Shell cypress ∗ The 10 best care tips and pruning

origin

The other common German name of Mussel cypress is Hinoki-False cypress - and this name already resonates a lot about their origin. Right - the Chamaecyparis obtusa, as it is botanically called, comes from Japan of course. This is suggested not only by its name, which sounds so Far Eastern, but also by its artistic appearance, which is so typical of Japanese gardening culture. From a German point of view, the mussel cypress is from the botanists P. F. von Siebold and J. G. Zuccarini in the middle of the 19th It was first described in the 19th century.

In their homeland, the mussel cypress has much more than just a decorative garden decoration use. Rather, because of its many other positive properties, it is also used for economic purposes. For example, it contains valuable essential oils in wood and needles, from which the so-called hinoki oil is obtained. Their light wood, which smells wonderfully lemony, is also used in Japan as a noble raw material for sacred buildings such as temples and palaces, for shrines and also for

table tennis racket used.

In our country, however, the mussel cypress is mainly only used for ornamental gardens. Above all, the dwarf forms such as the small mussel cypress are widespread in this country.

Origin at a glance:

• The mussel cypress comes from Japan
• For the first time by Germans in the middle of the 19th Century described
• In Japan not only used as decorative, but also as valuable timber for sacred buildings
• Also for the extraction of Hinoki essential oil
• With us rather only for garden ornament, v. a. the dwarf forms

growth

The mussel cypress belongs to the cypress family and therefore grows as an evergreen conifer. Their habitus is characterized by a sweeping columnar shape and an original, somewhat idiosyncratic crown structure due to the somewhat irregular branching. The crown is already on the ground and forms conical, wide shoots. These are flat and fan-shaped, so that the broad, shell-shaped structures that give it its name emerge at the ends.

Shell cypress trees can reach a height of up to 40 meters - the dwarf shell cypress trees, which are more common in this country, however, reach a maximum height of 2.50 m and a width of 1.5 m. They also grow very slowly. The trunk wood, which is light on the inside, is surrounded by a reddish-brown bark.

Growth characteristics in brief:

• Column-like growth
• Spreading and irregularly structured crown close to the ground
• Broadly fanned out, flat, shell-shaped shoot ends
• Heights of growth up to 40 meters, in dwarfs only about 2.50 m in height

leaves

The short needle foliage of the mussel cypress has a typical cypress scale-like texture and attaches close to the shoot ends. These are spread open in a fan shape and appear to be pressed together - this is how the leaf groups form their typical shell-like shape. The color of the leaves is a deep dark green.

Flowers and fruit

Basically, mussel cypresses naturally develop flowers and cones for the purpose of their reproduction. The cones have a dense, scaly, spherical appearance of about 8 to 12 millimeters in diameter and sit like nests in the shoot ends. The garden forms cultivated in this country are sterile - they do not develop flowers or cones.

Which location is suitable?

The mussel cypress prefers a more partially shaded place. Too much sun can be damaging to them, but be careful not to leave them out gets as much light as possible on all sides, otherwise it will grow irregularly tends.

This is of course not so easy, especially outdoors - with a southern orientation, where the conifers are illuminated from the west and east and trees etc. in the south. Ä. is shaded, but it can easily succeed. With the bucket culture, the risk of stunted growth can of course be countered simply by turning.

You shouldn't put the mussel cypress in a rock garden - even if its Japanese appearance would look good in a Far Eastern gravel bed. She doesn't like the dryness and the high heat radiation of the stony bed surface.

Location requirements in brief:

• Rather partially shaded, not too intensely sunny - risk of drought damage
• Pay attention to even light from all sides to prevent crooked growth
• Location in the rock garden is not recommended

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What soil does the plant need?

The mussel cypress needs a well-drained, fresh, moist and relatively humus-rich plant substrate. The pH value should be in the rather low, i.e. low-lime range. If you plant the mussel cypress in the open ground and find a rather loamy, heavy soil in the planned location, you should loosen and improve it well with sand and leaf compost. A drainage layer made of gravel is certainly not wrong either.

For the substrate in the bucket you should use high quality, nutrient-rich Potting soil use that you loosen up with a portion of sand or coconut fiber and a little lava chippings. The mussel cypress in the pot is also happy about constant nutrients with compost.

Overview of earth demands:

• Well drained, humic, fresh and moist
• pH value rather low
• Loosen and upgrade heavy soil in the open field with sand and leaf compost, drainage layer made of gravel
• In the pot: good, nutrient-rich potting soil with a little compost and sand

How do I transplant properly?

Very few garden plants like to be transplanted, especially if they are grown outdoors. Shell cypress trees are no exception. Although they are very robust overall, their slow growth means that they do not easily gain a foothold in a new location. However, if you absolutely want to implement them, proceed as follows:

You should choose autumn as the time when the conifers have finished their main vegetation phase, but there are still no strong frosts. Dig up the root ball as generously and carefully as possible and place the tree in the new planting hole, which you have made with a base bed made of a gravel drainage layer and a sandy one Compost soil have provided. Then fill the hole with humus-rich soil and press it firmly all around and pour vigorously. A layer of mulch on top of the planting area is recommended to protect the stressed root system from damage caused by the cold and from drying out.

