How Often Should I Water My Juniper Tree?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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In average garden soil you should not have to water your newly planted Juniper

every day

. More often than not, this causes soggy soil conditions that can cause root rot and other harmful plant diseases. In the absence of sufficient rainfall, water only as needed to keep the root ball and surrounding soil damp to moist.

How often do you water junipers?

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.

Can junipers get too much water?

Junipers may suffer from overwatering; branches might even die and turn brown. If drought is severe, a deep watering of about 1 inch will help plants retain their healthy green growth, but

water should never stand under

their low-growing branches.

How do you take care of a juniper tree?

Water young shrubs well and mulch with pine needles or bark mulch to keep the soil evenly moist and weeds at bay.

Fertilize in spring with

a layer of compost and an organic plant food for evergreens. Prune junipers in spring after a spurt of new growth to shape the plant and remove dead, broken or diseased branches.

How do you know if your juniper has too much water?

If

your plants are wilted even when the soil is wet

, or if the color of your plants is consistently a pale, light green rather than a rich, vibrant hue, you should immediately suspect over watering. Too much water is the most common cause of death for potted plants and can contribute to death in bedded plants as well.

Why are my junipers turning brown?

Junipers are

susceptible to twig and tip blights

that cause the younger needles to turn brown and fall from the branches. Tips of the branches turn pale then red-brown before turning brown and falling from the shrub. The branches develop cankers where the dead branch sections meet the sections that are still alive.

How do you speed up juniper growth?

These tough plants adapt to just about any soil that drains well. After planting water deeply about twice per week for the first couple months. After establishing, junipers are drought tolerant, but

a deep watering during periods of extended drought

will help your plants grow faster and be healthier.

How do you revive a dying juniper tree?

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 deep do juniper tree roots go?

Although the precise depth of the plant’s roots depends in part on how much moisture is available, plants in their native, dry habitat root to a depth of

5 to 14 inches

.

How long do juniper trees live?

Junipers grow very slowly. A juniper standing only five feet tall may be 50 years old. 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 does an overwatered tree look like?

Look for symptoms of overwatering to verify that this really is the cause of whatever is going on with the tree, including a loss of vigor, yellowing leaves,

leaf scorch and water-soaked blisters on the stems and leaves

. … Also, any signs of mushrooms or algae around tree’s root zone can indicate a water-logged tree.

How can you tell if a tree is getting enough water?

A properly-watered tree should

have cool, moist soil

. If the soil isn’t sandy or drenched, try to roll it into a ball. Your tree will need more water if it crumbles. If the soil is sopping wet, your tree might be getting too much water.

How can you tell if a newly planted tree has enough water?

To determine if the plant needs more water,

dig in the soil with a screwdriver to feel how moist the earth is

. If it’s dry, then it’s time to water; if it feels damp, hold off on watering for a couple of days.

How do I know if my juniper is dying?


If the branches are flexible and full of sap, they’re still alive

. 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.

Do junipers attract bugs?

Junipers (Juniperus spp.) belong to the cypress plant family (Cupressaceae), and many varieties grow well as multibranched shrubs. … Tolerant of various environmental conditions, these

hardy bushes still occasionally attract various bugs.

What does juniper blight look like?

Juniper twig blight is characterized by the die back of the terminal growth on an afflicted evergreen plant. The foliage will turn

light green, reddish brown, or

even dark gray and the dead tissue will gradually creep into the central foliage of the plant.

David Martineau
Author
David Martineau
David is an interior designer and home improvement expert. With a degree in architecture, David has worked on various renovation projects and has written for several home and garden publications. David's expertise in decorating, renovation, and repair will help you create your dream home.