More regarding posioned cypress tree

Factual Questions
1

My cypress hedge was posioned by 3% roundup solution used to clear bramble growing inbetween it more than a month ago.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/92499048@N08/sets/72157634086079977/

now the browning has ceased climbing down the branches and most of them have plenty of green left on them and I have been watering them during the current dry spell to prevent further browning.I am wondering:

1.Is there any way to salvage the hedge and should I prune the remaining brown patches to aid in recovery and if so how low down the branch would be dangerous in killing the plant/branch
2.How long do I have to wait in order to expect a recovery
3.Would giving the hedge nitrogen rich fertiliser such as miracle gro aid in the recovery of the hedge

2

Ouch :frowning:
I don’t have a good answer for you, but two years ago I used some Ground Clear to kill off some thistles that were overtaking one end of my yard. Last spring I noticed that one lilac bush was dead - I figured I must have gotten too close to it and got the roots. I didn’t have time last year to dig it out and replant, so it got left. This year - the lilac tree is back. No blossoms this year but it was full of leaves and healthy looking again. So I guess what I’m saying is - maybe your hedge will grow back if left on its own for long enough?

3

Doesn’t look too bad. In my experience, woody plants like your hedge have to be drenched in Roundup to completely kill them, and still they grow back sometimes. Trim back to green wood, and give them a good dose of liquid fertilizer. They’ll probably pull through.

4

  1. Cypress doesn’t regrow from old, bare wood, so you don’t want to cut into that. I’m not positive on the best course of action, but I would leave the brown bits alone for a while and see how they recover. It would be good to trim the green branches at the top of the hedge so that they don’t shade the bottom. Hedges ideally have a bit of / \ shape, so that the bottom doesn’t go bare.

  2. Depends on your growing conditions, but maybe 2-3 months. If you get early winters, then maybe not till next spring. Cypress generally grow very quickly but the Round-Up may have set them back. You want trim the outsides lightly fairly frequently, so leave the brown to grow out a bit, then cut it off as the hedge grows. That’s what I’d do, anyway.

  3. How long since you last fertilised the hedge? If it was only a month or two ago, then don’t bother but otherwise it’s probably a good idea. As long as they still get water (i.e. don’t feed them and then leave them to dry out). A plant tonic like Seasol might help as well.

5

Ill cut down to the brown a bit and keep giving three spoons of miracle gro in 10 litres of water at least once a fortnight to aid in its growth(good idea?) am gonna cut down the brown bits a bit and also.Am wondering if an entire branch has gone brown will it recover and grow back?
Also if in one year there is no significant recovery i can replace the cypress with a flowering hedge for colour.

6

You’d have to cut into the brown branches to see if the branch itself is really dead.
They won’t be, its just like a bad frost burn at the moment.

When the roots recover, the tree will recover.

7

Im also afraid some of my crocosmia have been affected would they survive