Juniper Andorra Compact is the shrub that will please the eye with the pleasant color of fresh greenery even in winter. Thanks to this property, a compact, evergreen shrub with thick green needles has earned the love of design specialists and simple amateur gardeners.
Juniper Andorra Compact: Description
This juniper is characterized by an average growth rate. Plant height reaches forty centimeters, width is 2 meters. The juniper horizontal Andorra compact has a flat-circular, rosette-shaped crown. 
Very thick branches are arranged in a horizontal position and slightly raised up from the ground. The needles are thin and short, located on the shoots tight. In the summer, the needles acquire a gray-green shade, changing to purple in winter.
Learn about the cultivation of coniferous plants such as thuja western, Nordman fir, mirikaria foxtail, cryptomeria, larch.The plant is light-loving enough, but can tolerate a slight shading. The soil prefers dry, fresh and well drained, although it can grow in poor (acid or alkaline). Preferred is not too fertilized soil.
Juniper has a superficial, weakly branched root system, but nonetheless it grows quite widely. This species is resistant to frost, summer heat and tolerates urban conditions.
Did you know? In places where juniper is planted, the air is much cleaner. In one day, a hectare of juniper evaporates about 30 kilograms of phytoncids. For comparison: this volume is enough to clear the atmosphere of a big city from the pathogens it contains.
Landing features
For the juniper Andorra compact landing is the stage to which you need to pay maximum attention. To carry out the correct landing without knowledge of certain rules will be quite problematic. 
The first - is the choice of time for landing. The best period is the beginning of April - the end of May. The second - This is the choice of a suitable place.
Soil requirements
In order for juniper to grow well, before planting the soil must be freed from all weeds, especially perennials.
The use of expensive fertilizers is not necessary, they can be replaced with ordinary black soil or with any meadow or garden soil. 
The most important aspect of planting juniper Andorra Compact is the thorough preparation of the substrate, the main components of which are acid peat with a level of acid-base balance (pH) not exceeding 4.5.
Check out these types of juniper: Siberian, Chinese, horizontal, virgin.Soil with a higher pH should be acidified. This is done with the help of mulching of the trunk circle of crushed pine bark and spruce pine trees, which can be collected in the nearby forest.
Some gardeners replace organic matter with garden sulfur, citric or orthophosphoric acid, or with battery fluid (electrolyte).
Important! If possible, try to avoid the use of such an aggressive substance as acid. If it is not possible to replace it with organic matter, then the proportions of the acid should be small.
Place to grow
As mentioned above, the plot should not be out of sunlight. In order to avoid transplantation, the place where juniper will grow should not be in the shade of higher plants. 
Thanks to its compact size, Andorra can be planted in a flower bed next to other plants. This species is an excellent neighbor, as it does not affect the development and growth of other cultures. Ideal for growing on slopes, alpine slides and retaining walls.
How to plant a shrub
The first thing to start with is to prepare the landing pit. The depth of the pit should be 2 times the root system, together with the earth clod. After planting it should be poured abundantly.
Pristvolny circle should be mulched peat, humus, bark or mowed grass. 
The layer of mulch should be 10 centimeters, this thickness will prevent moisture loss and at the same time protect the roots from winter frosts and summer heat.
Also the mulch restrains the growth of weeds. Plus, the soil in the pit for a long time will be loose, which is necessary for the juniper of this species.
Important! Do not tamp the ground at the landing site. Over time, it will settle on its own, and the sapling will be located at the right level.
Peculiarities of care
Just like any other juniper, the Andorra compact view needs timely care. Compliance with the basic rules of care will allow you to admire the bright and saturated color of the plant at almost any time of the year. 
For the winter, the soil of the tree circle should be dusted with a 10-centimeter layer of peat, and the plant itself should be covered with spruce leaves. In order for the branches not to break off from the snow layer in the winter, in the autumn they need to be tied to the trunk with a rope.
