Juniper Die-Off on a Slope: Likely Water Pooling at the Base

Diagnosis: Poor Drainage at Slope Bottom

Junipers dying on lower/mid slope while top survives suggests water ponds at the base, drowning roots. Soil tests were clean, so it's not a pathogen.

Fix

• Install engineered retention (boulders, timbers) to hold grade and create drainage channels.
• Regrade base to eliminate pooling; direct water to a swale or outlet.
• Replant with wet-tolerant species in the low zone (e.g., red twig dogwood, winterberry).

A retaining wall is expensive; boulder terracing is cheaper and effective.