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EVERGREEN PREMIER SELECTION
Juniperus squamata 'Blue Star'
Overall Description
This
plant has a low growing, rounded, compact growth habit. It has very
rich, silvery-blue needles year around. Makes a very pretty groundcover
as it matures. Slower growth rate than most junipers. Prefers full sun,
but will accept some shade. Excellent choice for a colorful accent
border to trim our larger foundation or specimen planting areas. First discovered around 1950, and has been a very popular choice - especially in cooler, more temperate climates ever since.
Plant Facts & Specifications
Mature Height: 1 1/2 - 2 ft
Mature Width: 3-5 ft
Growth rate: Slow to moderate ( 2"- 4" avg per yr )
Hardiness Zones: 4-8 ( if unsure of your zone, please use zone finder below )
Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade. Growth rate will be slightly slower in shadier spots.
Soil Preference: Average to slightly acidic & sandy - well drained. Mulching recommended.
Foliage Color & Texture: Foliage is needle like, and very, very silvery blue. Has a prickly feel to it, but looks much more intimidating than it actually is.
Flower, Cone, Or Berry Facts: None to mention
Diseases / Insects:
Rather trouble free juniper - however many Juniperus squamata varieties have been known to be susceptible to bagworms from time to time. Inspect plants once or twice a year for any signs of bagworm infestations.
Fertilization / Feeding: Either
water soluble ( Miracle Gro, or equivalent ), or granular ( Holly Tone
is excellent ). Other granular types with 6-12-12, or 10-10-10 ratio is
acceptable. Best to fertilize in early spring, and again in mid fall -
avoid feeding during hot summer months, and directly after
transplanting.
PLANTING INSTRUCTIONS
Here is a copy of the Planting Instructions that we include with each & every order we ship. We hope that you will find these instruction both helpful & informative, and will help you in transplanting & holding your newly arrived plants.
Please read these planting instructions before planting your new plants. As you will notice, your plants still have a major amount of the dirt they were grown in still attached to their root systems. This is done to minimize any transplant shock, as well as to keep the plants root system from any damage due to drying out, or other damage that can occur with shipping plants “bare root”.
Keep your new plants in the bag they arrived in & the roots with the soil moist until you are ready to actually plant them. We suggest you plant them as soon as possible - their new home in the ground is better for them than their temporary home in the shipping bag.
If you need to store / keep your plants for a short period of time until you can get them planted in the ground, then please follow the guidelines below for temporary storage of your new plants:
--- Remove plants from their box, and stand upright in a sheltered location.
--- Do NOT place the plants in direct sunlight while still in their plastic shipping bags. This will cause the temperature inside the plastic bag to get extremely warm - similar to “greenhouse effect”.
--- Store the plants either inside, in a garage area, covered porch / patio, etc. Preferably where they get some indirect, filtered sunlight - but nothing direct.
--- Gently loosen the twist tie around the base of the plant, and give a quick check for soil moisture after the trip. There is usually enough moisture retained in the rootball & surrounding soil to last for several days ( 3-5 ) - but shipments with longer transit times, or shipped during periods of very warm weather may need a little water. Check for adequate moisture every 2-3 days until planted.
--- To water your plant while still in their plastic shipping bag, simply loosen the twist tie at the base of the plant & lightly moisten the soil & rootball by sprinkling water onto the soil, or even using a clean spray mist bottle.
--- Should you accidentally add too much water to the rootball, you can simply cut 2 or 3 small slits in the bottom of the plastic shipping bag for drainage.
--- Following these fairly simple guidelines will allow you to temporarily keep / store your new plants for a more extended period of time until planting in the ground can be accomplished ( up to 3-4 weeks ). Any period of time beyond this 3-4 week period, we highly suggest that you temporarily pot the new plants up in containers until planting can be completed.
We suggest that you dig the hole for the plant at least twice the size of the root system of the plant. Depending upon the quality of your native soil, we recommend using a 50/50 mix of a good grade topsoil or organic compost and your native soil to backfill around the root system of your new plant. This will make the adjustment to your soil, which is bound to be somewhat different than the soil the plant has been grown in, as gradual as possible. It will also help the new feeler roots to spread through the looser soil around them much more easily than is the soil was hard, and compacted. The most common causes of a plant not making it through a transplant is the lack of root development after transplanting, and lack of water/moisture.
After backfilling the hole with your 50/50 mix of soil, give the plant a good deep watering - don’t make it swampy, just good & moist throughout the entire depth of the hole. Then check on your plant every day, or every other day to monitor the moisture in the soil around the plant. Do this for the first couple weeks if possible. The most important period for new transplants is the 3-4 week period immediately after transplanting. So please may every effort to check on them regularly, and give them the best care possible during this initial settling-in period.
We also highly recommend a top dressing ( 2-3 inches deep ) around the base of the plant using hardwood or cypress mulch. Any type of mulch will be sufficient, but hardwood and cypress mulches are of a higher quality and have a better nutritive value for the plant. Basically meaning that as it breaks down over time, it has more organic compounds which your plants will feed on as organic food sources than most other mulches ( pine ). Freshen up the mulch twice a year (early spring & fall).
