mary , don't think any probs. should occur,,,though 1.5 is kinda close,,,2ft plus would be fine

I've had Blue Rug many many yrs,,,they just grow over each other,,and being juniper , lower branches don't get sun , so it kinda self prunes

mulch well,,,water well

are these on a hill,,or flat ground ?

ron

Well, they can get 8' wide so IMO, 1.5' is way too close. A 6' spread is likely more common or expected but even at that I would plant no closer than 3' and probably extend that spacing to as much as 4'.

Juniperus horizontalis is extremely prone to juniper tip blights so close contact or overlapping stems is not a great idea - it will only encourage the proliferation of the disease from one plant to another.

Thank you. Ron, pretty much flat ground. I'll have a good look at my spot today and see if I can spread them more... Hadn't thought about disease, was more worried about the pruning down the road...

I guess it depends where you are ,,,here in N. IL.,,,my rugs have been growing on top of each other for 20 yrs,,,,,don't know what tip blight looks like

ron

If you have never encountered juniper tip blights, consider yourself very lucky. They can be devastating to mass plantings such as the ones described above. And appropriate spacing based on mature size of the plants is always an important concern when planning a landscape or planting. Overcrowding can shade out foliage and increase issues with pests and diseases. And why would you want to purchase and plant more than you really need?? Also, proper spacing eliminates the need for any pruning to reduce size.

not sure i have ever seen tip blight on any of my various J horizontalils ... HERE IN MI

this ??? is just like screening ... spacing is to your whim ... depending on how fast you want them to fill in ...

i put 3 about 8 feet apart.. on my 5 acres... and they filled in.. just fine.. who knows how long it took ...

properly spaced.. they should NEVER need pruning ... i have no clue why planting them closer.. would create such ...

i edge mine.. with the riding lawnmower ... if they grow into the grass.. they are fair game ... lol ...

but if yours need shortening.. dont just give them an edge haircut.. track the offender deep into the plant ... and cut it way back ... others will take dominance.. and sometimes.. you find they rooted in ...

ken

yah ken , I do some pruning with the tractor too !

ron

Well, I think you've convinced me not to over plant, even though they are cheap. Thanks for the discussion!

you can plant other conifers... minis ... and then over the years.. guide the hoizontalis' around them with selective pruning ...

ken

Around how many inches of growth do they get in a year? I'm considering putting some on a slope to help stabilize the soil, but if they take a very long time to grow I might have to reconsider.