Lawson's Cypressis a popular conifer with an attractive appearance. There are numerousvarieties of Lawson's cypresswith interesting scales and regular habit, which are suitable for creating multi-colored hedges. Meet the most beautiful varieties of Lawson cypress and see whatcultivating a cypress in the gardenWe explain when and how to performcutting Lawson cypressand how to fightdiseases and pests attacking cypress treesHere is a complete guide to growing this plant!
Lawson's Cypress 'Columnaris'
Fig. Athantor, GFDL, Wikimedia Commons
Lawson's Cypress - description and varieties
Lawson's Cypress(Chamaecyparis lawsoniana) is a fast-growing, horizontally green conifer with a straight, narrow-conical crown with a characteristic drooping apex. It comes from North America, from the Coastal Mountains, where it grows naturally on the banks of rivers and streams.
Incultivation in Polish gardens, Lawson's cypress grows 25-30 m in height.The cones of Lawson's cypressare small (8 mm), green-blue in youth and covered with a waxy coating, later brown. The wholeplant gives off a pleasant lemon-resinous aroma
In Polish nurseries, you can find nearly 100 varieties of Lawson's cypress , differing in color of scales, habit and growth intensity. The offer also includes dwarf forms that do not require cutting, which will easily fit into our gardens. The most popular varieties of Lawson's cypressare presented in the table below. Below the table there is a link to download a printable version of the statement.
Download a printable version of the list of cypress varieties:
- Lawson Cypress Varieties (PDF)
Lawson's Cypress - cultivation
Lawson's cypress is best grown in a sunny position.It also tolerates partial shade, but then it grows slower, and the characteristic color of the scales may not be very intense. Lawson's Cypress grows best in fertile, well-drained, moderately moist, slightly acidic soils.
Lawson's Cypress 'Elwoodi'
Fig. Athantor, GFDL, Wikimedia Commons
Lawson's Cypress is sensitive to droughtand dry air.In the case of water shortage in the substrate, its scales may turn brown and fall off. During snowless winters, it is in danger of physiological drought. To protect plants from drought, it is necessary to mulch the soil under the plants with a thick layer of bark. Lawson Cypress trees should also not be planted in heavy and wet soils, as this will turn the crowns brown at the bottom and become susceptible to gray mold.
Lawson's cypress is a thermophilic speciesand in our conditions it often freezes over. Therefore, it requires covering for the winter. For this purpose, agrotextile covers are used, which, protecting plants against frost, allow moisture, air and light to pass through. In colder regions of our country, it is best to growLawson cypress varieties with the highest frost resistance , such as: 'Columnaris,' Darts Blue Ribbon ',' Ivonne ',' Pelts Blue 'or' Stardust '.
Lawson's cypresses are damaged by dry and frosty winds , which cause dreaming and discoloration of the shoots. In the event of slight discoloration, trees can regain their natural blue-green color in spring.In order to prevent this, it is worth fertilizing cypress trees with a special fall fertilizer for conifers in the fall and cover them with non-woven agrotextile.
Lawson's cypress is also sensitive to soil salinity and polluted air . In such conditions, it grows less and becomes ill more often.
Lawson's Cypress - cut
CorrectCutting Lawson's Cypress should be started in the first year of growing , while the plants are still young. Shoots of several-year-old specimens have a small number of holes from which the shoots could grow back, and therefore they regenerate very slowly after trimming, and thus they thicken less.
Lawson's Cypress during flowering
Fig. Sten Porse, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Young Lawson Cypress seedlings have not yet developed a main stem. They tend to form a branched trunk very often.Therefore,after planting a Lawson Cypress in the garden, select the main, stronger shoot, and remove the weakerFor the next years of cultivation, we maintain the dominance of the apical shoot, removing the shoots that try to take its place. Cutting is best done in early spring (March), when the frosts have passed. From May to June, side twigs are removed, disturbing the symmetrical shape of the crown and diseased and dry shoots.
Lawson's cypress is a species especially recommended for creating covers, also in the form of molded hedgesFor this purpose, several-year-old varieties with a columnar and conical shape are best.In the first year of forming a cypress hedge , in March, all plant shoots, including the conductors, are shortened. This treatment is designed to thicken the lower parts of the plants and give the hedge a specific shape. In the following yearsforming cuts are made twice a year- in early spring (March) and early summer (June).Only young growths are shortened, giving the plants a specific shape and diseased and damaged shoots are removed.
Browning of cypress shoots
Fig. Athantor, GFDL, Wikimedia Commons
Lawson's cypress - diseases
Phytophthora is the most dangerous disease affecting Lawson's cypressand other species of conifers. It is a soil-borne disease that manifests itself initially with lightening, browning and dying off of individual twigs, and then of whole plants. The fungus initially attacks the root system, from where it reaches the higher parts of the plant. After noticing the first symptoms of phytophorosis, cypresses should be watered 2-3 times with a fungicide (eg Magnicur Energy 840 SL, at a dose of 20 ml / 10 liters of water or Polyversum WP at a dose of 5 g per 10 liters of water). The use of composted bark for mulching the ground around cypresses allows to largely reduce the occurrence of phytophthora.
Shoot dieback is a disease characterized by yellowing, browning and dropping of young Lawson cypress needles inside the crownor at the point where the cypress branches meet the branches of neighboring plants. The disease is caused by a severe lack of light or drought. In autumn, on the youngest parts of diseased branches, fungal infections often occur, which should be fought with preparations with a broad spectrum of activity (e.g. Topsin M 500 SC, at a dose of 10 ml of the agent / 10 I of water).
Lawson's cypress may be attacked by the pine spider mite(Oligonychus ununguis). Its larvae and adults feed on the scales of the cypress, causingmosaic yellow discoloration, and over time graying of the entire shoots and shedding of scalesSymptoms spread from the bottom of the plant upwards or from the trunk to the outside of the crown. A delicate spider web also appears on the cypress twigs. Oil preparations are used to combat spider mites (e.g.Emulpar 940 EC, at a dose of 90-120 ml of the preparation per 10 liters of water).
Anothercommon pest of Lawson's Cypress is the Thuja(Cinara cupressi). It is an aphid that feeds inside the crown of cypresses, most often on the bark of the trunk and at the base of 2-3 years old shoots, which turn yellow and die. Sticky honey dew is deposited on the scales of the cypress, on which mushroom mushrooms develop. The preparation Mospilan 20 SP (4 g of the agent / 10 l of water) can be used to combat the honeydew honey.
MSc Eng. Agnieszka Lach
