Just a luxurious evergreen representative of the flora is a cypress (Chamaecyparis). This is a tree with a neat decorative crown and needles in the form of scales. Currently, the plant is very popular for growing, and therefore care for cypress at home is of interest to many gardeners.

How to prepare a place for a cypress

The cypress tree belongs to the Cypress family, it also includes cypress, thuja, arborvitae, juniper. The cypress and cypress can be distinguished by the color of the needles - in the first it is light green, in the second it is dark green. But the content and care for them is exactly the same. Today it is popular to grow this conifer not only in parks, gardens, but also indoors.

Caring for a home plant requires some features, then it will grow quickly and smell great. Choosing a place for a tree is necessary depending on the lighting. In summer, he will be best off on the balcony, but not in direct sunlight. In the cold season, it is better to place the plant in the southern part of the house with good lighting. If he does not have enough light, then Chamaecyparis will stretch out and lose its decorative appearance. With an excess of light, the needles will begin to fall.

An important point is the selection of the pot. The most suitable capacity is 3-4 sizes larger than the root system. It is better to buy a clay pot, the soil does not dry and cool in it as in a plastic container.

Soil preparation

The most suitable time for planting a cypress tree is spring. Most of all for a soil mixture sand, turf, peat and foliage are suitable. All these components must be mixed in equal amounts, and the sheet composition can be even more. Soil for cypress should not be dense, otherwise excess moisture will accumulate in it. This phenomenon ends with rotting of the roots and death of the tree.

Did you know? Cypress caskets and chests were used by the Romans to store valuable documents.

How to plant a cypress

Many outdoor cypress varieties are suitable for indoor cultivation. These small trees grow slowly, so they will reach their maximum height in only a few decades. The plant does not like frequent transplants, which is why it is only necessary to do this extremely rarely and carefully, keeping the earthen lump at the roots. Methods of growing garden and house cypress require more careful study.

Seeds

To grow a cypress shrub from seeds, you need to have a bump, which has not yet fully ripened inside, but has already begun to unfold. This does not guarantee 100% germination, but 25% of the seeds must germinate. Also, seed material can be bought at the store. It is best to germinate seedlings in April - May. Seeds must first be kept in the refrigerator for 3-4 months. Before sowing, they must be soaked overnight in a Kornevin solution. For germination, small boxes or special pots for seedlings are suitable.

Important! When planting a cypress, do not use humus. This organic fertilizer is too aggressive for the plant and can lead to its death.

If you decide on such a step, then follow the instructions:

1. Fill the pots with the earth mix described above.
2. Tamp the substrate slightly and pour.
3. Spread soaked seeds on top (several in a container).
4. Pour them on top of the ground with a layer of 1 cm.
5. Put the pots in a greenhouse or just a warm place, you can close the containers with a film to create a greenhouse effect.
6. Spray the top coat regularly with water, ventilate and monitor the room temperature.
7. After the emergence of seedlings (4-5 weeks), carefully monitor the soil moisture, do not allow overflow.
8. When the seedlings grow to 5 cm in height, you can transplant them into permanent pots.
9. Make sure that the neck of the young plant does not go deep into the ground.

With good care, Sentsi can grow up to 20 cm in height in a year.

Cuttings

In early spring or autumn, you can apply a propagation method such as cuttings. To do this, stick to the following scheme:

1. Cut side shoots or tops of stems 10 cm long from the tree.
2. Remove the lower branches of the needles from them and put the cuttings in the Kornevin solution overnight.
3. Sprinkle slices with powdered charcoal and start planting in small pots.
4. It is better to prepare the soil from coarse sand with the addition of perlite or acid peat.
5. Deepen the cuttings into the ground at 1/3 of their height.
6. Regularly moisten the soil, cover each container with a glass jar to create a greenhouse effect.
7. 3 times a week, seedlings need watering and ventilation.

In two months, the cuttings are completely rooted. Poorly rooted seedlings can be grown in a cool, lit room. With the onset of spring, transplant them into open ground or in large pots.

Layering

Germinating Chamaecyparis using the vegetative method is not difficult. The best time for this is spring or summer. Most often, the creeping species is propagated by this method. It is easy to form new bushes from the shoots located low to the ground.

Did you know? The ancient island of Crete was covered with impenetrable forests. Most often here you could meet a cypress.

To do this, you will need the following steps:

1. Bend the lower branch closer to the ground, apply a few cuts on it.
2. In the soil, make a small depression, place a branch with notches there, place a small stone in this place.
3. Tie the top of the lay to the support.
4. Do not forget to water the whole plant and the rooting site of the lay and do this throughout the entire period of its vegetation.
5. Once the roots have formed, separate the shovel from the bush and transplant.

