Reproduction of juniper at home. How to grow juniper - types and varieties, methods of reproduction and rules of care Vegetative propagation method of juniper

Cultivated, propagated exclusively by cuttings. Moreover, according to experienced gardeners, this technique has a number of advantages over the method of seed propagation. Plants planted by rooting cuttings have a significantly higher resistance and viability. They take root better, develop faster and more actively, are less susceptible to the adverse effects of temperature extremes, typical diseases and pests.

Moreover, according to statistics, the number of successfully rooted cuttings is almost twice the number of surviving seedlings. Therefore, according to gardeners and landscape designers, this method of propagating juniper under artificial conditions is the most effective. A plant planted in the ground by cuttings is better acclimatized and adapted to new conditions, without requiring special care and attention. However, to achieve the most favorable results, you must follow some rules.

Estimate a favorable time for disembarkation

Should be done in autumn and winter months. However, knowledgeable people recommend planting plants from mid-September to the last decade of November. During this period, the stomata of plants close due to the increased degree of air humidity, as a result, water evaporation practically does not occur, which has a beneficial effect on the condition of the tree and the reproduction process.

In the spring and summer, planting a juniper plant is categorically not recommended. This is due to damage to the root system, which is caused by increased evaporation and physiological drought observed in conifers during the warm season. However, the question of the optimal timing of planting juniper trees is quite controversial. Many gardeners argue that the time from the first days of April to the end of May is ideal for organizing the propagation of juniper by cuttings, since just in the fall, this period is the peak of its growth and development.

When deciding on the timing of planting, one should also pay attention to climatic conditions. In order for the rooting of juniper cuttings to be successful, the air temperature should be from +5 to +25 degrees. Higher or lower heat levels can adversely affect the reproduction process of the plant and lead to its death.

Preparation of soil and cuttings

To grow a beautiful and healthy juniper tree, you should responsibly approach the fence of planting material. For plant propagation, cuttings taken from mature trees that are 8–10 years old are best suited. As for the choice of variety, it is best to give preference to undersized or ordinary juniper, their rooting rate is about 90%. Please note that in plants with a vertical crown shape, shoots for propagation are cut vertically. In junipers with a bushy crown shape, cuttings located on the sides go to the cut. As for the length of the shoot, it is advisable to observe 10–15 cm.

It is recommended to cut the cuttings no later than three hours before planting in the ground. Then their lower part should be cleaned of coniferous needles, which can rot when they enter the soil. In addition, it increases the efficiency of growth and development of the root system. However, on the top of the branches, the needles must be left in order to aerate the cutting. Before planting, the shoots are placed in a container filled with water, or they can be wrapped with a damp cloth. To speed up the growth process of the future juniper tree, the cutting can be placed in a glass with a special stimulating solution for a day. Kornevin or a sugar solution in a ratio of 1: 2 is well suited for these purposes.

Next, you can proceed to preparing the soil for growing juniper. Planting soil should be a mixture of earth with peat and sand (in a ratio of 1: 3). Juniper, like other conifers, does not do well in overly acidic soils. You can reduce acidity, as well as disinfect it, by moistening the earth with a concentrated solution of potassium permanganate. When the planting soil is ready, dig a hole, fill it with mortar, and place a layer of sand about 30–35 mm thick on top.

How to plant a young shoot?

After completing the preparatory stages, you can proceed to the direct planting of juniper. To do this, planting material should be placed in the soil no deeper than 20-25 mm. At the same time, pay attention to the fact that the columnar varieties of juniper are planted in an upright position, without turning the cutting over, and the creeping varieties of this plant take root best in the presence of a slight slope. The distance between the cuttings should be about 70 m. After that, you should slightly compress and moisten the soil. In conclusion, the earth is mulched with a mixture of ash and pine bark, and the cuttings themselves are covered with plastic wrap, this is important to create a greenhouse effect. In order for a tree to take root and acclimatize as quickly as possible, it needs to create optimal conditions for this.

Care consists in regular moisturizing, necessary to strengthen the plant. It is necessary to water the cuttings as the soil dries out, on average twice a week. Care must be taken to protect the plant from sunlight. Despite the fact that the juniper is considered a light-loving plant, during the development of its root system and general adaptation, direct sun can have an extremely adverse effect on it.. Rooting juniper lasts about 2-3 months. At the same time, it is recommended not to rush to transplant the plant into open ground in order to give it the opportunity to finally get stronger.

