Im debating if I should appreciate it more. Im Laura, an artist and self-taught gardener. By the next spring, you should be able to plant the cutting outside. There is no greenery on the inside of the branches. Why is this? It doesnt hurt to try! An outstanding combination that works in our garden is having a Blue Star Juniper near our Lavender Phenomenal shrubs. Trimming your juniper to look like a bonsai is definitely possible! and the tops of their heads are this wild bushy lookwith flowing waves.
Good luck! Prune spreading and creeping junipers by selectively cutting back to vigorous, lateral side branches. Juniper shrub at the Chicago Botanic Gardens. Personally I never spray pesticides anywhere on my house or landscape. Any supplies used may be given to me free of charge, however, all projects and opinions are my own. Second, as stated there is a city of toys in my Juniper Universe. Hi Tom, To grow using cuttings, take a soft wood (newer growth) cutting from an existing plant anytime between July and November.
I think there are a few main reasons, aside from the fact that they are prickly beasts that we have all tangled with a one point (either landing in one while playing as a kid, or getting that annoying rash on your arm while trimming them): 1) They were simply overused in the past. Move to Canada. Joseph B. Howell, Ph.D., LLC is a clinical psychologist who practices in Anniston, Alabama. I have some juniper cuttings that I propagated which are also trying to grow vertically. Painting in most instances is not warranted, that is a bit of a old wives tale. Unless otherwise noted, these will grow in USDA hardiness zones 3-9. I have a red phlox in the back that I might move to the front near it soon. The front is very sunny all day. Hi Heather The river rock goes underneath the Blue Star Juniper almost all the way in towards the stem of the shrub. Having received his I didnt realize there were so many varieties. Are those curved blocks & did you cement the seams? I'm considering planting low growing creeping juniper virtually all over iit. Five Junipers make a wall at the bottom of my yard. They are at least 30 years old. So many people are allergic to Juniper. I have a follow up question then. To correct the shape, prune before new growth starts in the spring; lightly prune side branches to reduce their size and to bring the plant back into scale. Dr. Howell was a Fellow in clinical psychology, i have 2 Hollywood Junipers that have grown tall above the roof line. There are very few rules in gardening, but perhaps the most important one is to work within your zone. This small shrub looks great planted among gravel and rocks as well as near pavers and pathways. Because they grow too large for their setting they require excessive pruning to keep them at amanageable size. They are an excellent Xeriscape plant. Rarely needs pruning except to shape as desired. Learn more including companion plant ideas in this helpful guide. People are just tired of them and want something unique and new. My front lawn is being invaded with scutch/crab/ grass. and What can I do to heal save them/. Question: Why is my juniper ground cover browning out in one part of the flower bed, but not the other? Give the new plant a good watering. The following information was found on the Morton Arboretums website (http://www.mortonarb.org/trees-plants/tree-and-plant-advice/horticulture-care/pruning-evergreens): All junipers develop a dead zone in the center of the plant because of insufficient light. I have a bunch of Juniper bushes by my bedroom window. I just laugh at the notion that people have created a type of landscape snobbery against junipers, how ridiculous. The ones we have grow very quickly, reach about 2 to 3 feet high and virtually take over the entire flower bed! So glad I stumbled across your website, and still chuckling over the article title. Thank you for clarifying a difference between the Woodward and Skyrocket! Slowly reaches 2 to 3 ft. tall, 3 to 4 ft. wide. I was wandering if they can damage my basement foundation wall. Your climate may be too cold for this plant, SIGN-UP FOR DESIGN INSPIRATION AND UPDATES ON NEW PLANTS, LEGACY OUR STORY NURSERY LOCATIONS SUSTAINABILITY PRESS CAREERS INTERNSHIPS REVIEWS, FIND A MONROVIA PROFESSIONAL BECOME A MONROVIA PRO, HELP CENTER HOW TO ORDER ONLINE RETURN POLICY SHIPPING INFO WHAT IS A HARDINESS ZONE? Severe pruning is not recommended. Noticed about a month Too late, I just now sadly discovered your website and am disheartened by all this invaluable information. If you could visit my business website at http://www.odgdesign.com and send me a message via the contact form on that site, I will follow up with an email or call. I hope this helps! Place the pots in a protected outdoor location such as a cold frame that gets bright, indirect light. You might consider putting some plants around them that are smaller, with a tighter growth habit, if there is room. Arborvitae are not junipers, arborvitae should only be used in cool wet regions, they are not drought tolerant and will not do well in sun and heat. In some places nativespecimens have livedfor severalhundred years in the wild. The limbs were growing all crooked inside and crossing over each other. These shrub junipers were probably topped for years but never thinned from below. Hi, I live in zone 5 and have a juniper bush in the front. Question: I planted a ground cover evergreen, not juniper, I think, some 30 years ago. I live in east Denver and just succumbed to my