Expert: Jim Hyland - 9/19/2011

Question
I have nine cypresses about 18 feet tall, two of my cypress top are bending, drooping,leaning what can be causing this? please help.
Thanks

Answer
Drooping limbs on Italian cypress is usually caused by over fertilization, over watering or both. Watering of Italian cypress should be infrequent and deep. Most of the excessive growth could be managed with proper irrigation.
   Deep watering once a week in midsummer would be excessive unless it was growing on a very sandy soil. Watering deep, during the winter, more than once a month would also be excessive. One fertilization in the spring is adequate.
   Limbs that are drooping can be removed from inside the tree's silhouette. Take a drooping limb and follow it back inside the tree's canopy. Make a pruning cut inside the canopy at a side branch that does not droop outside the canopy area.
   The other option you have is to tie the drooping branches to the rest of the canopy so that the branches no longer droop. The problem is that the weak branches aren't corrected. The drooping branches are only supported and will droop again once the ties have been removed.
   Shearing the plant is sometimes done to remove all excessive growth. This will help, but it imposes a continuous and time-consuming maintenance routine. The best solution is to manage the water and fertilizer schedules.