Refrain from pruning to compensate for the inevitable damage to the roots. In the case of the slowly growing conifer, this is more debilitating than strengthening.
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Cut the mussel cypress correctly

In principle, topiary maintenance is not necessary for the dwarf cypress trees cultivated in this country. They grow very slowly anyway and develop their characteristic structure best when left alone. Radical prunings in particular are not advisable for the conifer species, as it does not sprout again from cuts in the old wood. Younger specimens, if their shape does not develop as you wish, can still be shortened in the outer parts of the spring. However, never cut back more than about 3 cm.
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bonsai

Still, mini-shell cypress trees are suitable like many others Cypress species also for bonsai culture in the garden. Especially in a front garden, an artistically shaped mussel cypress can make itself very decorative. For the design, it is particularly advisable to work with accurate foliage pruning. Stringent and regularly wired branches come into their own when the shapely needles are in precisely contoured bushes at the branch ends.

When wiring the trunk and branches, be sure to remove the wires from May when the thickness begins to grow. This will avoid traces of wiring or ingrowth. Fertilize you should consider a bonsai cypress tree regularly during the growth phase.
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The mussel cypress reproduces

Propagating a mussel cypress is not entirely trivial. Due to its generally slow growth, it is also not so vigorous when it comes to vegetative reproduction. Nevertheless, the cutting method is actually the only method of choice for private gardeners. You won't get seeds from sterile garden forms anyway.

You generally have a higher chance of growth with younger mother plants that are still in full sap. It can get very complicated with older specimens. In late summer, cut the freshest possible shoot about 15 centimeters long from the upper part of the crown with a beveled cut. Defoliate it except for an upper pair of leaves. It is strongly recommended to cut the cut surface in Rooting powder to dive.

You put the prepared cuttings in a planting bowl with humoser Potting soil. The chances of growth are highest if you have a (mini) greenhouse available, in which you can offer the cutting an evenly warm, humid and protected climate. It should get a lot of light, but be protected from direct sunlight.

When the cuttings form new shoots, you have - resp. He - made it and has grown. Cultivate it indoors or out over the winter. the greenhouse. The young mussel cypress should only be planted outdoors after its first year of life.
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Diseases

The mussel cypress is very sensitive to waterlogging. If your planting base is not permeable and humus enough, it can be attacked by the fungus Phytpphtora cinnamomi, which causes the roots to rot and the plant to die. When planting, it is essential to ensure adequate drainage and good loosening of heavy soils with coarse-grained sand.

The mussel cypress can also be afflicted by the shoot deaths that frequently occur in conifers. You can recognize this disease by dying shoots and black dots on the affected areas. The dieback can be brought under control with a fungicide.
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Pests

The mussel cypress may occasionally be affected by scale insects or Spider mites be infested.

Scale insects

You can recognize scale insects, among other things, by the honeydew that they secrete when sucking on the juicy shoots of the mussel cypress. If you are not careful, sooty fungus can also nest under the honeydew.

If the scale insect infestation is still rather weak, first tackle the animals mechanically by removing them from the plant with a damp cloth or toothbrush. You can then treat the mussel cypress with a brew of nettles or tansy. If the infestation is more advanced, you can resort to oil-based preparations that cause the lice to suffocate.

Spider mites

These parasites are actually mostly houseplant pests. But they don't stop at the tasty shoots of mussel cypress trees either. They are easily betrayed by the fine webs with which they cover the branches and leaves of the host plant. In the case of a structurally robust plant like the mussel cypress, you can use a strong jet of water here Garden hose work. Spray them off thoroughly, several times if necessary. This should normally be able to get the infestation under control.

In the case of overly stubborn populations, you may have to cut off the infected parts of the plant and dispose of them as thoroughly as possible, preferably burn them. The use of is also particularly ecologically sensible Predatory mites, for example in the form of the gall mosquito Feltiella acarisuga. However, they can only be used on planted mussel cypress trees in summer, when the temperature is above 20 ° C. Only then will the beneficial insects have suitable living conditions. In addition, there should be high humidity.

sorts

The dwarf variety 'Nana Gracilis' is most common in specialist shops. But there are also a few other cultivated forms that differ from each other mainly in their foliage color and partly also in their growth habit.

Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Nana Gracilis'

In German, the variety is simply called dwarf cypress. Its growth is indeed dwarf - it reaches a maximum height of 3 meters and a width of about 2 meters. It shows a compact, well-branched, initially spherical and later more conical growth. The horizontally protruding branches form dense needle bushes. The variety is also well suited for grave planting due to its compact, neat appearance.

Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Lycopodioides'

This variety is also called coral false cypress in German. This name already indicates its specialty: In fact, it forms coral-shaped twisted shoots that give it an overall much more filigree appearance than most of theirs Conspecifics. Her needle color is a cool teal. In terms of height and width, it is about as large as the Nana Gracilis variety.

Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Fernspray Gold'

The name says it all for this variety too: it is characterized by its golden yellow needle color, which gives it a fresh, delicate character. Its growth is also exceptional: it forms gently curved branches that extend from the ground with tapering tips and fine needles. This makes it resemble one fern. The Fernspray Gold is very slow growing.

Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Aurora'

The Aurora variety is also characterized by yellowish needle foliage and can therefore set a particularly attractive color accent, especially in combination with dark-leaved conifers. As with the Nana Gracilis, it grows quite bushy and compact, but becomes significantly smaller with a maximum height of one meter. It reaches 60 cm in width.

Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Pygmaea'

This variety shows a rather spherical growth and is slightly larger than the other dwarf varieties with a height of 3.50 meters. Their needle foliage has a fresh green color that turns brown in autumn.