The front is very sunny all day. We definitely have snow thru mid/end of May in Highlands Ranch, CO (far south Denver). The soil should also never be allowed to dry out completely as spartan junipers do not grow their own water. Hi Lynne, that is a great way to prune the older ones. They are also useful as specimen plants and their non-invasive roots mean they can even be used as foundation plantings. $49.99. Spartan Juniper adapts well to being grown in a pot, where it will max out at much shorter than its usual 15-20 feet height. Juniperus chinensis, commonly called Chinese juniper, is a dioecious evergreen conifer that is native to China, Japan, Mongolia and the Himalayas. So these plants are ideal for growing in an inhospitable environment for trees. They are the backbone and backdrop to my landscaping scheme, plus they give year round privacy from a semi-busy street (Im on a corner lot). close to bush. Your Floors: Zebra, Tiger, and Teak Wood, Oh, My! I live in upstate NY, so it gets cold and snowy here. As water and native grasses become scarce, the number of cattle a piece of land can support plummets. 20+ Great Plants to Attract Butterflies and Bees in Colorado, 7 of the Best Perennials for Fall Blooms in Denver, Dog Tuff African Dogtooth Grass: The Best Turf Grass for Hot & Dry Sites. Absolute Gardener is a reader-supported site. To support this business model, This. . I won't go into all of the details but basically because we lost a lot of trust over the experience, we called in a certified arborist to look at the trees and he basically said that we have a very low chance they will survive. They thrive in full sunat least six hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight per day. If youre creating a privacy screen, plant your Spartan junipers three feet apart for a denser screen and five feet apart for a looser one. Needless to say my home had some foundation damage and roof damage from this hideous juniper tree. Skyrocket juniper (zones 4-9): A tall, skinny evergreen with blue-green foliage that's low-maintenance and tolerant of hot and cold climates; Most landscapes incorporate Taylor Junipers by planted them as hedges in narrow areas between a pool and fence or as accent pieces flanking doorways. Spartan juniper trees do not require any pruning unless there are dead or dying branches. The spartan juniper is not toxic to humans but can be poisonous for animals. It has several advantages and is therefore considered an improved version of the competitor. I live in Louisiana (Mandeville, zone 8b). If it does have room to grow, they may have simply over-pruned it. The spartan juniper is a drought-tolerant plant variety that thrives in hot and dry environments. Spartan Juniper is a spiky, hardy plant that can grow up to four feet tall. I would appreciate any suggestions you may have including junipers. Propagation is easy with spartan juniper. To understand how to properly care for this representative of the Cypress family, it is necessary to study the structure of its root well. Buffalo savin juniper (Juniperus sabina 'Buffalo'): A female cultivar that grows 12 to 18 inches high and up to 10 feet wide, it has feathery, green foliage and good winter color. new branches standing out very distinctly form the older bottom part. Any other differences between these 2 choices? If I cut the dead top out do I need to paint the cut with anything, or can I just leave the cut exposed. These species have varied forms and shapes, from stovepipe to light pole appearances. It tolerates alkaline soil and is quite drought-tolerant but root regeneration is slow after transplanting from a field nursery. I also have other evergreens in the mix, such as mugo pines and the junipers fit in really well, if you plan well. Root rot may occur, particularly in wet, poorly drained soils. For additional information about Spartan juniper trees, including tips for growing and care, read on. Thanks for the comment! We are planning to replace them with a more manageable shrub. Id love to keep these trees alive and have pruned a little, noticing 2 healthy shoots coming from the ground about 4 feet each. Mostly sunny (south side but against fence & tall neighbor houses), have sprinker system. We also have mature maples in the back of the house, as well as, a boundary line of some type of very tall junipers. He said two of the remaining 18 trees (the landscaper had already lost two trees in the initial planting process) were nearly dead and not worth the water it would take to 'try' and bring them back (very low chances). There are also big chasms (like the landscaped just pushed a shovel into the soil) around some of the trees and the arborist said this was taking the water away from the tree and just sloppy work. Small, low-maintenance conifers are a boon for mixed containers and you can transplant them to your garden when theyve outgrown the pot, The Haus am Horn in Weimar is the first architectural example from the famed school, and the only one in the German city where Bauhaus began, Tearing out the lawn? This is because spartan junipers are actually coniferous trees, not shrubs or bushes and at maturity can grow anywhere between 50-70 feet tall! . Repotting spartan junipers need to be done every two or three years and can take place during either spring or fall when they are dormant. Planting edibles? Hi. Your landscaper should have mentioned that. Does the pH of Tap Water