Table of Content
It will tolerate poor soil, as well as surviving drought, air-pollution and salt-spray. It is pest-free, attractive all year round and easily clipped to keep it to any size and height required. If you have a new property and quickly need to screen an ugly view or create privacy, Leyland Cypress is the ideal choice. The Murray Leyland Cypress is a breakthrough form of the immensely popular Leyland Cypress.
Leyland Cypress is a hybrid between Monterey Cypress and Nootka Cypress . It originated in a garden in Wales, when a Mr. John Naylor decided, in 1888, to sow some seeds from a Nootka cypress cone he had found on the ground near a large tree. When his son inherited a grand estate called Haggerton Hall, the son changed his name to that of the original owner – Leyland. The seedling trees, and some other seedlings from a cone taken from a Monterey Cypress growing nearby, were all grown in the garden – a total of six trees.
Southern Living Oakland Holly Tree
Remove the roots of weeds, especially big perennial ones, but you don’t need to remove small stones. Because of its tougher character, the Murray Leyland Cypress can be planted in almost any location. Although the normal Leyland Cypress is reliable almost everywhere, the new Murray variety is also an excellent choice, no matter where you live. In cooler regions we recommend Thuja Green Giant, or in very cold areas, the cold-resistant Emerald Green Arborvitae. A 2-foot-tall potted sapling can reach Christmas tree size in just a year or two.
The Murray Leyland Cypress is a special selection of the traditional Leyland Cypress, which grows as fast or faster than the original. It will rapidly become a tall tree 30 feet tall or more, with a full, columnar shape and a width of more than 12 feet. This feature also means the plants will grow together faster when planted as a screen, and allows for slightly wider spacing. It has the same foliage, with pointed leaves clinging to the stems and growing in soft upright sprays. In spring it is an attractive lighter-green color, which darkens to a very rich, dark green in late summer and stays that way all winter. Your screen or hedge will always look lush, richly colorful and green, no matter what time of year it is – no more brown winter hedges.
How to Grow and Care for Leyland Cypress
It is a common mistake to wait for plants to grow to their full size before trimming. For the perfect hedge, only trim the front and back, and allow the plants to grow naturally together. Regular trimming will develop the densest hedge and give you the best appearance. Always trim the top more than the bottom, so that your hedge has a slight slop inwards. This keeps the lowest parts green and vigorous, with your hedge healthy right to the ground. During hot and dry weather, water your Leyland Cypress twice a week for the first month after planting and then once a week until late fall.
If you decide to try growing it in a pot, use a large, wide, container with good drainage holes (heavy-duty plastic is a good choice), and fill it with a standard well-draining potting mix. Handled this way, you may be able to slow the otherwise rapid growth rate of this plant. Leyland cypress is an evergreen tree with an upright, columnar habit and with foliage almost to the ground. Left untrimmed, this tree can reach 100 feet tall, but this is rarely seen as the plant is mostly used for screening and hedges, and trimmed regularly or at least from time to time. The foliage is soft, with pointed leaves clinging to the stems and growing in upright sprays.
Growing Murray Leyland Cypress Trees
In the winter, the tree's exterior turns a gold hue while the interior remains green. Once you have the plants in the hole or trench, and standing upright, put back two-thirds of the soil, pushing it down around the root ball as you fill the hole. Once this is done, add lots of water, until the hole is completely flooded. Wait for the water to drain away and then put back the rest of the soil. When you plant your tree, choose a location that receives at least 6 hours of sun each day. It also makes a fast-growing shrub or windbreak but will need to be frequently pruned to manage its size.
Mulch is a great way to conserve moisture in dry weather and keep the soil cool Shredded bark is one of the best mulches to use, because it will eventually recycle in the soil. Spread a layer 2 to 3 inches thick over the area around your trees, but not right up against the stem. Cover a wide area, as the roots will spread out into the cooler, damper soil that way. After a couple of years, the mulch will have become thin, so add a fresh layer right on top of the old material.
Potting and Repotting Leyland Cypress
Our suppliers grow our trees the correct way – from branch cuttings. That way every tree is identical to the original and produces a uniform effect when planted as a hedge. However growing this way takes longer, so avoid cheaper trees that will only be a disappointment. Watering should be reduced to once a month in winter, as these trees are especially prone to root to in cold, wet soil.
Particularly in the south-east, where summers are very hot and humid, some plants began to develop diseases. These were partly due to the growing conditions, often places where the soil was too wet, but not always. Sometimes this was due to a general limitation in the ability of the plant to grow in very hot and very humid conditions – which are often experienced in south-eastern states.
Once these trees became available, gardeners quickly adopted them as the best plant available for rapid screening. Almost all the millions of Cypress trees bearing that name and growing around the world today came from those original six trees through generations of cuttings. Leyland Cypress will grow best with regular fertilizer, especially during the first few years. Select a fertilizer specially designed for evergreen trees and hedges, with the right balance of nutrients for the best growth possible.
Although this tree is relatively new, more nurseries are offering Murray Cypress for sale. When shopping, look for a tree that is free from any signs of disease or pests. The frequency with which Leyland cypress succumbs to insect damage and disease is one reason why some landscape experts now shy away from recommending this plant.
No comments:
Post a Comment