When you are looking to plant a tree, it’s important to recognize the process isn’t exactly one shoe fits all. You may have planted a tree before, but if it isn’t a juniper, there may be new things you don’t know to take into consideration. So, what is the best time that you can plant juniper trees?
You should plant your juniper tree in the fall, though it can successfully grow after being planted in the spring, as well. Container-grown junipers can be planted any time of the year because they won’t be directly in the ground which helps avoid any damage from the cold.
So long as your juniper tree is properly planted and nurtured, it should grow well and be able to thrive throughout its life. Keep reading to learn about juniper trees and how, when, and where to plant them!
What Is A Juniper Tree?
Juniper trees are evergreen, coniferous plants. This means that they don’t lose their leaves (or in this case, needles) in the winter and they have cones like pinecones but…well, not on a pine tree.
There are many varieties of juniper that are a range of shapes and sizes. You can have a juniper bush, tree, or even such a short plant that it appears to be covering the ground.
The best thing about these juniper plants, no matter the shape or size, is that they are quite easy to grow. So, fear not if you are a first-time plant parent or if you’re trying to expand from house plants to outdoor ones!
According to Sierra College, junipers are relatives of cypress trees and one version, the Sierra juniper, is a rock-dwelling tree that can grow in mountainous regions of the desert.
This quick aside really showcases the versatility of juniper, because other varieties thrive in the forests of Oregon while others do best in the plains of the western regions or the woods of the Northeast.
Many herbal medicines are created using juniper resources, and juniper berries are the natural element behind the botanical flavor of your favorite gin.
So, juniper whether in the form of berries, medicine, or alcohol, has probably had an impact on you personally at some point in time, whether you were aware of it or not.
According to the University of Alaska, juniper is the most widespread conifer in the world. It is for this reason that planting junipers is easy because they grow so well in so many areas.
On that note, let’s talk about getting them planted!
How To Know When To Plant A Juniper Tree
When it comes to planting trees, you should keep some key factors in mind. While you may be aware of the location, have you considered the time of year during which you will plant? Maybe you’ve considered the planting method that would be most valuable to your tree?
If not, that’s okay, too!
We’re here to help with those sorts of things, and ensure that you don’t run into issues with the juniper tree becoming established, making it through winter, and staying healthy.
The beginning of a plant’s life is so important, and planting correctly can be the difference between a healthy tree and an unfortunate waste of time and money.
That all being said, let’s dive in!
Plant Juniper Trees During The Fall
The very best time to plant your juniper is going to be during the fall. This is because the harsh and cold of winter, especially in certain areas of the world that experience a ‘true’ winter and not just a slight drop in temperature, can deeply hinder the growth of your tree if it is planted too late in the year.
Harsh freezes can lead to the tree dying before it has had a chance to become fully established. Let’s face it, that is so not something any of us want to deal with.
While a more mature tree can survive and even thrive in harsher conditions, your young juniper that is just ready to be planted will not be doing well in that environment.
Your tree will have a couple of months to establish, as September and October are the best months to plant, and then can lean into their winter dormancy period that lasts about 3 months. During this time, the tree will continue to become established as an organism in its new environment without the stress of going into dormancy directly after being placed into the ground.
You’ll see root growth during this dormancy period so that by the warmer spring months your juniper is ready to grow!
If You Have To, You Can Plant Juniper Trees During The Spring
Early fall is certainly the way to go when possible but let’s not forget that junipers are truly versatile plants. They are adaptable enough that, if you must, planting them in the spring will not have too negative of an impact on their overall success throughout their lives.
If you plant your juniper during the spring, it is important to water it a bit extra to help the roots begin to establish themselves. Then, the tree will only be a bit behind the curve in comparison to being planted in the fall.
Before you know it, your tree will be thriving and ready to self-maintain, for the most part.
So, while fall is ideal, spring is also a valid decision to make when it comes to planting your tree and keeping it safe.
How to Plant Juniper Trees
When you look at planting a juniper tree, the time of year is only the first thing that should be crossing your mind.
It’s great to know that early fall is ideal but spring is also okay, but planting has to do with the way that you approach the process, as well as when you decide to do so.
You could, for example, decide to grow your juniper tree from the seed itself. Otherwise, you might opt to propagate your juniper plant from an already existing one that you’d like to utilize.
These options are both good ones, and it just depends on your personal preferences and timeline, as well as the budget you are working with.
Planting from a Seed or Cuttings
If you start with a seed or with some cuttings from another tree (this is what propagation is,) then you can expect a very similar planting process.
With a very under-established plant type, you may want to first plant your juniper into a pot to allow it some time to grow and build itself up before going into the vast world of natural, outdoor soil.
You’ll put your cuttings or seed into the soil, which should be drained as junipers do not do well in overly wet soil.
