Why Is My Lemon Cypress Turning Brown- 6 Causes +Solutions

Lemon Cypress is a very common indoor plant. If you have a lemon cypress in your room its bright beautiful smell makes your mind fresh. That is why everyone wants to plant them. 

It’s not so tough to take care of lemon cypress as a houseplant. But due to lack of proper care, a variety of problems can arise.

If one day you suddenly notice that your lemon cypress green leaves turn brown it must be bad news for you. And it absolutely happened due to a lack of caring.

So now the question is, what exactly are the reasons behind lemon cypress turning brown? Lack of sunlight, Poor Soil, Temperature Fluctuation, Water Imbalance, Disease, and Excess fertilizers are the main reasons.

But don’t be upset. In this article, I will show you various ways to revive your plants.

Quick Guide

Care Tips for Lemon Cypress

ReasonSolution
Lack of sunlightEnsure 6-8 hours of direct sunlight.
Poor SoilUse good quality potting soil.
Temperature50- 60° Fahrenheit temperature should be maintained.
Water imbalancewater your lemon cypress once a week.
DiseaseUse homemade pesticide spray.
Excess FertilizerDon’t use an excessive amount of fertilizer.

Now let’s start a detailed discussion about the reasons and effective solutions.

6 Reasons and Effective Solutions For Lemon Cypress Browning

Lemon cypress browning solutions

1. Lack of Sunlight

The most important component for every plant is sunlight. Sunlight is absorbed by plants in various ways.

Therefore, the location of the lemon cypress must be maintained. If you keep your plants in a shaded or dark place it might not be good for your plant growth. Yes, you read that right.

Due to lack of sunlight, your lemon cypress can’t maintain its body function perfectly. That is why some parts of their body don’t get the proper growth materials and turn brown easily.

Treatment Guideline

A minimum of 6 to 8 hours per day of direct sunlight are preferred for lemon cypress. Choose a window that faces north, south, or east so that sunshine enters the room every day. You have to rotate the plant in a phased manner so that every part of its body gets proper sunlight.

You may occasionally keep your plant outside of your room. It will aid in the steady growth of your plants.

Maybe you don’t have enough sunlight in your room. Using an artificial light system is a good choice. You can buy it from the market. Is it still kept secret today? then take action right now.

Lemon cypress also requires some shade too. To provide a partial shade, use a shade cloth. There are various types of shedding clothes found on the market.

2. Poor Soil

The maximum height of a lemon cypress is 3 to 4 feet. For the optimum growth of lemon cypress, the soil is essential. Check the soil quality if your lemon cypress starts to turn brown all of a sudden.

Your soil quality is poor if it is dry or cracked, difficult to dig, waterlogged, poor growth of plants, and unwanted plants.

Your plant may become brown if the soil is saturated with water. In addition, it also contributes to stem bending and fungus invasion issues.

If your lemon cypress is in the same pot and same soil for a long time there must be a chance of malnutrition in the soil. Lack of nutrition can also make your plant brown.

Treatment Guideline

Lemon cypress can grow on soil that is neutral, acidic, or alkaline. When soiling, you must keep an equal mixture of clay, perlite, and mulch. If you can’t make it, you can buy ready-made soil from the market (our pick: Miracle-Gro Potting Mix).

Lemon cypress grows best in well-drained soil. So your container needs to have a proper drainage system. Sand can be added to the area to stop water logging.

Need a different approach? then place some little stone fragments on the pot. Additionally, it avoids water stagnation.

Your soil’s qualities will improve by mixing compost. Here, I provide an organic composting recipe.

#Recipe 1: Compost Making Recipe

A 6-10 liters container is needed for a composting pot.

The raw ingredients are Plants leaves, Fruit peeling, Kitchen scraps, Newspapers, Eggshells, waste paper, coal, etc.

Process of Mixing

  • First, you have to make some little holes in the container to circulate oxygen and air function. 
  • Then place a layer of good-quality soil on the container.
  • Add all the organic components one by one.
  • Then you have to add some newspaper or cardboard for nitrogen-carbon balancing to create a suitable environment for bacteria growth. 
  • Keep the blending components for two weeks and check the moisture level regularly. 
  • After two weeks the compost will be ready to use for your plant’s soil.

3. Temperature Fluctuation

What does it feel like to get too hot or too cold? That obviously gives us a strange feeling. Variations in temperature will have the same effect on plants.

Temperature sensitivity is a major issue for lemon cypress. Every plant has an optimum temperature requirement. 

Due to proper temperature, photosynthesis, transpiration, respiration, and germination processes are not working correctly. As a result, your plants become drier and brown. In addition, when the temperature rises too high, it displays signs of wilting.

Temperature variations raise the probability of an insect invasion also. This is why your lemon cypress turns brown.

