Boulevard Cypress - sudden death?

Question:We planted a Boulevard Cypress tree about 6 years ago - it's been doing fine with new growth this Spring/May (about 4 feet tall) Suddenly, the whole tree turned brown in a matter of 2 weeks. What could have caused this ?

Answers:
You have a couple possibilities here. Boulevard Cypress' are very susceptible to "root rot". If it has been raining heavily in your area this may be the problem. They need to be planted in a well drained soil. Another possibility is "Tip Blight". This is a problem on young and old trees in the landscape. In young trees, the branch tips turn brown and die back until the whole branch or young tree is killed. Tip blight is also more prevalent in wet weather. The disease causes sooty pestules on the leaves, bark, and cones. Another possibility is spider mites. Mites are on the rampage when the weather is hot and dry. A female can lay up to 300 eggs in a weeks time, so you can see how fast an infestation can occur. It wouldn't take long for a colony of these pests to drain the life out of your tree. These are the main problems that can occur with the boulevard cypress.. Hope this answers your question.

...Billy Ray