I have a question regarding a creeping Juniper.
I inherited this plant when I purchased my home in 2018. I do not know what variety it is and I am not sure how old it is. Since purchasing this home in 2018, the plant has had no issues until last September (2020), when I noticed a small brown section on the plant. This year, I have noticed that the brown I first noticed in September of 2020 seems to be spreading/increasing and I now have several brown sections. I have included several present day pictures to show the plant and browning sections from several different angles and with some close up shots. Please let me know if additional pictures would be helpful- I'm happy to take and send more if there is something specific needing to be seen.
In case it is helpful, I am going to include a little bit of background regarding the plant:
Light: This juniper is located on the east side of my property. It is in full sun all day. It is only in shade in the late afternoon/evening when the sun sinks low enough that the house blocks the sun as it is setting.
Fertilizer: I applied a 10-10-10 slow release fertilizer in early spring 2021. I have never fertilized it before but did so this year after being concerned regarding the brown section observed in fall of 2020.
Water: The previous owners had a single emitter on the plant. It was the type that can be rotated to open/close and release more/less water. Shortly after buying this home, I changed it to a single 1 gallon per hour emitter so I could know exactly how much water the plant was receiving. I run the drip line that the juniper is served by for 10 minutes almost everyday from late spring through frost/fall, when I have to drain the sprinkler system for winter. On warm days in the winter I will water it if it has been dry and we have not received much snow. In the winter, I water by setting a bucket near the roots that has small holes which allow the water to slowly drip out. I have always been uncertain regarding the watering of this plant. I have read that it is drought tolerant,
but it is a rather large plant and Colorado can be so dry- I honestly have no idea if I am watering it appropriately.
Location: The plant is located on a slight slope, however, the root ball of the plant is planted in a somewhat level patch at the top of the slope and the majority of the plant's growth "spills" down the slope.
Pruning: I have only ever cut back the tips of the plant to prevent it from covering the path of river rocks at the base and side of the plant (see pictures).
Taking all this into account, is there anything you can see in the pictures or that you can deduce from the plant's care/background that would explain why the plant is browning up?
I'd greatly appreciate any suggestions/resources/information that can help solve this problem and that could guide me on caring for this plant going forward. I'm a first time home owner and caring for plants/landscape is new to me but I am doing my best to learn.
