I have two mature Boulevard Cypress shrubs in front of my home and one more than the other has many brown branches on it. I tried using Jobe spikes but see no results. Could it be damage due to the severe winter or a blight? Also should I cut those brown branches off. Thank you.
This was a particularly rough winter so i expect that is the problem. It is normal for some of the interior foliage to turn brown and fall off as the plant matures but this winter may have nipped them more than normal. The food spike were a good idea and they will help as they dissolve into the soil. Any branches that are totall brown and brittle should be removed. Another thing to check is the base of the tree where the trunk enters the soil. Make sure you haven’t buried the trunk with soil of mulch. Brush back the mulch or soil until you find the original soil line where the trunk enters the soil. If the trunk is buried with mulch or soil or slows the flow of moisture and nutrients up the trunk weakening the tree and making it more likely to die from diseases and stress. Peter Bowden