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Juniper Meyeri is a durable, frost-resistant, coniferous plant that will decorate any personal plot. The conifer gained great popularity for its beauty and unpretentiousness. Meyeri is a rather large evergreen shrub, an adult tree reaches a height of up to 4 m.
Description juniper scaly Meyeri
Juniper Meyeri belongs to the ground cover plants from the Cypress family. The ephedra forms a cup-shaped crown of irregular shape, up to 3 m in diameter. Lateral, falling branches give the shrub an unusual, fountain-like appearance. Meyeri scaly juniper is a slow growing shrub with an annual growth of 15 cm.
Flexible shoots are covered with thick needles, the length of the needles reaches 10 mm. The conifer gained its popularity for the unusual color of the needles. In mid-May, during the period of active development, the shrub is covered with gray-blue needles.
A well-branched root system is located superficially, so an area with surface groundwater is not suitable for planting.
One-seeded fruits, in the form of cones, are painted in a dark gray color.
Meyeri scaly juniper gave birth to new varieties:
- Blue Star – the needles are located in the form of miniature stars.
- blue carpet – ground cover shrub, spreads along the ground, forming a silver-blue carpet.
- Compact – a new variety that gardeners immediately fell in love with.
Brief description of juniper scaly Meyeri Compacta:
- small plant, height reaches up to half a meter;
- densely growing needles are painted in a silvery sky color;
- frost-resistant species;
- prefers an open, sunny site and well-drained soil.
To reveal the beauty of Meyeri scaly juniper, you need to view the photo.
Juniper Meyeri in landscape design
Thanks to the unusual needles, Meyeri scaly juniper looks decorative, so it is often used to decorate a summer cottage. The shrub is planted on alpine hills, in rose gardens, rocky and coniferous gardens. Due to the small annual growth, the shrub is planted in flower tubs, used to decorate roofs, terraces, verandas, balconies and loggias.
Planting and caring for juniper scaly Meyeri
Meyeri scaly juniper juniperus squamatameyeri is an unpretentious conifer that, with proper care, will become a decoration of a personal plot. The key to good growth and development depends on the right seedling, planting and compliance with the rules of cultivation.
Seedling and planting preparation
Before purchasing Meyeri juniper, you must carefully study the description, view photos and videos. You need to buy a seedling from trusted suppliers or in a nursery. A properly selected seedling should have:
- the bark is evenly colored, without cracks, damage and signs of disease;
- the root system should be well developed and braided with an earthen clod;
- needles – evenly colored.
Meyeri scaly juniper seedlings are best purchased at the age of 2, as the young plant will take root faster in a new place.
Ephedra prefers a well-lit place. When planted in the shade, the shrub will lose its decorative effect: the color of the needles will fade, the bark will become uneven, the crown will thin out. The shrub is unpretentious to the composition of the soil. But it grows best in fertile, well-drained soil with neutral acidity.
The plant can be planted in an open area, as it is not afraid of drafts and gusty winds.
So that the young seedling quickly takes root in a new place, does not get sick in the future and develops well, the roots are treated with Kornevin before planting.
Rules of landing
Planting and caring for Meyeri juniper is simple. The main thing is to follow the recommendations of experienced gardeners in a timely manner.
Meyeri scaly juniper is planted in the spring, after the air temperature warms up to + 6 ° C. Planting a seedling is carried out according to a certain scheme:
- The planting hole is dug 2 times larger than the root system.
- If several plants are planted, the interval between holes should be at least 1,5 m.
- A 15 cm layer of drainage is laid at the bottom (sand, broken brick, pebbles, expanded clay).
- The seedling is carefully removed from the container and placed in the center of the hole with a clod of earth.
- The seedling is sprinkled with nutrient soil, tamping each layer so as not to leave air space.
- The earth is tamped, spilled and mulched.
- In the first time after planting, the juniper is hidden from direct sunlight.
In order for Meyeri scaly juniper to quickly take root and grow, it is necessary to carry out timely care. Plant care does not require special skills, so even an inexperienced gardener can grow it.
Watering and top dressing
Meyeri scaly juniper is a drought-resistant plant, so in rainy summers it can be left without watering. In the hot, dry season, watering is carried out once a week. Also, the conifer will not refuse irrigation by sprinkling. This procedure will remove dust from the needles, increase the humidity of the air and fill the air with a pleasant aroma.
