Juniperus Horizontalis (Blue Rug Juniper) #1

[MrFancyPlants]

Apologies for terrible photos, but this is my horizontalis that I rescued the smallest bit of root+foliage from a tilled garden bed 10+ years ago at my apartment. First “styling” was the winter before last. I found that the growth that is wired up, loses vigor rapidly. It has been a slow plogg, but I suppose I am in no rush.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Mine is probably not a blue rug. I'll have the thread title changed when I find out the proper cultivar. It was from Lowe's.

@Forsoothe!, I'll try that technique and see how it goes! This plant buds readily in the crotches. I should be able to keep the pads really tight if I want.

 

[Fidur]

Mine is probably not a blue rug. I'll have the thread title changed when I find out the proper cultivar. It was from Lowe's.

@Forsoothe!, I'll try that technique and see how it goes! This plant buds readily in the crotches. I should be able to keep the pads really tight if I want.

Yours is a juniperus communis repanda

 

[Orion_metalhead]

I dont think that's the case. It doesnt sound familiar at all, and the pictures online dont look the same either... I'll do more digging when I have some time.

 

[Lutonian]

@Orion_metalhead tree is definitely not a juniperus communis repanda this does not have the same type of needle attachment in Juniperus sect. Juniperus they are jointed at the base, this tree is from Juniperus sect. Sabina (smooth at the base).
the photo on branch on the right is from Juniperus sect. Juniperus (j communis) and the one on the left is from Juniperus sect. Sabina. (j. chinensis) also metalhead's tree has some scale foliage I can see, Juniperus sect. Juniperus are always needle trees no scale foliage.

 

[A. Gorilla]

Señor Metal Head,

In my estimation, things are close to clicking in your nugget, but not quite.

There's a couple "rules" you could be following to help make this composition crisper. Not lame "company man" things meant to kill your creativity, but matters of craftsmanship and technique.

I mention this because you are right on the cusp of taking things to "the next level". I love people doing nursery projects and I am rooting for this one.

Have you considerd some in person instruction?

 

[Hartinez]

It looks a lot like Ruddigers blue rug juniper to me.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Señor Metal Head,

In my estimation, things are close to clicking in your nugget, but not quite.

There's a couple "rules" you could be following to help make this composition crisper. Not lame "company man" things meant to kill your creativity, but matters of craftsmanship and technique.

I mention this because you are right on the cusp of taking things to "the next level". I love people doing nursery projects and I am rooting for this one.

Have you considerd some in person instruction?

In person instruction would be great in the future, just not now. I dont have the time. I barely have time to water lol.

But thanks for thinking I'm doing something right!

I really like how this tree is progressing, but it is still far from where I want it to be.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Did some work on this today before letting it sit all winter. Namely wiring and some pruning. Next year this will be just let to grow out of control with heavy fertilization.

Before:


The straight bottom extension on the cascade has always bothered me.


Gone:


Proper front angle:


I need to get some really heavy wire on the bottom still or, possible better, develop the left branch as the leader, and have it come back across to the right.

Some mature foliage:

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Some end of year photos. Grew well. Did a little wiring and pruning this evening. Needs to grow and thicken. I pulled the back branch in through the others and forward. I want to get it to thicken so I can jinn it and have a long piece of deadwood coursing through from the bottom to the top. Its going to need to be further wired so I left extra length of wire on it. Thoughts??

Before:


After:


Misc angles:

 

[Ruddigger]

Dunno how I missed this thread before. It certainly does look like my blue rug, the foliage is a little spindly, like mine, and the bark is the same grey. Mine may be a bit bluer, and the tips turn lavender in winter.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Yesterday I noticed cedar apple rust spore horns on this on a key branch.



After last nights rain, this morning:


Determined to not let it ruin this tree, I treated with bayer 3-in-1 systemic which says it can help with rust. I also removed the horns down to the xylem and covered with cut paste. Im hoping that this will eliminate the issue but I will be vigilant about other sections of tree.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

I had some rust jelly on my this Spring too.. and used some 3-1 as well. It had a rough year last year, but seems to have new healthy growth this year.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

So I have two other j. Virginiana (ERC) that have had rust for the past few years. The day after I treated wity 3-in-1 we had a spring rain which would normally inflame and cause the rust to swell. This was the following morning. Maybe the 3-in-1 is the answer for this stuff, or at least will keep it at bay a bit.

 

[HorseloverFat]

Awesome progression...

I am the most experienced with horizontalis...

And this, also, looks like blue rug to me.

 

[HorseloverFat]

Dunno how I missed this thread before. It certainly does look like my blue rug, the foliage is a little spindly, like mine, and the bark is the same grey. Mine may be a bit bluer, and the tips turn lavender in winter.

View attachment 467923

The tips turning that red/lavender hue always "throws me".. it happens in early spring, after I open up the coldframe, but we are still getting some freeze/frosts.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Thanks. Other than that little rust, very happy with this juniper.

 

[Ruddigger]

The tips turning that red/lavender hue always "throws me".. it happens in early spring, after I open up the coldframe, but we are still getting some freeze/frosts.

Mine is greening up now that the weather is warm. It was really blue over the winter this year though.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Tonight. This thing is growing great this year. Going to do some pruning on it. I may eliminate that straight bottom and rebuild with the now leggy longer branch from that left pad.





Apex close up


Top down:

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Today. Doing well. Needs a wiring to flatten some pads like the bottom right pad. I have some spots where i need to redirect some branches. The middle left branch may get killed off and replaced with the intertwining branch growing behind it. Witing will get taken care in the fall. Ill continue thinking of the long term styling and such. Ive done some minor pruning this year and have been pinching longer tips to get some division and flling out.



Moss is looking nice: