If false cypresses suddenly develop brown spots or the shoot tips dry out and die, caution is advised. There may be an illness. Sometimes pest infestation is also to blame. In most cases, however, these are care errors.
Why does a false cypress tree turn brown?
Mock cypresses turn brown for various reasons: diseases or pest infestation, unfavorable location, care errors such as dried out root balls, waterlogging, insufficient or excessive fertilization, cutting into old wood and frost damage. These problems can be avoided through appropriate care and location selection.
Diseases or pest infestations
Cypresses can get brown spots due to fungi or pest infestation. In the case of fungal diseases, the tips of the shoots die off; in the case of pest infestation, you will find traces of feeding and sometimes completely hollow branches.
Cut off the affected parts of the plant generously.
If the infestation is very severe, there is often no choice but to dispose of the false cypress and replace it with a he althy specimen.
Brown spots in unfavorable locations
If the false cypress is not cared for properly or grows in a poor location, it can also turn brown. If the location is too shady and the soil is too moist, the plant will react with brown spots.
Other care errors can include:
- Root ball has dried out
- Waterlogging in the ground
- too few nutrients in the soil
- too much fertilizer
- Cut into old wood
- Plant got frost
Ensure that the root ball is always slightly moist, but never completely wet.
Fertilize regularly with organic fertilizer (€56.00 on Amazon). But don't overdo it. Mulches under the false cypresses have proven to be very beneficial. They prevent the soil from drying out and regularly supply the plants with new nutrients.
Never cut into old wood. In these places the false cypress no longer sprouts but turns brown.
Shoot tips turn red or fall off in autumn
If the shoot tips turn reddish, it's not that dangerous. The false cypress simply received too much direct sun. This can happen in hot summers.
Simply cut off the affected shoots. The plant recovers quickly from this.
Even if the false cypress suddenly loses shoot tips in autumn, this is not a cause for concern, but a completely natural process.
Tip
Mock cypresses do not tolerate road s alt in winter or urine from dogs and other animals. Therefore, do not plant ornamental trees too close to roads. You should keep animals out of the garden anyway because of the toxicity of the plants.
