Question From: S. Rotolo - FLORIDA
Q: Hi. I have 3 bald cypress tress that I planted in my backward by a canal about 3 years ago. The problem is that the leaves bud green in the spring then quickly turn yellow then brown. It has gotten worse with each year. Also, the bark looks dead now (dry grey with black spots) except where new growth comes out at the ends of the branches. Last fall I sprayed aggressively with Sevin and All Seasons spray. I noticed a lot of new branches growing out of the tips of the branches that looked dead. The new bark was nice and red and soft. This spring the dead branches still look dead and only the tips are putting out leaves, some of which are starting to turn brown again. The shape of the trees is getting really ugly because the inside and bottom is mostly dead -- they look "upside down". Is there any hope or are they gone for good? Will the dead branches come back if treated correctly, or will the trees forever have strange shapes? Oh, I live in South Florida and the trees are about 10-12 feet tall now. Please help!
A:
Your trees will never fully recover and will always look distorted. When you saw the problem you should have had an onsite inspection by a Certified Arborist. Since you had no idea what was wrong with your trees you lost precious time spraying them with products that probably did nothing to help them. Sevin is a very toxic pesticide and All Seasons Oil is also used for small insects. I suggest you have the soil tested before you replant. Best And Happy Yardening, Nancy.
