- care tips
- Which location is suitable?
- The right planting distance
- What soil does the plant need?
- Properly pruning blue cypress
- Water the blue cypress
- Fertilize blue cypress properly
- Diseases
- pests
- Propagating blue cypress
- Is Blue Cypress Poisonous?
- brown leaves
- Beautiful varieties
It is considered the incarnation of an evergreen hedge plant. Thanks to its ability to be cut, it keeps its harmonious shape at all times and gives the garden a very well-groomed appearance. The wonderful columnar cypress is not so popular for nothing. The following answers to frequently asked questions will tell you how to cultivate the blue cypress correctly.
The blue cypress is highly poisonous
Table of Contents
Show all- care tips
- Which location is suitable?
- The right planting distance
- What soil does the plant need?
- Properly pruning blue cypress
- Water the blue cypress
- Fertilize blue cypress properly
- Diseases
- pests
- Propagating blue cypress
- Is Blue Cypress Poisonous?
- brown leaves
- Beautiful varieties
- Do not allow the root ball to dry out at any time of the year
- Ideally water with low-lime water
- Fertilize organically from March to August or apply a slow-release fertilizer in March and June
- Shape cut in several stages, instead of a deep pruning
- Thin out the columnar cypress thoroughly in early spring
- Repeatedly carry out light topiary cuts from April to August
- Ideally cut in small stages rather than one extensive pruning
- Never cut into the old wood, as these branches will turn brown
- Thuja leaf miner: Control with neem-containing and other approved insecticides
- Thuja sapwood beetle: Cut out infested areas, better grub up if infestation is high
- Aphids: Spray repeatedly with a mixture of 1 liter of water and 1 tablespoon each of soft soap and alcohol
- lack of light
- drought stress
- waterlogging
- soil compaction
- nutrient deficiency
- fungal infections
- pest infestation
- Cut back into the old wood
- dog urine
- frost damage
- Columnaris: The variety superstar thanks to its elegant stature, dense, blue-green needles and little tendency to bare
- Elliwoodii: Magnificent columnar cypress with light, feathery leaves; with a maximum height of 250-300 cm ideal for small gardens
- Glauca: The variety impresses with its tightly upright habit, very slender; the perfect hedge plant
- Minima Glauca: Grows cushion-shaped up to 100 cm high and is recommended for rock gardens, terraces and graves
- Pemury Blue: With steel blue, soft needles, this columnar cypress also sets decorative accents as a solitaire
care tips
In order for a columnar cypress to meet expectations both as an elegant solitaire and as a majestic hedge, this care program creates the optimal framework:
Please do not do without the protection of gloves, safety goggles and long-sleeved clothing during maintenance work. The high poison content of a blue cypress should not be underestimated.
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Which location is suitable?
One of the many advantages of a columnar cypress is the flexible adjustment to the light and temperature conditions. The conifer achieves its optimum in sunny, warm locations, but also thrives in semi-shade and light shade. The condition of the soil is more important for vital growth. Top-notch drainage is high on the wish list, closely followed by a humus-rich, nutrient-rich, fluffy structure with a slightly acidic pH of 5-6.
The right planting distance
In order for the columnar cypress to quickly form an opaque hedge, the correct planting distance is of the utmost importance. In view of the slender stature, which is maintained even at a height of 300 cm and more, the distance between them should not be too generous. If you arrange the blue cypresses at a distance of 30 to 50 cm from each other, you are exactly right.
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What soil does the plant need?
You will enjoy a hedge of blue cypress trees if the soil is deep, humus-rich, loose and slightly acidic. If the substrate quality at the planned location does not reach the ideal conditions, an adequate compensation can be created with the help of soil additives. The addition of acidic leaf and coniferous compost or Epsom salt reduces a pH value that is too high. Quartz sand, fine chippings or lava granules ensure better permeability. Lean soil is fed up with mature compost, horn shavings, (32.93€) bark humus or horse manure.
Properly pruning blue cypress
It is primarily the frugal tolerance to pruning that makes a columnar cypress the ideal hedge plant. While the blue cypress can grow freely as a solitary without the need for an annual pruning, as a well-groomed, evergreen enclosure it requires repeated use of the hedge trimmer. (77.00 €) How to handle it correctly:
At the end of winter, thin out the columnar cypress thoroughly. Deadwood, shoots pointing inwards and rubbing shoots are cut off at the base. Make all other cuts in such a way that a few millimeters of green plant tissue remain on the branch, from which the conifer can sprout again.
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Water the blue cypress
If a columnar cypress suffers from drought stress, this deficiency has a negative impact on growth or puts an end to the life of the plant. Therefore, water the conifers regularly as soon as the soil has dried on the surface. Ideally, spoil the cypress with collected rainwater, soft pond water or decalcified tap water.
Fertilize blue cypress properly
A start fertilization in March/April awakens the spirits of your columnar cypress. You can either administer a long-term fertilizer that is used again in June or fertilize purely organically. If the blue cypress receives a portion of compost, horn shavings, (32.93€) horse manure or guano granules every 30 days, the nutrient requirement is covered. In August, the application of fertilizer is stopped so that the plant matures before winter.
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Diseases
In unfavorable locations with little sunlight, soil that is too dry or too moist, fungal spores of various origins have an easy time. As a symptom of these common diseases, the needle tips wilt, later turning yellow and brown. There is still hope in the early stages by cutting off the diseased parts of the plant and disposing of them in the household waste. If, on the other hand, a cut into the old wood is necessary, the affected columnar cypress is better disposed of. Effective control agents for home and garden plots are not yet known. The same applies to the fungal infection of honey fungus (Armillaria mellea).
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pests
Despite its poison content, the columnar cypress is not immune to pest infestation. The following pests can affect a blue cypress tree:
Since the symptoms of diseases and pests on a columnar cypress are similar in the form of yellow and brown discoloration, keep a close lookout for the insects, their larvae and feeding damage.
Propagating blue cypress
The offspring of further blue cypresses can be realized without further ado. To do this, tear off half-lignified shoots so that a piece of the bark remains on it. Defoliated in the lower part, stick the branches directly into the ground and cover the bed with leaves. Alternatively, plant the cuttings in a pot with poor substrate, put a plastic bag over them and take care of them in a partially shaded location until an independent root system has developed.
Is Blue Cypress Poisonous?
The downside of the majestic columnar cypress is its harmful toxin content. Give due respect to toxicity by wearing heavy gloves, long-sleeved clothing, and safety goggles for all planting and tending tasks. Clippings should never be disposed of in places accessible to animals, as eating even small amounts will result in an agonizing death.
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brown leaves
One of the most common problems in the cultivation of a columnar cypress is the brown discoloration of leaves and whole shoots. These are the reasons behind it:
In view of this long list, you will not be spared from putting all the general conditions of your columnar cypress to the test.