How to Prune Your Cypress Trees
The evergreen Leyland Cypress tree is a popular ornamental for the lawn. It may grow up to 4 feet yearly, even in poor soils. This, combined with the tree’s dense foliage and upright shape, makes it popular for privacy screens. Cypress trees such as Leyland Cypress require little pruning. Homeowners attempting to prune a Leyland Cypress should focus on maintaining the tree’s health. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Prepare your tools for pruning by sharpening and sterilizing them. Draw a sharpening stone down the blade of branch loppers and shears to sharpen the blades and prevent bruising. Then wipe the blades with a solution of one part bleach and 10 parts water. Blunt, unsterilized blades can contribute to spread of disease among cypress trees.
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Examine the tree to determine how you will trim it. Note any broken or diseased limbs.
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Remove all dead, diseased or broken branches back to the nearest healthy sprout.
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Remove branches that rub or cross one another.
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Shear a Leyland Cypress to control size. You can cut up to 3 to 4 inches of growth from the sides of a Leyland Cypress. You can shear Leyland Cypress twice yearly in spring and fall to control its size.
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Spray Leland Cypress with an application of a foliar fungicide every seven to 10 days for the next six weeks after trimming to prevent cankers from forming.
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Tips & Warnings
Leyland Cypress will recover well from being dramatically cut back. You may even cut the top out of a Leyland cypress tree to cause it to grow low and bushy, though this is not recommended. Never remove more than one-third of the tree’s total size.
References
Resources
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