How to Fertilize Italian Cypress
Tip
Not all Italian cypress trees need to be fertilized. If the tree is growing with good needle cover, skip the annual fertilization.
Warning
Wait for the area to dry before allowing children and pets outside to play.
The Italian cypress (Cupressus sempervirens) is an evergreen tree that can reach heights of 40 to 60 feet. Despite how tall it gets, the tree never develops to more than 3 feet wide. The Italian cypress tree is easily recognized by its dark green, scale-like leaves. This tree is known for having a long life and can even reach the age of 1,000 years. Italian cypress trees are susceptible to cypress canker, a disease caused by a fungus. If you have an Italian Cypress tree on your property, consider adding fertilizer to the soil around the tree once per year.
Apply fertilizer between April and mid-July on a sunny day with little wind.
Pick up or rake fallen branches from around the Italian cypress tree.
Feed the Italian cypress a 10-8-6 granular fertilizer. Give the tree 1 lb. of fertilizer for every inch of diameter of the tree.
Sprinkle the fertilizer evenly around the base of the tree. Follow all safety precautions listed on the fertilizer's product label.
Rake the area again so that the fertilizer is mixed with the soil.
Water the fertilizer until the soil is wet 6 to 8 inches deep.
Writer Bio
Alicia Bodine has been a professional writer for 13 years. She has produced thousands of articles for online publications such as Demand Studios, GoBankingRates and WiseGeek. Bodine is passionate about gardening, travel, education and finance. She has received awards for being a top content producer.