Juniper Sea Of Gold? Trust The Answer

Junipers need little to no pruning. Excessive pruning destroys their beautiful natural shape and can result in unattractive bare spots in the center of the plant. Remove or cut back damaged and dead branches.

When to prune juniper

The best time to prune juniper is before new growth begins in late winter or early spring. Aside from removing dead or damaged branches, only prune when a juniper has taken on an odd shape or you want to limit its size. Never cut away more than a quarter of the plant. Junipers are slow growers, so trim them lightly. Make smaller cuts and stand back to check the results. If you cut off too much, it will take years for it to grow back.

Slightly trim back overgrown junipers along their edges if you want to keep a sharp edge. Do not cut back branches on older, needleless wood. Only shear a juniper if you are trimming it in a topiary shape. Shearing encourages dense outer growth that blocks sunlight from reaching the interior of the plant.

How to prune juniper

Step 1 – Remove damaged and dead stems.

Use pruning shears or a saw to trim broken and dead stems back to the ground or main stem.

Step 2 – Prune to encourage bushier growth if desired

Cut branches above a bud. You can tell where buds are by looking for where a leaf is growing from the wood.

Step 3 – Remove bushy growth.

Remove branches from areas that have become too thick. Cut back some stems to the stem or ground level. Cut off a single branch and stand back to inspect your shrub. Go slowly to avoid creating bald spots.

Why prune juniper

Prune junipers when they have more than one central stem or leader. Cut away the one that is most crooked or weakest. Do this when the shrub is young. If you are short on space, prune the tips of each branch to keep the plant compact.

Tips for juniper pruning

Do not cut back to bare wood.

Remove excess central leaders.

Never cut away more than a quarter of the plant.

Don’t shear your juniper with hedge trimmers (pictured below)

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Numerous mineral deficiencies cause leaves to turn yellow, particularly in junipers, as the acidic soil they prefer reduces the amount of readily available nutrients. Most deficiencies consist of macronutrients, which plants need most of. A lack of magnesium, sulphur, potassium or nitrogen leads to yellowing of the leaves. Magnesium, potassium, and nitrogen typically cause yellowing of the bottom half of juniper, while sulfur causes discoloration along the top half of the foliage. Micronutrient deficiencies that cause yellow discoloration include iron, manganese, molybdenum, and zinc. Iron deficiency causes the entire juniper bush to turn yellow, while manganese and zinc discolor the top of the plant. Molybdenum affects the lower half of the plant. Always do a soil test to determine what nutrient is missing and amend the soil accordingly. Magnesium sulphate, for example, increases the magnesium level, iron chelates correct iron deficiency.

There are many reasons why a juniper can turn brown. Mushroom tip rot, canker, mechanical damage, and salt injury are some of the most common causes.

Several juniper samples with tip rot were sent to the Plant Disease Clinic this spring. Phomopsis and Kabatina tip rot are two common juniper diseases. Kabatina tip rot generally occurs in February and March. Phomopsis tip rot occurs later, from April to September.

The symptoms are similar for both diseases. Affected needles turn reddish-brown to grey. The fungi can entangle branches, causing the tops to die off. Small, black fungal fruit structures called pycnidia develop on diseased leaves and branches. They can often be seen with the naked eye.

Management includes pruning diseased branch tips when the plants are dry. This will prevent the spread of fungus. When planting new plants, leave enough space between plants to allow for good air circulation and sun exposure. Choose disease-resistant varieties whenever possible. Fungicides are an option but are rarely necessary in established crops.

Junipers with fungal canker, commonly caused by the fungus Botryosphaeria stevensii, often have entire branches that die off. This symptom can appear as if it was caused by a mechanical injury, such as a branch snapping near the main trunk. Water cannot get to the tips and the whole branch turns reddish brown and dies. Cutting out dead branches may or may not treat Botryosphaeria canker effectively. There are no fungicides labeled for Botryosphaeria canker on juniper.

Rock salt used to melt ice often causes juniper to turn brown. Salt damage usually occurs along sidewalks and roads. The damage typically occurs evenly on one side of the plant. Again, it’s best to remove any brown twigs to prevent the growth of fungi, which like to feed on dead plant matter.

