Juniperus rigida is a small tree juniper, reaching 20 feet tall. It has needle-like bright green foliage. It can grow into a very elegant specimen, and be used as an effective accent in the garden. Growth habit is open with nice horizontal branches, but not useful for a privacy screen. Native to Japan, Korea and China.
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Characteristics
Cultivar: n/aFamily: Cupressaceae
Size: Height: 15 ft. to 30 ft.
Width: 10 ft. to 20 ft.
Plant Category: shrubs, trees,
Plant Characteristics: low maintenance,
Foliage Characteristics: evergreen,
Flower Characteristics:
Flower Color:
Tolerances: deer, rabbits, slope,
Requirements
Bloomtime Range: not applicable
USDA Hardiness Zone: 5 to 9
AHS Heat Zone: Not defined for this plant
Light Range: Part Sun to Full Sun
pH Range: 4.5 to 8
Soil Range: Some Sand to Clay Loam
Water Range: Normal to Moist
Plant Care
Fertilizing
How-to : Fertilization for Young Plants Young plants need extra phosphorus to encourage good root development. Look for a fertilizer that has phosphorus, P, in it(the second number on the bag.) Apply recommended amount for plant per label directions in the soil at time of planting or at least during the first growing season.
How-to : Fertilization for Established Plants
Established plants can benefit from fertilization. Take a visual inventory of your landscape. Trees need to be fertilized every few years. Shrubs and other plants in the landscape can be fertilized yearly. A soil test can determine existing nutrient levels in the soil. If one or more nutrients is low, a specific instead of an all-purpose fertilizer may be required. Fertilizers that are high in N, nitrogen, will promote green leafy growth. Excess nitrogen in the soil can cause excessive vegetative growth on plants at the expense of flower bud development. It is best to avoid fertilizing late in the growing season. Applications made at that time can force lush, vegetative growth that will not have a chance to harden off before the onset of cold weather.
Light
Conditions : Full Sun Full Sun is defined as exposure to more than 6 hours of continuous, direct sun per day.
Watering
Conditions : Moist and Well Drained Moist and well drained means exactly what it sounds like. Soil is moist without being soggy because the texture of the soil allows excess moisture to drain away. Most plants like about 1 inch of water per week. Amending your soil with compost will help improve texture and water holding or draining capacity. A 3 inch layer of mulch will help to maintain soil moisture and studies have shown that mulched plants grow faster than non-mulched plants.
Planting
How-to : Planting a Tree Dig out an area for the tree that is about 3 or 4 times the diameter of the container or rootball and the same depth as the container or rootball. Use a pitchfork or shovel to scarify the sides of the hole.
If container-grown, lay the tree on its side and remove the container. Loosen the roots around the edges without breaking up the root ball too much. Position tree in center of hole so that the best side faces forward. You are ready to begin filling in with soil.
If planting a balled and burlaped tree, position it in hole so that the best side faces forward. Untie or remove nails from burlap at top of ball and pull burlap back, so it does not stick out of hole when soil is replaced. Synthetic burlap should be removed as it will not decompose like natural burlap. Larger trees often come in wire baskets. Plant as you would a b&b plant, but cut as much of the wire away as possible without actually removing the basket. Chances are, you would do more damage to the rootball by removing the basket. Simply cut away wires to leave several large openings for roots.
Fill both holes with soil the same way. Never amend with less than half original soil. Recent studies show that if your soil is loose enough, you are better off adding little or no soil amendments.
Create a water ring around the outer edge of the hole. Not only will this conseve water, but will direct moisture to perimeter roots, encouraging outer growth. Once tree is established, water ring may be leveled. Studies show that mulched trees grow faster than those unmulched, so add a 3"" layer of pinestraw, compost, or pulverized bark over backfilled area. Remove any damaged limbs.
Problems
Fungi : Cedar Apple Rust Cedar Apple Rust requires two alternate hosts each year: cedar or juniper type plants and apples, crabapples or hawthorn. Between spring and early summer, infected juniper or cedar leaves and stems may swell with greenish-brown galls. By fall, the galls have developed dimples. Though these do no immediate harm to the plant, by the following spring, when weather is wet and warm, the galls swell and develop jelly-like horn protrusions. Spores produced by these horns then infect apple trees. Wind carried spores are capable of infecting trees up to 4 miles away. On apples, cedar apple rust appears as rusty orange spots, having a ring-like appearance. Fruit drop is also common.
Prevention and Control Plant resistant varieties and eliminate hosts from the area. Chinese and Savin Junipers seem to be resistant as are apple varieties Freedom, Liberty, and Priscilla. Always rake-up and destroy diseased or damaged fruit and leaves. There are no chemicals available labeled for home gardener use.
Miscellaneous
Glossary : SpecimenA specimen can be a tree, shrub, ground cover, annual, or perennial that is unique in comparison to the surrounding plants. Uniqueness may be in color, form, texture, or size. By using only one specimen plant in a visual area, it can be showcased. Specimen plants are accents in the landscape, just as statues, water features, or arbors.
Glossary : Evergreen
Evergreen refers to plants that hold onto their leaves or needles for more than one growing season, shedding them over time. Some plants such as live oaks are evergreen, but commonly shed the majority of their older leaves around the end of January.
Glossary : Tree
Tree: a woody perennial with a crown of branches that begin atop a single stem or trunk. The exception to this rule is multi-trunk trees, which some may argue are really very large shrubs.
Glossary : Large Shrub
A shrub is considered large when it is over 6 feet tall.
Kimberly Di Paolo
Hi. Do you know where I could purchase a juniperus rigida?
Thanks!