White mold? Mineral deposits?

[RhyleeRebecca]

Hello all, I’m a newbie (2 yrs ish) and my juniper has developed this bumpy looking white / tan stuff on the visible roots / lower trunk, this is my first encounter with any health issues in a tree so I’m wondering - does it look like white mold? Mineral deposits? (See photos attached) Any advice on the best fungicide to use if it is mold is super appreciated. I could be over watering, I’d been trying to compensate for the really high temps we’ve had with little rain but it could have been too much.

 

[Esolin]

It looks like mineral crust to me. If it's hard and not mushy or powdery/falling apart, it's probably minerals. My junipers get crusty buildup that looks like that (our water here is horrible and very hard). Occasionally I will soak the trunk to soften the crust and gently scrub/scrape it off with a wooden chopstick or tooth brush.

 

[Shibui]

Looks like mineral to me too. Not surprising with the hot weather and extra watering most northerners have had this summer.
Do you water really heavy or just lots of light sprinkles? Regular misting or light watering allows mineral build up. Heavy watering when the soil gets almost dry is better and tends to wash some of the buildup away before it can precipitate.