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Our guide to preventing rabbits from devouring your plants can help you to keep these fuzzy little nibblers out of your garden.
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Rabbits aren’t afraid to take a bite either. Provide some protection in the form of fencing or deterrents. Deer love to chomp on these plants, particularly during the winter or when the plants are young.
Blue star juniper full#
They rarely face issues with insect pests and herbivores or diseases, as long as you don’t overwater and you plant in full sun with well-draining soil.īut if you have deer in your area, don’t assume that your ‘Blue Star’ is safe. You can find live plants in two- or three-gallon containers available from. Well-draining soil is an absolute must, whereas heavy, poorly-draining soil is a death sentence for ‘Blue Star.’ Again, this cultivar can survive in partial sun, but it will likely be more prone to pests and diseases. Plant in a sunny spot, with at least six hours of sun per day. The plants will probably survive, but they’ll be more prone to diseases and pests. The humid, hot conditions of the southern United States aren’t ideal. While we’re on the topic of moisture, ‘Blue Star’ doesn’t tolerate humidity well at all. It’s far easier to kill one of these shrubs via overwatering than it is by underwatering. They need moderate moisture when they’re young and then very little moisture as they become fully established. ‘Blue Star’ has the same requirements as most juniper plants. Plant ‘Blue Star’ in places where you want something low maintenance, in an area where you don’t want to have to deal with frequent weeding.Īs with all junipers, avoid planting near species that are susceptible to cedar apple rust, like apples and crabapples. You might see the occasional long blade of grass poking through, but for the most part, weeds can’t compete. Part of what makes this such an excellent garden option is that it grows low to the ground with extremely dense foliage. This involves digging a hole, and placing the plant inside. You pay for someone else to do all the propagating work and then you just do the planting. This is the easiest method, and the one that most people choose. Rooting cuttings is the process of taking a piece of stem and planting it in the ground or in potting soil.Įventually, if the conditions are right, the stem will form roots and you can place it wherever you want it to grow permanently. Once roots form, you can cut away the branch and plant it in the ground. From Air LayeringĪir layering involves making a cut in the center of a branch and encouraging that section to form roots.
Blue star juniper how to#
This plant grows much larger than ‘Blue Star’ and isn’t as attractive over time because the needles die as the plant ages, though they don’t fall off the plant.įor more details on how to propagate junipers, read our guide for a comprehensive step-by-step explanation of these methods. ‘Meyeri’ was originally introduced into the west after it was collected by Frank Nicholas Meyer, who sampled and brought back plants from eastern Asia in the early 1900s. ‘Blue Star’ began as a sport that formed as a witch’s broom on a ‘Meyeri’ juniper. That’s one of the reasons this cultivar has become so popular in home gardens.Īdd to that its distinctly steel-blue needles, its low maintenance requirements, its beautiful mounding growth habit, and its resistance to pests and diseases, and it’s no wonder people love it. It might only grow to be a foot tall after five years, and don’t expect it to reach maturity for at least two decades.
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If the plant does reach its full size, it takes a long time. This cultivar is hardy in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 to 8, and it grows up to four feet wide and three feet tall, though it can stay more compact depending on the growing conditions.