red needles on conifers

Are they receiving enough water? It would help to know the age of the trees and where they're located.

I live in Northern Va. zone 7. They are both about 5 years old. They are in full sun. They may not be getting enough water. I only water them if we don't have any rain. Thanks.

They're very young trees, probably not planted too very long ago. During dry spells they need to be watered deeply once each week... do not sprinkle them every day... just one good deep watering each week... could probably benefit from a good layer of pine bark mulch, just don't let any mulch touch the tree trunk.

Thank you, Sheldon. I'm glad that the problem is not a disease. I will start to properly water them. Since the bald cypress is deciduous, it can start fresh with new needles next year, but the spruce...will new growth (albeit slow) eventually fill in and cover the affected areas?

Thanks, Sheldon. I'm glad to hear that the problem is not a disease. I will take your advice and begin proper watering. Since the bald cypress is deciduous, it will have a fresh start next spring, but will the spruce ever look better?

The cypress may begin to start some new growth this year.

but the

It's a young tree so I'm sure the new growth will fill in any empty spots... just don't lop off the lower branches until you are sure they are dead... for a specimen tree you want spruce with it's branches clear to the ground.

I had a "fernspray cypress - compact form", the deer ate it before I realized I needed fencing, now there's an arbovitae in it's place, fenced.

Fernspray cypress when first planted, now eaten :-)

First planted (2004):

Take pictures of your plants so you can look back and appreciate their growth.

The dwarf alberta spruce is very slow growing but it will eventually fill in, may require a couple of years however. Good luck.