Iowa State University Bulletin Pm-1702, Juniper Diseases, is available from your local County Extension Office or the Iowa State University Extension Distribution Center. Contact the Distribution Center at: 119 Printing and Publications Building Iowa State University Ames, Iowa 50011-3171 Phone: (515) 294-5247 Fax: (515) 294-2945 https://store.extension.iastate.edu/

This article originally appeared in the May 10, 2002 issue, p. 61.

Evergreen junipers are a great choice for adding winter interest to your landscape. They keep their needles all year round and add color to your conservatory. There are dozens of juniper cultivars that can survive in zones 3 through 9. Be sure to purchase a variety that is hardy in your USDA plant hardiness zone.

Juniper that is hydrated is less susceptible to winter burn. If there is little rainfall, keep watering regularly until the ground freezes. Do not shovel snow away from the juniper. Snow is an excellent insulator and protects your juniper from drying winds. Gently brush away the snow if the branches bend and you fear they might snap.

Prune juniper for the winter

Do not prune your juniper in late summer or fall. Pruning will encourage new growth that may not have time to harden before winter sets in. Junipers are dormant during the winter months.

Juniper winter care in the pot

If the nursery pot is suitable for staying outside over the winter, you can leave your juniper outside. No special care is required. Junipers are dormant during the winter months. If your container is made of a porous material like clay or concrete, you can move it indoors to an unheated area. The juniper still needs full sun, which is not easy to achieve indoors. It is best to use a container that can be left outside in winter.

Water juniper in winter

Ground-growing junipers do not need watering during the winter months after the ground has frozen. Container junipers do not need supplemental moisture unless placed under a covered area or brought indoors. Natural rain or snowfall is enough to keep them alive during their dormant period. If your container grown juniper is in a covered spot, add water when the top inches of soil dry up.

Growing juniper indoors

Juniper is a plant that is not suitable for indoor cultivation. It requires more sunlight than can normally be provided in a home. Junipers also go through a dormant period during the winter months and need exposure to colder temperatures as part of their growth pattern.

Steps to care for juniper in winter

Most junipers do not require any special care during the winter months. Be sure to purchase a juniper that is hardy in your climate zone. If your juniper is borderline hardy, it may be susceptible to winter scorch. Follow these steps to reduce the chance of winter burn damage.

1. Water junipers more frequently in the fall to ensure they are well hydrated before the first frost.

2. Place 2 or 3 inches of mulch around the tree to conserve moisture and maintain a more even soil temperature. Be sure to leave 2 or 3 inches of space between the mulch and the stem.

3. Add four stakes in a square around the perimeter of the juniper. Use stakes taller than the plant. Lay burlap over the stakes, making sure they don’t touch the plant. Use rocks, bricks, or other heavy objects to secure the jute in place. The burlap will reduce the chances of your juniper being damaged by drying wind.

4. As an alternative to step 3 above, use burlap to create a windbreak fence two feet from the plant. Place the barrier on the west, south, or most exposed side of the plant. Leave the top open when surrounding the entire plant.

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Eastern Redcedar (J. virginiana) is a familiar tree to East Coast dwellers, with a native range extending from Maine and southern Ontario south to Florida and central Texas. This species most commonly grows along highways, colonizes abandoned pastures, and grows along fence lines where birds feeding on the redcedar fruit happened to drop a few seeds while resting on the rail or wire. Thanks to our feathered friends, folks gardening under a utility line may find eastern redcedar seedlings emerging in a straight row under the power line. Although this perennial species grows happily without the help of gardeners, there are some showy ornamental varieties that would be at home in a cultivated landscape. Although mature specimens can grow to 50 x 20 feet, this species tolerates hedging and even topiary, and cultivars can be much narrower or more compact. Hardy in zones 3 through 9.

Gold Lace Juniper Gold Lace Juniper offers a bright, sunny shrub that requires very little maintenance. Plant in a sunny spot and enjoy the bright golden color.

This juniper shrub is easy to grow and matures to a height of 3 to 4 feet tall. It will spread 6 to 8 feet wide, so prepare ahead of time to give it some space.