From there, you’ll just need to ensure that you water your plant regularly, without overwatering. If you see that the soil is staying wet or even a dark color for too long, pull back on the watering a bit.
Try using a mister if you are unsure of your watering skills. This way, your plant will get water but it’s almost guaranteed that it isn’t too much water. An option like this Nicely Neat Water Mister and Pump Sprayer. It comes in 4L and 8L sizes and is a good way to avoid that dreaded overwatering of junipers.
Planting from a Seedling
This is the most common planting option for juniper and the simplest.
If you decide to plant your juniper tree as a seedling, you’ll need to plant the root ball in a hole that is about double the size of the rootball itself.
Why? You may ask.
This is so that the roots have space to establish themselves in the soil (during that dormant period that we mentioned.)
When you plant a seedling, it’s as simple as that. Just make sure to keep your handy water mister pump with you and avoid that overwatering, and you’ll be alright!
Where to Plant Juniper Trees
Juniper trees need a ton of sun, like 6-7 hours a day minimum sunlight to thrive.
This is a big factor to consider when you are planning where to plant your tree because less sunlight is one of the easiest ways to ensure that your juniper tree will not thrive.
Some varieties of juniper can grow in lesser sunlight, like those that thrive in forests and woods, but lack of sun will cause them to be thinner and more generally spread out.
When compared to their counterparts that receive proper sunlight, juniper plants that are grown in full shade may not have as much to show in the way of berries or other benefits that juniper is known for.
Planting a tree at the right time of year, and using the right methods, will only go so far if you do not consider all of the best ways to help your tree properly survive past its youth.
You’ll want to opt for a well-drained, sunny location to keep your tree happy unless you know for a fact that your type of juniper is meant to grow in lower-light environments.
Even those that can grow in lower light will do well in more light, so a good rule of thumb is the more light, the better.
Since junipers grow in so many places across the world, it’s hard to pin down a certain location. Thankfully, there is a chart of the USDA hardiness zones for those who live in the United States and it can help us gauge the best environment for junipers, in North America at the very least.
Juniper trees can grow and thrive in hardiness zones 3-9, most successfully. These are, again, one of the most adaptable species and the most widespread conifer out there, so this ideal range is not necessarily the end all be all of where a juniper could do well.
This range of zones does determine the environments that a juniper tree could best thrive in, though. Essentially, you can use the chart to see what minimum temperatures your tree could do well in, to make sure that you aren’t planting in a place that has too extreme of cold temperatures throughout the year.
How Can I Best Maintain My Juniper Tree Over Time?
So, you know now when to plant your juniper tree, what methods you can use, and even where in the world (or the United States on a specific note) to plant. What else could there be?
Now, the most important thing for you to do is to maintain your tree and ensure that it can live a healthy, successful life. Sometimes that means helping it out a bit, in instances where the tree may need a little extra support.
The main things that come next in this juniper tree journey are watering your tree consistently, fertilizing when needed, and pruning once in a while, too.
When the Weather Gets Hotter, You Should Water
Maintaining your tree is so important, and a big part of that is water.
Juniper trees are a tricky one only for the fact that they cannot do well in soil that is too moist, so overwatering is an issue.
Don’t let this scare you into never watering your tree, though, because it’s going to need some water here and there.
If you are nervous about the consistency and amount of watering that is being done, you can choose to use something like the Irrigation/Hydroponics Dripline with 6-in Emitter Spacing.
This irrigation system offers an easy-to-use, affordable way to streamline your irrigation methods.
When in doubt, remember that juniper trees are drought resistant and will be better off if you skip water than if you water far too often. This being said, as a general practice, it’s nice to ensure that your tree doesn’t have to rely on its drought-resistant tendencies.
In the end, it’s all about the balance of it all!
Fertilize to Maintain Life
So, you may know that fertilization is one of the biggest keys to sustaining your tree and keeping healthy rates of growth.
Especially in harsher conditions, such as in a drought, or when your tree has undergone some type of trauma, water and fertilizer can work wonders on your juniper.
According to the University of Georgia, established junipers will reap the most benefit from a full fertilizer such as a 16-4-8 or 12-4-8 that is applied to the tree in early spring and late summer.
You may be wondering what those 3 numbers even mean. So, we’ll tell you!
Fertilizers are labeled with an NPK number, which stands for nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, and indicates the ratio of these elements to one another.
A balanced fertilizer is often recommended except for cases when a species specifically needs a certain element, like extra nitrogen, to do well.
Covington Naturals Liquid Fertilizer is a great balanced fertilizer that is sure to last you a while and can help support the overall growth of your tree.
Prune Your Juniper
Okay, so, here’s the deal: while fall is the best time to plant a juniper tree, it is the worst time to prune one.
For the same reason that planting in the fall works, the tree is about to go into dormancy mode, pruning in the fall can be dangerous because the tree will not be able to actively heal itself.