HOAs suggestion of the removal of 20+ year old Juniper bushes (a gated community of 151 homes, all with Junipers in the front yards) at the HOAs expense as the Junipers had outlived their life span. It tends to grow out rather than up. New growth will not develop from this area unless green needles remain. What might be the cause? The female cones are berry-like, with one seed. Junipers have come to the forefront since I found their roots are noninvasive to the basement foundation. Online Orchards 1 Gal. Regards. A very slow grower, Blue Star Juniper eventually reaches a height of 2 to 3 tall with a spread of 3 to 4 wide. I am zone 7b DFW, Texas (clay soil, heat, etc) Thank you for your time. Blue star juniper, flaky juniper, Himalayan juniper, singleseed juniper. Stay away from the Skyrocket Juniper if you are concerned about possible snow damage. Planted far enough apart, they are growing together and filling in nicely without overcrowding. I cant imagine anyone planting junipers anymore. We get a lot of high-gust wind and rain in the spring that blows the tops to where they get caught on the eaves. This is the official blog of Outdoor Design Group, Colorado Landscape Architects. An evergreen thats blue? Hi Ann, Plant this small evergreen bush in full sun. I need the density there for privacy. I have about 4-5 junipers on each side of my driveway that seem to be well over 10 years of age, and have just been left to grow since probably the very beginning. To fill in an empty space, you can combine it with other groundcovers like creeping phlox (also evergreen in some zones), creeping sedum, or creeping thyme.
If they are in a container or on a ledge, they will continue growing and cascade over the side. Also, what City are you located in? In Winter, the strong needles and branches of Blue Star Juniper wont collapse under the weight of snow. The deal was that they were supposed to provide a visual barrier of about 5 or 6 feet high using shrubs. I probably need a miracle! It depends how you want to use them. Filed Under: Plants, Trees and Shrubs Tagged With: blue star juniper, evergreen, garden beds, gardening, Heath, Heather, Kramer's Red Winter Heath, landscaping, Lavender Phenomenal, Little Lime Hydrangea, outdoors, Shrubs, Laura I was reading the blue star juniper info & noticed your garden edging. You will only need to fertilize blue star juniper in the late winter or early spring of its first year. . It is a small evergreen shrub some consider it a dwarf shrub native to the Himalayas, Afghanistan and western China. Ive never really liked it and thought it was always dying because it had yellowish leaves. Make a hole in the soil with a pencil or stick and insert the cutting in the hole. Junipers were once the staple of many California landscapes in the 50s, 60s and even into the 70s. Want to see your shelf care goals come to life? Hired a landscaper who said we got to them just in time and rather than leave them in their natural upward growth pattern he made them round. If you're not happy with our design, we're not happy. Im working on that!). I'd like your reaction to this proposal. This allows plenty of room for the roots to spread out and develop. Is this a common phenomenon? Thanks in advance for answering my question. Your email address will not be published. Welcome to Garden Sanity by Pet Scribbles. Then, if there is room, you could supplement it and take the attention away from it by surrounding it with other plants. Learn how your comment data is processed. Im also in western North Dakota and it gets all the morning sun where its at. I can still feel the major OUCHIES when I was a child falling down and into a juniper shrub and the rash that proceeded the contact from the egregious shrub.
This post and photos may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. Now that summer is here, we have limited our stock for online purchase. If I cut the dead top out do I need to paint the cut with anything, or can I just leave the cut exposed. I live in upstate NY, so it gets cold and snowy here. This slow-growing plant is a dwarf, forming a compact mound that reaches just 1 to 3 feet in height at maturity. We are planning to replace them with a more manageable shrub. But, if it is too large and in too small of a space it might be time to remove it. When it was being removed there were rats galore scurrying out, not to mention about 20 rat carcasses were found! Dr. Howell combines in his treatment I was curious as to how you planted it in your rock garden. We have an interesting bush/tree thing in our front yard (western exposure) It has four or five thick branches growing up from a central source, and the branches end in gigantic Sideshow Bob-esque explosions of foliage. Commercial soap sprays use a lot less soap but are still super effective. Megan is a freelance writer and mom of two little girls. I looked into the old gold you mentioned then saw lime glow and that looks close too. Hi Melissa, In rare circumstances junipers can have some visual appeal, but most people had them planted too close to their homes, too close to walk ways and too close to the street. Technically, the berries, stems and needles are toxic, but just assume the entire plant is. I would recommend Medora Juniper (Juniperus scopulorum Medora) or Woodward juniper (Juniperus scopulorum Woodward). Pollen from the male plant parts can get into the air and reach the female cones. BUT THE SMELL! We thought it would be neat to trim this bonsai-style, but do not know where to start.
