Prune Cypresses

Cypresses are plants that are usually grown in areas with a temperate climate and that are very useful for ornamental use, especially in the design of hedges.

They have a simple structure compared to other trees because they have a main trunk from which the whole set of secondary branches depart.

It does not produce edible fruits but a kind of pineapple, as occurs with other species with similar characteristics. Depending on the type of cypress chosen, it is possible to have small, medium and even very large ones.

Pruning is a topic of high value so that they always look beautiful and imposing and here we will give you the most outstanding data so that everything goes from 10 to you.

Why prune cypress trees?

The pruning of the cypresses is carried out in order to improve its structure and collaborate, above all, in the ornamental theme.Since they are widely used for garden decoration, delimitations and even compositions, their pruning responds to a morphology-oriented objective.

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Of course, this also includes the addition of keeping it healthy by freeing it from any part that is in poor condition.

When is it better to carry out pruning of cypresses?

Due to their structure and the rate of growth they usually have, cypresses are one of the recommended species to prune between winter and spring.Thus, it will enjoy the best environmental conditions to recover and continue with its growth work without setbacks.

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What tools should we use when pruning cypresses?

The correct tools will be chosen according to the thickness of the branches.If they are thin, garden shears will do. In case of thicker, a saw.

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It is very important that each of these is well sharpened to prevent the cuts from causing the plant to suffer too much. In addition, a well-done cut encourages the wound to close more quickly.

It is also necessary that they have been disinfected to avoid problems of disease transmission. If it is a very large tree, it will be necessary to use a ladder to reach the highest points easily.

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What considerations should we take into account when pruning cypress trees?

The first decision we must make is what the final structure we want to give the tree will be.A pruning can be done only in order to control the height of it, while another can be to structure the environment.

The latter is the one used by gardeners so that all cypresses look the same in a decorated garden. Another important point is to check the width of the tree throughout its height to ensure that the highest part is less wide.

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These will make it easier for light to penetrate to the bottom and the tree will have better health. Take into account that if the top of the cypress is very wide, the tree will tend to lean towards a certain place, detracting from its beauty and mistreating it.

How to prune cypresses without damaging the tree?

Cypress pruning is different from other species because the focal point will be oriented to the exterior parts, never to the trunk.

That is to say, it is necessary to choose very well the species that is going to be planted before doing so because it is not correct to prune the trunk.

In the case of branches, the idea is to lighten the load on the trunk and allow air and light to circulate more freely.

But the pruning system must be done with the whole branches, not in pieces as in other cases, such as fruit trees. So the steps will be like this:

Remove all the affected parts of the tree: dry branches, in poor condition or that look sick.
Start pruning the tree from the highest part (focusing more effort in this area) to the lowest. Ideally, it should be left with a more or less uniform cone structure.
Prune as needed at other times to ensure the shape is maintained and the cypress is healthy.
If the tree is old, it is ideal to apply a rejuvenation pruning during the end of winter. Here you have to determine which parts are the oldest and woodiest to remove them and thus stimulate the tree to restart the formation of a new structure from the following spring.

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Cypresses can be planted as single trees or used to create hedges. In each case, the treatment will be different depending on the purpose that is expected to be achieved, but the path is more or less the same.

Here the most important thing is to ensure that the tree is with all its healthy parts and that it is able to maintain a beautiful structure. In the end, the idea of a cypress is to have an imposing tree that can help us with issues such as garden boundaries or as a wind blocker.

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To learn more about pruning other plants and trees:

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