Damaged Juniper

[candin]

I received a damaged juniper in the mail. It's a long story, but anyway, I went to pick it up, the box was crushed a bit, and some branches were pushed in like when you sleep on your hair. I got it home and it started to brown. Its hot here and I have seen the kiss of death. You can see the before photo of what a nice tree this was. And now the brown parts. I am not new to junipers and know how fragile they can be. My question is once they turn brown is this the kiss of death? I mean is there any chance of recovery? I am aware of stored energy and delay of death etc. We have mountain cedars; once a branch is cut off of the cedar, it takes weeks to turn brown.

Its hot where I am, and I have it in the morning sun and misting the tree repeatedly during the day. The soil is more organic than I would like so I water about once every 3 days. I also pruned most of the brown branches but I still see brown tips on many branches. Thanks for any help and if any success stories. I have killed many junipers over the years but I never got a chance to kill this one. Its a delicate balance for sure but they sell them local nurseries here. They can work but many give up the challenge.

 

[candin]

Anyone can give me advice? I really don’t want this dying on me. I am babying the heck out of it. Sun or shade? Temperatures 90-100 max. Very humid. Located in central texas. Thanks!!!

 

[IzzyG]

I’m unsure if it’s dead but browning tips on a Juniper is always worrisome. Personally I’d baby the crap out of it and shade throughout the day(outside but covered). With the heat you’re experiencing, I’d imagine there’s very little “soft sunlight”. Stick a bamboo skewer deep into the soil and use it as a dipstick on when you should water. I wouldn’t over mist as that’s typically a strategy used for trees recovering from collection(questionable state for the roots on initially collected trees so you assist the potential inability of the roots to keep up with demand by misting). Since you don’t have that concern and are in a humid environment, I don’t see a real need for misting.

In short, protect it, water appropriately and wait it out.

 

[candin]

Thanks very much Izzy! It is holding a bit more water than my other junipers so I am using finger test daily. The pot also was smashed in some when I picked it up. I know if any root damage. The waiting game with junipers is most painful with the delay -stowed energy etc. I’ve killed enough of them but mechanical damage is new to me which offers me
Some hope. We get cloudy days where the sun speaks and I take advantage of that by giving it some now I give it sun in the 80s.

 

[FreshAirSunshine]

Is the bottom picture it before? It seems to be browning in that one as well to my eyes…

 

[LeftHandLuke]

Its hot where I am

It's a good idea to add your USDA zone to your profile. It gives folks a better idea of your climate and they can give better advice.

 

[candin]

Sorry, I will update my zone. I am in zone 8b

Yes, all of the photos (except the one in my avatar photo ) are after I received the plant from UPS.

Here is a million-dollar question. Does browning tips on a juniper always mean the kiss of death for a branch or can that branch come back?

 

[Orion_metalhead]

I have three questions:

1. Where did you order it from?

2. Is the soil free draining?

3. Do you have photos of the tree prior to shipment?

What it appears to me is that wherever you ordered it from hedge pruned it and cut through the foliage with little regard for pruning location (hence the balls of foliage which are not natural growth-wise). When this is done, your tips will brown.

The other item I think is that it needs serious thinning in these tufts of foliage. With no sunlight getting to the interior, you will not encourage any new growth further in the tree.

If it were mine, it would be in full sun all day, as much sun as possible as soon as safe to do so. This means perhaps a two week process of moving from partial sun to full sun if I was unsure about the location it was kept prior to shipping.

As soon as new healthy growth appears, Id fertilize and maybe treat with a systemic as a precaution.

To answer your question about browning tips: No. Browning tips are not a death sentence, but if there is no green foliage on a branch, that branch is a goner. Thats why it is important for light to penetrate into the branches. Junipers dont readily backbud on old wood so its important to promote healthy tips and growth as much as possible. Heavy energy flow to from the tips of a branch is key to getting budding elsewhere on the branch.

 

[candin]

Thanks very much for your help.

The Jupiter is from Florida and was in full sun. I don’t have a photo of it threre but the owner is a bonsai grower and I have talked to him on the phone. He was letting it grow out so I do t know about the brown tips being caused by pruning. I don’t think he did. Wish he did though. It’s was defintely damaged in shipment.

The soil is mostly organic but is free draining. I did not smell anything abnormal regarding the roots.

I have been giving it full sun in the morning and late day. When it arrived one week ago, I trimmed off some of the brown areas. Hope this helps. I took that photo today. It’s under a tree during the heat of the day.

 

[candin]

Thanks very much for your help.

The Jupiter is from Florida and was in full sun. I don’t have a photo of it threre but the owner is a bonsai grower and I have talked to him on the phone. He was letting it grow out so I do t know about the brown tips being caused by pruning. I don’t think he did. Wish he did though. It’s was defintely damaged in shipment.

The soil is mostly organic but is free draining. I did not smell anything abnormal regarding the roots.

I have been giving it full sun in the morning and late day. When it arrived one week ago, I trimmed off some of the brown areas. Hope this helps. I took that photo today. It’s under a tree during the heat of the day.