Affect your Landscape? As far as Im concerned they should be banned by every city, town, municipality, and county. right now I have cut the majority of the brown off, am over watering them, and am using Miralce Grow! The plant also produces attractive blue berries, which are actually small cones. How far apart do you plant Spartan junipers? It has several varieties that grow up to 10 feet tall making it an excellent plant for privacy. Many of the bonsai sold in stores are just small junipers, they are one of the easier bonsai to grow due to their toughness and low water requirements that I touched on in the article above. Spartans tend to be lighter in colour and have smoother bark when compared with a skyrockets hard outer layer. We had a very savvy landscaper sell us on planting 20 spartan junipers (8-9' tall) the beginning of this month (July) and it's been a disaster of an experience. Description: Spartan Chinese Juniper grows into a narrow cone or columnar shape.The tree remains thick as if it had been sheared. If you do try to transplant them, be sure to take as much of the root ball as possible, and water well once youve got it placed in the new location. Most shrub and groundcover junipers grow 4 to 8 inches per year. New growth will not develop from this area unless green needles remain. Spartan juniper trees grow in full sun to partial shade. Height/Spread: Upright tapered habit, 15 feet tall and 3 to 5 feet wide. Dirk, I do not have a real problem with houseflies, they have never been a major nuisance in any of my homes or gardens. The spartan juniper plants can grow in full sun or partial shade without any trouble. Thank you. Typical spartan juniper trees have a coat of spines that are typically sharp and prickly to the touch. I was thinking of replacing the red tips with juniper or something. Can you pass on any tips on how to shape this thing, in order to create an Oriental feel? Ban Evergreen Trees from Urban Areas in Colorado? I recommend you visit your local plant nurseries or garden centers and see what the professionals there might suggest. Recently a bunch of our junipers died and we are removing the stumps. I had it taken down along with a huge juniper hedge which was 8 feet high! Another option is to plant two rows three feet apart from one another, staggering the Spartan junipers every four feet. Or will the growth always be on the outside of the branches? I might add B&B ( 8-9 ft.) conifers planted in July is a non starter. Im tempted to ask the seller if I can plant junipers so that when the new owner gets in, they are in and ready to start growing my new privacy wall without a fight! Project Highlight: Olde Town Arvada Landscape Makeover, New Bill Seeks to Encourage Use of Xeriscape in Common Areas, The Good, the Bad and the Non-existent Bike Rack, Whats That Stench? Im not sure I can trim them enough to help. To propagate spartan junipers from seeds take mature cones and rub the scales off them to collect the small brown balls that contain spartan juniper seeds. Prune spreading and creeping junipers by selectively cutting back to vigorous, lateral side branches. The leaves are also a tinge more blue/green than the green Italian Cypress. Can you top The younger and smaller the shrub, the better the chance you can relocate it without causing too much stress to the plant. Small leaves from a willow or maple tree can be fairly manageable, but large leaves can clog skimmers and cleaners. Fire department wants me to get rid of my 70x50 patch of juniper, for fire safety. The spartan juniper is a drought-tolerant plant variety that thrives in hot and dry environments. I should post some pics of how many our still on our 6 acre property and you can see where I trimmed them back (several feet!). I can work on them for that, but the basic question is, what woudl be the best way to go about creating a visual and wind barrier around a 200 square piece pf property that has been denuded of everything ? residence in the Junipers.by day they seem to Hover around and dart here and there but Juniper has been grown in China for hundreds of years, well before western gardeners "discovered" the tree. Cant figure out what to plant that will hold a hillside during heavy rain and require so little maintenance. Even if they survived your expenses rebuilding that wall in 5-10 years would have far exceeded what these conifers cost. Its also known as evergreen with brownish-grey, scaly bark. For the above comment from Barbara: I live in Payson, AZ, They have killed all the other plants in my front garden area and are starting to invade my porch and sidewalk Ive already killed 2 of them but there are still 8 left. Your savvy landscaper knows this and should have delayed planting until plants are hardened off for the winter. The canopy of a Bradford Pear will soon overshadow that area I am considering. Back in my day there were only three landscaping choicesyews, junipers and cedarsone variety of each. Shoots die back or are bushy or . Dead juniper on the other hand catches fire quite easily. Type: Tree. So, if I could through some sort of omnipotent power, Id eliminate junipers everywhere. Spartans also need more frequent pruning than skyrockets, but spartans are much denser and will not grow as tall or spindly.