Blue Rug Juniper
Blue Rug Juniper, Juniperus horizontalis ‘Wiltonii’
This an absolutely awesome plant to grow, sell or use in a landscape design. They are hardy, tough as nails, will grow in just about any kind of soil and they do well in zones 3-9. How’s that for adaptability?
When I was landscaping and re-landscaping homes I put no less than five to nine Blue Rug Juniper into every planting that I did because this is a plant that I believe in and love recommending to my customers. Because it performs perfectly in a landscape.
Blue Rug makes an excellent evergreen ground cover. Depending on how close together you plant them they can take a few years to fill in, but once filled in they make a perfect blue, evergreen carpet, that does an excellent job of keeping a bed weed free.
This is one my favorite ways to use Blue Rug Junipers, under a Laceleaf, Weeping Japanese Red maple.
I must have taken this photo a couple of years later after the bed was completely filled in. Originally I only planted five Blue Rug in this bed and they completely filled in keeping weeds out completely.
In a planting like this they require very little maintenance. Once a year I take my spade and just cut them back to about 5″ from the edge of the bed. The new growth covers the cut edges and it looks beautiful all year.
They are a sun loving plant so they do well in full sun and tolerate hot and dry conditions pretty well. But they won’t do well in heavy shade. They’ll get really, really thin in shade and not be attractive at all.
I also like to use Blue Rug Juniper on the top of a retaining wall and let them creep over the wall. They really make an awesome display when use that way in a landscape because as they grow over the wall the branches droop and make their way toward the ground.
There are a lot of Junipers that “look like” Blue Rug. Don’t be fooled and don’t guess if you are taking cuttings. The look a likes range from barely okay to terrible plants. Of course that’s my very biased opinion based on years in this industry. The only other Juniper that is ground hugging that I will use in a landscape are Green Mound, Juniperus ‘procumbens nana’. That too is a nice plant but green in color. I’ll do a post about that as well when I get a little time.
Blue Rug Juniper are Easy to Propagate!
You can take and stick Blue Rug Juniper cuttings from late June through October. During the summer we do them this way, https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/mikes-plant-propagation-kit/. If you do them in the fall you can just stick them in a bed of sand and keep them watered until the ground freezes and water any time you think the sand might be dry.
They are slow to root so don’t expect them to be rooted enough to move for about 12 months. Sounds like a long time right? It is a long time, but if you faithfully stick 100, 300 or 500 each year you will soon have 500 a year to sell. More about fall and winter propagation here.
Don’t be Impatient. Load up the Seats of the Ferris Wheel.
This is what I call loading up the seats of the Ferris Wheel. Pick a number, do that many each year until all of the seats on the Ferris Wheel are full. Before you get in 1/8 of the way full you’ll be selling Blue Rug and will have more coming on each year.
I’ll tell you a little secret. Blue Rug Juniper is a hot, hot seller and nobody buys just one. Landscapers use them 5, 6 12 or 100 at a time as a ground cover. Right now we have people practically begging for rooted cuttings in Our Members Area.
They are also really hot sellers in small pots, like a one quart pot. But landscapers want them in three gallon containers and they are willing to the three gallon price. Wholesale on a three gallon evergreen right now is probably around $18.00, maybe more.
The opportunities with Blue Rug Juniper are endless.
Right now as I am typing this I am kicking myself for not sticking hundreds and hundreds of them two years ago. I’ve been buying them for my nursery and now I’ve put myself in a situation where I have to buy hundreds if not thousands more because I failed to stick my own cuttings.
We do tens of thousands of cuttings, but I should have stuck some Blue Rug! Shame on me!
Questions or comments? Post them below and I’ll answer them for you.
I am on my second attempt at rooting blue rug juniper.
Do the cuttings need to be in the shade or the sun while rooting?
Do the cuttings need to be covered while rooting to hold in moister?
I have had success at hydrangas in a covered container along a shaded side of a building and was using this same method.
John,
I do them under mist, https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/mikes-plant-propagation-kit/, like I do all of my plants. You can do them in tote, with a lid. But being an evergreen they are very slow to root. Usually about 12 months.
But do you put them in sun under mist or shade?
Adrienne,
Most of my cuttings under mist are shaded but the blue rug wouldn’t care either way.
