown and lose their decorative qualities. Junipers are planted in places where melt and rainwater does not linger.
The culture is unpretentious to the soil, but soils with weak or neutral acidity are preferable for planting. Light and loose, well-drained soil can be prepared independently and filled with a planting hole. The soil mixture for planting is prepared from 2 parts of peat and 1 part of soddy land and sand. You can also add forest juniper litter to the substrate.
Seedling and planting preparation
Young plants with a closed root system are watered before planting to make it easier to remove the earthen ball. The root system is sprayed with growth stimulants. For a single landing, a pit is prepared several times larger than an earthen lump. For group plantings, they dig a trench.
A drainage layer of about 20 cm is poured at the bottom of the landing pit. Sand, small stone or broken brick are used as drainage.
Rules of landing
Seedlings can be transplanted at any warm time, choosing a cloudy day. In the planting pit, the plant is placed without deepening, so that the root neck is 5-10 cm above the soil level.
After filling the planting pit, the soil is slightly pressed and an earthen roller is made around the trunk circle. So, when watering, the water will not spread. After planting, a bucket of water is poured into the root zone. In the following week, the juniper is also regularly watered. For better survival, the bush is shaded for the first time.
When transplanting a seedling from a place of temporary germination, it is necessary to observe the direction of the cardinal points in which it grew before.
Watering and top dressing
Juniper Old Gold is drought-resistant, so it is watered several times during the dry season. For irrigation use about 30 liters of water per plant. The shrub does not tolerate dry air, so it must be sprayed once a week, in the evening.
Fertilizing the culture is needed infrequently, it is enough to apply 40 g per 1 square meter in the middle of spring. m of nitroammophoska or “Kemira-universal”, in the ratio of 20 g of the drug per 10 liters of water. Granular fertilizer is scattered around the trunk circle, covered with a small layer of soil and watered. Organic fertilizers are not used for top dressing. Manure or bird droppings cause burns to the root system.
Mulching and loosening
Surface loosening is necessary for young junipers, it is carried out together with weeding and after watering. Mulching the soil allows you to protect the roots from overheating and has a decorative function. For mulch, tree bark and wood chips, stones, and nutshells are used. The protective layer is poured 5-7 cm high.
Trimming and shaping
The plant does not require regular pruning. But the shrub lends itself well to formative pruning, which is carried out 1-2 times a year. Particularly formative pruning becomes necessary when growing Old Gold Juniper in containers. Broken shoots are removed in the spring.
During work on pruning shoots, it is necessary to use protective equipment so that the juice or resin of the plant does not get on the mucous membrane. Because there are poisonous compounds in parts of the plant.
Preparation for winter
The frost resistance of the juniper Old Gold allows you to leave it for the winter without shelter. But young, small juniper Old Gold is recommended to be protected. To do this, the trunk circle is insulated with a thick layer of sawdust or peat. With a small snow cover, the crown is covered with a spunbond. In order to protect the open crown from sunburn in early spring, the plants are shaded with screens.
In the spring, snow from the Old Gold juniper must be swept away so that when it melts, it does not break the shoots and does not create moisture stagnation. After the snow melts, the old mulch from under the bush is removed and a new one is poured.
Wintering juniper Old Gold in the apartment
The description of Old Gold Coastal Juniper states that it can be grown in container culture. In order for the root system in the containers not to freeze in winter, the plants are brought into the room. But in winter it is necessary that the plant is at rest, so the temperature of the content should not be high. A warm loggia is well suited for wintering. During the bright sun, it is necessary to be able to shade so that the plant does not overheat.
Propagation of juniper pfitzeriana Old Gold
Decorative forms of juniper are propagated by cuttings. Planting material is taken only from adult 8-10-year-old bushes. In early spring, cuttings about 10 cm long are cut, on the lower part of which lignification should be present. The bottom of the cutting is 5 cm free from needles and soaked in growth stimulants.
Further rooting occurs in planting containers filled in equal parts with a mixture of sand and peat. It takes about a month for the development of the root system. After that, the seedling is transferred to open ground, where it is left for the winter, covered with spruce branches. So, the plant is grown for several years, and then it is transplanted to a permanent place of growth.
Diseases and pests of juniper media Old Gold
Juniperus (juniperus media Old Gold) is disease resistant and rarely attacked by pests. But after wintering, weak plants can suffer from desiccation and sunburn, become infected.
Rust damage in juniper often occurs when growing near pome fruit trees – plants that are intermediate hosts of fungal formations. The affected areas are cut out and burned. To prevent other fungal diseases, spring prophylactic spraying with fungicides or preparations containing copper is carried out.
With a close location of anthills, aphids appear on the juniper. Insects are especially harmful to young shoots, inhibiting their development. Aphids are washed off from populated areas with water or soapy water, covering the roots from liquid soap. The procedure is carried out until the complete disappearance of parasites.
Spider mite appears on the bush during the dry period. A web appears at the site of the lesion, the needles turn brown and then crumble. To prevent the appearance of insects, juniper must be periodically sprayed to increase the humidity of the air. For large areas of infection, acaricides are used.
Conclusion
Juniper Old Gold is used for year-round gardening. The unpretentiousness of the culture allows even novice gardeners to use it for decorative purposes. A small annual increase allows you to grow Old Gold juniper at home, as well as in container culture outdoors.
