Lawson's cypress Columnaris (Chamaecyparis Lawsoniana Columnaris) is popular for its resistance to external conditions and a beautiful aesthetic appearance. It is often used in landscape design in the design of park areas.

Botanical description of the plant

Lavson's cypress Columnaris is a coniferous tree that retains its greenery throughout the year. This plant is from the genus of the cypress family of the cypress family. Not surprisingly, it is similar to cypresses. The tree grows strictly up and after 10 years has a height of 3-4 m. On average, grows up to 5-10 m in length, but can reach 80 m. Outwardly, it is very similar to thawed. The difference is the top of small branches located horizontally.

Did you know? Cypress of this species hit to Europe from North America in 1864. Under natural conditions, it grows in the highlands of California and Oregon.

The bark is dark brown. Thin, but dense shoots grow vertically up. The coniferous cover consists of needles up to 10 cm long and gives off a pleasant aroma.

Cypress grows rather quickly and develops. Annual growth is 20 cm high, 10 cm wide. In diameter, the crown grows to 2 m. The needles of layering scales that are soft to the touch have a beautiful gray-blue color, which over time becomes more green. The tree has a developed root system with a large number of subordinate roots. Male flowers are dark red, while female flowers have a greenish color and occupy a place at the end of the branch. Roundish cones in spring are painted green. They ripen in September, giving small seeds.

This plant crop is quite frost-resistant and normally tolerates urban conditions with a strong gas contamination.. In addition, Kolumnaris is one of the most frost-resistant cypress trees. It can grow in central Russia, but the climate of Siberia is no longer for him.

Origin of name

Lawson Cypress (Lawson) got its name in honor of the Swedish scientist-botanist who first discovered the appearance of this coniferous plant crop in 1855. Previously, these trees were common in America, but were cut down due to the pleasantly smelling and not rotting wood, although the plant itself grows relatively quickly and can live up to 600 years. Varieties Columnaris and Columnaris Glauka were developed on the basis of Lavson's cypress.

Did you know? This variety got its name in connection with the shape of the crown. Its name "columnaris" in Latin means "columnar".

Landing

To cypress well developed and had a beautiful aesthetic appearance, you need to choose the right place for its cultivation. An important point is the selection of high-quality planting material and the correct landing in a permanent place.

Seedling Selection

To purchase planting material, you should contact a specialized nursery or store. Buy better zoned seedlings that are better adapted to local climatic conditions.

For planting, it is better to purchase seedlings in 3-5 liter plastic containers. On the planting material there should be no damage, broken shoots, spotting, yellowness and plaque. This can be a signal of the presence of diseases, pests or improper care. Such a plant may not tolerate planting. Ground in containers should be moderately moist.

When buying, it should be noted that the older the crop, the worse it transplant

Site preparation

When landing, you need to choose a well-lit area or partial shade. The place should be well protected from strong gusts of wind. Lavson's cypress Kolumnaris is undemanding to the choice of soil, but prefers light and moist soil with an alkaline or neutral reaction, does not tolerate dryness and soil compaction. There should be no stagnation of water on the site, and the soil is drained.

Cypress will grow better where there is nutrient soil, therefore, if the soil is sparse, it is better to fertilize it with humus or compost. To make a nutritious soil mixture, mix fertile soil, humus, sand and peat in a ratio of 3: 3: 1: 1.

Important! When planting, a distance of 1–2 m from other plant crops should be maintained. When a green hedge is formed, a gap of up to 0.5 m is left between the planting material.

Landing itself is carried out in the spring, and pits for landing are prepared in the fall. To do this, dig a recess 0.7-0.8 m into the ground and 0.6 m wide. At the bottom lay a drainage layer of crushed stone, gravel or broken brick at least 15 cm in height. Then, 45–50 g of superphosphate and 25–30 g of potassium chloride are mixed into the nutrient mixture. The pit is covered with boards or film for the winter.

Landing technology

The landing of planting material itself is carried out in May.

