need pic ... ken

Here ya go...

Possible root rot.

all evergreens .. conifers.. shed needles ... usually in 1 to 3 years ... it is increased by any of a multitude of stresses.. like drought.. extreme heat.. i suppose we can rule out winter damage.. lol ..

frankly.. i am surprised these grow in AZ .... just my MI bias ...

what i am wonder about.. are the large stones.. they could be retaining heat.. deep into the night ... which would be an extreme stress.. as night is usually when things get a respite .. a recovery period ...

you might consider pulling the stone back from within at least a foot of the trunk ...

regardless .. as best i can see.. the new growth looks fine ...

ken

Thanks Ken, we're at 4500 ft and have a more temperate climate than what's commonly thought of for AZ. We have 90s in summer; though over 100 this week; and teens in winter with snow a few times each year and are actually surrounded by a forest of pinon pines, cedar and large juniper trees. I'll check the stones for residual heat.

Jean: Root rot's a possibility though drainage isn't generally an issue in our soil. Chinensis junipers nearby are doing very nicely. Any suggestions short of shovel pruning?

you are way to fast to be thinking about shovel pruning.. as i suggested its possibly NORMAL shed ...

how long is this seasons new growth ... if there were significant root rot ... it would not be much ... look at the branch color.. to differentiate between old brown branch.. and new soft green growth ...

ken

btw .. its a conifer.. a tree ... long before its a shrub ... though i understand your common usage ... trees use water differently than other things ... they like a drink.. and then near drying ... [exceptions aside]

another thing struck me... is there landscape fabric under the stone ... if so ... it could be interfering with water management ... which could be a factor is there is a root rot ...

but it still looks rather normal to me ... if it stays this way ...

ken

There's no landscape cloth. Weeds aren't much of a problem here unless there's a water source. The juniper shown is about 4 ft from a mature pinon pine (25 ft).