Repotting a “Struggling” Juniper?

[jasonpg]

One of my junipers came out of winter looking quite beat up. One of the branches has foliage that is almost certainly dead (it will become a Jin), and the rest doesn’t look healthy either.

I’ve had this guy a few years in the same container and soil it came in. I think the soil is starting to drain slow as well, so a repot is probably in order.

Will repotting in its current state be okay, or will it further weaken the tree?

 

[0soyoung]

IMHO, your best hope is to put it in full sun and be careful to not over water it.

I am not sure whether some roots got frozen or it is just foliage damage, but repotting conifers is only good to rectify anoxia from broken down soil. Otherwise, it just exacerbates root problems. Full sun = auxin and sugar production --> grow roots and recover (if it is possible).

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Uh, that color doesn't look good at all. It may be passing on to the compost heap in the sky. But may as well try to save it.

Junipers like to be repotted a little bit later in spring. You need to see signs that the foliage has started growing a little. Maybe 4 weeks or more from now. Then repot.

So I would follow Osoyoung's suggestions. If the soil is really bad, not draining, smells bad. Yes, get your nose close to the pot, if the soil has gone anoxic, you will smell a foul odor. Then repot right away.

If the soil smells okay, but doesn't drain well, repot when the tree the tree shows signs of waking up.

If soil drains well, water not making pools or puddles for longer than 5 minutes, leave the roots alone.

Take a close look, check for spider mites and other pests. Spider mite damage is often confused with other things. It is harder to diagnose than other pests. It could be the cause.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I agree with the comments here but want to add that it is really hard to see what's going on with the roots if you don't pop the juniper out of that plastic pot. If you can gently lift the tree without all the soil falling away, you can examine the roots and see if they are dead/rotting, or extremely rootbound with rotting interior. Sometimes these trees have been slip-potted for years so that the interior of the rootball is a pit of despair, while the exterior soil looks pretty good.

 

[evolutionrevolution]

hope it survives. full repot as mentioned probably bad idea.

 

[fore]

Try to reestablish better drainage by putting a piece of wood underneath it to angle.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Try to reestablish better drainage by putting a piece of wood underneath it to angle.

This is a classic old school trick that is easy for me to forget here in SoCal where we don't get a lot of rain. Ryan Neil brought this up not too long ago in his video series when the Pacific NW was getting hammered with heavy rain. It is the first thing they do in his nursery if they are worried about plants getting water-logged.

 

[jasonpg]

This is a classic old school trick that is easy for me to forget here in SoCal where we don't get a lot of rain. Ryan Neil brought this up not too long ago in his video series when the Pacific NW was getting hammered with heavy rain. It is the first thing they do in his nursery if they are worried about plants getting water-logged.

Try to reestablish better drainage by putting a piece of wood underneath it to angle.

Will do.

Should I fertilize when it starts to push new growth?

 

[fore]

Yes. If it's pushing out new growth. But you need to reestablish proper oxygenation in the roots first.