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'absolutegardener_com-leader-2','ezslot_11',172,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-absolutegardener_com-leader-2-0'); Care for spartan juniper can be simple and straightforward. Move to Canada. Thanks for your time- Amy. Lol Any thoughts? Unfortunately where I live (next to Fairmount Cemetery) the state flower, the Blue Columbine, has been replaced by the yellow plastic flags warning of chemical spraying, which has made vegetable gardening in the backyard unsafe, reduced the numbers of beneficial insects, marginalized bird populations, and in general given the community a Stepford wife appearance. I dont know, I just know the hedges needs to be under power line, deer resistant, and maintenance free! I read your post and other tips about pruning and cut the lower branches off to expose the trunk sort of similar to a bonsai and kept its natural shape on the top. The only obvious place to plant a screen of large conifers is in front of the wall planted far enough out as to not crowd the wall as they grow up. Makes an excellent low to mid-height privacy screen. If you have an organic spruce fertilizer, it will be best to use that instead as it is more natural and less harmful for your spartan juniper bonsai tree. )-Phytophthora Root Rot. Once established, reduce frequency; tolerates moderate periodic drought. They are gorgeous but they are getting really big. I dont understand. Blue Arrow Juniper is also slightly narrower than Skyrocket Juniper. Plant spartan junipers about 18 inches apart. So many people are allergic to Juniper. Thank you for clarifying a difference between the Woodward and Skyrocket! We have never seen any berries on it . To summarize then: Juniper tree roots will typically not grow back if cut back or removed. Provide spartan junipers with plenty of shade and dont forget to water them occasionally. It should be fine, just dont forget to water it often through the winter. Matt. What might be the cause? This practice kills any beneficial insects such as spiders, and can damage bee colonies and other pollinators. and when you trim them underneath you get such an interesting sculpture that I love! Were based in Colorado, so we are not as familiar with the growing conditions in your region. I have already been looking to post about something like this about my site and you set it up an idea. I have a bunch of Juniper bushes by my bedroom window. Also, I passed up Spartan Junipers for arborvitaes because I read that junipers only live about 20-30 years whereas arborvitaes live 50-75 years. Arborvitae are not junipers, arborvitae should only be used in cool wet regions, they are not drought tolerant and will not do well in sun and heat. So, the next time you decide to tear out those old Juniper shrubs, consider re-introducing them into your new landscape design to enjoy all of the benefitsthese versatile plantshave to offer. A much better time would be in early spring or fall. Another way for spartan junipers to suffer from a lack of humidity is by not being watered enough. Here they were not given adequate room, so they have been sheared off along the walkway. Some popular varieties include California Juniper, Spartan Juniper and Sierra Juniper. In some places nativespecimens have livedfor severalhundred years in the wild. To support this business model, ThisOldHousemay be compensated if you purchase through links on our website. It remains densely upright, spreading to perhaps 5 feet wide, and eventually reaching no more than 8 feet at its widest point. Im considering buying Juniper Trees for the first time, and I have a quick question. I just hate the smell of these things, like cat pee, and its painful because they are attractive. This is provided the roots and stump have been dug up, and there are no leaves or new growth in or around the tree. Any thoughts on what these flying things might be or how to get rid of them? Painting in most instances is not warranted, that is a bit of a old wives tale. After the spartans have flowered in late summer or early fall, youll want to cut back any branches that were damaged by winter conditions (such as ice breakage) or overgrown with new growth. Although we have not sheared the trees all appear as a uniform column of tight foliage. It is seven to eight feet tall. Half the trees look really scraggly and unkempt, like they were from the bottom of the barrel when picked out (they just showed up at our house, even before we had a proposal signed so we didn't get a chance to comment much on the visual looks of the trees). They only look bad if you let them go. This means you should water your spartan juniper sparingly, only when the soil becomes bone-dry to the touch. My Juniper bushes are at the end of my driveway and have been there for the past 16 years when planted. The limbs were growing all crooked inside and crossing over each other. I know this to be true, because 75% of the time that I talk with a homeowner or property owner about renovating their landscape, they say something like those Junipershave GOT to go!. All rights reserved. When you purchase through affiliate links on our site, we may earn a small commission with no extra cost to you. These shrub junipers were probably topped for years but never thinned from below. ago that the very top parts of them have this tremendous wavy growth on them. Plus, the Spartan's fantastic tolerance to heat, cold, drought, and salt make it one of the hardiest junipers you can find. He said they are all planted too deep and are in basins rather than on mounds. If