In this case, perform the following actions:

1. Seedlings are placed on the eve of water for 6–9 hours, and then in a solution with chemical preparations that contribute to better growth and strengthening of the roots (Kornestim, Kornevin).
2. Then the planting material is placed in a prepared hole, carefully spreading the roots. After falling asleep with nutritious soil, ramming it. The root neck should be located at ground level.
3. After that, watering is carried out - 20 liters of water for 1 instance.
4. To protect the soil around the seedlings from drying out, the soil around them is mulched.

Care

Cypress is an unpretentious plant crop. In order for him to please with his fluffy needles and a beautiful aesthetic appearance, he needs to organize appropriate care.

Watering and feeding

Lavson's cypress Columnaris needs hydration. At least 1 time in 7 days you need to pour 10 liters under each copy. In dry summer weather, watering is carried out 2-3 times a week. It is useful to sprinkle and water these trees from a hose in the summer, but not cold water should be used for humidification. This procedure cleanses needles from dirt and dust, and also improves the process of photosynthesis.

Mineral fertilizer should also be applied every two weeks until July.. In spring and summer, you can feed Kemira with the ready-made nutritious mixture. For this, granules are scattered around the trees. On 1 copy leaves 120-150 g. After it should be abundant watering. Water will help dissolve the nutrients and deliver them to the root system. From April to May, it is better to use nitroammorphosk in the amount of 35–40 g under one tree. In autumn, top dressing is not carried out.

Loosening and mulching

This plant crop does not tolerate compacted soil, therefore after watering, it is recommended to loosen the soil. This simple procedure protects these plants from root rot.

To protect the soil from drying out, mulch around the crown. As mulch, humus, compost, sawdust or mowed grass are well suited.

Pruning

In early spring, it is recommended to carry out sanitary pruning - dry, damaged by diseases and broken branches are removed. It is necessary to trim the tree to form a crown. To do this, remove 1 / 3–1 / 4 of the entire length of the shoots. Such pruning stimulates the growth of new shoots, and the cypress grows denser, and its needles become lush.

Winter preparations

Lavson's cypress Columnaris is a frost-resistant variety, but young seedlings need to be protected from severe cold for the first time.. They are covered with non-woven material and mulch the soil. As a covering material, burlap is well suited. It passes air well and protects against spring sunburn.

Breeding

Lavson's cypress Columnaris reproduces well with seed or cuttings. In this case, a large amount of seedling material can be obtained. Each of these methods has its own characteristics.

Did you know? Conifers are excellent air disinfectants. In the coniferous forest, bacteria are 10 times less than in the deciduous.

Cuttings

The most commonly used way to propagate this plant crop is cuttings. This process should be carried out in the spring, when the earth and air are warm enough.

The procedure for the propagation of Kolumnaris by cuttings is as follows:

1. Cuttings from the top of the side shoots of cuttings with a size of 7-15 cm are cut.
2. Bottom of the planting material is removed by needles. Then it is advised to place it in the Kornevin solution for 2-3 hours.
3. Landing is carried out in containers or containers of suitable sizes, which are filled with prepared soil mixture. It is made by mixing sand and perlite with the addition of crushed bark of pine or spruce.
4. Cuttings are planted in containers and covered with a bag to create a greenhouse effect. This allows them to take root faster.
5. Such a landing is moistened as necessary and every day open for 15 minutes for ventilation.
6. After 1-2 months, the cuttings take root, and they are transplanted to a prepared place. At first, so that they begin faster, they are covered with plastic bottles. Plants that have strengthened over the summer can overwinter in the ground, but they must be covered.

