Lemon cypress is one of the best choices for houseplants and also named Goldcrest. For its lemon-like bright fresh smell, everyone wants to plant it.

By maintaining some basic rules of caring you can plant lemon cypress in your garden. But if you notice any sudden change and your plant is drying up, there must be deficits of proper caring.

I know it’s very shocking to find any negative change in a plant. But don’t be panicked. There are several ways to revive your plant. That is why we need to know what makes your lemon cypress dry? 

Soil condition, Placement, Temperature, Water imbalance, Pests and Disease, Fertilizer, Small pot, and Physical damage are the main reasons for lemon cypress drying.

 Quick Fixing Guide

REASON	SOLUTION
Soil Condition	Make sure about the well drainage system. Acidic, neutral, or alkaline soil is also acceptable.
Placement	Keep your plant where it gets 6-8 hours of full sunlight with partial shade.
Temperature	50-60°F temperature is best for the plant.
Water Imbalance	Water your plant once a week.
Pests and Disease	Use antibacterial and antifungal medication.
Small pot	Ensure repotting with the increases of your plants.
Fertilizer	Usually, fertilize once a year in the early spring.

Lemon Cypress Dry-Treatment Guide

1. Soil Condition

Lemon cypress doesn’t grow taller than 3-4 feet. Soil plays a vital role in lemon cypress perfect growth. If suddenly your lemon cypress is drying up then you have to check the soil condition.

Waterlogged and soggy soil can make your plant dry. It also causes stem bending and fungus attacking problems.

How To Treat

Lemon cypress tolerates acidic, neutral, and alkaline soil. You have to maintain an equal ratio of Mulch, perlite, and clay when soiling. If you aren’t able to make it, you may buy readymade soil from the market (our pick: Miracle-Gro Potting Mix).

Well-drained soil is best for lemon cypress. So there must be a good drainage system in your container. You can add some sand to prevent water logging.

Need an alternate way? then add some pieces of small stones. It also prevents water stagnation.

Adding some compost will increase your soil conditions. Here I share a recipe for compost making.

#Recipe 1: Compost Making Recipe

Ingredients	Process
A container(5-10 liter). Plants leaf. Fruit peeling. Kitchen scraps. Newspapers. Egg shells, etc.	Make some little holes on the container to circulate oxygen. Then create a layer of fresh soil on the pot. Add all the organic ingredients simultaneously on it. Add some newspaper or cardboard for nitrogen-carbon balancing to create a better environment for bacteria. Keep the mixture for one and a half weeks and check the moisture level. Use the compost on your plant’s soil carefully.

2. Placement

Without proper sunlight, plants can not thrive well. The plant absorbs sunlight in many ways. Lemon cypress needs direct sunlight for 6-8 hours everyday.

So, placement for lemon cypress is a very important factor. When you keep your plant in a place where the plant can not get proper light for a long time, it will be dangerous for your plant. 

Lack of sunlight can cause your lemon cypress tree to dry and die. Yes, you read it right.

How To Treat

Lemon cypress prefers at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight everyday. Select a window (north, south, or east facing) where the sunlight reaches everyday. Then keep your plant close to it by rotation.

You can also keep your plant outside of your room sometimes. It will be beneficial for your plants’ smooth growth.

Maybe there’s not enough sunlight for your lemon cypress in your room? Use an artificial lighting system (our pick: yadoker LED Growing Light Full Spectrum for Indoor Plants). Is it kept in the dark now? Then take immediate action.

Partial shade is also needed. Use shade cloth for partial shading.

3. Temperature

 How does it feel when we get too cold or too hot? Obviously, that makes us feel unusual. The same thing will happen with plants if the temperature varies.

Lemon cypress is very sensitive to temperature. They prefer cooler temperatures.

If you fail to maintain the optimum temperature then your plants get drier. It also shows wilting-like symptoms when the temperature gets too high. 

Changes in temperature create the possibility of insect infestation. Which is a reason for your lemon cypress to dry.

How To Treat

An optimum temperature (50-60°F) is required for lemon cypress to grow smoothly. Maintaining the environment is a must.

In winter, maintain your room temperature. Temperature management is also related to watering. Watering depends upon low or high temperatures.

There is also a little difference between Day and night time temperatures. The temperature lies between 30-40° F at nighttime.

4. Water Imbalance

Remember; You must water your plant according to the plant’s demand. Under watering or over watering both can cause your lemon cypress to dry.

By seeing dry leaves you may think that is caused by underwatering. But it’s not true everytime. Lemon cypress is very sensitive to overwatering.

Over watering can also cause root rot developing and fungal infection like problems. If dry leaves are seen then it must be for too much watering.

How To Treat

You must be aware of watering your plants. Monitor your soil condition and water your lemon cypress irregularly once a week when the soil dries.

But in the first growing seasons of your plant, be aware to increase watering. The water amount is also maintained according to your pot size. Spraying fresh water on the leaves will make your plant good looking. 

