[Hammer]

I have a sick tree and could do with some help urgently.

I have had this tree which i believe is a Juniper but what variety etc i have no idea and have been unable to find out on the internet. I have the tree about eight years and it has always been fine and healthy and came through some very severe winters -20 at one point, but in the last few weeks it is looking decidedly unwell. The needles started to turn brown and die, two weeks ago i cut away all the dead foliage and re-potted it in a larger pot and fed it with a general purpose fertilizer plus a little fish blood and bone meal mix.
All to no avail as it continues to deteriorate, i have examined it for bugs etc and can see no sign nor any obvious fungal attack. The only thing i have noticed that whereas in past years the bark has turned a shiney purple/reddish brown in summer and sap emerges from carcks as it sheds the older bark, this year the bark is somewhat grey and dull looking and although 'sticky' the sap that can be seen in the photos is whiteish grey and solidified.
I bought this tree from a local garden centre where i had seen it for a few years and almost felt sorry for it as it was quite unusual and attractive but nobody ever bought it
Any help would be greatly appreciated as i want to save it (the garden centre can't help)

[medieval knievel]

have you tried lifting it out of the pot to check the rootball?

[kindredspirit]

He just took it out and re-potted it 2 weeks ago.

All I know, is that Junipers love good drainage, slightly acidic soil and don't like clay. Perhaps it needs a rich soil to grow in. It "looks" nutrient starved but I'm no expert.

[Greengage]

right whatever it is it does not look like a juniper, it is top grafted therefore it is man made to make it simple maybe the graft is not compatible with the rootstock.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weeping_tree scroll down to check leaf types on weeping conifers

[tippben]

Yes, I think it's a weeping cedar. Prune off any dodgy or dead bits, and feed with liquid seaweed. Also foliar feed with the same in the morning. That tree would be much better planted in the ground , as long as grass is kept 2' away from the trunk. I think it dried out in that pot, and ran out of food.

[Hammer]

Thank you all for your replies
. At no stage did the pot dry out, having said that too much water is as big an issue for fir/cedar type trees as too little although i don't water it except in prolonged dry spells..
Yesterday i cut away more of the brown dead foliage and sprayed the tree thoroughly with a foliar feed and fed with liquid seaweed as tippben advised and will just have to wait and see if it improves.
I am very reluctant to use a disinfectant wash on the trunk at this time of year with the tree in this weakened condition especially as i see no evidence of fungal attack and no insect infestation.
I don't think there is anything more i can do at present but will feed it again in a few weeks if there is no improvement.
Regards

[Hammer]

I followed tippben's advice and so far so good, no further browning of the foliage and the sap is now starting to trickle from a crack in the bark and it is a clear golden brown and it is generally looking much healthier.
Thanks tippben.