NOTE: The terms Rocky Mountain Juniper and Juniperus scopulorum are identical in this text; in reality, Juniperus scopulorum is Rocky Mountain Juniper’s biological word.
The meaning of the botanical name is “Of the mountain”. It’s normal form is more formal than other junipers. It reaches a mature height of 30 to 40 feet in a columnar shape with one or two main leaders. The variety of foliage varies from dark green to blue-green.
As the tree matures, the needles on the young plants become appressed and scale-like. The dark blue cones are covered in a white bloom in their second year and have been used for food, medicine, and making all types of beverages from tea to gin.
Why does my Juniperus scopulorum roots have rot?
If left untreated, root rot on your Rocky Mountain Juniper (Juniperus scopulorum) can be fatal. For this reason, if the symptoms appear, we highly advise that you adhere to our recommendations to keep your plant alive: Blackened and softened roots.
Why does my Rocky Mountain Juniper have gray mold spots?
Gray mold spots are a specific fungus that regularly harms flowers and spreads swiftly. If you notice any brown (or gray) spots, this fungus is probably to cause. You risk your plant dying if you ignore these warning indications.
Our Solution
The answer is obvious once you recognize the cause of the problem. Most frequently, it results from the Juniperus scopulorum being overwatered. We strongly advise you to remove the damaged plant parts, cut off the diseased roots and leaves, and then repot your plant in a new container with sterile potting soil.
Why does my Rocky Mountain Juniper have leaf spots?
If your plants exhibit symptoms like rapid color changes in the leaves or leaves that wilt or droop, we give you all the information you need to recognize them and rescue your plants. For owners of Rocky Mountain Juniper, this kind of illness is among the most distressing.
Why are my Rocky Mountain Juniper leaves turning yellow?
In the world of horticulture, yellowing leaves are undoubtedly the most common problem. The two main causes of this problem are overwatering and a lack of nutrition.
Reduce your watering frequency when you fear your plants are being overwatered, and follow these steps to determine whether they may be lacking in nutrients:
Each deficiency produces a different yellowing on the Juniperus scopulorum 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.
- Sulfur deficiency starts with the newest leaves, turning them yellow throughout.
- Potassium deficiency shows itself when leaf edges turn bright yellow, but the inner leaf stays green. Older leaves show symptoms first, and leaf edges soon turn brown.
- 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
You only need to respond to the signs mentioned above. A gardening store expert will be able to provide you advice on how to purchase a specific soil to treat a potassium or nitrogen deficiency. Additionally, you can reduce how often you water your plants.
Is my Rocky Mountain Juniper sunburned?
It is simple to determine whether your Rocky Mountain Juniper (your Juniperus scopulorum) has sunburn. Your plant will change color in this instance, beginning to turn yellow or white, much like it does on us.
As we saw above, if your Rocky Mountain Juniper receives too much water or not enough light, the leaves may also change color.
To find out if the yellow leaves have been sunburned, look at the part of the bottom that is tinted closer to the base. The yellow leaf is probably burnt and not something else if this portion stays greener.
Why are my Rocky Mountain Juniper leaves turning brown?
The classic sign that a plant has been overexposed to direct sunlight and sunburned is the development of browning leaves. Rest assured that while this may probably save your plant from dying, it will adversely affect its growth.
Should I leave my Juniperus scopulorum in direct sunlight?
No! If your Juniperus scopulorum (or Rocky Mountain Juniper) has the symptoms described above, don’t leave it in direct sunlight, that’s the reason why your Rocky Mountain Juniper is in such a state!
Our Solution
The remedy, as said in the paragraph above, is simple: just move your plant’s Rocky Mountain Juniper out of direct sunlight. Your plant should swiftly re-grow with this strategy and appropriate watering.
Why are my Juniperus scopulorum leaves drooping or wilting ?
This typically occurs when your Juniperus scopulorum gets dehydrated. Large plants are more at risk since they naturally require more water than smaller plants.
Whether your Juniperus scopulorum plant’s pot appears light, the soil and roots are likely fairly dry and need water, so you can readily tell if it needs to be hydrated.
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 Rocky Mountain Juniper right away after a dry time because you think it needs a lot of water.
This is the case, but giving too much water at once is the best way to finish it off, you should actually water the soil normally, resuming a quiet watering rhythm.
Caring Tips for Juniperus scopulorum
Water Occasionally
Water is necessary for your plant to live, but timing and amount of watering must be balanced. Overwatering could have disastrous effects on your own name, as we already mentioned.
The best way to know if your plant needs water or not is to touch the soil, if you feel it is still wet, it is probably a good idea to wait a few more days.
Always keep temperatures stable
It is also a good idea to keep your Juniperus scopulorum 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 scopulorum near a source of hot (or cold) air such as A/C units, radiators or the like.
Keep your Rocky Mountain Juniper Dust-Free
This one is about houseplants. Your indoor plants’ leaves get dusty just like your furniture does. The problem is that this might prevent photosynthesis from beginning, which would result in the plants gradually losing their color.
This would also make the pests happy, a real descent into hell for your Rocky Mountain Juniper.
Take a microfiber cloth and gently massage the plant’s leaves to get rid of the dust. Use a damp cloth to make dust removal easier, but avoid using corrosive materials 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.
If your pots don’t already have holes in them, you can add volcanic rocks (or any other pebbles with holes) to the bottom of your pot in the meantime. This will assist in creating a channel and keep the water from pooling there for an extended period of time, protecting the roots from decay.
