Lawson cypress: when and how to prune

Lawson cypress: when to prune it?

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Clip hedges in May–June and late August, by mid-September at the latest.

What else to prune in those months? May · June · August · September

Lawson cypress: how to prune it?

1. Never cut into brown wood: it won’t regrow. Clip every year, so you always stay in the green.
2. Keep the hedge slightly narrower at the top than at the bottom, so light reaches every part.
3. On free-standing trees and garden forms, only remove dead branches and double leaders.

How much to cut, and how often?

• Trim a hedge once or twice a year, after the first flush of growth (late June) and, if needed, in late summer. Check first that no birds are nesting.
• Most conifers do not regrow from old, bare wood. So never cut back into the brown part (exception: yew).

What does it mean for wildlife?

• Pruning in May–June and August can fall in the nesting season (15 March–15 August). Check carefully for nesting birds first: disturbing an active nest is against the law.
• A dense hedge gives birds a place to nest and shelter, and hedgehogs take cover underneath. Leave some leaves at the base.
• Prunings can go on a dead hedge or brash pile in a corner of the garden: shelter for hedgehogs, wrens and insects.

Common mistakes

• Clipping without first checking for nesting birds.
• Cutting back into bare brown wood: it will not regrow from there.
• Letting the hedge grow wider at the top than at the bottom: the base then goes bare.

Nearby: related pruning guides

• Leyland cypress
• Thuja
• Northern white cedar
• Western red cedar
• Beech
• Field maple

Similar to: Difference from thuja · Difference from Leyland cypress · Difference from western red cedar · Difference from northern white cedar

Plant profile: Lawson cypress · Pruning calendar and basic rules