The evergreen juniper adorns any garden plot or house territory very much. Usually people buy a young juniper from the market or garden center and plant it in a flower bed or along a path. At the same time, they pay quite decent money for a modest bush with two or three branches. But it turns out that juniper is quite easy to propagate on your own - you just need to find an adult healthy bush and use it as a uterine donor bush.

juniper species

Juniper is dwarf, medium and large. Its branches can be located:

  • along the surface of the earth (horizontally) - such plants are called creeping;
  • directed upwards from the ground (vertically) - such plants are called upright;
  • randomly around the trunk (in the form of a dense mass) - such plants are called spherical.

Types of reproduction of juniper

Non-professional gardeners, and that is what any summer resident can be called, prefer to propagate juniper in two ways: layering and cuttings. Professional gardeners working in special nurseries also use the grafting method. But since it is rather time-consuming and it is very difficult to use it without special knowledge, we will not consider it.


How to propagate horizontal juniper by layering

This method only works well on horizontal juniper species. Start layering in the spring, as soon as all the snow has melted and the soil under the adult bush has dried out a little.

  • Select a few branches located near the ground itself. These branches will be called layering.
  • On the lower part of the branches, remove all the needles at a distance of 4-5 cm from the base of the layer. The base is the place in the center of the bush where the branch grows from.
  • Loosen the ground well in the area of ​​​​each particular layer, moisten it and add a little peat. Peat is needed to create an acidic environment, which juniper loves very much.
  • Tilt the first branch close to the ground and pin it to the ground with a metal clip. Make a staple from thick wire.
  • The place where the layering turned out to be pinned, sprinkle with additional earth. You will get an earthen mound covering the part of the branch where you removed the needles from below.
  • Do the same with all prepared layers.
  • Keep the earth mounds constantly moist - water them regularly.
  • After one and a half to two months, dig out one mound and make sure that roots have grown at the bottom of the layering.
  • Separate the branch from the mother bush with a pruner or a special small hacksaw.
  • Carefully dig up the cuttings so as not to damage the roots.
  • In the same way, separate all layers from the bush and dig them out of the ground.
  • Plant cuttings in the places where you have planned new juniper bushes. Plant immediately after separating branches with roots from the mother bush.

If you separate the layers from the donor bush in June, then by August they will take root in their permanent place. For the first winter, cover young juniper bushes with spruce branches or any dry grass.


How to propagate horizontal, vertical and globular juniper cuttings

Propagation by cuttings can be done from spring to autumn. But autumn cuttings involve planting young bushes not in open ground, but in a pot and with its further winter storage indoors.

  • On an adult mother bush, select a mature branch with a young top. On this cutting branch, the so-called “heel” should be clearly visible - this is the junction of the adult branch and the young shoot that has grown from it.
  • With a sharp garden knife, cut off the stalk under the heel, retreating down 2-3 cm.
  • In the heel area, remove all the needles - 2 cm down, and 2 cm up.
  • Plant the cutting in a wooden container with the following soil: 1 part coarse river sand and 1 part peat. Make sure that the entire part of the cutting without needles is in the ground. Plant a branch in the ground a little obliquely (approximately 60 degrees). Be sure to make drainage holes in the container.
  • Pour the cuttings with water, to which add sodium humate or heteroauxin - these are special substances to accelerate root formation.
  • Install the container in the greenhouse. In the greenhouse, ensure a constant temperature in the region of 16-19 degrees and a fairly high humidity. Water the cutting regularly.
  • When the cutting takes root, you will see new buds open at its tip. At this time, increase the temperature in the greenhouse to 25-26 degrees.
  • After 10-15 cm of new needles grow on the cutting, plant the cutting in the ground in a permanent place. This can be done only until August, so that the juniper has time to adapt in the open field.
  • For the winter, be sure to warm the young bush with needles from spruce or other similar material.


When planting a young juniper in a flower bed, try not to damage the roots. They are very fragile and brittle. To do this, remove the bush from the container directly with the soil, and dig it out of the ground with a large earthen clod.

Juniper is a popular and ornamental shrub species. The question of how to plant a juniper is asked by many gardeners. Why has juniper gained such popularity? The answer lies in unpretentiousness to the composition of the soil and changes in climate. This shrub perfectly tolerates low temperatures, periods of drought, it is photophilous. Attractive in juniper and various forms of the bush, and the color of the needles. Juniper also has a light and pleasant aroma.

