Browned tips on Procumbens Juniper Nana

[BeebsBonsai]

Hey fellow Nuts,

I hope everyone is doing well and for those of you in the U.S., I hope you had a fun and safe independence day. I am having a small problem with one of my junipers. It has been the strongest growing and most healthy Juniper in my small collection, and I am noticing some weakness that I can't comprehend the origination of.

Over the last three weeks, I have notices some of the tips of the juniper turning brown and dying off. it doesn't seem to go past this year's growth, and is only affecting about 20 percent of the tree. I would chalk it up to tip blight, but I have made two applications this season of a granular systemic. I don't see how, with a systemic in place, tip blight can still be showing. I only have two other thoughts. 1.) perhaps my watering wasn't great on a hot day and it killed off the new growth that did not have a hard cuticle yet, or 2.) I put slightly too much systemic on the soil surface and it caused the young tips to scorch on a hot day. We did have an unseasonably hot week early in the spring. I considered maybe the tree was dropping some foliage it didn't need since it has grown so robustly over the last year or so, but I would've expected the entire branch of the tips affected to die back. Not just the freshly grown tips.

I don't have pics I can show at this time, and I will post them when I get home from work this evening, or tomorrow morning. However, does anyone have experience with this on nana junipers?

Beebs

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Systemics spread through the soil, so they're homogenized by water. A burn from those would affect the entire plant. However, if there's a super high concentration in the soil, the roots closest to that will just die. The foliage will follow rapidly. In my nana's without roots, the foliage doesn't brown, it just dries up green.

I have found brown tips in my juniper of which some soil has dropped through the bottom of my pot, basically leaving the roots exposed to air. This affected the tip only, and just on one branch. It happened during a few hot and dry days, almost similar to what you describe. Except in my juniper it's closer to just 2% of the tree being affected.

Root damage seems to be a likely cause. Have you been using more than the prescribed amount of systemics and if so, why?

 

[BeebsBonsai]

To be honest, there isn't a prescribed amount for potted plants. They won't give that readily on their informational packets. I looked at the recommendad dosage and reduced that to the pot's dimensions, than divided that by 2, just to be safe. I want to say, if I remember right, I used about a teaspoon's worth and the pot is 6x4x4''. I am going to be repotting it in the spring. That was already on the books.

 

[BeebsBonsai]

However, what I can say is, using that same calculations, I applied that systemic to all my trees, and none have seen ill effects from it. In fact, it has kept my pines incredibly healthy when last year, the wet, cold spring caused issues with needlecast even with the spraying of daconil.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

If it's the fungicide, the problem should be expanding.
If it's a watering issue, it should not. Since you're watering.
If it's a root issue, both could happen, but lower and shaded foliage would be less affected.

If you can find a pattern somewhere, it might help you zero in on the issue.

But pictures would sure help.

Also keep in mind that pines and junipers can respond very differently. I feel fine combatting bugs with alcohol on pines, but not on a juniper.

 

[Bananaman]

However, what I can say is, using that same calculations, I applied that systemic to all my trees, and none have seen ill effects from it. In fact, it has kept my pines incredibly healthy when last year, the wet, cold spring caused issues with needlecast even with the spraying of daconil.

Is the plant within 18 inches of the ground? Thats the fungus dome!!!! Or worse...on the ground!!!

 

[BeebsBonsai]

Is the plant within 18 inches of the ground? Thats the fungus dome!!!! Or worse...on the ground!!!

Currently, the tree is on a concrete patio. I have just moved and have been trying to get some time to build my bench, but every time I have a free day, something else breaks or needs to be done. I think I should have it built this saturday. None of my other trees are exhibiting this symptom. Judging by the fact it is only at the tips, and seems to be isolated and not spreading, I think it is a bit of scorch on a hot day where I missed a watering during my frantic painting and move in.

 

[butlern]

Worse might be heat from concrete patio... get it up on a wood bench so air can circulate and it's not sitting directly on a "pizza baking stone."

 

[BeebsBonsai]

Worse might be heat from concrete patio... get it up on a wood bench so air can circulate and it's not sitting directly on a "pizza baking stone."

I'm just going to commit to building the bench and getting it installed this weekend. It;s been a hellish and busy moving process and I hate that my trees might have suffered.