Can Blue Rug be trained to spread in a particular direction via placement and safe pruning? I have a 3 foot deep bed atop a stone wall backed by a board fence I’d like to fill with these plants and use for draping effect as well. Thanks.
Jeff,
Sure, just move the branches to where you want them to grow and fill in. The branches are very pliable, especially on younger plants.
Tried your method. DID NOT WORK. I stuck several in a pot of coarse sand buried in the ground last November. This year they are all dried and brown. meh….
cy,
The sand probably got too dry at some point. you have to keep them watered and they are very slow to root. Usually many, many months. But if they turn brown they are dead.
Live just east of St. Louis, Mo. I have 2 hills on east and west sides 50’ long x 12’ down in a few spots but mostly about 10’ down. Pulled all the weeds out, tamped ground and applied mulch and weed killer lightly to prepare for blue rug juniper planting in 2” pots(starter plants). My 180 deal I ordered didn’t pan out but I still need to plant while hills are already prepared. I even put rolled mesh with straw on steepest part with mulch over it to keep ground in place. Will cut mesh to install plants. I ordered 60 starters from a more respectable nursery but will not receive them until last week of June. Temperatures will then be about 85 and sometimes 90 degrees, not ideal. I was going to plant them 3’ apart in rows 3’ to 3’6” up a down and water every other day for 2to 3 weeks or as necessary. Have any better suggestions like spacing or what time of day to water? I will need more plants but need to keep these alive through summer. Thanks- open to any suggestions
Mike,
For the first week or so I’d water daily. Probably twice a day. They don’t need a lot of water, but in such small pots the roots will not be very deep into the soil.
I am thinking about planting blue rug junipers on a steep slope. Since it is a steep slope, would I really have to attempt to trim the tips? I was hoping to eliminate the need to climb that steep slope.
Mary Ann,
You don’t have to, it just helps to get them to fill in better. Somebody will have to climb the slope to pull weeds until they fill in anyway.
How long does it normally take for blue rug roots to become established and, thus, require less watering?
Max,
Several weeks if planted in the summer.
Thanks very much for your prompt response,, MIKE. Your articles and advice are much appreciated.
I believe you’ve given us the answer for our large, steep, sunny slope that’s visited every day by the local herd of deer: Juniperus Horizontalis Blue Carpet!
To keep the weeds and grass from growing until the junipers do their job, do you think it’s okay to lay down ground cloth and cut holes for the plants? Is it okay to plant them closer than recommended to help cover more quickly? Is there a down-side to planting them close together?
Diane,
Not really a down side to planting them closer but the ground cloth will be a problem if you mulch over it. And even if you don’t the Junipers will root through it. Cardboard, then mulch, then a pre emergent herbicide as needed would be a better option.
My hedge has turned/is continuing to turn totally brown. Showed photo to local nursery folks, was told this is probably stress fron not watering in the winter. Live in Colorado Springs, have never watered in winter due to snow building up over this hedge, which is on north side of house.. I don’t see any pests. Fungus?
Janet,
I don’t know why you would need to water over the winter unless the hedge was just installed. Usually winter snow and rain are all plants need. But I don’t know what kind of hedge you are talking about.
Hey,
Great article.
Is there a way you can explain how to do this for someone that wants to do this at home? (not commercial)
I mean, If I get some cuttings. What would be the best way to keep the cuttings at home?
Should I put them in sand, top soil, etc on small containers next to a sunny window?
I live far north in Edmonton Alberta. I think I have to cut mine in july LOL
So, should I keep them indoors until summer next year?
Your help is appreciate it.
A.R., do them outside, https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2015/01/easy-summertime-plant-propagation-techniques-can-home/
In used to live in a house with beautiful, well established juniper. When I moved to my new house I ran right out and bought 34 new creepers. Put them in the ground, loved them lots. That was 2 weeks ago and now they’re turning rusty. Thought maybe my soil levels were off. PH is 6.0 which is fine. Uprooted one of them. They’re obviously not rooted so all I had to do was pull it up. The roots are red. They look dead. I don’t know what to do. Advice? Are they dead?
Heather,
The roots are usually reddish. The are really easy to grow. Not enough water? Too much fertilizer?
