Is this Juniper Tip Blight?

[Apex37]

I’m so ready to give up on junipers. The few I’ve had just have had constant issues. This one has been a struggle since it first arrived. You can look back here at the history of this tree: https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/struggling-junipers.49569/page-3#post-946547

I think now I’m having an issue with tip blight. I treated with bonide infuse about 2 months back. Sprayed with neem oil pretty consistently once I started seeing some browning. I’m thinking now it’s time to apply daconil or something similar as this issue has been getting progressively worse. After the repot at the end of March he pushed a fair amount of good growth, but it’s slowed down and now even new growing tips in spots are browning. I potted him in 1:1:1 akadama, lava, pumice. He gets about 6-7 hours of direct sun until about 3pm. I water him daily, especially now with temps in the upper 90s.

Any suggestions?
I don’t want to give up on him, but he has been a problem child from the start.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Why the constant neem oil applications? It's NOT an antifungal or antibacterial material. It's insecticidal and prevents infections transfered by bugs. Damaging the emerging cuticle with oil and soap can kill conifer tips, especially if applied constantly.

I see a scale infection as well.

That repot might be echoing still. Not sure if it's tip blight at all. Rather a combination of things.

 

[Apex37]

Why the constant neem oil applications? It's NOT an antifungal or antibacterial material. It's insecticidal and prevents infections transfered by bugs. Damaging the emerging cuticle with oil and soap can kill conifer tips, especially if applied constantly.

I see a scale infection as well.

That repot might be echoing still. Not sure if it's tip blight at all. Rather a combination of things.

I applied it about 4 times when the symptoms started showing. I was under the impression it was due to the fact it says it is on the bottle and when I looked online.

https://globalresearchonline.net/journalcontents/v39-1/38.pdf

I’ll look into treating it for scale.

 

[sorce]

Rather than get into you on how you'll never be able to know what's wrong once you spray anything, let alone 3 different things multiple times.......

I will just present this post of my ERC on a rock with hardly any soil that certainly had tip blight last year, and it's gone now after doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING but watering it.
Post in thread 'NOT pots ???' https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/not-pots.55783/post-965555

These people selling these poisons don't even give a shit about our children, we shouldn't assume they somehow care for our plants.
All they care about is that you buy their shit.

You Don't need It!

Sorce

 

[Pitoon]

Neem oil is a fungicide, pesticide, and miticide. It is also organic as well. However it can burn leaves and needles if it is sprayed and the plants are left out in the sun. It's best (if possible) to move the plants to a shaded area and spray.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Neem oil is a great dormant spray, but you have to be careful with it during the growing season because you can burn your trees with it. I would take your stressed tree out of full sun, and put it in indirect light / dappled shade. That will help a ton. Then, I would personally use a systemic insecticide/fungicide like:

BioAdvanced 701260B 32Oz All in 1 Rose Care, 32 oz, Concentrate

Some people don't like to use systemics, but in a case like this with (what appears to me to be) a combination of insect and fungus damage, it will probably take care of the problem. Otherwise, don't prune, repot, or touch the plant for a year.

I am not kidding when I say I may own 100 junipers, and they are the one tree that I seem to have the least problem with (hence why I own too many). But you also need to know when to leave them alone, and there are times when a light touch is required.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

I applied it about 4 times when the symptoms started showing. I was under the impression it was due to the fact it says it is on the bottle and when I looked online.

https://globalresearchonline.net/journalcontents/v39-1/38.pdf

I’ll look into treating it for scale.

All of these three tested fungi have plant protective functions. So killing them would be a bad idea in the first place.

As for the study, you'll see for yourself that this is.. below high school entry level science.

If you compare the data table with the pictures, you'd notice that the with T. Viride has one (N60) disc with a clear zone around it, but the table says it's three zones in sizes 11, 14 and 16mm. But if the N60 is neem oil 60ul, then the table still doesn't make sense because the A. Niger fungus doesn't seem to show inhibition at the n20 and n60 disc in the images, but the text says it does..
The description below the pictures is quite striking: N- neem oil, C- Clove oil, C - ketokonazole.
There are no C's in the images and giving the control sample the same name as some never before mentioned other technique is like.. Not that scientifically sound... That means there's either a wrong image use and interpretation, or a completely non-reviewed study that's entirely made up. I see this a lot with Indian herbal studies.. They conclude things that clearly shouldn't be concluded from the data they provide.

 

[Apex37]

All of these three tested fungi have plant protective functions. So killing them would be a bad idea in the first place.

As for the study, you'll see for yourself that this is.. below high school entry level science.

