Among the rock junipers, the best color is Blue Heaven, which stands out for its deep blue needles and conical shape. In addition, he is unpretentious in care and popular for creating unsurpassed landscape compositions. The article will tell about the features of this variety, practical application, the rules for its planting.

Botanical Description

The natural habitat of the rocky juniper is the mountains of North America. It grows high in the mountains. It was first described by botanists at the end of the 19th century. Later, plots began to decorate the garden plots. The unusual blue color of the needles and the unpretentiousness of care have earned the recognition of this variety as the most beautiful among junipers.

Did you know? If the branch of the juniper, which has deviated to the side, is alive, it is enough to pull it up with a rope. After some time, she will return to her place.

Rock juniper Blue Haven - perennial coniferous tree. The shape of the crown is columnar. Branches grow vertically, shoots are dense and tightly adjacent to each other. An adult reaches 5 meters in height and 1.5 meters in girth.

The variety is growing rapidly, compared with other varieties of junipers. On average, per year it grows 20 cm in height and 5 cm wide.

The color of the needles is sky blue, which does not change throughout the year, but silver specimens can also be found.. The needles are medium sized, in young plants in the form of needles, and in adults - scales.

The shape of the shoots is tetrahedral. Branches from the trunk extend at an acute angle. The formation of shoots begins almost from the ground, while the trunk is not exposed. Red-brown bark of young shoots, smooth to the touch. In adults, it brightens over time.

The fruits of the juniper are dark blue cones with a gray coating.

Juniper propagates by grafting and grafting.. When cutting, prepared cuttings are planted in a greenhouse. After six months, they take root. Then they are transplanted to the garden, where they grow 3-6 years.

Important! Landing is made only in April. Due to the impressive size of the plants between the seedlings make an interval of 2-3 m.

The variety is light-loving, although it grows in partial shade.. It is not too picky about the soil, but prefers not too fertile. It grows on saline soils. It tolerates frosty winters, has good wind resistance. It can grow in urban and industrial pollution.

Landing

For planting seedlings of rocky juniper it is necessary:

1. Choose a lighted place, maximum partial shade.
2. Prepare a landing pit. It should be twice as large as a landing coma in diameter. Depth - at least 50 cm.
3. Juniper does not like excess moisture, so you need to provide it with a good drainage system. Drainage can be made from broken bricks, stones, pebbles, gravel and gravel. Sand is poured on it in a small layer.
4. Although junipers are unpretentious to the soil, it is advisable to add fertile soil to the planting pit. It is better to use a mixture of sand, turf clay, peat in a ratio of 1: 1: 2 or 1: 2: 1. Pour part of it to the bottom, sprinkle the rest on top of the roots.
5. Remove the seedling from the container, carefully, taking care not to injure the branches and root system. Place an earthen lump in the center of the pit. In large plants, the neck of the root should protrude slightly above the ground. Sprinkle with earthen mixture, carefully tamping.
6. Pour abundantly in a circle. After watering, there will be a subsidence of the earth, which must be sprinkled with earth from above.
7. The trunk circle must be mulched. For this, a sliver of pine, dry leaves, peat, sawdust are suitable. The height of the optimal layer is at least 5 cm.

Subject to all the rules of planting, the seedling will be taken

Juniper Care

Rock juniper Blue Haven is unpretentious in care. Watering it is necessary only when planting or transplanting, it does not require additional watering. He loves the sun very much, so when it is planted in the shade, the plant becomes loose.

It tolerates winter well, therefore, does not need additional shelter. Hot and cold dry winds are not afraid of him. Only planted plants are wrapped so that the branches do not break under the weight of snow.

Did you know? Juniper Blue Haven - a plant with male and female copies. On women there are fruits - blue berries in the form of cones, up to 1 cm in diameter.

It is necessary to get rid of weeds in a timely manner, to loosen, mulch and water the plant. From these procedures, it grows better. The trunk circle is made below the soil level, because of this the layer of mulch is not less than 5 cm below the layer of old soil. It is often considered an irrigation funnel.

Actively water the plant in the first year after planting. Its root system has not yet been strengthened and hardly consumes nutrients from the soil. The frequency of watering is 1 time per week. At least 10 liters of water should be poured on each plant, depending on size. The larger the plant, the more water is needed. When the plant has strengthened, watering is carried out only in the dry period, 1 time per week.

The plant does not tolerate drying up of needles, therefore, spraying with water should be carried out regularly

Plant pruning is carried out no later than April. The plant is well trimmed. Weeds, ornamental grass should not grow on the trunk circle.

Important! Blue Haven does not tolerate excess moisture and shade. The color of the plant, which grows in the shade, becomes green, and it will not develop well.

Composting is mandatory in spring and autumn. This improves the structure of the soil, the soil is enriched with microorganisms.

Fertilizers are also used. In the spring fertilize with nitroammophos or other fertilizer for conifers. Early fall - phosphorus and potassium fertilizers. Wood ash is also used, sprinkling plant roots with it.

Video: Juniper Care

We must not forget about pests and diseases of juniper.

Juniper Pests:

• spider mite;
• juniper moth;
• aphid;
• scale insects.

To protect against these pests, prophylactic spraying with insecticides is performed in spring and summer. In case of a lesion, they are sprayed with Aktara, Aktellik, and other means 2 times a season, withstanding an interval of 7-10 days.

Diseases that affect plants - cancer, fungal, bacterial. Mostly ill-groomed bushes fall ill with them. For their treatment, fungicides are used, for example: Maxim, Skor, Ordan, Quadris.

A preventive method of combating fungal diseases is the treatment, starting in mid-spring, with 1% Bordeaux fluid.

Use in landscape design

The unusual color of juniper varieties Blue Haven is often used in landscaping. He is the central figure in vertical compositions in rock gardens, on lawns. It is used both singly and in group compositions.

Ideal for live fencing, alley design, goes well with stone. It is appreciated that its crown remains the same color year-round. Suitable for decoration of gardens, park areas, personal plots. And its clear conical shape, combined with a bluish-blue crown, gives designers inspiration for creating unique compositions.

Ease of care, the uniqueness of color, the beauty of form - these qualities have made Juniper Blue Haven indispensable in decorative compositions.