We do not generally recommend using fertilizers on a regular basis, and especially not right after transplanting. This may sound a little strange, but after transplanting, the root system of the plant is most vulnerable to getting “burned” by too much, or too strong, of fertilizers. If you really feel you would like to give it some sort of fertilizer/plant food as a little “boost” after transplanting - then we recommend a very weak dilution of original Miracle Gro, or similar product. Either a water soluble type, or a granular product ( such as Holly Tone ) can be used effectively. Be especially careful with Firs, Spruces, and most other conifers & evergreen species. They are among the most sensitive to root damage from fertilizer burn. We strongly recommend using fertilizers at a weaker dilution / application than the manufacturer states ( ½ - ¾ strength ). We also recommend that fertilizing / feeding on conifers & most evergreen species be avoided COMPLETELY during the hot summer months ( late June thru August ) - the risk of fertilizer burn are greatest during this time of year.
Freshen up both the mulch, as well as apply any desired fertilizers / plant foods twice per year - once in very early spring, and again in mid fall.
Please feel free to contact us with any other questions you may have : evergreennursery@bellsouth.net
SHIPPING / ORDERING PROCEDURES
We have checked out several shipping methods, and have chosen UPS as our preferred method of shipment. UPS has the advantage of nationwide coverage, variety of shipping options, and reasonable rates. Your shopping cart on our website is automatically equipped with a built-in UPS shipping cost calculator that will figure your shipping cost for you based on the shipping info you enter. All you do is fill out the shipping address info, and choose what method of shipment you prefer - for example UPS Ground, 3-Day Select, 2nd Day Air, etc. We do the rest. All this is done before your order is submitted. So you can see the shipping charges BEFORE you actually order. Once again - no surprises. Then just submit your order when satisfied, and we'll take it from there. You will receive an order confirmation e-mail usually with 24 hrs, and a shipping confirmation e-mail once UPS has picked up your order. Your shipping confirmation e-mail will include a link from which you can track the progress of your package. All tracking information is provided straight from UPS, and is real time.
Orders are packed & shipped in just a matter of a couple days after receiving them. You can almost always expect your order to be shipped out within 3 - 5 business days, with exceptions being during holiday periods ( no UPS service ), or times of extremely high order volume ( peak ordering, mainly in spring ). NOTE: Selecting express shipping options ( 3-Day Select, 2nd Day Air, etc ) does NOT mean that your order will be shipped out, or received in that amount of time......it is simply indicative of the amount of time your order will be in transit with UPS once it is shipped. We try to ship all orders out in the order that they are received, regardless of the type of UPS service selected. Please see chart below for a guide as to the transit times after your order is shipped.
SHIPPING TRANSIT TIMES - UPS GROUND SERVICE
Below is a chart to help you determine the number of days your order would be in transit with UPS. We generally do most all of our shipping on Mondays thru Wednesdays of each & every week ( excluding Holidays where there is no UPS service ). We do this to try & ensure that every order gets to its destination by the end of the work week, without "weekending over" with UPS. We make every effort to minimize the amount of time your order is in transit, and generally try to ship orders with the longest transit times first. Then we follow up with the closer destinations as the shipping week progresses.
Obviously, there are several other UPS shipping options available to our customers which will result in different transit times for the order. But we have found that UPS Ground Delivery Service is by far the most popular, and most economical.
SPECIAL SHIPPING NEEDS / REQUESTS
We ship the majority of our evergreen varieties year round, and will be glad to try to accommodate whatever special shipping needs or requests that our customers may have & need. If there are special circumstances involved with your order, please feel free to e-mail us anytime to let us know what would work best for you. We can then work with you to ensure that your order is delivered at the best time for your particular situation or schedule. Obviously, the well being of the plants always comes first, but we will be more than happy to do our very best to arrange shipping & delivery to best suit your needs - just let us know !!!
PACKING PROCEDURES
Prior to shipping, your plant(s) are removed from their pots and any loose, unnecessary soil removed. The root base of the plant is then misted down with water and put in a plastic bag. The plastic bag serves to keep the root base nice & moist while keeping the remaining soil with the roots. The bag is then secured with a twist tie around the plant's base and placed in the shipping container/box and sent out for shipment. The result is a plant whose root system is protected and in tact, while the rest of the plant is able to "breathe". We have found this method to be much less stressful on the plant than shipping bare root. True, bare root shipping weighs less, and may cost a few pennies less - but we think you will find our shipping costs to be quite reasonable when compared to other nurseries. And bottom line is we want you to have the healthiest plant possible when it arrives at your doorstep. Feel free to contact us regarding any shipping questions - whether regarding rates, methods of packing, or whatever else you may want to know about getting plants from us to you. We will always be more than happy to take the time to answer your questions.
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