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Need help with my Leyland Cypress Trees!

8 years ago

Hello all.

Over the last few weeks I have noticed parts of a few of my leyland cypress are turning a golden brownish/yellow color. What could be the cause of this? I am located in East Texas. These trees were planted about 13 months ago and have been green pretty much the whole time.

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Comments (4)

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
8 years ago
Much depends on how they were planted and tended initially. They could be showing some signs of drought stress - there tends to be a time lag between the actually experience and the development of the symptoms. How were they watered last summer? And how often? Or they might have been rootbound if sold as containered plants. Give us some details on your planting.

I will also say that this tree is WAY too close to that fence unless you plan to shear it routinely. You are aware of how big, wide and fast Leylands grow?
crice8
Original Author
8 years ago
Yes I am aware of how big and fast they grow. They will be a privacy hedge. I ran drip irrigation to all of the trees I planted last year and they received at least weekly watering. When I planted I made sure the root ball was broken up from the container form.

The more I research, this really looks like needle blight to me. Can someone confirm?
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bboy said: Probably root-bound - much nursery stock is, === the corollary to that .. is that they were improperly planted ... you are spot on with the monoculture... but it sounds like you are thinking the same thing with the GG ... whats that all about ....??? the bigger the plant you buy.. the longer its been in the pot ... so the more potential problems you have with such ... so dont go all.. i am planting 6 to 8 footers.. because you could end up back in the same spot.. should you live so long ... 2 to 4 footers... transplant and get established so much faster.. that they would probably outgrow a 6 to 8 foot transplant inside 3 to 5 years ... instant gratification is questionable when dealing with trees ... talk to your county extension office... should you wish local suggestions for a diverse culture ... and then bring their suggestions back here and we can discuss.. if you wish .... ken
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It's impossible to be precise about watering when the plants remain in a container - it is vastly different from watering plants in the ground. Various factors will come into play - temperature and weather conditions, exposure of the containers to sunlight, the potting medium and how well rooted the plant is in the container. Allow them to dry slightly, then water well - if the water flows out the drainage holes rapidly, then it is likely the plant is quite rootbound or the potting medium is quite chunky and allows rapid drainage. Watering may need to be bumped up under those conditions, as would extreme weather and if the containers remain in full sun. Containerized plants in nurseries typically get watered everyday in summer, at least in my area. While we do not get much in the way of temperature extremes, it does tend to be quite dry and many containered plants are in full sun. Black nursery pots can heat up the soil to high temperatures if in full sun and daily watering is necessary. If you pick a cooler and somewhat overcast day, you can plant now. It just requires some fast work to keep exposed roots to minumum, so plan ahead (prepare planting holes, etc. before unpotting). And careful attention to watering once planted. An alternative is to just hold off until fall, but that is assuming the plants are not rootbound already. Another 4-6 weeks in a container will not make a big difference - growers hold the plants in containers often for many months and with no ill-effects if carefully tended. But that works only if the plant in question is not already rootbound. Slip the rootball carefully from the pot and and examine to determine the current state of affairs.
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I was reading last night about the "Leylandii Law" in England. Lots of info available on Google. One thing I read was that cutting back 1/3 is probably okay, but by 1/2 not. Maybe you could present to GAPower and they'll agree to this. You're going to be faced with a lifetime of problems keeping the leylands in check though. I wanted a screen, planted the native wax myrtles. Maybe you'll consider them. Rapid growth but aren't thugs like the leylands.
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try using the latin names.. when searching ... for info on conifers ... if just planted a month ago.. just do it ... try for a weather forecast of cool or rainy days ... rather than in a forecasted heat wave ... it would probably be best to wait until fall ... but again ... its only been a month how do you plan to stop them at 20 feet??? ..... ken
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wisconsitom
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Crice, probably require a sample to the lab to get that level of confirmation. One factoid potentially arguing against this being pathogen-related-it looks to be all interior foliage. I will say though that Leylands don't grow where I live, so I may not be your best source of info. And the fact it's not fall is concerning too, since this interior dying off of foliage is completely normal.....when it is happening in the fall.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
8 years ago
no evergreen holds its leaves/needles forever ...

the oldest and therefore interior leaves are always the ones shed ... in NORMAL shedding ...

it can be significantly increased by transplanting .. and aftercare issues ...

its a stress issue ... they are not hungry.. fert is not a response ...

from the first pic.. thats what it looks like to me ... i cant see much in the second pic because of the bright sunshine ...

and the only response would be proper watering for all of this year ... and they should be rather free range by next year ...

ken

look at the proper watering part, and mulch

https://sites.google.com/site/tnarboretum/Home/planting-a-tree-or-shrub

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