The feathered branches form a wonderful contrast to many typical border trees. They are also a nice companion for other junipers. This useful juniper will quickly become a favorite in your landscaping. Landscaping Ideas Plant Gold Lace Juniper along fence lines or around the foundation. Add them to slopes or banks to prevent erosion. They spread pretty quickly.

This evergreen shrub can be planted as a small hedge to define spaces or divide courtyards. Pruning can make it a formal hedge, but it looks best in an informal form.

Plant them in a border with other junipers or shrubs. Good companion plants include Icee Blue Juniper, Upright Prairie Pillar Juniper, Mist Pink Muhly, and Purple Springgrass.

The color and structure contrast is wonderful. Gold Lace Juniper is beautiful in a mass planting or as a specimen plant. Planting and care tips Gold Lace juniper is easy to care for. Pruning is only necessary when you need to remove damaged or dead branches. Do this in early spring, before buds emerge, or right after new growth has hardened.

Do not prune too late in the season as the new growth will then be damaged by frost.

This plant is drought tolerant once the root system is established. It appreciates occasional deep watering rather than frequent shallow watering.

Plant in an area where she can spread enough to be comfortable. It likes full sun and will reward you with lighter yellow tips if you get such a spot.

Like all junipers, this one is resistant to deer and rabbits. It does well in hot, dry climates as well as cold, wintry ones. Coastal breezes don’t bother him either. Mulching after planting prevents weeds from taking over. Juniper Information Scientific Name: Juniperus chinensis ‘Gold Lace’

Juniperus chinensis ‘Goldtip’

Best Floor: Widely adaptable

Largely adaptable

Light: full sun

full sun

Growth rate: moderate

Moderate

Foliage: Evergreen; Light green with yellow tips

periwinkle; Light green with yellow tips

flowering:

Adult Size and Shape: Grows 3 or 4 feet tall and 5 to 6 feet wide in a spreading habit

Grows 3 or 4 feet tall and 5 to 6 feet wide in a spreading habit

Hardiness Zone: 4 – 9

4 – 9

Cut: Only as needed

Only as needed

Watering: Once established, this plant is drought tolerant; rarely water deeply in the first year

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More Pictures Common Name: Chinese Juniper Type: Evergreen Conifer Family: Cupressaceae Zone: 4 to 9 Height: 4.00 to 6.00 feet Spread: 6.00 to 8.00 feet Flowering Period: Nonflowering Flower Description: Nonflowering Sun: Full Sun Water: Medium Maintenance: Low Suggested Uses: Hedge Foliage: Fragrant, Evergreen Attracts: Birds Other: Winter Interest Tolerates: Deer, Drought, Erosion, Dry Soil, Flat-Rocky Soil, Air Pollution Garden sites

Culture Easily grown in medium moisture, well drained soil in full sun. Tolerant to a variety of soils including clay. Intolerant of wet soils. Tolerant to a drought once established. Also tolerant of many urban air pollutants. Pruning can help maintain compact growth.

Notable Traits Juniperus × pfitzeriana is a hybrid designation encompassing certain cultivars that are crosses between J. chinensis and J. sabina. Such cultivars in the Pfitzer group are sometimes referred to generically as Pfitzer juniper.

The genus name comes from the Latin name for juniper.

‘Sea Green’ is a compact, evergreen shrub with a fountain-like habit. Typically grows 4-6′ tall and to 8′ wide. With dark green foliage (may darken in winter) that is attractive all year round.

Problems Junipers are generally susceptible to tip and needle rot. Cedar rust and related rust diseases spend part of their life cycle on juniper trees. Root rot can occur, especially in wet, poorly drained soils. Cancer can attack bark or main stems. Uncommon insect pests include aphids, bagworms, webworms and scales.

‘Sea Green’ is said to be resistant to cedar rust.