Hi….Could you tell me how long the Blue Rug Juniper cuttings need to be to stick in silica sand to propagate and how deep do you need to stick them in the sand? Thank you so much for your timely articles!!!!!
Patricia, they are slow, can take them 10 months or more to root. Maybe faster if done in summer under https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/mikes-plant-propagation-kit/
I LOVE this article! I have blue rug juniper in my hill and it has done wonders for me not having to mow such a steep hill! I do have a question… on one side of my hill my juniper has grown quickly and on the other it has grown slower. The side with the lush juniper is in full sun while the other half is in shade for a little while. I was hoping to boost the growth rate by applying some Jobe’s 11-3-4 spikes. Should I do it? If so how far apart should I place them?
Nate,
It’s really the lack of sunlight. Not sure that the fertilizer spikes will change much.
How often do you replace or treat the sand in your propagation beds? I have been using flats with promix to start cuttings under mist. I use fresh media each time to help control disease. I want to try your technique, but unsure what to do with the sand between harvest and starting new cuttings.
Brian,
Usually after 3 years. Sometimes I just raise the boards and add an inch or two.
Hello, I covered an East facing 16 foot high by 100 foot long 60 degree steep bank about 3 years ago. Planted Blue Rug spaced 4 feet apart. They’re growing like mad, DOWN the hill, leaving a 2 foot empty space above the ones up top.
Should I attempt moving ones on the bottom to the top top? Or would it work to swing branches up the sloop and pin them to try and get them to grow uphill? I did this with a few last year, but sloop seems so steep that they grew up then curved down again, Or should I just plant new plants all along top? Thank you.
Ted,
I think you can train them to stay up the hill, but you’ll need to pin them, then train new growth as it comes.
I would like to cover a 60′ long by 15′ high bank with blue rug juniper. Soil is mostly clay and rocks. What size plant should I start with, and what spacing to get coverage reasonably quickly without breaking the bank.. Plants are from 3″ pots to 1 gallon pots. Also open to other ground covers if they would work better. Live in the sw corner of PA.
Mike,
I love blue rug juniper as a ground cover but it can be slow growing so you have to keep the weeds at bay until it’s established. Over 3 gallon plants would work well but wholesale is probably $15 each or more. I’d use one gallons. If you have 3″ pots then use those, just plant them a bit closer, say 18″ on center.
Hi Mike,
This spring we planted 114 blue rug junipers on a huge, open west facing slope in front of our home here in Salt Lake City, Utah. About 20 of 114 started yellowing and drying out so we upped the watering from every other day to every day. The soil here is awful and pretty dry and doesn’t seem to hold moisture well, even with a daily 45 min watering. I just purchased a moisture meter, as I fear overwatering too, and still a lot of the junipers (even the ones that look ok) are measuring at or near “dry.” How much water do these these junipers need to get established? Is there a more effective way to get water down to the root. I worry that being on a slope most of the water isn’t reaching their roots. And how long does it usually take for a newly planted blue rug juniper to get established? Many of our neighbors have established BRJ on their sloped yards and it’s beautiful. Just wondering why ours are struggling. Thanks!
Krista,
I think you are correct to focus on the amount of water, they will grow in just about any kind of soil. But my guess is they are either getting too much or not enough water. According to your readings it’s not enough water. As long as you have that meter I’d water them daily until established. You don’t mention fertilizer. I would not fertilize them at all. They are an evergreen and can only use a small amount of fertilizer.
Do these do well near other bushes or flowers? I added a small one in a bed with the hope that it’ll fill in the space between what’s there and the rocks forming the bed. I’m not seeing any other pictures online of anything similar. Have I chosen the wrong place to put it?
Meighan,
They will as long as they receive some sunlight. Eventually will fill in all the open areas.
Hello 🙂 I bought some blue rug junipers 2 weeks ago from a nursery. The nursery said where I was going to plant them would be a good location which is on the south east side of my house which gets 6-7 hours of sun a day but 2 weeks later they are starting to turn yellow. Do I need to move them? I water them every day. Or do I need to add fertilizer? Any tips would be greatly appreciated
Nicole,
They should be perfectly happy there and no, I would not fertilize them. Too much water? The soil should not be soggy, just damp and cool to the touch. Blue Rug are really easy to care for so I suspect too much water.
when do I prune roses for the winter.
