Is anyone had success with growing tall italian cypress in pots?
Alyce Venice
15 years ago
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tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
15 years agoRelated Discussions
Italian Cypress and Junipers straighten up?
Comments (12)what is your soil type.. in my sand.. i have been known to literally jump on the soil to set it.. wetting it into a slurry.. and creating a nearly cement-like consistency .. which a week later.. is back to being sand that drains well .. if i had clay.. that would create a nightmare ... you said 15 gallon pots were not rootbound .. how far into that root mass did you look??? just the surface??? if you used the search in GW .. you would find hundreds of posts.. wherein this plant is slandered no end.. and this is one of its endemic problems ... bboy addressed such ... i do not know if you should rip them out.. no pic upon which to make a suggestion ... and in my world.. giant stakes will not help the view.. besides the fact.. that if it is a root ball issue.. you can stake them for a decade.. and the day after you take off the stakes.. since the plant will be 2 or 3 times larger.. they may fail again ... my gut says ... if you must use this plant.. start much smaller ... they grow like weeds anyway in your area ... bare root them.. INSURE proper roots .. plant properly.. and a smaller plant will cope with wind and grow into a strong tree ... even better.. have us recommend something better.. [though my experience in z5 MI .. isnt going to be useless to you.. lol ...] its when we have a certain level of instant gratification needs .. that the problems really start ... and i am going to guess.. you wanted a fast sight block .... and in trying to accomplish such.. you were fast to develop fast problems ... pix??? ken...See MoreKniphofia - anyone had success here in Florida?
Comments (38)Heavens yes this was an interesting thread. I've had no luck with these beauties at all. Complete collapse and rot is usually the order of the day. In fact it only takes mine three days to turn to mush. I used to grow them extremely easily before I moved to the wet sub tropics, moisture was never a problem. It's still a mystery to me why they won't do here but I think Im beginning to understand, partially at least. Thing is where they grow wild in South Africa (mainly, think there's one or two species in Madagascar and Kenya) they do get lots of summer rain, they also (and this just makes me mad) grow in seasonal damp boggy places in full scotching African sun. From the coast up into the high mountains various species flourish in the summer rainfall region of Natal where most of the many many South Africas species come from. I've seen them happily sitting in a foot of water on the hottest day imaginable, along low lying river beds almost at sea level where hippos snort, marshy ground and depressions in the cool mountains, thriving in summer rain! There is something going on but I can't fully explain it. Firstly as Sun_worshipper says the species is important and there are hundreds. Unfortunately K.uvaria seems to be the one which has been mostly hybridised in Europe at least. This sadly is the single species from the winter rainfall area of the Cape province in South Africa, a Mediterranean climate. K, uvaria's influence must be a tenacious one, because given the many hybrids and cultivars available that K.uvaria cannot be wholly responsible for they still all remain susceptible ton summer wet. It's influence no matter how little seems to be carried in most of the cultivars in their susceptibility to summer wet. However this doesn't explain why the same plants do so well in places like the UK with it's full on summer drench. No it doesn't get very hot there and sunny days are few and far between. It's still summer wet. Maybe they grow the deciduous varieties only that have their own requirements, these are mostly from the high mountain regions in South Africa so have more hardiness, possibly K.uvaria is not as dominant in their cultivars. i just don't know. Two I tried from the Netherlands collapsed in a few days planted out, it could just be the combination heat and wet that gets them. Cool temperate summer weather and wet seems to be OK. Though I do see they always say good drainage. Most in Natal are evergreen, they also don't need a cold freezing winter either, they aren't cold stimulated flowerers nor are they short day flowerers. However the differences in altitude are obviously very important to what they prefer. They do resent disturbance. For example If you divide a clump it sets them back three years no matter how carefully you do it. There is one in particular which I think would do well for our zones as it is. There's a few in fact, but this one is magnificent. Its a giant and grows extremely vigorously in marshy ground right at sea level in Natal which is as close to Tropical as South Africa gets besides the Limpopo. Using that to hybridise new varieties avoiding K.uvaria like the plague would be the way to go. There are many fascinating and delightful species close to sea level in Natal that could be used. It's a sign of madness but I still went and bought two K.uvaria cultivars yesterday. Im thinking of growing them under cover as the only solution. Under cover for the whole summer and in sunshine exposed through the dry cool season. This is not a fantastic solution as I don't have a green house. I will definately be acquiring the sea level monster and any others I can during Christmas time when Im due for a safari in Natal. Meantime Im enjoying a few flowers with plants in the shade under cover. Taking them out just for rainless sunny days is just too much but who knows I might take pity. I would suggest growers look beyond K. uvaria because we are missing out on a stunning garden plant....See MoreItalian Cypress Trees Can Grow Successfully in Salt Lake City, Ut
Comments (6)Joann, we would love to see pictures of your cypress trees! also, if i am correct, the upper elevations can be slightly warmer during cold snaps for two reasons- the cold wind tends to whip through the valley, while the mountainsides and hillsides are more protected. Secondly, the colder air settles down lower in the valley (slightly). temperatures where we live in bluffdale (near the jordan) are usually a degree cooler. ps, does anyone know how to subscribe to threads, or access my recently viewed/written posts? (as in other forums)...See MoreNew Italian cypress looks brown/yellow with brittle leaves/branches
Comments (14)Faizan, How tall were these trees when you planted them ( the ones pictured without the privacy fence) Those seem to just have some branch die outs but, those smaller ones that are all brown are history. I live in zone 8 as well or about 4 hours North of the Gulf of Mexico in Alabama. The first pics of the small trees holes that were dug needed to be wider and deeper. I have to plant mine in impervious red clay-loam type soil that doesn't drain well (see my posts on GG's and Leland's) In your case, I'd dig it deeper so the trees roots have a softer bottom to grow in but when the trees are set back in the holes spread out the roots like an octopus would look like with it's tentacles all out. Make sure the root ball or trunk base is an inch or two above the ground grade and put back in the dirt you removed (minus the rocks) and walk it in to get rid of air pockets (don't stomp the dirt down). Depending on the soil moisture, that will depend on how much you water it in. Don't water log them. Put 2-3 inches of mulch around the root ball and outer drip line for a top dressing. Don't pile up the mulch around the trunk! I'd come back the next day and wet the mulch until you see it build up and go into the ground and stop. I don't see any need in making berms around the trees (unless the ground grade requires it) as this encourages water to pond in there if you get too much rain or watering. Check the trees in a few days as others have mentioned for moisture content. I'm going to get about 12 Italian's this Spring to plant but haven't found a good seller around me to purchase them. I've always read the smaller grow faster than the bigger when planting and it seems to be the status quo with Leland's and GG's so far. I hope this helps you out and please look at my posts regarding the planting and techniques I've put in place for problem soils down here. Let me know....See Moretapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
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Alyce VeniceOriginal Author