Pfitzer juniper nursery find

[KennedyMarx]

After that thread on JohnG's procumbens I went looking for procumbens at this locally owned nursery nearby. They had a bunch of procumbens in three gallon containers with decent (estimating 1-2 inch trunks). I couldn't decide on one and ended up noticing these big pfitzer junipers a ways away. Given the overall size of them I figured they would be higher cost than the $30 plants around them, so I only took one up to the register. She rang it up as $10! I couldn't believe it, so I had to go grab the other two. It was hard to get decent pics of the trunks/bases.

I'm really excited about these. I'm still learning juniper basics (kept a few smaller ones alive over winter), but so far these are the biggest ones I've got. Any advice is appreciated. I figure I need to slowly try to work the foliage back towards the trunkline, but I don't have any plans for them right now other than keeping them alive and healthy.

 

[Poink88]

Congrats on a good score!

I am also learning. But a few basics.
- one major insult a year.
- no more than 30% foliage reduction
- no more than 30% root reduction (though I question this, I follow it).

 

[KennedyMarx]

Thanks, Dario. I'm aware of those.

Well, I got them home, put some miracle gro shake and feed pellets in the pots and watered them all. They seemed pretty dry. Then I cut all the dead growth back and/or off. The thicker stuff I left some stubs as an option for future jin. There were a few sprouts in the crotches of the branches that I rubbed off, but largely I haven't removed any living parts. I can see new growth starting at the tips, but I think it's too late in the season now to repot them so I'm just letting them be until next year.

 

[jedge76]

A very nice find...I actually found the same hybrid at a nursery and am planning on getting 1 or 2 tomorrow. They have by far the largest trunks of any juniper in comparable pot size--I think they're a quick grower and maybe that's why.

Can't wait to see where you take these in the future.


--Joe

 

[Neli]

Some time when You have too leggy and thin or too fat branch in wrong direction leave the shoots in the crotches...
Try to bring some light in by removing branches you dont need.

 

[drew33998]

Congrats on a good score!

I am also learning. But a few basics.
- one major insult a year.
- no more than 30% foliage reduction
- no more than 30% root reduction (though I question this, I follow it).

Was this more than 30%? Whoops!? I chopped this one back hard because it was cheap and I have had some success cutting back procumbens pretty hard. This little guy is still growing strong. I did make the cut back in the middle of winter though

 

[Lazylightningny]

Thanks, Dario. I'm aware of those.

Well, I got them home, put some miracle gro shake and feed pellets in the pots and watered them all.

Be careful with the Shake N Feed. I don't believe they're recommended for potted plants. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Poink88]

Be careful with the Shake N Feed. I don't believe they're recommended for potted plants. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

There was an issue long time ago about them bursting, thus releasing a lot more than they are supposed to but I thought it was already addressed and corrected.

Another issue is greater release when temps are high...not sure if that is corrected. I use them on my potted plants but at much lower concentration than recommended.

 

[Paradox]

Be careful with the Shake N Feed. I don't believe they're recommended for potted plants. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

Ive used this for the past 2 years and havent noticed that yet.

 

[jkd2572]

Miracle grow shake and feed is not like most time release where there is liquids inside of a capsule. It's a solid pellet like your yard/grass fertilizer. It will not burst. I do not know if heat will increase it's dissolve rate though. I use it on my grow out stock.

 

[KennedyMarx]

I had heard that the release of nutrients could be unpredictable from temperature fluctuations, but I thought that applied to the balls with the liquid fertilizer in them. These are little blue pellets, almost like rocks. I'm not really worried about them burning the plants as I used them all last year with no ill effects. Still, I planned on making some organic fertilizer tea bags to use this year. So they'll probably get that instead when I get around to it.