The main methods of reproduction of this bush include:

  • cutting;
  • propagation by seeds;
  • layering;
  • by dividing the bush.

How to grow juniper from seeds? The end of August - the first days of September is the best time to plant juniper seeds. This happens when the berries begin to ripen, at which point you need to collect juniper seeds. In some types of shrubs, the scales from the cones should be removed. The seeds themselves germinate for a very long time, about a year, so it is not recommended to sow them directly into the soil.

A film is lined in a wooden box, in which holes are made to drain water. Soil is sprinkled on top, in which the seeds are planted. Then the box must be buried in the soil so that its top is visible above the ground. In winter, snow will cover your seedlings and create a thermal effect. After the onset of spring, the box must be placed in a warm place so that the seeds germinate. Sprouted sprouts can be transplanted to their place of permanent residence not earlier than after 2-3 years.

Juniper propagation by cuttings (video)

Cutting method of reproduction

In order to preserve the varietal features of the shrub, the juniper is planted using the cutting method. This method takes a lot of time, but is also the most effective. Cultivation should be carried out in spring if last year's lignified shoot is used, or in summer if current year's shoot is used. It is best to choose a shoot that grows vertically and has a vertical crown shape.

The breeding technology is as follows:

  1. A box with holes for drainage is filled with peat and sand in a ratio of 3: 1 and buried in the ground in a shady place.
  2. Then the stalk with pieces of bark is carefully torn off.
  3. If there are branches on the handle, they need to be cut off. This will not allow new roots to form, and the needles will not rot. Do not worry, the places of the cliff will quickly heal due to the release of resin.
  4. Aeration of the cutting is achieved by leaving the needles on the top of the branch.
  5. In the prepared hole, we plant the stalk in a vertical manner.
  6. Do not use film for cutting propagation method. It is poorly ventilated, which can lead to an increase in temperature and death of the cutting.
  7. Monitor temperature and humidity levels. A suitable temperature is from 15 to 18°C. And after the buds have blossomed, the temperature is raised to 20 ° C. Provide cuttings with moist soil.
  8. Several times a day, cuttings should be opened and sprayed with water.

Reproduction by layering

For this method, shoots are used that grow horizontally and closest to the ground. First you need to scratch the bark of the shoot a little at the base of the layering, then plant the shoot in a previously prepared shallow hole. Wet peat is used for powdering. The upper parts of the layers should be tied with pegs.

It is important to maintain a certain humidity in the place where the layers were planted.

You can lay a small piece of film and fix it. However, the ideal option would be to use moss. It is very important to trim the connection point of the layer with the mother plant throughout the rooting.

The rooting process itself takes about a year. During this time, water and spud the bush. After you notice the emergence of new shoots, they should be separated and transplanted into a permanent ridge.

How to care for juniper (video)

Reproduction by division

Only a young juniper bush can be grown by dividing. At the very beginning of May, the bush is spudded carefully. The lower part of the branches falls asleep, and adventitious roots form. Do not allow the soil to dry out in the summer.

At the end of summer, the bush is dug up. Branches that have taken root are separated from the old plant and planted in containers. Make sure there are drainage holes in these containers to drain the water. It is important to know that waterlogging of the soil leads to the death of the juniper. It is recommended to plant new branches in the ground with good sunlight. But this is done only in winter for better transfer of low temperatures. And in the spring, transplant the plant to a permanent place so that the root ball is not damaged.

There are solutions that allow roots to grow faster. Juniper twigs should be placed in such a solution for a day. For better root germination, honey is also used with the addition of water. After planting the bush, do not forget to spray it with a solution of "Zircon", which is used as a growth and flowering regulator.

Reproduction of juniper on the site involves several nuances. Many varieties of juniper have a wonderful healing effect. Therefore, properly propagate this amazing plant and enjoy its beauty in your country house.

Juniper, known for its high decorativeness, winters well in the middle lane. It also creates a beneficial microclimate around itself, which has a beneficial effect on human health. The easiest and most effective way to propagate varietal juniper is.

In view of the extreme unpretentiousness of all cypress trees, many (especially inexperienced summer residents) believe that sticking a cutting into the ground is enough for rooting. In reality, this approach is usually ineffective. So, today we will talk about the propagation of juniper by cuttings in the spring and about the further care of the seedlings. But first things first.

