Along with other coniferous plants, cypress trees are actively used in landscape design. One of the fairly attractive varieties in this regard is the Lavson Elwoody cypress. Before its cultivation, it is worthwhile to dwell in more detail on the botanical features, rules of care and possible problems when growing.

Botanical description of the plant

Cypress and cypress are two different plants belonging to the same genus (Cypress). Outwardly, they are similar. But on cypress trees, the branches are flatter and less overall, and small cones contain only 2 seeds (cypress has a lot of them). In the natural environment, the vegetation in question is found in America. There they reach a height of 80 m. Garden forms, however, have more modest dimensions - up to 7 m. If we consider selected forms, their height will not exceed 3 m.

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana Ellwoodii obtained through the work of breeders in the UK in early. XX century For some time, the achievement was improved, and several species were bred.

General botanical description of the plant in question:

• life form - tree;
• the root system is superficial;
• krone - regular bowling;
• height - no more than 3 m, when grown in a temperate climate - 1.6–1.9 m;
• branches - located very densely, flat;
• needles - scaly, short, stiff, painted yellow, emerald with a blue tint or cream color, depending on the variety;
• cones - numerous, up to 1 cm in size, brown in color, contain 2 seeds with wings, which makes them easily carried in the wind.

A culture without shelter is able to withstand frosts of -17.8 ...- 20.6 ° C. Even a single drop in temperature below the specified limit can completely destroy the plant. In the northern regions, it is worth abandoning the cypress cultivation altogether or cultivating it in greenhouse conditions. The plant develops very slowly. The average annual growth is 5 cm. A ten-year-old cypress grows to a height of 1–1.5 m, no more.

Varieties of cypress Lavson Elwoody:

1. Empire - height up to 1.5 m. Shoots grow perpendicular to the soil, are very densely arranged. Green needles with a golden hue.
2. Gold - a large representative. Its height varies between 2–2.5 m. The branches are covered with dense light green needles with bright yellow ends. This coloring is preserved only when planting vegetation in an open sunny area. Even in partial shade, the color will be just green.
3. Pilar - differs in more loose crown, than the top copy. Blue-green needles with a bluish tint. In height, the plant can reach 2.2 m.
4. Snow White - a dwarf specimen reaching a height of only 100 cm. It is a lush bush with needles of a bluish-gray hue with gray ends. Due to this color, it seems that the vegetation is covered with snow.

Landing

Cypresses of this species prefer diffuse plentiful lighting, but not the scorching sun. Varieties with a dark color will have enough lighting for 6 hours a day - the rest of the time they will feel great in partial shade. Instances with light staining of needles need more light.

Important! Buy seedlings only in local nurseries. When ordering from abroad, there is a high risk of getting a plant that cannot take root on the site due to the drying of the rhizome during transportation.

Site preparation should be done in advance. Given that the landing will be carried out in the spring, organizational work needs to be done in the fall. Carefully clear the area. Remove plant debris, stones, etc. debris. After this, the soil should be dug up to a depth of 40 cm. Add 20 kg of sand to each m² of area (no need for sandstone), 20 kg of red peat. Immediately after this, cultivation is carried out again, but already to a depth of 20 cm.

Phased Landing:

1. In 2 weeks, prepare a landing pit - dig a hole that is 1.5 times the size of the root of the plant. At the bottom, lay 20 cm of expanded clay, then 5 cm of large river sand. The upper 20 cm of the soil from the pit is mixed with leaf humus, sod soil, and red horse peat. All elements are mixed in equal proportions. Cover the sand with the obtained substrate (lay about 15 cm).
2. After 2 weeks, pour 10 liters of water into the pit. Wait until it is completely absorbed and place the seedling in the hole. Sprinkle the roots with soil. Be sure to ensure that the root neck remains flush with the soil.
3. At the end of the manipulation, mulch the trunk circle with compost, after watering the soil.

Care

Evergreen cypress is a rather tender plant. Given this, he will need special care. It is much easier to carry it out during cultivation at home, and not in the open ground. So, when growing in an apartment, it will be necessary to irrigate regularly, preventing the soil from drying out, and it is imperative to install a household humidifier next to it. Periodically, it will be necessary to fertilize and transplant plants every 3-4 years in a large capacity. When cultivating outdoors, you will have to make a little more effort to get a good result.

Watering and feeding

Moisture must be applied to the soil often enough. It is important to prevent even the slightest drying of the earth. This rule applies not only to plants recently planted, but also to those that have long taken root on the site. In the summer, once every 2 weeks in the evenings, sprinkling should be carried out, completely watering the entire crown from the hose. This manipulation aims to increase air humidity, wash away dirt, dust and harmful insects.