Like most trees in North America, and many others around the world, pruning is best done in late winter after the last freeze or in early spring when the weather is a sure bet.
As a reminder about how dormant seasons work, your tree can insert itself into its environment but won’t be able to heal or grow as quickly. Pruning does cause an open wound on your tree, though a beneficial one, and if it is done right before the dormant season your tree will not be able to heal itself nearly as quickly as it otherwise could.
By pruning in the spring, you give your juniper its entire growing season to use some energy to heal that wound and get back to its best self!
There are a few ways you can go about pruning, depending on where the branches you want to cut down are located.
Your options are as follows:
- Hand shears for smaller branches that are under an inch in diameter. These branches will be located at the bottom levels of the tree and you’ll be able to easily snip them away as they are not too thick, meaning that they are not particularly sturdy, either.
We recommend these Gonicc 8” Professional Sharp Bypass Pruning Shears for those who either don’t know where to start or just need a popular equipment option that can be trusted to get the job done. No matter which boat you fall in, you’ll be setting yourself up for success with these.
- Lopping shears are best used on branches that are a bit larger, but still not too large, such as those that are between 1 and 2.5 inches in diameter.
The Fiskars Gardening Tools: Bypass Lopper, 28” Tree Trimmer are a great choice when it comes to those branches that are just slightly larger than the general hand pruners (or shears) can handle.
- Pole pruners are also great for any branches that are high up. These will help you avoid getting out of your tall ladder and going in with your bypass shears of any sort, whether they be hand pruners or lopping shears. Equipment is key, and knowing when to invest in something that will help you safely prune those higher-up places is a game-changer.
Try out the Millard 6-16 foot Extendable Tree Pruner/Pole Saw for the best results and assurance that you are making clean, safe cuts on those higher branches.
- Finally, if there are any larger branches that you need to remove for any reason (this very well could go beyond the scope of your ‘regular’ pruning,) you can always utilize a saw. Or, it might be wise to call a professional to come to check things out for you if your tree needs a large portion of itself removed for any reason.
Say you do choose to go for the saw, or you had a professional check out your tree and you’d like to be the one to remove a hinder some section, you can try out this BLACK+DECKER Electric Hand Saw, it even comes with a storage bag for safe keeping amongst the other tools in your garage or shed.
What is Juniper Good For?
Since you have decided to stick around for this long, it’s time to talk about why juniper is important and what benefits you may be able to reap from your juniper tree.
Juniper has been used medicinally for ages, on top of being a berry to eat on its own.
As we mentioned at the beginning of this piece, juniper is also the basis of gin. Though it’s not used as heavily as it was once, centuries ago in Europe, the botanical flavors of gin and gin martinis can be attributed to this plant.
No, we aren’t calling alcohol medicine, but juniper does have many medicinal properties.
Here is a list of some of the common uses and benefits of juniper:
- In some places, juniper is used to help fight malaria (a disease spread by mosquitoes in many parts of the world.)
- Juniper is good for both kidney and liver health, especially when used frequently.
- Speaking of kidneys, juniper can be used as a diuretic which means that it helps you pee more (to assist in flushing the kidneys of any toxins.)
- Expecting mothers use juniper to help ease the pains of childbirth.
- Similarly, juniper helps to ease muscle spasms.
There are so many other uses for juniper across cultures and locations, thanks to the deeply widespread nature of this plant.
Who knows, maybe you’ll be able to utilize your juniper plant similarly- if that is of interest to you!
That’s All For Now!
Well, we’ve kept you for long enough. Just know that juniper trees are versatile, widespread, extremely beneficial, and adaptable plants that can be quite easily planted and raised.
Keep these tips in the back of your mind as you work to propagate, grow from a seed, or simply sustain an already-situated juniper tree.
For now, we will remind you that water, fertilizer, and lots of sunlight are the key to having a happy juniper tree.
With that, we want to thank you for taking the time to read these pieces as you advance on your tree journey. We hoped this information helps you as much as it once helped us.
See you next time, friends!
References
Gedney, D. R. (1999). Western juniper in eastern Oregon (Vol. 464). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station.
Miller, R. F., Svejcar, T. J., & Rose, J. A. (2000). Impacts of western juniper on plant community composition and structure. Rangeland Ecology & Management/Journal of Range Management Archives, 53(6), 574-585.
Filipowicz, N., Kamiński, M., Kurlenda, J., Asztemborska, M., & Ochocka, J. R. (2003). Antibacterial and antifungal activity of juniper berry oil and its selected components. Phytotherapy Research, 17(3), 227-231.
de Medina, F. S., Gamez, M. J., Jimenez, I., Jimenez, J., Osuna, J. I., & Zarzuelo, A. (1994). Hypoglycemic activity of juniper “berries”. Planta medica, 60(03), 197-200.