To sprout a seedling in this way is not so difficult, it is important to ensure that the soil at the junction does not dry out. The best conditions for transplanting a young bush will be the first warm days of spring.

How to plant out of cones

How to plant the seeds of this plant is already described above. It is also worthwhile to dwell on how to collect seed material from a cone yourself. The seeds of a fresh crop are best grown. They can maintain their germination capacity up to 5 years. First you need to collect ripe, but not yet opened cones from the tree, put them in a cardboard box and wait for disclosure. The seeds themselves will spill out. Then it is only necessary to do all the activities for sowing and caring for the plant.

Cypress Care at Home

An exotic cypress tree will delight with its decorative and fragrant needles if you follow the main rules for planting and growing this evergreen culture. It is important not only to be able to sprout bushes, but also to properly care for them. The main rule of care is to create conditions for this coniferous tree, close to the natural environment.

Important! In winter, place a pot of cypress near the brightest window. Lack of light can lead to improper crown formation.

Cypress Watering

Cypress growing in the country or in a pot, loves moist air and timely watering. Follow these rules for hydrating a plant:

1. Make sure that watering does not cause stagnation of moisture, and also do not allow drying.
2. Water more often in hot weather, less often in cool weather.
3. Make sure that the soil is always slightly moist and that it does not form a crust. If this happens, then put the pot with a bush in a container of water until the soil is saturated with water.
4. On hot summer days, do not forget to spray the crown of cypress from a spray bottle.
5. For spraying and watering use only warm, settled water.
6. Watch out for room humidity.
7. In winter, the amount of watering can be reduced to 1 time per week, so that the soil does not dry out.

Fertilizer and fertilizing

Exotic conifers need periodic top dressing, only conventional fertilizers for indoor flowers will not suit him. It is better to use mineral complexes for conifers. Especially cypress needs magnesium and nitrogen. Feed every month from May to September. Take care not to exaggerate the recommended dose indicated on the package.

Cypress Trimming

It is important to cut the cypress in the spring, not only for sanitary purposes, but also for the formation of the crown. For a healthy haircut, it is enough to remove dry, old, damaged branches. Trimming in order to create an unusual shape consists in regularly cutting the growing shoots. Cutting branches requires the implementation of a special rule - the removal of no more than a third of young shoots.

Important! In addition to cutting, you can apply pinching of the upper point of growth of the stems. This inhibits the growth of the tree.

Such a procedure will help to ennoble the appearance of the conifer and stimulate its further development. Too tall a plant, you can cut off the top, and cut the side branches in the desired shape. The remote top should not be thrown away, it can be rooted in a separate pot.

Video: Mowing a cypress

Proper lighting and air temperature

Being a native of the southern regions, the cypress loves a lot of light. It would be better to put it not just on the floor near the window, but also think over a stand for it if the flower does not fit on the windowsill. Direct sunlight is harmful to the needles of the plant. In winter, for additional lighting, you can use artificial lamps.

Subtropical conifers require a moderate temperature content. In summer, it easily tolerates heat, and in winter room temperature. It is important that the plant always has access to fresh air. In summer, he will be better off on the balcony, and in winter he should often ventilate the room. Do not place a flower pot near hot batteries in the heating season. Sometimes a tree can winter in a well-insulated balcony at a temperature of at least + 6 ° C.

Disease and Pest Prevention

Chamaecyparis is fairly resistant to disease and rarely amenable to pest invasion. Insects are afraid of its coniferous aroma, and fungi and bacteria - of fungicides contained in wood.

But sometimes a tree can be affected by the following pests:

1. Scale or false shields. This insect sucks the juice from the needles. In this case, it is better to resort to rubbing the affected branches with a soap or alcohol solution.
2. Spider mite. A manifestation of the disease is the appearance of a web on needles. The plant must be sprayed with a wide-acting Actellica insecticide.
3. Smoldering. Yellowing of the stems and needles testifies to such a defeat. From death, the plant will be saved by spraying with a soapy solution with a small amount of vegetable oil.

Sometimes a tree disease is associated with improper care. Excessive watering can cause rotting of the roots, and insufficient water can dry out the plant.

Did you know? Ancient Egyptians used cypress oil for embalming mummies. It contributed to their good preservation.

Is it possible to cut a cypress

The evergreen Chamaecyparis can be with a columnar and bush crown. At the second branch they are scattered to the sides or droop. Bushes, like a tree, tolerate a haircut. Most often they are shaped like a ball. They are suitable for Japanese gardens, alpine slides.

Depending on the purpose, you can get tall, medium, low or dwarf species of conifers. With good care, the shrub will delight you with its beautiful needles and crown shape.