A moisture meter can help you to check the water demand level of the soil (our pick: Atree 3-in-1 Soil Tester Kits with Moisture, Light, and PH Test for Garden). In addition, make sure that you have enough drainage systems for your soil container.

5. Fertilizer

To lead a healthy life we need some vitamins and minerals as support for food, Right? The same thing is applicable to plants too. They also need fertilizer with water.

Less fertilizing can be dangerous for lemon cypress trees. It can cause your lemon cypress to dry.

How To Treat 

After one year of planting first fertilizing should start. Early spring is the best time for fertilizing. The 8-8-8, 13-13-13 or other balanced fertilizer formula should be applied. (our pick: Miracle-Gro Indoor Plant Food)

Fertilizing once a month with the best quality fertilizer will ensure your plant’s smooth growth.

Slow-release organic fertilizer is best for lemon cypress. Make sure the presence of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in the fertilizer.

You can also use magnesium-containing fertilizer in order to avoid the dry leaves off your lemon cypress tree.

6. Pests And Disease

In the summer insects became more active. So, summer may be the serious season for your lemon cypress. Though lemon cypress is not susceptible to pests, you have to check it every week.

Fungal diseases like botrytis is another serious condition for lemon cypress trees. Due to high humidity and lack of air movement fungal diseases are occurring. 

Notice very carefully, if any brown spots are identified then they must be fungal attacks. 

Still, giving excess water to your plant? It must have caused fungal root rot problems. Which makes your plant weakened and ultimately dry.

How To Treat

As insects attack in summer, you have to be very careful during that time. The best idea is to sprinkle the leaves and spray fresh water twice a week.

Using a good insecticide may be another option (Our Pick: Monterey LG6150 Garden Insect Spray). Don’t want to use artificial insecticides? It is ok. You can make your own fertilizer at home. 

#Recipe-1: Garlic Spray

Ingredients	Steps
Two bulbs of garlic. Half liter of Water. 1 teaspoon of liquid soap. 1 cup of Vegetable oil(optional).	Puree the two bulbs in a blender with water and keep the mixture in a jar. Then added half a cup of vegetable oil and one teaspoon of liquid soap. Fill the jar with water. Spray the mixture in your plant.

Spraying fresh water in the morning or evening also prevents such types of problems.

Fungal attacks are usually caused by over watering, over-fertilizing, and high humidity levels. So be careful about the causes.

Trim the damaged part while brown spots are found and do it in the morning. You can also use an antifungal spray. Antifungal spray can also be made at home. If you don’t want to waste money follow the steps below.

#Recipe-2 Baking soda spray

Ingredients	Steps
Baking soda.  Vegetable oil. Dish soap. Water.  Vinegar.  Neem oil.	Mix 1 tablespoon of baking soda with 1 teaspoon vegetable oil and 1 teaspoon of dish soap. Then mix them with 1 liter of water. Stir the mixture carefully. Then add a little amount of vinegar and neem oil on it. Spray the mixture twice a week.

Note: If the ratio of the ingredients differs or the steps don’t follow carefully then the mixture will not work properly. Also, Don’t apply thoroughly before testing on the smaller portion of the plant.

7. Small Pot

When your lemon cypress grows, it will need more space. Right? And if you fail to give it the demandable space your plant’s body mechanism may not work well. 

Which causes the plant to become weakened and increases the chances of insect attacks. Which finally makes your lemon cypress dry.

How To Treat

First, you have to ensure a perfect pot according to your plant’s size. Terra cotta pots are the best choice for a lemon cypress tree. Then soiling on it very carefully. You have to maintain the moisture level when soiling.

After ensuring the soil ratio you have to make some medium sized holes on the pot. Then fill the pot with soil and then plant your lemon cypress.

8. Physical Damage

Neglecting your lemon cypress while taking care of other plants. Because lemon cypress may also dry for accidental physical damage.

Sometimes your plants are injured by children and pets. Or the sudden fall of a heavy object on it.

This can also happen inadvertently during watering and repotting.

Optimum Requirements For Lemon Cypress Rapid Growth

Light	Direct sunlight.
Temperature	50-60°F.
Fertilizer	Balanced fertilizer.
Soil	Sandy, well drained.
Water	Irregular, once a week.
Environment	Cool and moist.

Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)

Can lemon cypress be planted outdoors?

Yes. Lemon cypress can also grow outdoors. Just ensure the optimum requirements and plant it outside of your home.

Can I place my lemon cypress in full sunlight all the time?

Lemon cypress usually prefers 6-8 hours of direct sunlight. So there is no need to keep it under direct sunlight all the time. It may cause some problems too.

Conclusion

Although lemon cypress is not a sensitive plant, it needs adequate care. Sudden drying of your lemon cypress indicates negative consequences. So as soon as you see such symptoms, you have to take immediate action. 

The steps described above are equally effective for different tribes of Lemon Cypress like Monterey cypress, Dwarf Lemon Cypress, Bald Cypress, Pond Cypress, Mediterranean Cypress, etc.

I hope my experience will help to revive your plants. Happy gardening.