JOIN NOW LOG IN
iVillage GardenWeb iVillage GardenWeb THE INTERNET'S GARDEN & HOME COMMUNITY ADVERTISEMENT
Blogs
Garden Voices
Forums
Garden Forums Home Forums Nature Forums
Photo Galleries
Garden Galleries Home Galleries
Ask The Experts Tools & Directories
Organization Directory Events Calendar Hortiplex Glossary Zone Finder Garden Bazaar
       
Return to the Louisiana & Mississippi Forum | Post a Follow-Up

o
Planting at base of Cypress

clip this post email this post what is this?
see most clipped and recent clippings
Posted by brutuses 9 (2many@cox.net) on
Fri, Jan 11, 08 at 1:18

I inherited some cypress trees on new property and have some questions. First, can you plant some type of hardy ground cover at the base of a cypress? Will something like an iron plant grow there? I have cats and I don't want them using that area for a litter box. I know iron plant is durable and grows very thick and that would keep them away from digging around the base of the tree. Also, what are those shoots that come out of the ground around the tree base? If they are cut, will it kill the tree? When should they be fertilized and pruned?

I don't know a thing about cypress so I appreciate any education you can give me. Thanks

Follow-Up Postings:

o
RE: Planting at base of Cypress

clip this post email this post what is this?
see most clipped and recent clippings

  • Posted by natal Louisiana 8b (My Page) on
    Sun, Jan 13, 08 at 21:43

Brutus, those shoots are commonly referred to as knees. You can remove them, but they'll probably return.

Bald Cypress have a beautiful natural growth pattern. The only reason I would prune would be to remove dead branches.

Here is a link that might be useful: bald cypress

o
RE: Planting at base of Cypress

clip this post email this post what is this?
see most clipped and recent clippings

Natal, nice to see you here. I posted this message on another board and someone responded by showing me photo's of some cypress that are planted on a gulf coarse and their knees are mowed down at all times and the trees are beautiful. I'm glad to see that because I would like to try to do something under the trees, but those things get in the way. LOL Me knocking mother nature, I know, shame on me. I love the trees though, they are so pretty. I've never had a cypress on my property before. I have one on the side/front of the property that was struck by lighting during Katrina and it broke in half. Now it's so ugly, poor thing has lost its' natural shape. I won't cut it down though. I wish I could give it a nicely shaped top, but I know that's impossible. So it's a half a cypress!! When we cleared the property to build we had to take down some beautiful trees, some cypress. It made us sick to have to do it. I actually had people ask if I could build my house around one. LOL Yea, I want a cypress running up through my living room floor. Doesn't everyone?

  
 

 

 


Click here to learn more about in-text links on this page.



iVillage GardenWeb: The Internet's Garden & Home Community
Join | Garden Forums | Home Forums | Exchanges & Trading | Member Pages | Contact Us
© 2006 iVillage Inc. All Rights Reserved. Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Policies FAQ | Advertising
  
  iVillage Home & Garden Network