If the seedling is planted in nutrient soil, then top dressing begins to be applied after 2-3 years. An adult plant is fertilized in spring and autumn. Spring top dressing is necessary for good growth, nitrogenous fertilizers are used for this. In autumn, phosphorus-potassium fertilizing is introduced. It will help juniper better cope with winter frosts.
Do not use bird droppings and fresh manure as top dressing, as they cause a burn of the root system, which will lead to the death of the plant.
Mulching and loosening
After watering, carefully loosening and weeding of weeds is carried out. The trunk circle is mulched. As mulch, you can use peat, hay, dry foliage or a coniferous needle. Mulch will greatly facilitate the work of the gardener: it will retain moisture, stop the growth of weeds and become an additional organic top dressing.
How to prune meyeri juniper
Meyeri juniper tolerates crown formation well. This is done in early spring, before sap flow, using a sharp, sterile instrument.
In the spring, sanitary pruning is also carried out, getting rid of non-overwintered, broken and diseased shoots. After shearing, Meyeri scaly juniper is necessarily treated with fungicides.
Shelter for the winter juniper scaly Meyeri
Meyeri scaly juniper is a frost-resistant conifer, therefore it does not need protection from the cold. Since an adult plant has flexible, curved shoots, so that they do not bend under the weight of snow, they are tied together.
In order for a weakened young plant to endure the winter safely, it must be covered for the first 2-3 years. For this use:
- snow – a snowdrift is thrown onto the connected structure and they make sure that it does not freeze and cannot harm the plant;
- spruce branches – pine branches perfectly pass moisture, air and at the same time protect the young shrub from strong winds and spring sunlight;
- non-woven material – part of the plant is covered with agrofiber, leaving room for fresh air to enter.
In regions with a harsh climate and winters with little snow, the young Meyeri juniper is dug up, transplanted into a container and brought into a cool room.
Propagation of juniper Meyeri Compacta
Meyeri scaly juniper can be propagated in several ways:
- cuttings;
- seeds;
- taps.
The best time for cuttings is considered to be spring, after the formative pruning. For this, cuttings 10-15 cm long are cut from the cut branches. For better root formation, the seedlings are kept for several hours in the Kornevin or Epin solution. Then the planting material is buried at an acute angle into the fertilized soil by 1,5 cm. For quick rooting, a micro-greenhouse is made, where the temperature will be kept within + 20 ° C. After 3 months, the cutting will take root, and after 12 months it will be ready for transplanting to a permanent place.
Seed propagation is a difficult, painstaking task, so it is better for a novice gardener not to take on this method of reproduction.
The use of taps is the easiest method of propagating Meyeri scaly juniper. A healthy, lower, young branch is laid in a trench and sprinkled with earth, leaving the top above the soil surface. The earth is shed and mulched. After 6 months, the shoot will take root and can be separated from the mother plant.
Diseases and pests of juniper scaly Meyeri Compact
Meyeri scaly juniper is resistant to many diseases. But when growing in regions with an unstable climate, exceptions are possible. Also, young, immature plants are often exposed to various diseases and attack by insect pests.
Fuzarioz – a fungal disease, often progresses with an excess of moisture and insufficient lighting. In the initial stage, the disease affects the root system. Without treatment, the fungus rises to the crown, the needles turn yellow, dry out and fall off.
Drying of shoots – with a disease, the wood begins to dry, growths form on it, the shoots turn yellow, the needles crumble. The fungus overwinters under the bark, and if autumn treatment is not carried out, then in early spring the disease will begin to progress with renewed vigor.
Alternaria – the fungus affects only the lower branches. A sign of the disease is the brown color of the needles and a pronounced black coating on the bark. Without treatment, the branches will begin to dry out. The cause of the disease is considered to be a thickened landing.
Fungicides will help get rid of diseases.
spider mite – the needles are covered with a thin cobweb, over time it dries out and falls off.
Shield – the pest infects fruits and needles. The plant stops growing and developing, the needles dry out and fall off. Without treatment, the juniper sheds all the needles, while losing its decorative appearance.
Pests will help to cope with drugs such as: Iskra, Aktara, Kodifor and Fufanon.
Conclusion
Juniper Meyeri is a beautiful, durable, coniferous plant that, with minimal care, will decorate the backyard. Due to the gray-sky color, the shrub looks great in rock gardens, rose gardens, among perennial flowers, in stony and coniferous gardens.