What are key events I shouldn’t miss when growing this crop?

Space the crop approximately 6–8 weeks after transplanting before the foliage touches adjacent plants. Space around the plants is essential to maximize airflow for disease reduction and to allow more light to the bottom of the plants. Keeping the plants tight together encourages uneven, stretched, and weak growth.

Depending on the finished product’s desired structure, a trim may be necessary to help bulk the plants at the time of spacing. Any trim must remove no more than 1 cm of top growth, setting a trimmer height to reach only the tallest plants. Subsequent trims will catch more plants as the crop evens out in height.

Finishing the crop for the fall and winter months requires spring transplanting. Finishing a crop for spring depends on the growing location and climate, but it typically requires a fall-finished product to hold over until spring.

What soil do I need?

An optimal substrate is peat-dominant. The pH target is 4.5, with a range of 4.0–5.0. Growing the crop below this pH range can lead to slower, harder growth. Conversely, rapid and weaker growth can be observed when pH is above the target range. It is critical that the substrate does not dry out. Cupressus is sensitive to drying substrate which will rapidly affect the growing tips.

What kind of environment do I need?

Transplant the liners inside a greenhouse, though the crop may be grown outside. In either circumstance, the crop performs best under shade (30% in the Pacific Northwest; 55% in southern regions). Cupressus tolerates full sun, but the sun significantly reduces the growth rate.

Irrigate as early in the day as possible to allow foliage to dry before nightfall. A fungicide program is highly recommended to combat foliar disease, specifically Phomopsis.

Consult with your Qualitree account manager for further information.

What kind of color can I expect?

‘Goldcrest Wilma’, or Lemon Cypress, ranges from chartreuse under shade to lemon yellow depending on exposure to direct sunlight. 

What kind of fertilizer strategy should I have?

Very little fertilizer is required when growing in northern regions, such as the Pacific Northwest.

However, hotter, sunnier regions tend to reduce the growth rate, so a more robust fertilization regime is necessary to keep the plants growing to their target size. 

What kind of pests should I anticipate?

• Lepidoptera larvae
• Phomopsis
• Pestalotia
• Pythium
• Botrytis