Ernest,
You can do them now, or some prefer to wait until very early spring. They feel fall pruning exposes the canes to the cold more so than unpruned canes. People do it both ways.
Hey Mike,
In tems of reselling from the nursury standpoint is it adviseable to prune the runners for robust filling in or shall runners be allowed to grow freely for “looks’ so to speak (as to size) and allow prospective buyer to prune as appropriate?
Sara and I just ordered your start-up guide and after growing vegetables organically in Indianapolis for 3 yrs have opted to relocate our garden to Lebanon, Indiana on some family acreage that was years and years ago cattle pasture and has been a ‘lawn’ ever since around a livestock trucking company….Our family advised that food crops are competitive and to rethink and we found you….We are shifting our focus to native trees and plants as well as turn-key offerings for cash flow. Hope to attend ShinDig next year with love to share. We have state road frontage with hfeavy traffic flow to our advantage.
Ben,
I think it’s a good idea to prune those runners so the blue rug completely fills out the pot. Once the pot is full you can let the runners hang over the side. You should seriously consider test driving our members area, it opens tomorrow I think, http://backyardgrowers.com/join
Additional information on my post: Only one slope of ditch needs covering.
We have a 66′ long by about 6-8′ deep ditch in front of our home that we would like to plant blue juniper rug bushes. Although the information say their spread is approximately 6-8′, we assume it might be figured differently on slopes (about 45 degrees). We want good ground cover and our large flat rocks are not keeping the all the weeds down. What spacing would you recommend? Remove the rocks and start over or leave the rocks and plant between? (We did not use weed fabric when we placed the rocks.) Any recommendations?? Thank you for your time.
Gayla,
Blue rug makes a great ground cover but being an evergreen it needs time to fill in and you have to keep the weeds at by while that happens. I’d leave the rocks in place, plant between them and plant 24″ on center. Prune tips of the blue rug at least once each season so it the entire plant grows larger and not just a few runners heading off in varying directions. Pruning the tips of those runners will slow the plant down and force it to fill in.
I planted blue rug on 2 opposing slopes leading up to my basement 10 years ago… They got established great in a few years.. Then I lost a couple on the west side for some reason– just slowly turned brown and died (they were about 7 yrs. old). Replanted them and a couple of them have done ok… but now the entire side is turning yellow then brown.. The opposite side has always looked hardier and had more growth… but in the last month that side has had one plant to die and I’m seeing a couple more start to yellow a little. What could be causing this to such well established plants. I live in ne NC and we had a pretty wet spring but these are on 45* slopes. The last month we received only 1..7″ of rain but it has been drier in the past.
Andrew,
I’m guessing they dried out. It’s really hard to compare one year to the next but when it’s extremely hot and dry everything needs supplemental water.
I planted 6 last fall, all about 2 1/2 feet apart. Now I am worried they are too close to each other, for healthy growth. Should I dig up a few and space them further apart, are they too close together? Also, do blue rugs transplant well? Thanks for any input.
Pamela,
I would say that they really don’t transplant well once planted in the ground and I don’t think they are too close. I once made a bed of blue rug by planting about 50 rooted cuttings about 8″ apart and it worked perfectly.
Wonderful, that is what I was hoping to hear. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge.
What should I do about the woody humps that have developed in my BRJ’s. They are unsightly. I only have a few but they are very noticeable in the planting along my driveway. Should I cut those bushes out and plan new ones. TIA for your help.
Peter,
That sometimes does happen with older blue rug and is usually noticeable in young plants which I avoid using. It might be best to replace them.
Thanks for your reply. Interestingly out of 100 plants about 10 with the humps and most are in one area. Any thoughts on that? I’ll be more careful when I buy new plants to see if there is any tendency/
Indication of the woody hump effect.
Peter,
Could be mouse damage done over the winter, maybe spider mites, I really don’t know for sure.
Hello: I’m wondering how to get them trailing in the right direction. Do I simply trim shoots off that are headed the wrong way?
Dawn,
Yes, the more you trim those tips the fuller the plants get from the center out.
