how to revive juniper bush

Cutting all the branches of a juniper at once can leave the plant shorter and more sparse than you may like in the short term. For a less drastic look, revive your juniper over the course of three years by cutting back only one-third of the shrub's branches each spring.

How do you save a dying juniper bush?

Try to keep the foliage dry when watering or water early in the day so foliage dries quickly. Prune out the blighted parts as they appear and sterilize your pruners between cuts and, most importantly, between plants.

Why is my juniper dying?

Entire branches dying back especially on larger shrubs or juniper trees may be due to twig blight. This is caused by cankers. This disease can also cause foliage on infected branches to turn yellow or brown and wilt. According the UC, IPM site: “A canker is a localized dead (necrotic) area on branches, trunks or roots.

Can Brown juniper come back?

If they're brittle and dry, they're dead and won't come back. Some of the “brown” junipers that are still alive will put out new growth in the spring, but it will be from the tips of branches. If the browned junipers do survive, they're likely to be unattractive for quite some time.

How do you fix Brown junipers?

Treat scales with horticultural oil; pour 1 to 2 ounces of horticultural oil into 1 gallon of water and spray the juniper. Coat the leaves and branches thoroughly. The treatment should be done every two weeks while the scale insects are present but should not be done more than four times.

What is the best fertilizer for junipers?

Incorporate fertilizer into the soil or spread it around the plant, but avoid directly placing fertilizer into the planting hole. Established junipers will benefit from a complete fertilizer such as 16-4-8 or 12-4-8 applied at a rate of 1/2 lb. per 100 square feet in early spring and again in late summer.

How long do juniper bushes live?

Junipers typically live from 350 to 700 years, with some even passing the millennium mark. Despite their longevity, junipers rarely exceed 30 feet in height or three feet in diameter.

What will kill juniper bush?

Ashe junipers of any size can be killed by cutting at or slightly above the soil surface with an ax, chain saw, or hand-pruning shears. Redberry juniper seedlings and saplings can also be killed if cut at the soil surface, as long as the “bud zone” (a swollen “bulb” on the basal stem) is still above the soil surface.

How often should you water Juniper?

You should plan to water it every two to three days. Never allow the soil to dry out completely. Usually you can tell when it needs watering by the color and feel of the soil surface. The soil color lightens as it drys and the surface feels dry to the touch when it needs watering.

Do junipers need full sun?

Junipers are heat and drought tolerant once established, and tolerate poor soil conditions. Junipers perform best in full sun, but can tolerate shade. Also, junipers do not like wet locations and prefer well-drained soil. Depending on the species, juniper planting zones range from two to nine.

How do you get rid of old juniper bushes?

Use a Chainsaw to Cut the Bush Down

Cut the bush down to ground level using a chain saw or ax. This helps kill the bush and facilitates its removal. Wait at least a few days before removing the roots; if cutting down the bush kills the plant and the roots, the dry roots are easier to extract from the soil.

Will Roundup kill Juniper?

Roundup is a non-selective herbicide that would kill your junipers as well as the weeds, so you must spray very carefully and avoid getting any of it on the junipers. Roundup is systemic. ... However, you will have to hand pull any weeds and crown vetch growing right in with the junipers.

Do junipers turn brown in winter?

Junipers (Juniperus spp.) are low-maintenance evergreens and maintain their color throughout the cold winter months in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 10. ... However, a winter occurrence of browning branches usually indicates either Kabatina tip blight or an injury called winter desiccation.

How do you revive a brown evergreen?

The following will help you manage rust disease:

Prune away dead branches, twigs, and infected areas of the tree.
Remove fallen foliage and destroy it (burn it). ...
Apply a fungicide to the tree after removing signs of the infection.
Deep water the tree once per week to help it recover from the stress.

How do you treat spider mites on junipers?

The first line of defense is the use of water to wash away the mites' protective webbing and to wash many of the mites from the plant. A strong jet of water from the garden hose is sufficient for this treatment. Do this every few days as long as the mites remain present.

Does Juniper attract bugs?

Don't avoid planting juniper (Juniperus spp.) ... The annoying insects aren't attracted to the evergreen itself, but to the sticky sweet honeydew excreted by even smaller pests that feed commonly on junipers.

Can I use Miracle Grow on junipers?

Where do I apply Miracle-Gro Miracid Plant Food for junipers? The ground, the branches, or both? Miracle-Gro Miracid Plant Food can be applied to both leaves and soil. You should just wet the leaves and soak the soil around the plants for best results.

Do Fertilizer Spikes really work?

Spikes work by releasing nutrients into the soil over time. ... Natural and organic options release only quality nutrients into the soil. The release is triggered by fungal and bacterial activity. This activity spawns the added benefits of increased resistance to disease and pests.

Do junipers make soil acidic?

Though junipers will tolerate a neutral to slightly alkaline soil, they are acid-loving plants that grow and look their best in an acid to neutral soil ranging from 5.5 to 7.0 on the pH scale. Most average garden soils range between 6.0 to 7.0 on the pH scale.

How deep do juniper roots go?

The root system of a Juniper tree might grow 2 to 3 feet deep but the majority of the feeder roots responsible for absorbing nutrients are in the top 12 to 18 inches of soil.

What can I substitute for juniper bushes?

Once the junipers are removed, what should you replace them with? Herbaceous plants, such as lawn, annual and perennial flowers and bulbs, that are kept green during fire season via irrigation. Deciduous shrubs, preferably less than two feet in height and under irrigation.

Will junipers grow back?

Junipers (Juniperus spp.) can be used in nearly every part of your landscape. The long-lived evergreens can become scraggly and overgrown, however. ... Although a juniper won't grow back from a branch that has no green growth, careful pruning can revive the shrub.