All members of the cypress family are long-lived. And juniper, having a long life cycle, grows slowly and begins to bear fruit late. Yes, only by the age of nine or ten, he has the first cones, and they ripen in another two or three years. It should also be noted that seeds for germination need a long stratification, and seedlings often turn out to be unviable, having weak roots.

Note! Under natural conditions, juniper is quite difficult to reproduce due to the same slow pace of development. And for this reason, at home, the culture is propagated mainly by cuttings.


Juniper rocky "Moonglow"



Shrubs grown by cuttings have such important characteristics.

  1. Shrubs grow much faster than seedlings - they reach adult size about three to four years earlier.
  2. They also adapt faster and better to new environmental conditions when compared with purchased seedlings.
  3. Finally, the juniper retains all the varietal characteristics that the mother plant had.

There are a number of factors on which the success of growing a crop by cuttings depends: this is the time of cutting, and the correct choice of the mother bush, and growing conditions, and agricultural technology.

About suitable timing

Regardless of which particular variety we are talking about, the period between the snow melting and the beginning of autumn is suitable for harvesting cuttings.

  1. The beginning of spring is most suitable for cuttings., that is, the time of waking up of the kidneys and the beginning of the active movement of the juice. In the same season, the cuttings will take root.
  2. Cuttings can be harvested in the summer. The first half of June is suitable for this - the time when active growth is already ending, and spring growth becomes stiff. Although in some varieties the duration of root formation is long - only callus is formed in a year, and full-fledged roots are only not the next season.
  3. With the onset of autumn, namely in September or October, lignified shoots are cut. The next spring they are planted in the soil.

Note! The first roots of this plant appear after about 1 month. But in order for a completely viable root system to appear, it takes at least 2 months.

It is for this reason that the cuttings are not immediately planted in the soil - they are left until the next season to take root.

How to choose cutting material

Juniper grown by cuttings can turn out not only healthy and thick, but also crooked and weak. It all depends on which plant and in what place the planting material was taken. And in order for the grown juniper to really live up to all expectations, it is necessary to adhere to the following simple rules.

  1. An ideal candidate for a mother liquor is a shrub that is five to eight years old, as the plant's ability to form a root system declines over time.

  2. The shoots that are selected for cuttings must have a growth cone and a healthy apical bud, otherwise there will be a chance that the seedlings will begin to bush excessively.
  3. It is also important that the mother liquor is healthy, has an even, dense and - importantly - a symmetrical crown.
  4. In such species of the described plant as bushy, columnar and pyramidal, the cuttings must be cut from the central branches from the first to the third order. But when choosing a side shoot that grows horizontally, the bush can later develop in breadth.

  5. Finally, if we are talking about creeping varieties of juniper, then the place of the cut does not really matter. It is only necessary that the branch be spreading and developed, so that sunlight regularly falls on it.

How to prepare planting material

Juniper is recommended to be cut in the morning or when it is cloudy outside. Due to this, moisture from the cuts will evaporate less. Thin branches should not be touched - they will exhaust the supply of nutrients even before they take root. We advise you to use annual shoots, the length of which is about 25 cm.

From large branches and the trunk of a shrub, cuttings are taken with a "heel" (that is, with a piece of wood), which contributes to better rooting. By the way, it is for this reason that it is better to tear off the cuttings (with a sharp downward movement) than to cut them off. If the tongue is too long, it must be cut off.

Important! If the cutting is taken from a large shoot, then it is cut with a sharp knife or garden pruner. It is necessary that the cut captures about 1.5 cm of the lignified part (it can be recognized by the way the green bark turns brown).

The lower part of the root is freed from needles and overgrowth by about 3-4 cm. Moreover, it is recommended to do this with your hands, since the wounds that appear after tearing off will stimulate the formation of the root system. In addition, cuts of cuttings before planting should be sprinkled with a product that accelerates the formation of roots (such as, for example, Kornevin, Heteroauxin). Soaking in a solution of root formation activators should not be carried out - if moisture acts on the cuttings for a long time, the bark may peel off.

Table. Instructions for rooting juniper cuttings.

Steps, photoBrief description of actions

Here, side branches are used for cuttings, which are torn off with the “heel” already mentioned above. Too long pieces of bark are cut, otherwise there is a risk of rotting.

For rooting, healthy and strong cuttings are harvested that meet all the requirements listed above.

Needles from the bottom must be carefully removed.

The prepared cuttings are soaked in the Epin solution (a few drops of the agent for every 100 ml of water) for approximately 12 hours. As you know, juniper copes well with rooting without stimulants, but we are talking about the winter period, and therefore additional "vigor" for cuttings will not be superfluous.

