Question
Hi I live in El Paso, Tx and have 15 italian cypress that are drying out from the inside out, have drooping branches(some are yellow) and three of them have lost there bottom branches. We started watering them for 15 minutes daily and the ground felt extremely moist so we turned off the drip system and treeted them with neem oil to see if that would help. One of them had an open wound on the bark that was black but it has improved dramatically since we stopped watering them. Is there anything else we can do? i dont want to loose them, was it too much watering or should we give them some other type of treatment. Also we had a severe freeze 2 years ago that killed many palm trees here in el paso and after that freeze the smallest cypress tree dried out and died. i dont want that to happen to the rest of our cypress i can send you pictures of the trees if you need them, but i have them on my ipad and cannot attach them only email them. Hope to hear back thank you

Answer
Gina:

These trees really need to be seen "in person" to give an accurate assessment of the problem.  Trying to diagnose this issue by written description is guesswork since these symptoms can be a result of many things.  I am assuming that these tree are mature and have been in the round for some time.  Several things can cause the symptoms that you describe.  Natural shading of the interior portions by the outer foliage can occur.  These plants prefer well drained soil.  Excessive water in the root zone can lead to root problems.  I would suggest that you contact your local county Extension office (usually in the courthouse)in the county seat.  They should be able to make a " house call" to see your plants. You may also consider visiting with someone at your local nursery/greenhouse about your symptoms. They may be able to look at some affected twigs and offer advise. In the meantime, look the plants over closely for any obvious damage to the main stem or any root damages by digging.

If you need assistance w/ locating the phone number for your local Extension office, let me know what your county you live in and I can check a database for that information and let you know how to reach this office. Many of these offices have horticulture specialists that are trained to look for problems and solutions.

Regards
Steve