Nowadays, all the gardeners having blue arrow juniper plants are facing a common problem regarding it which is blue arrow juniper turning brown. I am not beyond that which made me search for the causes of this problem.
I found some common causes like sunlight issues, nutrient imbalance, winter damage, salt injury, root rot, rodent damage and diseases. If you are ignorant of the solutions to these problems, it will cause death to your plant.
That’s why, if you want, you can go through the detailed solutions to this problem in this article that I found after applying it to my plants. For your convenience, I have prepared a small table to deliver my messages quickly.
| Problems | Solution |
| Sunlight issues | Try to allow at least 6-8 hours of full sunlight |
| Nutrient Imbalance | Do not water much to your plant |
| Winter Damage | Use polythene shed and water regularly |
| Root rot | Stop over-watering your plant and go for repotting if needed |
| Salt injury | Apply a little amount of salt in unavoidable cases |
| Rodent damage | Use rodenticides |
| Diseases | Use fungicides or homemade recipes |
7 Main Causes of Blue Arrow Juniper Turning Brown
1. Sunlight Issues
If you get any browning issues like blue point juniper turning brown in your juniper plant, first check the amount of sunlight that is available for the plant. In the case of partial shade, it cannot make proper food materials for all of the body parts.
As light is one of the main important elements for photosynthesis, without a perfect light supply, this process is hampered. As a result, the plant cannot reach enough food materials for all the body parts which creates a stress condition. Thus, the blue arrow juniper plant becomes brown.
Control Measures
Blue arrow juniper plant loves to remain in full sunlight. At least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight is mandatory for their overall nourishment. So keep your plant in such a place where it can get sufficient sunlight.
In this case, you also have to be conscious of the sunlight quality. The morning light is much beneficial for the plant. On the other hand, afternoon light may create leaf scorching. Hence, before planting, you should maintain the direction of the sunlight.
2. Nutrient Imbalance
Secondly, you should look at the nutrient status of your plant. Nutrient deficiency is mainly exposed by yellow leaves. But at the same time, brown leaves sometimes also indicate the absence of enough nutrients.
The brown margins are the main indications of plant nutrient deficiency. Whenever the plant lacks those elements, the metabolism gets threatened.
As nutrients are an important factor for the plant, the plant cannot grow without mineral elements mainly nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. The growth hormone secretion and pigment formation are also inhibited due to the deficiency of the essential nutrients which results in browning.
Control Measures
Apply fertilizers to your plant once a year. Using fertilizer after winter facilitates the growth of new foliage which may be free from browning problems.
But you should use it in a perfect ratio labeled in the fertilizer bottle. Excessive fertilizer is also detrimental to the plant’s health. Too much fertilizer burns the root and the leaves of the problem which may also initiate browning problems. So be careful of that.
3. Winter Damage
Thirdly, winter is supposed to be one of the most detrimental times for a blue arrow juniper plant. When the temperature goes below 6°F, it creates great havoc on the plant metabolism. At this time, the plant cannot get favorable temperatures for its establishment.
Temperature is one of the main abiotic factors of the plant which has a mandatory effect on the growth and reproductive phase of the plant. The reproductive phase is delayed when the plant cannot get enough temperature. Again, growth phases are also stunted and the plant becomes brown.
Control Measures
To check this problem, you may keep the plant inside your house. But if it is non-portable, cover the plant with polythene sheets. You may use a little amount of salt to prevent salt injury.
Along with these activities, you should daily water your plant. Regular watering won’t allow the water to freeze. As a result, the plant will be able to uptake the available water and the browning problem will be solved.
4. Salt Injury
Fourthly, I am going to talk about salt injury. Meanwhile, I have explained that using salt is a remedy for winter damage, but it can be harmful to the plant if the salt level is too high.
Excessive salt is impossible for the plant to uptake as the plant cannot take the raw form of salt but rather take the ion forms. Whenever you put too much salt in the root zone, it gets stuck in the root tissues and water cannot pass through it which creates a deficiency of necessary materials and initiates browning problems.
Control Measures
Using salt should be at a definite range that will not create any problems for the plant. A little amount is enough. But you should try to avoid the method if you can save your plant from winter injury by watering. If it is unavoidable, then use salt.