At the time when the cuttings are soaked, dry sphagnum is also soaked. It is important that it is well saturated with water.

Then you need to fold the disposable diaper so that the absorbent surface "looks" outward.

Sphagnum, slightly squeezed from excess moisture, should be laid out along the diaper with a ribbon. Everything, the substrate for rooting the prepared cuttings is ready!

After that, each cutting (more precisely, its base) is dipped in a powder of a root formation stimulator (this, for example, Root, Kornevin and others).

Next, the cuttings are laid out on a diaper. The next step is to fold the diaper in half, and the legs of the cuttings should be pressed against the sphagnum.

After that, the diaper rolls into a small roll.

A roll with juniper cuttings is tied with an elastic band, after which it is placed in a plastic bag and stored in a bright but cool place.

In winter, you can hang the cuttings by the window or, alternatively, between the frames (if we are talking about ordinary wooden windows). With the onset of spring, the package can be hung out of the window, but preferably not in the sun.

By the time the spring planting comes, the cuttings, as a rule, are already rooted, and therefore can be planted in the garden for growing (you need to choose a semi-shady place for this).

Basic soil requirements

Planting material that has passed all the preliminary preparation must be planted in specially prepared soil. Due to the fact that the rooting of juniper (as well as other conifers) takes a long time, special requirements are put forward for the preparation of the soil mixture.

  1. First of all, the soil should be light, loose and breathable.
  2. Slightly acidic and neutral soil is suitable for juniper, and therefore it is worth forgetting about adding ash or lime.
  3. For rooting cuttings, you can use a mixture consisting of peat and the same amount of soddy soil / sand / vermiculite / perlite (choose any of the options).

If there are several cuttings, you can take a flower pot for them. At the bottom of the pot, you need to fill the drainage, then the soil mixture (about 15 cm layer), and sprinkle the top with sand. With a large amount of planting material, it is planted in greenhouses, large boxes or greenhouses.

Note! If there is any doubt about whether the ingredients of the substrate are of high quality, you can pre-disinfect them - spill them with a solution of potassium permanganate or steam them.

How to plant cuttings in spring?

To land them, it is not enough to simply stick them into the ground. You need to follow the short instructions below.

Note! It is important that the direct rays of the sun do not fall on the makeshift greenhouse. The fact is, the cuttings will take root better in the shade.

Root formation will occur more intensively if the ambient temperature (including the soil) does not fall below 21-24 degrees, and the humidity level is in the range of 95-100 percent.

How to care after planting?

Active rooting of cuttings occurs two to four months after planting. Although a more accurate time will depend on the particular variety of juniper, and root formation for the summer may stop, resuming with the onset of autumn.

In order to avoid stagnant moisture during the first watering, it is necessary to act with caution, and to carry it out only after the earth has dried. For irrigation, water at ambient temperature is used. In order to prevent the development of diseases, plantings should be watered with fungicidal solutions several times a year.

Note! Due to the fact that the seedlings will be in for about a year, it is important that the covering material always remains transparent (this must be maintained).

As for lighting, it should be diffused, but bright, because under the influence of light, the production of a plant hormone, which is responsible for root formation, is activated.

And when the cuttings take root and growths appear, hardening can begin (that is, periodically open the greenhouse and ventilate the plants). You can insulate for the winter with the help of leaves, covering material or burlap.

On a note! A year later, young bushes can already be transplanted into the garden. For this purpose, they are transferred together with an earthen clod into a previously prepared soil.

As a conclusion. About propagation by cuttings-layering

Let's talk a little about an alternative method that is used for plants with a flattened / creeping crown. In the spring, when the juice is actively moving, the lower branches need to be bent, laid in a small groove, fixed in this position and sprinkled with earth (strawberries can also multiply).

Obviously, it is necessary to remove all needles and small processes from the rooted area. In one growing season, roots will already form on the cuttings. Then, separating the seedling from the mother bush, it can be planted anywhere.

Propagation by cuttings is the most affordable method of obtaining healthy and high-quality juniper seedlings at home. If you follow the cultivation practices, then using this method, you can quickly propagate any coniferous crop on the site.

Video - Juniper / thuja cuttings in winter

Juniper: reproduction, distribution and development of these plants has its own characteristics. This specificity is based on the genetic similarity of all conifers adapted to special environmental conditions.