The culture in question is in dire need of top dressing. You should choose from a list of specialized products intended for conifers. Suitable "Kemira", "Green Needle" and the like. Use them according to the instructions.

Important! When choosing fertilizer for cypress, be sure to pay attention to the instructions of the manufacturers - there should be a note “spring-summer” or “autumn”. Pick seasoning strictly according to season.

Loosening and mulching

Given that the rhizome is located very close to the soil surface, when loosening, there is a very high risk of damage to it. Better to pay more attention to thorough mulching. In this capacity, you can use compost or high acid peat. This approach will ensure long-term conservation of moisture in the soil, protect against the development of parasitic plants.

Pruning

The species of cypresses under consideration perfectly tolerates pruning. But he already has a beautiful crown, so usually they are engaged in molding only when organizing a hedge. In solitary landings, they are dispensed with sanitary manipulations, involving the removal of branches growing inward or out of the general mass, as well as damaged ones. Spend them in the spring and autumn.

In parallel with sanitary scraps, they clean. Part of the needles dries out, and it must be removed. This is very easy to do manually by simply removing dried needles from the branches. Handling should be done with cloth gloves and a respirator. Otherwise, you can get serious irritation or even allergies, not to mention the inhalation of dust. Immediately after trimming and cleaning, the vegetation is treated with a 1% solution of copper sulfate. All sections are covered with garden var. All plant debris is removed from under the tree.

Transfer

Regular transplantation is required for plants cultivated in pots. They are manipulated, as already mentioned, once every 3-4 years. In other periods, they simply add nutrient soil, including peat, leaf-sod soil and sand, and also fertilize plentifully.

Suitable time for transplanting is spring. In the evening, the plant is abundantly watered and a new container is prepared. The pot should be 1.5 sizes larger than the previous one. It is better to select containers wide, but not too deep, since the rhizome is located in the upper part and grows in breadth more.

Did you know? Of the conifers, the largest cones grow on the Lambert pine. They reach 60 cm in length.

The soil for transplanting can be bought at the store, or you can mix it yourself in equal proportions:

• leaf humus;
• turf soil;
• sand;
• sour peat.

To this composition add 20% of the total mass of wood ash.

The transplant is carried out by the transshipment method, while maintaining an earthen lump.. Before starting the manipulation, the bottom of the new pot is filled with expanded clay by 10 cm, then 10 cm of sand and the same amount of soil are laid. Carefully removing the cypress from the old tank, assess the condition of the roots, and if everything is fine, immediately move to a new pot. The voids are filled with soil mixture, and then abundantly watered and mulched with peat. A couple of weeks after transplantation, the vegetation is kept in partial shade to allow it to adapt to new conditions.

Wintering

The first 3 years after planting, even when grown in the southern regions with warm winters, the cypress needs shelter for the winter. It is enough to throw lutrasil or spanbond on a tree during a cold snap. In cool regions with a temperate climate, increase the mulch layer to 15 cm a couple of weeks before the onset of cold weather. Lay a spruce around the tree, and cover the branches themselves with lutrasil. If the plants are in pots, then it is better to move them to a cool room for the winter, where the temperature is maintained within + 10 ° С.

Possible diseases and pests

In the natural environment, cypresses are very rarely affected by diseases and pests. But in our latitudes with a low temperature, as well as a lack of humidity, it is often affected by a disease such as shute. It has a fungal nature, spreads rapidly throughout the plant. Symptoms - browning and blackening of needles, followed by shedding. As a struggle, the first thing they do is thoroughly clean the damaged shoots. Then sprayed with a solution of copper sulfate 1% concentration.

Did you know? Trees absorb only 10% of the nutrition they need from the soil, the remaining 90% from the atmosphere.

The main parasite that eats the needles of cypress is a spider mite. If sprinkling is carried out in time, then problems can be avoided. In the event of the occurrence of a pest, it is necessary to spray Caesar 3 times with a two-week interval. Dilute the substance according to the instructions.

Scabies can breed on home specimens. It’s quite difficult to spot them and to output them too. Too much affected plants invariably die. To eliminate insects use the drug Fitoverm according to the instructions. Processing must be carried out every 2 weeks for 2 months.

The use of wood in landscape design

All varieties of this plant are actively used in hedges and make borders with them. Also interesting are cypress trees near houses in the front zone. These varieties are well suited for rockeries, rock gardens. With their help, you can shade the fountain or zoning the territory, separating the area for rest.

Lavson Elwoody cypress trees have a high decorative effect. Suitable for cultivation in open ground in the southern regions and the central strip, in the north - only in greenhouses or at home. In nursing, vegetation is moderately capricious.