Chinese juniper: Diseases and Remedies (2-minute Read)

NOTE: Chinese juniper may be referred to as Juniperus chinensis in this article, in fact, those are the same plants, Juniperus chinensis is the botanical name for Chinese juniper.

Chinese juniper is an evergreen plant that is native to countries in East Asia. It can grow up to 40 feet tall and 20 feet wide in the wild. Its dark green needles are attractive year-round. In the late summer and fall, many varieties have berry-like fruit that attracts birds.

Chinese juniper is a popular landscape shrub or tree with more than 100 different varieties. Some shrubs are trimmed to make them look more attractive in a garden. It is best planted in the fall, but in regions that experience harsh winters, consider planting in early spring.

Why does my Juniperus chinensis roots have rot?

Root rot on your Chinese juniper (Juniperus chinensis) can be dangerous if left untreated. In order to keep your plant alive, we strongly suggest that you follow our advice if the signs start to show: blackened and mushy roots.
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Why does my Chinese juniper have gray mold spots?

Gray mold spots are a type of fungus that is found a lot in flowers, and spreads quite rapidly. If you notice brown (or gray) spots, it is probably this fungus. Don’t ignore these symptoms, as they may end up killing your plant.

Our Solution

When you understand the root of the issue, the solution makes perfect sense. The majority of the time, it is caused by the Juniperus chinensis being overwatered. We urge you to cut off the infected roots and leaves, remove the affected sections of the plant, and then repot your plant in a fresh container with sterile potting soil.

Why does my Chinese juniper have leaf spots?

Leaf We provide you with all the information you need to identify and save your plants if they display signs like leaves that suddenly change color or wilt/droop. This sort of sickness is one of the most aggravating for Chinese juniper owners.

Why are my Chinese juniper leaves turning yellow?

Yellowing leaves are arguably the most prevalent issue in the gardening world. Overwatering or a lack of nutrients are the 2 main causes of this issue.

Whether you think your plants are getting too much water, cut back on how often you water them, and take the following measures to see if they might be nutritionally deficient:

Each deficiency produces a different yellowing on the Juniperus chinensis in question, here’s how to spot them:

  • The first symptom of a magnesium deficiency is yellow patches between leaf veins on elder leaves. The leaf’s core turns yellow while the veins stay green. The edges of the leaf yellow last.
  • Another indicator of iron deficiency is yellowing between leaf veins, but young leaves on plant tops and branch tips are first affected.
  • The newest leaves are first affected by sulfur deficiency, rendering them completely yellow.
  • Leaf edges turning bright yellow but inside leaf remaining green are signs of potassium insufficiency. The symptoms first appear on older leaves, and the leaf edges quickly become dark.
  • A lack of nitrogen is indicated by a widespread yellowing. Older, inner leaves are the first to yellow. As the yellowing progresses, it eventually touches young leaves as well.

Our Solution

According to the symptoms mentioned above, you just have to act accordingly. You can reduce your watering frequency, or fix a deficiency in Potassium, or Nitrogen, for that, you just have to buy a special soil for your deficiency, a consultant in a gardening store will know perfectly well how to inform you.

Is my Chinese juniper sunburned?

You can easily tell if your Chinese juniper (your Juniperus chinensis) has a sunburn. In this case, your plant will change color, starting to turn yellow or white, much like it does on us.

Sunburned

As we saw above, the leaves of your Chinese juniper can also change color if it receives too much water or insufficient light.

However, there is a way to tell if it is sunburn; look at the bottom of the yellow leaves, the ones that have a shaded area closer to the root, if this area stays greener, it is probably sunburned, not something else.

Why are my Chinese juniper leaves turning brown?

A plant’s browning leaves are typically a symptom that it has been sunburned and has been exposed to excessive amounts of direct sunlight. Don’t worry; your plant probably won’t perish as a result, but its growth will be negatively impacted.

Should I leave my Juniperus chinensis in direct sunlight?

No! Don’t leave your Juniperus chinensis (or Chinese juniper) in the sun if it displays the symptoms mentioned above; that’s why it’s in such a bad situation.

Our Solution

As explained in the paragraph above, the solution is simple, just place your Chinese juniper in a place where the light does not reach it directly, in this way and with a correct watering, your plant should resume its life rather quickly.

Why are my Juniperus chinensis leaves drooping or wilting ?

In most cases, this happens when your Juniperus chinensis lacks water. This is especially the case for large plants, naturally they need more water than others.

Drooping

You may quickly determine if your Juniperus chinensis plant needs water by under-weighing its pot; if it seems light, the soil and roots are probably fairly dry and require water.

Our Solution

If the soil in the container is completely dry, you must first moisten it to guarantee that your plant’s roots absorb the benefits of the water. One common mistake is to drown the Chinese juniper right away after a dry time because you think it needs a lot of water.

This is true, but the easiest way to end it is to give too much water at once. Instead, you should water the soil properly, returning to a peaceful watering rhythm.

Caring Tips for Juniperus chinensis

Water Occasionally

Water is essential to the survival of your plant, however, it is important to balance the rate of watering. As we explained above, overwatering could have fatal consequences for your Juniperus chinensis.

You can tell if your plant needs water by touching the soil; if it still feels damp, it’s usually preferable to wait a few more days.

Always keep temperatures stable

It is also a good idea to keep your Juniperus chinensis at a stable temperature (especially if it is kept indoors!). At GreenShack, we generally recommend staying in the 65 and 85 degrees F range. Of course, do not place your Juniperus chinensis near a source of hot (or cold) air such as A/C units, radiators or the like.

Keep your Chinese juniper Dust-Free

This one relates to indoor plants. Just like your furniture, dust collects on the leaves of your indoor plants. The issue is that this can block the photosynthesis process from starting, which would cause the plants to gradually lose their color.

This would be a true journey into hell for your Chinese juniper and would also satisfy the pests.

To remove the dust, gently rub the plant’s leaves with a microfiber cloth. Dust can be removed more easily with a damp cloth, but stay away from corrosive substances like rubbing alcohol!

Keep drainage in mind

If you have a tendency to overwater, you should be mindful of your drainage, and if they don’t already have them, we suggest selecting a saucer and a pot with drainage holes.

You can add volcanic rocks (or any other pebbles with holes) to the bottom of your pot in the interim if your pots don’t already have holes in them. This will help to form a channel so that the water doesn’t pool there for too long (preventing the rot of the roots!).