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    taxonomic position

    Junipers are coniferous plants belonging to the genus of the same name of the Cypress family. This group includes representatives of two life forms - trees and shrubs.

    The geography of junipers is extensive. Representatives of the genus are distributed in a variety of natural zones - from the Arctic latitudes to the mountainous regions of the subtropics. Most of the species of this genus are confined to small regions and mountain systems, which determines their small areas of distribution. The only exception to this rule is the common juniper, which has a large range in the Northern Hemisphere.

    All junipers can be divided into 2 large groups - shrubs and trees. Shrub forms usually do not form large thickets. They grow high in the mountains, often in the subnival zone, on rocks, talus, treeless peaks, free from glaciers.

    In the lowlands, they are confined to the edges and clearings of coniferous forests, most often spruce forests. They can be seen at the edge of raised bogs, on steep slopes with stony soil.

    Pure thickets on large areas of shrub junipers form only if the trees of the upper tier are cut down. However, over time, with the renewal of the forest, these coniferous shrubs again go to the edges and to the lower tiers.

    Trees of this genus form forest communities in the mountains of the Mediterranean, Central Asia, and the Middle East. In America, such forests have survived in the dry regions of Mexico and the southern United States.

    For the most part, these plants are photophilous, drought-resistant, withstand severe frosts and winds, and are highly tolerant to soil conditions.

    The decorative appeal of these plants is based on the fact that they can delight with their greenery of different shades all year round. Different species have their own crown shape. Combining several species in one area, you can create very peculiar combinations.

    The only drawback, and perhaps an advantage, is slow growth, which is quite understandable if we recall the conditions to which most species of this genus are adapted.

    Distribution specifics

    Under natural conditions, junipers can reproduce as follows:

    • seeds with a long germination period;
    • cuttings, that is, with the help of additional rooting of a shoot or a shrub stem;
    • layering, when the creeping form of the plant releases additional roots from lodging branches.

    These three methods allow junipers to settle over relatively long distances mainly with the help of birds and mammals, as well as form dense thickets that increase the competitiveness of this species in this area.

    In artificial conditions, a person carries out another method of reproduction - vaccination. This is when especially rare, valuable, but poorly adapted to life in given conditions, species and forms are grafted onto specimens of similar varieties that are distinguished by good adaptive qualities.

    When forming artificial plantings with the participation of junipers, all types of reproduction are used. Each of them has its own disadvantages and advantages. A skillful combination of the advantages of each method of reproduction allows you to achieve a quick and desired effect.

    Planting seeds

    Propagation of juniper by seeds is one of the most reliable and cheapest ways. Many plants combine sexual and vegetative reproduction in order to capture space faster and more reliably. With the help of seeds, they can spread far. In addition, the sexual mode of reproduction provides the species with a variety of genetic information, which greatly increases its resistance to adverse environmental conditions, and also increases its competitiveness.

    For those who decide to grow a good, strong and healthy juniper specimen on their site, it is best to plant with seeds.

    Seeds can be bought in specialized stores, you can take it from people you know - happy owners of an adult juniper. And you can collect mature cones from a wild specimen of a tree or shrub. The last two options are preferable, because you can imagine what exactly will grow in the end. However, in the store you can buy varietal material.

    Planting juniper seeds consists of the following steps:

    1. 1. Collection of seed material. Having chosen a suitable copy, collect from it a sufficient number of black-and-blue cones. Do not pick green fruits - they are not yet ripe.
    2. 2. Next, the cones should be soaked in water for several hours. This is necessary in order to clear the seed itself from the fruit shell. Then the seeds must be thoroughly washed and placed for 30 minutes in weak hydrochloric acid.

    This is done in order to destroy the strong shell of the seed. It is because of this hard shell that juniper seeds take so long to germinate. When the shell is destroyed, seed germination is accelerated.

    You can also destroy the shell mechanically. It should not be pricked with a hammer, but you can wipe it with two strips of sandpaper. There is another way. It is used in the taiga by pine nut pickers. They rub bumps on the washboard (if anyone else remembers what it is). So the cones themselves are destroyed. So you can damage the strong shell of the cone.

    1. 1. Cleaned seeds are planted in a box with soil. This should be done in the middle of autumn. The depth of planting seeds is small - 2-3 cm.
    2. 2. Next, the seed box must be taken out into the street. There, in the cold and in the snow, they will undergo the so-called stratification.
    3. 3. If everything is fine, the seeds not only survived the winter, but also rose together, in May they are planted in the garden. Landings need to be mulched and at first protected from direct sunlight. Here the small junipers should form roots and shoots.
    4. 4. After 2-3 years, seedlings can be planted at their permanent place of residence. Transplantation must be carried out very carefully so as not to damage the roots and growth point.

