Chamaecyparis lawsoniana needs your guidance

Discussion in 'Trees, Shrubs and Roses' started by Christina Doherty, Jan 28, 2018.

  1. Christina Doherty

    Christina Doherty New Seed

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    I have two Lawson’s false cypress, each one flanking my front porch steps. This variety is ‘Golden Surprise’ and grows to a max of 6 feet. It is one of the dwarf false cypresses.

    These small trees are beautiful with a golden/orange tinged foliage that is soft and mostly upright sweeping. However one of them has an unruly habit and I’m not sure what to do.
    As you can see in the pictures, it is bushy and sweeping to one side, and is now leaning over my heather. I want to be clear - I have pulled the boughs away to see the leader and it IS straight. So, the tree itself is not leaning in the ground. It does seem to have several trunks on the inside that are sturdy, as in competing leaders. Not sure if that’s normal or due to lack of pruning or what.

    I never pruned them, perhaps this is a mistake. Can you please give me advice on how to proceed with my Chameacyparis L. ‘Golden Surprise’ ?

    The last pic is the Cham. L.’s sibling on the other side of my steps - you can see this one is staying more erect (though it is of equal bushy-ness).

    Thank you kindly! Christina
     

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  2. Christina Doherty

    Christina Doherty New Seed

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    Can anyone help on this question?

    Christina
     
  3. Odif

    Odif Young Pine

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    Sometimes you may have to wait a while for an answer. The best time to prune these trees is in the Autumn and beginning of winter, I am not sure if now is the ideal time, but a light pruning to shape these plants is good. Be patient, I think someone else might have better ideas. If you prune too much, exposing old growth, then the branch will not regrow new shoots. So you have to careful which branches you cut out, but if you cut it a bit to shape it, that is normally good, I will ask my friend a landscape gardener for some more specific details and get back to you.
     
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  4. carolyn

    carolyn Strong Ash

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    sorry, I am not of much help on trees anymore. I have graduated to growing crops to sell and trees aren't one of them. you might get better help to stop at a nursery close to where you live and ask them.
     
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  5. Christina Doherty

    Christina Doherty New Seed

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    Thank you - I did speak with a horticulturist at one of our local nurseries. He’s not sure why the side of it is sagging and supposed that it’s either not getting light on that side or that the tree was a cutting made from a lateral branch - and desperately wants to honor that orientation. I’m not sure what to think.
    The plan is to turn it and see if it straightens up. If it insists on sagging those branches even when turned, we can suspect it’s another issue with its growth.

    It’s a gorgeous Cham. If anyone has any other ideas in which to get it growing upswept again, I am all ears!!!
     
  6. carolyn

    carolyn Strong Ash

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    was it growing a different direction before? or has it grown this way always?
     
  7. Christina Doherty

    Christina Doherty New Seed

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    Once it got bigger, it started to do this.
    Maybe about 2 years into its growth. ‘Golden Surprise’ tag says this tops at 6’, which it is at already.
     
  8. carolyn

    carolyn Strong Ash

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    the explanation of the cutting being taken from a lateral branch is actually a quite logical one. I don't think it will change its growth habit even if you turn it. if you don't like it because you want symmetry there I would say dig them both out and replace them both so they are the same size. sell the nicer one to a landscaper if you can.
     
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  9. Odif

    Odif Young Pine

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    Yes, it could be that the bush recieves more sun and hence grows towards the light, good luck with turning it, I dont have the experiences to suggest that a lateral branch cutting will behave like this, but I am not sure.
     
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