posted on November 4, 2001 01:55:56 PM
I live on the East coast in zone 7 and have four Leyland Cypresses that I'd like to trim into lollypop shape. Actually a friend shaped them two years ago, but I never seem to get around to shaping them before the birds nest there in the spring. When can I shape them? Do I have to wait on a hard freeze? January?
posted on November 4, 2001 03:03:30 PM
Why not leave it till spring? Though pruning now MIGHT give the remaining buds the advantage of the accumulated nutrients held over the winter, they might also be killed if there's a hard freeze. So if you let the growth from summer stay now it may be killed off in winter, the kill removed in spring and your shaping also be done at that time before the full bloom growth is expected when the weather warms. I don't know that particular cypress but in general they're a very hardy tree unless handicapped by over pruning while dormant. There's no way to predict which parts of the trees will suffer most in winter. What you cut away now could end up being just those branches which would have survived and given the plant the ability to make it through a tough time.
posted on November 4, 2001 03:47:27 PM
Do you think the end of March would be okay? We get an occasional snow or freeze in the middle of March but generally not toward the end. The tops of these trees look like troll dolls right now, but I guess I'll just tolerate it this winter. I'd just like to trim them before the birds get established.
posted on November 4, 2001 03:59:07 PM
Probably OK. It'd take a realy bad freeze in at the end of March to hurt it bad, and that's not likely, right? So a cold in Dec. would be compounded by more through the rest of winter while one in late March probably would be the last.
posted on November 4, 2001 04:03:28 PM
Thanks for the info. I should never have let my friend trim them into odd shapes to begin with but they had gotten too large for the space.
posted on November 4, 2001 04:44:13 PM
Hi, Randy. I've read that board a few times in the last year but I play around on the computer too much already. ( Besides, I've got to learn PhotoShop. ) I'll probably spend this winter working on an addition to my house so I'd better just stick with one board in my spare time. Visit here.
) I'll probably spend this winter working on an addition to my house so I'd better just stick with one board in my spare time. Visit here.