Cypress Problems

[pcguy2u]

Hello from your newest member.............

I recently completed a new home project on the coast of Northern California, that included the Sonoma County mandated requirement for 40+ new trees on what was formerly pasture land overlooking the ocean.

The trees (5 gallons when planted) have been in the ground for almost 2 years and have not progressed very well. They are (were supposed to be) Macrocarpa Cupressus or Monterrey Cypress (MC). Photos below.

As part of my investigation of this problem (more in a moment) I tried to identify them as truly MC and not some other variety. I have several other of MC trees that came from the wild that are on the same drip system, some older and larger and some smaller and younger and those trees are all doing fine. The trees in question all have a smaller than pinhead white spot (that is easily scraped off with an exacto knife) on each of the sections of new growth and that remain there until the growth dies - as all new growth on these trees do.

At present, there is only new growth on the top of the trees (most are about 3+' tall). A neighbor recently planted 300+- 1 gallon trees on his acreage and all are taller and healthy and without the white spots.

So, a couple of questions:

Are the white spots indicative of a variety of Cypress or is it indicative of the problem that they are suffering from.

Personally I think they are suffering from some sort of root problem, like fungi, rot or are root bound and were not properly installed???

The trees have all (both the problem trees and the others referred to above) have been drip irrigated with the same twice a week with about 1.5 gallons per application. I changed the emitters at the end of last summer to provide a more circular pattern and they seemed to do much better, until the fall rains began and I turned off the drip system - they are now the worst I have seen them. I don't think they have had too much water, but I could be wrong.

One other observation: the branches at the juncture of the trunk have a slight thickening in some no so isolated cases.

Finally, I almost forgot. The neighbor's trees are not bitten/munched on by our herds of local deer, but these trees all seem to be enjoyed by the deer as do my other trees from other sources

I'm sure I have not provided enough info here, but this may be good enough for a start.

The photos attached below are of the same tree.

Appreciate any and all help.........

Many thanks,

Nick

 

[BC WetCoast]

My guess would be they have a fungal or rust infection. However, I can't say which one without some research.

 

[pcguy2u]

what are the spots

Thanks for the reply BC,

Do you have any knowledge on the white spots (second photo)?

Nick

 

[kai2139]

May be phomopsis tip blight. Need a higher res pic to be more certain.

 

[kai2139]

Another thought after looking at white spots. Juniper Scale also affects cyprus. The white spots could be scale. Look at them with a magnifying glass. They will have a volcano shape to them.


p.s. Good site for your plant http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/HGIC2004.htm

 

[pcguy2u]

The blue text is from the link provided in the above reply.

Signs of the pest include clusters of tiny bumps or scales about 1/8 inch in diameter

These white spots are less than 1/8", more like 1/16"

especially on the undersides of needles.

There doesn't appear to be a preference to upside or downside.

Adult females are white at first but turn gray or black later

The spots remain white even after the branch dies/turns brown.

Adult females are mostly flat with a slight volcano appearance, if viewed through a magnifying lens.

I see some with a slight volcano appearance.

In addition, a shiny, sticky material (honeydew) is often seen on needles of Leyland cypress infested with juniper scale.

There are examples of the sticky material.

I'll try to create a high res closeup - not the easiest thing to do without the right equipment.

Many thanks,
Nick

 

[pcguy2u]

here is a better closeup of the white spots.........

 

[kai2139]

Great pic. The white spots are a natural resin produced by a gland in the leaf scale. So it is not a pest or fungus. I didn't think that variety of cypress did that though, could be wrong. So I would look at planting depth or over watering as the cause leading to a root disease by the looks of first pic. Dig up some roots and see if they are rusty orange color and the outer sheath can be pull away like a glove. This could point to a phytophthora disease.

 

[pcguy2u]

So, are the spots symptomatic of the problem. None of the other Monterrey Cypress here and on my neighbors place have these spots.

If the issue is over watering/root rot, what is the course of action??? I'm confused by the possibility of too much water, because the plants looked as well as they have ever looked at the end of last summer, just after I changed the emitters to a circular group of 5 or 6 for each tree.

