Question From: Saint Petersburg, Florida, United States
Q: My juniper ground cover (7 years old),has slowly been dying in one section, creeping its way across, leaving me with dead juniper shrubs which I remove ( no big empty patch) in the center. Seems it started with fading to light yellow color tips then turn brown and die. I just weeded the area of torpedo grass and other weeds and noticed quite a few snails in the soil. Is it likely they could be slowly killing the juniper plants or may it be a fungus. I see no cob webs or other bugs. The remainder of the juniper looks beautiful , but it seems to affect the plant next to the sick one.
A: I live in Michigan so I am not familiar with diseases of Florida. I recommend you take photos along with a few cuttings in a plastic bag clear plastic bag to your local independent garden center or nursery that sells these plants. The time to address problems is when they first appear. Overheard watering and lack of sun are often the problem. Snails do not go after Junipers. It is wise to removes the infected material to prevent or slow spreading. Best Nancy