I need some advice. I recently tried to root Blue Rug cutting in a aeroponic cloner. I took tip cuttings and used rooting gel. The first week the cuttings looked good and were forming callouses where I had to remove leaves (the cutting extended down in the cloner 3 inches), but the actual cut area turned brown. Unfortunately, it went down hill from there and four weeks later all cuttings leaves turned brown. Do you have any advice on using a cloner to root blue rug? I followed all cloner instructions using PH of 6.0 water, water temp was 73 degrees, and I used clear rez to keep water clear along with 24 hours of fluorescent light. I only misted the top cutting for the first few days and did not use a humidity dome over the cuttings. I have read to take cutting under water to prevent embolism??? I took cuttings in April, maybe too early??? should I wait till end of June to take cuttings? I believe I had the setup dialed in, but maybe not enough cell exposure for rooting or something else failed. Any advice would be appreciated. I am thinking of just using the sand method, should I use a heat mat underneath at 70 degrees F if I use sand method. Your thoughts/comments are appreciated. I really need to root this blue rug to fill in voids in my hillside and I can’t find this specific variety anywhere. Only information for cloners on internet is for rooting marijuana, which apparently roots easily. Too bad no one is interested in cloning legal plants with these machines! Oy vey!
Mark,
Cloners are complicated and never used by people in the industry. I’d do the cuttings now or end of June, in sand, outdoors. Bottom heat? It might speed process. Junipers are very slow to root, but they will root. Could take many months.
Thanks for the info. My failed attempt with my cloner caused me to perform some more research and try again. My first cloner attempt ended up with a slime problem in my cloner tank that developed within a week and kept re-appearing after several changes/cleanings of the tank water. I believe this contributed greatly to my first failure. I did a second attempt using Botanicare Hydroguard and Power Clone solutions along with their rooting hormone gel. The Hydroguard worked excellent! No slime developed in my tank this time and I just hit four weeks. Hydroguard containes a beneficial bacteria that fights algae and slime in the tank. With this test run I did 5 Forsythia tips cuttings, 5 Euonymus, 5 Heureka, 5 Blue rug juniper and 5 Hosta. After 3 weeks, I got 100% rooting with the Forsythia! At week four, I got 3 Heureka starting to root, 1 Euonymus just started kicking out roots, and 3 Blue rug started showing a very fine root and the Hosta’s haven’t rooting at all but are still alive. For this run I did make a humidome out of a drop cloth and kept on the entire 4 weeks, misting everyday with weak solution of hydroguard and power clone. The entire time, so far, the cuttings stayed “fresh” and rigid. Some of my blue rug are looking stressed, so I don’t know if they will make it, although they did seem to push out a small root. I guess patience is key here. The reason I am giving all this info. is because there is very little on the net for advice on using a cloner for rooting blue rug or anything besides marijuana. Maybe this post will help someone out. Use Hydroguard in your water and a humidome, mist and keep humid and patience. Oh, PH water at 6.0 – mine stayed within this range the whole time. Add Hydroguard weekly – 2ml/gal. Mike, this seems to be working for my blue rug – fingers crossed right now, but they are looking a bit stressed. When you sand root, and it takes 12 months to root, do the cuttings stay green and healthy looking??? or do the look stressed???? Is it normal for the cuttings to look somewhat sickly during this rooting time??? It is tough to keep these things constantly humid. Thanks for your time, your site is excellent and important to help people out.
Mark,
Obviously I’ve never used a cloner because I’ve never seen anybody in the industry use one. The simple method that we use, https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/mikes-plant-propagation-kit/ works really, really well and it’s very simple. As far as the blue rug, they should continue to look pretty good throughout the rooting process. Typically once they start turning brown they are not going to make it. They are very slow to root and they might not like being in a cloner that long.
HI MIKE I GOT SOME ROOTED TWO YEARS NOW DO I PRUNE THEM TOMAKE THEM BRANCH OUT ALSO ROOTED ONEHUNDRED EMERALD GREEN ABORTIVE I KNOW THEY DONT LIKE TOO MUCH WATER LOST A COUPLE HOW MUCH WATER EVERY DAY JUST GOT YOUR MIST SYSTEM THIS WILL BE MUCH EASYER,ON YOUR SITE EVERY NITE ITELL MARY WANA BE JUST LIKE MIKE THANKS FOR EVERYTHING
Keith,
Yes, trim the tips on the Blue Rug to make them fill out nicely. You really have to check the soil before you water to make sure they need it.
