Re: Browning junipers
3 years ago I bought in a load of junipers in late winter. Due to little
customer traffic, I had these for about 2-3 months. Suddenly they all began
to get brown branches, eventually dying completely.
I called a certified arborist, a local man who immigrated from England. He
had interned at Kew Gardens (how's that for some credentials?). He called in
a second consul and they determined that due to the cool, extraordinary wet
winters we've been having, that these are falling to soil pathogens that are
escalating due to favorable conditions. He said that he suspects that the big
wholesale growers are infected with these pathogens (one being phytopthera)
but are suppressing it by addition of certain fungicides to their irrigation.
He said that because I had these junipers for so long, the fungicides had
leached out and they died due to the pathogen.
I assume most customers would assume that early death was a result of improper
planting (I dunno....).
Anyway, my wholesale supplier, and let it be known that wholesale suppliers
don't refund money for ANYTHING, took them back and gave me credit. And I
didn't get nasty to get this accomplished. He actually concurred with the
arborist.
I have not carried any juniper for 3 years due to this (except Juniperus
virginiana 'Skyrocket', which we grew.), until this year, and *I* am growing
it to assure myself that we are selling a healthy plant.
Does that answer your question?
For clarity, phytopthera is present in all soils. It's the level of it that
can kill a susceptible plant. And from what I understand, juniper all over
the PacNW is dying, and has been for the past several years.
Diana
The Greenhouse Nursery
Port Angeles, WA
Margot Kane wrote:
> I have junipers that have long brances radiating from the middle about 3
> feet wide by a foot and a half high. This year many of the branches are
> turning brown - should I prune away all the brown growth? Are they dying?
> Any ideas?
>
> Thanks
>
> Margot
> Zone 6
>
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