Is there any hope fixing this Italian cypress? I planted it last spring and it was floppy. I wrapped it with wire and it was growing fine and straight. Almost tripled in size.
I decided to unwrap it earlier this week and it now looks worse than before. I feel wrapping did more harm than good.

Straighten the trunk with a guy wire or stake as a very temporary measure. Trunk movement (flexing) stimulates thickening and strength because it causes release of a growth regulator (ethylene) which stimulates lignin (the organic polymer that makes wood woody and strong). Allow the floppy branches to remain on the trunk for now. They will increase the trees ability to make food, so the tree will produce new files of cells in the trunk in order to store the food, which creates trunk thickening and added strength. Read up on the tree's cultural needs and make sure the tree is getting what it wants in terms of moisture and nutrition.

Do you have clay soil or a sprinkler system? This frequently occurs when trees are over-watered.

tapla said: Straighten the trunk with a guy wire or stake as a very temporary measure. Trunk movement stimulates thickening and strength because it causes relief of a growth regulator (ethylene) which stimulates lignin (the organic polymer that makes wood woody and strong). Allow the floppy branches to remain on the trunk for now. They will increase the trees ability to make food, so the tree will produce new files of cells in the trunk in order to store the food, which creates trunk thickening and added strength. Read up on the tree's cultural needs and make sure the tree is getting what it wants in terms of moisture and nutrition.

Do you have clay soil or a sprinkler system? This frequently occurs when trees are over-watered.

Yes the soil is clay. I do have sprinkles but they are not hitting the tree.
I feel wrapping it caused the branches to grow weak.

Ceriano, have you fed your lawn with high nitrogen fertilizer since you planted the cypress?

The tree will either straighten itself out or not. I know that sounds simplistic, but a sandy to sandy loam soil with sharp drainage is what your tree wants, so there's a good chance it might not be able to deal with the limited oxygen supply in a clay soil. If the tree was floppy when you received it, it likely had issues then. You might take that up with the seller.

I'm not sure that what type of fertilizer you used, or didn't, is at issue, though it might have been while it was still at the nursery. If it was at issue, it's effect's would be made manifest in the new growth, which appears to be adhering to the plant's normal growth habit, which should be seen as encouraging.

Even though the lower branches are laying over, you shouldn't feel as though that will permanently detract from the plant's eye appeal. If it can deal with where it's planted, it should end up looking fine in a couple of years.

Once you're fairly confident the tree will remain in a vertical orientation, remove the tether. At that point, you can prune the lateral growing branches back to a secondary branch growing upright from the top side of the primary branch you'll be pruning. Prune at the point that best maintains the plant's natural taper. You'll know by the end of this summer if the tree is likely to realize a large enough measure of its genetic potential to be something you want to keep.

Al

Or, just stake it loosely and cut the floppy stems back to 6" long. Expect more floppy branches in the future. We have that happen here, even when not irrigated, and we get about 1/3 the rainfall you do.

NMoasis said: Ceriano, have you fed your lawn with high nitrogen fertilizer since you planted the cypress?

I don't feed this area near the house. I don't use high N feet's in general. Mostly SOP and TSP to address the P and K deficiency. I pull a soil sample every year making sure I don't over shoot.

tapla said: The tree will either straighten itself out or not. I know that sounds simplistic, but a sandy to sandy loam soil with sharp drainage is what your tree wants, so there's a good chance it might not be able to deal with the limited oxygen supply in a clay soil. If the tree was floppy when you received it, it likely had issues then. You might take that up with the seller.

I'm not sure that what type of fertilizer you used, or didn't, is at issue, though it might have been while it was still at the nursery. If it was at issue, it's effect's would be made manifest in the new growth, which appears to be adhering to the plant's normal growth habit, which should be seen as encouraging.

Even though the lower branches are laying over, you shouldn't feel as though that will permanently detract from the plant's eye appeal. If it can deal with where it's planted, it should end up looking fine in a couple of years.

Once you're fairly confident the tree will remain in a vertical orientation, remove the tether. At that point, you can prune the lateral growing branches back to a secondary branch growing upright from the top side of the primary branch you'll be pruning. Prune at the point that best maintains the plant's natural taper. You'll know by the end of this summer if the tree is likely to realize a large enough measure of its genetic potential to be something you want to keep.

Al

Thanks Al. When I first planted it it wasn't straight. So I used a rebar and guy wire to train it. Apparently that didn't do much. I also wrapped it with wire and twine and I feel that made it grow even weaker.
The soil near the house is mostly rocks and clay. rocks should provide good anchor and oxygen.
Should I trim any of the branches?

It might take some time for the trunk to 'set' in a vertical position, but it's important to the plant's formal appearance, or growth habit if you prefer. If it does ok, it will be fine physically, but you probably don't want a conspicuous jog in the trunkline.

As I noted above, the foliage on the branches laying over (actually, all foliage) is the source of the plant's true food. I usually look at everything from the plant's point of view, which is why I suggested you leave the saggy branches as they are until later because their foliage will add additional strength/thickness to the trunk, hasten the time it takes for the trunk to set in a vertical orientation, and help contribute to growth. What you want trumps everything we say, so if you don't want to tolerate the reduced eye appeal caused by the wayward branches, cut them back, but it's good to know there's something of a tradeoff for taking that path.

In the practice of bonsai, we often use sacrifice branches which will never be a part of the mature composition in order to thicken trunks (and branches). This practice is not widely known, so seldom considered outside if bonsai, but that doesn't mean it doesn't work equally well for plants in the landscape. Example of how a sacrifice branch thickens/strengthens trunks:

BTW - the branches needn't be larger than the tree, or even large, to make a meaningful contribution to secondary growth (thickening).
Al

Full Sun? Tolerates only minor shade.

tapla said: It might take some time for the trunk to 'set' in a vertical position, but it's important to the plant's formal appearance, or growth habit if you prefer. If it does ok, it will be fine physically, but you probably don't want a conspicuous jog in the trunkline.

As I noted above, the foliage on the branches laying over (actually, all foliage) is the source of the plant's true food. I usually look at everything from the plant's point of view, which is why I suggested you leave the saggy branches as they are until later because their foliage will add additional strength/thickness to the trunk, hasten the time it takes for the trunk to set in a vertical orientation, and help contribute to growth. What you want trumps everything we say, so if you don't want to tolerate the reduced eye appeal caused by the wayward branches, cut them back, but it's good to know there's something of a tradeoff for taking that path.

In the practice of bonsai, we often use sacrifice branches which will never be a part of the mature composition in order to thicken trunks (and branches). This practice is not widely known, so seldom considered outside if bonsai, but that doesn't mean it doesn't work equally well for plants in the landscape. Example of how a sacrifice branch thickens/strengthens trunks:

BTW - the branches needn't be larger than the tree, or even large, to make a meaningful contribution to secondary growth (thickening).
Al

Awesome I grow bonsai myself too. As long as it fills in I don't mind leaving the branches for now. We had some 50mph winds today, on tree almost got uprooted.
I probably go ahead stake it again.

SunnyBorders said: Full Sun? Tolerates only minor shade.

Yes south facing full sun.

Ok - so you already understand it sometimes takes planning and some time spent accepting a little 'ugly' in order to be able to guide the plant to an end result that's the best it can be, or at least the best we're capable of.

Pretty bracts on the bougie!

Al

This is the other one. It was in better shape. Wind roughed it up.

Yes, the trunk needs to be stabilized because any movement will cause a lot of fine roots to break, which can be a significant setback. I'll be hoping the soil isn't going to be a deal breaker!
Al