How to water
Watering is especially important for juniper in the first months after landing on a permanent place. It is recommended to water the plant at least twice a week, until it takes root completely.
After rooting, juniper is able to get all the necessary nutrients directly from the soil. Subsequently, watering is necessary only during the drought period. In order to prevent the rapid evaporation of moisture from the top layer of soil, it is possible to produce mulching. This procedure implies a shelter of soil near the bush with bark or pine chips in a layer of 5 centimeters.
Did you know? Under optimal conditions, the juniper Andorra compact can live 200 years.
Fertilizer and dressing
The first feeding is carried out at the stage of preparation for planting. Any mineral fertilizer for coniferous plants is added to the soil of the planting pit.
This will lay the foundation for active growth and development of the root system. Spring feeding is carried out in April - May. It is best to use nitroammofosku (20 g of substance per square meter). 
Autumn feeding is carried out in September - October. During this period, potassium-phosphorus fertilizers are called (Granfoska, Cafom, etc.).
For fertilizer seedlings use different types of organic, potash and mineral fertilizers, as well as biohumus, potassium sulfate, urea, wood ash.
Pruning plants
Trimming is carried out in early spring (in March). With the help of a secateur, all old, damaged and dry branches are removed. It is also necessary to cut off the tips of frozen shoots.
After trimming is completed, the shrub needs to be fed and thoroughly treated with a fungicide. Due to this new shoots will grow more evenly, plus the whole juniper will receive good protection against fungal infections.
Important! Before you start pruning, you need to disinfect garden tools with alcohol. This will prevent the infection from entering through the cuts.
Breeding
Reproduction occurs two ways:
- grafting;
- seeds.
The best time for grafting is the period from mid-April to early May. It is recommended to take cuttings from an adult plant that has reached the age of 8-10 years. 
For cuttings taken shoots with a length of 10-15 centimeters. The selected branch can be simply broken off without cutting it with a knife. After that, the "heel" of the broken off branch is trimmed from the bark, and its lower needles are cut by 2-2.5 centimeters.
The resulting cutting at an angle of 30-50 ° is stuck in a pot filled with a mixture of sand and peat, watered, and then covered with polyethylene. The pot should be put in a place where bright light will not affect the cutting.
Do not forget sometimes (at least once a week) to spray the cutting with water. After a month and a half, the sapling takes root quite well, and it can be transplanted to a temporary bed.
Did you know? Juniper grew on our planet before the appearance of man. Thus, the fossil remains of this plant were found in the area of Lake Balkhash in the territory of modern Kazakhstan.
Diseases and pests
Junipers are rarely affected by diseases and pests. Nevertheless, the plant is subject to the following diseases:
- Rust. Orange growths 0.5 centimeters long, turning after a rain into fleshy formations.
- Schutte. Small round body in black. It leads to weakening, and at high humidity may cause the death of the plant.
- Biaretella cancer. The main symptoms are darkening and drying of the bark. Over time, the wood dies off.
- Alternaria. It leads to darkening of the needles, and a velvety patina appears on the branches.
The main plant pests are:- Aphid. Insects suck the juice, which leads to stunted growth and twisting of damaged shoots.
- Shchitovki. They stick to the needles, which then dries and falls. The vital activity of these pests can lead to the death of a young plant.
- Spruce spider mite. It entangles the needles with a rare cobweb, the needles themselves become covered with yellowish spots, later it acquires a brown tint and crumbles.
- Juniper sawfly. Insect damages needles and young shoots, eating away their internal tissues.
- Caterpillar Juniper Shoots Moth. Eats the insides of shoots.
- "Angio";
- Aktara;
- "Actellic".
To protect against disease should be processed fungicides, including:- "Horus";
- "Fast";
- Ordan;
- "Ridomil Gold".
Horizontal juniper is an excellent plant for decorating a garden plot and creating landscape compositions. With timely care this shrub will long enough to delight you with its luxurious greens.
