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Lawson's cypress Yvonne is an evergreen coniferous tree of the Cypress family with high decorative qualities. This variety will serve as a good decoration for the site both in summer and winter. It is resistant to late blight, has a fast growth rate and, among other varieties, has good frost resistance, thanks to which the tree can be planted in almost all regions of Russia.
In landscape compositions, Lawson Yvonne cypress is most often used to decorate alleys.
Description of Lawson cypress by Yvonne
The height of the tree is 2.5 m. The plant reaches this mark on average in the 10th year of life, however, with a lack of sunlight, it hardly grows above 7 m in height. The diameter of an adult tree usually does not exceed 3 m.
As you can see in the photo below, the branches of the Lawson cypress variety Yvonne grow upward, almost vertically. The crown of the tree is cone-shaped and quite dense. If the top of the cypress tree is too narrow, it may fall a little to one side.
The bark of the cypress tree is brownish-red.The needles of young plants are represented by many small needles, but in mature trees they gradually transform into small flat scales.
The color of Lawson cypress variety Yvonne varies depending on the type of soil in which it was planted, but in general yellowish tones with a green tint predominate. In shaded areas, the tree's needles are somewhat paler than those of plants that grow in the sun.
Cypress cones are oval and small - no more than 1 cm in width. They differ in type into male and female. The former have a pinkish color, while the scales of the latter are painted in pale greenish tones. As the cones mature, they become covered with a thin waxy coating. In September, the scales open and release a large number of flying seeds.
Planting and caring for Yvonne cypress
Lawson cypress Yvonne is planted in open sunny areas. Planting in partial shade is possible, but in strong shade the tree does not grow well. When choosing a place for planting, the level of groundwater is of great importance - if it is located too close to the surface of the earth, the roots of the cypress tree may begin to rot. Also, excessive soil moisture provokes the development of fungal infections.
Drying out the soil has no less detrimental effect on the development of the tree, so it is necessary to water the tree trunk circle before it begins to crack.
Landing rules
The algorithm for planting the Lawson cypress variety Yvonne is as follows:
- The area chosen for planting is dug up in the fall and fertilized with a mixture of peat, humus, sand and turf soil, taken in a ratio of 2: 2: 1: 3.By spring, the soil mixture will rot and form the environment necessary for better survival of seedlings.
- Immediately before planting the plants, a drainage layer of broken brick or crushed stone is placed at the bottom of the planting holes and sprinkled with mineral fertilizers high in nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
- It is recommended to dig planting holes to a depth of 20 cm. The distance between two adjacent holes is 1.5-2 m.
- The roots of the seedling are evenly laid out along the bottom of the recess and sprinkled with earth, lightly compacting it.
- Planting is completed with moderate watering.
Watering and fertilizing
Yvonne cypress is a frost-resistant plant, but extremely vulnerable to prolonged periods of drought. In order for the tree to develop normally, it must be watered regularly.
In summer, the frequency of watering is 1 time per week. Use an average of 1 bucket of water for each plant. It is recommended to spray young cypress trees of the Yvonne variety on hot days.
Young plantings begin to be fertilized only 2-3 months after being placed in open ground. Lawson cypress of the Yvonne variety is fed primarily with complex mineral fertilizers, but by mid-July such feeding is stopped.
With the onset of spring, when active growth of cypress begins, organic fertilizers with a high nitrogen content are added to the soil. This fertilizing promotes better growth of green mass. Fertilizers are applied after watering. After this, the tree trunk circle is watered again, not so abundantly.This is done so that the beneficial substances are quickly absorbed into the soil and reach the roots of the cypress tree.
In autumn, plantings are not fed.
Mulching
For better moisture retention, it is recommended to mulch the surface near the cypress trunk. Also, a layer of mulch will serve as good protection against the spread of weeds, overheating of the soil and freezing of roots when growing cypress in the northern regions of the country.
Material suitable for mulching:
- sawdust;
- needles;
- crushed tree bark;
- wood ash;
- peat;
- straw;
- mown grass.
