My juniper appears to be getting eaten.

[kennethhrd]

Hello all, first timer here. I have a juniper that I bought in el paso of all places about a year ago. I moved to jacksonville florida in october. Recently I noticed that its leave are either disappearing and turning brown or it looks as if something is munching on it. I have been seeing spider webs on it and did find a lil spider which I got rid of.

Now I did repot awhile ago and it appears to have taken to the new soil. It gets watered and plenty of sun light. I did a research and they said it could be fungus or bugs. I really like this tree and I have sprayed it with insecticide a couple of times. I did prune about 5 months ago with my fingers but im noticing areas that I didnt prune are turning brown or getting eaten.

I'll try and post some pics.

If anyone can recognize this and give me a direction to take I would appreciate it.

 

[daytona1911]

juniper scale, but I cant see the juvenile growth close enough to see the little buggers.
Neem oil, synthetic pyrethroid, or safer soap applied on a regular basis according to the label will fix em good.

 

[october]

Hello and welcome kennethhrd. I don't see any scale on there. Scale are visible, at least the adults are. However, you would see the adults first anyway.

I would not spray again until you actually see a problem. Also, I don't see any sort of missing foliage. If it is outside, maybe a small animal nibbled on it. Also, insects would not really eat sections of this tree. If it was under attack, it would be from sucking insects, like scale. Which suck the juice from sections of the tree. Over time, that section pales and dries up, but does not disappear. To me, it looks like your tree is fine and healthy. However, it looks like there might have been some improper pruning that was done. Improper pruning on this variety will lead to areas that become brown.

Rob

 

[kennethhrd]

I tried to get better pics of the under growth

DO you think its bugs.

 

[kennethhrd]

Hello and welcome kennethhrd. I don't see any scale on there. Scale are visible, at least the adults are. However, you would see the adults first anyway.

I would not spray again until you actually see a problem. Also, I don't see any sort of missing foliage. If it is outside, maybe a small animal nibbled on it. Also, insects would not really eat sections of this tree. If it was under attack, it would be from sucking insects, like scale. Which suck the juice from sections of the tree. Over time, that section pales and dries up, but does not disappear. To me, it looks like your tree is fine and healthy. However, it looks like there might have been some improper pruning that was done. Improper pruning on this variety will lead to areas that become brown.

Rob

Thank you for the advice. Only reason I bring this up is that there are some areas that I didnt prune that are showing signs of browning. I never touche the new growth and some of that has been removed and not by me.

 

[edprocoat]

It really does not look like bugs, what I see are areas that look to have been parially pinched and the damaged needles browning, and the brown in the next to last pic near the trunk was just old foliage that is dying off as the growth becomes a woody branch.

ed

 

[kennethhrd]

Thanks all, I was getting worried. I used the roll your fingers method rather than cutting last time. It was my first so maybe I just need some practice. Will the foliage bounce back. Side question, I live in a area where my winters are 60 at night and 90 at the day. Jacksonville doesnt get cold. Will the lack of a winter hurt my tree. It has stopped growing for the last four months for the record.

 

[Paulpash]

Red Spider Mite can attack Junipers - test by holding a piece of white paper and tapping the branches ... you'll see the critters fall onto the paper if they are there. Treat with a suitable systemic insecticide.

The brown tips on Junis can be from several things:

1) Incorrect pruning (cutting through the green foliage causes the ends to go brown and tips to die back if the pruning was near the ends of stems). Always cut through semi hardwood or hardwood stems and not the foliage. Many advocate scissor pruning only of Junipers and not to pinch as it saps energy from the plant.

2) Natural winter die back / shedding of old foliage. This is natural. It should be removed with finger and thumb to allow sun / air into the tree.