Deer Resistant Plants
John, see this https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2014/02/which-plants-are-the-most-deer-resistant/
I have a lot of shade, what other ground cover could I use that is an evergreen and looks as nice
Steve,
In a shady location I think you’ll have to find a perennial type ground cover. Most evergreens simply do not do well in the shade.
they are good for planting on slopes where it is difficult to mow and they hold the soil together.
easy maintenance and less water but you have to water in hot summer or they will dry up.
Harry,
You’re right, great evergreen ground cover.
Your contest is probably over. I just ran across this today. I’ve been following you for at least 10 years if not more. We are in our 60’s I’m a disabled nurse who’s passion was gardening. I still putter at it as I can. My hubby still works fulltime and takes care of me. He is hoping to retire in the next two to three years and this would definitely help us supplement out income. As all the retirement savings we had to spend due to my disability and his numerous lay offs.
Thank you Mike for doing what you do.
Darlene,
You’re right, we picked the winner last week. But we may do this again later this year. Stay tuned.
Are they deer resistant?
Gail,
Probably more deer resistant than most things, and since they are typically covered with snow much of the winter the deer can’t find them.
Yeah, but the voles love to live in them under the snow and go out and make trails in the yard. It turned into a huge infestation and now have all kinds of nesting holes in the lawn so that I almost get thrown off my mower because the lawn is riddled with them. Pulled out the old blue rug juniper, lots of bare branches underneath. The voles also like to eat the bark so there was branch die-off and yellowing. It was a nightmare. I now have a nice patch of bare dirt that I am going to plant perennials in instead.
Cynde,
Sounds to me like you have more of a vole problem than you do a Blue Rug problem. Chances are the moles just moved to a new area of the yard.
Mike,
What kind of sand do you use for rooting. There are different kinds I believe.
Thanks.
Shirley,
I use silica sand but that’s not available everywhere. See this https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2015/10/exactly-what-is-and-where-do-i-find-coarse-sand-for-rooting-cuttings/
I always enjoy your posts plus I have learned from you..
blue rug juniper is a lovley plant where can I purchas them
Ron,
Just about all garden centers sell them. Really popular plant.
blue rug juniper is a lovley plant where can I purchasthem
yes blue juniper is a butiful plant, where can I buy them
Mike,when will your nursery be open for retail business..i plan to visit as soon as you do.
i’ve made a list of plants you’ve shared on your many emails that interest me
Bob,
We really won’t be ready for sales until the end of April. Right now the place is a mess, nothing leafed out, plants packed together for the winter. We’ve got some work to do!
Blue Rug Juniper is NOT for everyone. They are difficult to clean around. We have a LOT of leaves. I pulled out the one a previous owner had planted.
That said – they do look nice under the bushes in the photos shown.
Like all plants, it can be a very nice plant, but maybe not the right one for you to use in a particular site.
Mary,
Blue Rug seldom traps leaves, too much of a ground hugger. However, there are many other Junipers that “resemble” blue rug but don’t hug the ground as tightly. I suspect you had another variety such as Blue Chip or one of the many others that I honestly don’t care for because of that very reason.
I have had experience with many type of leaves. The pointed Pin OAK Leaves do catch in/on the Blue Rug plant growth AND the Pin Oaks drop their leaves over a long period of time. If this condition is not to your liking; you will probably have to do something differently. Blue Run Junipers do not grow as dense nor as well in shaded conditions; but they do grow in light but nearly continental shade. Canton, OH
I have 9 overgrown Blue Rug Juniper I would like to prune or cut back ,how can I do it without losing
them& what parts do you use for cutting.?They are gorgeous draped over a rock wall but are now touching the ground I would appreciate any advise you can help me with .
Thanks
Ilene,
Cutting them back is easy, just cut away, the new growth will grow out and cover the cut ends. To propagate do only tip cuttings no more than 3″ long. They are slow to root so you have to keep them watered as they root. Best to put them some place where you water daily.