The False Cypress is a classic evergreen, which means it keeps its lush foliage all year long without any autumn color changes or leaf drop. However, it’s not uncommon to walk out into the garden and notice your False Cypress is starting to turn brown.
Common Culprits for Brown Patches or Tips
If you’re seeing brown spots or crispy tips on your False Cypress, there are usually two main suspects:
- Mistakes in your care routine, or
- A run-in with pests or disease.
Common Care Mistakes
Most of the time, those brown patches are simply a sign that your tree isn’t quite happy with its environment. First, check the location. These trees crave a bright, sunny spot with plenty of natural light. If you plant a False Cypress in a shady corner, it’ll likely start showing its displeasure with brown foliage.
Water and nutrients are the next big things to watch. You want to keep the soil consistently moist, but be careful not to overdo it—waterlogging or over-fertilizing can do more harm than good. A great tip is to use a layer of organic mulch, like compost or grass clippings. This provides a steady, gentle stream of nutrients.
Also, when it’s time for pruning, be careful not to cut back into the old wood. The False Cypress won’t grow back from those old branches; instead, the area will just turn brown and stay that way.
Dealing with Pests and Disease
Sometimes, pests or diseases are the real troublemakers. If you spot an infestation, your first move should be to prune away the affected sections. You can usually handle most pests with specific fungicides from your local garden center or even some effective natural home remedies. In really severe cases, the only way to save the plant might be a radical pruning, cutting it back significantly to encourage fresh growth.
Reddish Tips? Don’t Panic
If the tips of your False Cypress are turning reddish instead of brown, it’s actually not a disease. This is usually just a case of “sunburn” from too much intense, direct sunlight over a long period. Simply snip off those red tips, and your tree should bounce back in no time.
Falling Tips in Autumn
Finally, if you notice some of the tips falling off in the fall, don’t worry! This is a perfectly natural process for almost all False Cypress varieties and isn’t a sign that anything is wrong with your tree.