Trimming
The crown of the Lawson Yvonne cypress can be easily formed if desired. In addition, removing part of the shoots with canopy promotes better shoot formation. To do this, up to one third of the total number of annual branches is usually removed.
In the fall, it is necessary to carefully examine the Yvonne cypress tree and cut off all bare branches, since with the onset of cold weather they will dry out. With the onset of spring, another sanitary pruning is carried out, removing broken, frozen or dried shoots. This procedure can be combined by forming a crown and pressing the cypress tree into the shape of a regular cone.
Preparing for winter
The description of the Lawson cypress variety Yvonne states that this plant is one of the most frost-resistant varieties. Mature trees of this variety are able to safely withstand temperatures down to –25-29°C. Despite this, it is better to cover the plantings for the winter, especially in regions with harsh winters.
Any covering material is suitable for this: dry spruce branches, burlap, special craft paper. This is necessary not only to protect the plant root system from low temperatures, but also to protect the cypress tree from sunburn. This is quite a common occurrence in May when the snow begins to melt.
Reproduction of Lawson's cypress Yvon
There are several ways to propagate the Lawson cypress variety Yvonne. It can be done:
- cutting method;
- by seed method;
- through layering.
From this list, the most popular is the propagation of cypress by cuttings. This is due to the simplicity of the method and speed - when propagating a tree from cuttings, you can quickly get a young plant.
The cutting algorithm for the Yvonne variety looks like this:
- In the spring, during the period of active growth of cypress, it is necessary to cut off part of the shoots up to 35 cm long, but not less than 25 cm. In this case, young branches should be selected for propagation.
- After cutting, the cuttings are buried in loose, moist soil and covered with plastic wrap or a bag.
- Containers with planting material are moved to the greenhouse.
- The seedlings are periodically sprayed so that the soil in containers with plants does not dry out.
- After just 3 weeks, the cuttings will form the first roots. After 1-2 months they will take root, after which they can be transplanted to a permanent place.
Propagation by seeds requires much more time. In this way, Yvonne cypress is propagated according to the following scheme:
- In autumn, seeds are removed from ripe cones.
- They are dried at a temperature of +40-45°C.
- Next comes the seed stratification procedure. To do this, they are soaked in water at room temperature for 6 hours.
- Then the seeds are sent for storage. They are packed in a paper envelope and stored at a temperature not lower than +5°C. The germination of planting material is maintained for a long time - seeds can be sown even 15 years after collection.
- In October, the seeds are planted in containers and the containers are taken outside until February. At the same time, to avoid freezing, they are covered with dry grass or snow.
- In March, containers are brought into the house. The first shoots should appear in early April. Then they begin to be watered moderately and covered to protect them from direct sunlight.
Reproduction by seeds lasts at least 5 years. Only then is it possible to land in a permanent place.
It is much easier and faster to propagate the Yvonne variety through layering. To do this, you must adhere to the following algorithm:
- The lower shoot of the cypress is carefully bent to the ground.
- The end of the branch is fixed to the ground so that it does not bend.
- The bent shoot is watered in the same way as the parent bush. After a year, it is separated from the adult plant.
Additionally, the procedure for propagating cypress by cuttings is described in the following video:
Diseases and pests
Lawson cypress variety Yvonne is rarely affected by diseases. Late blight of the root system is identified as the main threat. Sick plants must be dug up at the first signs of disease - rapid withering of shoots. The dug up cypress tree is burned away from the garden plot. The remaining plantings are sprayed with any fungicides.
Of the pests, the following insects pose the greatest danger:
- mining moth;
- aphid;
- bark beetles;
- spider mite;
- Cherevets;
- scale insect;
Regular insecticides work well with them.
Conclusion
Yvonne's Lawson cypress is not that difficult to grow - even beginners can do this task. Most often, I use the variety in flower arrangements in combination with other conifers: spruce and thuja, but you can also combine them with roses and other perennial garden crops. The Yvonne cypress looks equally impressive both in single plantings and in group plantings. Growing the tree is possible in open ground and in special spacious containers.
