Juniperus (virginiana)

John M. Englert USDA NRCS - Norman A. Berg National Plant Materials Center Bldg. 509, BARC - East, E. Beaver Dam Road Beltsville, Maryland 20705 (301) 504-8175 (301) 504-8741 (fax) john.englert@wdc.usda.gov http://plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/mdpmc/

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Family Scientific Name:	Cupressaceae
Family Common Name:	Juniper Family
Scientific Name:	Juniperus virginiana L.
Common Name:	eastern redcedar
Species Code:	JUNVIR
Ecotype:	Cumberland Gap National Historical Park.
General Distribution:	J. virginiana is found from southern Quebec and Maine,west to North Dakota, south to Georgia,Florida and Texas. Found in a variety of soils, especially dry calcareous sites. (Gleason and Cronquist, 1991).
Propagation Goal:	plants
Propagation Method:	seed
ProductType:	Bareroot (field grown)
Stock Type:	Seedlings
Time To Grow:	2
Target Specifications:	Root systems: Bareroot seedlings should have well-developed root systems.Long roots are pruned as needed at harvest.<br> Height:2+0 harvested seedlings are 16-26".
Propagule Collection:	Juniper berries were hand-collected in October, November and December in the Cumberland Gap National Historic Park. Collection soon after ripening will reduce losses to wildlife. (Johnsen and Alexander, 1974.
Propagule Processing:	Cleaning: Debris is picked out by hand, dry fruit is soaked and then processed through a Dibvig seed cleaner to float pulp and empty seeds away.Seed is dried and then screened to remove residual debris. Storage: seed needs 10-12% moisture for long storage. (Johnsen and Alexander, 1974) Cleaned seed is stored in sealed containers in a cooler at 40F and 30% relative humidity. Purity:After cleaning, purity was estimated at 99%. Germination: untested. Harvest has been between 2% and 25% of all seeds planted. Seeds per Kg: between 44,200 and 111,000. (66,000 average).
Pre-Planting Treatments:	Embryo dormancy is overcome by stratification at 41 F for 30-120 days (Johnsen and Alexander, 1974). Seeds are sown in outdoor nursery beds in November or December to allow natural stratification.
Growing Area Preparation/ Annual Practices for Perennial Crops:	bareroot seedlings are grown in outdoor woody nursery beds. Sowing date: seed is sown in outdoor nursery beds from mid-November to mid-December Sowing/planting technique: seeds are dusted with fungicide and hand-sown into rows. Rows are 5-6 inches apart; seeds are sown close together within each row. Ectomycorrhizae are sprinkled over the seed before covering with about 0.75" of soil. The beds are then mulched with aged sawdust, which is scraped back in the spring before seedling emergence.
Establishment Phase:	Seedlings emerge during the spring following fall sowing Newly emerged seedlings are monitored closely for irrigation needs. Young seedlings are shaded as soon as they emerge with poly screening at 30%. Shade cloth remains over seedlings until mid-August.
Active Growth Phase:	The NPMC soil is a nutrient-poor sandy loam which is amended with organic matter, such as composted leaves and manure. Seedlings in the nursery beds are fertilized every other week from early May through early June with a granular 10-10-10. From mid-June through late July, the 10-10-10 is alternated with a granular urea. Fertilization from late July through late August is bi-weekly with 10-10-10. Overhead irrigation is used after each fertilizer application. The rate of water applied is determined by soil moisture prior to irrigation.
Hardening Phase:	During mid-to late summer, fertilization is cut back to twice monthly. Beginning in September,irrigation is only used in a severe droughty situation.
Harvesting, Storage and Shipping:	Conifers have not tolerated long-term cold storage in our cooler and are prone to desiccation,mildew and death of seedlings. Dormant bareroot plants are harvested in early spring, just prior to delivery to the park. A bareroot seedling harvester is used to lift plants in the woody bed. Seedlings are then hand-sorted by size and tied in manageable bundles. Roots are pruned as needed and kept moist until packing.Bundles are packed in plastic bins with drainage holes and roots are covered with moist sawdust. Bins are held in cold storage at 40F for less than a month before delivery. Just prior to shipping,the roots of bundled seedlings are dipped in a mycorrhizal slurry and wrapped while moist in air-tight plastic. This method has reduced root drying during outplanting.
Other Comments:	We have not had success in maintaining eastern red cedar as container plants.
References:	Johnsen, Thomas N. Jr. and Robert A. Alexander.1974. Juniperus In: Seeds of Woody Plants in the United States. Forest Service, USDA. Agricultural Handbook 450. Washington, DC. 460-469. Brown, Russell G. and Melvin L. Brown. 1992. Woody Plants of Maryland. Port City Press, Baltimore, MD. Dirr, Michael A. and Charles W. Heuser, Jr. 1987.The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Varsity Press, Inc., Athens GA. Gleason, Henry A. and Arthur Cronquist. 1991. Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. 2nd. Edition. New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY. USDA-NRCS National Plant Materials Center. Woody bed and container nursery plant records. Unpublished.

Citation:

Davis, Kathy; King, Brandy; Kujawski, Jennifer. 2003. Propagation protocol for production of Bareroot (field grown) Juniperus virginiana L. plants Seedlings; USDA NRCS - Norman A. Berg National Plant Materials Center Beltsville, Maryland. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2024/07/02). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.