Outdoors

[rrgarcia]

I planted some arborvitaes and a couple of them are turning brown although last year they seemed to do OK with the trickle of water they get.  One of them has a dead major branch.  Is this an indication they need more water or is there something that could be attacking them.  I have a juniper bush that dried out, yet the bottom of the front garden seems to collect a lot of moisture from the sprinkler system.  Can this bush have dried out due to lack of water, although I thought junipers thrive on almost no water?

[Ingar_HD_ATL]

Hey rrgarcia.

Here in Atlanta and in the southeast we have been getting an excessive amount of rain which when you add record humidity, you have a perfect recipe for fungus. Junipers do better with less water than they do with more water. I suspect that you have fungus on your plants which will spread to other plants if not treated with a fungicide like Daconil. I am not sure where you live but certainly if you live in the southeast I can assure you that it is a fungus.

When a fungus rears its ugly head, you know it because the stores become flooded with people buying fungicide, making it difficult to keep on the shelves like they are now. It is almost like coming into Flu season.

Swing by the store and let my garden professionals get you taken care of and thanks for joining us here on the online community.

[rrgarcia]

thanks for the reply.  I live in S. Colorado and have some fungus (huge) near a willow about three yards from the affected arborvitae.  I've been using fungicide on them but they keep on coming.  It doesn't look like there are any fungi near the arborvitae, though.  There is a constant drought here and I have the sprinkler system on twice a week for 15 mins a time but non directly on these trees.

[Ingar_HD_ATL]

Hey rrgarcia.

I still suspect that it is a fungus because if it was planted wrong (too deep) then it would have shown symptoms a long time ago. These plants prefer full sun, and if this plant is getting partial sun (half a day or less) then this can make it more prone to fungus.

Is this a possibility?

[rrgarcia]

Hello Greengiant.  These arborvitaes were a replacement for junipers that were getting too much of the neighbor's water and, subsequently, died.  I had planted them to be 3-4" above ground level due to high clay content and in accordance with local nursery recommendations.  They are in full sun from late morning to nightfall.  They have mulch and get water from rose bushes' drip (3ft away) and occasionally additional manual watering.  The willow, 8ft from the end tree, has large fungus growing under it which I treat with Bayer fungicide.  No other fungi noticed around them.  If it is fungus should I treat them with the same fungicide that I'm using on the willow's fungi?  Should I install their own dripper (1gph for 20 mins twice a week)?

[Ingar_HD_ATL]

Hey rrgarcia.

It sounds like you have done everything right, therefore all that is left to do is to water it slow and deep. If this plant is not getting water directly and you are in drought conditions then it can develop a shallow root system. If you can get these plants their own drippers then definitely do this, for it is all that is left to do. I might even hit the plant with some Miracle Gro Quick Start which is a root stimulator to give its root system a jolt.