Juniperus (communis)

Mark E. Majerus USDA NRCS - Bridger Plant Materials Center 99 South River Road, Rte. 2, Box 1189 Bridger, Montana 59014-9718 (406) 662-3579 (406) 662-3428 (fax) mmajerus@mt.nrcs.usda.gov http://plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/mtpmc

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Family Scientific Name:	Cupressaceae
Family Common Name:	Juniper Family
Scientific Name:	Juniperus communis L.
Common Name:	Common juniper
Species Code:	JUNCOM
Ecotype:	Ecotypes from the Firehole and Old Faithful Overlook areas of Yellowstone National Park.
Propagation Goal:	plants
Propagation Method:	vegetative
ProductType:	Container (plug)
Stock Type:	4.5-inch azalea pots
Time To Grow:	0
Propagule Collection:	Collect summer cuttings in early August back to 1- and 2-y wood. Take 6- to 8-inch long cuttings with a basal diameter of at least 0.25 inches. Place cuttings inside a ziplock bag moistened with water, and then store in a portable cooler packed with ice. Store the cooler in a shaded location such as the back of a pickup with a camper top. Minimize storage time. The cuttings we collected were held in the cooler less than 16 hours before being moved to a walk-in cooler maintained at 34 to 37øF and 80+% relative humidity. Inspect each bag periodically to assure high humidity and re-moisten as necessary. We collect cuttings from numerous individual plants in an attempt to sample to the diversity of the ecotype. Our use of summer cuttings reflects limited access to plants in the winter months in Yellowstone National Park. Cuttings collected at other times of the year may propagate as well or better.
Propagule Processing:	See below.
Pre-Planting Treatments:	Trim all cuttings to a 5- to 6-inch length. Remove all buds, leaves, and branches from the basal 2 to 3 in. of each cutting. Remove all fruit, when present, as well. Store the cuttings in moistened paper towels during processing. Recut the base of each cutting at an angle with a sharp knife and wound the basal end of the stem. This is accomplished by holding a knife perpendicular to the stem, flat side of the knife against the round surface of the stem, and then making a slicing cut downward to produce a 1- to 1.5-inch wound just below the cambium. Lightly spray the wound with water from a mist bottle, shake off excess water, and then insert the base into rooting compound. Remove excess hormone by lightly tapping the end of the cutting on the side of a hard surface. Our treatments included 1- or 2-y wood treated with 16,000 ppm IBA or summer hardwood cuttings (3-y or older wood) treated with 2,000 ppm NAA + 40,400 ppm ThiramT (fungicide). The number of cuttings per treatment ranged from 13 to 59. Rooting ranged from 51% (59 2-y wood cuttings + 16,000 ppm IBA) to 92% (13 summer hardwood cuttings + 2,000 ppm NAA + 40,400 ppm ThiramT). All rooted cuttings in all treatments were surviving at the time of transplanting.
Growing Area Preparation/ Annual Practices for Perennial Crops:	A 100% coarse perlite propagation media was used in our trial, although any sterile, highly drained media, such as sand or vermiculite, should work equally well. Moisten the media and make holes to receive each cutting. Use hot water heat to maintain the propagation media at 70øF for the first 12 to 16 weeks in the bed (root initiation phase) and then turn it off. We use overhead intermittent mist activated by a Mist-o-maticT controller. Firm the media around each cutting after sticking to assure good cutting:media contact. Maintain the greenhouse at 70 to 75øF days and 60 to 65øF nights on 14- to 16-hour photoperiods.
Establishment Phase:	Cuttings initiate roots within 12 to 16 weeks, and are well rooted after 24 weeks. This species produces medium to coarse textured roots. Fertigate the cuttings once or twice each week with 150 to 250 ppm of 9-45-15 as soon as budbreak occurs. Because we let these plants remain active in the greenhouse over the winter, we waited until late January to transplant them into pots in a commercial peat-lite mix. The plants were moved to a shade house in May for hardening off and finishing.
Length of Establishment Phase:	Allow 6 months from time of sticking before potting up.
Harvesting, Storage and Shipping:	No experience.
Length of Storage:	No experience.
Other Comments:	Easy to propagate by stem cuttings. Percent rooting was highest in our limited trials with a 2,000 ppm NAA + 40,400 ppm ThiramT and older wood.

Citation:

Scianna, Joe. 2003. Propagation protocol for production of Container (plug) Juniperus communis L. plants 4.5-inch azalea pots; USDA NRCS - Bridger Plant Materials Center Bridger, Montana. 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.