Soggy soil can lead to root rot. Blue Star Juniper also does well in raised planters or large containers, mixed in with other plants.
One thing to consider if you live in a high wildfire danger area is that junipers are highly combustible. Take a look at my comment above from April 6th- If you can answer the questions that I asked in that comment, then I can give you some ideas. Fire department wants me to get rid of my 70x50 patch of juniper, for fire safety. Dr. Howell also received in 1974, a Master of Arts in Religion from Yale Divinity School, where he We have never seen any berries on it . When used correctly, such as in this Denver Xeriscape, Junipers can be an attractive addition to the landscape. And the young kids running the local nurserys and at Lowes and Home depot dont have a clue. Another possibility would be that it is Juniperus pfitzeriana Old Gold, that is another popular variety. Both produce cones.
They only look bad if you let them go.
So I, the master gardener, took my loppers and pruners to them last week, really pruning them back to (1) regain about 14 on my flagstone walkway and (2) open them up so they can fill in some. Im not completely sure, but I dont think juniper branches would be poisonous to other plants. PRIVACY POLICY|TERMS & CONDITIONS|SITE MAP. For more information about our business and our services, click here. 2022 MONROVIA NURSERY COMPANY. Creeping juniper makes a great ground cover plant in otherwise tricky spaces. We really like the densiformis yews. And since theylive for ages and rarely die, they are often the only living survivors guarding the front doorsof homesin any older neighborhood. Required fields are marked *. If doing so would kill it, is it alright to cut the roots of the younger limbs, (the ones further out), down to the main roots, that they sprouted from, without killing the whole bush? Best of Luck! This icy blue Juniper spreads but is not ground hugging. of types including low spreading, shrub forms, upright, etc.
I hate mosquitos, ergo, I hate Junipers. other more specific topics in psychology and spirituality. What about cutting them to the ground and planting something else avoiding the roots if thats possible? Ill most likely plant 2 Woodward to provide visual, upright, year-round interest in our back yard against fence to block neighbors taller house & provide some privacy. I am considering replanting Junipers in my front yard and will be consulting (and hiring you) for a landscape design/plan. It happens partly due to poor air circulation since the plant doesnt get much air moving underneath it. Great point, thanks for adding to the discussion Amy! the branches are shrivering up and turing brown. Mean little Bastards! No, Theyre Not, Project Highlight: Church Landscape Addition & Renovation, How to Make Your Outdoor Space Comfortable, Project Highlight: A Neighborhood that incorporates Sustainability and Community Building Principles as its Core Values, Hail-proof Plants for your Colorado Garden, Spring Clean-Up: The Most Important Landscape Maintenance Tasks for Spring. Dont knock the small size of Blue Star Junipers. Blue Star Juniper Juniperus Squamata Blue Star is a member of the Cypress family. Keep the soil at the base of the shrub dont mound it up higher than the base. Tina, 3) The aforementioned prickliness. It had a very gnarly, twisted trunk and constantly shed its dead growth all over my roof. I did not see any mention of the fire hazard of junipers. If the roots are stuck, loosen them up gently with your fingers or a small garden tool like a hand weeder or garden trowel. Without knowing what hardiness zone, what kind of soil you have, if there is irrigation, sun/shade, etc. 2) They were not planted with enough room to grow. They came back yesterday and offered to put in 2 to 2 1/2 foot high Junipers but not all around to save cost. THIS PLANT MAY BE AVAILABLE IN THESE STORES: Due to the seasonal nature of plants, availability at your local garden center is not guaranteed. So glad you stumbled upon our site- I hope you keep following us! Your climate might be too cold for this plant: We cannot currently ship this product to your zip code. Most will spread about eight feet. Your article says 100+ years. Hi Matt, Im so happy about this site and that you seem to still be responding! We also have them that line up our (very long) drive way and also line along our front yard (but there provide a great break between us and the road). A native of Mobile, Alabama, Dr. Howell has lived and worked in Anniston since 1979. Can they be relocated to another spot in my yard (I have plenty of space for planting elsewhere) or will they likely not make it if relocated? (If we tried that, wed still be cutting our first paver. then you want a Blue Star Juniper (or two or three) in your garden. Take off the leaves from the bottom third of the cutting. Its not tall but it needs pruning because its a bit wide for its spot. Your flower beds are beautiful ! I