Juniper Old Gold: description, yield and recommendations for growing

Which plants are suitable for decorating any garden, without requiring complicated maintenance? Unpretentious junipers! With their help you can realize even complex design ideas, because juniper is a combination of elegant shapes, plasticity and bright color! One of the best varieties is the juniper Old Gold. Its golden foliage and flat crown adorn the garden throughout the year! We suggest to get acquainted with the peculiarities of growing this coniferous shrub.

Description of juniper

This variety was brought out by the famous breeder from Holland - Grothendorst, crossing the Chinese and Cossack varieties. This happened in the middle of the last century.

Juniper chinensis grows Old Gold slowly and compactly - even after 10 years its height does not exceed 60 cm. But in width it is scattered by a meter. The annual increase is about 6 cm in height and not less than 15 cm in diameter. The business card of this bush is his elegance and undemanding care. And the appearance of this variety is extremely attractive. By the way, according to the botanical description of the juniper, the chinensis of Old Gold, this plant can clear the air of pathogenic bacteria and even save the garden area from insects. Under favorable conditions and proper care, a juniper can decorate a plot for more than one hundred years!

Selection of seedlings

Buying a juniper seedling, pay attention to its condition. Sprigs and needles should not be overdried. In addition, in no case on a young plant should not be fungus and mold. The planting stock should be sold along with the earthen lump in which it grew.

Pay attention: plants grown for sale in the garden, transfer transportation and transplantation are easier than their forest "brethren".

Selection of a place for planting a juniper

Deciding to plant this ornamental plant on the site, pay special attention to the choice of a place for him. Old Gold likes well-lit areas. Plant it in places with shading is not worth it, otherwise juniper may lose its bright golden hue and inexpressible charm. Specific requirements for this shrub and to the soil. He prefers a land with a neutral or slightly acid reaction.

Landing rules

To plant well established, it is necessary to plant it according to certain rules. First of all you need to prepare a landing pit. Its depth should be of the order of 60 cm. At the bottom of the pit should lay a drainage layer, 15-20 cm thick. For this, a broken brick, sifted sand, is suitable. On the drainage layer it is necessary to lay out the soil mixture. To prepare it, you need to mix two parts of peat and one part of turf and sand.

Watch the root neck of the juniper, it can not be buried. For a week after planting in the ground, the bush should be watered abundantly. Do not interfere and light shading - until the plant completely does not take root. If a group planting of junipers is planned, it is necessary to maintain the distance between young plants about 0.5-1 meters.

Juniper Old Gold: description of care

Every gardener knows that a juniper of this variety needs watering in a drought. Do this best in a way called "sprinkling", so the plant will get enough moisture. But you need to be careful - an excessive amount of water can lead to the decay of the roots of this representative of the cypress family. Young plants require shallow loosening.

Diseases and pests

Like other green "inhabitants" of the garden, juniper is prone to a number of diseases. Some pests, for example, spider mite, scabbard and runaway mole, also pose a danger to it. Chemicals "Iskra", "Karbofos" and "Fitoverm" will help to get rid of this misfortune.

Afraid of Old Gold juniper and rust. This disease is difficult to treat, but to prevent it is much easier. To do this, just do not plant next to him fruit plants, especially black currant.

Application of fertilizers

Most gardeners recommend fertilizing in the soil once a year - in late April - early May. It is important to remember that the average Old Gold juniper is better not to feed, rather than overfeed. And not all fertilizers are suitable for this magnificent plant. You can use mineral complexes, for example "Nitroammophos". Concentration should be weak - 30 grams per 1 sq. M. The root zone of the plant. Do not use manure and other organic nitrogen fertilizers for fertilizing. Immediately after the introduction of nutrients, it is necessary to water the plant.

Trimming

To the plant adorns the garden all year round, it needs pruning. You need to remove dry, sick and broken branches. Be extremely careful - the plant will be restored for a long time.

It is generally believed that it is necessary to form the crown of coniferous plants in the summer. But in the case of Old Gold juniper this can worsen his condition. The fact is that the plant, trimmed in the second half of summer, just does not have time to get stronger before the onset of cold weather. Any haircut is a serious stress for the shrubs of this variety, and therefore, before you take the scissors, it is important to make sure that the plant is healthy and ready for the procedure.

If you decide to form a living juniper hedge, remove all sticking shoots. It needs to be done carefully, but very carefully. In order for juniper to be restored more quickly after pruning, it is necessary to treat it with preparations containing copper.

Preparing for winter

Juniper of the average Old Gold has high resistance to cold, well tolerates even Siberian frosts. But in the first year after planting, he needs warming. Before the onset of cold snap the plant can be sprinkled with peat - enough for a 10-centimeter layer. Young shoots should be covered with stucco.

By the way, closer to winter, the needles of this representative of the cypress family can acquire a light bronze shade. Do not worry, this is one of the varietal traits. In the spring, the juniper again becomes golden.

Juniper Old Gold: a description of the application in landscape design

The effective needles of this amazing plant contrasts with the bright emerald foliage of all garden plants. Therefore, very often it is used in the decoration of landscapes. By the way, it is planted not only in various compositions, juniper looks great and in a single planting. Separately standing bushes decorate lawns. Old Gold looks admirable as a hedge.

The low growth of the Old Gold juniper makes it possible to apply it in the creation of alpine hills and stony gardens. But do not focus on this bush, it should just give the composition a finished look.

As neighbors, juniper is suitable for thyme, saxifrage, bryozoans. It looks good and a combination with other conifers. A composition with yellow and orange spirits will turn the garden into a paradise! But the lush cultures near the juniper do not get along. Refuse is also from planting next to this bush of tender roses, clematis and peonies.

Another interesting way to use juniper - landscaping of terraces and roofs, balconies and loggias. Grow it in such cases can be in a spacious container.

Interesting fact

Both needles and branches of juniper are poisonous, therefore for people's health they can represent serious danger. Taking care of pruning Old Gold juniper , planting or caring for it, you need to be careful. And if juniper juice has got on mucous membranes, it is necessary to wash out as soon as possible with a lot of water!