QuestionQUESTION: I just built a house and the back yard is all dirt and is 108' wide by 37' deep. I'm really interested in the Italian Cyprus. I love the way that it looks.... I would be buying these trees to plant along the fence for more privacy. Is this a good idea? Or is there another type of tree that you would suggest? I would like to have a tree that stays fairly thin, as my yard isn't that big. I'm in zone 5 and the soil is mostly clay. Any suggestions? Thanks for your help!
ANSWER: The Italian cypress sounds like the best bet if you want the thin looking tree. To make a hedge look they will need to be planted about 3 feet apart since the width of the mature trees is about 3-5 feet wide. They should grow there. Check with your local nursery and see if they have them OR may suggest another similar tree.
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: One (okay three) more question(s) for you. Are the Italian Cyprus prone to disease? And do they do well in clay soils or should I add some sand to the soil? I plan on putting grass in the same area... do you see that to be a problem? thanks again. Sorry I'm a very curious person.
AnswerI will do well in most soils.
Light requirement: tree grows in full sun
Soil tolerances: clay; loam; sand; acidic; alkaline;well-drained
Drought tolerance: high
Bagworms are occasionally a problem for Italian Cypress. Mites are often a problem.
Root rot can be a problem for Italian Cypress in poorly-drained soil. The Italian cypress is drought-tolerant and almost as tough as a cactus, but it can get a fatal disease called cypress canker.
The fungal spores of this disease are carried by the wind. Lesions begin on the tree抯 bark and girdle the branches as they grow. Cankered trees slowly begin to turn yellow or brown and then die.
This however can be lessened. Botryosphaeria canker most often occurs on plants that are under considerable stress, and an effective control strategy should include keeping the plants growing as vigorously as possible. Mulch plants yearly and provide adequate water during extended dry periods. Avoid heavy fertilization and severe pruning of established plants. Prune out and destroy dead branches.
A alternative would be Thuja Green Giant.
Thuja Green Giant would be good planting for a fast screen effect. Spacing will not effect the height of the tree.
Thuja Green Giant is becoming more and more popular among landscapers, growers, and homeowners alike. This hardy, fast growing, conifer makes a perfect privacy screen in just a few short years.
Green Giant will grow from 3 to 5 feet per year and will eventually grow to 50 feet or more with a fairly narrow spread. The color is a deep lustrous green and is pleasantly fragrant.
Green Giant will grow in a wide range of soils in zones 5 to 8 and prefers a deep well drained fertile soil although it adapts well to frequently saturated clay soils. This is a tough tree and will not easily suffer damage from high wind or heavy ice and snow loads.
Green Giant is drought tolerant after it is well established, exhibits no significant pest or disease problems, is deer and bagworm resistant and is hardy to -25F.
This new USDA US National Arboretum release as Green Giant has been evaluated since 1967 and will become the outstanding alternative screening-evergreen to the disease prone Leyland Cypress in the south and to the Hemlocks that are dying throughout New England. Plant 5 to 6 feet apart for a really fast privacy screen, otherwise 10-12 feet apart. Green Giant can be trimmed to any height and width.
You will need to mulch around the trees to keep grass competition down and to help hold moisture. Pine straw works well as a mulch for these trees.
When you plant the trees dig the hole twice the size of the rootball and as deep and fill with good top soil or potting soil, mulch with not more than 3 inches deep of organic mulch and water.