5. Root Rot
In the fifth stage, root rot discussion is important. It is a problem caused by overwatering. An overwatered juniper plant cannot complete its life processes perfectly.
The plant takes a moderate amount of water from its root zone for the photosynthesis process. After that, the extra water remains clogged in the root zone. In this case, the aeration of the soil is inhibited which further causes the fungal attack.
Due to the fungal attack, the plant root system is damaged and fungi cause brown lesions in the plant roots which further take the form of root rot and the whole plant starts browning.
Control Measures
So, here is the important information about the controlling way of this devastating problem. To save your plant from root rot, stop watering your plant. Before watering, check if the soil is dry or not. You can also measure the humidity through the humidity meter.
If the soil becomes too soggy, then uproot the plant from the existing pot and plant it in another pot preparing a soil medium of sandy loam soil, perlite, sphagnum moss, and coco-peat.
6. Rodent Damage
In this section, I will introduce you to a different problem which is the damage caused by rodents. Rodents are mice and some species are near mice.
Plants having young shoots are commonly attacked by rodents. They chew the shoots which create damage in the xylem and phloem tissues which are the water and food-conducting tissues.
As they hamper the tissues, the conducting materials do not get enough space to reach the leaves and thus food production is prohibited which is responsible for browning.
Control Measures
You may use a thick and long fence of thorns which will create obstacles for the rodents to reach the plant. Some plants secret stinky substances which prevent the rodents from coming.
Easily, you can plant those in the nearby areas of the plant but they should be kept at an appropriate distance so that they cannot compete with the plant. You can also use rodenticides for this purpose.
7. Diseases
The blue arrow juniper plant faces two common diseases which are-
- Phomopsis Twig blight
- Tip blight
Mainly the damages caused by rodents or insects create a path for pathogens to inoculate the plant. Then, the plants get attacked with diseases.
Control Measures
The first and foremost duty should be removing the plant parts which are affected by the pathogens. Then, you may use fungicides or homemade recipes to control them.
Using chemical fungicides needs to be handled with some precautions so that they cannot harm you and your plant (Our pick: Monterey LG 6145 70% Neem Oil Ready-To-Spray Insecticide, Miticide, & Fungicide). If it is available to you, you can use them. Otherwise, you can prepare some common homemade fungicides if you are out of chemicals.
- Baking soda mixture
It is about the mixture of 4 tablespoons of baking soda with 1 gallon of water. Mix them properly and spray them on the plant.
- Neem oil
Take 1 tablespoon of neem oil, a few drops of essential oil, and 2 tablespoons of liquid soap and mix them in 1 gallon of water which will initiate a perfect homemade fungicide. Then spray it on the affected plant.
FAQs
Q: Can blue arrow junipers recover from turning brown?
Ans: Blue arrow junipers can recover from turning brown if the underlying cause of the problem is identified and addressed promptly. However, if the plant is severely damaged or has been affected by a disease that cannot be cured, it may not be able to recover.
Q: How long does it take for a blue arrow juniper to turn brown?
Ans: The time it takes for a blue arrow juniper to turn brown depends on the underlying cause of the problem. In some cases, the plant may turn brown quickly, while in other cases, the process may be more gradual.
Q: How long can a blue arrow juniper plant grow?
Ans: A blue arrow juniper plant can grow around 15-18 inches when they attain its mature height. The growth rate of this plant is medium. So hopefully, you will get to mature height in short months if you can provide all the necessary elements properly.
Q: What are the benefits of the blue arrow juniper plant?
Ans: Blue arrow juniper plants are too easy to maintain and you can grow them with a little care on your busy days. Else, this plant can withstand drought and rocky areas too. That means it can survive in a wide range of areas.
Final Thoughts
Finally, I have reached the last portion of my detailed discussion. Blue arrow juniper turning brown is a frustrating problem from the very beginning as the sweetness of the plant is ruined completely.
Hence, if you don’t want to lose the beauty of your plant, you should be conscious and observe your plant. Any abnormalities should be sorted out instantly. If you find any solutions working, you can try them and suggest them to others. Hopefully, your lovely plant won’t face any devastating problems further.
Happy Gardening.
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