Thanks again,
Nick

 

[pcguy2u]

One other thought, could it be that the plants are under watered. I have read that the young trees do well when watered more generously. The soil here is grassland that I think drains very well, even though there is some clay in it. The one large cypress that is doing really well and that came from another source (was transplanted from other property) is located in soil that I know to not drain very well. ??????

thx,
n

 

[kai2139]

It's hard to give a good diagnosis without having a sample in the lab or inspecting personaly but I see most new plantings decline because of poor installation and overwatering. My understanding of the Monteray Cypress was that they were adopted to dry climates in California which would indicate they don't like too much water. If this isn't the case for the MC then correct me. I would still do a root inspection and look for a vasular wilt. I have seen similar trees with symptoms like yours. Spider mites or vasular wilts are the problem 90% of the time here in Oklahoma.

 

[pcguy2u]

More Photos

Hi Kai, many thanks for the interest...........

I'll be going to town tomorrow to visit with a couple of nurseries and perhaps find some more answers. These posts are very helpful - maybe we can nail this down.

I promise to post the answer to this puzzle and whatever the final disposition of the trees turns out to be.

In the meantime..............

I dug up some roots this morning - first picture below is of a 1/4" specimen and it looks pretty healthy. I was unable to twist any of the sheath off of it and the core looks pretty like a healthy wood color - see the end of the piece.

The other two pictures are of sap oozing from open sores (I have never noticed them before). Are these a sign of the the mites you spoke of? And what is the treatment if any?


Thanks again,

Nick

 

[kai2139]

I can't see any fruiting bodies of fungus but it could be a canker. Good idea to have someone rule out seridium or Botryosphaeria cankers. Replacement and good sanitation would be suggested if it is. I hate to see this disease, the trees probably weren't cheap. If you have a magnifying glass look for small black dots where the resin is oozing out. This may confirm S. cardinale canker.

Good Luck,

P.S.
If no one there can help I'd be happy to look at a sample if you ship it to the lab.

 

[pcguy2u]

No black spots, large or small.

One final thought before I go to town on this. I mentioned above that there are quite a few branches that have thickened spots near the trunk locations.

Here's a photo - is this what is known as a canker? The black spot here is a shadow...........

Thanks,

Nick

 

[kai2139]

That's looking more like phomopsis. Sorry I missed the detail about the gall earlier. Treatable.

 

[pcguy2u]

Heading to town this AM - any recommendations for the treatment of Phomopis - all the descriptions I've read coincide with the symptoms.

Thx, Nick

 

[pcguy2u]

The upshot

As promised, here is what looks like the results??? After two treatments with Agrifos, (each consisted of spraying the trunk and diluting with water to soak the ground) 30 days apart. A few of the trees seem to be improved and may make it?? They may have made it on their own???

Most though, appeared worse or no better. I have pulled out about one third of the trees along with their root ball and the results very likely tell the real story.

These were 5 gallon trees almost 4' tall when planted and the root structure shows that the ball still resembles the container that they last grew in. Conversations locally about this situation indicate that this is not a new situation and that it extends from improper planting - the hole need to be much larger, especially if the soil was somewhat hard or clay like.

I have replaced those trees with 1/2 gallon seedlings which should do fine in the holes from the trees that were removed.

Thanks for all your input,
Nick

 

[Jon Denver]

I am not shure how much fog you get up there (what part of sonoma co.) but if you do not you need to water these alot in the summer. In their native environment C. Macrocarpa depends on moisture from damp costal conditions to survive summers. It is a popular myth that these as well as C. Lelandii are drought tollerant, they are not if they get a dry atmosphere all summer. What happens when drought stressed is that they succumb to seridium canker and this seem like what you might have gotten in one of you earlier pics, the second one. The telltale sign other than branch dieback is a crimson sap oozing from branch or trunk that is spongy to the touch. Make shure the hole is 3 times the dia. of the existing rootball depending on native soil texture, use a fast draining amendment and if you do not have much fog turn that drip way up.

Hope this helps

JD

 

[pcguy2u]

Hi John, we get about the same amount of fog, maybe more during the summer, but the trees have been watered regularly since they were planted. Other smaller Cypress trees from other sources have all done well as has one much larger tree (all planted by me and not by a 3rd party) have done well on the same amount of drip irrigation.

Do I suspect that my thought about the size of the hole, when planted, being too small, still prevails?

Thank you for the input,

Nick

 

[M.D. Vaden]

Hard to tell for sure, but the close-up photo of foliage in your first post, reminds me of Arizona Cypress as well, of which there are green ones, and varieties like 'Blue Ice'.

From those images, I'd guess Arizona Cypress or Monterey Cypress.

The latter grows quite nicely up in Oregon too, like in Brookings just above the redwood forests.