How to Grow Cypress
Cypress are powerhouse evergreen trees. They're hardy enough to withstand a variety of growing conditions, and perform equally well in a muggy Florida swamp as on a mountain cliff. Their thick, pyramidal foliage grows quickly, making them an ideal habitat for wildlife. Though not as famous as their Sequoia cousins for sheer longevity, cypress trees can live hundreds of years. As a bonus, cypress trees are wind-resistant and help anchor soil in place. With all of these attributes combined, master gardener Joe Whetsell from Texas AgriLife Extension Service puts it succinctly: "Plant one -- you won't be sorry." Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Visit with experts at a garden center or a university horticulture program in your area to select the best type of cypress for your region. This decision will impact not only the type of cypress you grow, but how you prepare the soil.
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Pick a spot in your yard that gets full to partial sun. Loosen the ground with a rototiller to break up compacted soil. Amend the spot, if necessary, to meet the growing conditions for your particular cypress. For example, you may need to add in peat moss or sand to improve drainage, based on the information obtained from the garden center experts.
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Purchase a cypress seedling from your local horticulture group or garden center. Starting with seeds alone is not recommended because the seeds have to have precise amounts of moisture to survive, according to the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
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Dig a hole twice as deep and as wide as your seedling's base. Hold the seedling upright while filling the hole with the soil. Press down firmly with your hands or feet to squash air pockets.
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Cover the area with mulch no more than one to two inches deep. Keep mulch levels to four inches or less as the plant matures. Avoid fabric landscape mulch unless your cypress is in an extremely well-drained area.
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Water the seedling with about an inch of water. Water once a week, or twice if your area is very hot and dry. Avoid both flooding the seedling or allowing it to completely dry out until it's established.
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Prune mature trees only during dry conditions to avoid attracting damaging fungi or pests.
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Tips & Warnings
Cypress need well-drained soil. Test your soil's drainage by digging a 1-by-1-foot hole and filling it with water. If it drains before eight hours elapse, the soil is well-drained. If not, you must amend it with sand or loam or pick another cypress planting location.
Time the planting after your area is out of danger of overnight freezing temperatures and when there is no danger of drought.
Plant seedlings the day you purchase them to avoid the roots drying out, which can kill the cypress.
References
Resources
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