Hi, I obtained 16 italian 12' cypress about two months ago from a friend who does not want them. I removed them from her house, however may have cut too much roots. Afterwards, i transfer them to my house and planted them. Only 1 out of the 16 italians is surving. The rest are brown, dried to a crisp. Should i call it quits and remove the drieds ones, or are they still revivable? Note, they look like yellowish italian cypress now. So should i just give up on them, or still water daily like the fool I am. Thanks,
Hi, I imagine that their condition is terminal. I don't know of any conifer that likes to be moved once they have reached this sort of size. Also, autumn is the best time to try and move stuff around. A tree is nearly dormant at that time of year or at least a lot less active. Therefore it settles in a lot better, although even a 12' tree would struggle. If the foliage is brittle too then the trees are definitely dead. I tried moving 3 6' Cypress a few years ago in spring and despite having a drip line constantly supplying the trees with water, they all died. It is very difficult to get enough of the root out of the ground and if the tree is not moved and replanted immediatly, the resulting dehydration can be disasterous. Better luck next time. Luke
