Neem blasted Juniper... can't decide what to do?

[jeffpas]

This was a great "tree", in the front yard which had acquired spider mites last year. In my wisdom I sprayed it with Neem Oil, which even though it says nothing on the bottle, which was labeled "Safe and All Natural", apparently works like acid on Junipers. The result was the mites got under control, but the entire tree browned out.
The following Spring I began giving it regular waterings and fertilizer, just to see if there was any hope. As you can see, here we are in early June.

The tree is clearly not dead, and if you look at the pictures, there are sprouts here and there, as well as growth at the tips on some branches.
What I can't decide is... is this tree ever going to look normal again? None of the branches are brittle, they bend- which I have always understood as a sign that they are still alive.
But even with the sprouts on the base, I can hardly see this ever "catching back up" and having a natural shape.
I've heard of the theory of cutting off all the seemingly dead branches, to spur growth, but then I'd be left with a stick with tufts.

Is quite a large plant, 10 feet high and established roots, I hate to dig it out and replace it. It will take years for another to reach this size. But maybe this is just hoping for too much.
Take it out and replace? Leave it??
WWYD?

Edited June 6, 2020 by jeffpas

[Dan Maynard]

Unless you can't stand the sight of it I would just leave it a few years to see how it does. I would think it needs all the leaves it can muster so cutting anything off isn't a great plan.

All the lower branches will fall off when the tree gets to 20 foot anyway so they aren't too important long term. The only thing to watch is that the tree keeps a single leader so that it develops with a nice single stem in later life, it looks like it's doing this already.

[jeffpas]

Well, as a Juniper bush, I think its Chinensis... not 100% sure......  but if so says its max height is only 10 feet?   
I mean yes I did notice those buds are coming in now, not everywhere, just in a few places.  I don't see it growing into a pyramidal shape again, at best its going to be an upside-down triangle.   Or will the new "branches" grow faster than the ones on top?

To make things more difficult, I had already picked up this great Blue Point Juniper replacement, which has been sitting in a pot the last couple days while I decide what to do. 
Its only a couple feet tall though, and the old one will be a bear to take out.
....  idk

 

Edited June 7, 2020 by jeffpas

[jeffpas]

Love how Google tells you to prune the dead branches off, and never prune them off lol

 

[Stubby]

1 hour ago, jeffpas said:

Love how Google tells you to prune the dead branches off, and never prune them off lol

 

I bet somewhere it say prune them back on as well ?