Juniperus Mint Julep

I recently bought one of these in a 3 litre pot, a bonny, healthy looking specimen. I was not able to plant it out for several days, so left it in its pot and watered it every evening. It was in full sun, but conifers are usually OK with sun.

When I came to plant it out the roots were very wet. Planted it out and continued to water it well, but within a couple of days all the foliage was dry/dying. The leaves are now falling off.

Can anyone tell me what I did wrong? Did I perhaps water it too much? Did it perhaps not like being in full sun while still in a pot?

Is it possible that if I pruned off all the dead foliage it might regrow? Or is that wishful thinking on my part?

Many thanks for any advice.

 

This is a funny one.

Junipers like it dry but not when a young plant compressed into a 3 litre pot in full sun. It does need to be watered. Watering as you did, in this weather, should not have damaged it I think. (After all, we water our container plants every day.sometimes twice a day )

When you planted it, Estrella, what was the rootball like? Was it congested? It is possible the rootball may be dripping water yet the interior could be dry as a bone. In other words, the water just ran through it thus not giving it a drink at all. Most plants esp shrubs are plunged into a bucket of water before I plant them here.

Nothing to lose by cutting off dead foliage...it is just that, dead, so no further harm will occur.

I would also dig it up and look at the rootball. I would soak it in a bucket of water for 20 minutes or longer then loosen the roots esp if they are thick and strangling the rootball. Then replant, make a moat around it and drench it, let it drain and water again. Later, apply a mulch

 

Many thanks for your replies @Marley Farley and @Verdun.

I will get a photo of the shrub and post it a.s.a.p..

The root ball didn't appear congested when I took the plant out of its pot. In fact tbh I thought the roots seemed slightly on the sparse side for the size of this particular specimen, compared to other shrubs I have planted out from pots. But it does have a proper root system, it was not like a plant whose roots have been attacked by vine weevils - though AFAIK vine weevils don't like conifer roots anyway...

My OH's theory is the plant was already sickly when I bought it from the garden centre. But I don't really agree, as it was very healthy looking when I brought it home, and remained that way for the several days before I planted it out, and then suddenly it was in bad way, and did not recover. I was surprised at such a massive decline though.

Verdun, I will do as you suggest and cut back the dead foliage and replant it as per your instructions. Thank you again.