    Propagation with cuttings

    Reproduction of juniper by cuttings allows you to speed up the process of growing a new plant for several years. A cutting is a piece of a stem that, under certain conditions, is able to release roots and new shoots. As a result, a new plant is formed with the genotype of the one from which the cutting was taken.

    How to propagate juniper cuttings? The best time for this is spring. To get a new plant from a piece of an adult juniper, you need to do the following:

    1. 1. Take a young stem that is just starting to woody. If a vertically located stem is taken, then you need to cut a branch from the middle and above. If a juniper with a creeping crown is taken as the basis, then you can take any shoots, except for those that decide to grow vertically.
      Harvesting should be done in cool cloudy weather, and preferably during rain. Otherwise, the mother plant will get sick, and the cutting may die.
    2. 2. You need to cut the stalk with a very sharp knife. A branch, the length of which does not exceed 25 cm, is cut so that a little old wood with bark gets into the stalk. At the cut branch at a height of 3-4 cm from the cut point, all needles and branches are removed. It is desirable to plant such blanks immediately. If this is not possible, then the cut and prepared branch can stand in the water for no more than three hours. To do this, wrap the stalk in a wet rag and put it in a cool place.
    3. 3. Cuttings must be carried out in a substrate, which consists of equal parts of peat and humus. Peat can be replaced with sand. This mixture is placed on the bottom of the container, from above it is covered with a layer of sand 3-4 cm thick. The cuttings are deepened by about 20 cm. The distance between them should be at least 7 cm.
    4. 4. Stimulants should not be used during this period, as they can damage the delicate skin of the cuttings. You can apply detailed chemistry already at the stage of transplanting them into the soil mixture. In this case, the cuttings of the creeping juniper must be placed horizontally, all the rest must be immersed vertically in the ground.
    5. 5. A container with cuttings is placed where diffused daylight exists. Direct sunlight to rooting cuttings is harmful. Watering seedlings is rarely necessary, because they do not tolerate waterlogging.
    6. 6. Cutting time can be chosen at will. If you start the breeding process in early spring, then by the end of summer, good roots will already form in the cuttings. In autumn, young junipers can already be transplanted into the ground, forming a light shelter where they will winter. If the cuttings are planted in the summer, then the roots will not have time to grow to the right extent, so such cuttings will overwinter indoors until next spring.

    Thus, propagation of juniper by cuttings is a complex multi-stage process that requires some patience. However, the undoubted advantage of such reproduction is the rapid receipt of results.

    How to make withdrawals?

    This method of obtaining a new plant, which is an exact copy of the old one, is a variant of cuttings. The only difference is that the stalk is not cut from the mother plant, but is dug in with earth.

    This should be done from early spring to mid-summer. Later, the roots will no longer have time to grow. You need to take a young branch of juniper, located near the ground, make an oblique cut on it. Carefully insert some kind of stick into this incision, securing the layers with it, and then sprinkle it all with earth.

    After new roots appear, you need to cut the new plant with pruners and plant it in a separate hole. You need to plant immediately at the place of permanent growth, since now it is a completely independent plant.

    As a rule, the desired valuable variety is grafted onto the most common, and most importantly, hardy juniper. To do this, cut off the shoot, making a scion. It is tightly pressed to the stock, tightened with a rope, and preferably with electrical tape. The junction of the scion and stock is wrapped with polyethylene and again tightly wrapped with electrical tape. The better you attach the rootstock and scion, the more likely it is that branches of a completely different type will begin to grow on one juniper.

    Usually bushes subjected to this procedure grow slowly. Vaccination should be carried out on adult, but young plants. The optimal age of the "receiving" juniper is from 3 to 5 years.

    Vaccination should be carried out during the maximum physiological activity of both species, that is, during sap flow. Grafting material is usually young shoots from the tops of the bush.

    After the vaccination is carried out, the places of the "operation" must be sheltered from the bright sun for a while. If everything went well, then after 2 months the buds will blossom on the grafted branch, and growth will begin due to the roots of another plant.

    Thus, juniper can be bred using 4 propagation methods. However, cuttings and layering are the fastest and most reliable methods.

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