Another browning juniper thread

[badatusernames]

I THINK this got overwatered for too long and should be able to bounce back. I took some trips and had to set up my automatic system but it’s early enough in the season that not all of my trees need water every day. Plus, rain.

That or it’s the start of a downward decline :/

The tree is looking faded and like it’s browning, other spots look ok…. Curious as to your thoughts.

This was not reported this year. I believe this is its third year since repot, I got it last year and it was healthy.

It’s been sprayed with fungicide and has had granulated put on it (infuse in March and Clearys in May).

Should I do anything other than be careful with water?

Browning bit:



some healthier tips here

 

[MHBonsai]

Check for spider mites - they can cause faded foliage like this.

 

[badatusernames]

Check for spider mites - they can cause faded foliage like this.

Oh good call. I haven’t sprayed for bugs yet

 

[badatusernames]

Definitely saw tiny black pepper sprinkles when I did the paper test…. No movement and my hands are dirty from yardwork so the smear test didn’t teach me much, but I’m hitting it with a course of malathion starting today. Hopefully not too late!

Thank you! Would love to hear any other opinions as well.

 

[badatusernames]

Ordered some bifenthrin too - just read that malathion may not be the best for this and have heard it’s good to mix things up with these guys too

 

[Japonicus]

I thought with the wet Spring that mites would not be a problem this year
but sure enough, I saw one junipers foliage just not so brilliant as the others.
Just off a little, and it has mites. They hit us hard last year late April...2 mild Winters.
Just took one out in the yard, hosed it off very well and sprayed with a miticide.

 

[Paradox]

Definitely saw tiny black pepper sprinkles when I did the paper test…. No movement and my hands are dirty from yardwork so the smear test didn’t teach me much, but I’m hitting it with a course of malathion starting today. Hopefully not too late!

Thank you! Would love to hear any other opinions as well.

What kind of soil is it in. Hard to see for sure but looks really dry in the picture?

 

[badatusernames]

What kind of soil is it in. Hard to see for sure but looks really dry in the picture?

APL and definitely not dry, if anything too wet. What you’re seeing is some semi-dissolved Cleary’s granular

 

[Paradox]

APL and definitely not dry, if anything too wet. What you’re seeing is some semi-dissolved Cleary’s granular

If you have it in APL, it is pretty much impossible to overwater. I use APL and never had an overwatering problem. My trees get watered every day and I've had a week and a half of rain pretty much every day with no problem.

So mites or fungus is my guess

 

[PBR STREETGANG]

I THINK this got overwatered for too long and should be able to bounce back. I took some trips and had to set up my automatic system but it’s early enough in the season that not all of my trees need water every day. Plus, rain.

That or it’s the start of a downward decline :/

The tree is looking faded and like it’s browning, other spots look ok…. Curious as to your thoughts.

This was not reported this year. I believe this is its third year since repot, I got it last year and it was healthy.

It’s been sprayed with fungicide and has had granulated put on it (infuse in March and Clearys in May).

Should I do anything other than be careful with water?

Browning bit:

View attachment 546135

some healthier tips here

View attachment 546136

After checking for Bugs if that's not your problem check your roots, also scrape a tiny bit of bark off the branches with dying foliage if there is still a green cambium layer repot into horticultural grit/sand and AKADAMA

 

[Paradox]

I THINK this got overwatered for too long and should be able to bounce back. I took some trips and had to set up my automatic system but it’s early enough in the season that not all of my trees need water every day. Plus, rain.

That or it’s the start of a downward decline :/

The tree is looking faded and like it’s browning, other spots look ok…. Curious as to your thoughts.

This was not reported this year. I believe this is its third year since repot, I got it last year and it was healthy.

It’s been sprayed with fungicide and has had granulated put on it (infuse in March and Clearys in May).

Should I do anything other than be careful with water?

Browning bit:

View attachment 546135

some healthier tips here

View attachment 546136

How is it doing?

 

[badatusernames]

How is it doing?

Not great! Going to bring it to a nursery soon for a postmortem but I think it may have passed the point of no return.

 

[Japonicus]

Not great! Going to bring it to a nursery soon for a postmortem but I think it may have passed the point of no return.

When did you wire it?

 

[badatusernames]

When did you wire it?

I think it would have been around mid summer last year

 

[leatherback]

Overly strong fungicide? Too much fertilizer? Drip system that only watered part of the rootball and the core dried out?

This is NOT overwatering.
Doubt it is mites.

Do you have a full tree picture? Just seeing a part of the tree does not provide a full picture.

 

[badatusernames]

Overly strong fungicide? Too much fertilizer? Drip system that only watered part of the rootball and the core dried out?

This is NOT overwatering.
Doubt it is mites.

Do you have a full tree picture? Just seeing a part of the tree does not provide a full picture.

Overly strong fungicide could be it, I went harder this year trying to manage some ume which have been prone to it for me and maybe shouldn’t be taking such a blanket approach with my trees. I’m seeing fading to gray/white in places

My two junipers are the only ones having issues

 

[badatusernames]

Took it in to a nursery for them to take a look - it sounds like a lot of people across experience levels are coming in with juniper issues this year for some reason, maybe temp fluctuations in spring…. Going to leave it alone and be careful with watering. Trunk is too nice to give up on, if the green parts live maybe one day it can be reborn.

 

[coffee]

If there's anything I've learned about Junipers - they seem to be both the most fickle of mistresses, but also the most resilient of trees in their best moments. Hoping for the best here, keep us posted!

 

[badatusernames]

It actually seems to be bouncing back, or starting to. Areas that were brown have some green creeping in, even some really healthy looking tips in parts…. Definitely just letting it grow and nothing else

But hope may not be lost!

I’m still not sure what may have caused this - I guess maybe water isn’t penetrating parts of the roots well, which is odd since it’s only been a couple of years now.

If anyone has thoughts as to how to address so I don’t have to water by submerging it all year that’d be appreciated!

 

[Paradox]

It actually seems to be bouncing back, or starting to. Areas that were brown have some green creeping in, even some really healthy looking tips in parts…. Definitely just letting it grow and nothing else

But hope may not be lost!

I’m still not sure what may have caused this - I guess maybe water isn’t penetrating parts of the roots well, which is odd since it’s only been a couple of years now.

If anyone has thoughts as to how to address so I don’t have to water by submerging it all year that’d be appreciated!

Didnt look to see if this was suggested already or you tried this.

You could try gently poking holes in the soil with a screwdriver or similar tool. Also gently scrape the top layer of soil off if it's clogged and replace with new soil. Be careful not to pull roots doing this. A chopstick or similar tool works well for this. I typically look at all my trees in the spring when I take them out of the cold frame and clean the top layer of soil if I'm not repotting them.