Italian Cypress Questions (Fort Worth, TX)

[DaveWH]

I planted a row of Italian cypress trees as a privacy screen in my back yard. I have read many conflicting reports about how to water and care for these trees when you first plant them.

Info: Nine trees planted about 3-4 feet apart. Each one is about eight feet tall.

Question 1. How much water should I give these newly planted trees each week?

Question 2. I don’t have great soil. I have some clay and rocks in the soil. When I planted them I mixed composite in with the soil. Should I do anything else as far as the soil goes?

Question 3. Should I fertilize them now, or wait until they are established?

Question 4. Some limbs were damaged in shipment and are drooping or sticking out away from the tree instead of pointing upwards. Should I ties these to the trunk or prune them?

Question 5. How can I tell if I am overwatering or underwatering them? I’ve read many conflicting views on this.

Question 6. Regarding Hollywood junipers. I planted two in the front yard. One of them is browning at the bottom and seem dry. It’s not too bad right now but don’t want it to get worse. Any suggestions? Thank you for your time!!

 

[BC WetCoast]

You have a lot of foliage transpiring water and not a lot of root ball to take it up. I usually recommend 2-4 hour soak couple of times a week. This will vary according to your soil (finer textured holds water better so maybe not so often) and local weather (if it's hotter then maybe 3 times week). You want the water to reach the bottom of the root ball and it takes a while for water to soak down that far in the soil. Daily little sprinklings isn't going to do it.

When I plant new hedges, I usually throw in some bone meal or slow release fertilizer just to beef up the soil a bit. There is lots of discussion about this, but it's never hurt the hedges I do, but then I tend to work in coarse soils with lots of rain, so they are usually nutrient deficient naturally.

I would tie up the limbs.

I would put some mulch under the trees. Wood chips are easy and cheap. Dont use landscape cloth. The chips will reduce water evaporation from the soil, keep the roots cooler and over time decompose and add nutrients to the soil.

Again for you juniper, water deeply but periodically. That's how plants get water in nature, that's what they are adapted to.