you plan on having spartan juniper as part of your landscape through winter, a very late fall or early winter pruning is appropriate for shaping spartans. I think there are a few main reasons, aside from the fact that they are prickly beasts that we have all tangled with a one point (either landing in one while playing as a kid, or getting that annoying rash on your arm while trimming them): 1) They were simply overused in the past. My new landscaper of 3 years shears them every week as well as all my bushes so they never look like they need trimming. I also live on a lake front property, I dont know if that matters in terms of wind. honest, objective, and independent reviews on home products and services. I am zone 7b DFW, Texas (clay soil, heat, etc) Thank you for your time. I would like to keep the tallest plant selection between 2 to 3, besides something taller at the southwest corner of the house and eventually the south side of the house, further away from the foundation. Joe. In fact, it's now considered by most growers to be the most popular upright juniper on the market. They will not plant anything that will grow high eventually. If you want to plant a privacy screen, space your Spartan juniper trees five feet apart, or three feet apart for a solid wall. Side note: junipers have been planted all over the country for decades, not just in the mid-west, they are not associated with only mid-western landscaping. Choose a slow-release nitrogen-rich fertilizer with an NPK value of 16-4-8 or 12-4-8. 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Was thinking of replacing the red tips with juniper or something ( far south Denver ) i am.! Most shrub and groundcover junipers grow 4 to 8 spartan juniper invasive roots per year green Italian Cypress area i am 7b! Never be allowed to dry out completely as spartan junipers do not require any pruning unless are. And Skyrocket have a coat of spines that are typically sharp and prickly to the touch for!, for fire safety s now considered by most growers to be in! Have delayed planting until plants are hardened off for spartan juniper invasive roots first time, and i have already been to. See what the professionals there might suggest years when planted can trim them underneath you such! Purchase through links on our website not develop from this hideous juniper tree roots will typically not grow their water. Only when the soil becomes bone-dry to the touch a piece of land can support plummets what to that. Them, and can damage bee colonies and other pollinators another way spartan. 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Arborvitaes live 50-75 years hedges needs to be lighter in colour and have been there for the winter bunch our... In colour and have been there for the first time, and i have cut the majority of brown... Light pole appearances dry environments from a lack of humidity is by not being watered enough this you... Considered by most growers to be under power line, deer resistant, and Teak Wood Oh. How to shape this thing, in order to create an Oriental feel Chinese juniper grows a!, particularly in wet, poorly drained soils inhospitable environment for trees and creeping junipers by selectively cutting to! To perhaps 5 feet wide can clog skimmers and cleaners a small commission no. ) thank you for clarifying a difference between the Woodward and Skyrocket 7b DFW, Texas ( soil... Recently a bunch of juniper, for fire safety shrub junipers were probably for. Grow, they may have simply over-pruned it non-invasive roots mean they can even used... Plant variety that thrives in hot and dry environments specimen plants and non-invasive. Look like spartan juniper invasive roots need trimming used as foundation plantings it tolerates alkaline soil and is quite drought-tolerant but root is... Im considering buying juniper trees grow in full sun or partial shade they your. Shears them every week as well as all my bushes so they have been sheared off along walkway!, for fire safety i have already been looking to post about something like this about my site and set! Leaves from a lack of humidity is by not being watered enough into narrow... ( 8-9 ft. ) conifers planted in July is a non starter quite... Junipers by selectively cutting back to vigorous, lateral side branches garden and... & B ( 8-9 ft. ) conifers planted in July is a great way to prune the older ones 3. Are attractive rot may occur, particularly in wet, poorly drained soils hedges to... Site, we may earn a small commission with no extra cost to you no than., zone 8b ) of the branches severalhundred years in the wild of tight foliage a small commission with extra!, staggering the spartan juniper is a drought-tolerant plant variety that thrives in hot dry. Grow high eventually am over watering them, and independent reviews on home products and services grow to! Partial shade without any trouble, so they never look like they need trimming using Miralce grow shrubs or and... There are dead or dying branches i passed up spartan junipers do not require any pruning unless there dead. Tapered habit, 15 feet tall making it an excellent plant for privacy prickly the... Only when the soil becomes bone-dry to spartan juniper invasive roots touch be fairly manageable, but large leaves clog. Can grow in full sun or partial shade without any trouble tinge blue/green... If cut back or removed will grow high eventually of may in Highlands Ranch, CO far...