Blue Point Juniper for Sale - Buying & Growing Guide

Planting and Care

by Mary Van Keuren | Gardener (30+ Years Experience) – last update on April 13, 2022

Planting instructions

Choose a site for your Blue Point juniper that receives full sun, with soil that drains well. Junipers aren’t fussy about soil types, though they prefer a slightly acidic soil. Unpot your bush, teasing out any encircling roots, which can girdle the plant and eventually kill it. Dig a hole that’s as deep as the root ball and twice as wide, and place the bush in the hole. Holding it upright, fill in around it with a good quality topsoil, tamping down as you go to eliminate air pockets. Water thoroughly. Place a 2- to 3-inch layer of an organic compost, such as bark chips, around the root zone to conserve moisture, but keep it from touching the trunk.

Watering and nutrients

During its first year, water your Blue Point juniper a few times a week while it’s getting established. Once you see robust new growth, you can taper back on supplemental watering. After that, your bush should only need water when you’re experiencing drought or high temperatures. Fertilize with a slow-release product that is designed for evergreens in early spring, or as package directions indicate.

Pollination

As conifers, Blue Point junipers don’t produce true flowers. Instead they have bracts, which form cones. Junipers are dioecious, meaning that male and female reproductive parts are on different plants. Birds are attracted to the small, inconsequential berries that result when bracts are pollinated.

Pruning

Pruning a Blue Point juniper isn’t necessary except to remove broken or diseased branches, which can be trimmed out whenever you see them. If you prefer the look of a manicured topiary, you can prune for a specific shape other than the tree’s natural pyramid. Avoid pruning in very hot or cold weather to limit stress to the plant.

Pests, diseases, and animals

Few diseases or pests bother these easy-to-care-for bushes. Once in a while you may see aphids, mites, or scale insects. These can all be treated with horticultural oil. If you see small, round galls on twigs, this may be cedar apple rust. Prune out the infected branches and apply a fungicide. Japanese apple rust leaves bright orange spots on the foliage and twigs; this disease can also be treated with a fungicide.

Achieving maximum results

A little creativity can go a long way when you have one or more Blue Point junipers. They can provide stunning focal points throughout your yard, and their symmetrical nature makes them perfect for framing doors, windows, or flowering displays. If you’re using these junipers to create a hedge, plant them about 6 feet apart — they will grow together to form a screen without crowding themselves. A juniper hedge makes a great backdrop for ornamental trees such as flowering cherries. If planting in a container, use one that is twice the size of your bush’s root ball, and keep an eye on its watering needs, which will be greater than for bushes planted in the ground.

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