Juniperus (scopulorum)
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Kasten Dumroese Research Plant Physiologist USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station 1221 S. Main St. Moscow, Idaho 83843 (208) 883-2324 kdumroese@fs.fed.us http://plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/copmc/ |
| Family Scientific Name: | Cupressaceae | ||
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| Family Common Name: | Juniper Family | ||
| Scientific Name: | Juniperus scopulorum Sarg. | ||
| Common Name: | Rocky Mountain juniper | ||
| Species Code: | JUNSCO | ||
| Ecotype: | Northern Idaho | ||
| General Distribution: | Rocky Mountain juniper occurs throughout the drier mountains and foothills of British Columbia and Alberta and south through the Great Basin and Rocky Mountains to Arizona, New Mexico, and western Texas; and north across eastern Colorado, western Nebraska, North Dakota, Montana, and into Saskatchewan. It is common in lower-elevation coniferous forests. It also occurs in montane chaparral, mountain shrub communities, and is common in the high elevation pinyon-juniper forests. In Great Plains grasslands, it mostly occurs in wooded draws, grassland-woodland interfaces, and riparian zones. It forms pure stands at middle and low elevations in the northern part of its range. | ||
| Propagation Goal: | plants | ||
| Propagation Method: | vegetative | ||
| ProductType: | Container (plug) | ||
| Time To Grow: | 1 Years | ||
| Propagule Collection: |
In mid-November, leaders were cut from 150 dormant 2 and 4 year old stock plants chosen at random. To assess the effect of length on rooting, cuttings were randomized to alternative lengths, 50 cuttings/length of 4, 8, and 23 cm. We recorded percentage rooting, callus formation, basal stem necrosis, average root number and mean maximum root length after 4 and/or 12 months. Subsequent experiments used 12 cm long cuttings collected in October. |
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| Propagule Processing: | With our cutting size trial, results indicated that optimum shoot tip hardwood cuttings are 12 cm (4.7 in) long, collected from 2 and 4 year old ortets. These cuttings rooted at the highest rate, developed the most callus,the largest number of roots per cutting, and the longest roots. | ||
| Pre-Planting Treatments: |
Containers and trays used for propagation must be sterilized. Wesubmerge containers in hot water (75 to 85øC [167 to 185øF]) for 15 to 30 seconds to remove pathogens. Cuttings were re-cut at the base at an angle of 45ø to the stem axis. Cuttings were soaked for 30 seconds in 1g/L benomyl and dipped in commercial auxin concentrations of IBA and NAA. Treated cuttings were inserted into 1.5 cm deep dibble holes in a 3:1:1 (v:v:v) mixture of peat, perlite, and vermiculite. During our auxin treatment trials, rooting experiments were conducted with 2,3,4, and 5 year old greenhouse grown and 12 and 40 year old field grown cuttings. Cuttings were randomly assigned to the following treatment groups: control, Hormex rooting powder containing 0.1,0.3,0.8,1.6,3.0,or 4.5% IBA, Rootone (powder mixture containing 0.2% NAA,0.1% IBA, and Thiram), Dip and Grow, a liquid formulation containing 1% IBA and 0.5% NAA diluted to 0.1% IBA and 0.05% NAA). Auxin treatment typically increased rooting success in all age classes of cuttings, however, rooting percentages generally decreased with increasing age of donor plants. After 12 months, Juvenile wood (2 year old) cuttings 12 cm long, treated with 1.6 or 3.0% IBA yielded the highest rooting percentages(up to 82%). |
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| Growing Area Preparation/ Annual Practices for Perennial Crops: |
Trays were placed on benches under 60% shade in a greenhouse. Minimum humidity was 86% and diurnal air temperatures ranged from 15 to 25ø C (59 to 77ø F). Rooting medium was periodically misted to keep it moist, but the cuttings were not fertilized. |
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| Establishment Phase: |
Roots usually emerge 2 months after treatment. Treatment of cuttings with 1.6 or 3.0% IBA accelerated rooting by several months and increased overall rooting success by up to 36%. During the first 6 months after treatment, both 1.6% and 3.0% IBA accelerated rooting of the 2 year old cuttings. Rooting of the controls was initially delayed but accelerated sharply between 6 and 9 months, whereas rooting of auxin treated cuttings declined or remained unchanged. Rooting slowed and ceased by 12 months. Twelve cm long (4.7 in) stem cuttings from 2 year old ortets, rooted up to 82 percent. The longest cuttings (12 cm long) of both 2 and 4 year old ortets rooted at the highest rate and developed the most callus, the largest number of roots per cutting, and the longest roots. |
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| Length of Establishment Phase: | 1 year | ||
| Other Comments: |
After 1 year of greenhouse container growth, cuttings were similar in size but not as bushy as 2 year old top-pruned seedlings. Because Rocky Mountain juniper is not strongly apically dominant and new upright growth developed on previously bent leaders, multiple stemmed and plagiotropic cuttings from juvenile ortets will likely develop normal growth habit. Juvenile wood cuttings survived at high rates (97%). The high incidence of plagiotropism and mature foliage developed from 40 year old ortets, however, suggest that upright form may occur slowly if at all. Two years after rooting, cuttings derived from 40 year old ortets remained plagiotropic. |
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| References: |
Dumroese RK, James RL, Wenny DL. 2002. Hot water and copper coatings in reused containers decrease inoculum of Fusarium and Cylindrocarpon and increase Douglas-fir seedling growth. HortScience 37:943-947. Edson JL, Wenny DL, Dumroese RK, Leege-Brusven A. 1996. Mass propagation of Rocky Mountain juniper from shoot tip cuttings. Tree Planters' Notes 47(3):94-99. Wenny DL, Leege-Brusven A, Dumroese RK, Edson JL, Morrison S. 1996. Production of container-grown juniper for conservation plantings. In: Ehrenreich JH, Ehrenreich DL, Lee HW, editors. Growing a sustainable future; proceedings: Fourth North American Agroforestry Conference; 1995 Jul 23-26; Boise, ID. Moscow (ID): University of Idaho. p 97-99. |
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Citation:
Dumroese, Kasten. 2008. Propagation protocol for production of Container (plug) Juniperus scopulorum Sarg. plants USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station Moscow, Idaho. 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.
