New juniper has dead spots

Q:  I purchased a spiral juniper two months ago in May and my plant now has brown patches. What can I use so I don’t lose the whole plant?
A: My best guess is the juniper got too  dry at some point after planting. In my experience, junipers and arborvitae are extremely sensitive to underwatering during the first year the plant is in the ground. You have to check the root ball every few days to be sure the soil is not dry. If the roots dry out for just a day or two the needles above will start drying out too.
This becomes serious quickly, because dry needles do not recover, they turn brown. Some parts of the foliage are dryer than others so they turn brown first. This would explain the brown patches you see on your Juniper . The dead needles fall off the plant, leaving dead twigs behind.
The longer the roots are dry the more needles turn brown. Eventually, the whole plant is brown and dead. Planting shrubs or trees in late spring is always problematic because they can’t grow enough roots before the heat of summer hits.
You should immediately soak the soil around the plant and begin  checking every few days to make sure it doesn’t dry out again.
If the brown patches grow larger and affect the whole plant, it will not survive and can not be brought back to life.

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