Treatment Guideline

The ideal temperature for lemon cypress growth is between 50-60° F. It is essential to maintain the environment. 

Preserve your room’s temperature during the winter. Watering and temperature maintenance are connected..

The temperatures slightly vary during the day and night. At night, lemon cypress prefers a temperature between 30-40° F.

Make sure the ideal temperature is maintained by using temperature measuring equipment.

4. Water Imbalance

Water must meet the needs of the plant. Your lemon cypress may become dried out and turn brown if you water it little or excessively.

You might assume that less water is being provided if you notice dry foliage. But it’s not always the case. Overwatering can be quite damaging to lemon cypress.

Root rot and issues resembling a fungal infection might also occur as a result of excessive watering. If there are any brown leaves, there has been excessive irrigation.

Treatment Guideline

You need to remember to water your plants. When the soil starts to dry out, keep an eye on it and water your lemon cypress irregularly once a week. Not possible? then invest in a self-watering device.

However, be mindful to boost watering during your plant’s early growing seasons. The volume of water is also regulated based on the size of your pot. Your plant will appear better if you mist the leaves with fresh water.

You can buy a moisture meter to measure the soil’s water requirement(Our Pick: XLUX Soil Moisture Meter). Additionally, ensure your soil container has a sufficient drainage system.

5. Disease

Insects were more active in the summer. Therefore, July can be the lemon cypress’ serious season. Even though lemon cypress is resistant to pests, you still need to inspect it once a week.

Another dangerous issue for lemon cypress trees is fungus diseases like botrytis. High humidity and a lack of air movement are the causes of fungi illnesses.

Pay close attention; if any brown spots are found, fungi must be the cause.

Still, giving your plant too much water? It must have contributed to issues with fungal root rot. It ultimately causes your plant to become dry and brown.

Treatment Guideline

You need to exercise extreme caution throughout the summer because of insect attacks. The best plan is to sprinkle the leaves and spray fresh water.

Another choice might be to use an effective insecticide (our pick: Bonide CAPTAIN JACK’S Neem Oil Ready-To-Use).. Want to avoid using synthetic insecticides? It’s okay. At home, you can create your own fertilizer.

Garlic spray is an effective solution to remove insecticides. Mix half a cup of vegetable oil and one teaspoon of liquid soap with garlic paste. Then add some water on it and spray twice a day in your lemon cypress.

Typically, overwatering, over-fertilizing, and excessive humidity levels result in fungus infestations. So, pay attention to the causes.

When brown patches are discovered, trim the affected area, and do it in the morning. An antifungal spray is an additional option. You can also make your own antifungal spray at home. To avoid wasting money, take the following actions.

Mix one teaspoon of baking soda with a little amount of dish cleaner. Then mix it with one litre of water and spray it once a day.

Such issues can also be avoided by morning and evening fresh water sprays.

6. Excess Fertilizer

Plants need some vitamins and minerals to support their diet in order to have healthy growth. Along with water, they require fertilizer.

Lemon cypress trees can be in danger from excess fertilization. The lemon cypress root system may become insufficient as a result of excessive fertilization, causing the plant to develop quickly but without enough water and nutrients. As a result, some of its body parts become brown.

Look at your plant very carefully. If yellowing, wilting, browning leaf, or leaf drop like problems occur then you must take immediate action.

Treatment Guideline

The first round of fertilizer should begin after one year of planting. The optimal time to fertilize is in the early spring. Use either the 8-8-8 or 13-13-13 fertilizer formula.

Your plants’ smooth growth will be ensured by fertilizing once a month with the best fertilizer.

The finest organic fertilizer for lemon cypress is slow-release. Verify that the fertilizer contains potassium, phosphorus, and nitrogen.

Additionally, you can use a fertilizer that contains magnesium to prevent your lemon cypress tree’s leaves from browning.

Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)

When does a lemon cypress tree need a lot of water?

In the spring during their development spurt and in the late summer just before they go inactive, cypress trees require the most water.

How do I know if my lemon cypress is dying?

Your cypress tree is most likely dead if its needles have all turned brown, dried out, or fallen off.

Conclusion

Even though lemon cypress is not a sensitive plant, it still needs proper care. If your lemon cypress suddenly turns brown, it will likely have negative effects, so you must act right away.

For different types of Lemon Cypress, such as Monterey Cypress, Dwarf Lemon Cypress, Bald Cypress, Pond Cypress, Mediterranean Cypress, etc. The above-described steps are similarly effective.

I’m hoping that my experience will help you to recover your plant. Happy gardening.

James Rivenburg
James Rivenburg
James Rivenburg

James Rivenburg is the founder of plantandpest.com, a passionate gardener with valuable experience and knowledge gained through trial and error. The website has a large community of followers who trust his tips and techniques and have succeeded with his advice. He is always Committed to helping others create a beautiful and healthy garden.

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