would appreciate any suggestions you may have including junipers. Give it an open, sunny space with good distance to other herbaceous plants or large shrubs. If you visit our website at http://www.odgdesign.com and fill out the contact form I will get back to you with some ideas. I need an upright juniper to form a screen in the backyard in the Denver area. It does not tolerate water-logged soil. Deer do not eat blue star junipers (probably because the foliage is so bristly), making them adeer-resistant shrub. Juniper is a coniferous plant of the Cypress family that comes in many varieties and grows across many climate zones. We also have mature maples in the back of the house, as well as, a boundary line of some type of very tall junipers. Another good source for information on gardening and plant suggestions for your area would be the Cornell University Cooperative Extension service. Photo of the Day Natural Pond with new Boulder Edge, Osteospermum Variety Provides a Welcome Avalanche, 20 More Great Xeriscape Plants for Colorado. I have already been looking to post about something like this about my site and you set it up an idea. Tessa. Give them a call before visiting. Junipers are one of the most useful and beautiful landscape plantings. Water regularly while getting established, especially during the first season and/or if your Summers are hot. Over the past 4 years I have trimmed them up (I think I am 98% done!) Water or mist carefully until the mixture is moist. Im not sure how many I would need or the spacing. Ban Evergreen Trees from Urban Areas in Colorado? I think if you dig up as much roots as you can with each shoot, and then plant in full/part sun in well draining soil, and water them every other day for a couple weeks you might have success. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Thats reason enough to get rid of junipers besides them being sooo ugly. If you purchase something through any link, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you. Their striking blue color makes up for their short height. Make sure to plant for its eventual mature size, even if that means having space around it for awhile until it fills out. Those dying stems usually pull off easily or simply use hand pruners. It should be fine, just dont forget to water it often through the winter.
Whats the approximate lifespan? We just had a bunch removed because they pose a wildfire danger to our house. Is there a way that I can transplant these shoots/baby trees to another area that is not so full/dense? Many people like to plant creeping juniper around mailboxes or other places that are hard to water. Are there species of juniper that do not produce berries? Do not shear in a formal manner. Thus becoming major eyesores in the future. Is there anything I can spray on them to help or do I have to remove them all? (See my post on how to improve your soil quality to see what I use.). There are several plants and shrubs that make wonderful companion plants for Blue Star Junipers, including Roses, Grasses, Barberry, Sedums, Yuccas and Hydrangeas. Many of the bonsai sold in stores are just small junipers, they are one of the easier bonsai to grow due to their toughness and low water requirements that I touched on in the article above. Find Monrovia plants at yourlocal garden center. (Im thinking thats not the best idea) Now the junipers are huge round balls about 8 10 ft high and only green around the edges. Neither of these things is anything to be worried about. Remove any side shoots and the needles from the lower portion of the stem. A Dwarf Alberta Spruce will remain small but provide a bit of height next to small shrubs. This way you might get a better idea of which branches to remove to finish it off. 1) They require little water and are very well adapted to the westernand southwestern United States. The neighbors below grew malalouca trees that are right by our fence line.
This low-growing shrub is suitable for many landscaping and garden layouts. I also have other evergreens in the mix, such as mugo pines and the junipers fit in really well, if you plan well. Thanks for the comment! Blah, blah, blah. Not only do they evoke a dreary midwestern look, but are terribly invasive and home to lots and lots of vermin. I can work on them for that, but the basic question is, what woudl be the best way to go about creating a visual and wind barrier around a 200 square piece pf property that has been denuded of everything ? While some gardeners might think this shrub is boring or overused, it really cant be beat for an easy-care evergreen that works for you year-round. Im considering buying Juniper Trees for the first time, and I have a quick question. Is this possible with a juniper? There are hundreds of thousands of bushes who can withstand pesticides and do not provide a safe harbor for pests. Ive been told that if it looks twiggy where the cutting occurred, it is less likely that they will grow back in that area.
