How to Root the Cuttings of an Italian Cypress
Italian cypress (Cupressus sempervirens) is an attractive, but odd-looking, evergreen tree. The tall, skinny Italian cypress can grow as tall as 60 feet, but will be no more than 3 feet wide, making it a good choice for narrow spaces between buildings, planted closely together as a windbreak or privacy screen, or located next to an unsightly wall. To start a new Italian cypress, start by taking a cutting from mid-summer to early fall.
Use sharp pruners to cut a long branch from the bottom of a healthy Italian cypress tree. Cut the long branch into several smaller cuttings, each with at least three or four sets of needles. To accomplish this, the cuttings should be approximately 6 inches long. Make cuts on the lower parts of the branches, nearest the trees's roots, at a 45-degree angle, with the cut on the upper part of the branch, furthest from the tree's roots, made straight across.
- Italian cypress (Cupressus sempervirens) is an attractive, but odd-looking, evergreen tree.
- The tall, skinny Italian cypress can grow as tall as 60 feet, but will be no more than 3 feet wide, making it a good choice for narrow spaces between buildings, planted closely together as a windbreak or privacy screen, or located next to an unsightly wall.
Fill a one-gallon container with a mixture of half regular garden soil and half clean, coarse sand. Moisten the planting medium ahead of time, so that it's moist all the way through, but not dripping. Use the eraser end of a pencil to make a planting hole for each Italian cypress cutting.
Strip the needles from the lower half of each Italian cypress cutting, and leave the upper needles intact. Wearing gloves, dip the lower half, with the angled cut, in powdered rooting hormone. Plant the Italian cypress cuttings in the holes.
Cover the planting container with clear plastic, and secure it with a rubber band. Put the Italian cypress cuttings outdoors in a sheltered location where the container will be protected from hot sunlight, cold wind and freezing temperatures. You can also put the Italian cypress cuttings indoors, in a cool, humid location.
- Fill a one-gallon container with a mixture of half regular garden soil and half clean, coarse sand.
- Strip the needles from the lower half of each Italian cypress cutting, and leave the upper needles intact.
Remove the plastic from the container and mist the soil every day. After a year, the Italian cypress cuttings will be ready to be planted outdoors.
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Writer Bio
M.H. Dyer began her writing career as a staff writer at a community newspaper and is now a full-time commercial writer. She writes about a variety of topics, with a focus on sustainable, pesticide- and herbicide-free gardening. She is an Oregon State University Master Gardener and Master Naturalist and holds a Master of Fine Arts in creative nonfiction writing.