If you compare the data table with the pictures, you'd notice that the with T. Viride has one (N60) disc with a clear zone around it, but the table says it's three zones in sizes 11, 14 and 16mm. But if the N60 is neem oil 60ul, then the table still doesn't make sense because the A. Niger fungus doesn't seem to show inhibition at the n20 and n60 disc in the images, but the text says it does..
The description below the pictures is quite striking: N- neem oil, C- Clove oil, C - ketokonazole.
There are no C's in the images and giving the control sample the same name as some never before mentioned other technique is like.. Not that scientifically sound... That means there's either a wrong image use and interpretation, or a completely non-reviewed study that's entirely made up. I see this a lot with Indian herbal studies.. They conclude things that clearly shouldn't be concluded from the data they provide.

Well I’m below high school level in science too so not surprised I was duped lol

 

[Apex37]

Neem oil is a great dormant spray, but you have to be careful with it during the growing season because you can burn your trees with it. I would take your stressed tree out of full sun, and put it in indirect light / dappled shade. That will help a ton. Then, I would personally use a systemic insecticide/fungicide like:

BioAdvanced 701260B 32Oz All in 1 Rose Care, 32 oz, Concentrate

Some people don't like to use systemics, but in a case like this with (what appears to me to be) a combination of insect and fungus damage, it will probably take care of the problem. Otherwise, don't prune, repot, or touch the plant for a year.

I am not kidding when I say I may own 100 junipers, and they are the one tree that I seem to have the least problem with (hence why I own too many). But you also need to know when to leave them alone, and there are times when a light touch is required.

Thanks B-nut! I try to always apply after sun down and keep in a shaded area whenever it’s going through application rounds.

I’ll look into getting that Bioadvance rose care because one of the members in my club also mentioned using this on their plants. Thank you all for the advice!

I will update as treatment continues and hopefully it will bounce back. It’s been a weak tree since receiving it due to the previous owner taking WAY too much off and sticking into a tiny bonsai pot with 3 different soil mixes in it. I repotted in spring taking nothing off the roots and trying to make sure it was in a much better mix. I really don’t plan to do anything to the tree until it regains a good amount of vigor, which at this point is looking to be 2-3 years down the road.

 

[Baku1875]

Neem oil is a great dormant spray, but you have to be careful with it during the growing season because you can burn your trees with it. I would take your stressed tree out of full sun, and put it in indirect light / dappled shade. That will help a ton. Then, I would personally use a systemic insecticide/fungicide like:

BioAdvanced 701260B 32Oz All in 1 Rose Care, 32 oz, Concentrate

Some people don't like to use systemics, but in a case like this with (what appears to me to be) a combination of insect and fungus damage, it will probably take care of the problem. Otherwise, don't prune, repot, or touch the plant for a year.

I am not kidding when I say I may own 100 junipers, and they are the one tree that I seem to have the least problem with (hence why I own too many). But you also need to know when to leave them alone, and there are times when a light touch is required.

I'm really glad to hear this advice.

I lose at least 2-3 developing plants per year because of southern blight, aphids, etc that get a little too festive during the summer high humidity+rain, I'm gonna stop spraying neem and try this systemic to see if it helps.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I'm really glad to hear this advice.

I lose at least 2-3 developing plants per year because of southern blight, aphids, etc that get a little too festive during the summer high humidity+rain, I'm gonna stop spraying neem and try this systemic to see if it helps.

We were talking about this product on another thread in the last year (though I can't remember which one). The active insecticide in this product is Imidacloprid, which is a synthetic derivative of nicotine. Works great for sucking and chewing insects (aphids, scale, beetles, borer larvae, etc)... but should be noted that it does not work on spider mites.

 

[Apex37]

We were talking about this product on another thread in the last year (though I can't remember which one). The active insecticide in this product is Imidacloprid, which is a synthetic derivative of nicotine. Works great for sucking and chewing insects (aphids, scale, beetles, borer larvae, etc)... but should be noted that it does not work on spider mites.

Circling back to this as I just got it in the mail. Since it states on the directions not to use on potted plants. What is the application amount you use for this?

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Use it as directed on the label.
Because every supplier and provider uses a different stock concentration. So the end user is responsible for making the right mixture that ends up being the generally recommended dose.

 

[Apex37]

Use it as directed on the label.
Because every supplier and provider uses a different stock concentration. So the end user is responsible for making the right mixture that ends up being the generally recommended dose.

Gotcha, wasn’t sure if it needed to be diluted at all since it said don’t use on potted plants on the instructions.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

I think the don't use on potted plants is on the label because we generally keep those indoors, and indoors is a place where you wouldn't want pesticides, herbicides or fungicides at all.
That.. And you shouldn't eat veggies treated with this stuff. Some pots, especially terracotta and clay pots, can soak this stuff up and keep it there for years. Part of the reason why those kind of clays are used to clean up chemical spills.
Now if you spray a pine in a terracotta pot for an entire year with this stuff, and then take said pot indoors to grow some peppers, you might get the runs - or worse because the residues will kill the yeasts and fungi that are good for your gut.