Video: cypress propagation by cuttings

Seeds

To plant a cypress of this variety with seeds, you must adhere to the following rules:

1. At the beginning of the autumn period, ripened cones are torn from branches and dried in a dry and well-ventilated room, collecting seeds. Seed material can be used for 15 years.
2. To increase germination, seeds should be hardened and stratified. To do this, the seeds are placed in a container with a mixture of sand and peat, and then buried in the snow. You can also put them in the refrigerator.
3. In the first days of March, the container is removed from the cold and placed in a warm place with a temperature of + 19 ... + 23 ° С. It should be noted that the lighting should be good, but without direct sunlight. Such conditions will allow the seeds to germinate faster.
4. You need to take care of the planting - carry out moderate hydration. After the plants grow, it is necessary to carry out the dive process.
5. After warming, the seedling tank is taken out onto the street or balcony to temper.
6. Then you need to prepare a site with nutrient soil in partial shade or shade and plant shoots. For the winter, such a landing should be insulated.
7. When the plants grow, they are transplanted to a permanent place.

When choosing propagation by seeds, it should be taken into account that the plant that appears may not inherit the maternal properties

Possible diseases and pests

Cypress Columnaris resistant to pest attacks and diseases, but this does not mean that it cannot be damaged by them. Errors in care, excessive waterlogging, lack of drainage can weaken the plant and provoke the development of fungal diseases. A weak plant can also suffer from pests. This conifer can be affected. guards and spider mites, thuja bark beetle. Their appearance is signaled by needles, which turn yellow and begin to fall. Young plants can be particularly affected.

In case of severe mite lesions, “Fitoverm”, “Akarin”, “Lightning”, “Actellik” chemical preparations are used. Aphids can be washed off with soapy water, but with a large amount it is better to spray the plant with Fitoverm, Aktellik, Aktara or Komandor. From guards and false shields, “Aktara” or “Confidor” will help. Processing is usually carried out at least 2 times. If the holes of the bark beetle are seen, then it is better to get rid of the tree.

Cypress can be affected by the following diseases:

1. Fusarium. This fungal disease affects the roots. She finds herself yellowing shoots and brown bark. The use of Fundazole may help. If the process has gone too far, then the plant can be saved only by rooting the top, previously sprayed with the above drug.
2. Brown shute. It is recognized by the appearance of cobwebbed plaque and darkening of the tree. Make spraying with a Bordeaux mixture.
3. Late blight. At first it strikes the shoots. Then it covers the whole plant and gets to the roots. With it, the cypress first turns gray, and then turns brown and dries. At the onset of the disease, spraying the soil with Ridomil Gold will help.
4. Root rot. It develops against a background of high humidity. The plant will need to be dug up, cut off rotten roots and treated with Fundazol. Then make a transplant in more suitable conditions.

The use of wood in landscape design

Lavson's cypress Columnaris can be planted in a single copy or in a group planting. It is suitable for urban gardening, because it tolerates the smoke of megacities, and grows rapidly.

Columnaris can be used in the following landscape compositions:

1. For growing tall evergreens alivex hedges and fencesseparating the plot.
2. In small groups. Several cypress trees planted close to each other look great together.
3. With other conifers. From conifers of various forms, interesting compositions can be made. Even among the cypresses themselves, there are different species (Glauka, Lavson Globos, cormoid, dumb and others).
4. In a solitary landing. Even one copy of this cypress can decorate a site on which there are no other trees.
5. With ornamental shrubs. With the thick gray-green needles of this culture will be combined plants with bright leavesfor example, some varieties of barberry and Japanese spirea. Their red-red foliage will create a spectacular contrast with cypress. Lush varieties of viburnum and Forsythia will also look good next.

Important! Near conifers you can not plant birch, bird cherry and fruit trees. Their neighborhood can be very harmful, as these trees will take food from conifers.

Around cypress trees you can plant creeping perennials that impose identical requirements on the growing conditions, for example, lycopodia (plun). Its many thin leaves resemble needles, and the plunders themselves are evergreens.

When designing conifers, it should be noted that they look best against a neat lawn. At the same time, do not forget that when they are grown, soil acidification occurs, and not all neighboring plants can tolerate this.

Lavson's cypress Columnaris grows in large size. This rather unpretentious and beautiful coniferous tree of gray-blue color can be used in different compositions and is often grown for hedges.