Notable Properties

Juniperus chinensis, commonly called Chinese juniper, is a dioecious evergreen conifer native to China, Japan, Mongolia and the Himalayas. It is often seen in the wild as a conical tree 50 feet tall and 20 feet wide, but also appears in much shorter shrubby or spreading forms. Foliage is dark green. Brown bark on mature stems peels off in streaks. Although species plants are rarely sold commercially, a large number of cultivated cultivars, ranging in size from large trees to tall/small shrubs to low-growing ground covers, have become popular ornamental plants for the landscape. Chinese juniper leaves come in two types: scale-like (adult) and awl/needle-like (juvenile). Cones (pollen and seeds) appear on different plants. Male plants produce catkin-like pollen cones. Female plants produce fleshy, berry-like, whitish-blue seed cones that typically turn purplish-brown tones as they mature over two years.

The genus name comes from the Latin name for juniper.

Specific epithet means China.

‘Spartan’ is a narrow pyramidal to columnar tree that grows 15 to 20 feet tall but only 5 feet wide. Dark green foliage is mainly scale-like. Foliage is attractive all year round.

Juniperus scopulorum ‘Blue Arrow’ is a fairly fast growing, narrow, upright selection of Rocky Mountain juniper with dense branching that bears bright blue-green leaves and silvery berries in winter. After 10 years of growth, a mature specimen is 4 to 5 m tall and only 60 cm wide, which corresponds to an annual growth rate of 37 to 45 cm.

‘Blue Arrow’ is a good choice for those who want a formal, Mediterranean-style garden but live in a climate too cold for Cupressus sempervirens to survive.

This variety originated as a seedling selected in 1949 at Pine Grove Nurseries, Clearfield, Pennsylvania, USA. Many growers consider her a vast improvement over the older, ubiquitous Juniperus scopulorum ‘Skyrocket’.

If you want to add a beautiful shaggy yellow evergreen shrub to your landscape, this Goldmop Cypress is for you!

Goldmop cypress is very hardy and requires little to no maintenance. Highly insect and disease resistant and can grow in zones 4-8. This cypress shrub likes full sun but will also grow in some shade. The more sun it has, the brighter it becomes yellow.

It is slow growing but will grow up to 3 feet tall and about 4 feet wide. Planting the goldmop cypress around your home allows you to keep it trimmed and it will retain its size. Or for a more natural look, just plant and leave and they will look like an upside down golden mop. If you prefer a more groomed look, shave twice a year.

The Goldmop Cypress looks great planted around camellias, trees and also in natural areas where they can grow taller. They are a great addition to the landscape and really add a lot of colour.

Bring some color into your home and enjoy your easy to grow Goldmop Cypress.

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More Pictures Common Name: Chinese Juniper Type: Evergreen Conifer Family: Cupressaceae Zone: 4 to 9 Height: 4.00 to 6.00 feet Spread: 6.00 to 8.00 feet Flowering Period: Nonflowering Flower Description: Nonflowering Sun: Full Sun Water: Medium Maintenance: Low Suggested Uses: Hedge Foliage: Fragrant, Evergreen Attracts: Birds Other: Winter Interest Tolerates: Deer, Drought, Erosion, Dry Soil, Flat-Rocky Soil, Air Pollution Garden sites

Culture Easily grown in medium moisture, well drained soil in full sun. Tolerant to a variety of soils including clay. Intolerant of wet soils. Tolerant to a drought once established. Also tolerant of many urban air pollutants. Pruning can help maintain compact growth.

Notable Traits Juniperus × pfitzeriana is a hybrid designation encompassing certain cultivars that are crosses between J. chinensis and J. sabina. Such cultivars in the Pfitzer group are sometimes referred to generically as Pfitzer juniper.

The genus name comes from the Latin name for juniper.

‘Sea Green’ is a compact, evergreen shrub with a fountain-like habit. Typically grows 4-6′ tall and to 8′ wide. With dark green foliage (may darken in winter) that is attractive all year round.

Problems Junipers are generally susceptible to tip and needle rot. Cedar rust and related rust diseases spend part of their life cycle on juniper trees. Root rot can occur, especially in wet, poorly drained soils. Cancer can attack bark or main stems. Uncommon insect pests include aphids, bagworms, webworms and scales.

‘Sea Green’ is said to be resistant to cedar rust.