Cypress - Grow Your Own Hedge!

In short: Coniferous cypress hedges are planted in spring, into holes filled with a 1:1:1 mix of peat, heather and sand, in acidic, lime-free soil. Leyland cypress adds up to 50 cm a year, Lawson's cypress about 30 cm. Prune every year from March to May or at the end of August, slightly conical above 60 cm.

Cypress - Grow Your Own Hedge!

Cypress (lat. Cupressus) is an evergreen coniferous tree or shrub from the cypress family. Cypresses grow mainly in the Mediterranean and in warm regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Cypresses define the character of the landscape, reminding us of holidays in Italy, being typical of Tuscany. Cypresses are woody plants that form an essential component in creating our gardens. They have both decorative and shading uses, whether in shrub or tree form. Trees and shrubs can have many colors and shapes. Cypresses have a narrow conical and columnar shape. They have a distinctive and prominent shape that defines the character of a hedge. To create a quality wall - a living hedge - multiple specimens need to be planted in a row or group. For creating a living hedge, we use several species of cypress that this genus offers.

Trimmed hedges are a suitable architectural complement to your garden. Among coniferous trees and shrubs, cypresses are among the most suitable. They grow more slowly and require lighter, more nutritious soils. They thrive in sun, shade, and partial shade. Living hedges are divided by height into low (up to 1 m), medium (1-2 m), and tall (2-3 m), and also into trimmed and free-growing. We choose hedges carefully so they suit the type of house and garden. They shouldn't just serve as a "fence" preventing views from the street into the garden. They also have an aesthetic function - pleasantly complementing the garden composition, a hygienic function - partially dampening street noise and capturing dust particles, and a microclimatic function - increasing air humidity and improving the garden's microclimate.

Trimmed hedges - are suitable for smaller gardens. We can plant deciduous shrubs among the cypresses so the hedge doesn't appear monotonous. Coniferous cypresses are always placed on the busier part of the hedge. Overall, they make the garden cozier. Free-growing hedges - are not trimmed into regular shapes; flowering plants can be planted among the cypresses. We select plants with similar soil, location, and environmental requirements.

Establishing a Living Hedge

We usually establish a living hedge for greater privacy in our own garden, but also think about what the hedge will look like in two or three years. Cypresses can successfully spread both on our own property and toward the neighbors. It's therefore sensible to choose a greater distance from the property boundary. We establish deciduous hedges in autumn, coniferous hedges in spring. The first step is marking out the planting site and weeding. You can dig a trench along the entire length of the hedge, or just holes for individual plants. Will you plant the hedge in one or two rows? Pour suitable substrate or a mixture of peat, heather, and sand in a 1:1:1 ratio into the dug holes. Acidic soil without lime is more suitable. Water thoroughly.

Types of Cypress

Mediterranean Cypress (Latin: Cupressus sempervirens) is a striking evergreen coniferous tree that grows in the Mediterranean region from Greece to Iran. It can reach heights of 20 to 35 m. It is suitable for hedges but is not frost-hardy. It works well as a static element in the garden. It doesn't move in the wind, maintains its shape, and its branches don't bend. Cypress is very popular due to its technical and decorative properties. Male flowers are yellow-brown and female flowers are green. The fruit of the cypress is a brown, round cone composed of 6-12 scales with blunt protrusions. Both cypress and false cypress tolerate pruning well.

Leyland Cypress (Latin: Cupressocyparis leylandii) is a fast-growing cypress with annual growth of up to 50 cm. It is suitable for shaping. If left to grow freely, it can reach heights of up to 30 m.

Cypress - when planting, ensure that individual trees touch with their lower branches. For hedges above 60 cm in height, a slightly conical trim is recommended.

Summer Cypress (Latin: Chamaecyparis) is an undemanding, attractive annual plant suitable for temporary hedges or as a solitary specimen in the garden. Summer cypress grows up to 1 m in height. It has a fluffy shape and from a distance looks like a small conifer. The small, linear, light-green leaves turn carmine red in autumn. It tolerates pruning well. With its bright green color, it can create contrast with flowering plants in the bed. Summer cypress thrives in fertile, well-drained soil, even stony or rocky. It does best in a fully sunny location, protected from wind. Water summer cypress moderately; you can add fertilizer every 14 days. When sowing from seeds, we can pre-grow summer cypress either indoors or outdoors. For outdoor pre-growing or sowing, cover the container with glass. Cover the seeds with only a thin layer of soil.

Summer Cypress is sown in April directly at the location where we want to have an ornamental hedge. Cypress thrives even in urban environments where the air is slightly polluted.

Lawson's Cypress (lat. Chamaecyparis lawsoniana) is a coniferous tree native to North America. It was imported to the Czech lands in 1859. In nature, it grows at altitudes around 1700 m alongside pines and firs. Cypress is an evergreen tree that grows up to 50 m in height. In our conditions, it reaches a maximum height of 25 m. In ten years, it grows approximately 3-4 m tall, with an annual growth rate of about 30 cm. It ranks among the most beautiful columnar plants. It doesn't need thinning and has compact, dense growth. Suitable for trimming, it has a narrow cone or cylinder shape. The trunk is more robust (can reach up to 3m in diameter) with brown bark and a reddish tinge. The fruit consists of small woody cones. It is therefore very decorative. The blue-green scale-like leaves have a grey edge on the underside. When crushed, they release a pleasant aroma. In the past, the valuable white wood of cypresses was used for building ships or temples. Now natural sources are depleted. The wood contains oil that is used for inhalation; in larger quantities, it damages the kidneys. Lawson's Cypress is a highly variable species. New shapes, colours, appearances and heights are intensively bred. Around 500 cultivars are known. In park planting, it is one of the most significant conifers.

Hedge Care

Sowing - seeds germinate best in a warm greenhouse, in suitable substrate or peat pellets. Seeds should not be placed deep in the soil. If we don't have a warm greenhouse, we can cover the container with seeds with glass. For some species, use stratification for germination. This prevents seeds from drying out. Seeds are thus preserved from autumn and spring sowing is enabled. For germination, use a peat base, which you place together with the seeds in the refrigerator for 70-100 days. Spring is suitable for transplanting to outdoor locations, when the plant begins to grow.

Planting - when planting, ensure that individual trees touch with their lower branches. For hedges over 60 cm in height, a slightly conical cut is recommended. Young plants need shading.

Watering - should be moderate but regular. Preferably with standing water without calcium content. It doesn't tolerate drying out.

Cutting propagation - cannot be recommended for propagation; grafting onto Chamaecyparis lawsoniana is preferable.

Fertilising - during the growing season, we can add fertiliser to the water every 14 days. Fertilisers for azaleas and conifers without calcium addition are suitable.

Pruning - we shape cypresses into the same form consistently. We recommend pruning every year so that the plant grows evenly from the bottom up. Once the trunk becomes bare and the plant stretches upward, old wood will no longer sprout after further pruning. Cypress is pruned from March to May, or at the end of August.

Winterizing hedges - pile mulch or raked leaves from the garden around the roots. You can also use white non-woven fabric. As plants age and strengthen, this winter treatment is no longer necessary. If you have a solitary plant in a container - cypress tolerates 5°C outdoors, but in severe frosts move it to an unheated greenhouse, cool room or conservatory.

If you're captivated by cypresses but don't have a garden, don't despair. Cypresses can also be grown indoors, where they will decorate the room and fill it with a pleasant fragrance.